Sixth Grade Beginnings - SakiKitty (2024)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

….

"Hey! Hey Arnold, you coming?"

Gerald's voice could be heard in the distance, standing out amongst the loud crowd of kids behind them.

Snapping out of his daze, Arnold turned around with a smile towards his best friend and waved. "Yeah! Sorry Gerald, I'm coming."

Gerald shook his head and continued to walk down the hallway, his friends close behind him, "It's pretty amazing how suddenly your parents are in your life now man. I can't imagine how you're feeling but it's gotta be good!"

"You got that right! It's just…" Arnold's voice slowly faded as he dug within himself for a suitable answer "It's just unbelievable. I'm not sure how else to describe it. It's like one moment I've given up all hope on ever finding them, let alone them being alive and the next moment they're following me to school!"

While the conversation continued as they reached their new classroom, Helga and Phoebe followed behind about a foot from the boys. Although the topic was important, the girls had something slightly more important on their mind.

"So, how are YOU feeling, Helga?" The small Asian girl whispered to her best friend.

"Huh? W-what are you talking about Pheebs? I'm fine! Totally fine! Fit as a fiddle..." Helga blurted out loudly with a hint of nervousness in her voice and unconsciously rubbing the palm of her left hand with her thumb.

"Well…" Phoebe continued, noticing the topic wasn't going to go smoothly, not that she even thought it would. "So much has happened in the last month and I couldn't help but notice but you didn't let Arnold hold your hand…"

"Yeah? SO?!" Helga replied, sounding angrier than before.

"I just thought..." Phoebe began but was immediately cut off by her progressively frustrated friend who stopped in the middle of the hallway, allowing others to pass around them and giving Arnold and Gerald the opportunity to get into class before them and not listen in.

"You just thought what?" Helga started as she threw her hands in the air. "You just thought everything would be all hunky-dory and full of sunshine and rainbows? That I would just lovingly hold the hand of the boy I've been pining over and secretly loving for practically my entire existence? That I would proudly announce to the world that he actually ACCEPTED said love over the vacation period and go about life as if our whole past didn't exist?!" Phoebe remained quiet and calm as her blonde companion continued to rant on, even if she was a little confused as to why she was so upset in the first place.

"I'll fill you in on a little fact there, Phoebe, the past DID happen and I'm Helga G. Pataki!" Helga began stomping around and kicking a few lockers as she did so. "I'm the biggest, baddest and meanest bully in all of P.S 118 and you better believe it will always be this way!"

"But you don't have to be." The small girl finally got a word in between the loud bangs of Helga kicking a locker and almost tripping a kid passing by.

"What?" Helga turned and looked at her, her anger still present but also curious as to what Phoebe was about to say.

"You don't have to be that anymore, Helga. You don't have to keep putting up this facade to make everyone near you run away." Phoebe knew it was a long shot to try and talk any sense into Helga but didn't stop. "We are in sixth grade now and you finally have Arnold's affection! Why not turn over a new leaf and just be you? The Real You."

Suddenly the class bell rang, interrupting the heated battle. Helga heaved a heavy solemn sigh and reached for the door handle "Because… Phoebe," she replied with pain lingering in her voice "The world can't handle the real me…" and with that entered the classroom, leaving her Japanese American friend standing in the hallway.

"Yes… it can… if you would let it" She whispered to herself sadly and followed.

The sixth grade classroom was just as same as the rest of them. Same size, same chairs and same old cabinets and white board with the exception of heavily erased graffiti on the desks and walls. It seemed that with age grew more immaturity… which was counterproductive to say the least.

Mr. Simmons stood at the small podium given to him and tried his best to settle the class down. He had been very familiar with his class but nevertheless still challenging to silence them when trying to make announcements, especially the trio of mischief.

"Good morning class!" He warmly and energetically sang. "Welcome to the sixth grade! Isn't it exciting?! You are now in your last year in P.S 118, so this year is sure to be exciting and full of special and wonderful moments!" He continued despite being talked over by Harold showing Sid and Stinky his new pair of shoes that lit up when he stomped hard. The aging teacher pushed back his impatience. "Harold, you can show them your shoes after class so please quiet down and face forward, thank you. I don't want to have to make another call to your mother about these frequent disruptions…"

"Awwww man!" Harold cried and slumped down into his seat while his 2 friends laughed in spite of him.

"Don't get in trouble Harold or Mommy is gonna find out!" Sid jeered as he jabbed his chubby friend in the side.

"Yeah or she might take away your Mr. Fudgey's" Stinky chimed in before continuing the laughter.

"Shut up you two or I'll pound you!" Harold hollered and threw his fists on the already breaking desk.

A familiar grown of annoyance came out of Rhonda as she whipped her head around and scowled at the three. "Will you guys ever GROW UP?! You're like a pack of screaming monkeys for crying out loud!"

"Class, Class please!" Mr. Simmons raised his voice once more in an attempt to silence the commotion. The image of them all being screaming monkeys gave his temple a throb and a rather unpleasant flashback to only a few weeks prior. Stress had taken over his normal, orderly self and he wasn't in the best state of mind then, giving their circ*mstances, and would rather not remember it all again.

The classroom slowly quieted down and he was able to continue. "As I was saying, this will be your last year here and thus will also be your last year with me being your teacher, sadly, as I cannot follow you into middle school. Let us all make meaningful and special memories while we venture forth onto the path of knowledge!"

"Criminy! I feel like the school year has already passed with how long this is taking…" Helga mumbled as she fidgets with her pencil.

The teacher chose to ignore her comment and continue on by explaining the upcoming year's lesson plan and what he hoped to have them achieve by the time they graduated. Meanwhile the speech fell on deaf ears as Helga had more pressing things to think about.

So much had happened since the end of the last school year. Things she didn't even think were possible. She had gotten the class to go all the way to Central America and rescue Arnold's lost parents. She had trekked through the jungle and fought bad guys and even gotten a kiss in the end for it…. A kiss… Helga could feel her heart race at the memory. All she had wanted to do was quickly and silently get her locket from that weird contraption. Her plan was simple. Everyone was distracted so why not race off and pry it out of the stone it was currently lodged in? No one had to know or remember it even existed, but unfortunately that plan was foiled when Arnold, being oddly attentive as he was, saw and followed her to that very spot. He had started his own little speech and began to nervously say things that seemed like a dream. That she was really brave and loyal. That he acknowledged her feeling finally and didn't chalk it all up to the heat of the moment. She remembered how his hands felt when he softly took her wrists; hot and sweaty as if this was the first time he had ever done something like this. Her mind became hazy and as he offered to share their first mutual kiss…

Helga began to unconsciously swoon in the middle of class until noticing and kicking herself in the leg to come back down to earth. "Ow!" she said to herself, now interrupting class and causing everyone to look over at her. "What?!" she shouted to keep composure and the class went back to its usual state, save for one person.

Arnold stared at Helga silently as Mr. Simmons started his first lesson topic of the day. Having no interest in it, he too remembered his awkward confession and began to turn a nice hue of red.Why wouldn't she let me hold her hand…?He wondered to himself. Sure, Helga would always be Helga and that was fine in its own charming way but hadn't things changed now? What were they exactly?

Shortly after arriving back in Hillwood, Arnold's family became top priority to him as he finally got to be a whole family for once in his life. With a mom and a dad along with his grandparents! The feeling was pure unimaginable bliss and something he had only dreamed could be a reality, however this did neglect something else now major in his new life…

The young man propped his elbow on the desk and held his head with his hand, looking over Helga from a distance. Normally she sat behind him while he was closer to the front, however this year his assigned seat was closer to the back with her being in front. Had the seating been on purpose or just random? It didn't matter to him. Now he finally had a chance to actually view her naturally, something he had never really done before.

Her hair had gotten a bit longer, but still obtained its original state. Her body had gotten a little taller and figure more pronounced. He watched as she started to actually pay attention to class and chew on the tip of her pencil eraser. Had she always done that? Arnold began to feel a familiar feeling grow in his chest. A strange yet calming warm type of feeling. This feeling had been born at the start of the fifth grade year, after she had eccentrically yelled her own feelings to him on top of a building in the pouring rain. Although, at the time, it felt absolutely crazy and he couldn't process any of it, looking back now it seemed almost poetic. A loud storm, heavy rain in the dark of night and there she was screaming about how she loved him. The girl who had done nothing but make him the target of her anger and tormented him for most of the years of his life, screaming how much he meant to her and then forcefully kissing him. That had to be something only capable of Helga G. Pataki. She was the only person he knew capable of such amazing things, whether they be good or bad. Over the last year, he had started to recall little amazing things about her that he had never really realized. Her tenacity. Her passion. Her talents. Had she always been this way? Was the only reason he never saw it before because of all the negative things she did towards him? The more little things he learned, the more this strange little feeling grew and the more interested he became. Many times he had tried to outwardly pursue a friendship with her only to be pushed away and resume the status quo.

Things won't return the way they were… will they?The thought started to make the nice feeling disappear and his heart clench in anxiety. He made his feelings to her clear, right? Surely she understood how much she meant to him… right? The uncertainty began to taunt him until his calm mind came back to take over.I'll just talk to her after school,he decided.I'm sure I'm just overthinking this. Everything will be fine.

Hours had passed and soon it was time to go home. Helga had made plans to go over the new English assignment with Phoebe in the library before going back "home" to the Beeper Emporium, little did she know that a anxious little football head waited for her outside the school. Once school had ended, he knew his parents were still waiting for him so he promptly met them outside.

"Hey son! Is school finally out?" Miles asked, his arms wide open for the awaited embrace with his son.

"We missed you so much, honey! How was your first day back?" Stella added, patiently waiting for her own turn to hug the boy.

"It was fine, pretty normal really" Arnold explained after hugging them both.

"Well come on! Let's go home so you can tell us all about your pretty normal school day!" Miles said while motioning his hand away from the school. "I'm sure it will be exciting for us to hear."

As his parents started to lead the way, Arnold nervously hesitated and remained on the stoop. "Actually guys, I have to take a rain check and tell you tonight…" he started, sounding disappointed. "I have to take care of a few things here first, projects and all…"

His parents stopped and nodded their head. "Oh, of course honey. You take care of your work first and then you can tell us when you get home." Stella smiled, understanding even though she had been looking forward to seeing him since he had left that morning.

"I'm sorry, Mom." Arnold frowned "I promise I'll be home as soon as I can!"

He knew reassuring them was the only thing he could do and was glad they didn't take the news too hard.

"No problem, son!" Miles nodded. "We'll see you when you get home then."

After another warm hug from the both of them, Arnold waved goodbye and headed back inside to where he would wait patiently for Helga.

"Geez, Pheebs! You'd think they might give us something a little more challenging for homework but this is a breeze!" Helga laughed, scribbling down the answers on her worksheet.

"Yes, however I'm sure this is just more of a refresher, so to speak, to prepare us for what we will have to do later on." Phoebe replied, continuing her own copy of the work.

Helga frowned, erased a sentence she had written and rewrote it. "Come on, don't jinx us."

Her best friend's response made Phoebe giggle. The mood was much nicer now then it has been at the beginning of school and for that Phoebe was glad. Helga's negativity really worried her but hopefully things would progress better for the new couple. She also had her own relationship with Gerald to think about.

They had become official towards the middle of last year so some time had passed but everything was still sort of new for her. Public view of affection was something Gerald was much fonder of than her; however she grew to enjoy it here and there. With new advancements there would be new found joy as well, she liked to think. Helga wasn't one of the most stable when it came to feelings and change but Phoebe knew she was strong. She was the strongest person she knew actually, and this was what made them the best of friends in the first place. Phoebe, the small and meek could always depend on her harsh, loud mouth, boisterous friend to be there for her even in the toughest times.

Finishing up her work, Phoebe closed her book and placed her school papers inside her new backpack and Helga followed soon after.

"A job well done?" The blonde questioned, her eyebrow raised with a smirk on her face.

"Yes." Phoebe nodded, "a job well done." She slung her backpack on and opened the library door to unexpectedly see Arnold sitting on the floor adjacent to them. "Arnold? What are you doing here? And on the floor, I might add."

"A-arnold?!" Helga gulped from behind her shorter friend before instinctively taking a step back to possibly become unnoticed.

Although He had expected them to eventually leave the library, the sudden act of it startled him and left him searching for words. Realizing he had no reason to panic, he simply got up and answered Phoebe truthfully. "Oh, hey Phoebe! I was just hoping to talk to Helga before she went home..." he slowly glanced over the Asian girls shoulder to make sure his intended was still there, "If that's okay?"

Phoebe knew it was for the best and nodded to him and turned to her panicked friend behind her. "I'll head home then," She said as she checked the time "Mother is expecting me home soon anyway. I'll see you two tomorrow!" and with that, took her exit leaving Helga to fend for herself.

Mustering up her courage, Helga slowly walked out of the library and put on her usual act. "So what is it you wanted to talk to me about, Football head?"

Arnold shuffled his feet and scratched the back of his arm, unsure on how to start the conversation he had planned hours ago. How come he had become so nervous? He was just talking to Helga. It was no big deal, right?

"Well out with it, Bucko! I haven't got all day!" She was becoming impatient.Everything is normal, Helga ol' girl! No need to worry! He probably just wants to ask some silly question. Nothing big or detrimental or important like us or his feelings. Probably… school work! Ya, that's gotta be it.

Taking a deep breath in, Arnold regained his courage and smiled. "Can I walk you home?"

The question was so simple yet so unexpected that both of them stood dumbfounded in place. "Uhhh…" she co*cked her eyebrow and looked around "s-sure… Arnold, if you want… I mean," suddenly she kicked herself back to normal. "I mean- why would you wanna do something like that?! I'm perfectly capable of going home on my own! Sheesh! Do I look like a damsel in distress to you?!" she yelled loudly, becoming her normal animated self.

Smiling from her usual reaction, Arnold couldn't help but chuckle."No of course not, Helga. I know you can take care of yourself." An unintended blush came over his cheeks as his face softened, "I just wanted to walk you home, that's all."

As innocent and sweet as the offer was, Helga didn't know how to respond. Willing her guard to fall, she looked around again to make sure no one was listening. "T-that's all…?" she squeaked out.

Arnold nodded and offered his hand with an expression she had always wished to see aimed at her. Her darling football headed love God was looking at her as if she was the only one he could see. They were the only ones in the hallway, of course so logically she really was the only one he could see but that wasn't the point. His half lidded gaze made her begin to melt into place as she took his hand in her trance. The moment their hands met, she could feel their body heat colliding in some sort of unison.His strong yet soft grip is like a long lost lover reuniting to their partners embrace after a year's long separation. It's like rain after a century's long drought. It's like, it's like –!

"Uh Helga, you okay?" Arnold asked, interrupting her moment and awakening her back into reality.

Looking at him and then their hands, she forced herself to break away again, causing him to frown and become concerned. "I don't understand…" He started only to be ignored by her marching away towards the school exit.

"Helga! Wait up!" the young man yelled before chasing her until them both stopping at the heavy metal doors. "Helga, why?"

"Why what, Arnoldo?" She responded almost flatly, trying to suppress her feelings deep down inside.

Arnold scowled. He was confused and even a little hurt. "Why can't I hold your hand?"

The question was simple but yet the answer such a complex one that Helga hadn't really sorted out herself yet either. She loved him and he at least like-liked her in some way, right? Enough to share a moment of pure bliss with her so why was accepting his affections so hard?

The silence between them became thick and unwelcoming. Unsure of how to approach her now, Arnold at least held the door open for them both to finally exit.

The gesture was much appreciated, and Helga stepped outside. It was almost 5pm but the sun was still shining and a hot breeze blew past them. Everyone they knew had gone home and all that was left was them and some straggling fourth graders playing kickball on the playground. She knew he was waiting for an answer still and didn't want to sour what they now had between them.

"Arnold…" she hesitated and looked at him. He looked so concerned and thoughtful.He cares so why not just let him in a little. It can't hurt, right?

"Yes, Helga?" He answered as he put on a reassuring smile, hoping she would give in and help him out.

She nudged a motion to forward. "Let's walk."

In agreement, they began in the direction of her new place of dwelling. After a good distance from the school and the ear shot of anyone significant, Helga decided to start but first she would give in and enjoy what little she could have of him and shyly grabbed the hand she had pushed away twice in one day. Arnold, admittedly surprised, welcomed her hand in his and smiled as he waited patiently.

"It's just new for me, Football Head... This whole thing," she explained as she waved their entwined hands to make a point. "It's not that I don't want to. I do, oh trust me I do…"

"Then why act like you don't?" He asked sadly.

With a sigh of annoyance, Helga stopped walking and faced him with an open heart. "Because I'm scared!" It was the blunt and honest truth. Before he could question it, she continued, "What if people see? What if they think I'm a fraud now? Oh look, Helga G. Pataki has grown soft and- and weak!"

"But you're not weak, Helga! You're really strong and I've always admired that about you!" Arnold debated back, his confidence renewed. "You've always just gone ahead and did what you wanted no matter what the cost! So why is this different?"

"Because it just IS! Okay?!" She retorted back, angrily with a heavy heart. "I just don't want others to see us together yet!" Helga started walking again out of frustration and Arnold followed along awaiting her explanation. "Of course I want to stroll around town, hand in hand with you all lotty-freaking-da! It's something I've always wanted to do but…" her voice began to soften and her frustration turned into regret, "but I'm just not ready to... "

Arnold could clearly hear the sadness in her voice and knew not to press further. Reassuringly, he squeezed her hand and smiled as she looked over at him. "Alright, Helga. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable."

"No." She shook her head and looked toward once more, "I'm sorry that things are STUPIDLY complicated. I wish I could fully explain WHY but I can't. Not yet."

Doing his best to understand, he allowed the subject to rest as they were nearing her family's business.

"How long are you gonna have to live here?" He asked as they approached the unsightly building.

"I'm not sure." She replied, "Until Bob decides to stop being stubborn and give up on his stupid idea that people are gonna want his crap relic of technology."

Arnold frowned at her answer but knew it was reality. Bob was one of the most stubborn, hard headed, disgraceful men he had ever met and he knew those traits wouldn't die any time soon. "I hope for your sake that it's soon."

A breeze blew by the couple carrying an old newspaper and some rubbish along with it. "Thanks Arnold. It's probably best if I, Ya know..?" Helga sadly looked at her current place of dwelling then back at him. This was one the first time she had ever really opened up to him and the air about her seemed sad, but he knew he had to let her go for now.

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow…" He said as his voice quietly trailed off and he looked to their married hands. She noticed it too but didn't want to be the first to let go. His hand was so warm and comforting that she could live in his palm and die happy. With a few more seconds of silence between them, Arnold decided it was time to do something that might lighten the mood a bit. It wasn't something he was used to doing but now might be a good time to start. "Hey, Helga?"

"Yeah?" She replied calmly, her eyes not breaking away from his.

Suddenly he lifted their gripped hands to his lips and kissed the top of her own. "Have a good night" He smiled warmly as he let go, admittedly a bit nervous to how she would take it.

Helga looked at her hand quietly until a smile graced her lips and a small hue of red came to her cheeks. "Same to you, Football head."

Arnold gave a half embarrassed smile, scratched the back of his head then turned around and made his escape. His heart was pumping a mile a minute and he wasn't sure if he loved it or if he was gonna die of anxiety.I can't believe I just did that...He thought in astonishment, still making quite a nice pace as he headed home. He had a similar feeling about himself when he allowed their kiss to happen back in the jungle but this felt a little different. Was it because of their small progress? Her opening up on her own accord and his quick decision to make her happy? Who knows but his face broke into one of the biggest grins he could muster.

Helga watched him as he hurried away from her, swooning on the sidewalk. Gripping her precious kissed hand with her other, she clutched it to her heart, letting out a loud sigh of happiness.

"Oh my beloved..." She started before twirling around in place, "How I dreamed for this day to finally arrive. For you to walk me home, for you to be so concerned over how I was feeling, for you to give me the sweetest gift I could ever dream of..." Helga looked down at her hand again then gave a little smirk. "Well technically, second sweetest..." and she pursed her lips together, doing her best to relive the moment of their kiss."One day, I hope we can openly show the world our love. One day..." Suddenly she felt a twinge of annoyance with herself, knowing full well that the reason the world couldn't know was because of her own insecurities. "Unless I screw it up. Oh, how I wish I was a little bit more open with you!" She pulled out her dated locket and peered into the face of her loved one. "How I wish I could show the same enthusiasm about us in front of you like you can with me! How horrible I am for making you worry..." With a solid mind and steeled will, Helga nodded to herself and quickly walked to the doors of the Emporium. "I'll figure out a way to make it up to you, even if it means taking some stupid potion again or having to go back to that shrink!"

Helga swung the doors open and stomped inside, causing little to no attention from those already there. No one ever felt the need to really acknowledge her presence unless it meant they benefited from it, and sometimes like now, it was even a blessing. She didn't need anyone nosing into her business! Quickly, she ran passed the towers of unsold beepers covered with dust and her parents, who were occupied with their own life, and made her way into her new "bedroom", as it was called. In reality, it was an old janitorial area that had the guts cleaned out and her bed shoved into a corner. There wasn't much room in there, but she had all she really needed in her "utility" room in the basem*nt, which the entrance was conveniently located inside said bedroom.

Moving into her new closet, Helga pulled on the rope lever above her Arnold shrine and made her way down into her sanctuary. Inside there was much more than just more Arnold paraphernalia but her computer, poetry books and journals as well. There was where she could really be at home. Luckily she could hear her booming father walking around upstairs and knew when she had to retreat back into her closet but now wasn't that time. Now was the time for own personal reflection and self improvement so she could be closer to her football headed dream boat!

As Arnold got to his boarding house, he knew he had to make up his lost afternoon with his parents but wasn't sure how. They were expecting a full recap on his day but... he knew he had to make something up for the last few hours as he wasn't fully comfortable with them knowing his intimate life yet. He opened the door and casually walked inside. "I'm home!" He called out and strangely, no one came out to greet him. Tilting his head with concern, he walked through the house in search for pretty much anyone. As he approached the kitchen, he could hear muffled talking so he made his way inside. There, his parents and grandparents sat at the table and what seemed like them recalling the good old days.

"Oh Arnold! We didn't hear you come in!" His grandpa waved as he gave Arnold a welcoming gesture.

"Come in and have a nice cup of green tea, dear." Smiled his grandma as she pulled out a chair and went to pour him a cup.

Taking the offered seat next to his parents, Arnold beamed up at them "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh you know, this and that." His mother answered, scooting herself closer to her son and placing her hand on his back. "How was your day at school?"

"Yes! We're still eager to hear how your first day went!" His father chimed in, raising his cup of tea in cheers of his son coming home.

"Now, now you two..." Phil said, placing his hand on the table to draw attention to himself. "Let the boy breathe. I'm sure he'll tell us all about his adventures about being a new sixth grader!"

Having all eyes on him, Arnold slowly re-accounted the day in his mind before explaining it in great detail as to not disappoint. His listeners nodded and asked questions, making the conversation very wholesome and enjoyable. As he got to the end of his day, he took a big gulp of his tea and let out a satisfied sigh. "And that's about it." He finished.

"But what about your project that you stayed after school to start?" Stella asked, turning to her husband for confirmation. "How did that go?"

"Yes!" Miles coaxed, "What was the project on?"

Arnold nervously pushed his tea cup aside and rose to his feet. It wasn't like him to have to lie or make something up and, although this wasn't his first time, it was never easy for him. "Umm... It was just a normal project, you know?" He smiled nervously to his elders.

"On what?" His father said curiously, continuing to push the subject.

"On..." Arnold wondered to himself, looking around the room for some ideas. He glanced at his parents, then grandparents before having an idea. "On public relations! Yeah!" Arnold almost felt proud of himself as it was almost the truth. It had to do with relationships of a rather public kind... sorta?

Miles co*cked his eyebrow and chuckled a little in what seemed to be an uncomfortable way, "That's rather odd to have a project on."

Phil hummed and grabbed his grandson's attention. "That is a little odd... It makes me wonder if maybe it had something to do with behavioral science... maybebullying in the workplace?"

Arnold felt a little shocked at his grandpa's suggestion, however the elderly man knew Arnold well enough to tell when he was lying and he could feel himself get a tad more comfortable. "Yeah, you could say that."

The parents exchanged looks of confusion but decided not to press further. "Well okay, I hope your project comes out alright. A little heavy of a subject, if you ask me." Miles crossed his arms and rested his back against his chair.

"Oh I dunno, son" Phil continued "I'm pretty sure our Arnold her has a rather knowledgeable partner he's working with, dontcha Shortman?"

Feeling the red rush into his cheeks, he watched as his parents began to get an idea of his grandfather's implications and decided to move the subject far away. "I'm getting pretty hungry guys! What's for dinner?" He did his best in improvising.

This made his grandma's eyes light up as she had a rather interesting idea for dinner and she began to explain. "I'm preparing a nice fish eye stew for us tonight, Kimba! With a side of pig ears and cricket cornbread for extra protein that you'll be needing on your hike through the Appalachian mountains tomorrow!"

A shiver went through Arnold even though he knew his grandmother was joking. "That sounds... great Grandma!"

"Actually, it does sound like a pretty nutrient filled dinner." Stella smiled at her mother in law, causing the old woman to get excited. "All of those things are very common meals in other parts of the world! In fact, in most cultures eating bugs is a common everyday thing! You wouldn't believe how good for you they are!"

"Uh huh..." Phil said, looking at Arnold for the same mutual feeling of disgust. "That's very interesting however I think meatloaf sounds like a better plan for tonight. What do you think, Arnold?"

Arnold laughed and headed towards the kitchens exit. "That sounds pretty good too! I'll be in my room doing some homework, call me when it's done!" He waved before exiting completely. The sooner he could get up to his bedroom the better.

Chapter 2

Chapter Text

"Oh Arnold... You have brought me along into such a bright and dazzling world! And in the midst of that light, my love radiates so that I can't see a thing. Blindly, I would follow you, my love! I bare myself naked in front of you, pure of thought, love and emotion... if only you would have me to. I would sing the song of our love to the night, to the morning, to the skies and the sea... and yet..." Helga clutched her locket to her heart as she gazed up at the large bright moon in the sky from her basem*nt window. It had become late into the night and she grew longing for him. "And yet I let the ice build around me as some sort of fortress to the rest of the world. You beg to be let in and break it down but my hearts keepers say No! Why must I torment myself this way! Is it penance for the torment I have caused you throughout your childish life? My golden haired king; my muse; my beloved... How can I letmyselflet you in? Surely there is some way..."

Slowly she sunk to her knees, eyes still locked on the luminous orb. "If only you could hear this plea... Please, be the thoughtful and wise soul you are! Break me of myself and free the being within!"

Within her dreams that night followed flashbacks of her preschool years that tormented her. Kids laughing and pointing fingers. Her love being mocked like some sort of clown at a circus. Within that circus, her father; the ringmaster. He pointed them towards her and engaging the crowd, they all laughed as she lay naked in front of them all. Jeering, they threw things her way. At first, soft rotten fruit that splattered all over and around her, next harder things like rocks until she was covered in a solid foundation... the foundation of which her whole facade was built.

"You gotta come out..." She heard a familiar voice pillow into her ears "You can't stay in there forever..."

Her heart pounded.No... I must stay here, where it's safe! They can't hurt me anymore now...she sunk deeper and deeper beneath the rubble.

"Please..." It begged but she wouldn't budge. Outside she could still hear the crowd. Still see their ugly laughing faces. How silly it was for her to think she could be loved. She wasn't beautiful and perfect like her sister. She wasn't smart and skilled with various talents that would win her awards and scholarships. She was ugly and underdeveloped compared to that of her astounding sister and peers. "You're really brave and loyal..." It continued. "If you won't come out, why not let me in?" Her heart pulsated within her chest.Let you in...

"Yes. Let me in..." It sang back as some of the stones surrounding her crumbled. Light began to peer through and the crowd's voices began to die down.You want to come... in? Why would anyone want to come in? This is a fortress made up of anger and resentment. Of humility and self loathing. I must keep all this inside!She cried,if I open this barrier, then what will protect me from... from them!Helga shook from within and the crowd got louder again. She could feel more things being thrown even though they couldn't reach her and it didn't hurt anymore. "Let them see the real you!"The real... me?

"Yes, the real you... The real Helga that I know..."

The real me.

"Helga..."

The real me...

"Helga!"

"Helga, get your lazy butt out of that bed and come help with customers!" The sleeping girl suddenly awoke to the harsh loud tone of her father. "Criminy!" He yelled before she heard him stomp away from the door between them.What time is it..?She wondered as she picked up her alarm clock: 6:45 am. Rubbing her forehead, the girls head started to pound. When was it she fell asleep last night? It made her wonder if this is how Miriam felt waking up with her frequent hangovers.

Removing her bed covers, Helga swung her legs over her bed and dropped down to the floor. It was cold and only sent further signals to her head to hurt further. She walked over to the light switch by the door and turned it on. "Geez..." She moaned in frustration, still groggy and full of random memories of last night's dream. "What was that all about?" She spoke aloud, walking over to her dresser and pulling out her usual school attire. Slowly she adorned it, opened up her door and walked into the hallway leading to the beeper showroom where she knew her dad was bound to be. Standing there with his arms crossed and tapping his foot impatiently on the ground, Big Bob Pataki glared at his daughter.

"What's wrong with you, girl! Don't you know the beeper sale started over 45 minutes ago?" He bellowed at her. "I'm going to need your help!"

Helga looked around the room. Miriam was lying on the couch asleep, and there were no customers in sight. "What exactly do you need me with, Bob?" She asked in a soft but aggressive tone. "Are there ghosts trying to buy beepers, AGAIN?"

"Hey! Don't you sass me young lady!" He stomped towards her and put his fat finger in her face. "Today is the day we get back on our feet so you park your fanny over by that door and greet customers when they come in!"

Helga looked over at the large clock by the checkout desk. It was now 7:15. "So you're telling me this sale started an hour and fifteen minutes ago and no one has showed up, yet you want me to waste my day greeting all your non-existent customers?" She growled back, narrowing her eyes at the large man. "You do this every week! There is no sale, BOB! No one is coming! No one ever will!" She began to yell out of frustration, as she picked up her backpack next to the couch, startling her mother, and headed towards the door. "Face it! This-" She waved around at the establishment, "All of this is done! Take you're good pal Robbie's advice and count your losses and move on!"

"Move on?!" He continued to yell as he walked towards her. Once he got inches from her face, he propped his hand against the side of the door. "I put my life into this business and you think I shouldMove on?! Look here little Missy, you're going to apologize for those words after today's sale because we're gonna make it rich!"

She could feel his breath plunder her face in a disgusting puff and scrunched her nose. This had been a normal thing, as of late. Bob had become far more aggressive than normal ever since his friend and partner told him to give up. It was rather pathetic at this point to continue trying and everyone knew it but him. "Sure Dad," Helga sighed as she pushed on the door behind her, letting the cool breeze make its way past them, "And I heard pigs are gonna fly any day now..."

Helga turned away from him and exited the building, her father still hot on her tail. "You get back here, right now!" He demanded but, to his dismay, was completely ignored as she continued to walk across the street.

"I have to go to SCHOOL!" She yelled back, once at a safe distance from the man "Where I can learn and actually DO something with my life!"

As she spoke those words, Helga felt a small tap on her shoulder. Turning with swift might, she stared down at her tiny best friend who had a shocked expression. Without so much as a word, Helga grabbed Phoebe's hand and marched away, leaving Bob to yell incoherently in the distance.

Phoebe knew it was smarter to not ask questions and just obediently follow. She could hear their argument from a mile away and knew what it was all about. Helga eventually let go of her hand and readjusted her back pack, huffing and puffing with anger as she did so.

"Good morning, Helga." The small girl politely said after enough time had passed. Helga responded back with a mumble and a grunt. "I see he's at it again..."

"Well DOI Phoebe!" Helga finally answered in a loud cry, "He won't stop! Every single day it's the exact same thing. He wakes me up all freakishly early, going on and on about customers that don't exist and insist on me staying home!" Helga's breathing started to become shallow, as she continued on with her rant. "I can't wait until we can't pay rent at this place either and the bank kicks us out! Then maybe he'll wake up! And at least THEN they'll repossess all those stupid beepers so he can't continue to cling to them like they're his only world!"

"But Helga!" Phoebe spoke once her friend was finally done. "That would mean you would be homeless! You shouldn't wish for that..."

"It would be better than dealing with HIM like that every stinking day!" The blonde girl retorted.

"Helga..." Phoebe scolded, looking up at her tall and hopelessly frustrated companion. "You know that isn't true. He'll have to give up at some point... Why don't you stay at my place for a while?"

The two ended up at the intersection where they regularly met their two male partners and stood there waiting patiently. "You know he won't let me, Pheebs..."

"How about we tell him that there is some big talent show going on and we have to practice at my place?" Phoebe suggested hopefully.

Helga shook her head and looked towards their now appearing other halves in the distance. "It wouldn't matter. There are only 2 things that matter to him and that's Olga and his business."

Phoebe knew she wasn't wrong and only hung her head in defeat. It was wrong for Helga to have to deal with such abuse but there wasn't anything she could do.

Eventually the boys caught up to them and apologized for being late. "Sorry guys," Gerald started looking more annoyed than normal. "Timberly and my parents got into a heated fight and I, of course, had to break them up..."

Arnold gave a small laugh. "It was actually quite a sight. Gerald, the mediator!"

The dark skin boy glared at his shorter blonde friend before clearing his throat and taking his girlfriend's hand. "Yeah, whatever man. Let's just go..."

Arnold nodded then turned to Helga, who looked like she hadn't had the best morning either. He could see the circles under her eyes like she hadn't slept in days and her flushed skin tone. Turning to look at Phoebe, she responded to him with a stern head shake as to not bother asking and he understood. The couple started to walk ahead as Arnold kept up with Helga's own pace.

"Uhhh... Nice weather this morning..?" He tried but got no response from the girl. He knew it was a long shot but couldn't stand their silence. She looked so... so hurt.I wonder what could have happened...He thought, as he put his empty hands into his coat pocket. Arnold could hear Phoebe trying to cheer up Gerald and he could only wish to do the same.

The walk seemed longer than normal as the atmosphere was dark and dreary. It was almost a relief to reach their classroom and sit in their respective seats, at least then he was able to watch her in secret and ponder what to say next.

Mr. Simmons walked into class, his usual cheerful self and greeted the class warmly. After a moment to quiet the classroom, he explained the new project.

"It's called Recycling Treasures of the Past!" He exclaimed excitedly, "P.S 118 got a letter from our mayor yesterday evening stating that she wanted to hear ourfuture'svoice and ideas on how to reinvent the city and some of its landmarks! Doesn't that sound like fun?!" He cried in happiness, as the rest of the room let out a groan. "I want you all to go to various, run down places and imagine what could be done to reclaim it, so to speak."

Gerald raised his hand, "You mean like we did with the old abandoned lot a few years back?"

"Sort of, Gerald!" Simmons smiled, as he started writing on the board behind him. He drew a plastic bottle then explained how it could be cut and made into a bird feeder, along with a few other suggestions of how recycling could benefit the city. "The skies are the limit to where you can go and what you can think of! I want you to visit buildings that have been abandoned and envision how you could fix them up and make something new from them! Whether it be your own business or a new one built in replacement of them. Something that could be... revitalized or refurbished into something helpful."

"So you mean like tearing down a gross used clothing store and putting in a Rauphiell Laurel store instead?" Rhonda asked as she crossed her legs and looked intrigued.

Mr. Simmons gave a tired and sad look. "No... I mean like taking a littered shore that is seemingly unused and making it into maybe a park, or something that could be enjoyed by the public."

Arnold thought of the humanitarian project he had just done a month or so back to help refurbish a bunch of garbage into a house for Monkey Man and how it didn't work out so well. Slumping in his seat, images of the homeless destroying it flashed in his mind and the project somehow didn't seem very fun.

"The project is due at the end of next week so you have plenty of time to think about it." The balding teacher finished, with a smile as he erased the drawings on the board. "I look forward into reading all your ideas and maybe pitching these ideas to the mayor and make them a reality! Doesn't that sound awesome?" The class began to talk among themselves excitedly about ideas.

"Now I know all of you will have your own special ideas but, because our time is limited to hand these ideas in, so you'll be grouping into pairs of two to decide when and where you will be doing this. I want your plans handed in at the end of class!" He finished before fumbling into his desk and pulling out papers that he handed to each student.

As Arnold was handed his paper, he immediately looked to Gerald who seemed to already be grouping with Phoebe. "Dang it..." Arnold swore under his breath. Gerald had always been his partner with the exception of a few projects.

Meanwhile, Helga was feeling the same betrayal as Phoebe giggled and began to plan ideas with her oh so cool boyfriend. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes to relax as her headache was starting to reappear.Could today get any worse? We only just started school and already have a big project to do? It's like we're slaves or something...Placing her hand on her forehead, she decided it would probably be best if she head to the nurse and got some aspirin.

Helga rose from her seat and headed to talk to their teacher, who nodded and handed the young girl a pass. Arnold watched curiously before quickly picking up his body and caught up to her at the door.

"Hey Helga, where are you going?" He asked, cautiously touching her shoulder.

Instinctively, she swatted him away before actually noticing who he was. "Oh, Hey..." She responded dully without looking at him. "The nurse's office."

Alarmed, he followed her out of the classroom and shut the door behind them. "Why? What's wrong? Are you sick? Do you want me to come with you?" His words were going a mile a minute and only making her head throb more.

Wanting nothing more than to just shut him up, she waved him off. "Yeah sure, do whatever you want Football head just keep your voice down, will Ya?"

"Oh..." He looked back at the class room and then back at her and noticed she had already began to walk ahead. Normally he would have told Mr. Simmons he was accompanying her but made this time an exception. Quickly, the boy followed after her until catching up and remaining at her pace.

"What's wrong?" He asked again, this time even more concerned. "You didn't look so good earlier either... Are you sick?"

Helga gave a heavy sigh and continued onward "Just a headache, no big deal." She looked down at him for a moment, then back in front of them. "You don't have to follow me, Arnold."

"I know... But I want to." He smiled, doing his best to make her feel even a little bit better.

The thought of his concern made her heart flutter a little. Despite all the bad that was coming from her waking up that morning, at least she still had him caring about her.

"You're such a goof." She chuckled as they reached the nurses office door. "I'm just going to get an aspirin, stay here."

Arnold nodded and did as he was told, waiting on the bench outside the door. Helga disappeared into the room and he sat there in silence.I hope she's okay...He thought as he patiently.I wonder if I can get her to tell me what happened. Or maybe I should just let her talk to me on her own...

He waited for what seemed like forever until she came back out and mumbled something under her breath. "What happened?" He asked, following her as she walked away again.

"Geez Arnold!" She shouted his way. "Nothing of any importance!"

Arnold smiled as she seemed a little like herself again. Maybe the pill was starting to take effect. It was a bit silly to him that he was getting happy over her yelling at him. "So... Wanna work with me on that project Mr. Simmons was talking about?"

"What project?" She asked blankly before looking at him.

They both stopped. "The one about revitalizing the neighborhood?" Arnold raised an eyebrow, "You know, fixing up the bay area or turning old abandoned house into a homeless shelter or something...?"

Helga gave a nervous giggle "Oh, THAT Project..." She knew Phoebe had already grouped up with tall hair boy but was surprised that he actually wanted to work on the project with her. "I mean, I guess it wouldn't be so bad working with a dimwitted Football Head like you for a change..."

She definitely is back to being Helga again,Arnold thought happily as he opened their classroom door and let her in first before following suit.

"Great!" He responded as he looked around the classroom to see if anyone had noticed they were gone which thankfully wasn't the case. "Do you have any ideas on where or what you'd like to do it on?" He asked as he followed her to her desk.

"Nope. Not a clue in the world. I'll let you figure out that one." Helga dismissed, pulling out her pen to write her name on the worksheet. "You're always full of bright ideas, right?"

Arnold was surprised to hear a possible compliment from her, but took it with pride.

As he spoke aloud ideas, Helga scribbled them all down halfheartedly and Arnold started to remember some of the projects they had worked on together in the past. Their ant science project: which started out okay but ended pretty badly since she was being unreasonable, but even after all their dysfunction they ended up working together and getting a passing grade. Their parenting egg project: which started out very horrible as he was attempting to get ahead of himself with her bad attitude, to ironically have foiled her plans to attempt to be nice but in the end, it wasn't so bad when they tried to work it out and ended up passing again. Finally there was the Float Parade, where she willingly helped him get funds from her father to help build it into something magnificent! Only to have her father ruin it by masking it as a beeper. Fortunately for him and his class, the car ended up going out of control and wound up shredding the beeper and revealing their hard work to the city and winning!

I guess working with Helga has always yielded some sort of positive outcome.He thought as he watched her work, unable to keep himself from smiling.Although she seemed like she hated school and everything was such a bother, she was actually rather successful at the projects she immersed herself in.Come to think of it...He further pondered,Her works within the last few years; she has even rivaled Phoebe in the top grades of our class!The warm feeling in his chest returned as he continued to gaze at her, half lidded and full of hope. It was astonishing that he had never noticed these things even though he had known her practically his whole life.

Noticing that Arnold had stopped blurting out random ideas, Helga looked up at him and saw his expression, causing a red hue to darken her cheeks. There was no mistaking the look he was giving her, as she had only made it half a million times in her life of knowing him. Their eyes met for a brief moment and his feelings seemed to pour into her own as they danced only within their own world together.

Suddenly they were jolted back into reality by a loud crash from behind them. Turning instantly, they saw their jinxy classmate Eugene on the floor and his seat turned over with him. "I'm okay..." He whimpered as his partner Sheena scrambled over to help him up.

"You really must be more careful, Eugene!" She said, worry in her voice as she collected his things that were now scattered around the floor. "You might end up hurting yourself really bad and..." she gulped, "Bleeding again..."

Eugene smiled as he helped her put everything back into place. "Gosh, I'm really sorry Sheena! I promise to be more careful next time!"

"Geez... You'd think after probably breaking all the bones in his body by now that the loser would learn!" Helga scoffed, returning back to her paper and erasing the accidental mark she had made when flinching from the loud sound.

"Yeah, you'd think that..." He replied softly, sounding as if he had just woken up from a dream.

"Psh... Moment ruined." Helga unthinkingly blurted out, causing her partner to look at her in surprise. "I-I mean..." She fumbled for words to come out but to no avail.

"You mean...?" He coaxed, almost trying to help her make something up in the sake of herself.

"I mean..." Helga then suddenly kicked him in the shin and returned to her work. "Shut up, football head and get back to work! Doi!"

Unable to contain his yelp of pain, Arnold covered his mouth in attempt to not bring attention to himself. "Ow! Don't be so rough, Helga!" He scolded.

"Well don't be so dumb, Arnoldo! Sheesh! This project isn't going to think itself up now is it?" She retorted, doing well to change the subject and not have to explain herself.

Class eventually broke into lunch and the students gathered their things and made their way into the cafeteria. The meal was mediocre at best, per usual, and all the student cliques stayed at their own respective table, save for a few minglers here and there.

"Ugh! Oh my gawd! Nadine! Would you get a look at that dress?!" Rhonda shouted, so loud that the whole room could probably hear her. She turned her magazine left, then right, and then pulled it far away from her face as to possibly see different angles on the one picture. "I just don't get it! How could that even look good?!"

Nadine had taken no interest in the magazine and continued to read her geography book and take notes. "Uh huh..." Was all the girl said to keep her best friend entertained.

"I mean... That hat is just wayyyy too vintage and that belt! Just look at it!" The rich girl said as she shoved the magazine in between Nadine's face and her book.

Unable to avoid the subject now, the tan skinned girl looked over the image that was rudely placed in front of her and thought up her own opinion. "I dunno, Rhonda. It doesn't look that bad to me."

"That BAD?!" Rhonda scoffed, clearly appalled at the opinion and snatched the picture back. "I mean, sure if we lived in the 50's again! What is this design line thinking?"

"Maybe vintage is what they're going for?" Nadine suggested as she got back to her own work. "Now days it really seems like people are trying to bring back old trends. Floppy hats, thick framed glasses, plaid skirts, button up blouses... just to name a few."

Surprised that her friend had any knowledge of the current fashion world, Rhonda took what she said into consideration. It was true that a lot of old things were coming back. "I guess you're right... Next maybe we'll start seeing boys in fedoras! Hipsters are sooo weird."

Nadine nodded but continued to keep herself occupied in what was actually important. Rhonda maybe her best friend but even she knew when to stop entertaining her or she would never shut up.

Over in the next table, Helga listened in on the pompous girl's speech and quietly ate the grotesque burger that had been placed on her plate, along with the stale french fries and green jello. She couldn't help but chuckle at her frustration though. "Did you guys hear?" She beckoned to the other members at her table. "Little Miss Queen is going ape over some new shirt or something. Sheesh, I wish my life was so simple that, that's all I had to worry me."

"Actually Helga," Phoebe responded, looking to her friend from across the table. "Fashion culture can be rather important to some people. It's just as important as say... Music or films. It actually is known todefinea whole culture or tribe, if you will."

Helga gave her tiny friend a disgusted look and bit into a stale fry. "Criminy Pheebs, it's like you're a history teacher or something. Next are you gonna tell us about the origin of hair spray or something?"

"I would be happy to, if you're interested." Phoebe smiled, knowing full well that the question was sarcastic.

"You know, Rhonda does kinda have a point." Gerald unexpectedly inquired, "Why do old schools things tend to come back? You think they died out for a reason, right?"

"Actually Gerald, it's quite common for history to repeat itself. If things were popular back then, there also had to be a reason so why not try and bring it back?" Phoebe inquired back, bringing a valid point. "This includes remakes of movies, TV shows, fashion, music and a lot of other pop culture."

"Phoebe's right. Nostalgia tends to sell..." Arnold smiled as he chimed into the heated conversation. "My grandparents have been listening to Dino Spumoni for a long as I can remember, and I was just as surprised as the next person when his records started to suddenly sell out."

Helga laughed as she finished her food and propped her feet up on an empty chair. "Monkeys, all of them. Can't have an original idea or taste? Copy someone else's!"

Phoebe hesitated at her comment but knew that, that was also a valid point. "A sale is a sale, to be fair."

"Yeah well society is screwed up enough. We don't need to copy other people's mistakes and present them as our new flashy idea!" Helga animated as she threw her hands up in the air to imitate sparkles.

Realizing that the conversation wasn't going to go anywhere productive, Arnold thought back to their project which had a similar topic. "So what have you two decided to do for the recycling the town project?" He asked, turning to Gerald who had also just finished his food.

Gerald wiped his face and smiled at Phoebe, "She had the awesome idea of going to the old movie cinema on 42nd street and seeing its potential for something new."

"There is a lot of old architecture around that area, as well as a few landmarks. I was thinking of the possibility of maybe making it into a museum... but I want to take a better look at the demographic first." Phoebe explained, happy that it complimented her idea and announced it to the rest of them. "What about you two? I assume you also grouped up?"

Arnold frowned and shook his head before looking over at Helga who had nothing to say about the subject before continuing. "We... have had some ideas but nothing that stuck or that we could agree on."

"You two? Not agreeing? That's hardly surprising!" Gerald couldn't help but laugh. "Next you're gonna tell me that the food tastes bad, right?"

"Come on Gerald," His best friend with a hint of annoyance. "Remember the last thing we did to improve our city? That didn't end so well, now did it?"

"Yeah but this project is only a reasonable idea, not actually doing it." The tall haired boy corrected a matter-of-factly, "And I'm honestly surprised that you, Mr. Look on the bright-side all the time, is actually not looking forward to this."

Arnold looked over at Helga who had been fiddling with her tray and completely ignoring the conversation. He had had quite a few ideas, but she shot them all down... but he couldn't tell Gerald that. He also didn't want to make her unhappy either. "Don't worry, I'll think of something... Right Helga?"

Hearing her name made her jump a little into attention "Huh? Uhhh... Whatever, Football head."

"Just remember that we only have till the end of next week to turn the project in so don't take too long and fail..." Gerald reminded them, a little concerned as he could see Helga had little to no interest. Arnold had never once failed a project and he hoped the couples new foundrelationshipwouldn't be the beginning of an end.

Despite understanding Gerald's concern, Arnold smiled at him reassuringly and placed his hand on Helga's shoulder. "Don't worry so much! We got this-" He said before his hand was swatted away.

"Who said you could touch me?!" She snapped at him, before getting up and picking up her empty lunch tray. "Come on, Phoebe."

The small Asian girl looked at the two boys in confusion, "Coming!" she said before following her harsh companion with her own lunch tray.

Gerald waited until the girls were completely out of sight before turning back to Arnold with the same concerned look, which only got greater as he saw his friend's expression. "You okay, man?"

Arnold shook his head and gave a sigh in defeat. "Yeah..." He started, before deciding it would be best to actually come out with the truth. "I don't know, honestly. She is just really hard to read, Gerald."

Hearing such a common line come from his friend's mouth made him laugh a little, despite the situation. "Yeah well, she is agirl. They're always hard to read."

"Yeah but this is a little different. She's not like other girls, Gerald." Although the setting of the conversation probably wasn't the best, Arnold figured he needed to get the situation off his chest at some point so it might as well be now. At least most of the students had finished their food and began clearing out, causing little to overhear.

"You got that right." Gerald nodded. "She's Helga Pataki! The class bully! The meanest and cruelest girl I know so yeah, she definitely isn't like other girls."

His friend's description caused Arnold to get a little angry. "But you do know she is much more than that. You've seen it for yourself a few times." He said in her defense.

Gerald rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know. She stands up and helps out with things get out of hand and I totally am giving her credit for that but just because you do a few good things doesn't mean it erases all the bad things you've done. She will always be the same Helga Pataki in my book, Arnold. Whether you like-like her now or not." Gerald took the last bite of his burger, and washed it down with some soda before continuing. "And I have to honestly say you've gotweirdtaste in girls, buddy."

Knowing there was no way to change his friends mind; Arnold just gave up and picked up his own plate. "I just..." He started, a little wistful in his voice. "I just want to help her."

Gerald laughed and picked up his things and began to walk towards the trash. "And you can't always help people, Arnold. Its life! Some people are just... who they are, man! Set in their ways."

Arnold knew full well that in some cases, Gerald was right but in this case he wasn't. He knew Helga was much MUCH more than what she let others see. He knew she was much softer underneath that fierce exterior she showed everyone all the time but that wasn't something he could convince his best friend of. If she wasn't willing to show others, then they would never see and never change their mind. Ignorance is bliss, as they say and Gerald was proving that point.

"One day you'll see..." Arnold finally let out, as they fully cleaned up and grabbed their things. "You'll see what I see in her."

"Whatever you say, Arnold." Gerald replied, as they slowly made their way to the classroom before the bell rang. "Whatever you say..."

School started back up again and eventually ended, letting out all the anxious students to depart into their daily life on the outside. Arnold had attempted to hang out with Gerald after school but was unfortunately denied as him and Phoebe were going to research the area in which their project was based. This left Arnold with very little to do and he decided maybe it was best to go home. It had been a while since he had last done this by himself, but it wasn't such a bad thing. It gave him time to be alone in his thoughts and maybe, as he passed establishments old and new, it would give him a successful idea on what to base his and Helga's project on.

He passed the park, still plenty full of people and blooming with life. He passed a bakery, smelling the sweet smell of freshly baked goods that made his stomach rumble. He passed the Ice cream shop that still had plenty of customers; old and young. More and more he passed business that seemed to be doing pretty fine. Beginning to feel absolutely hopeless, Arnold decided to go to the peer to think. It was always quiet there and it was a fine place to think about life. He found himself going there from time to time and always ended up getting something positive from the experience.

The peer was just as it normally was. Men taking cargo on and off boats, the smell of salt and fish lingered in the air as well as the occasional fisherman docking his boat with his catch of the day. Arnold stood at the edge and crossed his arms to rest up against the fence surrounding the dock. He watched the people and their daily lives and wondered to himself if they're lives were just as complicated behind closed doors as his was now becoming. He had always had a pretty peaceful and good life, which he would never deny but behind the curtains of his seemingly blissful life hung the fact he never had parents. His grandparents were great but he never got to experience having a regular family like his friends and this one daunting issue always loomed even in the brightest of times. However... That was finally solved! Finally that curtain was drawn back and his parents were let out and were back home waiting for him... and yet, here he was away from them willingly.

Directly after returning from San Lorenzo, Arnold had made it a point to spend almost every waking moment with them, to almost an overwhelming point. The stories they shared, the hugs they gave, the kisses on his forehead before he went to sleep were all things he had always dreamed about and now were a reality. He HAD parents now... so his life should be perfect and whole, right?

Arnold could feel a complex wave of emotions rock back and forth inside him.

"When did everything get so complicated..." He wondered aloud, staring into the water at his reflection.

The jungle had given him many things, not just his parents. It had given the young man insight to real danger and to real love and sacrifice. These were not things normal for almost twelve years old to experience. The jungle had shown him that things weren't always as they seemed and nothing was black and white. People he trusted could easily turn on him. People he loved could easily die without him even being able to say goodbye. It also showed him that no matter what the cost... someone would always be by his side. "Helga..." He whispered to himself, as he watched the air ripple the water below him. He knew she had a tough life, probably even more tough then he could imagine but he would never know unless she told him. Sure, he knew what her parents were like. He knew how they treated more as an object than an actual daughter while her sister was put up on a shelf like a trophy. Anyone with eyes could see that... but just like with the curtain in his life, he knew there was probably one in hers as well.

Just as the boy began to ponder the matter, he was startled by the loud sound of what sounded like metal colliding with more metal. Arnold turned around to see what was going on and saw someone marching towards his direction, kicking anything in their way. As he narrowed his eyes and paid closer attention, he could hear said person yelling about something until he realized he recognized just who it was and it wasn't long before that person noticed him either.

"Helga?!" He yelled, confused and not sure if it was his mind playing games on him.

"Arnold?!" She shouted back, now gradually approaching him.

The meeting almost seemed poetic as she was just on his mind but after thinking about it for a second, they had coincidentally met up in this location way more than once.

"What are YOU doing here, Football head? Shouldn't you be at home listening to your parents telling you bedtime stories or something?" She asked, clearly out of breath from her tantrum a moment earlier.

Arnold couldn't help but smile at her existence there with him, and wrapped his arms around her body. "I can't believe you're here!" He spoke with shock.

Although she would normally shove him off of her, Helga noticed her surroundings and let it be. "Yeah well... It seems like we always have a way of running into each other, Arnoldo. What else is new?"

Arnold laughed and let her go, beaming with happiness as he gazed upon her face. "Maybe its fate?" he encouraged, feeling hopeful now that he was suddenly jolted out of his not so pleasant thoughts.

Helga raised her eyebrow at the suggestion and, although she had thought that many times in her life, decided not to admit it openly. "Or... maybe we both just happen to like smelling rotting fish carcass and loud angry sailors, which mind you, I feel right at home with."

Her suggestion only made him smile brighter before she remembered that she was in fact very angry a moment ago. "So what brings you here? What were you yelling about?"

The sight of her beloved only made her forget her issues for a short while before being thrust back into the fit of rage she felt. "Oh Nothing. I just had to get away from home, is all."

Arnold furrowed his brow and watched as she took his place at the edge of the dock and rested her back to it and faced him. "Things worse than usual?" Was all he could inquire as he didn't know all that much to begin with.

Helga heaved a large sigh and remained silent for a while.You know you can open up to him... just DO it!She screamed from within but the reality was, it was much harder to do than to think. The young girl closed her eyes and began to listen to the waves. The whole reason she always wound up at the docks was the sound always seemed to calm her soul, even just for a little while. Doing her best to breathe in and out to calm down, she began to collect herself in order to begin the story she would tell him.

"To give you the reader's digest version... you know my Dad's business has hit rock bottom. You know we no longer have a house to live in and are currently being housed inside our beeper warehouse, and you know, well, my dad. Right?"

"Right." Arnold nodded, patiently awaiting the rest.

"Well..." she started nervously, "At first, Bob remained hopeful and tried a bunch of crazy schemes to get beepers back on the map and booming like before. Then, when it didn't work, his business friend and the bank told him to give up and move on... which only caused him to become depressed for awhile, I guess..."

"Go on..." He encouraged, amazed she was opening up to him again all on her own.

"Now, he's just angry all the time. Forcing me and Miriam to build displays. Trying to push sales and make me stay home from school to help him out with it since OLGA can't because she's away in Alaska again. He just doesn't get it! He doesn't get that no one wants his piece of crap obsolete technology!" Helga could feel her rage start to build up and decided to pace around to contain it as best as possible. "We are on the edge of becoming homeless and, instead of getting a real job and trying to support his family like a normal father and husband, he insists on being delusional! Like we are just items on his shelf rather than his family! I'm getting sick of it, Arnold! That's why I am angry! That's why I was angry this morning and THAT'S why I had a migraine earlier."

Arnold stood in silence, unsure if he should speak or just continue to nod, afraid she would end up closing herself back up. He could see she was in a lot of pain, but until she calmed down and finished, all he could do was be patient.

"I'm just..." She yelled before going silent and halting by the water's edge again. "I'm just really tired of it all, Arnold." Helga's voice had gone from complete and utter rage to absolute exhaustion and sadness.

Placing his arm around her shoulder, he looked up into her eyes with empathy. "I'm sorry."

Helga shook her head and crossed her arms before looking away from him and down at her reflection. "Yeah, that's all Phoebe can say too. We're just kids. We don't have a say in what happens in our lives or what our parents do. All we can do is... live with it."

Nothing we can do...Arnold repeated her words in his mind, memorizing them.Nothing we can do... Nothing we can do..?It became like a broken record. Something was trying to form in his brain but wasn't coming to head.

"There's nothing we can do?" He asked out loud, causing his distressed friend to look at him in curiosity.

"Well, yeah. What can I do about Bob not wanting to give up? Have an intervention with him and explain all his actions are hurting everyone around him?" Helga laughed at the thought. "That would totally blow over well and someone would probably get a limb cut off!"

Nothing we can do..?He continued to ponder. It didn't seem right. There had to be something they could do, right?

Helga could see the cogs in Arnold's mind begin to turn as if he was about to come up with some wild plan to save the city again, or get chocolate boy to stop eating chocolate.

"Arnold... what are you thinking about?" She asked, now becoming further curious as he looked up into her eyes. Suddenly there was a gleam and a smile back on his face. "What?"

"Helga!" He shouted in happiness "There IS something we can do!"

His emotions had become contagious an Helga couldn't stop herself from smiling back even though she had no idea what he was going on about. "What?"

Arnold then reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded and slightly crumpled up piece of white paper with something written on it. He handed it over with delight and watched her face. "We can do this!"

Taking the paper, Helga became skeptical and began to open it up. Much to her dismay, all that stare back at her was their assignment from earlier. "So you want us to do this assignment to... get my mind off of how crap my life is? That's not very helpful."

Arnold snatched back the paper from her hands and held it up in front of her face. "No Helga, don't you see?"

"See WHAT?" She shouted, now becoming annoyed as he wasn't being remotely clear.

"Your family business isn't doing so well! We can make a plan to revive it!" He cried out happily, almost dancing in step.

The idea was a nice one but the reality of it wasn't quite as nice. "Arnold, don't you think my Dad tried that? I've told you already, dimwit! Nothing works! And besides this assignment is just to recycle old junk into new junk that people might like or use. You can't recycle beepers into anything cool!"

Arnold shook his head. "That's where you're wrong Helga!" He started, folding the paper back up and placing it back into his pants pocket. "Remember the conversation Rhonda was having at lunch?"

Helga stared at him back, blankly. "About... fashion..?"

"No! I mean, yes but no that's not what I mean. It was about old fashion suddenly becoming cool again. People like to take old, out of date, vintage stuff and use it as a fashion statement!" He finished, grabbing on to both of her hands.

Slowly, the cogs in Helga's head began to turn and she began to realize the point he was trying to make... even though it was far-fetched. "You're trying to say that you want our assignment to be how to make HIPSTERS want BEEPERS?!"

"Yes, Helga!" He smiled, squeezing on to her hands unable to contain his excitement. "We can pitch them as a fashion statement or find uses for them that would appeal to this type of fad! Maybe we can get your business afloat again, even if for a little while so you can get rid of your inventory and make your dad use that money to steer the business into another direction!"

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

Helga sat in Arnold's room, clicking on the push end of a pen repeatedly with frustration. She had been recalling all the moments prior to this, struggling to accept where she was now and why. Arnold had one of his "Brilliant save everyone" schemes in the works and, although if it were to pan out like he wanted it would be in her favor, and although she was able to not only be close with him at this moment but also alone, it didn't stop the frustration from rearing its ugly head and for good reason.

"It's not going to work, Arnold" Helga sighed as she narrowed her eyes at him. "There is no possible way you could get a bunch of yuppies to buy my Dad's crappy beepers."

Arnold understood her disbelief but it didn't matter. "We have to at least try, Helga!" He tried his best to convince her. "Sometimes you have to just try and look at the bright side, right?"

"Bright side?" She scoffed, as she let go of his hands and placed them on her hips in defiance. "Where is the bright side in us planning all this stuff, probably getting a bunch of people involved, and everyone...?" Helga prettied up her face and made quotation marks with her fingers, "Try their best..." then went back to her original scowl, "Just to end up failing?! Just face it, Football head. My Dad's business is done, finished, kaput, dead and buried ten feet under."

Arnold shook his head and continued on his adamant smile despite it all. Someone always had to look on the bright side and it might as well be him. "It can't be completely hopeless! Let's go to my house and plan. We could even call up a few people who could help out with a few things. Gerald is a great salesman and could probably push the product like he did with his Wacko Watches, Rhonda obviously knows what audience to attract, and Phoebe is great at managing things... We could totally do this!"

Despite the young girls complete and absolute disbelieve in the idea, she felt she had no choice but to agree. "Fine, whatever Arnoldo, but if and when we fail, I'll be the first to say I told you so."

Arnold nodded and they both went on their way to his house.

"I'm home everyone!" Arnold called out as he opened the old door to the boarding house, causing a few heads to peep from around the corner to greet him.

"Welcome home Shortman!" His grandpa called back as the elderly man slowly approached him. Once clasping his grandson in a big warm hug, he noticed Helga standing awkwardly behind him. "Ohhhh and I see you brought a little friend with you, how nice?" he chuckled before stepping aside to let her in. "Got a little project or something to do today?"

Helga scoffed and crossed her arms. "Sure, if you call Arnold butting into my family's private business a project then you could totally say that." She snidely replied.

Arnold shook his head and looked up at his grandfather who had clearly paid no mind to her attitude. "We are gonna do some research in my room on how to revive failing businesses for class. The mayor sent a request into the school to have students plan ideas to uplift the city a little and we decided to pick Big Bob's Beepers."

"We?!" Helga stomped, "You mean YOU decided that's what we would do. Don't put us failing on me, Mr. Know-it-all"

Phil groaned and scratched his head. "And you picked Big Bob's Beepers, huh? Well you got your work cut out for you, Arnold. I agree with your little angry friend here but if anyone can make something out of that blowhard jerk's business, it's you." He then turned to Helga, "No offence."

"None taken." She nodded "Now let's just get this over with, I'm practically as old as him." She said pointing to Phil who just laughed. "No offence."

"None Taken!" The old man laughed as he waved his arms in surrender before nudging his grandson in the shoulder "I see you like em feisty, eh Shortman?" He said, causing his grandson to blush and him to only laugh harder before disappearing into the living room.

Helga eyed Arnold suspiciously, causing him to feel shy and awkward. Unable to give her any sort of response, he headed up the stairs and she followed. "My parents are probably in their bedroom, I better say Hi to them before we start since we don't know how long this will take us. You can head up to my room, if you'd like."

Helga snorted, "Whatever but you better not take too long or I'm outta here, you got that?"

Arnold smiled and nodded, knowing full well that she wouldn't actually leave. "Whatever you say, Helga." He said as they reached his parents' bedroom. He looked at the old door and hesitated. For some reason, approaching his parents like this almost felt like he was collecting rent from the boarders. Was it really okay to disturb them? What if they needed private time and he was interrupting? Arnold could feel the awkwardness grow inside him and he shuttered. Remembering Helga was still behind him, he coughed and turned to her. "You can go on up, this will only take a minute."

Helga sighed and pulled on the chain to his stairway, "Fine." She could see he was having a bit of trouble. Wanting to desperately comfort him in some way, knowing full well the feeling he was experiencing, she ignored her feelings and headed on up to his room.

Once Helga had finally disappeared into his bedroom, Arnold turned once again to the door in front.I can do this!He thought as he reached his hand up to knock,everything will be fine...Arnold inhaled sharply, but as he was about to knock, the door in front of him flew opened to reveal the surprised face of his father. "Uhhh... Hey, Dad!" was all that managed to come out.

Miles smiled at his young son before him. "Hey, Arnold! Is everything okay? I was just about to go downstairs and get something to eat. Did you need something?" He watched as Arnold awkwardly scratched the back of his arm and looked towards his rooms set of stairs.

"I, uhhh, just wanted to let you guys know I was home. I decided to take a walk after school to think about what I was gonna do for this big project and figured maybe I made you guys worry... I hope you didn't worry, did you?" The youth turned to his father and shyly looked up.

Miles heart grew warm as he saw his sons care. "We were a little concerned but we knew you probably had a reason for coming home late, right honey?" He replied, looking behind him.

Just as he queued, Stella got up from a chair she had been sitting on, closed her book and headed towards them both. "Is that Arnold?"

Nodding, Miles opened the door between them to let her get a better view of their son. "Yeah. He took a walk after school but he's home now." He turned back to Arnold "Is this for the same project you told us about before? The public relations one or something?"

Arnold flinched, remembering the lie he had told them but shook his head in recovery. "No, this is a separate one. We were tasked into thinking up ways to revitalize a part of town or business in order to help the city."

"We?" Stella asked as she reached the door and crossed her arms with a smile. "Who's your partner? Can we meet them?"

Feeling another blush mount his cheeks, Arnold looked away and up at his stairs again. Was talking to parents supposed to be this hard? He remembered that they had seen him and Helga together shortly after their many years slumber. He also knew lying to save his own embarrassment wasn't going to work as she was in his room so, with much courage he faced them. "You already have. It's Helga... You remember her, right?"

Both parents noticed his embarrassment and looked at each other before chuckling. "Sure Son, we remember her. She's the one who helped us wake up with her locket, right?" Miles asked while he engraved his son's expression in his mind. It seemed so sudden that one moment this boy was in diapers and the next he was blushing over a girl. "Man, time sure does fly..." He murmured out loud.

"Oh my," Stella looked concernedly at her husband. "It has been quite some time since we've seen her. Maybe we should say hi and thank her again for her help..."

"No!" Arnold suddenly shouted as he put his hands up in a stopping motion, causing his parents to step back a bit in shock. Realizing how aggressive he must have seemed, Arnold took a deep breath and smiled. "I mean, No you don't have to do that... We really gotta start on this project and it's really big, you know? If anything, I've kept her waiting in my room long enough... I probably should go check on her and make sure she's comfortable." Arnold said, nervously pointing his thumb up at his room while slowly walking back.

"Uh huh..." Miles started, raising an eyebrow. "And you two are gonna work on your project alone in your room?"

"Yeah! We'll be up there for a while. It's pretty important..." Arnold said as he reached the foot of his stairway.

"I don't know if that's a-" Miles started before getting cut off by an elbow jab in the side by his wife.

"You two have fun!" She smiled up at Arnold, giving him a nod to go up. "Work hard and tell her we said Hi, okay?" She called up to him as he disappeared into the darkness of the attic.

Miles looked down sternly at his wife. "Do you really think it's a good idea for those two to be alone up there?"

Stella giggled and grabbed her husband's hand. "They'll be fine, honey."

He made a slight grown of displeasure and squeezed her hand. "Yeah but-"

"They'll be fine, Miles." She repeated before tugging on him to follow her. "Arnold seems like a very responsible, level headed boy. I trust our son to make the right decisions, don't you?" She asked softly. Miles responded in yet another groan before accepting that his worries were unfounded.

"Sorry I took so long," Arnold said the moment he opened his bedroom door. "I really wanted to make sure that they weren't worried about me since I told them I'd come home straight after school and I-" He immediately stopped talking the moment he looked around and noticed Helga laying on his bed, her head shoved in his pillow. "What are you doing?"

After Arnold had sent Helga up to his room, alone, she found it her right to twirl and prance around, and look at all his things (some she had seen before, some she hadn't) before promptly flopping down on his bed and wallowing in the scent of her beloved. Of course she had no intention of letting him know she did all that, however she had been caught red handed doing that final thing. Sitting up almost on queue of his question, Helga cleared her throat before responding. "N-nothing! Nothing at all! In fact, I was doing so much of nothing that I collapsed from boredom and fell right on your bed." she stuttered.

Arnold crossed his arms and smirked with amusem*nt. "Uh huh."

Feeling her embarrassment heighten, Helga jumped off the bed and headed straight to his computer where she had set down her things. "W-Well what are you standing around for, Bucko?! We have work to do! You already wasted a decade talking to your parents down there that I nearly died so hurry up and let's get started! Geez!" She yelled as she organized the desk; papers stacked, pens collected, and computer turned on.

Arnold slowly walked over to the workstation and sat down in his computer chair, before looking up at her. "You ready?"

Helga, still red with embarrassment, crossed her arms before slouching on his small flip out sofa. "Been ready for years, Football head! Take it away!"

"UGH!" Helga groaned, after the last click of her pen top. "We've been at it for hours! I'm tired of this stupid plan." She looked over at the clock. 6:14pm. "and I'm starving..."

At this point in time, Arnold had already called Gerald, Phoebe and Rhonda to schedule a meeting for them after school tomorrow, wrote down a list of people to see and talk to, as well as a possible spreadsheet to manage their time effectively. He turned his computer chair towards Helga and sighed in annoyance.

"You know, maybe if you would have helped a little this would have gotten done sooner..." He grumbled at her, only causing her to straighten up and scowl back.

"Yeah well, maybe if you'd have quit while you're ahead I'd had already eaten dinner and been watching tonight watching Wrestle Mania, but I'm not!" Helga stood up and pointed her fingers in his face. "Instead I'm stuck in this stupid room with this stupid, nosy Football Head."

Arnold could feel anger rising in his chest but did his best to fight the urge to fight back. He knew very well fighting with her would only waste time and make their situation worse. After thinking about it for a second, it made Arnold wonder.Why is she still acting like she hates me?He could see that it was always a front now; a guise to distract everyone from who she really was but... why bother putting on an act when they were alone?

Arnold sighed and figured now would be as good as any time to have a heart to heart. He pulled his tired body out of the chair and walked over to his bed. Helga followed him with her eyes but remained in her position, although curious. "Helga..." He started before sitting down. "What's wrong?"

Raising her eyebrow, she decided to continue on with her act. "What do you mean? Nothing's wrong.I'mjustpeachy."

Arnold crossed his arms and gave her a stern look, causing her to fidget with her pen again. "Look, I understand that talking about your personal life is hard for you but it's just me." Arnold began, feeling a little awkward and twiddling his thumbs. "I thought maybe if we worked on this project together, it could really help you out so why fight with me about it?"

Helga closed her eyes and tightened her grip on her pen, before slamming it down on his computer desk. She knew he was right but the act was hard to shut off. It was who she was, or rather, who she had forced herself to be for so long that it was just another entity of her. Helga willed her body to walk to him calmly but couldn't let herself sit down like she knew he wanted.

"Because..." Helga waned, unable to look at him. "Because I don't want to believe it's possible... that's why."

Arnold reached his hand out for her, but got ignored. "But why? Don't you want to fix your family business?"

"Of course I do, Arnold!" She yelled, looking out his football shaped window. "It's just; I don't want to get my hopes shattered when it doesn't work out!" Her heart began to pound and she could feel herself becoming unstable; unable to control her emotions. "Not everything works out all happy, sunshine and rainbows!"

"I know that but-" He started but was quickly cut off.

"No! You don't!" Helga shouted, finally looking at him. Her face had become flushed and he could see she was on the verge of some sort of emotional rage, similar to what she looked like the other morning. "Thing's always just work out for you, don't they?! You try and try and try, and even when it looks like things are hopeless, they suddenly just go your way, right? You found your parents, you got that stupid document stating your house was a landmark, you brought your boarder together with his daughter for Christmas-" She listed.

Arnold's eyes widened. "Helga, how did you know about that?"

She stopped herself and forgot her place. "Huh? Know what?"

"About Mr. Hyunh's daughter Mai coming to see him on Christmas, how did you know that happened?" Arnold looked at her, puzzled. As far as he knew, only Gerald knew about the secret Santa and his present to the Vietnamese man.

Realizing she had said too much, Helga fought her mind for excuses. "I... uh...-" but nothing came of use.

Neither of them spoke for what seemed like eternity and all that was heard was Gerty howling and laughing while other loud bangs followed below them. Helga's rage had subsided into what had become this jumble of mixed feelings. Should she tell him the truth? Should she make something up like, she happened to be passing by in the middle of night, by his house which was way out of her way, and saw? No... She knew he wouldn't buy it.

Meanwhile, Arnold just sat in a state of dumbfoundment. Going over the events in his head, over and over, he couldn't quite figure out where within that day she might have known about it. Or even if he had shared it in class the day after. "How did you know?" He repeated, mostly to himself but out loud nonetheless.

"Because... I just did?" Helga suggested, shrugging innocently.

Arnold shook his head, convinced there was no possible way for her to know something so personal, something that had went on within his own household. "No. That's not possible, Helga." He looked at her with desperate eyes. "Please tell me how you knew about that."

Helga reached within herself and knew that there was no way of escaping his question. "Guess the jig is up." She started, finally giving up and plopping down on the bed beside him. Kicking her feet back and forth like a carefree child, she glanced over at Arnold, preparing her next words. "I gave that guy my Nancy Spumoni snow boots so he would find her for you..." Again, another silenced washed over them as Arnold digested the information. "I had seen you and Gerald darting around all over town that day, and decided to find out why, overheard that he wouldn't do it without those stupid yet really boss boots, and gave him mine since Miriam miraculously got them for me for Christmas and the sizes happened to be right." She explained before he was able to even ask. "Like I said, things just happen in your favor, Football Head. Not mine."

Without a single thought, Arnold's body moved on its own and wrapped his arms around her into a giant hug. Helga's body began to tingle from her head to toe as she could feel his warmth suddenly colliding with her own. Sighing in happiness, she shakily placed a lone hand on his back in a half attempt in a normal act of affection. "Thank you!" He gasped. "I had no idea!"

Yeah if you only knew half the stuff I've done, you dolt...She snickered to herself in silence. Within all of the years that she had known him, he had thrown himself into solving others problems without asking anything in return. It was one of the many traits she loved about him. If ever there was a chance for her to swoop in and help her beloved save the day, Helga always took it, even if it meant rummaging through garbage or sacrificing herself. Her only prized treasure was knowing Arnold was happy. "Yeah, yeah... It wasn't a big deal really."

Letting her go, Arnold looked her in the eyes with the most heartwarming smile the girl could only ever dream of receiving. "See, this is what I mean..." His eyes began to search hers for some unknown answer, "You're heart is more pure than you know, Helga. You have gone out of your way to help me so many times, even times I didn't know about! You don't even ask for credit... If only you'd be open like this instead of putting on your tough act." His words were soft and penetrating, like butter melting on a hot dinner roll; slowly seeping into her with all its gentle warmth. She could feel herself becoming weak to his sultry voice as it spoke words she had prayed to hear one day.

"Arnold..." she let his name escape her mouth but it didn't stop him from continuing.

"Helga, why must you hide who you really are from everyone?" He asked as he adjusted himself on the bed to face her clearly.

She could feel his gaze reaching deep within her soul; those beautiful, yet curious green orbs chiseling away at her inner structure and shaking every fiber of her being. Unable to do anything to stop herself, she decided to let him in. "Because if they found out that I'm actually soft and squishy on the inside, they would ridicule me and I get enough of that from my own home that I don't need it everywhere else."

Hearing her honest answer surprised him. "Why do you think they'd ridicule you?" He asked.

"They already have once before..." Helga broke away from his hypnotic gaze. "Back a really reallyreallylong time ago when we were in preschool."

"So basically around the time we first met?" He confirmed.

Helga nodded. "Yeah. You were really nice to me, Arnold. Nicer than anyone had ever been to me in my entire existence practically..." She explained, now beginning to feel totally exposed but unable to stop. This was the second time, and hopefully the last time, she would ever have to explain the story of her past. "You held your little umbrella for me in the rain and even complimented me. I had never gotten a compliment before so I got really happy... until everyone started making fun of me for it. Then I decided to unearth my inner Bob and pound them until they stopped, thus being who I am now." Helga finished, taking a deep breath and feeling vulnerable.

"Wow..." Arnold sat amazed at her story. "I had no idea. I mean, that was a really long time ago I honestly don't remember any of that anymore."

"Psh, Well we were like 4, Arnoldo. I don't expect you to remember." Helga snorted in spite of herself for remembering.

"Butyou remembered, Helga. That's pretty amazing!" Arnold gave a small chuckle, "In fact, there are a lot of things about you that are amazing that I bet you don't give yourself credit for..."

Helga could hardly believe what she was hearing.Is he really saying these things or am I dreaming? If I am dreaming, I better not wake up anytime soon...She thought as she drank his words in.

"L-like what? I mean, Of course I'm amazing but what in particular did you have in mind...?" she urged, feeling herself blush but not minding.

"Like how strong you are, to start! You have a pretty terrible dad who can't even call you by your own name half the time and a mom who barely pays attention, yet you still get some of the best grades in our class! You're pretty exceptional at sports and can even beat Harold to a touchdown. Your writing is probably good enough to be published..." As Arnold continued to list her talents, Helga began to melt in front of him again, feeling all her love and passion for him well up inside her, threatening to explode. "And despite your intentional rough exterior, you have one of the kindest, most outgoing hearts I've ever-" But before he could finish his sentence, Helga grabbed him by his collar and pressed her lips against his in a manner he had now become familiar with.

At first, the initial action had shocked him into becoming stunned, but after a few second had passed, his body slowly un-petrified itself and warmed up to her extreme show of affections.

Surprised that she wasn't immediately pushed away, Helga let the kiss last a little longer before breaking away. Unsure if she should apologize or pretend like it didn't happen, the young girl let her stunned companion be the first one to break the ice.

"Your passion..." Arnold said, finally getting rid of the silence between them.

"H-huh?" Helga stuttered back as she was taken off guard by his response.

Arnold smiled and brought his hand to where her lips had once been; her warmth still lingering. "You're the most passionate person I've ever met, Helga. Even though you say that good things don't happen to you, there are a lot of good things that you make happen... and that's amazing."

Helga genuinely smiled at his words. It wasn't something she did often, especially not in front of people, but considering all that was going on, it deemed acceptable.

"Well notjust anyonegets my help, Bucko..." She replied quietly, giving him a playful punch in the arm. "Just you..."

"Because you love me..." Arnold said out loud, feeling his heart beat loudly in his chest at the thought. This was the second time in his life that he had really and truly taken her actions into account.

Helga looked up at him shyly, not knowing how to respond. Of course he was right, but the whole conversation was giving her feelings she had never experienced before. She felt...girlyand weird. Embarrassed and shy. She wanted to both hold him in her arms forever but also run far far away all at the same time.

"I'm sorry I never noticed it before, Helga." He said as he gave a small frown, placing his hand on top of one of her own.

"Hah. It's not like I made it easy." Helga laughed, looking down at his hand, trembling on the inside. "I purposely hid it, stupid. I didn't want you to know all the things I did. I'd rather watch you succeed from behind a trash can or something and enjoy your happiness from far away. It was just... easier that way"

Arnold felt a hint of concern, as he listened to her sad words. Even if he understood why she did what she did, it didn't make it anymore okay to him. He wanted to just say sorry over and over again, but he also knew it wouldn't change anything.

"You don't have to anymore though, right?" He shrugged; trying to comfort her in any way possible but Helga just shook her head.

"I... I don't know, Arnold..." She started, sounding helpless. "I...-" but before she could continue, they both heard a knock at the door.

Arnold quickly looked at the door and back at her, before standing up and rushing over to it. Slowly he creaked it open, seeing both his parents smiling faces along with a tray of cookies and 2 tall glasses of milk.

"Hey guys! How goes the work? We brought something for you to nibble on before dinner!" Miles enthusiastically boasted while patiently awaiting Arnold to let them in.

Still thinking that the atmosphere inside his room was too sensitive to let them in, he went against his better judgment to appease them, and opened the door wide. "Thanks, Dad!" Arnold forced out, looking over at Helga on his bed who seemed not too upset by the interruption.

"It would have been done by now but you know your grandma... trying to hunt some boars for the big feast..." Miles continued, setting down the tray of cookies on his red sofa.

Stella walked into the room, following her husband and placed the two glasses of milk on the desk before turning to them both. "Looks like you two got a lot done! Need any help?"

Wanting nothing more than for them both to leave, Arnold's nerves began to go into overdrive. "No, Mom! I think we are pretty good for right now..." He turned to Helga, "Right?"Come on Helga, if I needed you to be you at any point in time, now would be that time...He pleaded in his head, looking desperately at the girl for an answer he could agree with. They had accomplished a lot tonight and he wasn't thinking about the project. They were in the middle of a turning point for their relationship and Arnold had hoped to continue their very important conversation.

However, much to his dismay, Helga got up, brushed herself off and collected her backpack. "Thanks for the food!" She said after snatching one of the cookies and taking a bite. "I gotta be going though... It's pretty late and I don't want to make my parents worry."

Arnold could feel his heart drop. He wanted nothing more than to stop her from leaving but he knew that their moment had passed and she had to make her escape. "Helga, a-are you sure?" He asked, reaching out for her.

Collecting herself, Helga slung her backpack over her shoulder and signaled a goodbye to his parents. "Yeah. God knows I'm going to have to hear Bob yell about me not coming home soon enough to set up some dumb display." She explained, heading to the door and casually making her way out. "See you tomorrow!"

Miles and Stella could feel something was up and looked at each other for an answer neither could give. They watched as their son heaved a heavy sigh and closed the door behind her before slumping back down on his bed and cupping his head with his hands.

Concerned, Stella took it upon herself to walk over and place a hand on the poor boys shoulder. "You wanna talk about it, Arnold?" She coaxed, slowly giving him a soft rub.

Miles took a cookie from the plate and joined them, offering it to Arnold but just got turned away. "You okay, champ? Have a fight or something?"

So much did Arnold want to explain everything to them, but there was just so much and too little time. With many feelings battling it out inside the blonde boy, words just wouldn't be enough.

Feeling as though they were being shut out, Miles collected all the courage he could muster. "Arnold..." He started, sitting down next to the boy. "I know that you haven't really known us very long. I know there are probably a lot of things, important things, that we've missed out on... but I want you to know that we're here now and would really like you to share those things with us."

Stella nodded. "He's right. You told us a lot of fun things and exciting stories when we arrived here and settled down, but I'm sure there is a lot more you could tell us..."

Arnold could hear the love in their voice and knew that this probably wasn't easy for them either. Just as much as he had lived his life without parents there to help him through it, they had also lived their lives without their one and only son.

"I'm sorry..." He said, swallowing his feelings and accepting the cookie from his Dad. "I have a lot I need to tell you but..."

"But maybe now isn't the right time, right?" Stella suggested, smiling and nodding. "We understand honey, just know that whenever you are ready to talk about it, we will be right here."

Miles agreed and patted his son on the back, "That's right, and we'll always be here from now on. So no more missing out on your life. We could even document it as we go! What do you say, Arnold?" He playfully suggested.

The suggestion brought a small smile onto the boys face as he imagined his dad following him around all day with a cam-quarter. "That's okay... I think just being here is enough."

Knowing it would probably be best to leave him alone to think; the couple gave each other a queue and stood up. "Dinner will be done soon... hopefully" Miles called out before exiting the room. Stella lingered a few more seconds, making eye contact with Arnold before giving a smile. "I hope you feel better, honey." She whispered to him before shutting the door and continuing down the stairs.

The night had been both a beginning and an end for the two pre-teens. With the conversation still hot on their mind, they each replayed the scenes over and over to themselves, thinking up ways to confront the other the next day.

Chapter 4

Chapter Text

"I just don't understand it..." Miles said as he sat down in the living room with his wife and parents. Dinner had recently concluded and Arnold had just retired to his room for the evening, leaving the adults to entertain themselves without him.

"Well, what's there to understand, Son?" Phil asked, as he got comfortable in his lounge chair. "He's a growing boy! You weren't always open and honest with your mother and I at times, right Pookie?"

Gerty smiled and rested her hand on her son's shoulder, who sat next to her on the worn sofa. "He's right you know, Miles. Let Arnold decide for himself when he will come to you."

Letting out another frustrated sigh, the adult male slouched back like a stubborn child and crossed his arms, causing his wife to smile at her childish looking partner. "He will come to us when he's ready, dear. Just be patient. You're acting more his age then even he is right now." she laughed softly, hoping he would come to terms with the situation.

Miles peered over at Stella, eyes full of hurt and confusion. "How can you not be worried?"

Stella shook her head and rested her hand on his knee. She looked into her husband's eyes with concern, understanding full well the deep rooted frustration he was feeling. "I am just as worried as you are, but getting all upset like this won't solve anything. He's just a boy, Miles. You can't just expect Arnold to confide all his intimate struggles with us just yet."

"I agree..." Phil chimed in with a wary tone, causing all attention in the room to focus on him. "Arnold isn't a complicated lad. He is normally pretty open and honest with us when he feels it's needed so I wouldn't worry too much about it." The old man took a swig of his iced tea before continuing. "And not for nothing, and I mean this with all the love in the world, but you just came back into his life. It's going to take time for young Arnold to come around and adapt. He's growing up pretty quick with all those hormones n' stuff kicking in right about now..." He finished as he gave a warm smile to his son that was now giving him a nervous look. "You know what I'm talking about..."

"Dad!" Miles groaned, shutting his eyes and dreading the thought, causing Gerty to laugh alongside her husband.

"Ahh... the good old days..." She smiled lovingly towards Phil, reminiscing of long days past. "You were quite a handful yourself, young man."

"Yeah. Always getting into trouble with the neighborhood kids. Picking on little girls and stealing their dolls..." Phil mused to his wife.

"Putting tacks on their seats, kicking their marbles all over the floor... Rolling them in honey and sticking them on top of ant hills..." Gerty continued fondly, clutching her hands over her heart.

"No, Pookie that was you." Phil interrupted.

Gerty put her hand thoughtfully on her chin and co*cked an eyebrow. "Oh, was it?"

Stella couldn't help but laugh at their ramblings of the past and tried to imagine her husband a child picking on kids. "Did you really do all that, Miles?"

"Of course not!" He stood up and cried, waving his hands in the air. "I was a wonderful child, thank you very much!"

"Uh huh... You're definitely you're mother's son..." Phil mumbled to himself before taking a bite of an oatmeal raisin cookie and washing it down with another swig of iced tea. "The point is, let Arnold have his privacy and he'll eventually come to you. He's a good boy."

After a few more discussions, the couple had decided it was time for their own retirement and bid their parents a good night. Gradually they made their way to their room, worries still hot in their mind. It was natural for them to feel this way. After years of separation from their beloved son, they were finally back home where they belonged but didn't anticipate that adjusting would be this hard. Sure, it was nice thinking that everything to just work out and they could pick up where they left off... however, it wasn't realistic. Arnold was on the verge of becoming twelve years old... and they left when he was just starting to walk on his own. The gap was far too large to be sealed with only a mere 3 months of reconnecting to fill. They understood his feelings yet it was too painful for them to accept.

Stella laid down on the bed and Miles followed. Gazing over at her loving husband, a tender smile graced her lips as she placed her hand on his head and began to pat his hair down gently. He looked up at her and gingerly smiled back. Through sickness and in health, through good times and bad, through triumphs and failures, and now even venturing into unknown territories such as parenting a pre-teen boy whose life they had missed out on entirely.

"We'll get through this, dear" She said, running her fingers through his thick blonde hair. "We've gotten through worse."

Miles couldn't help but give a small laugh. "Running away from river pirates was pretty bad but so are pre-pubescent hormones." He shuttered, causing her to laugh a little herself.

"I was a child once before too, you know. I understand that growing up isn't easy and that my parents had a lot on their plate also, but I also know that Arnold went through a lot to find us. He wouldn't have done all of that if he didn't want us in his life, right?" Stella reassured, determined to bring her husband around to a lighter point of view. "He risked his and his friend's lives to be with us, Miles..."

"I know..." He whispered back before picking himself up and positioning himself better to properly look at his beautiful wife. He looked into her strong brown eyes and could feel their connection. This was the woman that he planned to be with forever and this was one of the reasons why. Stella was always the more level headed of the two, while he would always be the one jumping to conclusions and stumbling into bad situations. Bringing up a hand, he lovingly stroked the side of her cheek. "What would I do without you?" He asked tenderly.

Stella let out a loud laugh. "Probably be dead in a ditch, honestly." She grinned.

Letting out a sigh of defeat, Miles leaned in and kissed her. "You're 100% correct, as always..." He groaned. After a moment of self reflection, Miles decided that she was right. Worrying so much about Arnold not confiding in them wouldn't do either of them any good; however there was another thing that was pressing in his mind and Stella could see it clear as day.

"So what's the other thing bothering you?" She asked as she read his face.

Miles let out another sigh and let his body collapse back on down, causing the bed to give a little shake before returning stationary. "What's your opinion on his little girlfriend?" He asked curiously.

"Well..." Stella started, thinking to herself a moment "She must really love him if she risked her life alongside him to free us from that long sleep."

Miles nodded. "Yeah. That's a pretty strong love for such a young girl to do all that for him."

Both of them began to reflect on things Arnold had told them about her. All the good and the bad.

"Even more so of a reason that we shouldn't be so worried, Miles. It seems she has done a pretty good job in helping him grow up as well. Her intentions must be good, so whatever happened between them tonight probably isn't going to be all that serious." Stella coaxed. "I'm sure they will talk tomorrow and everything will be fine."

Suddenly, Miles burst into an all out laugher, causing Stella to jump. "What?! What is it?" She demanded, however her voice was only drowned out by the continuous laughter. "Miles!" She insisted, as she gave him a sharp jab in the stomach, causing his laughter to halt and turn into painful coughing.

"Ah... hah, Not so rough, Stella!" He winced out. "It's just..."

"Yes?" She insisted.

"It's just, looking back on all the things Arnold has told us about her... They actually sound a lot like my parents when they were young! Like, pretty spot on!" He explained through the pain.

Stella gave him a curious look. "How?"

With the pain subsiding, Miles then went through the long explanation of his parents past, not leaving out any of the key details that his dad had given him many many years before. While he explained, Stella's eyes widened in astonishment and soon they were both laughing.

There she stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking a calm sea below. The waved crashed gently over the rocks below and he could hear seagulls crying in the distance. Her hair pulled back by one pink ribbon that was blowing with the sea breeze. Arnold could feel his heart start to thump in his chest as he gazed upon her."Helga..."He breathed as he willed his body to walk forwards. She had on a white sundress with lace surrounding its outlines, and what looked like pearls around her neck. Had she always looked this beautiful? Why was she there? Arnold looked around and could see they were alone. Nothing and no one around for miles accept the ocean, sand and trees. As he got closer, he could see her expression. Her eyes looked out at the sea in a longing type of way, but on her lips wore a solemn frown."Helga, what's wrong?"He proceeded to ask, but words wouldn't leave his lips. No matter how hard he tried to talk to her, his words could not reach her.

The boy then noticed something inside her hand. It was a small gold shaped locket, one he had seen a few times before now. Helga brought the locket up to her eyes and smiled. Softly, she began to speak words but Arnold couldn't hear them. All that could be heard was the crashing of waves below."What's going on?!"He demanded.

Arnold's heart began to throb intensely. With all his might, he tried to yell to her but still nothing happened. He then reached out to touch her and much to his surprise, his hand went right through her body."Am I a ghost or something?"He wondered.

Suddenly, the sky went black and the scenery changed around them into a dark void. Startled, Arnold looked around frantically. Helga remained standing in the same position with the same expression."What the...?"but before he could finish the thought, the large head of Big Bob Pataki emerged from the pitch black.

"Olga! What are you doing standing around?! Sell my beepers, young lady!" He demanded and seconds later, more heads of Bob emerged from the darkness and began shouting at her.

"We're gonna be rich!"

"We're gonna be on top again, just you wait and see!"

"Pataki's never fail!"

"Go out there and make me some money!"

"I don't care if you have to sleep outside in the cold, little missy! You're gonna sell our beepers until we make it big!"

Arnold turned back around and looked at Helga. Her appearance had changed from her brilliant outfit to rags and a hand full of beepers.

"Yes, Bob." He heard her utter, however the Bobs never stopped demanding.

One after another they continued to demand unfair, unrealistic expectations of the poor girl. After each demand, the heads would grow larger and Helga would grow smaller.

Arnold desperately reached out to grab her away from it all, but further and further away her body became."Nooo!"Arnold shouted as he began to run after her ever fleeting body.

Arnold awoke that morning in a cold sweat on the floor of his room, tangled up in his blanket. After blinking a few times and catching his breath, the young boy forced his body to stand on his two feet and he looked around in a daze; heart still pounding.

"What was that...?" He asked himself out loud. He was known for having pretty far out there dreams but never ones that affected him like this. He could feel the cold sweat drip down the back of his neck and quickly he wiped it off with his hand.

Next he looked over at the clock. It was only moments before his alarm would regularly go off to indicate he wake up for school. Arnold slowly walked over to it and disabled the alarm to keep it from needlessly sounding. Deciding that it would be best to forget the dream for now, he forced himself to get ready for school.

Breakfast went on as it usually did, however it felt surreal to him; as if it all was happening in the background as opposed to really happening. He ate his food, had casual conversation with his family, and dodged flying objects from loud and obnoxious borders causing a scene.

After saying his goodbyes to them all, he met Gerald outside his house per usual, collected Helga and Phoebe at the usual intersection and made it to school. Not once did the dream cease from nagging him from the back of his head.

"Arnold, you okay buddy?" Gerald asked, stopping him just outside the schools large front doors, letting the girls walk inside ahead of them. "You've been quiet all morning. Something bugging you?"

Knowing it was impossible to explain a dream like that to his best friend, Arnold shrugged his actions off. "I'm fine, Gerald. I guess I just didn't sleep all that well last night." He only half lied.

Gerald looked at him for a moment curiously. "Did something happen between you and Helga yesterday?"

Arnold shook his head. "No, nothing worth mentioning..." He said un-interestingly as he opened the doors for the both of them and entered.

"Uh huh..." Gerald replied, clearly unconvinced.

The walk to the class was quiet as Gerald gave up trying to get anything of substance out of the boy and soon they entered their room and sat at their assigned seats. Mr. Simmons came in shortly after and began teaching his usual routine.

The lectures were all a blur, like white noise in the background as Arnold stared off into space, with his head propped up on his hand. Images of the dream still ever present in his mind, the guilt he felt about rejecting his parents comfort as well as partially keeping his feelings secret from Gerald too... It was all a lot to take in at the moment. Still, he managed to take notes and follow along as well as he could during the teaching period. Soon the bell rang and the class burst through the classroom doors in anticipation for lunch. Arnold slowly rose from his chair and grabbed his bag, noticing a presence behind him. Gerald stood patiently at the end of the desk rows, waiting for his best friend to hurry up.

"Come on, Arnold. I'm starving!" He signaled after placing his fist on his hip.

Arnold smiled and nodded, feeling a little bit better now that some time had passed. He finished gathering his things and rushed out of the room with his companion close by. Mustering up what little he could, Arnold gave a wary sigh and looked over at his best friend who knew the confession was coming.

"I'm sorry, Gerald..." The young blonde boy started, looking ever so regretful.

"Uh huh, sorry about what?" Gerald joked, knowing it would only push the boy forward.

Arnold adjusted his backpack in effort to get more comfortable, even though it physically wasn't really bothering him. "I know we have no secrets between us so I'll just come right out and say it, okay?" He started and Gerald smiled in response.

"Last night... after I called you and the others to help with our project, Helga and I got to talking and..." He slowly trailed off, gripping his backpack tighter for some sort of support.

"And...?" Gerald mimicked, not letting his best friend off the hook.

"And...! Well..." Arnold suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway as they got close to the cafeteria. This wasn't a conversation that needed to be brought in the ears of their classmates. He gave Gerald and anxious look before continuing. "Her home life isn't really great. It's why I decided to make her family business our project..."

"Yeah, I know. So what? We're gonna help fix it and everything will be cool, right?" Gerald replied, now sort of confused at why Arnold was dragging the subject along.

Arnold scratched the back of his arm. "Well, I really didn't have her consent to do all this... sorta just pushed her to let me."

Gerald shook his head, although not totally surprised to hear that Arnold was going about saving her in his own way. "Pushed her?" Gerald said in an exhausted tone.

"Well, yeah..." Arnold lowered his head in shame.

"Mm, mm, mm..." Gerald scolded. "Now let me guess, you guys had a fight because she didn't want you snooping into herPrivate Affairsand, instead of backing down like a normal person would, you insisted on doing this until she gave in?" The dark skin boy paused to let out a heavy sigh. "When are you gonna learn, Arnold? I know you mean well, you're always Mr. Problem solver! But like I said to you before, some people can't JUST be saved! If she doesn't want you to help, why fight with her about it?"

"Well it wasn't exactly a fight!" Arnold exclaimed, causing his friend to widen his eyes in both shock and genuine surprise. "I mean, I guess it was... at first! But it didn't end like that... I guess...?" Arnold could feel the doubt raising forward and realized he really didn't have much to stand on in this explanation. "I dunno..."

Suddenly Arnold felt his friend's hand firmly grasp his shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze of encouragement and causing him to look back up again.

"Just continue... It can't be all that bad, surely." Gerald coaxed, giving a small smile and hoping his friend would continue to get whatever it was off his chest, even if this was now getting to be a bit redundant.

"Okay..." Arnold breathed. "We talked for a little while and I think I got her to really open up to me. It was only just for a little while, but then my parents interrupted to bring us cookies and she used that as a way of escape."

"Sounds like something she'd do." Gerald mused with a smirk. "So what, you don't know how to approach her now or something?"

"It's not that." Arnold shook his head, and looked up at his friend in desperation. "After that, I had this really crazy dream where she was being enslaved by her dad! It was really bad; Gerald and now I feel like I need to help her even more than before!" He finally finished.

Gerald let go of his friends shoulder and propped both hands on his hips before looking away in a moment's thought. He could understand why Arnold was feeling conflicted about something and wanted to relieve him of this pressure but how...?

"Okay Arnold, how about this..." The tall hair boy started. "You aren't going to bring up the topic to her again because you know damn well she will just avoid it. She IS the master at hiding stuff, after all. I mean, she hid how she felt for you for how long? So just carry on with your day like nothing ever happened last night and this includes the dream that you absolutely will NOT tell her about. Got that?" Gerald said sternly as he poked Arnold in the chest to solidify his intentions were serious.

"But why? Shouldn't I be honest with her?" Arnold replied, confused.

"Of course you should but sometimes... you gotta know when and where to bring stuff up. In your room alone? That's perfect! But here at school or some other public place is out of the question. Be smooth, my man." Gerald said as he patted his best friend on the back. "Besides, we all have plans after school to set your project in motion which, I have to say, is a rather bold move."

His last few words made Arnold laugh. "Well, I am a bold kid, after all."

Gerald smiled and returned his laugh. "I wonder who said that? Definitely not me..." He said as he led them both into the cafeteria.

"Criminy! Can this food get anymore crappy?!" Helga yelled as she stirred her lumpy mashed potatoes on her tray. "Murderers probably get better grub than this junk."

Phoebe sat down thoughtfully next to her boisterous friend and pulled out a pad and paper. She had already made a few plans on how to go about the big project to save Bobs Beepers and wanted to share them with her friend. "Ready to go over the plans, Helga?" She asked happily.

"Psh, what plans?" Helga scowled.

Phoebe tilted her head. "The plans for yours and Arnold project." With that she opened up the notebook and began to explain the outline. The who, what, where and when of everything that would go down over the next week. As she explained it, their two boy partners approached them with their own meals and sat down to fully listen in. Everyone was there minus one person.

"I can't believe I have to do this..." Rhonda complained from over at her table, staring off at the group from far away. "If I had to help anyone, Helga would definitely be last on the list. I mean, have you met her, Nadine? She's loud and nasty and hasn't even changed her color scheme since kindergarten. I simply just won't do it!"

Nadine sighed with annoyance as she placed her own food tray down next to the vicious girl. "But you agreed to, didn't you? You can't back down now. If anything, just think of it more as you're helping Arnold instead." Rhonda let out another loud groan and placed her head on the table, causing Nadine to straighten up and look at her friend straight in the face. "You shouldn't have agreed to help if you were gonna act like this, Rhonda." She scolded.

"Ugh! I know but he just sounded so... DESPERATE!" The posh girl whined. "I figured it would be nice to help thelittle peopleonce in a while, you know, show my good natured side but..."

Hearing the term "little people" made Nadine's insides turn and disgust for her entitled friend boil up inside of her. Many times she had, had one on one talks with Rhonda with her less than self effacing attitude and how it wasn't doing either of them good. Every time it seemed like the rich girl turned over a new leaf, that leaf would crumple up and fly away along with its good natured intentions.

"Would you just go over there and join in on their plans? You already agreed to help and backing down now would only make you look bad." Nadine said after she quelled the frustrations within her. "Besides, they do need your expertise for selling the project."

Rhonda began to tap lightly at her peas, making them roll back and forth. "Theydo... don't they...?" she gave a little smirk at the thought. "I am the queen of fashion at this God forsaken mess of a school..."

Nadine smiled. "If anyone can help them sell beepers to those ridiculous hipsters, it's definitely you."

Suddenly a light in Rhonda's head lit and she shot straight up, causing her friend to recoil. "That's right! And if anything, maybe they would feature mybrilliantdesigns in this week's Rouge magazine! I'll be famous!"

"That's the spirit!" Nadine encouraged, routing her friend along and slowly pushing her towards the table. "Go get em, tiger!" and with that final push, sent Rhonda stumbling into the table of her intended.

The moment Rhonda bumped the table, all conversation halted and all eyes turned to the drama queen herself. Immediately, she turned around embarrassed to see that Nadine had abandoned her and made her way back to their lunch table. Turning back to the awkward group of fellow sixth graders, Rhonda cleared her throat and resumed her face. "H-Hey guys! Room for one more...?" She asked hesitantly as she posed.

Helga took a bite of her mashed potatoes and looked over at Phoebe who smiled. "Of course, Rhonda! We were just talking about you." The Japanese girl said politely, as she moved over to make room.

With a nervous chuckle, Rhonda sat down and pretended to become interested in their conversations.

"After looking up some popular hipster "icons" online, I ran into a few that seemed quite suitable for our cause. Here, have a look!" Phoebe gestured as she pushed her notebook into the middle of the table for all to see. In the notebook were printed pictures of various models and their fashion tastes.

Almost immediately, Rhonda snorted in disgust. "Good gracious!" She blurted out, pushing the notebook further from herself, causing the other four to look at her. "Absolutely NOT, Phoebe! We could do much better than this!"

"Then what's your suggestion, Rhonda?" Gerald asked as he raised an eyebrow.

His question made the girl smile deviously before pulling out her cell phone and pulling up a webpage. Each of them looked at one another before peering into the bright and shiny screen.

"This is Marcy Stark! She is number one right now in her fashion class," She explained as she scrolled through the pictures. Each with a different yet similar style of clothing to the last with the same girl as the model. "One thing you should know about hipsters is each of them are incredibly different yet very much the same. They take something that was hip and fly back in the day, and bring it back with their own flare."

"Like a specific brand of their own?" Phoebe questioned, becoming interested in what the opinionated girl had to say.

"Very good, Phoebe!" Rhonda gasped, looking over at the small girl and smiling. "That's what Hipsters are all about! Their very own brand!"

"But hold on..." Arnold interrupted. "Then wouldn't that mean that even if using beepers appealed to one, then only that one would be able to apply it to their brand?" He was now beginning to become concerned that their plan was a bust.

Rhonda snorted. "Yes, but no..." She then took her phone away and pulled up another page. "You see, every fashionista has followers... You know? Like posers! Others who idolize that specific person and want to look just like them!"

This caused Helga to laugh. "Yeah, I got you. Like 'It Girl'" She outbursts. "Boy that was a ride that I'll never get on again... Even Miriam began dressing like me..."

Rhonda couldn't help but shutter at the thought. "Yes..." she then pointed at a number under the models picture."That number there is how many people are subscribed to her photos. Those are the people who are attempting to dress like her and be her, even though it's her own brand. Got it?"

As the others peered at the phone, they became astounded at the number they were looking at. "Holy..." Gerald gasped.

"That's a lot of people..." Arnold added.

Rhonda nodded and put away her phone. "Yes and these are the fans we will be attempting to reach!"

"Okay that's all well and good, princess" Helga pounded her hand on the lunch table, causing it to shake. "But how do those people find out about my Dad's beeper sale? And I didn't see her wearing one so why would they even care?" she asked.

Rhonda rolled her eyes at such a dumb question. "We get her to wear one of your Dad's beepers and voila! Suddenly they'll be at your doorstep begging for one"

"Just like Wacko Watches!" Gerald boasted. "All I did was make them seem really new and exciting and I practically had customers eating out of my hands! Even the owner of the company bought them all back from me at double the price! We could do the same with beepers!"

"This is exactly why I brought us all together. Gerald is an expert salesman, Rhonda is the best at fashion knowledge and Phoebe has the best management planning out of all of us. With us five, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that we could pull off selling these beepers!" Arnold grinned to them all, connecting with each one of their hearts on a personal level, causing them all to agree to his plan. He then turned to his angry looking partner, who was casually picking apart her food and flicking it across the room at unknowing passerbyers. "That just leaves you, Helga! After school you should pitch this idea to your dad and see if he'll go along."

"Psh, Sure, whatever Arnoldo. Consider it done." She smirked, barely looking in his direction.

This caused Arnold to frown at her lack of interest but he knew that once the ball started to roll, she would see that there was hope in their plan. "Okay good! How about we meet at my house today around... 4ish? Sound good?"

Each kid nodded and agreed in unison and soon the bell rang for lunch to conclude. Once the table left, save for Arnold and Gerald, the two did their secret hand shake.

"Looks like you got a pretty solid plan, my brotha." Gerald smiled as they exited the lunch room in route of their class.

"I hope so. Helga didn't sound too excited but I know she'll come around..." Arnold replied, as he filled his heart with hope.

"Ohhhh~ my beloved!" Helga cooed to her golden Arnold locket in the girl's bathroom, after making sure no one was around to hear. "Going through so much trouble to get everyone together to help out my cause! Planning and preparing even the littlest of things all just for me, Helga G. Pataki... What a benevolent little angel you are!" She then put on a frown as she looked at herself in the mirror. "And alas, here I am... Acting like I want no part in it. Acting like I don't care, as usual." She sighed and turned around, resting up against a sink and crossing her arms. "If only I could believe in him a little more. Sure, his plan seems pretty solid especially if we have Geraldo and Miss Princess Lloyd at our disposal, but then we have Big Bob who will probably say how stupid the idea is. That guy wouldn't budge even if a boulder was rolling his way..." Suddenly an interesting thought came into her head and a grin slowly grew across her face. "That's it!" She shouted and exited the bathroom to join her last class of the day.

"Oh no, no!" Bob shouted as he sifted through the box of beepers, counting them individually. "I don't need anyone else helping our business! I have enough on my plate. Too much to add supervising little eight year olds while they attempt to sell beepers."

"...We're twelve, Dad." Helga replied with a poker face. "And besides, you don't need to manage us. If anything think of it as free labor!" Helga gestured towards him to get out of his box and sit back down in his big green lay-z-man chair. "You sit here, watch your TV shows and we'll be out there pitching your sales! You did say you wanted us to wrack in the big bucks, right?"

Bob raised his eyebrow. "I dunno...This sounds suspicious. What's the catch?"

Helga waved her hands back and forth "There IS no catch, Bob. I want to get out from living in this broken down shop just as much as you do and the sooner the better. Just think of this as..." She then thought to herself before putting on a sickeningly sweet face and imitating her older sister, "Helping out my wonderful family"

Bob let out a whole belly laugh "Hah! You? Helping out the family? That's hilarious."

Helga then put back on her usual scowl. "Do you want free labor and big sales or not?" She stomped her foot.

With little deliberation, Bob was inclined to agree to her pitch. "Alright... But don't disappoint me. A lot is riding on you, girl." He said with a handshake.

Chapter 5

Chapter Text

The wind blew through her long blonde pigtails as she walked proudly across her town in route to her best friends. Pleased with her accomplishment of getting Bob to let her and her friends help out, she wore a grin every step of the way. It seemed as though maybe today would be a good day, after all, she hadn't gotten into any fights with Arnold or her classmates. Nothing could go wrong, right?

Phoebe's house was only a few blocks away from where she stood at a crosswalk. Helga waited patiently for the signal to walk and followed the other mass of people also heading in the same direction as her. Silently, she listened to the noises of the city. Did they even really need to improve the city? Not only that, did reviving Bob's Beepers really benefit the city at all? How would he even stay in business even if they did manage to sell off his current stock? Hipsters or no, they alone wouldn't keep Bob in business so hopefully he would wake up and jump into the cell phone line. Thoughts upon thoughts entered Helga's mind until she reached her destination.

Stepping up the stoop, she rang the doorbell. Seconds passed until a tall red haired women answered.
"Oh my! If it isn't Helga." Phoebe's mom greeted the small girl warmly. "Phoebe is almost ready I'm sure. Would you like to come in?" She asked politely.

"No thanks, Reba. I'll just wait outside on the stoop." Helga replied as she backed up and prepared to sit down.

"Suit yourself, darling" The women smiled before turning around. "Phoebe! Helga is here! Better hustle before she leaves you behind." She shouted behind her with her thick Kentucky accent.

Helga chuckled to herself at the thought of Phoebe rushing to get out just because of that. She had never left without her friend and she knew today wouldn't be the day she started. Especially with not how well everything seemed to be going. It was nearly the time decided for all five of them to meet at Arnold's house.

"Sorry for the wait, Helga." Phoebe apologized as she opened and closed her front door behind her.

"What? Did you forget notes or something?" The blonde answered patiently, slowly rising from her seat.

"No." Phoebe corrected, "I was actually in the bathroom."

"Oh." Helga replied, sort of shocked of how blunt her companion had been about it. "Well okay then, let's get going. God forbid we're late and Rhonda is early. She'll throw a fit." She said as she began to walk ahead.

"Coming!" Phoebe smiled, clutching her notes in her hand that she had prepared for today's meeting.

After school, Phoebe had promptly gone home to begin collecting all the information needed to proceed in a timely manner. Although her and Gerald had their own project to do, this one was much more important to her as it directly affected someone close to her. Knowing in her heart that she was willing to go far and beyond for her friend, Phoebe warmly smiled as she walked.

"So how did it go with your father, Helga?" The small girl inquired.

Helga let out a loud chuckle and gave her friend thumbs up. "Hook, line and sinker Pheebs! The moment I said free labor he was 100% down with the idea, even if he was a little skeptical."

"I don't suppose you explained to him our plan, did you?" Phoebe asked; holding her books closer to her chest for better support.

"Yeah right! If I had told him we were trying to get idol followers to buy his stupid relics, he would probably blow a gasket and say we were humiliating his business or something stupid." Helga laughed. "Besides, what does it matter how we sell them? Money is money."

"Yes…" Phoebe hesitated. "However I cannot help but feel we are deceiving him, Helga."

"Yeah well what the big oaf won't know won't kill him, right?" Helga said, now imagining him gathering dollars as they fell around him into a big pile and greedily smiling as he hugged his pile of money. "The end result is all that matters. Arnold seems pretty convinced that his goody do-good plan will be an amazing success so, whatever."

"It's true, and his plan does have a sort of… new age commercialized feel to it." Phoebe looked thoughtfully up at her partner, "How do you feel about it, Helga? Do you think it will work as much as he does? You would know your father's business better than anyone."

Helga hummed to herself a moment, in thought. "It could work. I'm not gonna be all up in arms about it if it fails but, at the same time, if it does work then I'll be out of the woods for going homeless…" She explained. "So that's a plus."

"It's just really surprising that you'd let Arnold do this project." Phoebe stated as she looked around to make sure no one of importance was nearby to hear their next few words. "On account of, he'll be delving into your family matters and I know how much you need privacy. Are you sure you're ready to let him do that?"

Helga grimaced at the thought and heaved a heavy sigh at the topic. She knew that she had to come clean with her relationship's progression at some point but hoped it wouldn't have been this soon.
"I'm gonna have to let him in at sometime… right?" She weakly said as she rubbed the side of her arm and looked away shyly.

"Helga!" Phoebe said loudly, causing them both to stop and Helga to focus on her small friend's glowing enthusiasm. "This is great!" She smiled brightly and gripped her hands tight with excitement.

"W-what I-is?!" Helga asked, taken quite aback.

"This!" She gleamed. "This is quite a big step for you to be taking, especially so soon! I can honestly say I'm excited for you!

Helga could feel the guilt raise up in her chest as there was so much she had not told her best friend yet and began to nervously laugh. "Y-yeaaahhh! I know, right? Who would have thought…?" She said as her voice got higher and higher pitched.

Phoebe couldn't help but notice Helga's odd behavior and raised an eyebrow. "Helga… Why are you avoiding eye contact with me…?" she pried slowly.

"Eye contact? Who's avoiding eye contact?" Helga evaded although feeling her best friends piercing gaze from behind her.

"Helga…" Phoebe stood her ground and crossed her arms sternly. Much to her opponent's dismay, she had no intention of backing down.

The blonde pigtailed girl knew there was no way she was going to win this stand-off and gave into defeat. Digging her heels on the pavements surface, she inhaled sharply as she prepared her next response. "I know… you know… already let him get inside my head a little bit." Feeling her embarrassment peak, Helga couldn't help but explode in front of her best friend. "Geez Pheebs! It's Arnold we're talking about here! He's like some old wise soul guru for cripes sake! It was only a matter of time before he started working his way into the little crevices of my mind and nosing around!" Phoebe uncrossed her arms and watched as Helga began to get hysterical.

"I tried to keep him out!" She yelled, pointing at the young girls face. "But Nooo! He just wouldn't take no for an answer! 'What's wrong, Helga? How can I help? Is there anything I can do? Talk to me." She threw up her hands in animation, stomping around and imitating the boy. "Criminy! There is only so many times I can try to avoid the kid's interrogation tactics before I crack, you know?" and with that said, looked to Phoebe for pity. "So I sorta cracked under pressure and let him in a little bit. Told him a little about my family situation and how it absolutely sucks. Nothing too huge, right?"

Phoebe stood there, dumbfounded as she fully digested Helga's confession. She had heard every word that her fellow female had explained, however the sheer ridiculousness of it all became a bit too much for her to withstand and soon, a warm grin revealed itself once more and she quickly embraced her friend.

"I'm just so happy, Helga…" Phoebe could feel tears beginning to well up in her brown eyes, although blocked by Helga's pink dress.

"W-what?" Helga stammered, hesitating at first to accept the sudden physical contact until giving in and patting Phoebe on the back.

Phoebe let go of her silly friend and stood back, wiping the single rogue tear that managed to escape. "You're finally getting what you've always wanted, right?" She then waited for a response back but after realizing there wouldn't be one, she continued. "Arnold is going way out of his way to show you that he cares and he's not doing it for someone else, Helga! He's doing it for you."

Helga could feel a blush creeping up across her face as she listened. This was something she had realized herself before but hearing it from another person's mouth made it all the more real to her. "Y-yeah. I g-guess so."

"Helga!" Phoebe shouted in happiness, before grabbing her stunned friend's hand. "It's time we go over his house and let you fully embrace his efforts. What do you say?"

Helga smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go see what that dufus of a football head has in store for today's plans.

Inside Arnold's bedroom, He and Gerald, along with their newly found guests Helga and Phoebe sat around staring at the clock. It had been about 20 minutes since the girls' arrivals and they were now waiting for their last crucial member.

"Leave it to Princess Rhonda to leave us all hanging…" Helga scowled as she impatiently tapped her foot.

"Don't worry, Helga. I'm sure she'll be here soon." Arnold reassured with his usual hopefulness.

Just as he had finished his sentence, they all turned to the door as they could hear loud running up his old wooden steps and suddenly the bedroom door burst open wide with an out-of-breath Rhonda in its center.
"Oh… My… God." She panted, catching her breath and holding herself up against the doorframe.

"What?" Asked Arnold.

"What is it?" Gerald echoed.

Giving herself a moment to collect herself, Rhonda whipped out her cell phone and held it up for all to see. "You will NEVER guess who I just got off the phone with!" she boasted enthusiastically.

"Who?!" They all asked in unison.

"The one and only Hipster Queen herself! Marcy Stark!" She shouted in glee. "I had no idea that Daddy's company was affiliated with hers! When I explained to him why I was coming here, he graciously gave me her contact information and I called her up!"
Each one of the teens looked at each other in both excitement and disbelief as they listened to the rich girl go on.

"And?" Arnold inquired joyfully.

"And after I explained your project and Helga's situation, she said she would be happy to come here to Hillwood and wear the beepers for her adoring fans! Isn't that wonderful?!" Rhonda said as she sat down on Arnold's bed and crossed her legs in position. "I absolutely must call Nadine! We have a photo shoot to prepare!"

"Wow!" Phoebe said, astonished.

"I'll say…" Gerald agreed. "I can't believe you have contacts like that, Rhonda!"

"Yeah well anything is possible when you're as rich and powerful as my family." She replied, turning on her phones touch screen and typing something into it. "You're sooooo lucky that I was willing to help, Arnold."

"And where is this photo shoot going to happen, exactly?" Helga asked, skeptical.

"My man Fuzzy Slippers knows a guy with a studio; I'll get Jamie-O to ask him if we can use it for an afternoon or something." Gerald offered with a smile.

"That's awesome, Gerald! I can't believe this is all happening and so fast!" Arnold said, unable to contain his excitement. "When is she coming here, Rhonda?"

"Huh? Oh, she said she was free this Saturday and to let her know where and when to meet. Her schedule is pretty tight but she said she would make room to help us out." Rhonda explained; her eyes not breaking away from her phone for a moment as she continued to text.

"This is amazing!" Arnold expressed again, but this time peering over to Helga and locking eyes. "See, Helga! I told you this would all work out!"

Feeling his joy rush through her body, Helga slowly began to warm up to the idea and felt as though she was melting in her seat. Knowing now wasn't the time to swoon, she snapped herself back out of his sublime gaze. "Sounds perfect, Arnoldo but there is just one thing." She started, catching everyone's attention. "We're supposed to be done with our project by Friday. What are we gonna write for a project? A 'to be continued'? I told my dad we would be selling his beepers and if we don't produce any sales, he won't let this happen.

"I know." Gerald piped up. "Why don't we take some of the stash he has now and try to just sell them soap box style?"

"A very rustic way of approaching it; however I don't feel that will be the best approach." Phoebe frowned. "Mr. Pataki already has many advertisem*nts around the city, not to mention the commercials."

Arnold listened to them go back and forth with ideas, while he himself began to ponder the options. It was true that everyone in town knew about Bob's beepers going out of business and the sales, so how would they profit meanwhile? Sure, their project was more of an idea paper rather than an execution piece; however without some sort of trial and error their paper would be meaningless.

"Why not go out of town, then?" Arnold suggested. "I could get my grandpa to bring us a few towns over and we could pitch his sales there."

"Hmm…" Phoebe thought for a moment. "That wouldn't be a bad idea. Commercials generally are only shown to surrounding areas of relevance. If we were to go outside that radius, we're bound to get at least some sales."

Helga jumped up and dusted herself off. "Well that settles it! Get the Packard, Shortman. We're going to sell some beepers!"

Arnold and his friends rushed down the stairs and into the dining room, where Phil and Oscar happened to be having a fight over which one of them won a game of backgammon. Welcoming the interruption, Phil listened to the boys idea and after pondering it, decided "What the hey, I don't have anything to do so why not!" and they all set out to the Beeper Emporium to pick up a box or two of beepers.

The drive seemed shorter than it was, as everyone enjoyed each other's company and chit-chatted about local events. About an hour and a half passed and soon they were nearing the next city. Sky scrapers loomed in the distance and heavy smoke puffs could be seen in the sky from what could be assumed to be factories. It was a more industrial sort of city.

"This is it…" Phil said as he drove near one of the toll booths. "Get my wallet for me, Shortman."

Arnold nodded and did as he was told. He rummaged through the glove compartment until he found the old man's wallet and promptly handed it to him the moment he stopped the car. "Here, Grandpa."

Phil rolled his window down and took a gander at the person in the booth. It was a young woman, probably about 24 years old, with hair of black and streaks of purple. She wore metal cuffs and piercings on her nose and lip. "Well aren't you an interesting looking young lady! How much will it be?" He asked in his own charming type of way.

The woman chewed on her gum as she looked down at him humorless. "$4.00" she replied before blowing a bubble and snapping it loudly.

Phil opened up his wallet and handed her a $5 bill. "Here ya go, young lady." He said cheerfully. As she went through her desk to get him change, he looked up ahead again at the city. "So any fun things to do here?" He asked.

"No, not really unless you like big business and pollution." She answered, handing him back his change.

Phil grimaced and handed the one to his grandson. "Sounds like a blast! Thank you!" He said as he pulled forward and waited for the blocker to let him through. He turned to the kids, "You guys ready? I don't know what you expect to find here but I hope it's worth it."

As they continued onward, the sight in front of them seemed sort of familiar. The lay out looked exactly like something Future Tech Industry wanted for their own town. Highways, corporate buildings and busy business folk walking around with cell phones in their ears.

"What is this place?" Arnold asked, sticking his head out the window for a better view.

"Cedarview is what it said back there on a billboard… but I don't think we'll be seeing any trees in this place. At least, not anymore." Phil explained, as he squint his eyes to see through the thick smoke they were passing through.

"Criminy Arnold, roll up the window!" Helga shrieked. "The smell is horrible!"

"Yeah, that's factories for ya. Aren't you kids glad we stopped FTi from invading our nice neighborhood? Our nice little home would have been slowly turned into something like this…" Phil started as they now entered what looked to be like Main Street. Noisy people surrounded them as they walked across the crosswalk, lights and TV's flashed on buildings and sirens could be heard in the distance. Everyone seemed like they had some important place to get to and no one even bothered to look up or greet another. "A concrete jungle."

"Seems perfect to sell beepers, though." Gerald suggested with a twinge of hope in his voice.

"Beepers?" Rhonda asked in bewilderment. "Look at them, Gerald! They all have cell phones! Why would anyone here need to rely on old technology like that?" She sighed. "This just might be a lost cause."

"Don't say that, Rhonda." Arnold said as he looked over the front seat. "I'm sure there might be people here who can't afford cell phones or something that would buy them."

"There you go again, Arnold. Always looking on the Brightside…" Rhonda commented, as she looked away from him and out the window.

Arnold stared at the rest of them in silence; doubt and worry all over their face. "Someone has to…" He replied.

"Arnold is right." Phoebe chirped. "Where there is rich, there is always bound to be poor. If the majority of citizens here are in business then it's a possibility that some are just starting out and don't quite have the income to sustain a cell phone contract, which in turn, beepers will be a suitable suggestion."

Her comment made Arnold smile before turning back to the road ahead. "Yeah! So we can't lose hope!"

"Whatever you say, Arnoldo…" Helga sighed as she looked out her own window, although deep inside she was swooning. "Oh Arnold, my liberator, my redeemer! You have brought us all the way to this smokestack infested place just to help me… me and only me, my angel. I know deep in my heart that you will find a way to accomplish your goal, and this time it's my very own well being! How I wish for you to know how ever grateful I am that we are here. When this is all over, I will force with all my might to tell you how I feel, my savior."

Phil pulled up to a large Victorian style stone building with a large staircase and two water fountains and all the children gathered over to the left side of the car. "Well would you look at that! Pretty fancy, eh?" he chuckled to himself. "Might be a library or museum or something. Want me to drop you off here? Seems like a nice wide open place with lots of foot traffic."

"Sure, thanks, Grandpa!" Arnold smiled as he and the others began to gather up their backpacks. "Where will you be?"

"Oh you know, around." Phil said sneakily as he looked around at buildings and people surrounding them. "How about I pick you kids up in an hour or two?"

"Sounds great, Mr. Shortman." Phoebe smiled as she exited the old car.

"Great!" The old man replied. "Stay safe and don't do anything I would do!" and he zoomed off, leaving the others standing there wondering what to do next.

All was quiet between the friends as a breeze blew an old newspaper by. Unsure of what to do next, they all shuffled amongst themselves leaving someone to stand up and take lead of the whole situation.

"Already ladies and gents! Here is how it's gonna go." Helga started as she pulled out a bunch of papers from her backpack. "Geraldo here is gonna shout to the people and be the voice of our little group, while Rhonda, Phoebe and I will hand out fliers."

Arnold started to feel a little left out. "What will I do then, Helga?" He asked, concerned.

"You will go around to each one of these buildings here and hopefully get some sort of useful information that might help us sell these things, in case this soap box routine doesn't pan out." Helga instructed as she jabbed her finger into his chest. "Got it?"

"By going to the individual businesses, it will help us discover their specific needs and if our product is for them." Phoebe added as she flipped her notebook paper and went over her notes. "You're job is probably the most important."

"Yeah so you better do it right, Football Head." Helga smiled slyly, looking directly into his eyes and hoping he made direct contact.

Under normal circ*mstances Arnold would have felt annoyed by being singled out while everyone else cooperated alongside each other, but as Helga peered into his eyes, he could see the missing message between them. Putting on a front like normal, she was giving him the most important task because she knew he could do it and this made him feel full of energy. "Alright. Got it." He smiled back, taking a few of the fliers from her hand. "I'll see you later, guys!" He waved and then ran across the street into the first building he saw.

"Alright Tall hair boy, you're up." Helga gestured to the dark skinned male.

Gerald nodded then cleared his throat. "Tired of overpriced cell phone bills? Tired of hearing your phone ringing off the hook non-stop? Concerned about the possibility of radioactive waves causing brain cancer?" He shouted to the public, causing a few people to look over at them. "Well, look no further! We have genuine grade 'A' beepers available now for anyone and everyone! Low maintenance and cheap, beepers are the way to go! Why have a bulky cell phone attached to you that could fall at any moment and cost you a fortune when you could have this small square device that slides easily in your pocket? It won't fall out! And if by chance it does, the repairs are only a fraction of what you'd have to pay to fix your phone!" Gerald continued to call out, looking left and right, making as much eye contact with every passing pedestrian. "Here me now, brothers and sisters! Come over and take a look at this wonderful product we have available for you right here, right now at a low, low cost you can only get this week! That's right, you heard me only this WEEK! Big Bobs Beepers are here to help with all your communicating needs on the go!"
Soon a swarm of people circled around the 4, as they gladly handed out informative flyers regarding the beepers and where they could buy them.

"Wow, I can't believe this is actually working…!" Helga called out to the party.

Arnold had walked into a few buildings; each looking almost identical to the last with pure white walls, a guard at each doorway, a large half moon receptionist desk and two large elevators in the back. He would immediately greet the receptionist, ask to talk to their communications department or something of the like, and then offer some information just to be denied. After one too many of the same responses from the businesses, he began just offering the flyers to the front counter and to the guard before he continued on his way. "This is a lot harder than I thought…" He grumbled to himself as he walked along the sidewalk. It was starting to get late and he was beginning to get hungry. "I wonder where grandpa is?" He wondered out loud, plunging his free hand into his jacket pocket. "I hope the others have made out better than I did."

The last building on the strip looked to be a small private hospital. Feeling down and out, Arnold made his way inside. Many people sat inside the large waiting room, coughing, sneezing and moaning in pain while nurses walked to and fro. He noticed a large clock above the check-in station. It was almost time for him to go back to the others. Letting out a small sigh, he set his last flyer down at the station, placed both hands in his pockets and left.

The walk back to his friends felt slow and tiresome as the boy focused on his immense disappointment in his lack of progress. He had been given such an important task and yet, he was coming back completely empty handed. Was Helga right? Will this really fail? He quietly asked inside his mind. Sadly, he kicked an empty soda can to the side of the curb and waited for the 'walk' signal to turn. Arnold picked up his head and looked from his left to his right to observe the strangers now besides him. A woman in a black suit carrying a briefcase and looking at her watch, an older man dressed in something his grandpa might wear; accompanying a small girl probably around the same age as Gerald's sister Timberly, a group of college aged girls chatting happily about their new hot teacher and lastly, an elderly woman hunched over with a cane. The sign soon turned and everyone began to walk, pushing each other out of the way to eagerly continue forward. Concerned for the older woman, he glanced over to see her beginning to struggle to get across as people continued to walk in front of her.

"Do you need a hand?" He asked politely, wearing a pleasant smile.

The old woman looked up at him, a bit of shock in her weathered face. "Why yes… That would be nice. Thank you, young man…" She replied, gesturing Arnold to step in front of her to guide the way through the mob.

Feeling high with conviction, Arnold did his best in leading the older woman across the street and to the side of a building, letting the mob finally pass until the light turned green once again; allowing cars to go but people to wait.

"You're not from around here, are you child?" She asked curious as she stabled herself with her long cane.

"Is it that obvious?" Arnold replied; a little weary of the question. It was quite obvious that he looked a little lax compared to the busy people with a strong objective in front of them; however he didn't think he stood out that much.

The woman's face wrinkled with a frown. "No one ever stops to help anyone here. Everything is go, go, go… pushing and shoving with entitlement. Back in my day, everyone counted their pennies and was grateful with what they were given, as there wasn't much to give." She heaved a heavy sigh as she plunged deep into her memories. "Having a job was something to be proud of, not expected to have. All I ever see now are lazy workers standing around department stores expecting pay for just showing up. No one ever offers to help. No one ever even gives a warm hello…" The woman turned back to Arnold, and softened her gaze. "That is why you stand out, young man."

Her story gave Arnold a bit of mixed emotions as he grasped her story. Although he was happy she appreciated his small gesture, he was sad that everyone here was so selfish. "I'm sorry to hear that you don't have many nice people here, ma'am. I'm happy to help." He said, mustering up another warm smile that he knew she'd enjoy.

The woman nodded. "Well, I best be getting on my way. It's my grandson's birthday, you know? He's turning nine, isn't that splendid?!" She chuckled, before shuffling down the street and away from him.

"Nine, huh?" Arnold responded to himself, his words out of reach from her ears. "Lots of things can happen, when you're nine…" He began to reminisce of some fond memories as he continued towards his own destination.

Gerald sat down on the steps, out of breath and in dire need of some water. The girls had just finished handing out as many flyers as possible however did not manage to sell one beeper despite the potential buyers and interested people.

"I cannot believe I just wasted the day like this!" Rhonda huffed as she crossed her arms.

"You got that right, sister." Helga agreed as she accompanied Gerald on the stone steps. "I knew this wasn't going to work but noooo, Mr. Brightside just had to bring us to the middle of who-know-wheresville." She said as she rested her arms across her legs.

"That's not completely true. It is possible that they'll contact your father or go down to the emporium themselves later on." Phoebe stated as she readjusted her glasses.

"Yeah, don't be so negative all the time Helga." Gerald scowled next to her, "Arnold is working hard to try and help you, why not be a least a little appreciative?"

Knowing his words reign true, Helga scowled back in frustration. She did appreciate it! More than his feeble little mind could possibly fathom! But that was none of his business and he had no authority to talk down to her. "Oh, I'm sorry Gerald but when did I become obligated to be happy about someone else butting into my life? I never asked him to do this!"

Gerald could feel his impatience begin to rise within his chest. It didn't surprise him in the least that she would either be absolutely stubborn to the truth or putting up a front but regardless his body was stressed and her attitude wasn't making him feel any better. "That's right, you didn't but that's even more of a reason that you should appreciate it! The guy is troubling himself over your project night and day. Do you seriously think it's just for a good grade or something? Because I'm pretty certain that, that's not the case Helga and you know it!"

Surprised to the two's sudden feud, a confused Rhonda stood back and listened, looking to Phoebe with questioning eyes who gave her no voluntary answer, just a worried look back.

Feeling her own anger beginning to reach its peak at every word he spewed, Helga rose from her seat and got faced to face with the boy. "And what do YOU know, Geraldo?! Because I can tell you exactly what I know. I know that if you don't like it then you can complain to old Betsy here!" She roared, shoving her pale fist in his face.

Immediately pushing her hand away, Gerald also stood up and faced her head on. "Oh just stop it, Helga! You know very well what I know and pretending otherwise is just plain stupid!" He shouted and growled, causing her to growl back. The boy was smart enough to know that fighting with her wouldn't get him anywhere and would only cause further stress, however he just couldn't help himself. He stepped back, attempting to regain composure. "Man, I'll never know what he sees in you." He muttered to himself. "I'm going to the vending machine to get some water." He finished, walking away.

Phoebe looked at Helga with sorrow, then back towards her suitor. Not sure of what to do or what to say, she simply raced off in his direction to make sure he was okay.

"Psh, Whatever," Helga scoffed. "Do what you want. See if I care."

Rhonda applied her thumb and index finger to her forehead, unsure of what to make of the scene prior. "What… was that about, exactly?" She asked, quite annoyed.

"None of your business, Rhonda." Helga replied simply.

"Oh no, no, no!" Rhonda scolded as she waved her finger at the hostile girl. "You're not getting away with it that easy, Helga. What was that? Is there something I missed?" she asked, observing Helga's nonverbal responses. After being ignored, Rhonda started to think for herself but come up with nothing other than Helga just being Helga. She whined in frustration and began to throw a tantrum.

"I said it's none of your business and I MEANT it, Rhonda! Now buzz off!" Helga hollered as she slumped back down on the steps. "In other words, Princess, It's on a need to know basis and you clearly don't need to know."

"What's going on, guys?" Asked a familiar voice.

Both girls turned towards the speaker and the mood lightened up. Arnold stood there, with the same innocent smile they had always seen him wear; unbeknownst to him of the storm that had just passed.

"Arnold!" Rhonda sighed with relief. "Finally, you're back!" She then looked around him and frowned. "Where is your grandpa? I was hoping he would be back by now too."

Arnold tilted his head in confusion, and then turned his gaze towards his admirer. He could see her face was red and the air between them was a little tense. Concerned about the unknown, he turned back to Rhonda. "Why? What happened?"

"Oh, the usual," Rhonda replied as she placed her hand on her hip and posed; brushing her hair back with her other hand. "Helga going off the deep end and yelling at everyone." She explained before scowling at the other girl.

The information given to him gave Arnold even more cause for concern. Feeling something was off; he looked around them and noticed the absence of two more of his classmates. "Where are Gerald and Phoebe?"

Helga snorted at the question. "Off sharing a water fountain or something; who knows?"

He could hear the hurt in her voice and he could feel his heart sink within himself. He was certain that a fight probably took place between them but didn't know who or what or why. Wanting answers, he turned back towards Rhonda but before he could open his mouth to speak, he saw the missing two members of their party in the distance and heading his way. Deciding it would be far more fruitful to ask them, he rushed passed the girls to his best friend.

"Hey Gerald" He greeted as he skidded to a halt.

"Oh… Hey Arnold." Gerald responded, clearly just as unhappy as the rest of them.

"What happened? Everyone seems pretty tense." He asked, scratching his oblong shaped head.

Gerald opened his mouth to speak but was politely hushed by Phoebe who then went on ahead to explain the situation that had just transpired between the friends. Arnold listened with disappointment and placed his hand on his forehead. He understood that his best friend and she would never completely see eye to eye as they weren't ever close, but fighting loudly in public wasn't something to be proud of.

"I'm sorry man," Gerald hung his head. "She just irks me sometimes, you know?"

Arnold placed his hand on his friends shoulder and looked at him with sympathy. Arguing with Helga was never a pleasant experience and she did know how to be over the top and attract attention.
"It's okay, Gerald." He sympathized. "My Grandpa should be here soon so don't worry about it."

"I fear the car ride home will be… quite awkward." Phoebe grimaced as she turned to look at her pigtailed friend in the distance who wasn't acknowledging them.

"Yeah…" Arnold agreed, turning to look along with her. "But it will be okay. I'll talk to her in private when this is all over, if you want."

Gerald shook his head. "Nah, it wouldn't do much good anyway. She's Helga and will always be." His words caused both of his companions to frown and look at each other before turning back to him. "What?"

Phoebe took her boyfriends hand and looked at him square in the eyes. "I know I've never told you much about her before, since it is not my place, however you should know that there is more to her than meets the eye." She explained. "So, as I said back there, you should try to get to know her rather than just becoming hostile and egging her on to act out."

"Yeah… I know." He proceeded to hang his head again, this time out of shame for causing his own partner stress. "It's just, I don't get her."

"Right," Phoebe agreed. "And you never will until you actually make an attempt to try. Take Arnold here as a prime example," She said as she motioned to his best friend who looked up at them in surprise. "He thought similar to you for many years before allowing himself to fully see her for who she is and now they're an item." co*cking an eyebrow, Phoebe realized a error in her words and turned to the football shaped head kid. "I… think? Actually, I don't think that has ever been clarified."

"Uhhh…" Arnold stammered nervously, being placed on the spot. "That hasn't been discussed. Not yet, anyway." He was surprised at his own words, however embarrassed to admit them in front of his friends.

Suddenly, as if on cue, they heard Helga yelling in the distance. They turned to her to see her waving them down and making a come here gesture. Behind her was his grandfather's old car along with his smiling face and Rhonda sitting uncomfortably in the car.

"Grandpa is here," Stated Arnold, with a hint of relief. "Time to go home."

Gerald accompanied his friend with a sigh of relief, as he squeezed his girlfriend's hand. "Yeah and it's about time. I'm starving and today's been a lot longer than I wanted."

"I concur." Phoebe agreed and they all walked over to the rest of the party.

Chapter 6

Chapter Text

The car ride home was about as expected with awkward silence as thick as peanut butter. Phil had done his best to perk up the kids with his usual antics and jokes, however not even his usually playful grandson really responded back. Instead, Arnold sat in the passenger's seat with his head propped up with his hand and stared longingly out the car window. Not that there was anything interesting outside as all it was, was fast pace passing cars, people and buildings, but because he had a hanging objective on his mind. With his grandfather's voice as white noise in the background, Arnold pondered thoughtfully.

Are we an item?He thought, looking at himself in his own reflection from the window. The sky had turned dark and night time finally hit the city of Hillwood. Street lights began to turn on around him, as well as cars turning on their low beams.Is Helga… my girlfriend?Sure, he was now well aware of the feelings he was harboring along with at least a partial understanding of her own feelings; extreme as they may come out, but what did it reallymeanto become boyfriend and girlfriend? Did he have to formally ask her out, or was it just implied with them acting as a couple around others? Images of them holding hands together, going out to the movies and possibly sharing small romantic moments began to flood the young man's mind and a smile graced his lips. He could fill the warmth begin to well up inside and his brain becoming a little foggy.

Phil looked over at the boy with concern due to his lack of spunk and briefly examined his face before looking back to the road. He smiled to himself. He had known Arnold since he was born. Known all the shenanigans he had gotten into, all his do-good schemes, known all his friends; good and bad ones. Phil knew the expression plastered on his face, as it was one he was all too familiar with.

Soon, all of his classmates had been dropped off at their respected households, said their goodbye's and Arnold and his Grandpa were on route home.

"Whatcha fantasizing about there, Shortman?" Phil asked as he nudged the boy for his attention.

Snapping back into reality, Arnold jumped. "Huh? What do you mean, Grandpa?"

"Oh, you know! You've been quiet ever since I picked you and your little friends up. Got something on your mind?" Phil asked warmly as he stopped at a stop sign and looked over at his youthful passenger.

Arnold heard the question but remained quiet for a moment. He gathered up all his feelings and thoughts and tried to put them into a sequence that would make sense. He had always confided in his elder, and knew even though he could have some pretty wild advice, most of the time it was sane and well thought out. "Grandpa, how do you know when you're dating someone?" He asked innocently, looking up at his Grandfather with hope.

"When you gone out on a date." Phil plainly said, co*cking an eyebrow and peering over at the youth.

The answer had been so obvious, it hit Arnold in the head like a ton of bricks and he sat there and blinked for a few moments. "Is it that simple though?" Arnold continued, "You just go out on a date then suddenly become boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Aren't you a little too young to be asking these sort of questions already, Arnold?" Phil asked with his voice full of both concern and bewilderment. "Don't you have some sorta baseball tournament to be thinking about or something?"

Arnold replied with a sigh of irritation and turned back to the window. "Never mind…"

The old man looked over at the boy and could see his clear disappointment and immediately began to regret his reactions. "Oh, I'm sorry Arnold. I was just joking." He explained as he put his free hand on the boys lap with a pat. "You really wanna talk about something like this with some old guy like me? I haven't been on the dating scene since the 1940's!" His face became soft as he started to remember. "Oh those were such good times though. Simpler too! Going out for walks in the park, getting your Grandma a milkshake with what little pocket change I had…"

Arnold perked up as he heard the small memory. "And then you asked her to become your girlfriend?"

"Oh gosh no!" Phil replied loudly as he pulled in front of the boarding house and parked his car. "I wasn't sure how to go about that actually," Phil tilted his head up and scratched his chin in thought. "What ended up happening was your Grandma got so impatient with waiting on me to ask her, she came up to me one day, grabbed me by the collar and saidI'm your girlfriend now, got it?!" He began to laugh, "And in front of Jimmy Kafka, no less. Oh I didn't hear the end of that for weeks! He kept calling me a sissy for making a girl have to officialize it but look at me now! Married and have a wonderful grandson like you, Shortman… While he dies alone…"

"Grandpa!" Arnold scolded as he scowled up at his grandfather. "That's not very nice."

"Yeah well neither is him still owing me that $20 from last July!" Phil retorted, both half serious and half joking. "Anyway, the point is if you want to officially bedatingsomeone, you gotta ask them out on a date! If all goes well and she likes you the way you like her, you ask her to be your number one sweetheart and hopefully live happily ever after! Or end up like Jimmy, get punched in the face and look forward to a life of unpleasant loneliness and regret." Before Arnold could scold him again, Phil got out of his car and shut the door. "But I'm sure you'll be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" Arnold asked, following him into the house.

Phil stopped and placed his hat on top of the coat rack in the hallway. He had known for a very long time that Helga had liked young Arnold and even tried to open his grandson's eyes to the possibility, only to be shot down. He looked down at Arnold and placed his hand on top of the boy's oblong head with a smile. "Because, who wouldn't wanna accept a date from such a good boy like you?! Now go upstairs and get ready for dinner. I heard your parents were preparing us something special for tonight."

Arnold nodded and did what he was told with thoughts of possibilities and the future still in his mind. What should he say? Where should they go? Should he dress up? Arnold's heart pounded a mile a minute as he ran up to his bedroom. He then began to remember her insecurities and worries and suddenly his body turned cold. "What if she's not ready…?" He asked himself out loud before sitting down on his bed. Arnold stared at the floor as he simmered in his feelings.What if I ask and she rejects me? I know she's scared to show her feelings outside of privacy… What if making it official is too much for her? What if ASKING her is too much for her…?Slowly Arnold started to become aware of the endless possibilities; good and bad. He began to recall everything she had told him about herself, all the things she had done for him and all of the things he wanted to do for her.Even if she isn't ready, we can take it really slow. Yeah! I'll ask her and if she isn't sure, I'll tell her that she can set the pace of how we go about it.His revelation made him smile.Helga likes being in control anyway, I'm sure everything will be fine so long as we go at her pace.

"I'm home…" Helga called out lazily as she swung the door open to her place of current dwelling, promptly dropping the bag of beepers she had brought in attempt to get rid of them all.

Bob emerged from out of the sofa he was sitting in and marched towards her. "It's about damn time!" He hollered. "How many did you sell? What kind of contracts did you sign?!"

Helga gave her father a deadpan face, "None." She replied with a complete lack of emotion.

Her father's face began to swell and turn red. "What do you meannone?! I gave you the best ones I had to sell and you've been gone for hours! How have you sold none?!"

"Simple, Bob. No one wanted them." Helga answered as she proceeded to walk past his statue of a body and into their makeshift kitchen.

"Hey, hey, hey! We had a deal! You told me that you and your friends were going to sell my beepers and put us back on the map! Just what were you doing all this time?" He continued to interrogate as she poured herself a bowl of Sugar Crunch cereal.

"Wedidtry to sell them. Many people looked interested, took flyers and information then walked off. I cannot help it if they decided to not get any." Helga said before taking a bite out of her dinner. "Maybe they'll call you tomorrow for more information?"

Bob stood there and contemplated her words for a moment. "Yeah, I hope so. If they don't, you can expect to be eating that as dinner for many more days to come." He replied before stomping back off to watch his soap operas.

Helga sighed solemnly as she continued to slowly eat her cereal. This wasn't the first or the last time this was going to be her meal, and it wasn't like this was a new thing either. It was if her father justhappenedto forget that they only ever made dinners when Olga was around. If it wasn't for her, than Helga's diet mainly would consist of junk food, take out and whatever the school provided. "Not like this place even has a real kitchen anyway…" She muttered to herself, as she placed her dirty bowl in the sink. The Beeper Emporium had a pretty normal sized break room in the back that included a sink, refrigerator and some cabinets. Fortunately, cooking didn't need to happen often so the small makeshift one worked just fine.

Helga opened her bedroom door and glared at her bed from afar. It still was in the same unmade state she had left it in earlier that morning. It looked welcoming, however she knew that the moment she lay on it, sleep wouldn't happen. Sleep hadn't been a pleasant visitor of Helga's ever since they had been forced to move into this rundown place.I wonder if anyone has bought our old house yet?She wondered as she kicked off her shoes and fell flat on her back against the bed. In order to gain more money, Bob had sold their house back to the bank and the last she knew, it was still up for sale. Bob and Miriam had bought that house the moment they found out that Olga was arriving into their lives. It had tons of sentimental value to the family; however nothing seemed to matter more than money in the end.

Reflecting on the day that had just passed, Helga rolled on her side. She could smell the musty scent of her sheets that hadn't been washed in forever and it made her nose wrinkle. The day hadn't been so bad, even considering the lack of sales she knew would happen anyway. The fight with Gerald didn't even manage to bother her. In fact, Helga noticed at that moment that she was pretty content. Just the day before, something revolutionary had happened to her; something she never thought was even remotely possible… Arnold had accepted her for her. He had seen through her thick steel exterior and into the warm squishy heart that she had always wanted to show him. Even better than that, he had pointed out things that only Phoebe had ever touched upon: Her creativity and her passion. He was her creativity and passion! He was her muse, her inspiration, the force behind everything that drove her from becoming an unholy beast like her father.

Feeling the inspiration welling up inside of her, Helga reached down under her bed and pulled out a notebook. Flipping through the used pages, she eventually happened upon a blank one and fished out the pen from the spiral binder.

"Oh perfect creation upon which I am unworthy of,
How can you see right through me?
Through thorns, fire and stone barricades,
You have captured my undying love.

What do you see when you look through the glass?
A fragile girl, An abused specimen, An unruly guard?
How I long for you to break through and save me,
To bring us together forever at last.

It is true,
I scorn you, berate you and plunder you so,
But somehow with your magnificence,
You have given me something new.

When all my hopes seem to fade,
There you are, my prince!
Hold me in your arms, Take away the pain and banish my sins,
Now I am forever yours… I will not be afraid."

"I will not be afraid…" She repeated as she reread the words written down.

She closed the book, stuck the pen back into the spine and shoved them both back under her bed. "I can't keep doing this to myself." She spoke aloud, "I finallyhaveArnold! Like… I HAVE him! Arnold, my one and only true love! The boy of my dreams! The angel in my heaven! And what am I doing? Running away from him like a deranged lunatic?!"

Helga suddenly pranced off her bed and steeled her nerves. "This is absolutely ridiculous! He's right. I'm Helga G. Pataki! I don't care what everyone else thinks! I should be waving him around in front of everyone, proud of him loving me!" But although she spoke what she wanted out loud, her inner self poked at those nerves and reminded her of all her insecurities. "And yet…" She whispered as she took out her golden locket. Her beloved stared back at her and, with a single finger, she stroked his face lovingly. "This is so hard for me. You, my angel of mercy, are right here with me. Watching over me, protecting me, and even trying to save me from this wretched household! With your benevolence looming all around me, I should feel at ease… not nervous." Helga closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before placing her locket back into her bosom. "That's it. I won't take Arnold for granted any longer." She stated as she plunged her foot back in her shoe. "I am going to go over that stupid football head's house and give him a piece of my mind!" She continued as her other foot was thrashed into the other shoe. "Not really so much as mind, as heart but… whatever! Who cares?! I'm just talking to myself like a psychopath at this point!"

Stomping out of her room, she grabbed a light pink jacket from a closet nearby and flung it over her shoulder just in case the night had cooled off. She glanced down the hallway in front of her and could see the flickering light of the T.V that her parents were possibly watching but heard no movement or noise. "Great, they're probably asleep." She smirked as she quietly tiptoed towards the emergency exit of the emporium. "Since we're too poor for an alarm, I'll just use this to my advantage and slip out without them noticing…" Helga slowly opened the door and peeked outside. It was deserted as usual. Looking around the broken cement around her, she noticed a small rock and wedged it into the door. "There, that outta hold until I get back. Hopefully they don't notice I'm gone." She snorted in response to her own comment. "Like that would happen."

Quickly, she ran down the streets with only one thing in mind: talking to Arnold. Sure, she could have used an office phone and called him but this was something that needed to be done in person. With him looking at her with those kind and beautiful green eyes of his, there was no way that she could go back on her new decision.Don't be afraid. Don't be scared. Don't let anyone get in your way!She yelled inside herself as she made haste towards his nearing street.Who cares about anyone else?! Who cares what they think or what they do because, in the end, I can just pound them!She continued to coach herself as she saw his red building in the distance.After all, he accepts my love. Oh! My love!She clenched her locket though her clothes and pleaded internally.

Finally it was the moment of truth. Standing in his doorway, Helga breathed in and out rhythmically as she could feel her nerves beginning to break. "You can do this, Helga." She spoke as she reached up towards the doorbell. "All you gotta do is… ring this doorbell…" and with that, her finger plunged deep into the small circular object, causing the whole house to hear the alarm.

"What in the world?" Phil said, placing his fork down on top of his dinner. He looked around at everyone at the table with a questioning glance, in which everyone responded back with shrugs and head shakes. "None of you are expecting anyone, are you?"

"Maybe Suzie is finally home!" Oskar cried out as he quickly stood up in his chair.

"Yeah and maybe you won the lottery, Kokoschka! Yeah right! Sit down and eat your food before I do." Ernie remarked as his fork clanged against the czechoslovakian man's plate, causing Oskar to promptly sit back down and grab his plate away.

"Who would come this late at night?" Mr. Hyunh asked as he too looked around the room with much concern.

"Arnold, are you expecting company?" Miles asked as he tilted his head to his son.

Arnold shook his head but got up anyway. "No but you guys keep eating. I'll go see who it is."

"If it's those stupid salesmen, tell them I'm dead!" Arnold heard his Grandpa cry out behind him, as he exited the dining room. Arnold shook his head in disapproval and reached the door.

With much curiosity he opened it and, to his surprise no one was standing there. "Huh?" He stuck his head out of the door and looked out into the darkness. Upon looking left, he saw someone in pink creeping away. His eyebrows rose in skepticism of the situation, however there was only one person who fit the description of this figure. "Helga?"

Hearing her name from his mouth caused the young girl to halt in her track.Crap!She panicked, slowly turning her head around to confront him. "H-hey… Arnold!" She weakly called out to him, fully turning herself back to his direction.

Arnold walked outside and closed the door behind him. "What are you doing here this late? Did you forget something in my Grandpa's car?"

Helga managed to inch her hesitant body towards him, fiddling with her hands that were tucked behind her. "No. No I don't think I forgot anything…" She avoided revealing her true intentions.

Eyeing her, the young man stepped down off his stoop. It was clear that she was nervous about something but couldn't think of what. "Okay, so then what brings you by my place this late?"

"I just happened to be walking this way…" She lied with an innocent look. "It's a free country, Arnoldo I can walk this way if I want."

"And ring my doorbell?" He bluntly asked without sympathy.

"And I can ring whose ever doorbell I want too! Criminy!" She scowled in return.

An awkward silence surrounded them and as much as she hated to admit it, she wasn't going to get anywhere by backing out. "Maybe I just wanted to visit you." She squeaked out in a way he almost couldn't hear.

Arnold fortunately heard her, but was still surprised. "Do you want to come inside?" He offered, unsure of how to approach the situation.

Ignoring her awkward emotions, Helga managed to walk to his stoop and sit down. "No. Here is fine. Moon's out shining, crickets chirping, winds blowing…." She evaded, "I think here is fine."

Giving up, Arnold shrugged and sat besides the girl. The wind blew softly besides them both, while they sat in silence. He had no idea why she was here, or why she had decided to come at this hour of the night but what he did know was she was visibly uncomfortable and unable to bring up the reasons just yet. Calmly he let out a sigh and turned to her, causing her nerves to peak once more. "Is everything okay?" He asked, hoping to move things along.

"Yep, all's well here." She quickly responded. "You good?"

Arnold nodded, knowing this wasn't the direction to take. "Yes. We were actually just finishing dinner. Are you hungry? There is still some left over, I think."

"Nope, just had a nice big bowl of cereal so I'm pretty stuffed." Helga responded, sounding like she was in a rush of some sort.

Arnold was admittedly becoming a little impatient with her rouse. Although he was going to wait until the weekend to bring up his own concerns, he now figured this would be as good time as any. Mustering as much courage as he could, he proceeded to ask her the one thing that had been on his mind since that afternoon. "Do you want to go out somewhere this weekend?"

The question seemed completely out of the blue and caused Helga to sharply twist her head to look at the boy. She could see even though the darkness that his face was turning a bit red and he began nervously scratching the back of his neck. "What?" she asked in disbelief.

"You know…" He started as his voice trailed off, "Like a date?"

Helga stared at him blankly, still trying to process the question at hand. "You want to g-go out on a d-d-d-d-daaate with me?" She stuttered out as her heart began to race.

He was nervous. She was nervous. The whole situation was weird and now Arnold was beginning to regret his decision, as he had just finally resolved himself with letting her set the pace. "Y-you don't have to, if you don't want to!" He quickly shouted, turning to look at her better.

Helga's heart began to pound so hard she could feel it in her throat. This wasn't expected or what was supposed to happen. "A date? Like… adate,date?" She asked, trying to clarify as her voice turned high pitched.

Arnold nodded in response and could feel himself beginning to sweat as well as his pulse beginning to quicken. This was a lot harder than he hoped this would be.

Finally getting a hold of herself, Helga shook her head violently and stood up, trying to obtain ground. "Hold on." She started; her voice and body language returning to normal. "Like a real hands holding, strolling along the park like we have no care in the world, going out to eat in some fancy-shmancy restaurant type of date?"

The description she had for it made the heat turn to his face even quicker, but he stood up along with her and faced her properly. "Yes, something like that."

There he stood, in the dark of night; moonlight glistening in his cornflower hair and a face as red as the strawberries she was allergic to. His emerald eyes began to shimmer and pull her in closer.

Noticing her advancement, Arnold shyly looked down and took both her hands in his own. He could feel her palms beginning to sweat, just as they did back in the jungle before their inevitable kiss and he couldn't keep himself from smiling. "I know it might sound crazy, and maybe this is a little too fast for you but…" Arnold started as he squeezed her hands a little to hopefully convey his feelings. "I think we should go on an official date."

Helga noticed her knees beginning to weaken at his touch, as well as her hanging on his every word. His voice was soft and had a way of lulling her into a sense of complete bliss. "You mean, l-like a boyfriend-girlfriend type of thing? Just the two of us?"

Arnold nodded and squeezed her hand again, pleased that he had finally conveyed his intentions. "Yes!" He gleamed.

Collecting all her thoughts, feelings and concerns, Helga closed her eyes and focused a little. She remembered her whole goal in coming here and couldn't help but to begin giggling. Arnold tilted his head and opened his mouth to ask, but before he could, she had began to full belly laugh.

"W-what? What is it?" He asked, fully confused on how the mood changed. "Was it something I said?"

Helga could feel pools of tears beginning to emerge from her eyes, as her laughter continued and she grasped the side of the stoop for support. Unable to make words, she shook her head in response.

"Then what is it?" Arnold asked again, now feeling less concerned and a little giddy himself in response to seeing her in such a state.

"Ohhhh!" Helga breathed out loud, clutching her side as a twinge of pain began to sprout from her sides due to the laughing. "This is hilarious!"

"What is?" Arnold continued to ask as he sat himself besides her once more, hoping she would reveal the big joke.

"Me!" she shouted suddenly. "You! This!" She continued to shout through her uncontainable laughter.

Still confused, Arnold patiently waited for her to calm down and finish.

Helga wiped her eyes from the little bits of expelled tears, and chuckled a little more before finally regaining a little composure. "I came here- No, Ran all the way down here to tell you that I didn't want to hide it anymore…" She explained.

"Hide what?" Arnold asked, a smile growing on his lips from the hope he had instilled in his heart.

She continued to breathe deeply in and out until finally and fully regaining herself again. "Us, Arnold." Helga finally answered. She could see he was opening his mouth to speak but she continued anyway. "I know I said I was scared, and don't get me wrong I still definitely am, but I realized something today after Gerald yelled at me in front of everyone. I realized that, as much as I can't stand him and his stupid hair sometimes, he was right about one thing."

"Which was…?" Arnold pried.

Her heart began to beat a little faster as anxiety began to grow within her chest. Here she was again, trying to be open and honest but her body was beginning to betray her. Regret and disappointment began to protrude from the depth of her soul and caused her once blissful smile, to slowly fade away. "That I wasn't treating you like I should because… I was afraid."

Her words seemed odd and Arnold was taken back a little. "What do you mean? You're treating me like you normally do in front of everyone."

Helga sighed sadly. "Yes, I know and that's sorta the problem. I know I'll never be able to fully be how I want to be around people because, let's face it, I'm a lost cause when it comes to taking down my barriers, but right now…" She explained as she looked down at his hands before grasping them herself, "You're doing something really nice for me and, instead of thanking you like I want to, I instead rant and rave about it like it's a-a bad thing."

"The project?" Arnold asked, feeling a little accomplished as he was able to hold her hand again but this time she had initiated.

"Y-yeah…" Helga closed her eyes again, pushing down all her negative emotions that were doing their unruly best to push forward. "A-arnold…"

"Yes?" He asked, rubbing one of her hands with his thumb in hopes of calming her nerves a bit.

"Thank you for caring about me." She said finally, although her voice still shaky. "I know that I made it seem like I didn't want your help, and at first I didn't but after you kept pushing in your stupid annoying little way, I realized how happy it made me that you wanted to do this for me." Helga opened her eyes again and saw his face: The face that haunted her dreams, the face that she yearned for daily, and the face that made everything in her life worthwhile so long as she could continue to look upon it.

He could see that she was doing her best and he was proud. "Of course I would want to help you, Helga. I'm just so happy to hear that you don't really hate the idea." He explained with excitement in his voice.

Now that, that was out of the way, Helga remembered his proposition from earlier. "So… about this date…" She started as she pondered all the possibilities, "What did you have in mind? And you better not skimp out on me, Bucko! Because if we're gonna do this then it better be right."

Arnold began to relax at the sound of her normal voice and gazed at her with half lidded eyes. "I don't know, really. I figured I would let you decide what we would do." He shrugged. "It's up to you if you want the date to be private or in public since I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

Oh, my love! Always worrying about me with his giant football shaped heart!Helga swooned inside. "Hmm…" Helga thought as she tipped her head back and looked up at the night's sky.

"We could see a movie, or go out to dinner?" Arnold suggested thoughtfully. "I don't have too much money but I'm sure my Grandpa would lend me some."

Helga began to consider how they both would look, sitting hand in hand at some expensive high end place. Jewels around her neck and him in a tie; sharing a bowl of cheese fondue and an assortment of random horderves to dip with. French waiters playing a violin around them as they feed each other… "Ohhh~" She swooned out loud un-expectantly before catching herself and blushing. "Oh- That sounds like itcouldbe a good idea. You know, if youlikethat sort of stuff."

Arnold tilted his head with a little confusion. "Or we could get some ice cream and walk around the park and just talk, if you want?"

Giving her more suggestions to work with only broadened her imagination. Scenes etched in her mind of them laughing with glee as they held hands and strolled along the park. Him in a dashing tuxedo and top hat and her in some long flowing pink gown and flowers in her hair. With bold excitement, he would lift her up by her waist and twirl her around in the air before bringing her down softly and touching noses.My darling! You're the only woman for me!He would say after drawing her closer.Yes my pet, do tell me more,She would respond as she batted her eyes and looked away shyly. Dream Arnold nodded and continued,As you wish, my Queen! Your eyes are like two sparkling blue sapphires that brighten up even the darkest nights! Your physique is womanly and always flattering in any form of clothes you shall choose. No one could compare themselves to your brains and beauty! You're my Helga… Helga…

"Helga?" Arnold called out to her, now definitely concerned with her glazed over expression. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, my love?" She called back in a passionate longing voice, still completely entranced in her own dream.

Blushing from her response, Arnold cleared his voice and looked away for a moment; gaining his own composure. This hadn't been the first time she had been in a dreamlike state in front of him but all those other times he hadn't fully grasped why. Now here she was, swooning and daydreaming to her heart's content while she sit on the stoop with his hands in hers. Unsure of how he should break her from her fantasies, and almost unsure if he even wanted to, Arnold knew it was best if they were going to continue the conversation. He let go of her hands and snapped his fingers in front of her. "Helga…" He called out again. "Helga!"

Her gaze broke, as Helga stumbled back into reality and nearly forgotten the whole conversation. "Huh?!" After looking at his reddened face and recalling her thoughts, Helga immediately knew what had just occurred and fought her instincts to become a deer in the headlights over it.
"W-what?!" She screamed before crossing her arms in defiance.

Arnold giggled softly. "Nothing, don't worry about it." His face returned back to normal and he decided to continue on with the topic at hand. "Do you have any suggestions on where you'd like to go?"

"I-I don't care, Football head! Just decide for me or something!" She scowled.

"Well, what are some of your favorite places or things to do?" He asked, completely unfazed by her sudden aggression.

"I don'thavefavorite places or things to do." Helga replied snidely.

Unintentionally rolling his eyes at her remark, Arnold pressed on. "Oh come on, Helga. Of course you do. Everyone has favorite places and things to do." He suggested and waited for another smartalic remark but when one didn't come, he continued. "What about wrestling? I know you're fond of that."

His suggestion caused her eyebrow to rise and looked over at him in interest. "Y-yeah, IguessI am but it doesn't matter because the big match between Big Andrychowski and the Death Bringer isn't for another month and a half." The thought of Arnold being that attentive to her own likes, made her feel a little shy. When had he really begun to pay attention? Not that she really hid her like for Wrestle Mania or anything, and on a few occasions she and Harold even invited other classmates along with them to see the fights.

"Then there has to be other things as well…" Arnold pointed out as he did his best to recall other things he had seen her like or do in the past. Suddenly he remembered something and a large grin planted on his face "How about ice cream?" He asked.

"Ice cream?" Helga became confused. Sure they had gotten a milkshake together once when she was "blind" but that was her only recollection of an instance that he could have thought of.

"Yeah! I've heard you and Phoebe talk about you really liking ice cream in the past! You want to go to Slausen's?" He smiled, completely unaware of what he was actually saying to her.

The color began to drain from her face at hearing those words come out of his mouth. She partially wanted to scream but at the same time, wanted to go back into hysterical laughter. The whole point of their code "ice cream" was so others wouldn't have any idea that they were actually referring to her longtime obsession over Arnold, and as much as it wasn't a surprise that it worked, she was surprised that he had overheard some of their conversations abouthim.

Deciding to go along with the rouse, Helga smiled nervously. "S-sure, Football head… If that's what you want then whatever floats your boat… haha…" she said as she flipped her hair back and avoided his eyes.

"Then it's a date!" Arnold jumped up in delight, completely oblivious and taking her along with him. "How about we do this after that fashion shoot with that internet model that Rhonda was showing us?"

"Oh great…" Helga rolled her eyes. "I completely forgot about that. When was it, again?"

"Saturday," Arnold answered "And we need to finish writing our project by tomorrow if we're going to hand it in on time." He then looked worriedly up at his house and sighed. "I'd say we could do it right now but… It's getting kinda late and I'm sure my family is already worried about me being out here so long."

The thought of her having to leave her beloved and return back to that hellhole made Helga frown, but she also knew he was right. "Alright… Well then how about after school tomorrow, I come back here with you and we write that sucker up, deal?" She asked, deeply trying to conceal her real feelings.

"Yeah, sounds like a good plan. I originally had planned to play baseball with Gerald but I can push that off for a few days." The young man explained, beginning to feel the weight of realizing that she would have to leave soon. He then thought of an idea and held his finger up to her, "Hold on one moment Helga, I'll be right back." He said quickly and before giving her the option to reply, he dashed up the stoop and into his house, leaving the young blonde girl alone in her own thoughts.

The breeze blew again and caused her skin to grow thousands of goose bumps along side it. Helga had been glad she brought her light coat along with her for the trip. Slipping her arms through the cottony fabric, she could feel her skin returning to normal in seconds and her body began to warm up. The summer was at its end and soon autumns chilly arms were going to embrace their city and cause all the trees to begin to die and turn colors. This caused her to think about Halloween and what she could wear for Rhonda's inevitable costume party. Obviously this year she had no intention on dressing up as Lila, as she won Arnold over already.Maybe something horrifyingly gross? Like a decapitated housewife or something?She thought as she scuffed her shoes into the pavement below her. Looking down, she could see her bare legs being exposed and considered other options.Maybe something more flattering to make him notice me more… Like some 50's co*cktail waitress or something?The thought was promising but Helga shook the idea out of her head.Nah, that kind of flashy really isn't my style..

Suddenly she heard the front door to Arnolds boarding house open up again, and he slowly crept back outside with his jacket on. "Okay, let's go." He said after he closed the door and ran down the steps. "I asked my parents if I could walk you home since it's so late."

Helga crossed her arms again and felt a little offended. "You know I'm perfectly capable of walking home by myself, right?"

"Yeah I know but," His voice trailed off and reached her with a sudden stop. "Better safe than sorry, right?" He said shyly as he grabbed her hand. It seemed as though he was taking every opportunity possible to be close to her, which made her heart melt in her chest.

She recalled a similar conversation between them just a few days earlier and laughed. "Whatever you say, Arnoldo. Just don't try anything funny. Got that?" She said jokingly.

"Of course not." He mused at her comment. "After all, I have to maintain my gentlemanly status, right?"

They began walking down the road together, continuing their joke back and forth. It was difficult to believe that just a year before, maybe even two, that the possibility of them both behaving nicely in such a way was even manageable. The school year had just begun and yet so many new things were happening to Arnold left and right. It made him wonder what life would be like come the next few months. Even his birthday was coming soon. What would he do for it? Would they do anything together? Arnold began to feel warm at the thought and tightly grasped her hand with his, causing her to look down at him. They were nearing her building but letting her go didn't seem like much of an option for him at the moment. So many feelings, old and new made their way through his body and caused him to feel a little nervous, but in a good way.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst of this to herself, Helga was feeling calmer than normal. Their fun banter back and forth had ceased a few roads back and had just become pleasant silence between the two. Not even swooning came into mind for she was perfectly content once more.I wonder if this is how we'll remain…she wondered as he squeezed her hand.

There they were again, standing at the road in front of the entrance to her home. It was time for them to part, even though they both regretted it. Thoughts and excuses began to run through Helga's mind as she tried to come up with some reason for him to stay beside her longer, but to no avail. There was no way he could stay there with her. Although it was possible to sneak him into her room, it wouldn't be logical as his family was waiting patiently for the young boys return. Then that thought turned into more daring thoughts and Helga mentally kicked herself for it.Now's not the time for that!She scolded herself before turning to him and peering into his eyes.

"Guess it's time I go inside, huh" She asked both of them, fighting off her urges to stay longer.

"Yeah…" His voice sounded sad but he pushed it aside to remain as hopeful as ever. "But it's alright. We'll see each other tomorrow."

Helga knew it was true, but parting was always such sweet sorrow. Thinking back to their lovely performance of the school play, she couldn't help but feel all girly inside and smile. Being able to act how she truly felt inside, and in front of people no less, was exhilarating. Back then, she dreamed that Arnold would speak such loving words to her in real life but just to hear them in a play caused her whole body to melt. Could he ever truly love her so much? She knew she was very advanced for her age, Dr. Bliss had even said so, but hopefully, one day, Arnold could feel the same amount of passion for her as she did for him. On that note, Helga began to think back on to their earlier subject of the date and a question popped in her mind.

"Hey Arnold?" She asked quietly as she processed what she was about to say.

"Yeah?" He was surprised to hear her voice after such a long pause between them.

"I have a question, and don't look too deep into it because it's not all that big of a deal…" She began to ramble quickly, trying to beat her urge to stop. "But it's a very important question, to me… that is…"

Arnold raised his eyebrow in confusion and smiled. "Of course. What is it?"

Crimson began to overrun her cheeks and she grabbed the sleeve of her coat and began to tug on it to avoid looking at him directly. She could feel his beautiful eyes were on her and were awaiting her question. "Can I…." she started but couldn't bear to finish.

Her odd behavior caused the young man to worry and he placed his hand on her shoulder, becoming even closer to her. "Can you what, Helga?" His voice was so innocent, so sweet and so addictive that she could feel her emotions threaten to explode from the inside out.

"Can I… be your girlfriend?" She fought valiantly out then exhaled in exhaustion.

The worry that had become incredibly tense on his heart had let go the moment she finished her sentence and Arnold smirked as a result. "Only if you want to be." He answered lovingly.

That was it. It was the final straw to break her of her solid composure and Helga could feel her head beginning to spin in absolute rapture. "Yes!" She shouted, causing him a little shock that he recovered quickly from. "Yes! Yes!" She continued to shout and he let go of her, allowing her to spin in place and him to giggle at the sight.

"I didn't realize that meant so much to you." He stated through his small giggles.

Helga halted and grabbed both his hands, staring at him dead in the face. "It means the whole world to me- No, The entire existence of creation!" She began to glow, fully allowing herself to express how she really felt.

"I-I'm happy you feel this way" He breathed out, letting his own worries vanish into pure bliss along with her. "I'll admit, I wasn't really sure how to ask you if you wanted to be so I'm really glad you-" But before he could finish, she let go of his hands and wrapped her arms tightly around his head and squeezed.

"Oh my adorable Football Head!" she cooed as she squeezed harder and began to block his airway with her chest.

"H-helga" He squeaked out, "too tight…"

"Oh." She then let go and laughed nervously. "Sorry about that."

Despite nearly getting suffocated, the moment they were sharing was like none other. There she was, glowing in a way he couldn't have imagined. It was far more than just her opening up; it was her allowing herself tobeherself right in front of him. "It's okay…" He laughed. There had only been two times in the history of him knowing her that she had fully allowed herself to open up in such away, however this time had been the only time it didn't result in hysterics and aggressive behavior. This was the side of Helga he always wanted to see, even back then.

Feeling his eyes on her, and now becoming embarrassed that she just shoved her chest into his face, Helga knew it was time to go. "I'll just…" She started, as she pointed behind her and slowly walked backward. "I'll just be going now. See ya!" She shouted than turned around and ran towards the side of her building where the emergency exit was waiting.

"See ya, Helga…" He whispered back as he watched her form slowly disappear into the darkness surrounding Bob's Beepers. His feelings quelled into serenity as he stood in that spot a bit longer before finally turning around and heading home. Thoughts of her going home happy and having pleasant dreams flooded his mind and caused him to feel something new, something warmer than he had ever experienced before. It was love.

Chapter 7

Chapter Text

Morning came and went, as the friends all gathered in the same place and walked to school. Idle chit-chat commenced and even some shy glances from the newofficialcouple as they went about the day from class to class. Even lunch time was seemingly normal without any real chaos, unless you count Harold nearly beating up Sid for "stealing" one of his sandwiches, which was then laughed about amongst them all for the rest of the day.

"Don't forget to tell your mom how much I liked the sandwich, Harold!" Sid laughed as him and the gang left the school.

The large older bully then groaned in annoyance. "Awwww, will you justshut upalready?!" He bellowed out towards the shorter boy.

"What? I just want to make sure she knew how good they were!" Sid suggested as he began to speed up, knowing full well that all his taunts would do, would make Harold beat him up.

"Yeah Harold," Stinky agreed in his usual happy southern voice. "Maybe you can get her to make me one too!"

"You guys…! You're seriously asking for it…!" Harold threatened, glaring at them both while they laughed in unison.

Their goal today had been to play some arcade games before separating to complete their own class projects before the due date tomorrow, however with them both taunting him since lunch, Harold didn't find it to be a good idea any longer.

"Come on Harold! We're just messin' with ya." Stinky smiled as he put his hands in his pants pocket, keeping up alongside the chubby boy.

"Yeah," Sid nodded, "And besides, I can just ask her to make me my own when I go over your house today."

Harold's face reddened with both rage and embarrassment as he balled up his fist and glared at the back of Sid's head, causing him to look back and see the hostile gaze. "Do it. I dare you…" Harold threatened.

"She'd probably make ya one too, on account of his mom being so nice n' all." Stinky smirked, purposely egging Harold on to further rage.

"THAT'S IT!" It had finally been the breaking point for Harold. With both fists clenched and ready for action, he began to charge at his two friends who immediately began to flee towards their destination, laughing as they ran.

It had only been a few blocks before the bigger kid ran out of steam and began to slow down, until letting the other two get away and resting his forearm against a building to catch his breath. Although they had noticed his halt, it did not change their motives and instead of waiting for him, they continued onward to the arcade without him.

Harold had always been a soft hearted boy at heart, however similar to Helga, always decided it was best to put up a big and angry front then to show it off to the world. He would huff and puff and blunder about, getting into fights and tussles with his friends, however in the end, they always remained his friends and considered it more of a play fight rather than a real one. He knew full well that Sid and Stinky cared about him, so he would always plan on getting back at them some other way in the end. He didn't really want to beat them up, but he also didn't like being made fun of for having a loving mother who always carefully packed his lunch with all his favorite things, and then a few extras.

With a frown, Harold turned and rested his back against the building and relaxed. "I'll get you guys back, just wait and see…" He huffed, feeling more frustrated than ever. But before he could fully regain his stamina, a man came bursting through the door next to him and waved his hands in anger.

"Hey!" He yelled, "Hey you! Get away from my shop you hoodlum!"

Harold looked at the man, a little confused and hurt. "What do you mean? I'm not doing nothing." He explained, unsure of what to do as speaking to grown-ups was never his strong suit.

"Can't you read the sign?!" The man asked angrily.

"What sign?!" Harold asked, now becoming frustrated again along with his confusion.

"This one, right here fatso!" The shop owner yelled again, pointing to a small note that had been glued to the shop window he had just had his back against.

Squinting his eyes, Harold brought his face up close to the sign to read it out loud. "No… So-solicitaaaating?"

The shop-keep rolled his eyes. "No! The oneunderthat one!"

"Oh." Harold then looked to the next sign that had been directly under the other. "No Loitering….?"

The man nodded his head with pride. "Yes! Yes that one!"

Harold backed up and raised his eyebrow at the man. "What's that mean?"

With his mouth gaping open, the man angrily waved his arms around again. "It means don't stand around here in front of my store! It's bad for business to have kids like you making trouble for innocent customers. Don't they teach you anything in school?!"

Although Harold wanted to answer, the man ignored him and headed back inside with a loud bang following, causing Harold to angrily mumble to himself. He was used to being called names like fatso, fat boy, lard boy, pink boy, stupid, idiot and some other things he couldn't think of right now, most of them being called from one person but sometimes from strangers too. "Do I really look all that bad?" He wondered to himself as he put his hands in his pockets and sadly began to walk towards the arcade again. He turned to another shop's window and peered into the glass to see his reflection. He looked like he normally did, so what was the problem?What's it mean to be a hoodlum?He wondered. Was it because he was older than his friends? Was it because he was bigger? Why was everyone always picking on him, anyway? Many questions flooded his head and he continued on walking.Rabi always says "Do unto others as you wish done unto you" but what does that mean?He asked himself silently.I didn't do anything to that guy so why did he have to be mean to me?!Harold then found an empty soda can and kicked it along the sidewalk.

"Stupid mean old man!" He yelled as it went flying, causing a sleeping cat nearby to become startled, cry and run off. "Oh… sorry." Harold called out to it, but it was already gone.

As he continued to walk and think, he heard something in the distance that caught his attention. It was a voice, a familiar voice. Tilting his head, he began to hurry up to the next intersection to see if it was who he thought it was.

"Move it, paste-for-brains! I ain't got all day!" the voice shouted from behind the building.

Is that…?Harold was almost sure he knew the voice but kept pressing onward towards it.

"Why are you in such a rush? We have all night." Another familiar voice replied.

"Yeah, well I'm not trying to spend it all being cooped up in some stupid boarding house with nut jobs, Football head!"

It is!Harold shouted in his mind as he finally got to the clearing to see his two classmates, Arnold and Helga standing at a walkway and waiting for the signal to turn.Maybe they wanna come to the arcade too?He thought, slowly marching in their direction.

Arnold frowned. "Helga…"

"What?!" She shrieked, throwing her hands in the air in dramatics and tapping her foot impatiently.

With a half lidded gaze and a small smile, the odd headed boy offered out his hand. "You do realize how far from school we are, right? You don't have to keep acting."

"A-a-acting?!" Helga asked, turning her head from him stubbornly. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Uh huh…" He signed with defeat, continuing to offer his hand to her. "Do you want it or not?"

Helga blushed a little before looking around frantically, then looking back at the boy. Her heart began to pound as they were much closer to civilization then she'd like but also knew that she promised him that she would begin trying to "practice" their show of affection in public in hopes of getting rid of her fears. With a trembling heart, she willingly took the welcoming hand and sighed happily, allowing all the nerves in her body to melt the moment his heat collided with her own. After a second to absorb her bliss, Helga gave him a small scowl and he laughed. "Shut up and let's just go…" she said with a worried tone.

"Okay." Arnold agreed happily as the signal turned to walk and they disappeared into the mass of people.

Harold stood bewildered with his mouth nearly touching the floor at the scene he had just witnessed. "Was that…?" He started, still trying to wrap his mind around it all. "Arnold and Helga?" but then it finally hit him that his eyes were not playing games. "And were they… HOLDING HANDS?!"

Instantly, his feet began to hit the pavement with haste as he raced to the arcade. "I have to tell the guys!" he shouted eagerly, "They're never gonna believe this!"

"I reckon you got the long straw there, Sid." Stinky suggested as he quickly tapped the buttons on his machine, causing a pixelated man to shoot tiny bullets at a few bad guys.

"Why do you say that?" Sid asked alongside his southern friend, mashing his own buttons.

"You get to hang out with Harold and eat wholesome meals at his place while my partner barely even says two words to me…" The tall boy frowned as the bad guys took away his remaining life and a large Game Over screen played.

"Ohhhh yeah!" Sid smiled devilishly, glancing over at his sullen friend quickly before returning to his own game. "I forgot that Brainy was your partner. What's it like at his place?"

Stinky grimaced and began to watch the stringy haired boy thrash about his joystick. "Weird." Was all he could say in response.

Sid laughed. "Boy howdy, I'm kicking major butt! I think this is the farthest I've ever gotten in Roboman 6000!"

But just before he could reach the final boss, Sid and Stinky were startled by a loud bang of the door, causing him to lose focus and the boss to jump on him repeatedly, losing his game.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sid cried as he put his hands on the screen and slowly slid them down.

"Not so good anymore, are ya now?" Stinky laughed loudly, causing his small friend to give him a mean scowl before turning to see where the noise came from. There stood Harold, panting like a mad man in the doors entrance, barely able to breathe or stand. Others turned their concern on him, however did not make any motion to help.

"What happened?" Stinky asked his tired friend from afar.

"What happened is he just made me lose my game!" Sid shouted, followed by a few whimpers as he looked over at his own Game Over screen.

"Guys…" Harold panted out, slowly stepping towards them. "You… gotta… see… this…"

"Why? What did ya see?" Stinky asked, now a little interested in what the chubby kid had to say.

Sid grumbled to himself before finally giving up and accepting his loss. "It better be good because you just made me losethe game of the century!"

Harold made his way up to them both and grabbed on to Sid's arcade machine, using it to rest on and continued to catch his breath.

Now feeling a little concerned, Stinky placed his hand on his friends shoulder and made an unsure chuckle. "Is the jolly-olly man gone mad again and handin' out free Mr. Fudgy's or somethin'?"

"It's… I saw…" He continued to pant.

"Spit it out for cripes sake!" Sid cried in anticipation.

With a large breath, Harold took all of what he saw in and finally blurted it out for the whole arcade to hear. "Arnold and Helga were holding hands!"

The two friend's eyes turned wide in shock and they looked at each other before turning back to their still tuckered out friend.

"You mean she was yanking him around or something, right?" Sid asked, still in denial.

"No!" Harold shouted. "Like lovey-dovey all kissy like!"

"No way, Harold" Stinky shook his head in disbelief, "Your jus' pullin' our legs on account of we were makin' fun of you earlier."

"Yeah." Sid laughed, "No way in a million years that would happen. I mean, hell would freeze over or something."

Stinky laughed along with him and nodded in agreement. "Those two go together like an angry old cat and a starving mutt!"

"Guys I'm serious!" Harold finally had regained his life and now stood firmly in front of them, his fists on his hip. "They were on their way to his house or something! I heard them!"

The two boys glanced at each other again, this time a little more than concerned.

"I mean, it was kinda strange that they chose each other as partners for the assignment…" Stinky said as he scratched the back of his head in confusion.

"Yeah but that was probably because they were the only two kids left without a partner." Sid suggested, "It's happened before."

"I dunno, Sid. I didn't exactly choose Brainy to be my partner. I'm pretty sure thatwewere the last picks of the class…" Stinky frowned, remembering his tough luck.

"Would you guys just shut up and let's go already!" Harold whined, looking towards the door as another kid came in and paid the worker for some quarters. "I'll show you I'm not just making it up!"

The duo all nodded to each other before finally giving in and following Harold out of the arcade.

Up inside the furnished attic of the Sunset Arms, Arnold and Helga continued to finish their project on re-establishing Big Bobs Beepers. Helga cut out some pictures and glued them on a poster board, while Arnold remained at his computer, typing up their script along with the essay to attach to the presentation. About an hour had passed since they had arrived at Arnold's house, and only a few times they had been interrupted by his parents and grandparents, bringing them refreshments and checking up on their progress.

Arnold took a sip of his lemonade and finished writing the conclusion of the essay, before turning around to see Helga's progress. "How's the poster coming along?" He asked cheerfully.

Helga huffed in response and shoved a glue slopped picture on the snow white board. "Just swimmingly…" she growled.

Although they had finally come into agreement that he would write the essay and she would build the project, it wasn't exactly what she wanted and Arnold was very aware. During the argument of the assigned tasks, he recalled many projects that he was forced to work alongside her and remembered thathewas always stuck doing the arts and crafts portion whileshewrote the essay and had decided this time would be different.

"Fair is fair, Helga…" He stated, a little proud of himself winning against her for the first time.

"Yeah well this is the last time I'm doing a stupid project with you, Bucko!" She yelled as she grabbed her big black permanent marker and began to write the heading in big bold letters. It was a hollow threat, and they both knew it but Helga was a sore loser. No one had ever really dared to face her in an argument and the few times they tried, it only ended up in them becoming humiliated in some way.

Arnold watched, full of pride, as she tried to be as neat and precise as possible, and continued to sip his drink. "Whatever you say, Helga." He smiled.

Suddenly there was another knock on his door. Arnold unconsciously rolled his eyes and got up, not wanting to disturb Helga further from her obligation. He opened the door to find his dad standing there with a large warm smile on his face.

"Hey there slugger, how's the project coming along?" Asked Miles as he peered around his son to see if he could gaze upon the poster he knew they were making.

Feeling a little awkward, as this had been now the third time in an hour that they had been interrupted, Arnold gently pushed his father out of the way a little onto the stairs and closed the bedroom door behind him. "It's going great, Dad." Arnold smiled back with a little exhaustion, "What's up?"

Miles gave an unenthused shrug, "Not much. Your mother just went out to buy groceries for dinner tonight, your grandpa is playing checkers with Oskar and your grandma is out hunting Siberian tigers." He explained a little loneliness in his voice. "And I was starting to miss you."

Arnold could feel guilt bubbling up in his chest and he frowned. With all that had now been going on between him and Helga, he hadn't hung out with his parents in a while and was beginning to feel bad. "I'm sorry…" Arnold said as he slowly walked down his stairway; his dad in tow. "I didn't mean to shut you out or anything. We're just doing school work."

"I know, I know." Miles called out from behind him. "But hey, how about when you guys are done, we have a little father-son time. Whatcha say?"

Arnold turned around and saw the cheesy grin on his father's face and couldn't help but smile back. "Sure Dad." He nodded, "But just promise me one little thing, okay?"

Miles eyes became filled with wonderment as he anticipated his son's next sentence. "Sure! What is it, Son?"

The words he was about to say were probably one of the last he ever thought of having to say to his parents. He had thought long and hard about them after the first time they were interrupted and decided it was probably best to be open and honest with them, like he had always been with his grandparents, however seeing the hope in his father's face only made Arnold feel worse about what he was about to say. "Just promise that Helga and I can finish our school project in peace… okay?"

The joy from his father's eyes slowly disappeared and he hung his head sadly. "Oh… Okay. No problem." He said disheartened.

Arnold felt his heart drop to the floor as he saw how sad his words made the man; however he also knew he couldn't falter from his decision. "Thanks, Dad and I promise that right after she goes home, I'll hang out with you for the rest of the night! Deal?" He begged, hoping that his dad would feel a little happier.

Words from his wife and father rang through Miles ear. "Leave the boy alone! He'll come to you when he's ready…/Dear just be patient… give him some time to come around on his own…"and he knew that they were right. Gathering what hope he had left of the situation, Miles put on a fake smile and lifted his head happily. "You got it, partner!" He shined, before promptly turning around and heading down to the main floor, leaving Arnold to stand there awkwardly.

Shaking off what he had left of the scene, Arnold raced back upstairs and opened and closed the door behind him, causing Helga to jump a little from the sudden slam.

"Criminy!" She shouted. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" She said as she grasped her heart like she was about to have a Coronary.

"Ah, Sorry!" Arnold said shyly, as he scratched the back of his head before realizing something a little important. "I… seem to be saying that a lot today, actually."

With a note of suspicion, Helga looked up at him and analyzed his state with her eyes. "Why? Breaking a lot of hearts or something?"

Her words hit him dead on and a wave of guilt came crashing back over. "No… Not intentionally, anyway." He said as he made his way over to his bed and sat down in front of her.

Helga looked at her poster on the floor and decided that it was probably all done by now, as she had no more things to glue on and there was only so much glitter and crayons that would make it visually appealing, and stood up to sit next to him. "Come on, what did you say to the poor fool?" She insisted as she crossed her legs.

Wondering if this was how it felt when he pried into her life, Arnold straightened himself up and felt a little defensive. "Nothing that bad! Just that…" His voice trailed off as he decided on a few choice words to finish with, "I didn't want us to bedistractedfrom our project too much."

"So in other words," Helga sighed. "You told him to buzz off, am I right?"

Arnold raised his eyebrows in surprise at how attentive she was but also how she seemed to be trying to console him in her own way. "Well not in so many words…" He explained, trying to excuse his own actions.

The irony of the situation made Helga laugh and shake her head. "Oh boy."

"What?" Arnold asked, now feeling like he was about to be put to trial.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all…" Helga said with amusem*nt, giving him a side glance.

"Helga!" Arnold insisted, "What is it?"

Shaking her head again, Helga got up and picked up thedecorativeposter, laid it on the bed next to him and began to brush off the little bits of glitter that had fallen on her pink ombre dress. "I just kinda find it funny how youfinallyhave parents and now you're beginning to see why none of usnormal kidswant ours around." She explained as she paced back in forth in front of him.

He now definitely felt like he was being put on trial. "That's not true! I want them around I just-"

"Just don't want them nosing around into your business?" She suggested in an ironic tone. "Poking their heads in to make sure we're not doing anything funny? Asking if we need anything?" Helga snorted and stopped in her tracts. "Just face it; you know how us regular kids feel now. Invaded."

Arnold began to feel a bit misunderstood and annoyed, and stood up to argue back. "That's not true either! I don't feel invaded! I just figured we could finish this faster without interruption." He tried to justify.

"Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night, Football head." She shrugged with a smirk.

Her accusations and insensitive remarks were now beginning to hurt the boy's feelings. He never meant to hurt his dad or feel ungrateful for him being in his life. Never once did he regret them coming back and now, with them finally back, he felt whole again! "What do you know? You never want your parents around because they don't even try to be! Mine at least try and care!"

After spitting out those sour words, Arnold watched as Helga's expression changed from amusem*nt to cold and she began to gather her belongings. "I-I'm sorry!" He cried out regrettably however she didn't even stop to look at him before walking out. Arnold knew he had to do something, say something; so he began to chase after her. "Helga, wait!" He called out but she continued. This was the second time she was now leaving his house not feeling very happy.

Arnold raced down his stairs in hot pursuit of her. "Helga! Stop!" He said, finally catching up to her at his front door. He held it shut with one hand and continued to plead. "I wasn't thinking! I wasn't-"but before he could finish his sentence, she turned to look at him with a complex expression that he couldn't begin to understand.

"No. You weren't." She replied sinisterly calm. "And now I'm leaving." Helga turned back to the door and placed her hand on the knob, causing him to step back cautiously as their air around her didn't seem safe.

Words of remorse choked in the boy's throat as he watched her open the door in front of him. He knew there was nothing he could say to stop her at this point, and much to his dismay, he knew he deserved it. Many times in his life his Grandpa had warned him not to fight fire with fire and especially when it came to dealing with Helga Pataki. Now, he was starting to understand why.

Helga, shaken on the inside and slowly rebuilding the walls she had so carefully taken down over the last few days, walked outside and took a slow breath of fresh air. She could sense that he wasn't following her and she wasn't even sure if that mattered. After she took her last step off his stoop, her contemplation was interrupted by a loud boisterous voice behind her.

"Oh look! It's Helga G. Pataki and her stupid pink bow!" Harold taunted with his hands on top of his hat, trying to imitate her bow.

"Whatcha doing in Arnold's house, Helga?" Sid asked in amusem*nt, "Making out?"

Before Stinky could open his mouth and say the comment he had prepared, he saw the look of death and destruction that crossed her eyes as she looked their way. "Fellas… I don't think-"but the warning was too late.

"There's no use denying it, Helga! I saw you two holding hands!" Harold continued to taunt, completely unaware of her murderous intent as she turned to walk towards him. "You Love Arnold! Ahahahaha!" He laughed.

She then quickly locked eyes with Sid, who also cautiously walked back to where Stinky was standing. "Uhhh… Harold, I think we should go…" He warned from afar.

"Huh? Why you guys? I thought we were gonna-"But before he could finish his sentence, Helga slammed her fist into his face, causing him to fall on his backend.

Arnold watched in horror as she continued to pummel the larger kid into the cement. "Helga! Stop!" He shouted as he concentrated his efforts into jumping off his stoop and trying to get her off of him. "It's not worth it!"

The duo could only stare in horror before fleeing for their own lives, knowing that they would soon be next. "Sorry Harold!" Stinky shouted as he ran.

"Don't die on us, buddy!" Shouted Sid as he followed close behind his taller companion.

Harold continued to cry and block her punches, but most of his efforts were in vain as her shots seemed mostly dead on.

Arnold grabbed both of her arms to get her to stop. "Please!" He yelled, causing her to stall a moment. He could feel all the sadness inside him rush up front and he fought it back as hard as he could. As much as he didn't want to blame himself for the situation, he knew that it was mostly his fault. "Don't take it out on Harold, Helga! It's my fault!" He pleaded again. "Hit me if you want to hit someone!"

"Yeah! Hit Arnold!" Harold agreed as he tried to wiggle himself out from under her but failing.

Arnold quietly waited for an answer but when he saw he wasn't going to get one, he continued. "What I said back there was wrong. I shouldn't have said that your parents don't care! They do and you know it too!" He hoped and prayed that his words would get through to her. "I shouldn't have compared mine to yours. It was insensitive and stupid of me!" He could feel her resistance against him begin to fade and Arnold began to feel like maybe his words weren't all for naught. "Please Helga, if you're listening at all…" He could feel himself beginning to break and his voice began to crack. "Don't do this."

Within her rampage, Helga had listened to every word he had said. She knew what she was doing wasn't the answer, and didn't care. But as he continued his apology, she could also tell that she was now intentionally hurting the one she loved; and that wasn't Harold Berman. At his final words, she could feel his grip loosen and she broke her arms away from him. Quietly she stood up and dusted herself off, making no attempt to look at the sad boy standing next to her. As time moved forward around them, all of Arnold's family, boarders and neighbors began to emerge from their dwellings to see what had just gone down as his shouting was definitely out of the norm.

"Thank you…" He breathed out reluctantly as he slowly watched her leave Harold beaten on the ground.

Helga stopped in her tracts, "It wasn't for you." Were the only words that came out of her mouth before she continued to walk down the road until vanishing.

The adults around them exchanged looks of concern, confusion and bewilderment before going over to the two boys and asking if they were alright. Clearly Harold was not, and Mr. Green picked the boy up and helped him walk into his butcher shop to help clean him up, leaving Arnold to have to answer all the questions being asked by everyone.

"Make room everyone!" Phil yelled from behind the crowd of worried adults. "Let the boy breathe! How do you expect him to explain anything if you're all crowded around him like that?" He had finally pushed his way through, with his incredibly worried son hot on his heels. Secretly, Phil had heard some of the argument from the two of them before all hell broke loose from inside the bathroom; however that wasn't going to be mentioned.

"Arnold!" Miles patiently breathed out, placing his hands on his son's shoulders and facing him. "What happened? Why did she beat up that kid?"

"Beat up?" Phil piped up, "That's nothing compared to what some of the older kids do around here. He should consider himself lucky…"

"Dad?" Miles was now even further concerned.

Arnold couldn't stand to look at any of them in the face and just continue to trace the pavement with his eyes, hardening his emotions once more. "It's all my fault…" He replied quietly, causing both of his elders to turn back to him.

"I'm sure that's not true…" Miles coaxed, slowly rubbing his shoulders in a comforting way.

"Yeah! Your little blonde friend is always beating up people! I'm sure it wasn't something you did, Arnold." Phil added, rubbing the top of his bald head and looking towards Green Meats.

"But it is!" Arnold spoke louder, feeling the pain in his chest spread. "I did the one thing you told me not to do, Grandpa." He then looked up past his dad and into his grandfather's eyes, trying to convey the memory.

"Oh no, you went with yourbadinstincts again, eh?" Phil sympathized as he began to shoo away the onlookers.

"Bad instincts?" Miles asked, now feeling completely out of the loop. "What do you mean, Dad?"

Heaving a heavy exhausted sigh, Phil touched his son's back and signaled him to follow. "Come on… we got a lot of talking to doinsidewithout thepeanut gallery!" He finished, glaring at the few boarders still peaking their heads out of the window, causing them to quickly go back inside.

"I'm sorry, Dad…" Arnold whispered, barely audible for Miles to hear.

"It's alright, Arnold." He replied, slowly ushering his son to follow his grandpa as he stood in the doorway waiting. "I knew there were something's I needed to catch up on but I didn't think I'd find out this way…"

The walk from Arnold's house quickly became dark as the skies that loomed over the city turned dark with rain clouds, as Helga slowly walked in a miscellaneous. Her brain unsettlingly quiet and calm as her heart continued to pound in pain. Where was she going? It didn't matter. Nothing mattered at that moment as she couldn't even think of anywheretogo. All roads seemed to look alike and her feet just seemed to know which direction they wanted to go in, so her body followed. The news hadn't reported that today would be rain; however it almost seemed appropriate anyway. It was Helga's luck to have the universe feel the same way she did. Sad, cold, alone, forlorn, and forsaken; just to name a few. Helga could hear rumbles of thunder in the distance and could sense the uneasiness in the air surrounding her; the storm was close behind her. Mothers escorted their children inside their houses and called to their friends to go home before the rain started. "What's a little rain, anyway? Will it wash away the pain? The sorrow? The unending agony that seemed to pierce through my very being? If not, then what good is it? Rain is supposed to cleanse the earth and wash away any waste and debris that would do harm, right? So why wasn't it the same for me?" Helga's poetic heart began to sing as she continued to hear more thunder in the distance. "What good is rain or a heart, for that matter?" She then looked up at the darkening clouds overhead and began to reflect of her past, her family, her friends and then of course, her beloved. "They say that pain is what makes you stronger and that you cannot fully experience love without it, but what good is that either when everything I try to ends up likethis?" She asked sorrowfully as her feet came to a halt at the feel of a single raindrop hitting her soft pale skin.

The past few days had probably been some of the best in her entire life. The feelings of love and acceptance were all the girl ever wanted to feel, but just when there was such a clear blinding light at the end of her dark ominous tunnel, of course the hole had to be covered in with dirt just to keep the exit away longer. "Is there really an escape from all this? Or is every positive thing that happens to me just there as a tease to remind me that gold will never stay?!" She called out to the sky as a few more rain drops splashed against her face. Helga then looked around to notice that she was now the sole person left on the street, as everyone else had already ran inside to take cover from the weather.

After continuing down her path a few more blocks, the girl realized where her feet had taken her. Just up ahead was Phoebe's house. "So this is where I was going?" She asked herself as she stood in front of the door. As she rapped on it lightly, a sharp sting suddenly resonated through her hand and up through her arm and shoulder. Helga hissed in pain as she softly cradled her pulsating hand; awaiting a response from the door. Without much delay, it opened to reveal a surprised Phoebe at the other end.

"Helga?!" The small girl cried out in shock, seeing as her best friend had just shown up, unannounced and drenched from head to toe in rain.

"Hey Pheebs," Helga responded dully, as if all was normal in her world. "Can I, uh, come in?"

The question had been so ridiculous that Phoebe brought it upon herself to grab and drag her inside forcefully. "What happened?" Phoebe asked as she quickly grabbed a towel from a nearby bathroom to drape over her wet friend.

Helga shrugged weakly and pulled the towel around her tighter; basking in its fully warm texture. "Not much." She lied.

Regardless of what Helga answered, Phoebe knew that it couldn't possibly be the truth. Shaking her head in frustration, she grabbed her friend once more and quickly brought her up to her bedroom knowing full well that in order for Helga to spill the beans, she would have to be in a closed off, private space that she felt comfortable in.

"Phoebe? Who was at the door?" Her mother's voice had called out from another room.

"Just Helga, Mother!" Phoebe replied as she waited a moment for a possible response, and then quickly shut her bedroom door to start the examination. Once she turned around, she gazed over at Helga who seemed to be in a blank state. "Helga, why did you just walk over here in the rain?" She asked softly, "You know that my parents would have picked you up if you'd have just asked."

With a shrug of nonchalance, Helga looked around her friends' tidy room aimlessly. "No reason." She replied plainly.

Taking Helga's hand firmly, Phoebe walked her over to her bed and had the still sopping wet girl sit down. "We both know that can't possibly be true. Weren't you supposed to finish Mr. Simmon's report today with Arnold?"

"Arnold?" Helga repeated naively, as she could feel her calm state begin to break as tears formed in her eyes.

Phoebe's eyes shot wide open as her best friend began to crumble before her eyes and without warning, Helga threw herself at her best friend and buried her face in her tiny chest and began to wail loudly. Gasping from the sudden impact, Phoebe waited patiently for Helga to talk about it freely on her own; slowly rubbing her back for support.

Time passed by slowly, as Helga eventually regained her composure and decided it was finally time to talk. Phoebe quietly handed her a box of tissues to clean herself up with, and continued to remain quiet and patient. Suddenly Helga stood up, and walked over to Phoebe's window and drew open the curtains to reveal the storm outside and Phoebe followed in interest.

"Phoebe," She finally spoke; with a voice still broken. "Have you ever felt like maybe you're dying and that all the happiness you experience is just to slowly comfort you before your inevitable death? You know like when people's' lives flash before their eyes as they're in a dismal situation?"

The question was concerning but Phoebe knew her well enough to know that she was just being over dramatic. "No, I have never felt like that." She shook her head, "Do you feel like that, Helga?"

The tall blonde nodded solemnly as she continued to peer out into the storm. "At least I feel like that today." Her words broke for a sigh, "Like my whole life is being swallowed up in a dark abyss and while I try to grab onto things to pull myself out, they just fall in with me…" Helga then turned back around to face her friend with a grim face. "Can I stay the night? I really don't feel like going home."

Phoebe nodded. "Of course, Helga. You always know that you're welcome here whenever you need. I'll just have to inform my parents. Do you want to call home?" She suggested as she picked up her wireless home phone and brought it over.

After taking it and looking it over for a second, Helga set it down next to her. "I'll call Miriam later. She's probably asleep now anyway."

Phoebe understood and sat down on the floor in front of her companion and softly patted it in indication for Helga to join her. "Let's talk."

Helga looked at the gesture then gradually obeyed, sitting in front of the open window. "Okay…" She sighed sadly, bringing her knees up to her chest. Weaving her story from start to finish, Helga left no detail out; from the brilliant start to the cataclysmic finish and all Phoebe could do was listen in horror. "And that's when I wound up here…" She breathed for a moment. "Weird, right?"

Phoebe had just finished digesting the story and shook her head in remorse. "No… I'm flattered that you would naturally bring yourself here, as opposed to going elsewhere." She then recalled the last bit of the story regarding their hefty friend. "And justhowbad did you beat him up?"

"Not any worse than I've done before. "Helga answered, rolling her eyes and slouching with her back up against the cold glass. "He'll make it."

"That maybe so…" Phoebe started as she leaned forward to get a better look into her friends face, "However you know you'll just be reprimanded from it tomorrow at school, right? This won't bode well with your father, Helga."

"Since when does he care, Pheebs?" Helga huffed and crossed her arms. "Oh no! Another blemish on the Pataki name!" She spat, "Not like I'm the golden child anyway…."

"Still, do well to think up the apology you'll say tomorrow so you won't be in bigger trouble than necessary." The young black haired girl suggested inquisitively. "Suspension won't be good for either of you." Although beating up Harold was probably the worst part of the prior situation, Phoebe gingerly moved on to the next topic. "What will you say to Arnold tomorrow?"

The subject made Helga's face turn down again, as she fumbled a little. "I dunno… I haven't really thought that far ahead. I know that he didn't mean what he said and that I pretty much egged him on with suggesting that he didn't want his parents around but," she paused briefly before continuing. "It still hurt, Phoebe." She finished quietly.

"I absolutely agree." Phoebe nodded, placing her hand on her friend's ankle; causing her to look up. "It's strange to hear Arnold doing something so brash, however given the topic at hand… I can't say that I'm completely surprised either. Cruel words were said on both ends."

"Yeah… Leave it to me to mess up the best thing in my life and only on the first official day!" Helga gave out a small chuckle before returning to her melancholy. "I suck."

"Don't say that." Her best friend coached with a smile, "Fights are always bound to happen… especially between you two."

"Always a silver lining, eh Pheebs?" Helga smiled. "You're beginning to sound like him now."

Phoebe gave a fake offended look and a small huff. "I'd like to think that I tend to look at things positively as well!" she stated, causing Helga to smile a bit more. "Are you feeling a little better now?"

Giving a small stretch, Helga glanced around to find the small handheld phone and rested it in her hand. "Yeah, I guess. I still don't want to go back home though, that's the last place I want to be right now."

"I suppose you'll be phoning your parents then?" The small girl asked. When Helga nodded in response, Phoebe gradually picked herself up and brushed off her nicely pressed shirt. "Alright then, I'll inform Mother and Father of your stay. Be right back!" She explained before exiting the room and leaving the down and out girl by herself.

Looking over the phone again, Helga had noticed it was a newer model then last time. It was sleeker with smaller buttons and no antenna to be found.I guess her dad finally got that raise he was hoping for, Helga thought as she pressed the on button and called her mom.

The phone rang and rang, then rang some more before Helga got fed up, hung up and proceeded to call again. Her mom was probably asleep, as expected, and figured the more it rang; the faster it would be for her to awake from her drunken slumber. After about 3 more tries, her mother finally picked up the phone and Helga made up some excuse to why she needed to stay over Phoebe's tonight. Little concern came from her mother's dazed end, and she agreed to tell Bob before hanging up and letting Helga sit in her silence. Since they had moved out of their house, Miriam had gotten worse just as Bob had, but for a different reason. As Bob had gotten angrier and more stubborn to the lack of money and business; Miriam had become far more depressed than normal, however it wasn't about the money or the business, it was about losing the house. It had been Bob's present to her upon hearing of her pregnancy and even let Miriam pick out the house herself. It was truly hers… and it had been lost. Having only the old run down couch to sleep on, and a small dresser of clothes left to her name, Miriam had drunk herself into almost a comatose state more nights since the move than Helga could count in her whole life time. If only Olga would come home more often, maybe then her mother would straighten up a bit, however even she wasn't enough to get her to quit the smoothies that easy. Countless arguments had ensured, followed by strong presentations of how it would benefit the family if Miriam quit; both from money and a stronger loving connection between them all, ending with cries and pleads from Olga for Miriam to bring that the Mommy she once had. OnlythenMiriam would step away from the blender, at least until Olga left on anothersave the childrenmission.

The sound of Phoebe returning broke Helga from her dreary thoughts and she handed the phone back to its owner. "What did they say?"

"Mother and Father are always pleased to have you stay over, Helga. They wanted me to let you know that we'll be having grilled chicken with steamed bok choy and carrots for dinner tonight." Phoebe pleasantly explained, sitting back down on the floor in front of her friend. "How did the call with your parents go?"

"Oh you know, same ol' same ol'" Helga started with a twirl of her finger. "Miriam didn't seem to mind, not that she was awake for most of the call anyway, and told me that she'd let Bob know when he returns. I guess he must have gone out or something." Helga explained.

Phoebe frowned at the story, but knew there was no use talking about it. Only the woman could save herself. Deciding it was best to change the subject to something more cheerful; Phoebe decided to let Helga know about her and Gerald's exciting project, explaining where, why and how it would benefit the city just like if she was presenting in front of their class already. Her eagerness to succeed always made Helga smile as nothing could ever change her best friend.

The rest of the night went by relatively smoothly, as the two best friends occupied their time in pleasant and constructive ways as to not let Helga fall back into her own self loathing, and soon morning had come for the rest of Hillwood. The sun rose in the sky as if it was just a regular normal day, birds chirped and children laughed and played on their way to school; the world none the wisest to the toil of the day prior. As Helga and Phoebe made their way to the school, unaccompanied by their male companions, the blonde breathed in the fresh air deeply and did her best to remove all sense of uneasiness that definitely still lingered. "You'll be fine." Phoebe had told her that morning, while getting Helga's freshly washed clothes out of her dryer. "The day will fly by before you know it!" and Helga reflected on those words, even if they were cruel in their own way. Despite the world continuing to turn as usual, her world just still wasn't spinning its usual spin. If anything, it seemed to halt every now and again when she thought of Arnold. How would he look at her? How would she speak to him? Did he hate her now? Was everything completely ruined at just a few swings of a fist? She wasn't sure and it only made her world rockier by the moment.

Chapter 8

Chapter Text

The talk between Arnold and his family went about as well as could be expected. Phil went on to explain ingreatdetail about the kids in Arnold's class and just how theyplayed.This included Wolfgang and the older kids, along with Harold and Helga's bullying tactics. The two parents had looked at each other in confusion and asked just how kids could stay being friends with those who hurt and belittled them? The answer was quite simple to Phil: Kids will be Kids. Although the children that Miles had grown up with were quiet and attentive, it was very different for both Phil and Arnold's generation. After he quelled the storm that had brewed within the large household, Phil then brought young Arnold aside to have his own one on one talk about hisbad instincts.

"Look Arnold," Phil started as he sat at the edge of his young grandson's bed just as he was about to finally get some rest, "I didn't want the others to know this, because you know how they can be but, I did happen to overhear the argument between the two of you while I was in the lou." Arnold gave a shocked expression but Phil raised his hand to silence him so he could continue. "I heard what she said and I heard what you said. It seems to be that the both of you deserve to apologize to one another."

"But that's just it, Grandpa. I tried to apologize to her but she just left and- and you saw what happened." Arnold explained sadly as he shuffled his feet under the blanket.

"I know, I know but sometimes you gotta wait for someone to cool down on their own. You were upset and she was upset and no one can listen to another person if they're head in clouded in anger and resentment, Shortman." The elderly man explained softly as he watched the poor boy give him a sad look. "Now cheer up! Tomorrow is another day and you can come up with a way to make your little angry friend less mad at you." Phil then stood up and headed towards his bedroom door. "If anyone can do it; you can, Arnold."

The encouragement made him smile a little before nodding to his grandpa. "Thanks Grandpa." He replied as he watched the older man leave the room. His words were indeed insightful but it seemed no matter what advice people gave, his guilt still seemed to eat away at him.

Arnold turned off his bedroom light and stared up into the sky above. The moon was very bright and most of the rain clouds had cleared, leaving a sparkling sky to watch over him while he thought. Just what would he say to her, exactly? All of the apologies he could think of just didn't seem to be enough. Helga had finally opened up to him in a way he never imagined and he repaid her by using her own insecurities against her. "I wonder if she hates me now." He wondered as he tossed and turned in his bed, now staring at his bedroom door. He re-imagined the scene of their argument and her immediately bolting out his door, and then sighed. He knew letting his guilt eat him awake wasn't going to do him any good so he proceeded to try and think happy thoughts; thoughts of a better tomorrow. Tomorrow he would think of something to say to her and make things right again. They had their presentation tomorrow after all, so it would have to be before school started, right?

"You didwhat?!"Gerald hollered in amazement as him and his best friend walked to school.

"I know!" Arnold yelled back, a heavy frown plastered on his face. "I know… It was wrong."

"Well yeah but that's not what I can't believe." Gerald continued as they looked towards the school they were nearing. "I just can't believe you had the nerve tosaysomething like that to her! I mean, you have to be the only person in history to ever give her a dose of her own medicine!"

"Gerald!" Arnold scolded, his guilt now beginning to weigh him down once more. "That's not helping!" As they reached P.S 118, Arnold stopped and looked at his feet. "What I did was underhanded. I shouldn't have-"

"What? Stuck up for yourself?" Gerald suggested with a raised eyebrow. "That's something you honestly should have been doing from the start! That girl has been walking all over you for years and you just let her do it! I'm glad you finally found your voice!"

The blonde boy was at a loss for words. What his friend said wasn't exactly wrong; however he wasn't right either, not by a long shot. He knew it was okay to stand his ground, but it went against Arnold's principles to play dirty. "It's not about standing up for myself, Gerald… It was the context I used." He finally explained.

"What do you mean?" Gerald asked, noticing there was becoming fewer and fewer kids around as they all were entering the school.

Knowing it wasn't his place to explain Helga's business to him; Arnold just sighed and began to walk up the entrance. "Never mind, let's just go." He replied as he held the large front door open.

Time was passing by rather quickly as Arnold gazed up at one of the clocks in the hallway. He made plans with himself to find Helga and talk to her before class started, however that didn't seem like it was going to happen. Gripping the large poster she had made and his backpack, he and his friend walked to their classroom.

All seemed well around the class but notably one person was missing. "Harold…" Arnold whispered as he looked around the room. Feeling a sense of dread, he could only imagine that his mother made him stay home to nurse his wounds and left Sid to do the presentation by himself. Thinking of his own partner, Arnold looked to Helga who seemed to be in her usual mood and writing in her notebook. It was small, but a sense of relief managed to wash over him. There was probably only 5 minutes before home room would start but maybe they would be able to at least pass notes with each other until it was time for their project. Luckily for him, Mr. Simmons had a tendency to organize the speeches by the students' lasts names, making their projects one of the last to be presented.

"Good morning, class!" Mr. Simmons sang happily as he walked into the classroom and placed his belongings on his desk. "Today is Friday, and as you all should know, today is presentation day! Please have one person from your group hand in the essay to the mayor and I'll give you 10 minutes to prepare your notes for the project. I'm sure all of your topics will be very interesting as all of you have your own individual interests and talents that would make this city an even brighter place than it is!"

Arnold could feel a little bit of excitement spark inside him as he glanced over at Helga. Around them, all the students began gathering together with their partner to discuss their presentation and he knew he had to do the same.This will give me a little time before the performance to speak with her properly… or well, as properly as I can anyway.He thought as he collected the things he brought with him. He concentrated on himself for a moment to gather up his feelings and thoughts before swapping seats with the person in back of her, who happened to be Nadine.

"Thanks!" He called out with a wave, as the braided girl waved back and sat next to Rhonda.

Helga heard the boys' voice behind her and immediately it sent tingles down her spine. She had done her best to prepare herself for the moment since she woke up, however now it was time and now she wasn't ready. Did he hate her now? Will everything be okay like Phoebe continued to say? Or did Helga really ruin the small thing she was finally able to create? Thoughts upon thoughts began to soar through the young girls mind and she was unable to bring herself to turn around and face him.

Sitting idly for a moment, Arnold waited patiently. He had made his presence noticed, that he was sure of, however couldn't help but assume she was ignoring him. Arnold sighed and held his large head up with his hand.What do I say?He asked himself.Do I just apologize like yesterday? Do I let her come to me?The clock was ticking to the right of him and he knew they only had so long to prepare. Deciding that he couldn't wait any longer, Arnold cleared his voice and leaned forward; placing his head close to her left shoulder. "Helga…" He whispered softly, that way not to startle her or get the attention from anyone around them. "I know I hurt you yesterday and I'mreally reallysorry… "He paused as he took in a short breath. "Please talk to me… we don't have that much time before everyone starts presenting." Arnold was beginning to feel nervous and self conscious. It was bad enough that Harold had found out about their union, and even though it didn't seem that Sid or Stinky really believed him yet, but him remaining in such close proximity of her didn't help their image if they were still hiding it.

As he spoke in her ear, Helga's body began to tremble.Such soft words, such a velvety voice!She swooned inside.And he doesn't even seem mad at me either! But no! Stop it Helga! We still can't simply forgive him for yesterday simply because of how luxuriously smooth his words are! Remember the objective!She coached herself on the inside. Once feeling his movement of sitting back down, Helga gripped her pencil and turned around. Gazing upon his Holy face, she could feel her stubborn decision begin to backfire.He looks so… sorry.She couldn't help but recognize.

"W-what?!" She stammered as she continued to look into those emerald jewels that looked her way. "What do you want?"

"Helga…" He frowned. "I know we don't have long to talk and I know this may not be the best place to talk but…" He then looked around the room and noticed that all of the other students were engaged in conversation and not paying any notice to them, "I didn't mean what I said yesterday. I was just so… so frustrated that it just sorta came out."

Helga began to frown alongside him as he spoke, hearing his regret only made her feel worse. Yes what he said was cruel but seeing him like this felt one hundred times worse.

"I know you were just trying to lay even grounds between me and everyone else now but… I don't know, it just felt like you were accusing me of not wanting my parents around; like if I regretted ever finding them." He continued to explain, slowly averting his gaze to elsewhere. "So I snapped back. It was wrong, and I know it so…" Arnold then shyly turned back to her, a small pink hue adorning his cheeks, "If you could somehow find it inside yourself to forgive me, I'd really appreciate it."

Suddenly they heard a small cracking sound. Helga looked down to see she had been gripping her pencil so hard during his speech that it had broken in half. With a gulp, she placed it down on her desk and slid it away from her.Just say you're sorry too!She screamed at herself inside. "I-I-I…" She attempted to start, unsure of even how. "I think…" She continued, as Arnold stared at her patiently but expectantly. "I'm…" But before she could finish, Mr. Simmons stood up and addressed the class again, cutting her off.

"Alright class! It's time for our first presentation!" He said excitedly as he placed his two hands together with a clap. "Now I know it's a bit unorthodox, but I'm going to have Arnold and Helga present first as there are… certain circ*mstances that require them both asap elsewhere." He finished with a little concern, as he looked to both of the children.

"Oooooo~" The class said in chorus, all eyes now attached to the couple.

"Now now, class! Everyone pay attention as I'm sure they've picked something spectacular for their project." Mr. Simmons motioned his hand for them both to stand up, and then moved out of the way so they would have the stage.

Arnold stood up and grabbed his papers, handing off the poster board to Helga as she rose herself. Looking at each other with uncertainty, they both walked up to the front of the class and began their speech. Helga held up her poster and growled, causing her audience to silence.

"The subject of our area renewal project is," Arnold started before tapping on the poster she held up. "Big Bobs Beepers." Almost instantaneously the student body began to whisper to one another but Arnold ignored them and continued. "Due to the recent progression in technology, the beeper industry has begun to plummet, causing businesses like this one to shut down as they're unable to stay afloat. The reason we have decided to use this as our focus is-"

"Is because Helga's family is broke." Rhonda interrupted as the rest of the class snickered.

"Ms. Lloyd!" Mr. Simmons scolded sternly, causing the girl to cross her arms and turn away.

Helga snorted. "What? It's not like she's wrong."

Waiting patiently for the commotion to settle down, Arnold turned to his partner who gave him an eye roll and motioned to continue. "Right… Anyway, although improving on the beeper industry wouldn't exactly boost our city, it would help small businesses around our city who are unable to afford things like cell phone contracts, to afford lesser expensive means of communication like beepers." He then pointed to a chart on the poster and explained the mathematics of it all, causing most of the class to slouch in boredom. "We attempted to go out and boost the business a little by handing out flyers with information to the public…" His face then went grim as he turned to his teacher. "However, we had very little success. Hopefully, with the mayor's help, we could get a little more help from the city to possibly get this business afloat again and save a few jobs."

Mr. Simmons clapped at the end of their presentation and stood up with a smile. "Very good, you two! That was an excellent topic. Helping our fellow man is always something that we should strive for, and to have someone in our very own class to benefit from it as well!" The joy began to fade from the aging man's face as he approached the two and took their essay and poster board. "Now… I'm afraid Principal Wartz is waiting for you two in his office. I stalled him so you could present your project, however I don't think I can stall him anymore or he'll end up calling for you over the intercom…"

The two obviously knew what it was about, however Arnold was surprised to hear that he too was wanted. The class let out another loud "Oooooo!" before Helga stomped out of the classroom, causing Arnold to nervously follow.

"Helga, wait up!" He called out to her as he caught up to her march. He waited a few seconds to see if she had anything to say, as she had never finished her sentence earlier, nor had she actually said anything to him of real substance. He noticed her face had broken from its usual scowl into a softer complexion but she made no attempt to respond. Arnold frowned. "So… you don't forgive me, do you?" He asked sadly, turning to look forward.

Helga could feel her frustrations with herself bubble up. She gritted her teeth and calmly spoke, "Its… It's not that Idon'tforgive you, Football head. I just don't know how to feel about all of this." She explained truthfully. Arnold nodded and she inhaled sharply to continue. "I guess… I could have worded what I said yesterdaydifferentlybut I didn't think it would really make you mad." Her voice started to become higher pitched as she became further and further uneasy with her own words. "I…" Helga stopped as they reached Principal Wartz's office. "You're the last person I want to be mad at me, really…" her voice became weak and she turned to face the door, unable to look at him in the face. It didn't matter how many walls got broken down, telling him the truth was still hard.

The boy could feel the tension between them begin to fade. Her expressions and body language told him most of what he needed to hear, but her word only made his worries that much lighter. "Thanks, Helga." He said as he placed his hand on her shoulder warmly, "I'm glad to hear you feel the same way."

Fireworks went off in the young woman's brain as she heard his sentence. "Ohhhh~" She let her feelings escape a little before grabbing the office door handle and plunging downward, causing herself to lose footing and stumble into the Principal's office awkwardly.

Inside the office, the old balding Principal sat with his left hand on this intercom and his right holding down the button as if he was about to talk. "Oh." He said, placing it back down and stiffening his posture. "I was just about to call for you two. Have a seat."

The two adolescents walked into the man's small office and sat down in the less than cushiony chairs provided.

"What is itnow, Wartz?" Helga demanded as she slouched in her seat and propped her shoes up on the end of his desk.

The Principal narrowed his eyes, stood up and pushed her feet off his desk in one fell swoop. "Don't show such disrespect to me, young lady." He began with a harsh tone. "I'm sure you know very well whyyou'rehere." He then turned to Arnold, who sat innocently to her right. "And you, young man, should also know your position in this."

"Actually, Principal Wartz… I don't know why I'm here." Arnold corrected cautiously.

Removing himself from the confines of his desk, the older gentleman began to pace himself around his office, glaring at the two children. "Here at P.S 118, we strive to provide excellence for our students. This includes a non-hostile place of learning, andasstudents of P.S. 118 you're expected to perform excellence evenoutsidethe school building. As students of this school, you are expected to represent P.S. 118 and its standards."

"Yeah, yeah! Cut the fat and spit it out, Wartz!" Helga groaned impatiently.

"You, Ms. Pataki, deliberately and unreasonably attacked a fellow student and that is unacceptable." The Principal threw back, as he grasped the top of the young girls chair and squeezed.

"Oh, andnowyou care?" Helga turned around to face him with a scowl. "Older students have beaten us up in the past and that's perfectly acceptable but because I give Harold a black eye, it's not?"

Clearing his throat, he let go of the chair and proceeded to walk back to his desk. "I have no knowledge of past instances in which you were victim, Ms. Pataki, but I do implore you to come forward next time you have such issues. However, as for right now, you stand accused for assaulting a fellow student. How do you plea?"

"Guilty as charged and not a speck of remorse for it, either." Helga replied with a chuckle as she leaned back in the chair, causing it to stand on its two hind legs.

"Oh! Is that right?" The man said with a bothered tone as he pulled a file out from his desk.

Arnold felt it was necessary to step in before things got too heated. "Principal Wartz, in our defense Harold was the one who purposely came tomyhouse to pick a fight with her. Helga was only standing up for herself."

"Is that so?" He responded, not looking up or even acknowledging the boy. This caused Arnold to become a little agitated.

"Yes, it is so. I won't say that what Helga did was right, but he is just as much as at fault for instigating it." Arnold explained, "And also this doesn't explain why I'm here, either. I didn't do anything."

Principal Wartz continued to nose through files until finally finding the one he was looking for. "Aha!" He exclaimed as he forced it out of its place and on to his desk with a loud slap. He had heard the boy's words but found his reasons for being here less important than his companion, thus ignoring his question the first time. "Son, the reason you're here today is because you are a key witness in this assault and as such I'll need you to tell me exactly what happened before I can continue with her punishment. As you can see here," He then held up two folders in his hand, "I have both of your permanent records. These follow you for the rest of your school lives, do you understand that? So tread carefully and speak honestly."

"I'm always honest." Arnold said, displeased of the implication.

"And he already told you what happened." Helga chimed in.

"Yes, well let me hear the story from start to finish." The Principal instructed as he laid down the folders and took out a pen to record the details.

With a long sigh, Arnold wove the long and disheartening tale of Helga storming out of his house due to a disagreement and Harold standing at his door just waiting for them to emerge so he could degrade and belittle them to his delight, along with Sid and Stinky as his back up. Under normal circ*mstances, Arnold wouldn't have called them out but if it meant saving Helga from whatever punishment Wartz had in mind, he figured it was worth it.

"I see…" The Principal said as he scribbled down the last of Arnold's statement. "And you say that your two other classmates were also there?"

"Yes!" Helga shouted as she stood up, "Now go bother them for their statements so we can continue with our 'oh so important' learning! I'm sure they'll rat him out faster than you can threaten detention."

With a firm nod, Wartz finished up his paperwork and removed their files from his desk, giving Arnold much needed liberation. "Then it seems I'll have to look into this case further." He then looked over his half moon spectacles and glared especially at Helga. "You're dismissed…for now. I suspect I'll have you in my office again by the end of the day, Ms. Pataki."

The threat was unwarranted and only caused Helga to huff before she leapt out of her seat without delay and headed for the door. "Whatever." She hissed than swung open the door and looked over at Arnold who was still sitting in his chair. "You coming or what?"

"Oh, uh…" Arnold hesitated as he looked to the Principal for signal to leave.

"You may leave, Arnold." Wartz nodded.

Arnold immediately scrambled to his feet and walked out the door with Helga in the lead. Almost the very second that the office door closed, Helga let out a loud noise of irritation and began to stomp towards a water fountain, to which she took a drink from.

"I can't believe Wartz has it out for you like that…" Arnold mentioned as he averted his eyes from her as she drank rapidly. "Are you called to his office often?"

Finishing her last slurp of ice cold city water, Helga wiped her mouth with her arm and scowled toward the office. "Yeah. He always finds some reason to threaten me with something. I don't know what crawled up his butt but ever since last year, he's been pretty on my case."

Arnold shook his head in worry before looking up at her. "Sounds sorta like harassment when you put it like that."

"What else is new? Didn't you know my life is full of gumdrops and waterfalls, Football head?" She replied, a little amused but mostly bothered by how accurate his statement was. Although she had no intention on telling him, her father and the Principal had fought on a number of occasions that only lead to a never ending feud between the two of them, and only hurting Helga as collateral damage.

A silence swept over the two as they walked back to class. Thoughts of holding her hand came into mind but were quickly pushed out as he remembered the state they were both in currently as well as the fact they were in school. He could see that her hands were currently clenched anyway and that she wasn't in the best mood. "Tomorrow is the photo shoot…" He mentioned, trying to lighten the mood with something positive. "Are you ready?"

"Hah!" Helga hooted, sharply turning a corner in hot pursuit of their classroom. "I can't wait to see how Rhonda is planning this. I picked out a few of the older models for her to show off since, ya know hipsters seem to like old things, but other than that I have no idea what we're doing."

Arnold caught up to her pace and chuckled a little himself. "Yeah, I guess it will be a surprise for the two of us then." He remembered their plans for after the shoot and began to feel a little nervous again. "We still on for those plans afterwards…?" He quietly asked.

She could feel her face get hot as she too remembered their plans. "Y-y-yeah…" She glanced down at him. "If youwantto… still do that…"

Seeing her blush only made him do the same. Arnold looked away and nervously scratched the back of his arm. "I do." He felt adamant on that. If there was anything he could do to fix the mishap yesterday, he was willing to do just that.

Lunch ended up being pretty normal, as did pretty much the rest of the school day. Arnold and Helga had received a B+ on their project, as although their focus would help jobs; it didn't exactly help the city over all but the grade was passing and neither of them complained. It was no surprise to anyone that Phoebe and Gerald's project ended up being the first of two to be selected to be sent to the mayor's office for consideration, as their focus was on refurbishing the old Capitol Theater and turning it into an art museum to reflect all of the plays and operas that had once been shown there since the beginning of the city's history. The second sent for consideration was Sheena and Eugene's project which focused on abolishing a few of the abandoned buildings downtown and turning them into a homeless shelter for the less fortunate. Lesser projects included, turning Elk Island into a free roaming zoo (courtesy of Curly and Iggy), turning main street into a shopping center (courtesy of Rhonda and Nadine), Making the jolly-olly man deliver right to your door (Courtesy of Harold and Sid) and finally turning the port area into some sort of a all year carnival (Courtesy of Stinky and Brainy).

It was also no surprise to neither Arnold nor Helga when they heard Sid and Stinky's name announced over the intercom to report to the Principal's office either. As they exited the classroom, the two boy's both gave equally unhappy glares towards the two's direction. "Snitch." Sid hissed at Arnold before closing the classroom door. Arnold could feel a lump of guilt in his throat and he began to slouch down in his seat. He knew that the moment school let out, that he would be approached by the two boys.

"What was that about?" Gerald asked, the moment the bell rang for school dismissal as he reached his best friends desk.

The lump in Arnold's throat still hadn't gone away and he had spent the remainder of the class thinking of how to approach his two friends who were probably still being grilled by Principal Wartz. "Remember the thing I told you about this morning?" He asked as he procrastinated getting his things together and watched as the others left the classroom.

"You mean the argument between you and Helga?"

Arnold shook his head. "No, the thing that happened after that…" he clarified, still watching the classroom door as if someone was going to come in at any moment.

"So you mean when Helga beat up Harold?" Gerald crossed his arms and began feeling suspicious. "What about it?"

"I left out the part where Sid and Stinky were also there, since it didn't seem relevant." The blonde boy couldn't help but confess with a long exasperated sigh.

"Okaaaaay so what's your point?" Gerald was becoming genuinely confused and even more concerned with Arnolds staring at the classroom door and lack of leaving.

"When Helga and I got called into the office, she was going to get suspended or something! I couldn't let that happen when it wasn't totally her fault so-"Arnold explained but was suddenly cut off by the sound of a large angry mob outside of the classroom door. Turning to each other quickly in concern, they both bolted out of the room to see what was going down.

Upon opening the door, Arnold and Gerald peered outside to see the front doors to the school open and a bunch of kids crowding the entrance, hooting and hollering.

"Oh no…" Arnold uttered out as he began to quickly rush to the mob, pushing his way through to see what the commotion was. His fears were soon confronted when he saw none other than Sid and Stinky confronting Helga in front of the large student body.

"Arnold, what's going on?" Gerald managed to say as he shoved a younger boy with glasses out of his way in order to reach his friend. He too stood in awe of the situation but was more concerned with where his own girlfriend was in all of this; next to the person being interrogated.

"How could you?!" Sid demanded as he pointed his fingers at Helga accusingly. "You just had to go an rat us out?! We didn't even do anything!"

"Yeah, Helga! That wasn't very nice! It was Harold that was yellin' mean things to you, not us!" Stinky agreed as he crossed his arms.

"Look," Helga began calmly, as she grit her teeth as if she was trying to hold her rage back. "I wasn't about to go gettingsuspendedbecause you three bozo's decided it was a good idea to try and pick a fight with me. You're just lucky that I didn't get to you two next."

Phoebe could see her friend was doing everything in her power to not escalate the situation and gently placed her hand on Helga's arm. "Just breathe…" She whispered.

"But ratting us out?! All you had to say was Harold did it alone and everything would have been fine!" Sid cried furiously. "Now we're all facing detention!"

Arnold had heard enough. Signaling Gerald to follow, they both rushed through the rest of the crowd and stood by the girls sides.

"And you!" Sid called out to Arnold the moment his image made it through the rest of the students. "You're just as much as a snitch as she is! I thought we were friends, Arnold?"

"Yeah! How could you turn your backs on us like that?" Stinky asked, although admittedly more genuinely offended at the act rather than angry.

"Guys, if you would just let me explain-" Arnold started but yet again was cut off.

"Oh save it, Football head." Helga shouted as she got up in Sid's face. "This one doesn't care to hear what we have to say…" She then flicked his backwards cap off his head, causing Sid to get even angrier.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" The kids behind them began to chat ominously.

Gerald grabbed Phoebe's hand and attempted to pull her away from the scene but was halted as she shook her head. "This isn't our fight!" He called out to her but she wouldn't budge.

"No, but I'm not leaving Helga." The Japanese girl explained, looking at her boyfriend seriously in the face.

Sighing in defeat, Gerald then beckoned to Arnold. "Come on man, let's go. Let those two duke it out or something."

After Sid had gathered his hat and placed it back on top his greasy fine hair, he turned back to Helga. "So now you gonna fight me too, huh? Gonna knock me on the ground like Harold and wail on me?!"

His suggestion only caused Helga to laugh. "Only if you want me to, twerp."

Stinky could see that the confrontation was getting them nowhere and placed his long skinny hand on Sid's shoulder, only for it to be knocked away. "No!" He called out to Stinky. "I want to know why they did it! Why did you two narks rat us out to Principal Wartz?!" He asked both Arnold and Helga, his face becoming flushed.

"Because it wasn't fair for her to get total blame when it was the three of you who came toMYhouse to mock us!" Arnold shouted, causing everyone around them to quiet down a little. "Why is it that Helga is always getting the blame?" He aimed his question at the both of them, who backed down a little. "Sure, she can be mean, nasty and insensitive to people but so can Harold, yet she was the one facing punishment?!" His words rang true and slowly Arnold took the stage as the world quieted. "Was she wrong for beating him up? Absolutely! But if the three of you hadn't instigated her than none of you would be in trouble now."

"W-well we just wanted to see if it was true!" Sid called back, once finally finding his voice to talk.

Then everything suddenly got completely quiet. Arnold turned to Helga, who seemed to be stuck in place; looking at the floor and gripping on to her dress. He could feel that she was beginning to lose herself in her own fears.

"Yeah! Harold told us that he saw you two holding hands and acting all lovey-dovey so we went to see if he was pulling one over on us." Stinky nodded, sticking up for his smaller friend.

Arnold took a step backwards and put himself in front of Helga. He wanted to do everything he could to protect her from the situation but much to everyone's surprise, Phoebe then let go of Gerald's hand and stood in between Arnold and Sid. "And what if it was true, what then?" She challenged, looking around at everyone for an answer. "So what if what Harold saw was correct? How is it anyone else's business but their own?"

"Phoebe?" Helga questioned, surprised to hear her small voice become so loud and authoritative.

Feeling like he was now the only one left out, even if it was on his own accord, Gerald also stood up and next to his best friend. "Yeah! When Phoebe and I started dating, you guys didn't make a big deal about it. Why does them dating bother you?"

"Gerald?" Arnold looked up at his best friend, shocked at his entrance.

"So what if they're not the most sensible couple?" Phoebe continued to address the audience but focused mainly on Sid and Stinky. "So what if seeing them as something more thanbully and preymakes you feel uncomfortable? Maybe instead of focusing on them andtheirprivate lives, you should be taking a look at yourself to see justwhythe thought of them together makes you feel uncomfortable."

"Because… it's just weird." Sid answered. "How are we supposed to react?"

"But that's just it…" Phoebe sighed. "You don't have to react." She then turned to Stinky, "Stinky, back in the fourth grade you knowingly had a crush on Helga and no one made fun of you for it, right?"

"Gosh… that was a mighty long time ago…" Stinky mentioned as he scratched his head in thought. "I reckon no one said nothing to me about it, though."

"Did you, really?" Sid asked his tall southern friend, looking as if this was the first he heard about it.

"Well… yeah. At first it was all just a rouse for some reason or another, not that I can recall anymore but after it was all said n' done, I wound up wanting to court her for real. Unfortunately, she turned me down so I picked myself up and had to move on." Stinky explained, now beginning to feel a bit embarrassed.

Recovering for this shock of newfound information, Sid turned back to Arnold. "T-this still doesn't excuse you ratting us out though!"

"Sid… I didn't exactly rat you two out. All I did was mention to Principal Wartz that you and Stinky were there when it happened and to ask you both for further information." Arnold stated exhaustedly. The whole fight was now turning into something completely different and even most of the onlookers were becoming bored and dispersing slowly.

"If that's true then why did Wartz say that you both spilled the beans to him?!" Sid shrieked in confusion as he clutched his head and fell to his knees on the ground.

"Because he always says crap like that to make whimps like you cave in." Helga finally said, causing her friends to look up at her. "If anyone ratted you guys out, it was yourselves."

"She sorta has a point there, Sid." Stinky concluded. "After all, the moment Wartz said they told him everything, you began to tell him everything yourself…"

"I-I did?" Sid asked, looking at his own hands as if they could give him the answers he sought.

"I reckon now that all of this is said n' done, that Arnold and Helga really didn't do anything to incriminate us… we kinda dug ourselves in our own hole." Stinky sighed and shook his head with shame.

Gerald applied his forefinger and thumb to the bridge of his nose and grit his teeth before speaking. "So you guys are telling me that this whole charade was for nothing?"

Stinky picked his small friend up off the ground and gave Gerald an apologetic look. "Sorry about that, fellas…"

"Did I really spill the beans to Wartz myself?" Sid was still questioning both himself and Stinky, amazed to hear such development.

"Plead like a criminal with the death sentence." Stinky nodded.

"Oh no! Now Harold is gonna kill us!" Sid began to panic and clutched his face with his hands.

"What do you meanus? You were the one that ratted him out, Sid." Stinky raised his eyebrow and began to walk away.

Sid began to argue, "But you agreed with me back there! It's your fault too!" He cried out as he followed, leaving the group of four standing there alone as if nothing had ever happened.

An awkward silence along with a stray newspaper danced across the sidewalk. A lot had just happened and each of them needed a moment to process it all. One by one they all looked at each other and then agreed to begin walking home.

"That was exhausting…" Arnold commented as he held his head with his hands.

"I'll say…" Gerald agreed as he shook his head. "No one ever said they were the brightest kids in class, though."

Phoebe looked up at Helga, who still hadn't said much since the Arnold had stood up for her in front of the group. Nonchalantly, she grazed her hand with her own in order to get the taller girl's attention. "Hey, you okay?" She whispered softly.

Helga turned her head back to the front of them and watched as Arnold and Gerald continued to converse. "Yeah. I mean, I've have better days, but I'll live."

"I apologize if anything I said was out of line back there." Phoebe hung her head, "I just couldn't stand listening to them criticize you like that."

The girl's words made the weight inside Helga's heart shift a little, and a faint smile emerged. "Don't be sorry for being a good friend, Pheebs. I would have done the same for you if they started talking smack about you and tall hair boy over there."

Phoebe picked her head back up and smiled. "Really?"

"Of course! What are friends for?" Helga could feel the mood lightening. "Besides, people were bound to find out anyway. I've been stoning myself for this moment all week but… I didn't think it would happen like this."

"Now we just have to wait until Harold comes back to school on Monday…" Arnold chimed in as he and Gerald had been listening in on the girls talk.

"That's sure to be a whole new fiasco." Gerald whined.

"How much worse could it be?" Phoebe asked, "He already has done his best to humiliate the two of them in broad daylight, to which he was punished by Helga. I can't imagine him attempting to go through with a second attempt."

"I doubt he has the balls to do it anyway." Helga stated even though worries danced through her mind. "And if he does, I'll just beat the crap out of him again." She forced herself to laugh.

"I really don't recommend that, Helga." Arnold scolded as he turned his head to look at her.

"True because you'll just get all handsy and hold me back again." She smirked, causing him to blush and turn his head back in front.

Gerald noticed the little sign and smiled to himself. Letting his pace fall a little, he let Phoebe catch up with him and he gracefully entwined her hand with his. "I think it's time to do thatthingwe planned for today, right Phoebe?" He winked her way.

Phoebe tilted her head, a little confused. "What could you possibly be referring to, Gerald? I don't recall…"

"You know, thatthingwe said we'd do today." Gerald smiled playfully as he lightly nudged her, hoping she would catch his drift.

Luckily she wasn't foreign to his signal and she giggled to herself. "Of course! How could I forget thatthing!How silly of me." Phoebe then stopped, causing the other three to stop with her.

"What thing?" Arnold asked; a little confused. "I thought we were gonna play baseball today to make up for tomorrow afternoon?"

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot! I'm sorry Arnold but Jamie-O really wants me and Phoebe over to see that studio for tomorrow and I sorta promised him we wouldn't be late…" Gerald nervously laughed as he slowly backed up with her.

"Why don't we all go see it then?" Arnold suggested but much to his dismay, Gerald kept shaking his head.

"Sorry, Arnold. It would be much too crowded in his car! You know, he's always got a bunch of junk in the back seat." Gerald shrugged as he squeezed Phoebe's hand for help.

"Right and I'm needed for a second opinion. You understand." She smiled.

Helga shrugged as the two of them acting weird were of no real concern to her. "Okay. See ya, Pheebs! Call me later and let me know about this studio. Oh, and let Rhonda know about it too. I'd rather not call her myself."

"Will do." Phoebe gave her best friends a thumbs up before Helga began to walk away on her own.

Arnold frowned and looked from Gerald to Helga, feeling a little left out. "Well, okay Gerald. Call me when you two are done, alright?"

"Absolutely my brother!" He called out, grinning and pointing to Helga leaving with his thumb.

Finally catching the hint, Arnold gave Gerald a thumbs up, turned around and ran after Helga to catch up with her.

"You think you did the right thing leaving them alone right now?" Phoebe asked; a little worried about Helga.

Gerald placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close. "They'll be fine. Arnold has had a lot on his mind that he needs to talk out with her anyway. And besides, now we have the whole rest of the day to ourselves!" He grinned.

Phoebe gave a small blush and giggled in response, "Oh! How positively sly you are~"

Chapter 9

Chapter Text

Arnold had caught up to Helga before he turned his head once again to watch as Gerald and Phoebe took another direction; his arm draped over her shoulder. He was happy for them, envious as well. They were so suitable for each other. Gerald was strong and quick witted while Phoebe was quiet and smart. Where Gerald had street smarts, Phoebe had book smarts. Both of them seemed to balance each other out in almost a harmonious way.

Looking up at his own partner, he could see that her spirit still hadn't been lifted and he couldn't blame her. The scene in front of the school was probably on the same level as a band aid being ripped off prematurely for her. It needed to happen at some point and she could only prepare herself for that moment, however it was supposed to be up toherto decide when that moment would be, not someone else. Sure, their unexpected union was bound to turn a few familiar heads around but it was only those few immature heads that they really needed to worry about and, of course, would make the biggest splash amongst the crowd. Why was it so bad for them to be together? Why was it that much more acceptable for someone like Gerald and Phoebe to get together, but not them? Arnold glanced down at Helga's swinging free hand and felt the urge to hold it, but then resisted. Shehadwarned him that showing off their relationship in public would only cause problem, but he had insisted otherwise… and look what happened. Arnold furrowed his brow and looked to the sidewalk in front of him.Maybe if I just talk to Harold before any of this gets worse…He thought, as he noticed they were getting closer and closer to Helga's place.Maybe I can talk some sense into him… He can be a reasonable guy, sometimes…

"Hey, umm Helga?" He called out, looking up at his tall female companion as they reached their usual parting area.

She looked down and could see that he had something important on his mind. "Yeah?"

Arnold clenched his fists and decided that it was in both of their best interests to go through with his plan alone. "I'm really sorry for everything…" He started, looking up into her blue eyes to hopefully make the connection that his words were beyond sincere.

"W-what do you mean?" She asked, confused. "It's not your fault Sid came after me."

"No, but it is my fault that things ended up this way." He replied. He could see that she still wasn't on the same page, so he continued. "It was my idea to hold hands in public. I was the one that said everything would be okay, and if it wasn't for that, Harold would have never seen us. I also take full responsibility for the cruel things I said yesterday which caused you to leave my house. If I had used my better senses, then you would have never went so far as to beat him up either and-"

"Arnold let me stop you right there." Helga interrupted with a serious gaze. "Don't go blaming your big, stupid football shaped head of yours formyactions! I do what I do because I want to and no other reason." She could feel herself becoming angry but pushed it away to continue in a calm manner. "Sure, you innocently said that if we held hands in public, everything would be okay but let me get one thing straight, it was MY decision to agree. I wanted to do it, so I did." She said while crossing her arms.

"But Helga," He tried to butt in but was silenced.

"Don'tBut Helgame!" She blurted out, mimicking his voice in a patronizing way. "So what if I wanted to be more careful about it for my own childish and selfish reasons?!" She exclaimed, waving her arms about as she faced him. "I mean, Sheesh! Do you know how happy it makes me to know that youwantto show off your feelings for me in public?! ISHOULDN'Tcare what everyone thinks of us! In fact," She said as she grabbed both of his hands and pulled him closer to her. She could see that her sudden forcefulness had surprised him, but she didn't care. If there was one thing she wanted to make perfectly clear to Arnold, this was that one thing. "You're the only thing that matters to me! Your feelings of me; what you think of me, of us…" Her voice became softer and began to waver as she expressed herself. "Let that fat slob say what he wants about us, Arnold… I'll get through it. I always do. You're the one who said I'mamazinglystrong, right?"

Arnold couldn't help but stare in awe as she indeed stood up to his expectations. Was he wrong for being so worried about her in the first place? He could feel her grasp on his hands become tighter and he gripped back to show he understood. "Yes, you are pretty resilient…" He smiled as he felt heat begin to resonate from his cheeks, "But that doesn't mean that you should have to force yourself to get through it either."

Helga let out an understanding sigh. "That's what growing up is though, you yutz." Her voice sounded mature and humorous despite almost going off the deep end a moment ago. "I wouldn't be who I am today if I didn't push through obstacles, right? This might be hard on me now but it won't be so bad later." She shrugged.

Her words made sense but it still did not bend his convictions. Gracefully he laced their fingers together. "Helga," He started as his heart began to beat faster as he prepared for what he was about to say. "When I woke up this morning, I had no idea what today was going to be like. I didn't know if you weren't gonna wanna see my face anymore or even talk to me ever again…"

She chuckled a little at his statement. "Yeah, fat chance of that ever happening…"

"But I'm being serious. I was so worried that I could barely sleep last night! All I kept thinking of was what I could say to fix things or what I had to do to make you see that it was all just an accident…" As he continued, his hands started to get clammy. Over the past few days of being with her, there were so many things he had begun noticing about himself that surprised him. One of those things was how attached he had become of her that even losing her temporarily scared him, and another was something he was about to say. Being this was the first time in his life he had ever needed to prepare himself for saying something like this, he was naturally nervous.
Arnold could feel a lump in his throat begin to form as well as his head beginning to get a little cloudy but he pushed onward while he still had her undivided attention. "The other day when we stood in this very spot and you asked me if you could be my girlfriend and I said yes… Helga, I'd never seen you so happy in probably my entire life and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to preserve that happiness. You've already done so much for me so please... Please let me try to do the same for you."

Helga stood love struck by the boy, unable to even utter a single word. Deciding this would probably be one of the only chances he got of winning, Arnold decided to go for the goal while he had the chance. Bringing her left hand up to his lips, he kissed it gently with a smile. "There are some things I have to take care of today, so I'm sorry I can't stay longer." And with that, he let go of their hands and started to back up. "I'll see you tomorrow for the photo shoot, okay? Have a good rest of the day, Helga!" He called to her before turning around and running, leaving her with a goofy grin.

"Uh… ya… see ya, Arnold…" She stammered as she watched him disappear into the distance.

Arnold now only had one thing on his mind and that was going to Harold's house to talk to him.

"Harold! Harold Berman, you get in this kitchen right now mister!" Mrs. Berman called from the kitchen. When she realized that her son still was not on his way, she marched into the living room to see him sitting on the couch in the same position she had left him nearly an hour ago when she had left to go grocery shopping. "Are you really gonna make your mother put all of these groceries awayherself?" She demanded.

"I said I would when a commercial comes on." Harold responded while he stared at the screen; eating his box of chocolate num-nums.

Immediately the woman walked over to the television and pushed the power button, causing it to shut off with a loud whine. Completely shocked and horrified, Harold turned to her with his mouth gaping wide. "Moooooooom!"

"Just because I let you stay home from school today does NOT mean that you get to lie around and do nothing! You may have a black eye but your arms and legs still work perfectly fine!" She scolded as she crossed her arms to show that she was serious. "Now get in this kitchen this instant!"

With a loud wail of displeasure, Harold slumped even further on his couch before sliding off and on to the floor. Being completely unamused at his dramatics, she walked back into the kitchen to continue her task. Harold eventually forced his body to get up, "Always grouchy and telling me what to do…" he mumbled to himself as he threw down the pillow he had been holding on the floor.

When he walked into the kitchen, he found all of the bags his mother had brought home on top of the kitchen table in no particular order. In his own interest, he began to rummage through the bags; hoping to find something good to munch on while he helped put the items away.

"And you're not touching any of that food until after dinner." His mother mentioned as she put a can of beans into the cupboard without looking at her son.

"Awwww!" He turned to her, in utter despair. "You can't be serious?!"

"I'm very serious, Harold. You are a grown adult and better start acting like one soon." She continued to lecture as she began to sort through the cabinet to make more space. "One day you're gonna be old enough to get married and have your own children, you know…" The thought of her being a grandmother someday warmed her heart and soul. "Little pitter patters on the floor…" She hummed to herself thoughtfully. "So you need to start practicing being righteous more often! Making your poor mother do all the work by herself... I hope you won't make your future wife do this too."

"Mom!" Harold cried out before crumpling a paper bag and throwing it into the trash. "Stop it! You're embarrassing me!"

"Embarrassing am I now?" His mother looked over at him in shock, "If you're so grown now then how about you start reciting the blessing over the Challah tonight? It could be good practice for when you have your own family."

Harold continued to grumble underneath his breath as he went through the bags. One thing he knew he could always look forward to was Friday and Saturday night dinners. They were always the biggest and bestest to him as his mother always bought a colorful array of foods and plenty of desserts!

Just as he finally finished unpacking the groceries and properly recycling the bags, he heard his doorbell go off and sound throughout his house.

"Oh my, I wonder who that could be." His mother questioned as she looked at him a little bewildered. "Are you expecting anyone?"

Harold then remembered that today was the day of their presentation. "Oh it's probably Sid coming over to tell me how good we did on that project!" He beamed gleefully, "I'll be right back!"

Quickly he rushed out of the kitchen, through his living room and to his front door. Once opened, his giant smile shriveled up as it was not Sid whom he was expecting, but Arnold standing there with a simple smile. Thoughts of the other day rushed back to him and he couldn't help but grunt at his visitor. "What doyouwant?" He growled through his teeth.

His unwelcome greeting only made Arnold frown. "I just wanted to talk. Come on, Harold don't be like that."

"Talk?" Harold spoke at first but then gradually began to raise his voice, "Talk?! What would I have to talk toyouabout?!" He then pushed passed Arnold and shut his front door so that way his mother couldn't overhear the conversation and butt in. "After you let your stupid girlfriend pounce on me like some panther?!"

"Harold!" Arnold called to him, "Come on, please just sit down here with me and let's talk." He said as he sat down on the large boy's stoop and patted the area next to him.

Feeling like there was some ulterior motive, Harold squinted his eyes at the boy before complying and sitting down. He knew Arnold was a nice guy and meant well but his blood still boiled at the memories they both shared of the day prior.

"See? No big deal, right?" The blonde boy smiled, pleased that he got his friend to be reasonable. Arnold waited a little bit to see if Harold had anything else he wanted to say before continuing. "Now I know you're upset about what happened with Helga, but-"

"You let herpounce on me!"He shouted again, interrupting Arnold and causing him to shutter a little at his loud voice.

"Y-yes, you're right. Shedidpounce on you, but Harold-"

"But nothing Arnold! We're supposed to be friends and I was just at your house, minding my own business and she ran outside and started hitting me!" Harold cried out in his defense.

"But you weren't there to mind your own business…" Arnold corrected, with another frown. "She would have never hit you if that were the case, you know that…"

Feeling like his small attempt at a cover was blown; Harold huffed to himself and crossed his arms. "Still doesn't mean she can go around swinging. When I see her next, she's gonna get what's coming to her! Just you wait and see and there's nothing you can even do about it!"

This isn't going as well as I'd hoped…Arnold sighed to himself as he listened to the boy's threat. He knew that Harold could be pretty primitive minded but he had hoped with the little time that had passed, he would have realized his own fault in the occurrence. Placing his hand on his forehead, Arnold shook his head. "That isn't going to solve anything. You can't solve all your problems with violence."

"Well why not?! She does!" The large boy wailed.

Sucking in a large amount of air to stay level headed, Arnold focused closely on his friend. "Okay Harold, let's start over. Why were you, Sid and Stinky over my house that day? Let's start with that."

"Cuz I saw you and Helga holding hands and at first, I was like holy crap! This can't be real! But it was because I know it was, because I saw it!" Harold began; his voice calming down as he told his story. "So then I went to go get the guys so I could tell them because I knew they wouldn't be able to believe it either! And of course they didn't so I brought them to your house so we could be sure about it!"

"Okay good! That's a good start." Arnold coached helpfully. "And what happened after Helga left my house. What did you guys do?" At his question, he could see Harold begin to make a grumpy looking face and he knew he should continue. "You made jabs at her, right?"

"Yeah, so what?!" Harold asked, huffing once more. "She always makes jabs at me all the time! Calling me fatso and pink boy! Why can't I do the same thing?!"

"Two wrongs don't make a right, Harold…" Arnold remarked as he wore a concerned face. "I know she says and does mean things, I mean, I've been taking the brunt of it all my life, but it also doesn't mean that I stoop to her level, right?" He could feel the guilt in his chest begin to stab him as he said those words, but Harold didn't need to know the truth.

"Yeah…" Harold let go of a smile, "You're always such a nice guy, Arnold! I don't think I've ever seen you do anything mean to anyone!"

His words only made the stabbing worse and Arnold winced in pain, but he laughed to mask it. "Ha-ha, yeah… So let's get back on track. You said mean things to her and unfortunately she was already in a bad mood so, being hot headed like she can be, she jumped on you."

"What's your point, Arnold?" Harold said with a pout, clearly becoming unhappy with how this conversation was going.

Fidgeting a little in place, Arnold cleared his thoughts and did his best to put words in order that would make sense to the simple friend. "My point is what you did was wrong and what she did was wrong. If you hadn't been there to make fun of her, she wouldn't have hit you and you guys would still be friends. Harold, you've known Helga just as long as I have…" Arnold pleaded, trying to reach a common ground with his friend. "You know she does stuff she doesn't mean, just like you do stuff sometimes that you don't mean, so I guess I'm just hoping that we can put this little issue aside and go back to being friends again like before. What do you say?"

Giving himself a moment to grasp all of Arnold's words, he realized that Arnold was right but it only made him angrier. "You're just saying all this stuff because you guys arein looooooooooove" Harold taunted. "I knew I wasn't imagining it! You guys really DO like each other!"

Fearing that his coming here only made situations worse, Arnold began to panic. "Harold Stop!" He could feel a blush overcoming his will. "None of that matters right now! We're here to talk about y-"

"So you don't deny it then?" Harold asked, causing the world around Arnold to become deathly quiet. It was as if the world had stopped spinning.

It was the moment of truth. Should he deny their relationship to keep everything flowing normal again? Should he own up to the truth and possibly make life even worse for Helga? At that thought, however he remembered her very own words to him."Let that fat slob say what he wants about us, Arnold… I'll get through it. I always do. You're the one who said I'm amazingly strong, right?"He could remember the soft expression she had on her face when she had said that and it only made him want to protect her even more. Why did life suddenly become so difficult?

Pushing aside his conflictions, Arnold knew what the right thing to do was. "Harold, have you ever liked-liked someone before?" He asked seemingly out of the blue.

This caused Harold to blink a few times before opening his mouth to speak, but closing it again and narrowed his eyes. "So what if I have?" He asked skeptically.

"That person would have to be pretty special, right?" Arnold asked innocently as he crossed his legs to get comfortable.

The thought seemed nice and Harold decided to continue to play along. "Of course! I wouldn't just like-like someone for no reason. She would have to be the most specialist girl in the whole world!"

Nodding in agreement, Arnold could tell he was taking a step into the right direction. "Right! So how would it make you feel if someone found outwhothat person was, and began to make fun of you for it?"

Harold began to imagine Arnold's scenario and his face started to turn red in anger. "I'd pound them if they did!" He shouted as he smacked his large fist into his hand a few times. Harold had noticed Arnold's face as he did this and suddenly it all began to make sense. "Ohhhh. I get it now!"

Arnold couldn't help but laugh at the young man's enlightenment. "You sorta see why she reacted that way, then?"

"She wasn't just being mean and ugly like she usually is, she was just upset that I found out and was saying those things." Harold said while he contemplated his own words. It all made sense now and Harold was starting to feel a little bad. There were still so many things he didn't understand but there was one thing he understood completely and that was feeling embarrassed.

The air between them got a little thick and awkward and Arnold began to look around. He had said what he needed to, to try and smooth things over with Harold, but now unanswered questions linger about. Not only that, but as much as Arnold considered Harold a friend, and always helped him out when needed, they were never considered close, yet the topic was rather personal on both ends.

"So why do you like her?" Harold blurted out, not thinking.

"Huh?" Arnold quickly turned his head to the asker.

"Helga, I mean." Harold gave Arnold a curious look. "She's always been so mean to you n' stuff, how come you like her?"

It seemed like he was going to be getting asked this question a lot now, and Arnold gave a faint smile. "I dunno, I guess because she's different." He put simply. "At some point, I guess I started noticing justhowdifferent so she stood out. Kinda hard not to notice someone who's been throwing spitballs at your head for years, spraying water in your face at the drinking fountain, and who humiliates you every chance they get." He let out a small laugh when he realized how ridiculous he sounded.

Harold co*cked and eyebrow at the boys answer. "That's weird but..." He then replayed some of Helga's antics towards Arnold in his mind to get a better picture. "I think I understand, maybe." But then it dawned on him that relationships go two ways and he became even more confused. "But wait, so why would she purposely bother someone she liked? That doesn't make any sense. If I liked a girl, I'd try to be a nice as possible so she'd like me back! Not pick on her."

"It's funny you should mention that…" Arnold started, recalling a past conversation he had with his grandpa. "I used to think the same way." He felt a small shiver as a colder wind blew by. They were reaching the ends of summer a little earlier this year and Arnold propped up his knees and held them closer to his midsection. The memory made him smile wistfully. Had it really been that long ago? "But that's just part of her being…different." Arnold finished, not wanting to really go into much detail as he could feel heat beginning to linger on his cheeks.

"If you say so." Harold chuckled. "I personally would rather date a really nice girl, like Patty."

The comparison between the two girls only made the whole conversation that much more ironic. "Harold… she also bully's people." Arnold pointed out.

"I know but she only does it to some people. You know, people who look at her funny n' stuff." Harold added, as if it somehow justified her actions. "But deep down she's really super nice!"

Knowing that time would only escape further, Arnold stood up from his seat and walked off the stoop to face Harold. "Yeah, I know, I've talked to her a few times." He said to conclude the topic. "Anyway, I'm really glad we could talk like this Harold, and I hope when you come back to school on Monday that…maybeyou won't blame Helga too much for what happened. Maybe just let it go, even for my sake?"

The suggestion made Harold scrunch his nose up. "I dunno…maybe" He said as he touched his one black eye that she had given him. He had a few more bruises from her on his chest that she had given him when he had blocked his face from her, and they all still hurt. However, he did have a lot to think about now, things he never really considered before. "We'll see, Arnold. I'm not making any promises."

"I didn't think you would." Arnold smiled, hoping his words got through. "And one more thing…"

"Now you're asking for a lot." Harold scowled, but was joking.

"Yeah I know," Arnold laughed a little. "Sorry about that. Could you please not tell people about my relationship with her? I don't want any more… instances like this one…" Arnold asked, scratching the back of his head.

Puzzled at the favor, Harold decided he had already bit off enough information to chew on later. "Yeah, sure, I guess. But this favor I'm doing just foryouArnold, Okay?"

Knowing it was the best answer Harold probably could have given, Arnold grinned. "Thanks a lot! I gotta be heading home now; I know my parents are probably waiting for me. See ya later, Harold!" He waved before turning around and walking in the direction of his house.

Harold remained on the stoop for an extra minute before getting up and heading back inside. He could already smell that his mother was preparing dinner and his stomach growled like a hungry bear. "Oh… I'm so hungry!" He whined as he headed towards the kitchen. "Mom! Is the food almost done?!"

"This is it?" Gerald asked his older brother as him and Phoebe stated at the studio. There in front of them was a pretty shabby empty room with a small pop up area that resembled a stage and some dusty multi colored spotlights over head. There was much evidence that this place had been unused for quite some time.

"Well yeah. I didn't say I was going to get you something flashy and expensive." Jamie-O gave a queer face to his younger brother. "Be grateful you got this!"

"I am grateful!" Gerald stated, looking to Phoebe for some help.

"Yes. This is better than nothing, I suppose." Phoebe approved with a forced thumbs up. "Thank you so much for your help, Jamie-O."

The tall dark male let out a snort before turning away from them both. "At least your girlfriend has some manners, unlike you little bro." He remarked as he headed for the exit. "I'll let Fuzzy Slippers know you like it. Now let's get going, I have a date within the hour and I still gotta shower…"

The couple looked to each other, then back at the sad sight. It was better than nothing and it was all they could really hope for at this point. Quickly they followed the older male out of the studio and into the dank alley which his car was parked. There were a probably a few reasons to why this studio wasn't used often, and the location was probably a big factor. It was located a long way downtown in an area that no one would be found in alone at night. Rats screamed and scampered into a dumpster a few feet ahead as they opened the car door with a loud screech.

"I really gotta oil these hinges…" Jamie-O said, making a mental note before climbing in the driver's seat. "Come on, you two! I don't have all day."

Phoebe looked around and took note of the area, frowning to her significant other. "Rhonda isn't going to be happy…" she mentioned.

Gerald sighed and shook his head in defeat. "Well this is the best we could get. If she doesn't like it, I'm sure her parents could set her up with something better, right?"

"I suppose that's true." Phoebe smiled, however the thought of forcing Rhonda into an area like this was also amusing. "Even if thisisa little short notice."

One thing she seemed to inherit from having Helga as a best friend was a cynical sense of humor that Gerald rarely got to see, however it only made him even fonder of her. Smiling, he brushed his finger under her chin. "Don't be mean." He playfully scolded before leading her to the back door and opening it up. "Lady's first~"

She placed a hand on her mouth in attempt to hide her grin then followed him into the car.

Jamie-O groaned in both frustration and impatience. "You guys arenoton a date right now. Get a room!"

Immediately Gerald turned to her, to see her blush a deep crimson and look rather uncomfortable. "Sorry…" He whispered to her regretfully, knowing full well that she wasn't too into public view of affection and his brother's remark only reminded her why. He waited for her to nod, then closed the door for her and climbed into the front seat. Jamie-O turned on his car stereo and began to tap on his steering wheel to the beat, while the younger two sat in silence the rest of the ride back to his house.

As they pulled up to the Johansson residence, Gerald turned down his brother's music and popped his head in the back seat. "You wanna stay for dinner?" He asked hopefully with a grin.

Still feeling a bit shy from earlier, Phoebe turned her head. "I'm not sure if that would be a good idea. I still have to study for the upcoming weeks test on algebra…"

"Yeah but you have the whole weekend to be cooped up in your room studying. How about having some fun for a change?" He suggested, still remaining optimistic. "You almost never come over and my mom really likes you!"

The thought of his family taking a shine to her, did make her feel a little better on the inside and his point was valid. "Alright, if you don't mind, that is." She nodded and turned to the older boy. "Thank you for the ride, Jamie-O. Your car is pretty rad."

"Absolutely no problem, little lady!" Jamie-O smiled as he gave her a thumbs up. "Anything for my baby brothers girlfriend."

"Jamie-O!" Gerald whined as he shoved his door open and instantly let out Phoebe.

"Tell mom that I probably won't make it for dinner, and will also probably be home pretty late." Jamie-O insisted as he rolled down his window to get a better view of the two.

"Yeah, yeah…" Gerald sighed. "Whatever. Enjoy the date." He said with a dull tone as he took Phoebe's hand and guided her up to his house.

The screech of his brothers car leaving the parking lot was probably music to his ears as Gerald looked down at the small girl. "I'm really sorry about what my stupid brother said." He said apologetically. "He's just like that."

"No need to apologize, Gerald. Although I'm an only child, I can only imagine how older siblings might be. I'm sure he meant well." Phoebe said with a small smile, hoping to ease the poor boy's worries.

Gerald opened his front door and guided her inside. They were suddenly met with the loud sound of the television from the living room as well as his mother shouting at someone, presumably his little sister. Knowing that he didn't need to make Phoebe feel even more uncomfortable, he figured bringing her up to his room would be the safest bet. "You wanna see my room?" He asked politely. "I don't think you've ever seen it before."

The thought of going up to his room was a little intimidating, but since he was her host, she felt compelled to accept the offer. "S-sure." She squeaked out. "Lead the way…"

With much fervor, Gerald ran up his stairs and headed on to his room; Phoebe closely in step. Jumping over and kicking some of his sister's toys that lay about the upstairs hallway, Gerald could feel that his excitement was getting the best of him and knew it was time to act cool. "This is it!" He stated as he grabbed the doorknob. With ease, he swung the door open to reveal his bedroom. "Welcome to Casa de' Gerald~" He sang walking into the room.

Phoebe glanced in for a second before gradually stepping in. His room was rather normal for a boy his age, although cleaner then she had expected. The bed was made, a small rug on the floor with maybe a few socks lying around. A jersey hung on his wall as well as some Pop Daddy posters.

Her silence was beginning to eat at him so he gracefully glided across the floor and posed with his arms wide open. "Whatcha think? Pretty cool, right?"

His actions made her chuckle. "Yes, it's verycool." she smiled as she sat down on his bed, giving her a little bounce.

Gerald blushed and scratched the back of his head before sitting down next to her. He had never had a girl in his room before and he wasn't really sure if he was even allowed to do that but what his parents didn't know wouldn't hurt them, right? Not knowing what to do or what to say, he decided small talk was probably the best course.

"So what do you think will happen tomorrow? Think that girl is gonna show?" He asked casually.

Placing her finger on her chin, Phoebe sat and thought about it for a moment. "I don't think Rhonda would have lied to us about her agreeing to the proposition. I expect we will all gather at that studio one way or another, she will show up and we'll take the pictures."

"You still wanna take the pictures with me?" Gerald asked as he began looking around his room. He got up and began to rummage through his desk.

"Yes, I suppose so. Rhonda will probably be telling the girl how to pose anyway." Phoebe answered, now curious at what he was doing. "What are you looking for?"

With a loud "Aha!" Gerald pulled out two old school cameras. "My Dad gave me these to use for tomorrow. Said they were his from back in his college days or something." He said as he handed one of them to her.

The camera was heavier than she had expected. The lens was large and smooth with some circular dimpled outer ridge that you could turn. Putting her eye through the looking glass, she did he best to focus on one of his posters. "Oh!" She exclaimed with interest.

Her excitement made the boy smile even wider. Impressing her was always something he enjoyed doing and he did it as much as possible. In fact, he couldn't remember a time when he wasn't trying to get her attention in his own way. Being cool was only cool when someone looked your way, after all. The thought made him think back to the beginning of fourth grade, when he first started to notice her. She was always the quietest person in class, with her nose in some sort of book. What was she reading? What did she like? Why did she always keep to herself? What made such a nice quiet girl become best friends with someone like Helga G. Pataki? It was like Phoebe was a mystery all bundled up in a small sack.

"Hey Phoebe?" He called out to her quietly, not wanting to disturb her from her new toy.

Peeking out from the lens, she focused on him. "Yeah?"

"I've always been meaning to ask… And please don't take this the wrong way or anything, but out of all the kids growing up, why did you choose Helga to be best friends with?" He asked, now feeling a little nervous having actually asked out loud.

Placing the camera down on her lap, Phoebe tilted her head at the interesting question. "I could ask you why you're best friends with Arnold, as well." She retorted, although understanding full well where he was coming from. This had not been the first time she had been asked this.

"Arnold? Well…" He began to think. "I guess he's just a really chill guy. Easy to get along with and we have a lot of the same interests." After having said that, it only made his question to her even more relevant. "Come to think of it, do you and Helga even haveanythingin common?"

Phoebe frowned and shuffled her feet. "A little… not very much though."

"So how did you become best friends with someone you hardly have anything in common with?" He asked again, placing his hand on top of hers to show her that he wasn't trying to come after her or anything.

Tilting her head back, Phoebe sighed and began thinking of the easiest way to explain it. "Have you ever heard the term opposites attract?" Gerald nodded and she continued. "It's basically like that. A yin and yang, so to speak. Black and white tends to complement each other as they are complete opposites. You cannot have light without darkness, nor darkness without light. Understand?"

"Sort of…" He answered although still admittedly puzzled. "I get the concept but I don't get how that actually applies in friendships."

"Helga is loud and mean in situations that need it where I couldn't even if I tried. I can calmly and rationally think a situation through where, at times, she couldn't even if she tried. With us both working together, we can overcome a lot of situations where if we were on our own, we'd be lost." Phoebe explained. "Let me give you a prime example to work with." She then handed him the camera so she could concentrate on her story. "I first met Helga around the same time I met all of you; in preschool. Back then, because I was so shy and quiet, no one really bothered to talk to me and be my friend… which really made me sad. One day, while we were all eating snack at our table, Helga came over to me and told me she was sitting next to me. At first I was pretty scared, but I let her as I couldn't do much else. Suddenly she began to talk to me, well… more like ranting. She started complaining about how she hated it there and everyone else too. Quietly I nodded and listened as she continued until she got so loud that our teacher had to tell her to be quiet."

"I think I might remember that, actually." Gerald spoke up.

"After snack time, when no one else was looking, she came back over to me and thanked me for listening to her. At first I was pretty confused since I had done nothing significant but I could see she was being sincere. After that day, she always sat with me and ranted on and on and on and I just listened and if anyone ever tried to take my toys or my food, she would beat them up for me." She concluded with a heavy breath but a content smile.

"Wow." Gerald gasped, not sure of what to make of the story. "I had no idea."

"So to answer your question more plainly… We're best friends because we help complete each other. Each of our strengths is the others weakness. Not to mention we were both pretty lonely when we met each other. No one wanted to be her friend because she was mean and no one wanted to be mine because I was too quiet." Phoebe shrugged with a small smile. "That's about it."

"Me and Arnold just clicked when we met and been friends ever since. Nothing really deep like that." Gerald mentioned, feeling a little bland. He could understand why they were friends now, even though he didn't quite see Helga's appeal but he let the subject rest.

Suddenly his door was pushed wide open, causing the couple to jump and in the doorway was his little sister. "Ooooooh!" She called out in a taunting manner. "I'm telling Mom that you have a giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirl in your room!"

Gerald waved his hands back in forth in a defensive manner before placing them together in a praying motion. "Timberly, please don't…" he pleaded gingerly, causing the young girl the smirk.

"Maybe I won't IF you do what I want~" The young girl suggested as she tapped her foot against the door, swinging it gently back and forth.

Gerald co*cked his eyebrow and glared at the girl. "What do you want?"

"You could… do my homework for me?" She smiled.

"What kind of homework is it?" Phoebe asked, interested.

Timberly huffed as she recalled it and crossed her arms. "Math. I hate math. It's always so confusing!"

"Then how about instead of Gerald doing your homework for you, I help you with your homework? I'm actually quite good at math, myself." Phoebe suggested with a gentle smile.

Her words warmed the young spunky girl's heart and a large smile widened across her mouth. "Really?!" She asked excitedly. "You would do that for me?! Gerald never does anything nice for me. He's a terrible big brother!"

Hearing her words made the young man roll his eyes but his girlfriend giggled. "Then we have a deal."

"We better get going downstairs anyway before Mom finds out on her own." Gerald said as he stood up and made his way towards his little sister, waving to Phoebe.

"Coming!" She replied before hopping up and following them both out the door.

Dinner at Gerald's house was probably one of the most exciting dinners that Phoebe had had in a long while. With all the interesting conversation and back and forth between the lively, loving family, it only made Phoebe wish she had siblings of her own.

As dinner concluded and the Johansson's said their goodbyes to Phoebe, she couldn't help but hope she could come back and experience all that again another time. They made it a point to let her know that she was always welcome over for dinner, and Phoebe happily agreed.

"Tonight was very fun. Thank you, Gerald." Phoebe spoke as he started to walk her home.

"Really? I figured that my family might get on your nerves or something." Gerald responded, a little shocked but relieved to hear her feelings.

"No, not at all. " She reassured him, accepting his hand as he offered it to her. "Dinner at my house is rather dull. The only things we ever talk about are what I'm learning in school or how my parents are doing at their jobs, nothing like at your house."

Squeezing her hand lovingly, Gerald smiled as he tried to imagine their dinners. "Maybe one day I can eat at your place."

"Maybe." Phoebe nodded. "Father has taken an interest in you since I confirmed our status, as well as my Mother thinks you're charming."

"Charming, huh?" Gerald laughed to himself. It was something he always liked to hear.

"Indeed. I find you quite charming myself." Phoebe added as she looked up at him. "As well as funny, smart and very brave."

All of the compliments began to swim in his head as his cheeks glowed a bright pink. "Y-you really think all that, huh?"

"I do." Phoebe nodded, feeling a bit accomplished that her compliments made him embarrassed. "I'm very fortunate to have you as my boyfriend."

It felt like steam was about to start shooting out of his ears; Gerald was so enamored. Shaking his head in order to control himself, he peered down at her. "Thanks, Phoebe. I'm really happy that I'm with you too."

They eventually reached her house and quickly Phoebe graced her boyfriend's cheek with a kiss before waving goodbye and entering her house. Squealing with all the feeling she had done well to conceal, she began to jump around.

"Phoebe? Is everything okay?" She could hear her mother ask from another room.

"Yes, Mother!" Phoebe called back. "I'm home!"

"Okaerinasai," Her father replied as he emerged from the living room. "How was your day out?"

"Father!" Phoebe called out to him happily before embracing him. "It was fun!" She replied before taking a step back. "Gerald's family is really very nice. I hope you meet them one day."

Nodding, Kyo placed his hand softly on his daughters shoulder. "As do I. Unfortunately, work has been quite exhausting and I do not have much free time but the moment I have a chance, I'll be sure to let you know so we can set up a date."

"I'm so happy, Father!" She squealed again, unable to hold it back causing her father to laugh.

"I can see that! Now go on and get some reading in before bed. I know you don't have school tomorrow but-"Kyo started but was cut off.

"If one is to succeed, one must earn it." Phoebe finished his sentence and nodded. "I know, father."

Her father gleamed with pride as he nodded and let go of her. "Very good."

Phoebe then ran upstairs and began her nightly routine with images and memories of her night with Gerald still hot on her mind. Tomorrow was going to be a very important day, even if it wasn't for her. Ever since Helga's family had been forced to move out of their house, Phoebe had worried heavily on Helga's mental stability as well as her families. Any chance on her home life improving was a good reason for Phoebe to give it her all.

As she finished up, Phoebe grabbed her cordless phone and began to punch in Helga's phone number. It rang and rang a few times before someone had answered, causing a loud noise in poor Phoebe's ear.

"I said I GOT IT, BOB!" She heard Helga yell away from the phone. "Hello?"

"Helga!" Phoebe answered happily. "How are you?"

A silence ensued and Phoebe could hear that Helga was scuffling on the other end. "Hold on a minute, Pheebs. I gotta get somewhere more private." Helga whispered in an angry tone.

Assuming that she was still near her parents, Phoebe waited patiently. "Waiting!"

On the other end of the phone, Helga had run from the show room off into her own room and slammed the door. "Criminy! Sorry about that, Phoebe. Bob won't let this phone out of his sight ever since we handed out those flyers. He seems to think that orders are gonna fly in any day now or something, so expect this conversation to be shorter than normal."

"I see…" Phoebe frowned, as there was a whole lot she wanted to tell her best friend.

Helga flopped on her bed and let out a loud but happy sigh. "Oh Phoebe!" She called out full of passion. "Today was wonderful!"

"Why? What happened?" Phoebe asked eagerly. Although she had her own stories to share, it was always customary to let Helga get hers out of her system first.

Helga then took a large breath and began to swoon out loud, telling all of the blissful details of her and Arnold's conversation before he parted, causing Phoebe to smile brightly on the other end. "I never thought in my wildest dreams that he would say such words to me, Phoebe! I'm almost convinced that I dreamed it all and that it never happened but it DID!"

"I'm very happy for you, Helga! I knew that good things would happen if you opened yourself up to him. As much as I am honored to be one of the sole people in existence to be able to see you as you are, I am definitely excited to share my position with him." Phoebe replied as she crossed her legs on her bed and got comfortable.

"I'm not dreaming, right?" Helga asked, still all goofy and in love.

"No, I assure you this is real." The Japanese girl replied, holding back a giggle. "I am also proud to announce that Gerald and I also had a wonderful evening."

Despite being in her own little world, Phoebe's words dragged her out of her field of flowers she was dancing in and Helga became alert. "Oh? You and tall hair boy have a special date or something? I thought it was a little weird that you guys just randomly up and bailed on us."

"No, it wasn't really a date." Phoebe clarified, a little hurt that Helga thought she left them for her own selfish reasons. "We figured that you two needed your time alone so we headed in our own direction. It just so happened that Gerald had agreed to see the studio later that day and wanted my input."

"Alright so then what was so special that you're all ga-ga about him right now?" Helga asked, a little skeptical.

Filling her own self up with passion as Helga had moments ago, Phoebe let her back fall on the bed and she began to tell her own tale of the evening. Leaving nothing left unsaid, the girl excitedly rolled around on her bed and expressed her feelings to her best friend.

"And then I kissed him on the cheek and hurried on inside!" She finished with a sigh. "I know it's a little hypocritical, however I don't feel like I've reached that stage in our relationship to where I can just explode with excitement in front of him. I just had to run to a private setting, and call you!"

Helga had probably never heard her best friend so happy before, and inside she also glowed with pride for her friend. "Well then. I guess we both had a really good night."

"Indeed. I wonder what tomorrow will bring?" Phoebe asked, feeling a little philosophical.

Helga chuckled on the other end of the line. "I dunno, Pheebs but if things continue like this… I feel like the only way is up."

Chapter 10

Chapter Text

The wind had picked up by the time Arnold got close to his house and he quickly held his coat closed before opening his front door and rushing in, almost tripping on the random assortment of animals trying to get out. He shook his head back and forth, causing his hair to go back into place. Immediately he could feel his body begin to warm up as he took off his jacket and hung it up.

"Is that you, Son?" He heard his father call from another room.

"Yeah, Dad!" Arnold called back before searching for him.

Arnold found his parents waiting for him in the living room, both sitting next to each other and holding hands. The sight made the boy's heart warm up, as he could only imagine the love they shared.

"Have a seat, Arnold. We were hoping to talk to you for a while." His Mother said while gesturing to the chair besides them.

He could feel a little concern begin to rise up with in him but he sat down and looked at them curiously. "What's up?" He asked, hoping whatever it was, wasn't a big deal.

They both looked at one another with an uneasy smile, and then turned back to their son. "Nothing much. How was school?" Asked Miles.

Arnold mulled over his day silently before opening his mouth to speak. "It was alright." He replied weakly. "Although, I had a bit of trouble but it was resolved quickly."

"Did it have anything to do with yesterday?" Miles frowned.

"Your Father told me about the incident yesterday, Arnold. I hope everything is alright." Stella added with a look of worry.

"It is, for the most part…" Arnold started, resting his back against the seat. "Helga and I were called to the Principal's office and got questioned, as were a few of my friends… who then sorta blamed us for it." He could see that his parent's expressions only got dimmer as he explained. "But don't worry! I handled it and got everything sorted out. Everyone is okay and friends again."

"Well that's good, honey." Stella said, placing her warm loving hand on his knee.

"Yeah! We're so glad we have such a good and -" Miles started before stopping and choosing his next word carefully, "mature son."

The compliment made Arnold brighten up a little. "Thanks Mom and Dad." He smiled. "That really means a lot."

Stella then patted her husband on the leg and stood up. "I'll leave this conversation to you and help Mom upstairs with the cleaning." She said softly.

Miles gave the woman a look of horror as she began to walk away. "A-alright…" He said with an unsure tone, causing Arnold to tilt his head in confusion. He watched his wife walk out of the room and sighed before stiffening up his posture.

Arnold knew there was something wrong. "What happened, Dad?"

Miles felt his mouth go dry as well as his heart begin to beat rapidly. "Uhhh… how to start…" he whispered to himself. "Arnold," He began strongly, "There comes a time in every boys life when he needs to have a… heart to heart with his old man." He looked to his son and gave an empowered look. "Do you understand, Son?"

Feeling like he knew where this talk was headed, Arnold gulped and nodded. "I guess? But if this is about the bird and the bees Dad, Grandpa already had this talk with me."

A sense of relief washed over the adult male and he exhaled loudly. "Oh thank goodness!" He then glanced over at his son and saw his awkward expression. "I mean, that's good to hear." He corrected himself and straightened his posture again. "But that's not exactly what we're gonna talk about Son. How about we head up to your room to continue this conversation? I know this can be a high traffic area sometimes."

Nodding, Arnold got up and led his father to his room. As they reached the second floor, they passed Stella and Gerty who simply giggled and continued their chores, causing Miles to groan and Arnold to feel even more unsure of himself.What's going on that's making Dad so nervous?He wondered as he pulled the string on his stairs, causing them to gradually fall down.

As they arrived in his room, Arnold sat himself on his red couch and let his father sit next to him. The air was tense and awkward.

"Alright…" Miles started up again; remember the coaching his father had given him a few hours earlier. He turned to Arnold and analyzed his face a moment. "I guess it's time to begin…"

"Dad, if you're not ready we can always talk another time." Arnold said reassuringly as he placed his hand on his dad's shoulder.

"Thanks Son. I appreciate giving me a way out of this but your mother and I have agreed that this needs to happen sooner rather than later…" Miles smiled, "And besides I gotta get used to having these sorta talks soon anyway."

Understanding as much as he could, Arnold nodded and let the man continue on with his topic.

Miles began to look around Arnold's room and noticed the intricate design of it all. He had been in the room many times but now that he was procrastinating, he felt the needs to notice all the technology and work that had went into it all. "I remember when this room was just a crib and some wall decals…" He sighed.

"Focus, Dad." Arnold said, reminding him of his purpose.

"Right, right…" Heaving a heavy sigh, Miles turned to his young son and cleared his throat. "Okay. No more stalling!" He said with wavering confidence. "As I said before, there comes a time when every son needs to have this talk with his father. Your grandpa had this talk with me, his dad with him, and so on." He started again, ignoring his inner voice that screamed at him to stop while he was ahead. "Now, I know you're still young but you're going to be twelve soon…. Very soon."

"Next month." Arnold clarified.

"Yes… Speaking of which," Miles got off track again. "What do you usually do for your birthday? Do you have a big party with all your friends or have some sorta small dinner with your grandparents?"

Arnold sighed as it seemed his dad would do anything to get away from the subject. "Usually Grandma makes my favorite dinner and bakes me a cake. I normally do things with my friends a few days before my actual birthday." He answered calmly. "Now, continue with the topic…"

"Sorry, good to know though!" Miles blushed due to having an eleven year old boy scold him. "So your grandpa already gave you the birds and the bees talk, right?"

"Uh huh." Arnold nodded in response and crossed his arms. "I know how babies are made, Dad."

"Good! Now our topic is of a similar nature… It's about yourfeelings,Son." His father gulped.

Arnold raised his eyebrow and became even more curious. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Miles said before thinking of a simple way to explain. "Everyone has these things called hormones inside their body and they do a whole lot, like make your body grow and make you feel certain ways. Have you learned about them in school yet?"

Arnold shook his head and uncrossed his arms. "No, not yet."

"I suspect you probably will pretty soon as you're of that age where your body starts producing all sorts of different ones. They will start your body in a new phase called…." Miles stopped and closed his eyes as if his next word would be the death of him. "Puberty."

"What's that?" Arnold asked, tilting his head a little confused at why his dad was so nervous about a science lesson.

"Puberty is… when things start changing for you, Son." Miles opened his eyes and faced his boy wholeheartedly. "Both boys and girls get it but we're only gonna talk about us guys because girls are whole other topic we just don't need to get into."

Now far more interested in what his father had to say, Arnold straightened himself up and nodded. "I guess this is why Mom wanted you to have this conversation with me instead of her?" he asked intuitively.

"Correct…" His father replied, feeling betrayed as though his wife threw him into a shark tank. "So when us men hit puberty, a bunch of weird things start happening to our bodies. Our voices start to break like if we had a bad cold and begin to get deeper. We start to have hair grow in weird places like having a mustache or beard…"

"Kinda like how grandpa has hair growing out of his ears?" Arnold asked.

"Exactly! Although that's not from puberty its more from just growing old." Miles said with a laugh. "Aside from the obvious body changes, you'll also start…. Feeling different." He could feel his body begin to sweat and Miles then pulled on the collar of his shirt to get a little cooler.

"Do you want me to open a window?" Arnold asked as he got up and walked towards his half moon shaped window.

"Sure Son, that might be a little helpful. Not sure why it got so hot in here…" He murmured.

Arnold opened the window and peered outside. It had gotten dark and there was a moist breeze that came through telling him that it was probably going to rain tonight. He then turned to his father and smiled. "Better?"

Miles nodded and patted the seat next to him and waited for his son to sit back down before continuing the dreaded talk. "So about these new feelings…" He began softly. "It's safe to say that your friend Helga is your girlfriend, right?" He asked as he waited for Arnolds nod before continuing. "Do you feel anything….Specificwhen you're around her?"

Thinking for a moment, Arnold crossed his legs. "Well at first I used to feel pretty annoyed back when she used to pick on me but now…" He continued to think of all those new feelings he had when he was with her. "Now I just get this really warm feeling. Like, I get happy and content sorta like everything is working out. When I see her happy, I get ten times happier! When I've hurt her feelings… like the other day, I get really upset. It's almost as if she amplifies my feelings, if that makes sense." He explained, looking thoughtfully at his dad.

Knowing full well the feeling that Arnold described, Miles smiled. "Yes, it makes perfect sense." He replied. "However, that's not quite the feeling I was getting at…" His voice trailed off causing Arnold to become a little worried.

"That's the only thing I can think of though." Arnold frowned, feeling as though he wasn't helping his father's situation at all.

Seeing his son frown only made Miles feel worse. He had never given a 'dad talk' before and felt as if there was some other way he could go about it without sounding weird.If Stella were the one having this conversation, I'm sure she would have gotten all scientific about this. Science was always her strong suit but I don't know if that would help.He thought as he patted his son on the head, hoping to cheer him up. "Don't worry, Arnold. You'll understand soon enough, I'm sure." He said, feeling himself begin to sweat again but smiled anyway. "The feeling is a lot different than just happiness. It's more like…" Miles pondered of all the things Arnold might understand in comparison. "It's more like going on a roller coaster for the first time!"

This explanation only confused Arnold further. "Huh? But why would Helga make me feel like that?"

Miles hung his head in defeat and let out a soft groan. "Maybe notexactlylike that but it's something similar…" He quietly breathed out. "To put it bluntly, she'll make you really excited and nervous but in a way you've never felt before." He then turned his head and glanced at the boy. "Do you get what I mean?"

Arnold gave his father a concerned but frustrated look, then shook his head. "Sorry…"

"Okay, how about this…" Miles said as he stood up and walked to the window for some air. "If your Grandpa gave you the story about the birds and the bees then you're aware of what the bees' purpose is, right?" He asked, hoping this might clarify things a little.

"Sure. The bee's job is to carry pollen to the flowers to make them bloom and it's a man's job to carry his cells to a woman to reproduce." Arnold smiled, hoping his answer was the one his dad wanted.

"And did he explain exactlyhowa man does this?" Miles squinted his eyes at his son from across the room, nervously.

Arnold brought his hand up to his chin and recalled the talk. "Actually, right when he was about to Grandma walked in and interrupted us. He told me that we would have to take a rain check on finishing the talk but it never happened."

Feeling his knees get weak, Miles stumbled forward a little before regaining composure causing Arnold to stand up alarmed. Putting his hand out, Miles halted the boy and shook his head. "I'm fine! I… was just surprised, is all."

"Are you sure?" Arnold asked. "You could lie down if you're feeling sick."

"No… No. I'm fine." Miles repeated, completely embarrassed at how he was handling this. "Leave it to Dad to completely leave out the most important part of the story though…" Taking in a deep breath, the man let out another groan then walked over to his son and sat down again. "Arnold, do you know the distinct difference between a man and a woman?"

Arnold blushed and replied. "Yes."

"Okay. Are you starting to see why I'm a little awkward with this talk now?" Miles sympathetically smiled.

"Y-yes… I am starting to see where you're going with this." Arnold admitted before scratching his hand and fidgeting.

"To use a… better euphemism, think of us men as a key and women as a lock. We basically unlock babies…. So to speak." Miles sweated and grimaced at his own words.

Arnold's face began to turn a dark shade of red and decided not to speak. His imagination went wild with thoughts he had never had before and he shook his head to make them disappear.

"I'm glad to see my words got through." The father stated, feeling a little giddy at his accomplishment. "It a little embarrassing, I know… Like I said earlier, we all have to have this talk one day and it's never ever easy."

Arnold applied his hand on his forehead and tried to clear his head. "Okay so what does making babies have to do with puberty?"

"It's because of those hormones I told you about before…" Miles explained slowly. "Some of those hormones are made specifically for reproduction and they start forming at around your age." His words caused Arnold's head to shoot right up and immediately Miles regretted his sentence and reacted. "I didn't mean that you would want to start having kids now!" He added. "I mean your body is getting ready for the day youdecideyou want to have them. So years, years into the future. Many years."

Although he could still feel the panic that had just surged within him, Arnold did his best to understand his father's words and tried to calm down. "So you're saying thatHelgais going to make me feel some type of way that makes me want to have babies?" He asked with a hoarse voice.

"It's… definitely possible," Miles replied, turning to not look at his poor embarrassed child. "If not her, then someone else someday."

"And… How will I know?" Arnold asked, beginning to get light headed from the topic and almost regretting the question in fear of the answer.

"Oh don't worry Son… Your body will tell you." Miles said with a high pitched voice followed by a shutter.

This made Arnold more than uncomfortable and he began to slouch in his chair. Silence consumed the two men and both had wished that the talk had never happened.

"Sorry buddy." Miles sincerely said, turning to the awkward boy.

Arnold could do nothing but stare off into space. "It's okay." He managed out.

Knowing that his son was going to need some time alone to sort out his thoughts, Miles got up and stretched. "Do you have any questions before I go downstairs and drowned myself in some ice cream to feel better about all of this?"

It was if his father's words had breezed through him and he shook his head instinctively.

"Alright then, I'm gonna head down. Your mom will call you when dinner is ready." Miles said with a warm tone before exiting.

Unable to keep the images from bouncing around in his head, Arnold got up and began to pace. He had so much to think about and so much he didn't exactly understand but wouldn't force his dad to talk about further. He could only assume that he would understand when all those things mentioned would actually affect him. His voice changing, hair growing and… his body reacting in ways he could only assume and felt really weird about. "I need to distract myself…" He spoke, walking over to his stereo. Just before he could grab his remote and turn it on, his phone rang. At first the loud noise startled him, but he quickly picked it up and accepted this as a distraction instead.

"Hello?" He asked the unknown caller.

"Hey buddy, it's me!" A familiar voice spoke on the other end. "How's it hanging?"

"Oh Gerald…" He complained before forcing his body to sit down again. "Please tell me you have good news."

The other end got quiet as Gerald had now become very suspicious. "Uhhh… Sure man, I got good news. I saw the place we're gonna use to take the photos."

"How is it?" Arnold asked nervously.

"It's…" Gerald hesitated, not wanting to disappoint his friend. "It's a studio. It's small and kinda dirty but nothing a few hands can't fix up before that girl gets here. Not to mention we're not gonna be charged to use it since Fuzzy Slippers is the man. Jamie-O helped too."

Taking a much needed breath of fresh air, Arnold began to relax. "That's great to hear!" He exclaimed.

"What's got you all tense?" Gerald finally asked, "Did something bad happen after I left? You didn't have another fight with Helga again, did you?"

Arnold shook his head, even if his friend couldn't see. "No, we didn't have a fight. In fact, I got a bunch of things off my chest and it felt really good. I even went over to Harold's and confronted him about Helga and everything."

He could hear his friend gasp on the other end. "You didn't get into a fight with Harold, did you?"

The suggestion made Arnold laugh. "No, Gerald. Harold and I actually had a rather productive talk. He's not gonna go out of his way to make fun of Helga or tell everyone in the school about us."

"Wow, how did you pull that one off?" Gerald asked, rather astonished to hear such news.

"I just got through to him." Arnold answered, feeling proud again. "He can be a pretty reasonable guy sometimes."

"Right. Whatever you say, man." Gerald responded flatly. "So if it's not that, then what happened? I know you pretty well Arnold and not much gets you stressed out."

Arnold let out a groan similar to what his father had done earlier and slouched back on his couch. "Honestly Gerald… I'd rather not talk about it, if that's okay."

Gerald got silent again as he considered situations that might have happened. "O-okay man. I respect that. So about this studio…"

Turning to the phones base, Arnold picked up the notepad and pen that rested next to it for notes. "Yeah, could you tell me the address? I'll have my Grandpa bring me over. Also has Rhonda told you the time we're supposed to do this because she hasn't told me yet."

"Nah man, I haven't spoken to her. I figured she would have called you by now." Gerald replied, now a little concerned. Rhonda was always an informative person and for her to not call anyone was strange.

"I'll call her after we're done talking. So the address?" Arnold asked before listening to Gerald's response and jotting down the street. "Got it."

"Hey, I got more good news!" Gerald boasted as he lounged on his bed and put his feet up on his beds footboard.

"Oh yeah? Tell me about it." Arnold responded, happy that his friend was being so helpful in his time of need.

"Well…" The dark skinned boy began as he peered over to where Phoebe once sat; the camera still sitting her place. "After we checked out the studio, Phoebe came back to my place and we hung out a little, even had dinner with my parents!" He gleamed.

"Oh?" Arnold was a little surprised. Knowing Jamie-O's history with girls and his parents, he could hardly believe that the experience was a pleasant one. "Did anything cool happen?"

Feeling the blood begin to rush to his cheeks, Gerald began to replay the scenes of her in his room over in his head. "Yeah. I brought her to my room and we just chatted…" He replied wistfully.

"You… just chatted?" Arnold replied, a little skeptical considering his friends reaction.

"At first I was really nervous, Arnold." Gerald continued. "I've never had a girl in my room before, well besides my family, and it was just…" He thought of his choice words. "It was crazy. Of course Timberly had to barge in and ruin it all but before that…" He let out at sigh, "My heart was pounding and I just felt… sorta weak, if that makes sense." Gerald finished, a little embarrassed that he had just admitted his intimate feelings with his best friend. The trust the two had between them was solid and Gerald knew he could count on Arnold to be discreet.

Gerald's description puzzled Arnold a bit. "I guess."

"Come on, man. You've had Helga in your room before." Gerald said, as he forced himself to sit up and concentrate. "You can't tell me that you didn't feel even a little bit nervous."

Thinking back to their union on the project, he did his best to recall even one situation when he felt what his friend had just described and frowned when he couldn't think of a single one. "The only time I felt nervous was when I was having a sensitive talk with her about… well, us. She can be pretty hard to talk to."

Gerald let out a laugh. "Well yeah, she's Helga. Not the easiest going person in the world. I'm surprised you'd able to havesensitivetalks!" Gerald replied before laughing out loud again.

Ignoring his friends comment, Arnold continued to think about what Gerald had described, curious on if it had anything to do with his dad's discussion. "So what made you nervous about Phoebe being in your room?"

Gerald could feel his heart begin to pound at the question. "I dunno, man." He responded. "We were alone, in my room, Door shut, no one around, the girl I like is sitting next to me…" He explained, imagining what could have happened if Timberly hadn't interrupted. "I almost never get privacy in this house, let alone with her. Normally when we hang out, it's in a public place. Even our project was done in the public library." Suddenly a thought dawned on him, "You're telling me you've never felt nervous or awkward being alone with Helga? Are yousureyou like her, man?"

"Yeah…" Arnold said as he thought of the moment's he had been alone with her, as well as the few kisses they had shared. He could feel his heart begin to beat faster as well as a warm calm wash over him. "I'm sure I like her."

"Didn't you guys work on the project at your place?" Gerald asked, now even more concerned.

"Yeah, so?" Arnold replied, knowing full well that his friend knew the answer to that question.

"And you mean to tell me, the both of you beingalonein yourbedroomdidn't make you feel nervous or anything?" Gerald pressed on.

"Is that… bad?" Arnold asked, now also beginning to feel worried about his own feelings. "She makes me feel calm and happy, I thought that was normal."

"Well yeah it's good to feel calm and happy but…" Gerald wasn't sure what to say to his troubled friend. He had had many pep talks with his older brother about girls and feelings before and remembered that Arnold didn't have a relationship like that to lean on. "You've never just wanted to be alone with her, like purposely?"

"Only when we need to talk about private matters." Gerald heard his friend respond sadly.

Beginning to feel like there was no hope for his troubled friend, Gerald rolled over on his stomach and stated at one of his basketball posters blankly, thinking of ways he could explain better. A deafening silence consumed the phone and Gerald knew that their conversation seemed to only make Arnold feel worse, rather than better. "Don't worry about it, Arnold." He said, trying to console his best friend. "I'm sure you'll understand soon. I'd explain it better but… I dunno, it's just kinda hard. It's more like something you gotta experience."

Now completely certain that his father's topic and Gerald's feelings were linked, Arnold could only feel like he was missing out on something very important. "You mean like an excited and nervous urge you just have with her that you can't explain?" He suggested.

"Yes! Exactly!" Gerald jumped up. "I knew you understood what I meant!"

"I gotta go, Gerald. I'll talk to you later." Arnold said sadly, becoming overwhelmed with depression.

"Huh? What? Why?" He could hear how confused his friend was on the other end, but decided it was best not to continue forward.

"I just have a lot to think about. Sorry Gerald." Arnold replied and he hung up the phone.

Arnold's head began to spin and he felt as heavy as lead. All of his feelings started to just become confusing. Was he weird for not understanding what both his father and best friend said? Would being alone with Helga really make him feel some unexplainable feeling of being excited but nervous? If so, what would he do? How would she react? Was it a good or bad thing? All these questions were never ending and finally Arnold turned on his music to lull him back to sanity before having to call Rhonda.

What was only intended to relax him, made Arnold fall into a deep sleep. Curled up on his couch, he began to dream…

Sitting at her desk two seats in front of him, Arnold watched as Helga scribbled on her paper. He could see she was frustrated and presumed it was probably the school work. Looking around them, he noticed that oddly no one was in the class room with them. "Where did everyone go?" He asked her as he rose from his seat and walked next to her desk. She didn't respond and he looked at what she was doing. On her paper looked to be a poem of some sorts, however before he could actually read any words, she snatched it away from him and scowled.

"Hey! I never said you could read this!" She yelled, placing the paper where he couldn't see.

"Sorry, Helga. Why are we here alone?" He asked as he looked around again.

"I don't know, Football head, this isyourdream." She replied in her harsh tone, before folding up her paper and slipping it in her desk. "And don't you dare think to go in my desk, either!"

My… dream?He wondered, looking at her as if she could answer his question. He then walked over to the classroom door and attempted to open it, however it wouldn't budge. Using all his strength, he began to tug at it harder and harder.

"It's not gonna open, stupid." He heard Helga say from behind him. "Its locked."

He turned his head to her to see she was no longer wearing her usual attire but adorned in her gym uniform. His eyes fell on her body and he silently admired her small curves through her tight clothes.

"Why don't you take a picture, it'll last longer! Sheesh!" She grunted as she stood there and crossed her arms.

"Why are we locked in our classroom? And why did you change clothes?" He asked, now becoming increasingly confused.

"Do I look like I have all the answers? Why don't you figure it out for yourself…" Helga said as she stood up and walked over to him.

He watched as she moved quietly across the room and stood next to him. He could feel his heart began to beat as well as becoming increasingly nervous. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" She asked in a smooth voice with a smirk on her face.

"We gotta get out of here." Arnold suddenly began to panic and ran over to the window. Outside he could see a bunch of his friends playing and he attempted to open the window, but to no avail.

"Criminy, you really are stupid aren't you, Football head." He heard her say but made no attempt to look at her.

What's wrong with me? Why do I want to get out so badly?He wondered; his heart picking up its pace as he could hear her walking towards him. Suddenly he felt her arms drape around his neck and she pulled her body close to his. He could smell the sweet scent of her shampoo and although it soothed his mind, it only made his heart pound harder. "I think I'm sick…" He mentioned quietly, not wanting to alarm her. "Y-you should probably stay away from me… for now…"

He could feel her nuzzle her head inside his hair. "Why are you fighting this so hard? The only reason we can't get out is becauseyoudon't want us to." She whispered in his ear, sending tons of nerves to react throughout his body.

"Helga… I really think you should go sit in your seat." He suggested nervously, feeling as though he was going to lose his mind or something. "I don't think I'm well."

"Oh you're perfectly fine!" She laughed; not moving an inch. "I thought this is what you wanted?" She said in a taunting voice.

"What? You're not making any sense. Why would I want to be locked in the classroom with you? Why would I want to feel sick?" He asked as he began to sweat. "I just don't want you to get sick too."

Feeling her hands move onto his chest, Arnold closed his eyes and focused on staying sane. "Please stop…" He begged.

"But I'm already sick." She spoke into his ear, "If that's what you wanna call it…"

His body began to feel as though he was sweating a fever, and the more she spoke, the worse it got. "Just accept it, Arnold. Just relax and give in…" She spoke in a loving manner, still holding him close and making circles with her index finger around the middle of his chest. "You don'treallywant me to stop, do you?"

Arnold swallowed hard, as he could feel his muscles begin to tense up.None of this makes any sense… what is she saying? What are we doing?!He thought deeply, desperately resisting something he couldn't quite describe.I gotta get out of here…He decided, putting his hands on top of hers to make her stop. He forced Helga to release him and turned to face her, however the moment he gazed into hers, his mind went blank.

Helga wrapped her arms around him again, pressing her chest up against his, causing him to take a step back and get pressed up against the window. He could feel the cool glass pressing against him and shivered. "Helga, what are you doing?!" He asked, finally regaining composure. "We're still kids!"

"Kids, huh?" She smirked, looking down at him. "I thought your Dad said you were old enough to feel… this way?" She then placed her finger under his chin and traced it down to his neck before pulling at the collar of his shirt. "Gerald understands… Why don't you?"

Her words began to echo in his mind.He understands?He asked himself as her finger trailed further down to his chest. He could feel his breath becoming shallow as he looked into her eyes then down towards her lips. Suddenly, an overwhelming desire to kiss her struck him, but being with tremendous convictions, he still resisted. "We can't do this…" He whispered.

"This is just a dream, Football head. We can do whatever… you… want…" She replied, putting less and less space between them.

"It's… just a dream…?" He questioned, letting his resistance break down bit by bit.

Helga grabbed both of his wrists and pinned them to the windowsill. "That's right, bucko. What do you want to do?"

"What I want… to do?" His mind became heavier and heavier the longer he stared longingly at her lips. They'd already kissed many times and although most were forced by her, he never disliked it.Just let yourself go…He could hear himself say on the inside. It was if another entity had emerged within him.It's fine, right?He asked himself. "Its… fine?" Arnold spoke aloud, feeling a hunger grow inside of him he had never felt.

But before the last wall could crumble, Arnold was awaked with a holler by the sound of his grandmother coming into his room and turning off his music.

"You alright there Tex?" She asked him with a look of deep concern. "Looks like you were having a nightmare! I'll bet Calamity Sue was at it again, wasn't she?"

Quickly pushing the dream out of his head, Arnold got up and wiped the sweat that had formed on his brow. "Y-yeah Grandma… It was a nightmare…" He replied, deciding that that was the closest thing his dream could be called at the moment.

Placing the back of her hand on his forehead, his grandmother smiled. "Doesn't seem like you have a fever." She then backed up and headed to the door. "Dinner is ready, you better come down before the cattle wanders off." She said kindly then exited.

Still short of breath, Arnold looked around; a little disorientated.Just what was that dream, and why did I have it?He asked himself, sitting down briefly. He then noticed his phone and remembered the call to Rhonda he still had to make.I better make this short and sweet; I know how much she likes to talk. He thought as he picked up the phone and dialed her number.

The home of Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd was quiet as she sat up inside her bedroom, scrolling through a new website she had discovered with people posting fashion ideas. As she scrolled, she made noises of interest before stopping at a picture of a woman in a dress. "My Gosh!" She yelled in horror. "How can you wear those colors together?! Orange and yellow? Really?" She then continued to scroll past the image with disgust. "Some people have absolutelynotaste." Eventually she happened on a few more pictures she liked, which she quickly saved and placed in a folder she called "Fashion Ideas".

Suddenly she heard her cell phone go off, and she wheeled across her bedroom and quickly answered it. "Arnold! Darling! How are you?" She sang into his ear.

"Uhhh… Hey, Rhonda. I was just wondering what time that model was coming tomorrow? I also have the address of the studio we booked." He replied in his normal tone.

"Oh yes! Right!" Rhonda had actually forgotten all about their plans, as her mind was elsewhere at the moment, and she quickly rolled back over to her computer to pull up a conversation she had, had with the girl which stated the time she'd be in town. "Marcy says that she plans on being in town around noon-ish. Tell me the address so I can send it to her."

Arnold then grabbed the notebook and read off the address while Rhonda typed it into the chat bar. "Alright, done!" She proudly stated, pressing send. "Anything else you needed?"

"No, that was about it. Thanks, Rhonda." Arnold said shortly, ready to hang up.

"So… You only called for that one thing?" She asked dully, a little disappointed that he didn't want to talk.

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow." He replied, hoping she would accept the end to their conversation.

"Wait!" The posh girl called to him before he could hang up. She remembered Nadine telling her about a fight that had happened in front of the school and figured if anyone knew about it, it was probably Arnold. "Did you hear about that fight after school?! I heard it got pretty heated."

Arnold frowned, knowing that gossiping with her would take the rest of the night. "Yeah… I was sort of a part of it…"

"YOU?!" Rhonda was shocked. "But you don't fight with anyone! Well… except Helga Pataki on occasions…"

Arnold rolled his eyes. "It was just an argument, Rhonda. Nothing big."

"That's all?" She insisted, doing her best to pry out more information. "I heard fists were thrown."

"Well you heard wrong, sorry." He was becoming annoyed. "It was just Sid jumping to conclusions like he normally does. I gotta go, my Grandma is calling me for dinner. Goodnight, Rhonda." Arnold said quickly before hanging up on her.

The moment she heard the call end, Rhonda immediately looked at her phones screen and scoffed. "Wow, how rude!" She hissed before wheeling back over to her computer screen. "Some people just have absolutely no manners! And after I'm doing him a favor?! Ugh!" She then looked back at her phone. "I must absolutely call Nadine and tell her what he said!"

Arnold went down to dinner and was welcomed by all of his house members. One by one he greeted them before sitting down next to his mother.

"Dinner is served!" Gerty yelled as she clanged a metal rod against her triangle. "Dig in!"

Everyone at the table began to pass around dishes and talk amongst themselves, except Arnold who kept to himself in silence. After everyone had had their fill, excluding Oskar who whined about seconds and was immediately thrown out of the dining room my Phil, they all began to clean up. Stella placed her arms around her son and gave him a big hug unexpectedly.

"You okay, honey? You've barely said a word all night." She asked before letting him go and proceeding to grab his half empty plate.

"Yeah Mom. I'm alright." He sighed, not looking up at her.

She knew the talk his dad had with him earlier wasn't the easiest thing, but didn't think it would affect him in such a manner. "Do you wanna talk about it? I may not look like it, but I can give pretty great advice!"

Arnold watched as most of the boarders exited the dining room as Miles gathering the dinner plates that Stella was handing to him. "No thanks…" He replied quietly.

This only caused her to frown along with him. "I know I may be a girl but…" She started as she pet his hair softly down. "I can understand being confused too."

He knew she was trying to be nice, but Arnold simply shook his head. "I think this is something I just have to figure out on my own." He replied, hoping she would understand. Seeing his mother worry about him broke his heart just as much as him letting down his father. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll be fine."

His reassurance forced Stella to smile back at him before picking up the rest of the plates and heading towards the kitchen. "Well if you change your mind, you'll know where to find me." She spoke with a determined voice before heading out.

Phil then walked back into the dining room, mumbling something about Oskar before noticing the table was already being disassembled. "Awwww!" He whined. "Dinner is over and that blasted Oskar made me miss it." He then gasped dramatically when he saw Arnold still sitting in his seat with a melancholic look on his face. "What?! What are you still doing here, Shortman? I thought you'd have run up to your room by now? And what's with the long face? Did someone steal your meat and potatoes?! It wasn't Oskar, was it?" He asked, trying to cheer the boy up.

"No, Grandpa. I'm fine." Arnold stated, now pushing himself away from the table and getting up. "I was just lost in thought."

"Oh? About what?" Phil asked, as he followed his grandson out of the dining room and into the front of the house.

Arnold stopped as he got to the stairs and looked at the old man. If there was anyone in the whole world the boy trusted, it was him. "Dad had a talk with me and it left me feeling really… weird, Grandpa." He admitted, feeling safe.

"Uh oh… it wasn'tthe talkwas it? That one I tried having with you last year but then your Grandma distracted us and I never got back to it?" He asked, knowing full well what the talk was about.

"Yeah, Grandpa… that talk." Arnold shrugged, looking away still feeling really awkward about the whole thing.

Phil listened a little to the background noise of his house mates and decided it was alright to continue the conversation where they were standing. "Yeah that talk isn't the easiest in the world… Had your dad feeling pretty weird too, if I can recall." Phil said, resting his long and skinny arm on the stairs railing. "Why I remember his face turned so red, he nearly fell over!"

Arnold couldn't help but laugh as a similar thing had happened upstairs while he was trying to explain it himself. He began to imagine a younger version of his dad doing the same thing.

"Oh he wouldn't talk to me for days after that one. Reacted a lot worse than I imagined he would, which left me feeling rather lousy…" Phil continued. "I had hoped he would ask me questions since he was so confused but instead he harbored it all to himself until well… the inevitable happened."

"The inevitable?" Arnold asked, now intrigued at the old man's story.

Phil smiled and shook his head slowly. "Yep! And when that happened, it all became clear to him and suddenly all was well in the world…"

"What was the inevitable, Grandpa?" Arnold asked again, hoping this time he would get an answer.

Phil nervously chuckled. "Your feelings start to get the best of you and you start thinking irrationally. You start to get angry more often and suddenly girls no longer have cooties!"

"That's what the hormones do, right?" Arnold was beginning to feel a little less awkward as his grandfather seemed to have a way with words.

"That's right, Arnold. They get inside your head and start to give you all these weird thoughts and feelings. Some are icky and some are… well rather pleasant." His grandfather smiled then suddenly became shocked. "Didn't your Dad tell you any of this?"

"Well… sorta." The boy said half heartedly, not wanting to talk down about his dad. "He just really wasn't sure what to say."

"Uh huh. Miles has never been good with words. Why it took him forever to admit he loved your mother! Always falling down and making a fool of himself, or giving up and running away." Phil explained as he scratched the stubble on his neck.

The thought of his dad always being clumsy made Arnold smile and soon his spirits were lifted once more. "Thanks Grandpa." Arnold said from the bottom of his heart. "I'm feeling a little better now."

Phil gasped and looked amused. "I'm glad, Arnold. Don't worry so much about what your dad told you. These things all come naturally and you kinda just… ride the wave! Go with the flow!" He then turned away and began to head back towards the kitchen. "Now you run along and I'll help your parents out with your grandma. I'm sure she's giving them a load of trouble with the 'ranch'" He said, ending with a mumble.

Arnold then ran up the stairs and into his bedroom. "Ride the wave…" He repeated as he gathered his things to take a shower. He had half thought of calling Helga to tell her the information Gerald had given him, but then shrugged and assumed Phoebe probably took care of that. He didn't need a reason to feel awkward again and he knew full well that hearing her voice after that dream would only dampen his mood.Just what was that dream about?He wondered, remembering her words."Why are you fighting this so hard? The only reason we can't get out is because you don't want us to."

The boy made his way downstairs and into the community bathroom and began to disrobe.Why wouldn't I want us to get out?He continued to wonder as he started the shower. The noise of the water running relaxed him. He got into the water and let its steamy goodness run down his body, recalling something else she had said."I'm already sick, if that's what you want to call it",what was that supposed to mean?He thought as he grabbed his shampoo bottle and squirted its contents into his hand before lathering it into his thick blonde hair.Did it mean she was feeling the same way I was? How would she know what I was feeling, though?None of his dream seemed to make sense, except one thing. She had stated over and over that it washis dreamso he was willing it all to happen.

Arnold washed his body and finished up his shower. Beginning to dry his hair, images of his dream having periodic flashes into his mind every now and again. He could vividly recall how badly he wanted to kiss her and suddenly a dark crimson appeared across his face as he gazed into his own reflection.I wanted all that to… happen?He asked himself through his mind to the him in the mirror.I need to cool off… this bathroom is suffocating!Quickly, he gathered his belongings and rushed back up to his room where it was much cooler. He dropped his dirty clothes by the side of his door and quickly sat on his bed and willed his windows to pop open with a remote, causing this nights cool breeze to grace his skin. It was apparent that things were starting to become different in his mind, but was it a natural occurrence, or was it the work of both his Father and Gerald's influence? "Maybe it's just all in my head…" He said in a hushed voice. "Some sleep might do me some good. Besides, the sooner I sleep means the sooner tomorrow will come and I'll be that much closer to getting Helga her home back."

Although he feared what dream would come next, Arnold turned off his lights and quietly fell back asleep.

Chapter 11

Chapter Text

As the hours passed into the night, the moist air that threatened rain finally gave way to the swollen clouds above and it began to pour. Thunder rolled softly in the distance and echoed into the room of Phoebe as she tossed and turned in her bed. With a pain stricken face, she moaned softly and kicked off her blankets. The dream she was having was mixed with logical, realism, fantasy and pure absurdity. Nothing made sense and most of it was completely jumbled together as if it was some abstract painting that should be hanging in a museum somewhere. With a loud crack of lightning, Phoebe awoke and began to pant until she grasped reality. Disoriented, she grabbed her glasses off the nightstand and looked at her alarm clock to see the time; 6:17am. Not having to get up until much later in the day due to the weekend and no impending school ahead, the girl lay back down and did her best to relax her body. Lately she hadn't been having very good sleep due to similar experiences. All of her dreams didn't have any rhyme or reason and more than half the time, when she woke up, she couldn't remember even a little bit of them other than the feelings she experienced during it all.

Beginning to feel a little queasy, she gradually pulled herself out of her bed and made it across the hall into her bathroom. She could hear her mother getting ready for work and did her best to be quiet and avoidable. Suddenly she heard the doorknob twist and turn and an attempt of entering the locked door.

"Phoebe honey, are you in there?" Her mother quietly asked.

"Yes Mother." The girl replied politely, "I'll be out in just a moment."

"It's mighty early in the morning… Is everything okay?" Reba asked through the door with a note of concern.

Is everything okay?Phoebe wondered as her mother's words echoed in her mind. Knowing that she didn't need to needlessly worry her parent, Phoebe finished her business with little success. "Yes, I'm fine." She replied faintly before turning on the faucet and washing her hands.

Opening the bathroom door, her mother stood there with a towel in hand as well as a fresh pair of clothing in her arms. "Are you sure?" The adult woman asked as she placed her hand on the young girl's forehead.

Phoebe smiled at her mother's loving touch. "Yes, It seems that the storm outside just woke me, is all." She replied.

"Well alright honey, if you insist." Reba smiled back and walked around her daughter into the bathroom with her hand on the side of the door. "If you need me for anything, I still have about an hour before I need to leave the house. Don't hesitate to ask."

The reassuring calm words of her mother softly put Phoebe's heart at ease. "Okay." She nodded then let her mother close the door and made her way back to her bedroom.

One of the windows had been slightly ajar and she watched as the wind made her curtains dance. Walking slowly to the window, she could feel the storms hostile breeze; it was warm and comforting. Despite the welcoming wind, Phoebe knew it was best to shut the window if she had any hope in going back to sleep… Although with her hand on top of the sliding portion, she couldn't seem to push it down. Phoebe had been looking at her own reflection and images of her dream began to flash violently in her mind.

"What was it about?" She asked herself, pulling fragmented images from deep, deep within her consciousness. She could remember colors, shapes and a few people but nothing seemed solid. Then the pain she had been experiencing returned and Phoebe clutched her stomach. "I must still have to use the bathroom…." She dwelled, turning around and walking to her bed to patiently wait until her mother was out of the shower.

Minutes seemed like hours as the poor girl's stomach began to toss and turn into something ugly. Promptly she began to recall all the food she had consumed throughout the past day to pinpoint anything out of the ordinary.Was it the cafeteria food, perhaps? I recall Helga having issues with it before… Or maybe it was the food served at Gerald's house?She wondered. Neither plates had anything new to her nor could she think of anything else, leaving her at a loss. "Well whatever it is, it's clearly not agreeing with me…" She moaned again. Rolling up in a ball, the small girl practiced her breathing to keep herself calm. She knew panicking, even under duress, wouldn't do anything but make the pain greater.

Phoebe then heard the click of her bathroom door opening, as well as her mother shuffling around before walking down the stairs. Awkwardly, she straightened her body and stood up, buckling over as she pushed herself out of her room once more and into the bathroom. There she stood at the sink and opened her medicine cabinet to reveal an array of pills, medicinal herbs and liquids, as well as personal hygiene cleaning supplies. Grabbing the pain killers, she popped open the bottle and tossed a few in her mouth, before turning on her faucet, cupping some water in her hand and quickly tossing it in back of her throat to swallow the pills with ease. With one hand, she wiped the liquid that remained on her lips and supported herself against the sink.I hope these act quickly…She thought before another wave of pain hit her, causing her to buckle once more and turn to the toilet.Think pleasant and calming thoughts, Phoebe!She demanded herself as stood there in pain.Being a wimp won't make the situation any easier. Be strong, it will pass!She coached inside her mind.Today we're going to the photo…. Shoot and I'll even get to be with Gerald! I'm gonna…. Be apart… of helping Helga get her home back!She told herself; her mind pausing at every wave of pain that hit her insides.I'll get to meet that girl, that's pretty exciting… As well as see Rhonda's expression when she sees that…. Studio.

The throb began to slowly subside as Phoebe willed herself to calm down and eventually she attempted business once again but with little rewards. Cursing her luck in her mind, she made it back to her bed where she decided laying down and letting the medicine kick in was probably the only option she had left. Whatever was disagreeing with her stomach would eventually find its own solution and she could take care of it whenever she woke up again. Curling up into another ball, she focused her mind on the sound of the soothing rain and soft rolling thunder in the background. Thoughts of her boyfriend and the happiness they shared started to dance in her head, as well as fantasies of him comforting her in her current time of need and soon she slowly drifted off into a pleasant dream that would hopefully last and not be interrupted by more pain.

"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BE-" Went Helga's alarm clock until "THUD" she whacked it so hard it fell off her desk and onto the floor.

"Ugh…" She groaned to herself; looking up at her dark ceiling. Her "room" had no windows and only left her in pitch black until she gained the courage to turn on a light and temporarily blind herself. Mornings always sucked. The only light that could be found was the small strip of it beneath her door.

Throwing her blankets off her bed, Helga decided to cool off before finally forcing herself to get up. Picking up her abused alarm clock, she glared at the time. 10:00am. Although the big gathering wasn't going to happen until a few more hours, Helga knew she needed time to get dressed, eat whatever she could find laying around and make it to Arnold's house so his grandpa could drive them over to whatever address Phoebe had given her. Feeling particularly sluggish, the girl reluctantly flipped on her lights which caused a painful glare in her eyes. "Criminy!" She screamed as she covered her face. "I hate this stupid room!"

Once her vision had cleared up enough to function, Helga uncovered her eyes and began to search for a pair of clothes that weren't as dirty as some. Miriam had been in charge of bringing their laundry to a laundry mat but hadn't managed to do it in at least a week, thus making a pile of dirty clothes surround Helga's bedroom floor. Kicking most around, she eventually found something she deemed worthy, tossed it on and exited the dusty closet of a living space.

Greeted immediately with a breath of fresh air, Helga looked around at her surroundings. She could hear the T.V off in the distance but not much else. Wondering who was home or awake, she dragged her feet around the emporium. Surprised to see no one in the T.V room, she headed onto the kitchen where she found Miriam staring into the empty cupboards.

"What are you doing?" Helga asked, crossing her arms and watching her mother.

The sound of her daughters voice startled the woman with a jump. "Huh?" She squeaked out before turning around and looking dazedly at her youngest. "Oh… good morning Helga!" She smiled. "How did you sleep?"

"Like I normally do since moving here." Helga replied with a snort. "Like crap."

Miriam frowned and scratched her head. "Oh… I'm sorry, honey."

Helga shrugged and walked over to her mom and began looking into the empty cupboards as well. "You're not gonna find anything in here, Miriam. You haven't went shopping in weeks." The harsh girl spat out.

"Weeks?" Miriam asked, turning to her daughter with a confused look. "Why Helga, I just went shopping a few days ago." With a little laugh, she opened a few more cupboards to reveal a half used box of instant mashed potatoes as well as a dented can of off-brand soup. "There should be something around here…"

Heaving a heavy sigh, Helga opened up the fridge to see what was left. "No Miriam, it was weeks. The only thing I've had to eat the past few days is cereal and I ran out yesterday night." Inside of the mostly bare refrigerator were some condiments and left over Chinese from who knows when that Helga didn't trust to even look inside, in fear of something growing jumping out at her. "…as well as milk that ran out the night before that."

"Oh dear…" She heard her mother whine from behind her. "I gotta call B and let him know before he gets home…"

co*cking an eyebrow at her mother's statement, Helga turned to her. "Where is he?"

Doing her best to remember, Miriam closed the cupboards back up and leaned against the counter; placing her index finger against her lips. "I think he said something about going to see someone…" Finally giving up on her thought process, the disheveled woman shrugged. "Or something like that…" With a smile, she turned to Helga. "I'm sure wherever he is; he's doing something to help us get out of this place."

"Yeah, right," Helga replied flatly, "And next thing you know it will start raining gold and we'll all be rich." Her mother's naivety only made her grow angry and impatient. "Wake up, Miriam. Bob isn't doinganythingto help us. All he's probably doing is begging the banks for more loans which, Surprise! Surprise! None of them will give us because we're BROKE!

The information being spouted out at her by the girl only made Miriam frown. "Don't be so negative, Helga. Your father cares about-" but before she could finish her sentence, Helga quickly interjected.

"HIMSELF!" Helga yelled, causing her mom to be startled once again. "He only cares about himself, Miriam. If he cared about us even a little bit, he would have given up on beepers the moment our sales plummeted from the cell phone market. If he had any brains in his thick dumb skull of his, he would have jumped on the opportunity tojointhat market and be swimming in cash like the rest of those black suit wearing big-shots!" Sighing in both disappointment and self frustration, Helga turned away from her mother. "But he didn't and now we're stuckhere." Turning back briefly, she could see her mother's lazy, bewildered expression. "Face it, the only way out is admitting he failed to his parents and getting help."

The suggestion made the blonde woman chuckle to herself. "Helga, please. You know your father would never do that. He can get us through, just have faith!" Miriam insisted blindly.

"He can get us through? Have faith?" Helga questioned, repeating her mother's words and sizing the woman up and down. "Have you goneinsane?!" She yelled. "Or have you just been walking around with your head in the clouds for the last DECADE?!" Her patience with the woman had worn thin and it didn't help that her stomach was beginning to rumble from obvious hunger. "Maybe if you just got off the couch for once in your life and gotten yourown job, we wouldn't be knee deep in debt and God knows what else! Maybe, and just maybe because I know this is a little far-fetched Miriam, but maybe if you didn't waste all the little money Bob can give you on ingredients for your special relaxation smoothies, we might have more food in the house instead of this TRASH!" She yelled; slamming the refrigerator door shut and causing her parental figure to jump. "But who am I kidding…" Helga laughed before storming passed her mom and into the doorway. "That's just a dream." She finished before leaving her mother in dead silence.

Throwing the emporium door open, Helga stomped out and into the sunlight. She could see the puddles on the ground from the night's rain as well as trash scattered about due to the storm drains being overfilled.Nothing ever changes…She cursed before looking up into the sky to see that most of the dark clouds were far away, promising a sunnier day.

As sunlight peered through the glass windows of Arnold's ceiling, he awoke with an irritated stir. He had been having pleasant dreams all night long which consisted of regular adolescent boy things andnotuncomfortable things he didn't want to think about. Proceeding to stretch and climb out of his bed, Arnold scratched his sides and moseyed on down stairs for breakfast.

"You sure slept long!" Phil called out to the boy as he flipped through the mail he had just acquired.

Arnold let out a loud yawn and started to walk downstairs. "I did?" He asked, completely unsure of the time.

"Yeah! You even missed out on breakfast so you'll have to make do with cereal today," Phil answered, pulling out his pocket watch and opening it up to give the boy a more precise time. "It's about quarter after 10, Shortman."

The time alarmed the young man and he immediately raced into the kitchen to pour himself a bowl, causing the older man to follow with curiosity.

"What's on the agenda today that's got you all in a rush, Arnold?" Phil asked as he patiently watched the boy make his breakfast.

Grabbing the milk out of the refrigerator, Arnold had no time to look up at his elder as he poured the milk and quickly placed it back; shutting the door with his foot. "Today that model is coming here for the photo shoot with Bob's beepers, remember Grandpa?" He replied as he grabbed a spoon and shoveled a mouthful of sugary sweet puffs into his mouth. "You agreed to bring me."

"Was that today?" Phil asked himself out loud, causing his grandson to react with alarm and nod with his mouth full. "Well thank goodness I have nothing to do other than help my favorite grandson and his little friends." He smiled; letting the boy calm down and continue his breakfast. "Just let me know when you're ready and I'll get the Packard up and running."

"Will do, Grandpa." Arnold replied as he watched the old man leave the kitchen; continuing to finish his bowl with haste.

It didn't take long for the boy to finish his meal before he placed his things in the sink and ran back up into his room to get ready. Tossing his clothes around and reaching into his closet for a fresh, new pair, Arnold began to think positively.Today is a new day…He thought as he put on his clothing one by one.Today I'm finally going to be able to help Helga in the way she's helped me.Nothing is going to stand in my way!

Standing outside of the boarding house, Helga wrinkled up her nose. Showing up unannounced wasn't out of the ordinary, however she couldn't help but feel out of place. It was early, after all and it wasn't as if she was with others. It was her, alone, in front of Arnold's house with no one else joining them until much later. It would have been one thing if it was for some project or school work or even some sort of sports activity however this wasn't the case. She was standing there becausehewas taking them to watch some hotshot take prissy photos in hope of her family gaining some profit and moving out of that God forsaken money pit of a franchise.

Sucking in a huge amount of air to calm her nerves, the girl walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. "Calm down, Helga! This is totally easy! Arnold is probably gonna answer like he normally does and greet you with his award winning smile, invite you inside and soon you'll leave." She amped herself up. Unfortunately, to her dismay, it was not Arnold who had opened up the front door, but his mother.

With a rather large amount of surprise, Stella held the door open to Helga and smiled. "Hello there! You must be here for Arnold, aren't you?" The woman greeted warmly as if she was some older, female version of her beloved Football head.

"Uhhh…" Helga had not expected to be received by her and was completely off her guard. "Yeah… You could say that." She shrugged as she acted in her nonchalant way.

Stella opened the door wide and gestured the girl in. "Come on in! I'm sure he's getting ready." She welcomed, causing Helga to uncomfortably do what she was asked.

Unsure of her next course of action, Helga found herself standing in the lobby with her hands on her hips, looking around. There had been many times she had set foot inside Arnold's house, but only a handful where she wasn't with Arnold when entering. She watched as Stella walked away and found it suitable to follow in hopes of some way to pass the time while she waited for her boyfriend.

Into the kitchen they both walked; Stella fully aware of her shadow. "Would you like something to eat?" The mother asked, turning to the self-conscious girl. "We had a rather large dinner last night and I'm sure there are some leftovers, if you don't mind eating dinner for lunch."

"Lunch?" Helga asked, looking up at the clock, uncertain of what to do.

"Yeah!" Stella smiled as she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a container. "Would you like some?"

"What? Do I look like a charity case to you?" Helga responded, crossing her arms and looking rebellious. "I'm not here to eat, I'm here so we can get going."

If the woman hadn't been warned of Helga's harsh demeanor, she would have been taken aback however this wasn't the case and she only smiled. "Oh don't worry, we have plenty!" Stella replied as she pulled out a second and third storage container with days of the week labeled on it.

The food looked tantalizing and Helga's stomach betrayed her and let out a loud whining noise that could probably be heard even rooms away. Blushing in embarrassment, she turned around to no longer look at the appetizing meal being paraded in front of her. "Look lady, that's nice in all but I don'tneedyour handouts. I'm perfectly fine how I am."

"Hungry?" Stella asked with an awkward expression, "No one is fine being hungry, Helga. Sit down and eat!" She insisted as she made the girl a plate against her will and warmed it up in the microwave.

Realizing that there was no way out of her situation, Helga glanced over her shoulder to see the woman removing the plate from the warmer and setting it on the table. "It's meatloaf and potatoes! I made it myself." Stella boasted, clearly proud and showing it.

Helga could smell the meal from where she stood and her stomach let out another, more violent whine. Stubbornly she marched over to the table and sat down. Stella's smile widened as the girl finally gave in and she handed her a fork. "Dig in!" She exclaimed with excitement.

"Just so you know, I'm only doing this because you're forcing me…" Helga commented before taking a small bite to see if it tasted as good as it looked. Her eyes widened with shock as the flavors all seemed to blend together in some holy concoction only made by the most skilled chefs. "This is delicious!" She expressed, taking a few more bites.

"I'm glad you think so!" Stella gleamed, grasping both her hands together before pulling out a chair and joining Helga at the table. "Arnold enjoyed it a lot as well!"

The topic of her adored only caused Helga to stop eating with a grinding halt, causing her fork to drop on her plate with a loud clang. It had just dawned on her that she was eating lunch, in his house, with hismother! Her- Helga G. Pataki was inside Arnold's residence partaking in casual conversation with the dork's own biological mother!

"Is there something wrong?" Stella asked, assuming maybe the food no longer tasted right as it had been inside the cooler for a few days.

Not wanting to cause any issue to disrupt their unusual gathering, Helga shook her head and continued to eat her meal. "No, this is pretty great!" She complimented again, nearly finishing the plate.

It warmed Stella's heart to see the girl eat so rabidly. Was her food really that good? Or was Helga just that hungry that any bit of morsel would have made due? Whatever the case was, it didn't matter to the woman as she watched the girl nearly lick her plate clean.

Taking the empty plate, Stella placed it inside the sink and began to wash it. She had wanted to speak to Helga for a while but never really knew when she'd get the opportunity, but the gift had been given to her now and seemed oddly perfect. "So… Tell me about yourself." Stella finally managed to blurt out, although feeling a little out of place.

"Huh?" Helga turned to the woman, surprised to be asked such a thing.

Stella swallowed and finished placing her dish into the strainer; turning off the kitchen sink. "Tell me about yourself!" She repeated confidently. "The things you like and dislike, what you want to be when you grow up… you know, things that make you- you!"

The gears in Helga's mind began to grind forward as she did her best to analyze the woman to see if there could possibly be any weird motives to this honest question. Adorning her hostile front, Helga snorted. "What's it matter to you what I like?"

Tilting her head and thinking to herself her own motives, Stella walked to the table and sat besides the girl. "Any mother would like to get to know the girl that her son fancies." She replied bluntly. "You must be one special girl and I'd like to get to know the you hiding behind that rough exterior."

Her words glided through Helga's brain like an ice skating champion and left her stunned.There is absolutely no doubt about it, this is definitely Arnold's mother...Thought Helga as she did her best to push back her obviously growing frustration,Leave it to her to analyze me within 5 whole seconds of me being here!Helga looked at the woman and scowled further. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about!" Helga stammered. "F-fancy?! Arnold doesn't fancy me and I'm not special! I'm just your average school bully who likes to get under the skin of others!"

"Uh huh…" Stella sighed, placing her elbow on the table and resting her head against the hand propped up. "Keep telling yourself that honey and you definitely won't get any further." Her remark was laced with obvious knowledge of Helga's past.

Feeling completely put on display, Helga panicked and did the only thing she knew how to do. "Yeah well you don't know me, okay?" She frowned, crossing her legs and tipping herself back in her chair, "So back off, will ya?"

The adult shook her head and recalled the stories told to her by her son. "You do remember that your deeds are what woke me and my husband up, right? No need to put on a show." She answered calmly but with intent. "Arnold has told me a lot about you already. It's alright to relax a little, Helga. No one is here to hurt you."

Her words began to sound a little like her old therapists and Helga sighed sadly. It had been quite awhile since she had seen the woman since her office moved clear across the city and she couldn't help but painfully admit that she missed her kind words. Helga's scowl faded and she considered her next actions carefully. Knowing there was no point in forcing the façade, her only other option would be to come clean, however she also wasn't about to lay her life out on the table for this stranger to judge either. "There isn't much to tell," She finally spoke as she slouched awkwardly in her chair; half her body becoming hidden by the table she sat at. "I like lots of things." However no examples seemed to come to mind besides the woman's son.

"Like what?" Stella asked, happy that the girl was finally exposing herself a little.

"Criminy! Am I being put on trial here?!" Helga blasted out with a red face, causing Stella to gasp in shock. "I like wrestling, eating junk food, playing sports or anything that gets me away from my stupid family-", Helga could see the woman became concerned at her last example and quickly tried to change the subject. "And you know other girly things…." She lied in a high pitched and embarrassed voice.

Opening her mouth to question Helga further, Stella suddenly became distracted as she saw her Mother-in-law walk in unannounced. The old woman's eyes brightened and she rushed over to Helga. "Eleanor! How good it is to see you again!" She said with delight. "I suspect you're here to accompany the President on his wellness services?"

Aware of the older woman's eccentric personality, Helga arched her eyebrow at the name as if she had heard it once before. "Eleanor?" She questioned out loud.

"Mom, her name is Helga." Stella laughed nervously at the woman who responded with shaking her head.

"Do I look senile to you?" The elderly woman asked ironically, "I know who Eleanor is!" Gerty then walked over to Helga and lifted her chin up to get a better look at the girl, causing Helga to recoil a little but let the woman do as she pleased. "Why, she's our Presidents first lady! Eleanor has done a lot of good for this country and has been a strong back bone for our President." She went on explaining with a proud smile and let go of Helga. "The most controversial First Lady in history; a strong independent feminist leader and someone we can all look up to. Right, Eleanor?"

Feeling her cheeks become rosy at the blatant compliment, Helga became uneasy and slowly lifted her body out of her chain and moved backwards towards an exit and away from the ridiculousness that was currently unfolding. "Riiiiiight…." She answered slowly, noticing Stella's puzzled look. "Well I better go help the President then! Don't wanna keep the old man waiting…" But as she reached the doorway, she felt her body collide with an opposing yet soft force from behind. Turning around with a heavy sense of dread, Helga was relieved to see her savior. "You're a sight for sore eyes." She mumbled to the confused yet surprised looking boy behind her.

"Helga? Aren't you a little early? Or am I just late…?" Arnold asked, hoping it was the first one. Before he could get an answer, Helga grabbed his arm and immediately led him away from the two older females watching them with interest.

"That's not important right now, just get me away from this nut house…" She responded in a low voice as she turned a corner, hoping the other two couldn't hear.

Finally able to get away from her uncomfortable situation, Helga brought the both of them outside so she could breathe some fresh air, and let go of his arm. The air seemed so much cleaner and crisp now that she could control her surroundings and Helga filled her lungs with ease.

Arnold stood there in the doorway and watched as the girl relaxed. Although he had some ideas of what could have happened inside his kitchen, he found it best to let her speak of it herself. "What happened?" He asked, shutting the door behind him.

Helga looked over her shoulder at him and shrugged. "I don't know. At first your Mom wanted to be all hospitable and wholesome then suddenly wanted to deconstruct me." She explained with a tone that gradually became annoyed. "Then your loony grandma came in and started calling me by someone else's name and claimed I was married to the President." Helga then fully turned to him and watched as his face became sullen. "Your whole family is a bunch of weirdos."

Knowing that her insults weren't meant to be taken personally, Arnold gave a soft understanding smile. "Yeah… Grandma can get kinda weird but you get used to it after a while. She calls me all sorts of names too." He gave a small chuckle before focusing on the more important subject she had pointed out. "What do you mean she deconstructed you? What exactly happened?"

His question only reminded her more of what his mother was like and she peered at him up and down with a sort of skepticism. "I'll just say you two have an uncanny resemblance and I'm not referring to your head shape." She hinted.

Now only leaving him with more questions, Arnold tilted his head and tried to concentrate on her answer but before any real answers came to mind, he heard the door behind him open up. Turning his head and glancing up, he saw his Grandpa shuffling through his pockets and looking for his car keys.

"You two ready to go?" Phil asked as he found his treasure with a gleam in his eye.

"Yeah, yeah let's just get this over with." Helga replied as she placed her hands on her hips.

The moment had passed for Arnold to get more out of her and he pushed his questions in the back of his mind and smiled up at his grandfather. "Sure!" Arnold answered; giving his grandpa a sense that what had troubled the boy the night prior had been lifted, even if temporarily.

"Okie Dokie then kids," Phil said as he walked passed them and to the driver's side door. "Hop on in and I'll take ya where ya gotta go!"

No one in that Packard had expected to see what they saw the moment they had reached the address given to them by Gerald and Phoebe. Next to the car stood a shabby small building with broken security camera, toppled over trash cans and a partially boarded up front window.

Phil scratched his chin and couldn't help but feel that the children might be unsafe in their location. "You guys sure this is the right place?" He asked as he could hear shouting in the distance from an unknown couple.

Arnold opened up his wrinkled piece of paper and reexamined the address. "Yeah… this is the place."

Looking at the car's window, Helga shook her head in both disappointment and frustration. "Leave it to Geraldo to give us the most sketchiest place on earth to hold a photo shoot. They're not even here yet and Rhonda and that girl could be here any minute!"

Not wanting Helga to be anymore discouraged about their luck, Arnold turned to her with a thoughtful smile. "Don't worry, Helga. I'm sure they'll be here soon."

Phil let out another low moan as he looked around their surroundings once more. "There are going to be adults with you, right? If not then I'll probably wait out here and listen to some tunes."

There hadn't been any mention of Gerald bringing his father or brother, nor were there any mention of Phoebe's family coming along and he couldn't even imagine Rhonda bringing anyone of significance. Arnold shook his head to his grandpa. "I don't think anyone else is coming unless the model brings someone. Are you sure you want to just sit in the car?" He asked, not wanting his grandfather to be uncomfortable. "It might get pretty boring."

The old man let out a laugh and turned up his radio as a song started to play. "Don't worry about me, Shortman! That's my job! Besides I got plenty of company from these old dead singers." He replied as he gestured to the radio.

Knowing there was no point in trying to reason with his elder further, Arnold turned back to Helga who still had the same annoyed expression. "You want to get out and have a look at the place before the others arrive? Since Gerald and Phoebe already scoped it out, I figure we might as well also."

Helga shrugged and opened the car door to let herself out. "Whatever floats your boat, Arnoldo." She replied, exiting and slamming the door behind her.

Arnold turned to Phil one last time, who gave the boy a thumbs up, then proceeded on exiting himself. The air around him smelt strongly of gasoline and smoke. He could still hear loud yelling in the distance along with car alarms and other miscellaneous noises. It wasn't the best place to be but it also wasn't the worst place, right?

The two walked up to the building and began checking it out. Tapping on the wooden plank that had secured the window, Helga sighed. "Well ain't she the prettiest thing." She commented sarcastically.

Arnold ignored her and continued his own investigation. Finding the entrance being on the side of the building, he jiggled the handle to see if it would open. Much to his surprise the door opened freely and the young boy looked inside with interest. "It's open!" He shouted to Helga who was still at the front of the building.

The girl grumbled and followed his voice. "Of course it is. Why would this place be locked? Not like anyone is trying to get inside this musty place anyway. I'm sure the co*ckroaches are very happy with letting anyone just waltz inside and party with them…" but as she arrived at the door and looked inside, it hadn't been exactly what she was expecting. Rising her eyebrow in interest, she walked in and past her companion focusing mainly on the stage. "Huh…" She then looked around for a light switch. "Hey Arnold, turn on a light, will ya?"

The boy turned around and began to feel the wall for any sort of switch. It was rather dark inside and his eyes had not adjusted to it, as well as the dust floating around didn't help. Eventually he came across a switch and flipped it up. A large assortment of lights above the stage flickered on and temporarily blinded the two, causing them to both whine and moan in shock.

"Warn me next time you find it!" Helga shrieked; covering her face.

Feeling the same disorientation she was, Arnold breathed in some of the dust and began to cough. "Sorry about that…"

Now having proper lighting, Arnold's eyes adjusted and he began to look at the sight. In front of him were a few high beam light stands, as well as multi color lights that hung above the stage that were currently lit up and the only light source in the room. On the ground, there were a few scattered plastic soda bottles along with a lone beer can. "We should clean this place up a little before everyone gets here…" Arnold thought out loud, causing Helga to jerk her head in his direction.

"Oh no! I didn't sign up to be maintenance in this crap town of a place! I am absolutely NOT cleaning up this dump!" She shouted as she placed her hands on her hips.

After some coercing from the only boy she ever known to convince her of things she didn't want to do, Helga stood on top of the stage with a broomstick in her hand. "I can't believe I'm cleaning up this dump…"

Arnold had found the janitorial closet and began to utilize the few supplies he found, along with giving Helga her broom. Using a small trash can, he began picking up the bottles and tossing them inside. "It's not that bad, Helga." He replied with a reassuring smile. "I'm sure everyone will really appreciate it when they arrive."

"I'm sure everyone will appreciate it when they arrive…" She mimicked back to him as she angrily swept the dirt off the stage and onto the floor. "Of course they will, paste-for-brains! We're the ones getting all down and dirty and all they'll have to do is show up, doi!"

Unable to contain his amusem*nt with her angry sweeping, Arnold chuckled to himself and continued to pick up the garbage lying about, such as pieces of wood, cardboard and wrappers from food. Soon his trash can was pretty full and he threw its contents into the community dumpster outside. Looking to the right, he could see his grandpa was still bobbing his head to his music, causing Arnold to smile and head back inside. He watched as Helga jumped off the stage and onto the floor, sweeping up the dirt she had just thrown there and making a large pile. "You know, Helga. Even though you don't like cleaning, you're doing a good job." He complimented.

Helga gave a loud snort and refused to look back at him. "Your witty compliment isn't going to change the fact I didn't sign up for this." She responded; searching around for the dust pan he had given her with the broom. "Where is that dang-blasted dust pan?!"

He could see the object in question and proceeded to pick it up from the corner of the stage. "You mean this one?" He asked as he turned around, his smile not leaving his face.

"Yes…THATone!" Helga blurted out before collecting as much dirt as possible in the area and making sure it was in one lump sum. "Now hurry up and hand it over so I can just be done."

With a nod, Arnold walked over towards her with the pan firmly grasped in his hand.I feel like today is going pretty well…He thought. Looking around the room, he noticed a clear difference from when they had first arrived and now.I bet Gerald will be amazed to see how far we've come with this place… I'll bet—But before he could finish his thought, Arnold's foot gracefully stepped on the one beer can he had missed and wobbled before losing his balance and falling forward with a loud yell. Dust blew up in the air and scattered around him. He could feel that he had landed on something warm and soft, and with much interest, the boy opened his eyes. Instantly, he realized what orwhohe fell on. An inch away from his own face was the scarlet face of Helga G. Pataki.

"Why don't youeverwatch where you're walking, Football head?!" She asked, clearly flustered that he was now lying on top of her.

"I-I'm sorry!" He responded, feeling his own face turn red at the sight of hers. He turned his head to see the object he had tripped on. "I guess I didn't pick up as well as I thought, huh?"

He could feel the warmth of her body beneath his and then the slow rise and fall of her breathing. Turning back to face her, images of his dream, that he had done his best to push as far back as possible, began to flood his mind and his heart began to race. He needed to get off of her, but his body seemed to refuse.

"Y-you gonna get off me or w-what?" Helga asked quietly, however secretly enjoying their union. She had always envisioned such an accident happening while daydreaming in class, but never did she think such a stereotypical comedic thing could actually happen in real life. What made it even better was he didn't seem to mind it either. She could feel his heart pounding against her chest and all Helga could do was gaze up into his lustrous green eyes.

He had heard her question, however her words seemed to breeze through his ears like a passing gust of wind. Arnold felt his breathing beginning to get heavy as well as his body heating up. The sensation he was experiencing was similar to that of the him in his dream."Just accept it, Arnold. Just relax and give in… You don't really want me to stop, do you?"Her words echoed in his mind. "But I'm already sick, if that's what you wanna call it…"He could remember the almost unstoppable urge he had experienced too, as his prize was right in front of his face, in the flesh.

Helga swallowed hard and began to feel nervous.What's wrong with him?She wondered as she looked upon his dazed face.Not that I'm not totally enjoying this but… is this really okay?The girl could feel herself begin to sweat from the collection of heat between the two of them. Arnold, the calm and collected; the thoughtful and considerate; the idol upon which she worshiped was acting in a way she had never seen in her life. "E-earth to Football head…" She hesitated softly. "Are you okay?"

Just let yourself go… It's fine, right?Her scent was beginning to overwhelm his senses and Arnold could feel himself being drawn in closer and closer to her, however slow the progression actually was in real time. "I'm…. fine." He responded, although unsure if he had actually spoken aloud at all. The hunger had come back. "It's fine… right?" He asked himself even if it looked like it was directed to her.

"W-what's fine?" She responded with unease. Her pleasurable fantasy was unfolding before her eyes.Does he finally want me the way I want him?She wondered as her eyes searched his for answers.Why am I so nervous?Her heart felt like it was going to explode out of her chest.

Just as Helga had finally decided she was ready to accept whatever he intended on doing, the door behind them creaked open, causing them both to whip their heads to the side to see who was there. A small surprised Phoebe stood in the doorway, clutching a camera. [pic]

"Uhh… Excuse me." She squeaked out before politely stepping back out and closing the door.

The interruption had snapped Arnold back into clarity and he immediately jumped off of her and turned away. Catching his breath, he wasn't sure if he should be embarrassed, apologetic or what. Words and sentences began to flood his mind as he tried to piece some of them together to form something intelligible.

Meanwhile, Helga pulled herself up and dusted herself off. Luckily for her, they didn't fall into her dirt pile, although that was the least of her concerns. Out of all of the people who could have walked into them in such a state, they were very lucky it had been her best friend. Phoebe was always a polite and understanding person and knew to never speak of anything that wasn't her own business. That moment was safe with her, and Helga knew it. Sighing with a sense of relief, Helga wondered what to say to her clearly unstable partner. Opening her mouth to speak, she stuttered a moment before closing it again and realizing she had no ideawhatto say. Instead, she grabbed the dust pan lying on the floor and finished collecting the dirt and placing it into his freshly emptied trash can.

"I'm sorry." She heard him mutter out.

"H-huh?" Helga responded, despite having heard his words.

"I…" Arnold started quietly. "I don't know what's wrong with me…"

Replaying their scene in her mind, Helga had little doubt what was wrong with him.What do I say? Do I tell him? Is that right? Is that weird? Yeah that's definitely weird.She concluded in her mind.There has to be something for me to say to ease his mind though… It looks like the poor kid is torturing himself over there!Helga watched as Arnold seemed frozen in place, still staring at the floor, facing away from her. "There… is nothing wrong with you…" She replied slowly, with a soothing voice. "You fell… It happens…" Helga finished with a small chuckle, choosing to feign ignorance to the whole thing.

"No, that's not it." He admitted, pushing all his conflicting emotions deep down into the pit of his stomach. "I'm really sorry, Helga."

Wanting absolutely nothing more than to comfort him; Helga collected all her courage and walked over to him, placing her arms around his midsection and embracing him from behind. "Don't be sorry, Arnold." Her voice as sincere as it had ever been.

Confusion, humility and desperation were all the young man could feel. Her words were warm, as well as her gesture, however Arnold couldn't help but feel as though he did something terribly wrong even if he wasn't exactly sure whatthatwas. "It's just… I had this really weird dream and now it's almost like I can't control myself." He admitted with a cracked voice.

"What kind of weird dream?" His words had piqued her interests.

Arnold shook his head, unsure if he should even explain such a private thing to her. "I don't know… Just weird" He replied. "You were there and…" His voice began to get quiet as he thought back and relayed his vision into words, "We were locked in the school. You said I wanted us to be there and we were sick but it was okay… and to let go. " Finally, Arnold turned around to her and locked his desperate eyes onto hers, causing her to let go and step back. "What does that mean?"

"I-… uh..." Helga stammered with a blush, "I'm… not sure? It could mean lots of things." She lied, turning her head to the side as to not get lost in his eyes once more. "Dreams can be weird like that. I wouldn't think too much of it." Helga gulped.That's right, Helga. Just play along! Let him believe that it meant nothing so he can go back to being his usual easy going football headed self!Helga began to walk back slowly, knowing the only real escape was out the actual door. She could see his desperate expression hadn't wavered.

Remembering that Phoebe had opened the door on them, it had clicked into Arnold's brain that Gerald was probably also there, and possibly everyone else. Stealing his emotions and deciding that he would deal with his issues later and at a better time, Arnold walked over to the door and opened it. At first it looked like no one was outside, until he heard familiar voices. Leaving Helga alone inside the studio, Arnold headed out the door to find his company.

Helga stood there in shock for a moment; gathering up all the information she could process about what had just happened. Her heart was still pounding from their encounter and she placed her hand over her locket and took a long breath in. "Oh my love…" She cooed, "Never had I ever expected you to look at me with those eyes. Never had I dreamed my fantasies would come true. Doth my mind deceive me? Have I become insane?" Taking out her locket, she closed her eyes and clutched it tightly as if pouring all her emotion into it. "Is this really real? Or am I just dreaming…?" Opening them once more, she gazed into his face with growing concern. "What has awakened inside of you…?"

Chapter 12

Chapter Text

In front of the studio, Mr. Johansson had engaged Phil into some talks of politics while Gerald rested his back up against the Packard, legs and arms crossed with an expression of pure annoyance. He had expressed his feelings to his dad more than once that morning about how he didn't need to accompany them; however his father had completely disagreed the moment he saw which street they'd be on. It was luck that Arnold's grandpa would be there as Martin Johansson would have attached himself to the kid every step of the way.

"And can you believe what the governor is doing?" Martin asked as he rested his forearm against the car's door. "As if this city wasn't falling apart at the seams, she is just letting go half of our state's major contractors!"

Phil shook his head. His wife had always kept him up to date with everything going on with the world and this wasn't the first of him hearing such news. "Yeah… it's a shame everything is going to waste now. Back in my day, everything had such color and flare. You could see life wherever you went and now…"

"Now the whole city is becoming a waste land." Martin said, finishing Phil's sentence. "More and more shops are closing up and moving away due to the high cost of rent. Small mom and pop shops can't seem to stay open anymore! And it's the same for neighboring cities as well."

Scratching his bald head, the elderly man gave a grim expression before sparking back to light. "Hey! Why don't you run for governor then?" He asked inquisitively.

"Me?!" Mr. Johansson took a step back in shock. "What makes you think I could do something like that?"

"Well you have all these really great ideas so why the heck not?" Phil said half jokingly. "If you really want something to change, your next step is to make efforts and if your efforts aren't getting ya anywhere then… why not climb on into the big boy's chair?"

Martin pondered a moment, taking the suggestion into heavy consideration. The man's words were a compliment, however he couldn't help but think of the major consequences' that followed such a power of position. "No… I couldn't do that. I have to make sure my family is well provided for first before I could sacrifice my time like that." He responded to Phil, looking over at his still agitated son. "Family must always come first."

"Of course they do but wouldn't you be helping them in the long run?" Phil mused, now just entertaining the thought. He had known Martin for a long time as he was his grandson's best friend's father. He knew that Martin was all about family and responsibility but he also knew that he had a good understanding of his own limits. He wasn't the type of man who would bite off more than he could chew.

"Sadly, I'll have to decline your offer Phil." The middle aged man smiled. "However I appreciate the thought." With an exasperated sigh, Martin looked down the dirty street in front of them. "I'll just have to continue writing letters to congress in hopes someone will listen."

"There ya go." Phil nodded. "Someone some where's gotta be getting them." He encouraged half heartedly.

Gerald let out a groan and straightened himself back up. "Will you just go now?" He whined. "As you can see Arnold's grandpa is here to 'chaperone' us. You can go home and write that letter. Whatcha say, Dad?"

Adjusting his glasses, Martin looked sharply down at his son. "I'll say that you need to start speaking to me with respect, young man." He scolded. "I made it clear the moment we got here that I'd be sticking around. No young children need to be roaming around this part of the city, especially unsupervised. It's great that Phil is here and I'll accompany him in waiting for you all to be done. Is that clear?" His face was stern as well as his body unmovable.

"Yes sir…" Gerald sulked and began to walk away from them both. Sticking his hand in his pockets, he looked around to see where Phoebe might have gone. After they had parked, she took the liberty to find their friends however no one had resurfaced.

Walking around to the side of the building where he knew the entrance would be, Gerald spied his girlfriend coming back his way. "Where have you been?" He asked confused.

His voice startled the nervous girl as she still hadn't normalized from the sight she had scene. "Oh… I was just… umm…" She mumbled as she got close to him, catching his hand and leading him back towards the front of the building. "They said they would be right out and to wait here!" Phoebe spat out quickly, her face turning red.

Noticing her abnormal behavior, Gerald raised an eyebrow and looked down at her. "Uh huh…" He replied, looking her over. "What's got you all flustered all of a sudden?"

"N-nothing!" Phoebe stuttered, as she stopped once they were in the clear of the door. "Nothing at all… heh." She finished with a nervous laugh.

Very sure that something was being kept from him; Gerald furrowed his brows and became upset. It seemed like everyone had been deciding to keep him out of the loop with one thing or another and it was becoming a vicious trend. Did no one trust him? Wasn't he the keeper of all that went on around him and his friends? It wasn't as if he was gonna go blab it all out to everyone. Gerald knew well how to keep secrets and yet it seemed lately that he was the last to know about a lot of things. Wanting nothing more than to yell in frustration, Gerald knew it wasn't right to take it out on his girlfriend, especially today. Channeling his feelings into something more productive, he forced himself to calm down and focused on her thoughtfully. "Are you feeling any better?" He asked, recalling that she had had a rough start to her morning.

Phoebe nodded. "Yes. Fortunately the pain has passed…" She then frowned as she looked down at her stomach, "Though I would really like to know what's causing these nightly stomach aches."

"How long has this been going on?" The boy asked. He had wanted to ask her about all of this earlier however his father had been pressing them for time, assuming they would be late to this gathering.

Thinking to herself for the moment, Phoebe hummed. "A little less than a week, I'd say." She answered. "I've been considering telling Mother about this, however I also don't want to needlessly worry her either. I'm sure it's just a stomach bug or something and will pass in time." Phoebe forced a smile and turned back to him. She could see that he was worried about her and it made her feel a little fuzzy inside.

Scratching the back of his freshly groomed head, Gerald could see that she was doing her best. "Alright then… But if this continues you really should let your parents know." A faint pink color emerged on his tanned cheeks and he turned his head to look at something irrelevant. "I don't know what I would do if it wound up being something… serious."

"Oh…" Her faced mimicked his with a blush and her warm fuzzy feeling grew.

As the awkwardness ensued, it was eventually interrupted by Arnold finally emerging from around the side of the building with a hurried look on his face. Everyone's attention turned to the young man who looked like he had just escaped something horrible.

"Hey guys!" He called out panting, acting as if everything was alright with him.

"Uhh… Hey man." Gerald called back, reverting back to his regular demeanor. "You guys done in there?"

The question was innocent enough, however Arnold's face flushed as he could only imagine that Phoebe had told him what she had seen. He turned to the Asian girl with a panicked face, but she shook her head and smiled, giving him instant relief.

"Y-yeah! We cleaned the place pretty good!" He replied, hoping she had given him some sort of excuse for their absence in there, and figuring the truth would ease his conscience. "You two should see!" Arnold then looked around and noticed that neither Rhonda nor the girl had arrived yet. Pulling out his pocket watch, he looked at the time. It was well passed 1pm and yet their meeting was for Noon. "Where is Rhonda? Didn't we all agree to be here like an hour ago?"

"Sorry we were late…" Gerald breathed out, unsure if he had any business explaining their situation since it was personal.

Phoebe nodded and blushed with embarrassment. "It was my fault, Arnold." She admitted. "I was feeling a little sick and everyone had stalled for me. I apologize."

Giving a small smile, Arnold nodded. "That's okay. Are you feeling better?" He asked with genuine kindness.

"Yes, much better." Phoebe's color turned to her normal tone and she smiled back, glad that her friend understood.

Arnold extended his arm and gestured them to around the side of the building to the entrance. Both of his friends looked to one another to make sure everyone was on the same page, then followed Arnold inside where Helga had decided to organize things a little to pass the time.

Noticing her audience, the pigtailed girl turned around and crossed her arms. "Took you all long enough! We were so bored we practically scrubbed the place clean!" She howled. Realizing that it was only the four of them assembled, Helga gave them all a questioning look. "Where is little miss princess and her friend?"

Everyone gave a small shrug in response, making Helga feel a little uneasy. "She didn't pull one over on us and make us all come here for no reason, right?" She asked mostly to Arnold with a death glare.

Feeling her hostility, Arnold frowned. "I…I don't think so." He replied before turning to look out the door again. "I mean, I hope not anyway…"

"That would be quite unlike her." Phoebe added. "I'm sure she is justfashionably late, as she would put it."

Letting out a loud whine, Helga sat herself down on the stage; gazing up at the multi colored lights. Everyone gathered around her and sat down as well, figuring they might as well make do with the time they had and just chit-chat until their guest either arrived or enough time had passed for them to give up hope.

Luckily for them, it only took a few more minutes until they heard a car pull into the small driveway by the door. With haste, Arnold jumped up and ran to it making sure it was who he thought it was.

The car was no ordinary car but a hot red 1965 Ford Mustang convertible. In the driver's seat was a tall, intelligent looking man with slicked back black hair, glasses and a suit and tie. The man glanced over at Arnold, before turning to his passenger and whispering something into the girl's ear. The girl passenger giggled, then promptly opened up her side of the door, gathered some of her belongings and walked towards Arnold.

The young woman was taller than him, however only slightly. Her brown hair had gotten a little longer than when he had seen her in Rhonda's picture and was being worn down to the right side, with her ear exposed. Although she was wearing thick square framed glasses, he could clearly see her bright blue eyes which matched with her blue and orange checkered flannel shirt; accompanied by an off white shirt which was tucked into her high cut jean shorts; with threads hanging out of the cut legs. Her smile seemed warm and welcoming as she got only inches from him. "Hello! You must be Arnold!" She said with her hand out for a shake. "I'm Marcy!"

Arnold took her hand and shook it softly. "Yes! It's nice to meet you Marcy." He replied, letting go of her hand and looking back at the street. "Where is Rhonda?"

"Hmmm…" She replied, turning the same way he had. "I'm not sure. She told me she would be here but… maybe something had come up?" Marcy suggested, before turning to look back at him. "Will it be a problem if it's just me?"

Hearing concern in her voice, Arnold violently shook his head from side to side. "No! No not at all!" Stepping to the side to give her entrance, he smiled. "Right this way."

Marcy smiled back and gave a small giggle before obeying his words and walking through the doorway. Arnold looked back at the man in the car, who simply gave him a thoughtless look and turned back in front of himself. "Who is that?" He asked, catching up to her.

"That's my manager, Paul." Marcy replied as she stopped and noticed the other 3 people in the room. "He's also my Dad. Go figure."

"Oh…" Arnold could feel himself getting tense as if that man would cut anyone who laid even a finger on her. His demeanor was icy enough that he could feel it miles away.

Everyone got off the stage and introduced themselves, shaking her hand one by one.

"It's really nice to meet all of you. You guys seem pretty chill." Marcy greeted as she looked each one of them over one by one. "Unfortunately I can't stay too, too long but we can make the best of the time we have." She finished with a small sad sigh.

"Alright sister, then let's cut to the chase." Helga said as she pulled out two nicely shined beepers. "These are for you to wear and show off and be all flashy with, got it?" She then handed them to the girl who gladly accepted them. Placing one on the rim of her jeans, Marcy then pulled out a hair band which she secured the other one to, before tying it into her hair but keeping it to her right side. Helga rolled her eyes at the girl's bubbly personality. "Criminy, we're not taking pictures yet. You don't gotta get all flashy right now…"

Ignoring Helga's attitude, Marcy looked at the stage. "So this is where we're gonna shoot?" She asked, placing a finger to her lips and examining it thoroughly. "It's pretty small but I suppose that's fine. Are the pictures going to be posted on the world wide web or in a Zine?"

Gerald pulled his camera off from around his neck. "We were probably going to put most on the internet but maybe make a flier out of one or two." He replied. "Whichever brings the most publicity"

Marcy nodded and continued looking the place over. "Alright. I assume you guys will be taking the pictures?" She asked, stepping onto the stage and positioning herself wherever she felt was right.

Phoebe turned her camera on and looked through the lens. "Correct. We may not be professionals but I am fully convinced that our skills are good enough for our objective." She replied as she turned to her boyfriend and gave a thumbs up.

Arnold could feel confidence well up inside of him and all his ill feelings prior seemed to float away. His friends were taking their roles very seriously and even Helga didn't look as annoyed as he figured she would be. "Thanks so much for this, Marcy." He called out to her, "You have no idea how much this means to us." He spoke for them all.

Looking down at the small boy, the older girl gave a grin. "Don't mention it. Let me know when you are all ready and I'll start posin'!"

Helga snorted and sat down in a folding chair. She glanced over at Arnold and swooned over his goofy looking grin that had planted itself on his face.I'm so happy this is all working itself out for you, my love…She thought as she rested her head on the palm of her hand.But if you continue to smile like that at her, I'll probably kick you in the shin.She finished her thought with a scowl.

Arnold could feel her eyes on him but did his best not to look her way. Keeping himself occupied at what was important, and not letting himself get distracted by his own weaknesses, he turned to Gerald and Phoebe. "You guys ready?"

"Camera's are loaded, my man!" Gerald replied as he showed Arnold his camera's red little light, indicating that it was on.

"Ready when you are." Phoebe chimed in with a determined voice, as she pointed her camera at the girl who seemed to be already posing.

Placing his fingers together in a rectangle shape and placing it up to his eyes, Arnold placed the girl front and center. "And… Action!"

The photo shoot was lasting longer than Helga had expected. Sitting there, only mildly entertained by her friend's attempting to act professional, as well as the stupid poses of their new idol, she sighed to herself. She began to tap her foot on the ground, looking over at her beloved who had taken the role in which Rhonda was supposed to fill, suggesting places her to stand while she posed in a way she felt appropriate. His attention to the girl began to get on Helga's nerves but she did her best to quell her feelings, reminding herself ofwhyhe was doing this in the first place. Thoughts of her family moving back into her old house began to fill her head and she found herself smiling a little.Will this really work?She asked herself in silence.What if this does actually work? What if that adorable little football head actually pulls this off and I can finally move out of that dusty piece of crap closet?Thinking of her proud lair down in the basem*nt, Helga frowned.That means I'll have to dismantle my room of operations… that sucks. I put a lot of hard work into that; utilizing all those tv's that I found unused in the closet and even managing to fix that old computer? Phoebe helped me with all of my tapes and records too…But as she continued to ponder all her hard work, she continued to watch Arnold. Images of him falling on top of her and his reactions began to brighten her cheeks.I guess I won't be needing those things anymore… though.She thought with a flustered face.No more needing to monitor Arnold, stalk him day and night and record all of his generous deeds… Because I'll be there with him…Helga was reminded of their talk in his room almost a week ago. He had told her that he hoped she wouldn't hide anymore and rather she'd stay by his side out in the open. Her heart began to pitter patter in her chest lovingly as she watched him move and conduct, and she began to rock her chair back and forth.It's… hard to believe this is all real,She confessed to herself.My Arnold… I can't believe he looked at me with those eyes of longing; his half lidded gaze penetrating my soul… Oh how I long to be in that position once more, my dear! Could I possibly fathom what went through your oddly shaped mind during that moment? What had you wanted so desperately to do? Could it have been… to kiss me?!"Ohhh~" she moaned out loud before tipping her chair back far enough to make it fall over along with her, causing everyone in the room to stop what they were doing and turn to her.

"Helga, are you okay?" Phoebe asked as she put the camera down and rushed to her friend's side to help her up, but was pushed away.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine! Give me some space, will ya?" Helga shouted back as Phoebe stepped back to let Helga pick herself up. "Are we done now? This snooze fest had me sleeping so hard I fell out of my seat."

Marcy giggled at the little charade and jumped off of the stage. "I suppose it has been some time…" She mentioned as she looked over at her watch. "Do you think you have enough shots of me with these beepers?" She asked Gerald who was looking through his shots.

"Yeah. With a little editing I think these will be great!" He then looked over at Phoebe with Helga. "How about you babe, got some good photos?"

Phoebe blushed with a smile at his term of endearment and nodded earnestly, turning back to Helga. "Do you think it's possible to edit these in yourlair? You have far better equipment for this than anyone else here."

"Lair?" Arnold asked as the term piqued his interests.

"Yeah! Helga has this really cool place in her basem*nt-" Gerald started but before he could finish, he felt daggers on his back and looked at Helga who looked as if she was going to murder him.

"I think you mean my DAD has a lot of digital equipment in the basem*nt of the Beeper Emporium." The angry girl corrected with a hiss, shutting up Gerald further. Waving off Arnold's interest, she continued, "It's just a bunch of security software he had installed when he got all paranoid that someone would break in and steal his precious loot. It's nothing to be interested in. Just dusty old computer screens in a cramped basem*nt…"

Marcy could see that the friend's were having a moment and quietly began to gather her belongings. "Well it was fun guys, but I better be heading off now." She spoke happily as she approached Arnold and took him off guard with a hug. "You guys were pretty awesome, especially you Arnold."

"M-me?" He asked, feeling awkward about the sudden embrace out of nowhere from a stranger.

Letting him go, she backed up and folded her arms in back of her head. "Of course! You have talent in directing. Don't let it go to waste, ya know?"

Helga growled and walked to the side door to open it up. "Don't go making his football head swell up with confidence, lady. It's already big enough as it is."

"It was very nice meeting you." Phoebe said as she placed her hand out for a shake between girls, which was gracefully accepted.

"Likewise," Marcy responded with a shake. "I hope the pictures come out hot!" She then removed the beepers from her attired and handed them to Helga.

Finishing their farewells, Marcy waved one last time before exiting the building. Everyone could hear as her father's car revved its engine before speeding away down the street. "Wasn't she charming?" Helga asked sarcastically, closing the door.

"I dunno, I thought she was pretty nice." Gerald replied after turning off his camera, along with Phoebe's.

"Sure, if you like prissy little show offs with a perfect figure and no taste." Helga retorted with a huff.

Everyone frowned at her statement as they all disagreed but knew there was no point in arguing with her. Suspecting her ill mannered temper was due to Arnold's attention to the girl, Phoebe changed the subject. "I wonder what happened to Rhonda. I hope she's alright."

A spark of surprise lit up in Arnold's eyes as he remembered that she never showed up. Doing his best to not be pessimistic on the subject, he cleared his throat. "I'm sure something important came up."

"Important?" Gerald asked with a raised eyebrow. "What could possibly be more important than a fashion show to Rhonda Wellington Lloyd?"

Knowing his best friend was right, Arnold gave a fake smile. "Surprise family gathering she was forced to go to?" He suggested.

Having zero interest in what could have possibly happened to the stuck up rich girl, Helga took the liberty of leaving the building first. "Come on, Phoebe. I gotta get some fresh air. This place is mustier than a cemetery crypt."

"Coming!" The small girl replied before looking at the two boys and following her friend.

Somehow surprised that it was still daylight out, on account of the windows in the studio being boarded up and losing track of time, Phoebe squinted her eyes up at the sun which shined happily at her. She could hear her friend stomping away and followed in that direction.

Kicking the nearby trash can, Helga growled in frustration. "I can't believe that girl had thenerveto hug him. She doesn't even know him!"

Feeling sympathy for her friend, Phoebe adjusted her glasses and frowned. "I agree that it was rather bold of her to hug someone she just met like that, however we also don't know her either." Phoebe spoke softly, attempting to calm down her blustery friend. "It's possible that where she's from, it's common and acceptable to show affection outwardly to just anyone."

Phoebe could see that her words weren't doing any good as Helga kicked the trash can again, causing it to fall on the ground and spill its contents. Figuring it was probably better to give Helga something positive to focus on, she nervously remembered what she had interrupted earlier. "S-so… What happened before I showed up?" She asked as she fidgeted in place.

Hearing the question alerted Helga immediately. "H-huh?" She yelped, "I have no idea what you m-mean, Pheebs…" She finished and began to whistle innocently.

"Oh Helga, spit it out." Phoebe said with a scowl, feeling as though she wasn't being appreciated for the effort she was putting in to make Helga feel better. "You know I wouldn't normally ask, however seeing you too… like that… was rather odd. I can only assume you perhaps made… progress?" Phoebe felt her face get hotter as she was uncomfortable with the subject but knew it had to be brought up. Despite it not being any of her business, walking into such a sight was beyond a shock and as much as she would love to give Arnold credit on being gentlemanly, she was also aware of Helga's passions and hoped whatever went on was mutual.

Looking around to make sure no one was in earshot of their conversation, Helga grabbed Phoebe's hand and led her behind the building into a cramped space. "H-helga I highly doubt anyone can hear us…" Phoebe whispered. "But if you insist on speaking here…"

Willing herself to not explode into dramatics, Helga took a deep breath. "I- I don't know what happened exactly…" Helga finally said in a low tone. "We were cleaning up and everything was pretty normal. Then he tripped on some can and I happened to be right next to him and he fell on me"

Seeing her friends face turn a dark hue of red, Phoebe knew there had to be more to it than that and wondered why the girl wasn't spilling her guts all over the place like she normally would. "That's… all?" She asked with a skeptical voice.

Helga nodded with a straight face but when she saw that her friend wasn't buying it, her façade collapsed and she let out a loud whine of passion. "No! I mean, yes but no!" She yelled out, causing some birds to fly away in the process. "Yes that is all that happened basically but no that's definitely not all that happened, Phoebe!" She could see that her loud voice hadn't shaken the girl, so she continued. "His eyes, his face, his…. essence? It all just completely changed! At first he was normal goody-two-shoes Arnoldo and suddenly…" Helga placed her hand on her chest and could feel her heart racing, giving Phoebe somewhat an understanding. "The way he was looking at me made me feel like my skin was on fire, Pheebs. Never in my whole life of watching him from afar and even gazing upon small little personal moments have I ever seen Arnold have an expression like that."

Phoebe listened in closely and could feel herself being drawn into Helga's passion on the subject as her heart began to race too. "What was it like?"

Helga closed her eyes and shook her head. "I can't even describe it. It was like… he wasn't all there. Like his body was there but his mind was somewhere completely different." She said, analyzing her memories for any sort of description. Suddenly she remembered watching a documentary in class last year about lionesses stalking and hunting prey for their Pride. "It was like he was a wild animal who had just found prey…" She spoke seriously, then realized how silly she sounded and chuckled, "If you want to get really descriptive, I guess."

The thought almost frightened Phoebe to think of Arnold looking at her best friend in such an animalistic way, however seeing as she was speaking of it in a positive manner, Phoebe ignored those feelings and nodded in at least somewhat understanding.

"Then you walked in and poof! He jumped off of me and kinda sulked in the corner." Helga recalled with a frown.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Helga. I didn't mean to interrupt the… intimate moment." Phoebe frowned back.

Placing her hand on her shorter friends shoulder, Helga smiled. "It's alright, Pheebs." Her mind then went back to the moment. "I tried to talk to him about it because hereallyseemed like he was beating himself up about it. Said something like he couldn't control himself ever since he had some dream."

"Dream?" Phoebe asked.

"Yeah." Helga nodded and crossed her arms, going back deep into thought. "I guess he had some weird dream the other night about us being locked up together." She gulped and could really only imagine what the dream had meant, but didn't want to go that far into the explanation asthatseemed a little too personal to be blurting out. Knowing that her friend waswaymore innocent than herself, Helga continued so that way she wouldn't have to explain further. "It was all so sudden, so weird but so… I dunno, oddly passionate?" She finished with a questioning glance at her friend, who gave her the same look back.

Hearing the studio door open and assuming the boys had finished turning off the lights and cleaning up, Helga gave a nervous look to her friend and they slowly maneuvered out of their hiding spot and waited for the coast to be clear before finally emerging and nonchalantly following them to the front of the building.

Phil had noticed the children and abruptly stopped his conversations with his passenger. "You kids done?" He asked joyfully.

"Well that was sure fast." Martin commented, looking at Phil for an agreement but to only get a grim face back.

"Maybe to you. Felt like a decade to me." Phil replied to the man before looking back at his grandson.

Mr. Johansson exited the Packard and walked over to his son with his hand out for his cameras. "You took good care of them, I hope?" He asked with a stern look.

Gerald smiled and removed the memory from both devices. "You really gotta learn to trust me, Dad. When haven't I taken good care of your stuff?" He asked honestly, bringing the memory cards over to Helga and dropping them in her hands with a wink, that only caused her to scowl at him.

Martin gave a low thoughtful sigh and took back his possessions. "I guess so." He then turned to the rest of the adolescents. "Everything work out for you guys?"

Arnold nodded and walked up to the passenger door, which Martin still stood next to. "Yep! The model was really nice and didn't even seem to mind where the location was."

"That's surprising." Phil replied as he started his engine up. "If it were me, I would have taken one look at the place and ran straight for the hills. Who knows what I would have been walking into?" He shuttered with bleak thoughts. "But I'm glad she didn't." He finished with a warm and loving tone towards his grandson who was still smiling at the old man despite his words. "Now let's all leave this dreadful place before one of us gets shot at."

"I second that…" Helga commented from afar.

Looking at his son and his girlfriend with a startled expression from the old man's comment, he rushed over to his own vehicle. "Let's go, Gerald, Phoebe."

Giving Arnold their signature handshake, Gerald beamed at his friend. "See ya man." He said before taking his girlfriend's hand and leading her to his father's car. "Catcha at school?"

"Sure." Arnold nodded, giving his friend permission to leave comfortably before turning to his own intended who stood there awkwardly by herself. He wanted to put his hand out as Gerald had done with Phoebe but knew that she'd only react in aHelgatype of manner. Instead, he gave her a small meek smile and signaled her to the car.

Waiting until her friend had secured herself within her boyfriend's family car and they had driven away, Helga eventually walked herself to Phil's car and jumped in the backseat. It was then that Arnold had recalled that their day wasn't finished, and he began to sweat a little.

"You two have fun?" Phil asked warmly as he put his car into reverse, getting ready to leave that horrid street.

"If you call sitting there forever while some pretty girl shows off for fun, then sure." Helga spat out with a note of humor.

Phil laughed and looked over at his grandson, expecting to see his usual happy face but only to see a very nervous one instead. "Woah, you okay there Arnold?" He asked concerned before driving away. "You look like you gotta use the toilet or something!" Phil then gasped in horror. "You didn't eat raspberries did you?! Oh you know how they wreck our family from the inside out!"

Knowing that his grandpa was only trying to get him to cheer up, Arnold forced a smile. "No, Grandpa! I'm fine." He said cheerfully.

Phil gave a disapproving noise and turned back to focus on driving. "Well okay, if you say so."

What do I do?Arnold thought in terror.I promised Helga that we'd go on our first date today and… how can I properly face her after what happened back there?Looking out the car window and watching as the buildings and pedestrians quickly passed by in a blur, the young man sulked.Do I call it off and reschedule it to another day? No… That would probably just upset her further. She didn't seem too bothered by what happened but I also know that she's really good at acting.Arnold then remembered how she had hugged him in an attempt to console his feelings.That hug was reassuring though… maybe it's all just in my head. What's wrong with me?Mustering up all of his positive feelings and drinking them in, in an attempt to drag himself out of worry, Arnold turned to his grandpa.

"Would you mind dropping us off at the park, Grandpa?" He asked innocently; his elder turning to him with a shocked expression. "It's gotten fairly nice out and I think it would be a good day for a walk." He then turned to Helga for confirmation. "Right?"

Crossing her legs and looking as if he just asked her the most tiresome question ever, Helga brushed him off. "Whatever floats your boat, Football head." She replied, although on the inside remembering exactly what they had planned for today just days earlier and secretly becoming nervous.

Arnold turned back to Phil. "Would that be okay?" He asked eagerly.

Phil looked the boy over before grinning from ear to ear. "How could I say no to such a nice suggestion? Of course I'll drop you kids off at the park!"

Giving his grandpa another smiled, Arnold began to plan his next few hours accordingly while both of them secretly dreaded the conversation that they both were to have.

Chapter 13

Chapter Text

The park was warm and inviting; full of life with families all partaking in various events, as well as joggers, dog walkers and friend's playing games. It seemed as though everyone in Hillwood was aware of summer reaching its end and wanted to utilize the little bit of sun they had left.

Standing there awkwardly, Arnold considered his options.Should I start by apologizing again now that we're alone?He thought as he nervously looked up at his companion. She seemed to be quiet and content with their surroundings, which only made Arnold's nerves uneasy even more.Why is she being so quiet? I bet she's waiting for me to say something…But he couldn't think of anything to break the solid slab of ice that he put between them. Looking at her this way only reminded him of that dream he had, had with her in that fine white dress, overlooking the sea. He almost wondered if he was even able to speak to her now, despite this being reality.

"Ummm…" He slowly forced out, partially as a test to make sure he had a voice.

Turning her head slowly, Helga looked down to show him that he had her attention. "We gonna just stand here all afternoon or did you have something in mind for ourdate?" She asked simply, her tone rather bland.

Swallowing a little, Arnold still hadn't considered what to do next. The termdatewas so common yet so foreign to the young man. Sure, he knew what at date was. He knew that it was something a couple would do alone in order to get to know each other or just enjoy each other's company in private. He knew the standard dinner and a movie date, as well as sentimental dates like planning a picnic or watching a sunset together until they were surrounded by glittering stars up above… But what was his plan here? Shameful that he hadn't taken the time to organize the date in his head, Arnold scratched his arm and frowned. "I'm sorry, Helga. I guess I didn't really think this one through enough." He confessed. Looking away as to not see her expression, Arnold focused on another couple holding hands and smiling at each other. "I was so focused on that whole photo shoot and making sure everything was done correctly, that I almost forgot about the date in general…"

She could hear how sad his voice was, and although it did sting a little to hear such words, Helga knew his heart was in the right place as were his priorities. "It's… Okay, Arnold." She replied, hoping she didn't sound as disappointed as she sounded to herself. Doing her best to cheer him up, Helga chuckled. "Truth be told, I sorta forgot about it too."

"Really?" Arnold turned around, a little stunned to hear that on account of how excited she had been over the whole idea in general.

Feeling a blush begin to creep over the young girl's face, she quickly shook it away and began to walk in front of him. "Let's get a move on, Football head! Daylight isn't stopping itself for us, Doi." She could feel Arnold hustle on next to her but continued to look ahead.Crap, I gotta stop resorting to my usual tactics…She told herself inside her head, in fear of ruining the date that had barely begun.Just stay calm, Helga old girl. It's not like you guys are alone… in a dark room together, right? It's just regular Arnold in the regular park, full of regular people! Nothing out of the ordinary…

Seeing Helga's flustered expression gave Arnold mixed feelings. Was she unhappy? Was she too happy? She was very hard to read. Walking along the path at a casual speed, Arnold took in his surroundings. "It's a nice day out, right?" He asked, damning himself for reverting to small talk.

"Yep." She replied shortly, still refusing to look over at him.

"Birds are singing, sun is shining…" Arnold continued, now letting the nervousness begin to show through his voice.

"What's your point, Arnold?" Helga snapped with a scowl.

Sighing, Arnold shook his head. "I'm not very good at this Helga, could you at least help me out?"

His honesty caught the girl off guard. Still looking ahead, she spied a nearby clearing that was vacant enough for her liking. "What do you think I'm doing?" She spat out, "I got us from being stuck in the ground back there and I'm moving us some place decent."

Tilting his head in confusion, the boy's load felt a little lighter as he trusted her and followed at her own pace. "Oh." He too could see the vacant clearing in front of them, and assumed that she was leading him there.

The park was a rather large place that was filled with freshly mowed grass, lots of large trees, sturdy benches and even a chess area as well as a pond. In front of them was a small clearing of trees, a little ways off the path that they were on. The sun shone through the trees and onto the lawn in front of them; the sound of pedestrians off in the distance.

Beginning to feel nervous again, Arnold clenched his fists and turned his head slowly to his partner, who looked about as uncomfortable as he was. "Have you been here before?" He asked.

"When you want to get away from your parents as much as I do, you find lots of quiet places to relax in." Helga responded dryly before finding a nice patch of grass and sitting herself down. She crossed her legs together and got comfortable. "Come on, Football head… Let's talk."

Feeling his heart in his throat, Arnold nodded and did as he was told. Placing himself next to her, he too had a seat.

Silence overwhelmed them for what felt like forever as each mulled over what they wanted to say. The subject in question was very obvious but neither knew how to come out and say it.

Fiddling with her shoelace, Helga glanced over at Arnold a few times before letting out a loud groan. "Alright then, I guess I'll start." Straightening her back, she forced her body to maneuver in a way to make her face him. She could see his boyish face was reflecting something not so easy to talk about, and she sighed quietly. "Look, I know you're…" She started, although pausing as she thought of how to describe him in spite of what he thought of himself, "Not too happy with what happened back there, but it's not the end of the world and you don't need to keep apologizing." She said, knowing full well that the moment she was done talking that he would, in fact, say he was sorry. "It just kinda… sorta… happened and…" Her face became red as she gazed upon his unknowing face, "It's not like I…. hated it."

Surprised to hear her words, Arnold's eyes got wide. "You… didn't?" He asked innocently, feeling as though he had heard her incorrectly.

Helga shook her head. "No…" She clarified, feeling her throat becoming dry at her own confession. Closing her eyes, she continued, "In fact I…. kinda liked it." She breathed out, terrified to see what his expression would be but not brave enough to look herself.

Arnold blinked a few times, wondering if he heard her right. "You… liked it?" He was astonished.

"Yes!" The girl yelled out in frustration, so hard that she almost found herself falling backwards. She opened her eyes warily and saw his dumbfounded face. "Criminy! You don't have to look like that, you know!" She continued to fluster. "It's not like it's a big deal or anything! You're a guy, I'm a girl! I like you, you like me! These things are pretty basic, Arnoldo or are you that dumb that you didn't know that?"

Her words flew throughout his brain, banging this way and that way as he tried to fully understand them. What she was saying did sound pretty normal, however if that was the case, why did he feel so bad about it? Was that what she meant in his dream when she referred to them being sick? That she felt the same way? Arnold had known Helga for a long time, practically all his life and although her confession of love for him years ago threw him for a loop, and although he knew she was an incredibly passionate and outgoing person, it hadn't once dawned upon him that maybe she had the same longing feelings for him deep down, despite all those times she kissed him. Beginning to feel a little giddy, Arnold let out a quiet laugh that slowly and gradually became louder and full of feeling.

Helga sat there completely confused. "What?!" She asked loudly, now feeling embarrassed as if he was laughing at what she had said.

Placing his hand up to silence her and give himself a moment to collect himself, Arnold steadied his breath and looked at her with fondness in his eyes. He wiped the tears of laughter that had formed in his eyes "You're right," He finally spoke out, causing her eyes to widen a little. "I guess I was just over thinking things." He then scratched the back of his head, and gave her a boyish grin. "I'm sorry if I worried you, Helga. I was just… really surprised at how I felt…" Arnold looked down shyly, "and what I wanted to do…"

She could see his cheeks turn red as he voiced his feelings and butterflies began to scatter inside her chest. "What you wanted to do?" She repeated, unsure of herself. Becoming antsy, Helga began to squirm in her seat. "Whatdidyou… want to do, Football head?" She asked as she too looked down, not daring to look at him straight. It was the moment of truth and there she was putting him on the spot, again. Sure, they were officially dating now and he had told her how he felt, but to what extent the girl did not know.

Arnold could see she felt just as shy as he did and he pushed his uncertainties in the back of his mind. Placing his hand on hers, he caused her to look up and he gazed into her brilliant blue eyes. "I know it sounds silly… but…" He said, leaning into her and feeling his hunger slowly grow from the depth of his being. "I couldn't help myself…"

"What do you mean?" Helga softly asked, being drawn into his eyes as well and letting the warmth of his hand soar through her body.

"I just wanted to…" He continued, his heart pounding so hard he was sure others could probably hear it.

"Yes… Arnold?" She breathed back, desperately hoping he would show her his true intentions.

His eyes were fixated on her lips once more.Just relax…he told himself as he inched forward.I've done this before, right? It's just Helga… It's not wrong to give in… right?Coaching himself a little, he could feel his body becoming less tense as he felt her hand through his fingers. Wanting absolutely nothing more than to pull her close to him and kiss her, Arnold could feel himself slowly losing control.Just go for it!

"My ball!" A young child's voice called out, causing the focus of both hormone induced pre-teens to break as a small ball bounced towards them.

Arnold sighed heavily and picked up the red sphere, placing a wholesome smile on his face and bringing it over to its rightful owner. "Is this yours?" He asked the little girl who looked to be about 4 years old.

"Yes!" She smiled from ear to ear, sticking her hands out for it. "Can I have it back, please?"

Placing the ball in her hands, Arnold felt both completely disappointed in the ruined moment but also a sense of relief. "Here you go. Keep it safe this time, okay?"

"Yes sir!" The girl replied before running away happily.

Arnold stood there; his back still turned to his partner and lamented his situation. It was almost as if some otherworldly being was purposely throwing obstacles in his way. He could hear Helga getting up and walking over to him. "Today is just not my day."

Helga chuckled and grabbed his hand; lacing their fingers together in a soothing way. "Seems that way, Football head" She replied.

He looked at her to see her in a rare, calm type of mood. "Still wanna get ice cream? It's probably going to get dark soon anyway."

"Sure." Helga responded as she let him lead the way, not breaking their union despite others being around. "However I thought you liked us being in the dark?" She teased.

Arnold blushed and scowled, "S-Stop." He flustered.

Their journey to the ice cream shop had become much more pleasant once they had received their intended treat. Sitting at one of the booths far off in a corner, the couple talked and laughed about random events. It was beginning to feel like a normal date with only a little awkwardness, which was normal.

About an hour had passed since the two had devoured their frozen treats and it was eventually time for them to venture on home. Walking Helga to the usual spot in front of her house, Arnold bid her farewell with a small kiss on top of her hand.

"I hope you had a good time." He smiled charmingly as he let go of her hand.

Helga couldn't help but smile back after lightly grazing the spot he had just kissed with her thumb. "I did. It was actually pretty nice, I'll have to admit. I wasn't expecting much but…" She trailed off for a moment as she got lost in his entrancing green eyes, "but it was fun. Thanks, Arnold."

Feeling as though he had just completed a momentous task, Arnold smile grew. "I'm glad." He spoke, his words emanating from the depth of his heart. "I had fun too."

After a few passing moments of neither of them wanting to say goodnight, the two separated.

With much anticipation and love in her heart, Helga quickly ran into her house, past her parents and proceeded down into her base where she promptly turned on all of her screens and injected the camera's memory cards into the computer. Knowing she had all night to edit the photos in a way she knew would both please her father and catch the eyes of the public, Helga grabbed a yahoo from a small mini fridge nearby that she had stashed a long time ago. "Time to work the midnight oil!" She stated as she popped open the bottle.

Arnold's walk home was quiet but peaceful. With his head in the clouds, the boy placed his hands inside his coat pockets and peered up at the night's sky. It had turned dark shortly after they had finished their ice creams and he knew it was best if he came home before it got too late. He had replayed today's events over in his mind again and again, each time reflecting fondly on a few key moments. A hue of pink graced the boy's cheek as he remembered Helga's small confession.She… liked it, huh?He thought, feeling a little giddy on the inside. Something so simple, yet so meaningful; It was if all had become right in the world inside the boy's heart.

Upon entering the boarding house, Arnold was greeted by his parents who expectedly asked him about the contents of the day. With much enthusiasm, he recounted the events bit by bit, although leaving out some key components, and left them with positive energy. His first date had become a success! Now all that was left was of his plot was in the hands of the others.

Small 8 bit musical notes could be heard across a dark bedroom, as well as a bright, flickering small light which came from a small device. Looking over at the item in question, Rhonda sat herself up in her bed. She reached over and grabbed the small piece of technology and opened it up. In front of her shown a small piece of mail with the words "New" just above the right corner. Groaning, the girl pulled her legs up to her chest and frowned. She had no energy, no spark, no light, no… no nothing. Everything just felt like a bother to her at that very moment. Assuming the email had been just some other idols updated status; she turned off the phones screen and rested it next to her.

"Why me…?" She whined softly to herself, as she rested her back up against a pillow and looked up at her darkened ceiling.

The day had started off perfectly well for her. Rhonda had kept in contact with Marcy all week long and had been long awaiting meeting this famous model. Everything she had wanted was set in place… that was until the unthinkable happened. It was as if the devil himself had risen up and stuck upon her the most unholiest of curses. Unable to do anything about her predicament, all the girl could do was stay home and cry herself to sleep. "It's like… my world is over…" She lamented; tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "I'll never be the same again…"

Slipping back down under her blankets, Rhonda rolled over and placed her face inside her overly fluffy pillow. "It's like I'm being punished! What could I have ever done to deserve this?!" She yelled as she began to beat on her bed.

She had called Nadine earlier to relay her bad fortune and hoped to get a bit of sympathy from her best friend, but her best friend only kicked her down a notch with logic and realism.

"It was bound to happen at some point, Rhonda." Nadine's words echoed in the young woman's mind. "Mother nature gave you a gift."

"But whyme?!" Rhonda cried into her phone, hoping to get some answer that would sooth her but to her dismay, no answer existed.

"What do you me 'why me?'" Nadine asked, a touch confused at the silly question. "You do realize that this is a perfectly natural thing, right? It already happened to me and a few other girls in our grade… I'm not sure why you're so surprised."

"Because!" Rhonda shouted but was only immediately interrupted on the other end.

"Because you think that you're gonna stay a kid forever or something?" Nadine asked with dull humor.

Rhonda began to feel a little silly at her friend's statement and found herself blushing in spite of herself. "N-no…. I know that's impossible but with this wretched 'gift', I will no longer be able to be thesameanymore! Mother said that I'd now blossom into a fine woman like herself but… All that means is I'm going to get old and ugly!"

"You're mother is far from ugly, Rhonda." Nadine corrected with a little surprise. "She looks great for her age!"

"That's not the point!" Rhonda said as she was beginning to become impatient with her friend as well as herself. "Just… Just never mind!"

Nadine gave a small sigh. She was aware that Rhonda was very difficult to persuade but this was beginning to get ridiculous. "Look, just take some painkillers and go to sleep. Sleeping usually helps me." The blonde girl suggested with nothing but warm kindness, "It will eventually pass and you'll be your usual self again. It's not the end of the world, Rhonda."

But it was, to her. Rhonda continued to roll around in the dark of her room and think of all the bad that would come from her surprise gift from Mother Nature. No more swimming freely, no more going to school unhindered, she would always have to carry around these gross feminine products where ever she went… and then, there were her clothes; her precious clothes that were absolutely ruined today. The girl had went through all of her wardrobe the night prior to pick out the most perfect outfit she possibly could in order to impress her guest: A vintage blue shirt together with a jean coat, some faded cut jean pants with the hem all lopsided and finished with some bright platform shoes. It had taken her nearly forever to pick out exactly what she wanted to wear and now… half of that outfit was in the compost. Her mother was sympathetic to the situation and offered to buy her some new clothes to replace those; however that wasn't the point, not to Rhonda. Now she would always have to worry about ruining her clothes for the rest of her young life.

Whimpering, Rhonda let a few tear drops escape the sides of her eyes as she closed them in an attempt to sleep once more.My life is ruined now…she repeated in her head over and over. With hopes of tomorrow being a better day, the young woman finally allowed herself to drift back into slumber.

The next morning went as normal as could be expected. Rhonda had woken up bright and early with the smell of bacon coming from down stairs. She arose and looked around in a daze, forgetting the events of yesterday. She proceeded in going in her closet and picking out an outfit; laying each piece of the ensemble on her bed nicely before finally agreeing to her decision. She took off her nightgown and was about to change her undergarments before the smack of reality hit her once more. Letting out a loud groan of annoyance, the girl threw the night gown out of her hand and onto the floor.

"Rhonda darling, your breakfast is ready!" She heard her mother call from downstairs; however the girl no longer had an appetite.

Giving in to her misfortune and accepting the circ*mstances, Rhonda dressed appropriately and dragged herself downstairs and into the dining room. Both of her parents were already at the table awaiting her. Once seated, her mother looked up at her from her phone and smiled.

"Good morning darling! How did you sleep?" She asked as cheerful as ever. It was almost as though the woman had forgotten that the world had suddenly halted for her beloved only child.

"Yes, I heard you had quiet an eventful day planned yesterday." Her father chimed in as his face was still planted in his newspaper. "How did that go for you?"

Looking over at her mother with sorrowful eyes, Rhonda was at a loss of words. Had she told her father? Was he completely oblivious to the fact her world was currently in shambles?! Or were they all just acting as though nothing had happened?

Getting the hint, Mrs. Lloyd cleared her throat and placed a warm hand on her daughters. "Yes her day was quite eventful." The woman replied to her husband, realizing how insensitive the question of his might have been. "I've made sure to have the cook prepare your favorite breakfast! It should be out shortly." She finished with a wink.

Despite the lack of constructive parenting from both adults, Rhonda knew that she was much loved and that she was the core of her parent's world. The fact that her mother went out of her way to get her favorite meal made for her, melted her heart and brought tears to her eyes. "Thank you, Mother. That might help my mood…"

Nodding and removing her hand, Brooke went back to her cell phone which then reminded Rhonda of her own. Pulling it out of her pants pocket, she turned on the screen to reveal the same new email message that had been there since last night. Now interested in what it could possibly be, she clicked "open" to view its contents. One by one, images fully loaded and popped up on her screen of the model she had invited. Looking at the sender, they were from Helga.

Hmm… The pictures they took aren't that bad.She thought as she scrolled through them all.I could have taken better, though.It seemed as though Helga had, in fact, pulled an all-nighter and done her best to edit the photos to being of professional quality. At the end of the stream of pictures, a note had been written: "You better post these pictures up somewhere good and get a lot of attention Princess, especially since you ditched us yesterday."

Right, I never did tell them I wasn't coming… Oh I hope Marcy wasn't too disappointed. I bet those geeks made a fool out of her!She thought as she immediately went to her messenger to contact the girl. No new messages awaited her, however she still felt she needed to say something:

"Hello Marcy!
I'm so sorry for not making it yesterday. I had really been anticipating our meeting, yet I regret to inform you that something suddenly came up and I was forced to not attend. Were my friends nice to you? Did everything happen as it should? Please inform me if there were any mishaps that I need to look into! I hope we're able to meet someday, until then, keep in touch! –Rhonda"

With a quick read through of her own message, Rhonda sighed contently as she pressed send. Hearing the door to her dining room open up, the girl looked in anticipation to see her meal had arrived.

"Oh very good, breakfast is served." Buckley cheered as he finally placed his newspaper down and awaited the food.

As her food was placed down in front of her, Rhonda could feel her mouth begin to water. "Thank you so much Mommy! Daddy!" she cried out.

Looking at each other with fondness, the parents touched hands. "Anything for you, my darling." Brooke spoke out before grabbing her own utensils.

Maybe this isn't…. so bad.Rhonda thought as she began to eat.At least I'll be able to get pampered while this curse is affecting me.

Meanwhile, somewhere far away in an undisclosed location…

A woman walked into her place of work with a weary appearance. Things had gotten harder lately as more and more work needed to be done with fewer and fewer people to aid her. With budgets at an all time high, she was unable to provide any of her associates with all the tools needed to complete their job and many were just walking out on her. She walked into her office and gazed around the small room. Everything was tidy and in its proper place however one thing caught her eye. Noticing a small piece of paper on the floor that might had been slid under her door the night prior, she picked it up. The headlines that read across it along with the picture of the item provided piqued the woman's interest. She gripped the paper with excitement and hurried on over to her desk, flipped open her laptop and began to type the contents of the paper inside of an internet search engine to verify the papers authenticity. Immediately, a website popped up and with wide eyes, she scrolled through the information.

"This is it…" She whispered to herself, her eyes darting back and forth around the screen and taking everything in. "This may not solve our problems all together but it will definitely help!"

Opening up her desk, the woman pulled out a notebook and pen and began to write down a phone number. Picking up her own company phone, she pressed a number and waited a moment. "Diane? Yes it's me." She spoke to her receiver, "Do me a favor and come to my office as soon as possible, there is something I want you to see!"

The woman hung up and waited patiently as she continued to eyeball her computer screen. Seeing the date that had been posted on the website, her feelings of excitement began to simmer down. It had been uploaded months ago so the fear began to set in that its advertisem*nt was no longer valid. Feeling her heart speed up in anticipation, she almost jumped out of her seat the moment her office door swung open.

"What is it you want me to see?" An older woman asked with an out of breath voice.

Standing up from her seat, she offered the paper to her companion who gladly accepted. "This. How long has this flier been in our building and why is this the first I'm seeing it?" She asked with a voice of authority.

The older woman gently took her glasses that had been hanging around her neck and applied them to her face. With a squint, she looked over the papers contents. "Oh this? I don't know… a week possibly?" The older woman replied before lowering her glasses once more. "We get many advertisem*nts from passerbyers, Director… and many of them are just scams. I apologize if this has inconvenienced you."

"Inconvenienced?" The woman repeated, astounded. "I want you to call this place immediately and find out if they still have their stock in supply! Our workers need these in order to do their job and just look at the price!"

Feeling as though she had failed her superior and wanting nothing more than to right what was wrong, the woman grasped the paper and nodded before rushing out the door.

Diane had ran passed the doctors and nurses that lingered the halls and made it to her front desk. Picking up her phone, she dialed the number on the paper and waited for someone to answer her call. After a moment, a sleepy sounding woman answered the phone.

"Hello? Yes, I'm calling from Saint Paul's Hospital. We've stumbled upon one of your going out of business fliers and wondered if you have liquidated your assets yet?" The woman paused and gave a concerned look. "If you've sold all your beepers, ma'am?" Waiting another moment, her eyes then lit up in happiness and she nodded. "Yes, yes we're interested in buying some. Maybe all of them, depending on what you have left!"

Chapter 14

Chapter Text

Sunday. It was finally Sunday. Helga rolled around in the darkness of her room and contemplated the meaning of what that day meant. It meant a few things: The beginning of the week, The day before school started back up again, A day of relaxation, A day of worship- for some even if not for her, A day where many businesses are closed in order to spend some time with their family. Sunday was just one of those days that people looked forward to. Shutting her eyes tightly, the young girl meditated on all of those things as she felt the anger inside her starting to boil up.Sunday is the only day of the freaking week that I ever get some peace and quiet in this place…!She thought before her eyes burst open. Peering to the right of her, she looked down at the yellow light that had been emanating from the lit hallway next to her. It was so early and yet there was such a commotion going on that it had woke her up from her blissful slumber and threw her into a fit of agitation.

With her brain still full of the lingering dust of her dreams, she forced herself up and out of her warm bed, threw on whatever clothes her hands touched first and swung open her bedroom door. The noise only got louder and she continued towards it. What was the noise? It was voices, lots of voices. The Beeper Emporium sounded like if it was a middle school cafeteria with the random assortment of sounds that were jumbled together in one large inaudible mess. Unable to process any of the information being sent to her brain, Helga continued on her path until she reached the showroom.

Standing back with a bit of awe and confusion, she took in the sight before her. There in her family's "living room", which was once the main showcasing area for the store, was a crowd of people from all different ages, sexes and backgrounds. They darted back and forth, oohing and awing at all the different models on display while Bob bounced between the lots. It only took a moment for his eyes to fall on his sleepy daughter.

"Helga!" He yelled in a voice that the young girl hadn't heard in what seemed like ages. Breaking away from the cluster, he charged in her direction. His face mimicked that of the once happy man he used to be as he placed his large doughy hands on her shoulders. "Look at this place!" He spoke in admiration as he turned his head to look back at his customers. "You did it, girl!"

"I… did what?" Helga responded, looking at the same view he was and still trying to make heads or tails of it all.

"You and your little friend's plan worked!" He said, turning back to his dumbfounded daughter again. His eyes gleamed in the sort of way a pirate's would when stumbling on a large treasure. "Look at all these people!"

Finally grasping the sight and the man's words, Helga's eyes began to widen as she took it all in. "It worked?" She questioned to both herself and her father. She could see a few people beckoning her father over and she felt him pat her on the shoulder before removing his hands.

"I gotta get back to them but come out here and help me, will ya?" He asked before rushing back over to the needy customers.

Helga stood there and watched as her father became engrossed in his work. She had heard his request but found herself unable to move for a moment. Looking around, she noticed her mom was showing a few girls some of the newer styles that had come in shortly before they went out of business.Even Miriam is helping…She thought as she scratched her bed head into an even more unruly style.

Thinking back to the night before, Helga remembered editing the photos of the model and spending all night making sure everything looked flawless before sending them to Rhonda.Rhonda must have posted the pictures already… Criminy, that didn't take long.Her thoughts continued as she watched her father cash out a couple before shaking their hands and leading them out the door.

Everything was almost a little too much to take in and the blonde girl could feel her head spinning. It was as if opportunities were just opening doors around her left and right with the possibility of her family becoming normal again- at least back to whatever normal was for them. Feeling the lead in her legs begin to ease up, Helga walked towards the scene and did her best to become part of her family business.

Eight hours seemed to fly by as if it were only one, and Helga found herself sitting on the sofa as she watched her father count the registers till.

"Miriam, how many boxes do we still have left?" He asked, as he wrote down some numbers on a piece of receipt paper.

Wearily, the weathered woman stood up from her seat and began to look through the empty boxes of beepers now tossed around on the floor. One by one, she broke down each empty box and compiled them into a stack before heading to the full boxes left over. "About… four, I think." She responded as she struggled to pick one up to place it on top of another.

"Four, huh…" Bob thought out loud; biting the top of his pen with a look of distress.

"I think there are a few more of the older boxes down in the basem*nt." Helga chimed in, knowing her words would only add to her father's concern.

"Yeah, I was afraid of that." Bob responded to his youngest before ripping up his paper and beginning his math again.

"Look on the bright side, B!" Miriam said from behind the stacked boxes, "We've sold more today than we have in the past 6 months."

Knowing his wife was right brought a little light into the man's reality, however it didn't change their current situation. In order for them to pull up from debt and break even in profit, they would need to sell their remaining boxes and even then some! Turning to Helga, Bob stiffened his stance. "Got anymore tricks up your sleeve, young lady?" He asked plainly; hiding the little hope he had left deep within.

Helga turned her head and raised her eyebrow. "Since when do you care aboutmyideas?" She asked, genuinely surprised to hear his words.

Her words stung him and the older man frowned. "Oh come on, Helga." He said as he made his way to her lax form on the sofa. "Give your old man a break, will ya? You're a Pataki! You got a good head on your shoulders, just like your sister Olga! Time to use your noggin."

The girl scoffed and rolled her eyes at his words. Was he trying to compliment her by comparing her to her sister? Or was he just trying to say that all Pataki's were smart including himself? Either way, itwasnice to get a little recognition from the big blowhard. Helga could see the desperation in her father's face and gave a heavy sigh. "Unfortunately Bob, there are no more tricks up these sleeves." She explained, "And the idea that just got all those people practically eating out of your hands wasn't even mine at all, it was Arnold's."

The truth made the man's eyes go wide. "Alfred?" He repeated, "Your friend from school with the weird shaped head?"

Helga nodded and straightened her body. "That's right,Arnold. It was all his brilliant idea that he came up with for our school project and instead of just writing it down on paper, he made it a reality for us." She admitted with the love for the boy filling her heart. She knew her dad wasn't going to be pleased knowing that the idea wasn't all hers but she also didn't want to lie about it either. "So if there's anyone you want to talk to about ideas, it's him."

Bob stood up and crossed his arms. "Yeah you can just take that idea out to the backyard and shoot it." He said with a snort. "You won't find me going to some orphan kid and asking him for help."

"He's not anorphan,Bob. You've even met his parents... and you weren't complaining when he was wracking you in tons of money." Helga said ironically, causing her father to look at her with discouragement.

"Yeah well I also wasn't the one who asked him for help. We Pataki's can fend for ourselves just fine!" Bob explained, his voice increasing with his usual tone of authority.

Helga let out a loud laugh. "That's rich!" She said as she stood up and pointed her small index finger at the man. "We can fend for ourselves? Just what have you been doing about our problem since we got into this mess, huh?" She then pointed towards where the kitchen was in the distance. "Have you even seen our food supply?! I haven't had a decent meal here in weeks and we're fending for ourselves? What are we? A pack of wolves and your our leader?" She then let out another loud laugh. "It that was the case, you would have been kicked out of the pack ages ago! Oh wait-" But before she could continue her rant, the large man raised his hand in anger and caused her to stop.

"Don't you say another word, Missy!" He threatened.

"Or what?" She asked, completely unphased by his intimidation tactics. "You're completely blinded by your own arrogance, Bob and it's about time you wake up and smell the rot between your ears! I'm starving and the only reason we've made some money is because of help from someone else whoactuallycared about how I've been living!"

"Starving?! What do you mean? I've been giving your mother about 200 big ones for food every other week!" He said, turning to his wife who was casually walking towards the kitchen with an empty glass.

Helga waved her arms in the air. "Well that's a surprise because our food supply is practically nil. If you don't believe me, why not have a look for yourself."

Bob did as suggested and charged passed her and his wife and stopped in the kitchen. There, he opened up each cupboard as well as the refrigerator and freezer. "What the hell, Miriam?! Where is all the food?!"

"W-what are you talking about, B?" Miriam replied softly as she placed her hand on his back as soon as she reached him in an attempt to calm him down. "We've just eaten it all. Don't you remember? You wanted Chinese take-out the last few days."

"Or maybe Miriam has been spending it in other ways…" Helga stated as she pointed to the sink where a blender was waiting to be washed.

Completely ignoring Helga's statement, he turned to his wife. "You mean to tell me that a few days worth of Kung pow Chicken has us broke for the week in food? Just how high have they raised their prices?!"

Miriam shrugged and gave her husband a weak smile. "Relax honey!" She coaxed, "We're not broke for the week, remember? We just made a whole bunch of money!" She then ushered the large man out of the kitchen and into his beat up recliner. "Now why don't you just sit down and watch your shows, huh? You've worked hard for today and could use a break. Whatcha say?"

Helga watched as her mother successfully lulled the man's temper and avoided incrimination.Things will never change, will they?She thought as she crossed her arms and watched them from a distance.What's the use of arguing with Big Bob anyhow? In the end, I'll never be right in his eyes. Just when will he wake up and see just what's going on? She's using all of the little funds we get from the left over contracts on herself and satisfying him with cheap take out!

Depression began to fill her small body and Helga decided to escort herself out of the emporium for a little fresh air. It wasn't like her to just give up a fight, however a fight with her father was honestly more effort than it was worth sometimes. For a brief moment, Helga thought back to the moment right before Olga jumped back on a plane to Alaska:

"If anything goes wrong, baby sister, I don't want you to hesitate to contact me!" The older sibling said as she hugged the younger one tightly. She waited until her parents were at a far enough distance to continue, "I know just how stubborn and difficult daddy can be…" She said with a frown as she let go of Helga and placed both of her hands on the young girls cheeks; peering into her bright blue eyes. "But don't let him get to you! You're amazing, Helga and one day he'll see it!"

"Right," Helga scoffed back at the optimistic young adult. "And one day fish will swim out of my ears."

Olga looked at her younger sister with sadness in her eyes. "I mean it Helga…" She said sincerely. "What you did for your little friend back there was something not even I could do. I may have a lot of awards and metals to show for my success but…" Her voice trailed off as she remembered everything Helga had sacrificed in San Lorenzo. "But nothing I have done in my lifetime will amount to what you did for that boy and his family!"

Feeling her hard heart soften up at her sisters words, Helga avoided the older sister's gaze. "You're changing lives in your own way, Olga. Don't give me all this credit for no reason."

Chuckling at the young girl's modesty, Olga took her into her arms one last time before she had to leave. "Always remember, baby sister that only you can be you, and who you are is the most important thing in the world! Don't forget that ever ever ever! Okay?" She said, tears forming in her eyes. "And just know that if you ever need me, I'm just a letter away."

Helga had considered writing to Olga a few times since she had left but always tossed the idea out of her mind as her stubbornness rivaled that of her father's.Maybe I should write to her… It couldn't hurt, could it? I've written to her in the past.She thought as she looked around her surroundings. It was starting to get dark outside and Helga began to realize she had wasted her entire Sunday working for her father. The thought made the girl's brow wrinkle.

"Stupid Bob and his stupid Beepers ruining my perfectly good day off from school!" Helga yelled as she kicked an empty soda can across the parking lot. She thought back to Bob's attempt at a complement and it only fueled the fire burning inside her heart."He was almost proud of me… until I told him the truth. So what if it was Arnold's idea that got a bunch of geeks and floosies to buy our crappy beepers? At least we sold some, that's all that should matter. Not like I need his stupid approval anyway…"

She could feel her heart sink lower and lower at the thought of her own words. She knew she didn't actually need his approval but the thought that he was actually about to offer it at the thought of it being all her idea to advertise beepers in such a way... It actually meant a lot. Her family needed a lot of help and it wasn't just financially either. Helga looked up at the parting clouds that slowly moved through the sky and thought of some of the wonderful things that Arnold had told her to cheer herself up. He believed in her abilities as well as Olga. Phoebe never once doubted her either so why was it so hard for her own father to believe in her? Her mother was of no help either, the way she currently was. It was so easy for her to just dodge the bullet that Helga had deliberately shot straight at her in hopes of her at least taking responsibility for her own actions. Why did Bob let her manipulate him like that? A man like him was not easily controlled, especially by some half attempted ploy such as the one Miriam pulled. Did he purposely let her do that or was he really that blind?

Taking in a deep breath, Helga let out a low growl before heading back on inside. It was time to get some answers to many of her age old questions. Knowing her command center was the safest place for her to be, as well as the quietest, she quickly headed on down there after grabbing a notebook and pen along the way. After entering the dusty electrical hub, she plopped the notebook down and stared at it.Am I really going to do this?She wondered. Knowing these actions were probably the best chance of helping her figuring out her family, she flipped the notebook open and began to write.

After a few painfully long hours of writing, scribbling things out and rewriting, Helga had finished her project: A letter to Olga. Satisfied with its contents, she ripped the papers out of the notebook and placed them neatly in a small envelope already addressed to her older sister.

"I'll just place these in a mailbox on the way to school." She said to herself before licking the adhesive and closing the letter shut. Wondering how long it would take for her sister to respond, or if she would even respond at all, Helga leaned back in her computer chair and relaxed herself. A moment later, her relaxation was interrupted by a small "Bleep" from her computer screen. With much interest, Helga leaned forward and used her mouse to click the notification on her desktop.

"I have an email?" She questioned out loud with a hint of skepticism. "Who in blazes would be emailing me, of all people?"

After her simple question, a answer awaited her immediately upon loading the application which held their school's student bulletin board. In front of her read a familiar name she hadn't suspected would ever email her again. "GoldenHero."

"Criminy…" She whispered out with a hint of irritation, "What could he want?"

Opening the email, Helga began to read its contents:

"To Helgoth
From: GoldenHero
Subject: If a silent soul could speak,

I hope this message meets you well, although I'm consumed with the gnawing intuition of naught. Still do I drift amongst the endless sea of my love for you, bobbing away at each time you are near. This will never change; I fear but fret not as I am content with my one-sided feelings. Your existence in this misguided and false world in which we live will always be the reason I can make it another day more. I'm sure you understand my sentiment even if those feelings are not for me, nor will they ever be even if I wish. You have finally obtained your one true love, how is that going? You'd expect watching your brief hinted shows of affection towards one another would pain me like many thorns through the heart, however it is untrue. All I wish for is your happiness and that is what I get to see whenever you're with him. Day after day, silently I am graced with your increasing happiness and for this I am blessed. Have you replaced the picture inside your locket with one untended to by myself? Undoubtedly you have noticed my stalking has become less and less. It is for your own benefit rather than mine own. After all that has been said and done, I feel now more than ever you need your privacy so until the day I feel I am needed again, I will conceal my presence. Do tell me of any request you wish of me, in the meantime as I would love nothing more than to aid you with anything I have. Remember that you are the oxygen I need to live. Anything you need, there I'll be.

Always and forever your love servant,

-GoldenHero"

Helga scratched her head violently for a second with a mix of feelings that overwhelmed her. It had been ages since he had shot her a message, so why now? Knowing the only way to get an answer to her questions, Helga slowly hesitated before pressing reply.

"To: GoldenHero
From: Helgoth
Subject: Re-If a silent soul could speak,

Thanks for the thought… I think? Why exactly are you telling me this? Are you saying you're happy that I'm finally together with Arnold and that's why you haven't been your usual heavy breathing annoying self around me? I appreciate the privacy you've been giving me lately but why do you think I need something from you? What's the purpose of this message?"

Sinking back into her seat, it only took a moment for another "bleep" to ping into her ears, notifying her of her recipients' quick response. With a little anxiety, she clicked on her new message.

"To: Helgoth
From: GoldenHero
Subject: The answer's to your questions,

Thank you for your patience and response. Indeed I am saying that I am stepping away from your spotlight in hopes of you achieving even further happiness without my shadow looming over you. My ever persistence in the past was due to hoping that if you ever needed me, I could assist in any way I could. I was fortunate to be of use once, and I'm requesting the opportunity to be of use once more. I know of your troubles at home. I know of the heavy heart you carry that is chained to the cell of your family. How may I be of service to you? As always, your secrets are safe with me."

"How… does he know about my family?" Helga gasped in shock. Looking around nervously as if to find a secret camera recording her life, Helga began to think about her own stalkerish habits when concerning Arnold and how much she knew about his life; it wasn't too far out into left field to think that Brainy had just as much info on her own. Swallowing the little saliva that dwelled within her now dry mouth, Helga clicked reply.

"To: GoldenHero
From: Helgoth
Subject: I want all the answers,

Alright bucko, if you want to help me then I'll let you. First of all, how much do you know about my life? Secondly, why now of all times are you asking me if I need your help? You've never asked before and frankly this is all pretty weird to me. Lastly, if you know oh so much about me then you'd know that I have trouble talking to pretty much ANYONE about this subject, why on earth do you think I'd confide in you?!"

Helga could feel her head begin to spin a little as the timing for all of this was just too perfect. It was as if Brainy could hear her thoughts, or if he had been watching her outside the emporium just a little while ago… but even then, she hadn't said much out loud so… how?

A few moments had past and she could hear her parents walking around above her head. She could hear them discussing dinner- or rather, the lack thereof, and what to do about it. Although the voices above her were just murmurs, she could make out a few words. Something about them "going to the store" and "the girl's right" along with "making it up". Helga could feel her pulse quickening with the hopes of her father actually listening to her for once and accompanying Miriam with grocery shopping to ensure thereactuallybe food in the fridge for once. A late dinner was better than none, after all.

Feeling her stomach beginning to agree with her, Helga was then interrupted again with the familiar notification sound and a "new" symbol. Quickly, she clicked her new email.

"To: Helgoth
From: GoldenHero
Subject: As you wish,

The very fact that you're communicating with me in such a manner brings tears of joy to my eyes. Thank you for this. To answer your first question: Your life is more important to me then mine own, therefore everything that lives within that realm is important to me. I know as much as I can. How much is that? I can't say I know how to answer that. It is best to assume I know as much as you do. To answer your second question: You're right. I have never once asked in the past if you needed help and for that I am ashamed. As you know, I am cowardly even if I mean well. Please forgive my past transgression and let us move forward with a more tangible relationship. One that, even if the depth doesn't quell my hearts needs, will allow me to breathe freely knowing I was helping the one I love move forward. I apologize if you feel any negative from my outreach. Lastly, I am aware of your difficulty of opening up to anyone and aware that my attempts might be in vain, however this will not dissuade me from pursuing. I have been in love withyoujust as long as you've been in love withhim. You know that your secrets have always been safe with me nor would I ever do anything to make you think less of me than you already probably do. If it helps, pretend I am not here, for I am not if you will it. I am but a speck of salt in the sea; a broken branch in the brush; a molecule in life itself."

Concentrating on his words, Helga breathed slowly in and out. It was almost unfathomable to think that someone could care for her in the way he did. Would Arnold one day feel the same as Brainy did for her? She could only dream but she knew, with time maybe her dream could come true. She had already gotten farther than she could ever imagine with him… so maybe. Brainy's last words did concern her, however.Why does he think I think so little of him?She wondered as she reread his words. Yes, she had decked him more times than she had ever even spoken to him. Yes, she completely ignored his existence for at least 90% of her life… but it wasn't exactly on purpose. Brainy was like he had explained himself: a spec on the wall; a bug on a branch; something that was just there with no actual attention needed. He just existed.

"To: GoldenHero
From: Helgoth
Subject: Fine…

I don't think THAT little of you, so don't think that. I'm sorry if anything I've done has ever made you feel that way. I admit I do know how you feel in that respect, though. I myself always feared thathethought low of me as well. If anyone knows that my actions don't always speak for me, it should be you. After all, you have been interrupting my most personal moments since we were in preschool…"

With a little moment of self contemplation, Helga took in a deep breath and continued on with her email to her silent classmate. Inside the email, she explained in full details the issues she had been facing with her family.

"Oh and one last thing…" She continued to write, "If you ever breathe a nasally breath of this to anyone, and I mean ANYONE! I don't care if it's your pet guinea pig, I will personally put an end to your life, do you understand me? … but feel free to tell me what you think, as well."

Nervously, the girl hit send and turned off the monitor to her computer. Of course she wanted to read whatever his thoughts were on the personal subject; however her nerves just wouldn't allow it at that time. She had already done enough gutsy things for today and could use some time to relax to herself. Looking over on her desk, she noticed her CD player was sitting there ready for her with her headphones already attached. Inside the machine was her favorite death metal band, The Dark Tormented, which she had listened to the night she had edited those pictures to give to Rhonda. Gingerly she applied the soft but slightly ripped pair of headphones to her ears and pressed play.

"Ahhh~ That's better…" she said to herself as she engulfed her whole being into the screaming words of some angsty teenage boy.

"Boop Beep" Went the sound of another computer in the distance. Sitting with a high amount of anticipation and inhaler in hand, Brainy took his boney arm to his mouse to click his new message. Breathing heavily, he read each word and clutched his heart. Before him was a well written, lengthy, novel type of message which oozed every bit of anger and passion that he had ever seen the light of his life emit. It almost seemed impossible, no maybe it was just unreal. He had noticed a change in the girl's personality ever since their adventures in the jungle, but this much growth in such a short period of time?

Feeling as though all the blood has rushed out of his body, Brainy quickly got out of his folding chair and to his bed where he collapsed. Taking a large inhale of his medicine, the boy let out a happy and longing sigh. She trusted him. It was almost too much for him to take!

Upon regaining his composure, the boy brought himself back to his glaring computer screen and reread her words."but feel free to tell me what you think as well"were her last words. Nodding, Brainy brought all of the images she painted into his mind and began to draw conclusions. Her home life was no walk in the park, which he knew already but as he feared, things had gotten much worse. Even with the pick-up in sales, it seemed her father had learned nothing. Brainy shook his head in sadness and placed his fingers back on his keyboard. How to put his thoughts into words? This task was always the hardest to accomplish. Pouring words from the depth of his soul always seemed to flow like a raging river when it came to the topic of his idol; however this topic wasn't as easy or poetic. It dealt with the full frontal pain and suffering of someone he held so dear… What could he say? It wasn't fair that a brilliant being such as herself had to live this tragically. It was if her life was written by some playwright in the 1500s. Cast aside by her family, forever in the shadows of her older sibling who could do no wrong, forever her soul tortured by holding so deeply the one thing that made her life worth living… by one small act of innocent kindness…

Brainy could feel his windpipes begin to swell and he broke from his visions to shake his inhaler before puffing it again. Suddenly, as if the medicine supercharged his brain, Brainy got an idea. Quickly, he began to type:

"To: Helgoth
From: GoldenHero
Subject: Unorthodox question,

Is the computer you are speaking with me in that of your family's business? Please respond back at your earliest convenience.

As to your final request of me: I feel as though reaching out to your older sister in regards to your mother's health issue was a smart choice. As she is older than you, undoubtedly she has seen more than you have when it comes to the cause and possible aid to her recovery. As far as my thoughts go… It would seem that your mother's intolerable drinking habits stem from her feelings of worthlessness. Your father has a constant need to be an alpha male, therefore belittling the rest of your family, thus giving her a sense that her presence is unneeded. How I have come to such a conclusion is due to your few fond memories of her you have explained: Your road trip with her to see distant relatives and your father's injury which caused her to take hold of the business. In both instances, she was given the opportunity to be of use or become significant in your lives. My suggestion: Reach out to her in a tender, loving way that shows her you care about her feelings, rather than forcing her to confront the issue in an aggressive manner. As far as my thoughts on your father go… I agree with your assessment of him. It would seem that his superiority complex probably stems from his own upbringings. There is little you can do about this, however as it would seem trying to reason with the man could only do you harm. I couldn't dare bring myself to the thought of him hurting you further, my dearest. Do be careful in whatever path you take. You are only one person, after all. As magnificent as you are Helga, you simply cannot take on the whole world… at least not by yourself.
Remember, if there is anything I can do to help you, I am only but an email away… unless you decide to request of me in person, of course.
Lastly, I believe it would do YOU a great of good to let your beloved see your demons as well. I am fortunate enough to be able to look into your window, even if I'm the least deserving, but only he can quell your aching heart. Reach out to him and find the well of happiness you deserve."

The stand up fan in Brainy's room rotated around and let a soft breeze surround him, tussling the little spikes of hair on his head and giving him the sudden realization of a cold strand down his cheek. Bringing up a hand, he touched it. Her story had moved him more than he thought. Giving a small meek smile, the boy wiped the second tear that was about to emerge from his eye and hit "send". The feeling was liberating to be able to help Helga in such a way, even if it meant never being able to hold her himself.

The rest of the night for Helga resumed being pretty alright, as her father had ordered the family pizza as a somewhat faux apology to his daughter for his earlier outburst. Not much was said around the pizza box as the fragmented family ate in silence; aside from the babbling voice coming from the television nearby.

Not eating much of the feast herself, Miriam look back and forth between the two other easily hostile members and thought of something to break the ice.

"S-so Helga… What's it like for you in 5th grade?" She asked with an awkward smile.

"You're about 13 months too late for that question, Miriam" Helga responded without looking up at her mother and reaching for the pizza box. "Pass the pizza."

Bob let out a grunt and slid the box over with his meaty hand, his eyes still fixated on the television in front of him. "What do you mean 'too late'? You're only 10 Olga."

Helga rolled her eyes at his false statement as well as the misuse of a name and simply reached into the box and pulled out the last remaining slice. "I'm 12, Bob and my name is Helga. You said my name right earlier today, I guess it was asking too much for you to get it right twice in the same day, huh?"

"Yeah, Yeah whatever." The grumpy man replied, still fixated on his animated screen.

Rushing to make up for the mistake, Miriam cleared her throat and continued to look at her daughter. "So… You're in 6th grade then… right?" She asked hopefully. "Time sure does fly…"

"Of course it does when you're not paying attention to it." The girl scoffed back before repositioning her legs for a more comfortable sitting experience.

Miriam could feel herself becoming uneasy and frowned. Thinking back to the goal of a pleasant topic, she thought back to an earlier time. "I remember when your sister turned 12. Boy that was a big time for her…" She smiled and turned to her husband, "Right, B?"

Unfortunately the recipient of her question was too engrossed in his television program to hear her question and began to laugh loud at a bunch of men falling off a wagon and into a puddle of mud. "Criminy! These guys just never learn!" He spoke to himself between chuckles.

Turning back to her daughter who looked just as uninterested in their conversation as her father, Miriam chose to not give up hope and continue the topic. "Don't you wanna know what happened, Helga?" She asked innocently.

Giving a loud groan of annoyance, Helga turned her head to the aging woman. "To be perfectly honest, no I don't but if it will make you happy… Go ahead." Her response mimicked the look on her face.

The fight to keep a simple conversation going was beginning to tire out the woman, as she sighed but continued on with her endeavor. "Okay… Well your sister always had boys flocking to her, even when she was younger but when she was 12 she finally decided on her first boyfriend. I think his name was… James? No, maybe Joe?" Miriam explained, now questioning her own memory. "Oh well, It doesn't matter I guess. Anyway I remember when she went out on her first little date! Oh it was just the cutest little thing!" As she continued to think back to simpler times in their family's life, Miriam's eyes began to light up as well as the weight on her chest lift a little. "She wanted to look perfect so we went out and got her a little blue dress and barrettes to put in her hair. They were so cute."

"Riveting…" Helga replied, completely uninterested in her mother's story.

Noticing that she was losing her audience, Miriam thought back to something else that might interest the young girl. "I-interesting things happened to me too, when I was your age." She blurted out, hoping to at least get a look from her daughter.

"Oh ya?" Helga asked, still focused more on what little she could see of the T.V her father was looking at.

"Yeah!" Miriam replied, with a hint of enthusiasm. "Actually, I think I might have been 11 but I believe that was the year I blossomed into womanhood. That's pretty important, right?"

Bob had heard the last bit of the woman's sentence and gave her a side eye. "You better not be talking about what I think you are…" He said in a warning voice. "And if you are, you better take that sort of talk away from me."

Miriam frowned and looked up at her husband. "Oh come on, B. It's a normal thing for girls to talk about…" She pleaded, not wanting to separate their little gathering just because of his childishness.

"Key word here isgirls." Bob explained in annoyance as he turned up his television, giving more of a hint that he wanted to not be a part of their talk.

Raising an eyebrow to her father's attitude, Helga was starting to become interested and Miriam had caught on. "Come on, honey. How about we go to your room, huh?" The woman asked with warmth before struggling to get up. Once she made it on her own two thin legs, she reached her hand out to her youngest daughter.

Taking it with interest, Helga rose to her feet and followed her mother into her closet of a bedroom. After Miriam had closed the door, Helga found it more comfortable to sit on her bed and waited for the older woman to join her. Once they were both seated, Miriam brought forth a delightful motherly face and continued her topic. First, she explained her first encounter with the natural occurrence in womanhood, along with all of the mishaps that joined. Next, once Helga had had a few laughs at the woman's misfortune, they continued with some of the situations that Olga had to face as well, knowing it would only bring further smiles to her young child's face.

"Wow, I can't believe that actually happened!" Helga shouted through her laughs. "And in the middle of school? The poor soul probably didn't come out of her bedroom for weeks!"

"Yes," Miriam smiled back, even though it pained her to think of her eldest daughters own sufferings, "It did devastate her quite a bit..." A thought then popped into her head, which she mulled over for a few seconds before deciding it was okay. "You… haven't gotten it yet, have you… Helga?" The woman asked meekly.

Silence filled the room and Helga raised her eyebrow. "No. Why, should I have?"

"No, no!" She spoke in a rushed tone before placing her hands gently on Helga's. "Every woman gets it at a different time… some younger than you, some older. In fact, I don't think my mother got it until she was about 15 years old." She explained, hoping to ease the girl's worries and not add to her insecurities. Seeing that Helga's expression toned itself down a little, Miriam felt successful. "You'll get it when you're ready."

"How do you know when you're ready, though? Are their signs or symptoms?" The young woman asked with a mix of genuine interest and foreboding.

Miriam frowned and hummed as she pondered the question a moment. "That's… another thing that varies from woman to woman, honey. Some show signs beforehand… and some, like your sister, it just happens suddenly when you'd least expect it."

Their talk had given Helga a lot to think about and soon it was time for her to wash up in the little utility shower that they had, and get into bed. Tomorrow was a school day and no one knew what awaited them in the morning…

Chapter 15

Chapter Text

Standing at her usual spot in front of her house, Helga impatiently tapped her foot and repeatedly looked left to right; each time extending her neck out a little in hopes of being able to see further away.

"Where is she?" The girl asked in a rushed tone as she awaited her usual companion. It was very rare for Phoebe to be late to anything, much less to school and the two had made it a habit of talking together every day since Helga's move into the old beeper store. Beginning to feel a little worried, Helga repositioned her backpack and began to walk. Although there was still plenty of time to get to school, as Phoebe always liked be early just in case something happened along the way, Helga couldn't help but think something was off.

Casually, she began to walk towards her best friend's house; noticing other kids walking passed her with backpacks in hand.What could be holding her up?The blonde girl wondered as she walked. Secretly hoping that everything was okay, her stride began to pick up into a brisk walk towards her destination. Upon arrival, everything seemed ordinary. There were no ambulances or police cars in front of the house. No gathering of spectators. Nothing different at all. co*cking her eyebrow at the dull sight, Helga walked up the stoop and rang the doorbell. She crossed her arms and perked up her ears once she heard the sound of footsteps coming her way.

"Oh, Hello Helga!" Reba spoke in her usual cheery self before her face turning a little less happy. "You must be here for Phoebe…"

"Well Doi. Wedohave to go to school today unless today is some random holiday that no one told me about- nor any other kid I saw heading in that direction." Helga responded as she pointed in the school's direction with her thumb. "Where is she?"

Reba's face turned into something of that of a worried parent and glanced inside her house before opening the doorway fully and allowing Helga entrance. "She hasn't been feeling well this morning. A stomach bug woke her up pretty early and she's been tossing and turning since then." The adult explained as she walked Helga into the living room where she could comfortably have a seat and wait for her only child. Placing a hand on her cheek, Reba let out a tired sigh. "Apparently this has been going on for some time and the dear girl couldn't find it in her heart to tell us…"

This being the first time hearing of this, Helga's eyes went wide. "I-is she okay?"

Giving a small smile, the woman nodded. "Yes. Once she came to me this morning, I gave her something to soothe her stomach and it's been calming down. I asked her if she still wanted to go to school and of course her spirits picked up. She should be on her way downstairs any moment." The two sat in silence for a little while and listened for the girl upstairs little pitter patter on their ceiling. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see you came for her, as well."

Helga let out a snort, followed by a sly smile. "Of course I wouldn't have left without her!"

The young woman's words brought a smile to Reba's face.

Before they knew it, Phoebe was rushing downstairs with her backpack tightly in hand. Once finally stepping into the seating area, the girl noticed the little amounts of sweat she had emitted from her brow and wiped it off with her sleeve. "Sorry I'm late, Helga. I got-"

"Yeah, yeah. You're not feeling well, your mom told me." Helga interrupted; standing up and heading for the door. "Get the lead out, Pheebs. At this rate we'll be late for class."

Turning to her mother with a smile in hopes of easing the woman's rightly founded worries; Phoebe nodded her head and turned around quickly to follow her friend. "Hurrying!" She squeaked out.

Helga knew that Phoebe didn't like to bring about a lot of attention on herself, especially when it came to something like this so she had decided it would be best to act as normal as possible. Once they exited the house and got about a block in, she began to remember the day prior along with its sequence of events. After mulling it over, the girl turned to her smaller companion but before she could open her mouth to speak, she noticed the look of pain on her face. "You sure you're okay, Phoebe? You don't look too good."

"Oh no, I'm fine!" Phoebe responded with a forced out smile that followed with a wince.

This caused Helga to halt and stand her ground. "Spill it." She demanded.

"Spill what?" Phoebe asked with a clearly forced chuckle. "I said I'm fine…"

"Don't you give me thatI'm finecrap!" Helga said as she looked squarely into her best friends eyes. "You almost never get sick and something's gotta be wrong if you're unable to keep a straight face like this." She watched as her best friend's expression turned into something solemn before continuing, but this time with a softer voice. "Look, you always go on and tell me that I have no reason to keep things from you, right?" Helga asked; placing her hand on the small girls shoulder in concealment, "It's time to practice what you preach. What's up?"

Phoebe could feel her muscles around her midsection begin to tense up, causing her to wince again in anticipation and found herself unable to control her emotions. In a fit of frustration, the girl stomped her feet "I don't KNOW what's wrong with me, Helga!" She yelled, causing Helga to step back in surprise. "This has been happening all weekend long! At first it was fine and it passed so I thoughtHey it's just a stomach bugbut then it came back but worse and now it's even further worse!" She seethed through breathes of pain. "I began to look up possible causes, thinking maybe I had become gluten sensitive or lactose intolerant but no matter what I eat, this doesn't seem to change!"

Not knowing how to respond, Helga stood there and listened patiently.

"This morning I had no choice but to tell mother about it, on account of I was in so much pain I could barely leave bed but…" Phoebe's voice began to tone itself down with less force and more sadness. "I didn't want to worry her." Looking up at Helga with anxious, pleading eyes, she could see that her best friend was not giving her pity and for this she was thankful. "What should I do?"

Thinking for a moment, Helga couldn't help continue their walking as the day wasn't stopping for them and she knew her best friend wouldn't be able to live with herself being late for school. "Well first I think we should get moving, pain or no pain, or we'll be late." She said as she walked ahead, hoping her companion would follow. "Secondly… maybe you should ask the school nurse?" She suggested thoughtfully. "I know she maybe sort of an oddball but she gives pretty good advice and won't tell you parents if you ask her not to."

Phoebe nodded and picked up her own pace, bringing herself alongside Helga for the walk. "Right…" She said so faint it might as well had been a whisper.

"Either way…" Helga continued, "You gotta figure out what it is. It's not normal for a stomach bug to go on this long and affect you the way it is."

Eventually the two girls made it to school, and although having to run into the class, they made it on time before the bell rang. The class looked at them with amusem*nt but Mr. Simmon's allowed the girls to take their seats before beginning a head count and starting his class.

"Good morning class!" The older gentleman greeted them, full of esteem and probably a large cup of coffee. He waited for the class's response back before continuing. "I have something very special to announce!" He said before turning around and grabbing a piece of chalk and writing something on the board in front of him. "It has come to the schools attention that, although we're doing our best at teaching you young minds, that there is something we've been lacking as a whole. After a long conference between us teachers and our fellow staff members, we think we've come up with a new added curriculum that will further each and every one of you." He waited for the expected groan behind him, but smiled nonetheless. After he had written the curriculums' name, he finished it off with added design to make the subject look exciting, even though he- himself wasn't too fond of the subject. Turning around to face his audience, Mr. Simmons opened his arms wide to dramatize the unveiling of his art. "We've called it Health Class!"

"What? Is it supposed to be a class that helps us get healthy?" asked Stinky from across the room as he scratched his head in confusion.

"Sort of," The teacher corrected with a grim smile. "It's a class that teaches a few things that students your age should be aware of, such as environmental factors that might influence you to do things that will undoubtedly harm your body as well as other… unfamiliar things that might be going on and changing in your body."

"Like how when I eat turkey I get bad gas?" Harold asked out in his boisterous voice.

"That was WAY too much information." Rhonda responded with a shake of her head in disgust.

"Hey! My mom says that gas is perfectly normal and it's better that it goes out instead of in!" He responded back with a scowl as to justify his outburst.

As Helga listened to the two argue over the topic, she couldn't help but notice that the bruise on the older boy's face had begun to fade, as well as his antic's remaining the same as usual. She sighed in relief and looked over her shoulder at Arnold who seemed to be paying an abnormally close attention to the teacher's topic.

Not sure how to feel, Arnold gulped at the thought of having to go through yet another talk like the one he had had with his father. He knew in school it would be put more eloquently and clearly, rather than awkward and full of embarrassment but even still… he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Suddenly he felt a pair of eyes on him and he slowly broke his contact away from the board and brought it to those eyes. Helga gave him a questioning look but he shook his head and smiled at the girl. She had no idea how he was feeling and honestly didn't need to. There was already enough going on in his mind…

"Are you going to be teaching the class?" Eugene spoke up, a little nervous himself at the topic.

Mr. Simmons smiled at the question and took in a breath of fresh air. "Wonderful question, Eugene!" He replied with a clap. "Unfortunately I will not be the maestro to this ensemble. Our own Nurse Shelley will be conducting this class."

"Oh that's wonderful!" Sheena exclaimed with joy in her heart.

"Furthermore, I have even more exciting news to share with you all!" The balding man shouted over the crowd of murmuring students before him, glad to change the topic. "I received an unexpected letter this morning from a very special friend of ours!"

"Who is it?" Sid asked.

Reaching into his back pocket, Mr. Simmons pulled out a folded letter and began to open it up and pull out the worn sheet of paper inside. "It's from Lila! And she explains that her trip to South Carolina to see her Aunt will be ending soon and she'll be joining us back in the classroom. Isn't that fantastic?! I'm sure you all miss her greatly."

Helga snorted and crossed her legs. "Hardly."

"Would you read the letter out loud, Mr. Simmons?" Arnold asked, rather interested in its contents.

Nodding, the man cleared his throat and began to read the letter to the class.

"Dear Friends,
I am writing to you in great spirits as to let you know that I will be arriving back in Hillwood ever so shortly. I cannot wait to come back and hear of your ever so exciting trip to San Lorenzo and am terribly sorry that I was not able to attend as I had to make this equally exciting trip to South Carolina to visit my sick Aunt May. My stay here has been oh so enjoyable, however as she is getting ready to leave the hospital from her illness, as are my father and I. Seeing my family has been the most joyous experience in quite a while and I'm fully prepared to share my own stories with you all.

Sincerely, Lila Sawyer"

The class clapped and Mr. Simmons gently placed the letter over on his desk. "We are expecting her arrival sometime this week!"

"Not to disrupt our cheering of little miss perfect, but when will that new class of our's start?" Helga asked, placing the actual topic front and forward once more.

"Oh… right." Mr. Simmons sighed. "It is actually going to be rotating with your P.E class every week as both focus on the body and are equally important. Every Monday and Wednesday you'll have Health class and every Tuesday and Friday will be P.E, with Thursday ending in study hall to prepare you for our weekly tests on Friday morning." The thought of the school's board of education meeting on the matter was still fresh in his mind as their original plan for the class was to be squeezed into their regular class time, thus cutting two of the classes down by 30 minutes. Mr. Simmons, along with a few other teachers, fought valiantly to change their minds and thus came up with his new idea he felt would work better.

"Are you kidding me? They're only making gym two days a week?!" Gerald stood up and placed his hands on his desk loudly. The others looked over at him with surprise but no one questioned him.

Mr. Simmons scratched his scalp and looked apologetically at the young man. "I'm afraid I'm telling the truth, Gerald."

"Man! This blows!" He said with a loud groan and plopped hit butt back in his seat. "The coach is really gonna ride us now…"

"As if he didn't already do that…" Harold mumbled under his breath as he thought of all those push up's Coach Wittenberg made them do as often as he could.

"Well I for one think this is a splendid idea." Rhonda commented as she brushed back her hair in a dramatic type pose. "P.E has never really beenmything and I absolutely HATE getting all sweaty and gross. I think they should get rid of it all together!"

Nadine looked over at her best friend with skepticism all over her face. "Really? Because you seem to enjoy sports to me. In fact, you've joined us quite a few times and clearly had fun."

Shocked at her friend's obvious attempt to end her charade, Rhonda gasped and snubbed her nose at the honest girl. "That was before I knew any better! I'm a totally changedwomannow!"

"Uh huh…" Nadine responded with a shake of her head.

Before the class could continue their side conversations, Mr. Simmons quickly took the reins and began to focus them more on the actual topic of the hour: Math.

A few hours had passed and much to Phoebe's dismay, her pain continued to come and go; sometimes more severe than others but nonetheless she held her tongue and bore it all quietly as to not disturb the class. As time when on, Helga's suggestion of going to the nurse seemed more and more enjoyable.

Looking over at the clock, she could see that there was only a few more minutes left of their teachers History lesson and, at this point, couldn't honestly care less about his lecture. Quietly, she waited for him to pause, before standing up and asking him if she could be excused. At first he seemed a bit concerned as it was out of the ordinary for Phoebe to leave class early, however with her calm demeanor she was able to make light of the situation and leave without too many questions asked.

After arriving at the nurse's office, Phoebe politely let herself in and looked around for Nurse Shelley.

"Um… excuse me?" She asked out quietly, looking from side to side.

She could hear some rustling from behind an open closet door and then a few things falling. "Just one moment!" a voice responded with a little agitation. With a few more rustles and a loud pop, a bunch of supplies spilled out of the closet- as well as the nurse.

"Oh my!" Phoebe gasped before running over to the nurse who had fallen on the floor; some large white poster paper draped around the poor woman. "Are you okay?"

With a frail smile, Nurse Shelley let out a small giggle before struggling to get back on her feet. "I'm fine dear, but thank you for asking." She picked up the few medical supplies that had scattered on the floor, as well as rolling the poster paper back up and deciding that maybe it would go next to the closet instead of inside. "You see, I have picked up a few things for our new class and… have nowhere to really put them…" She started to explain to the small girl after tidying up. "My medical closet is much too full with all the supplies I need here that my teaching supplies simply fall out whenever I open the door…"

Phoebe couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the woman and began to think of a way to help her. "Maybe the janitor has some space in his closet?" She suggested but Shelley just shook her head.

"Indeed he does, however I'm afraid that if I store them in there they might go missing." Shelley admitted with a frown. "The budget in this school just gets smaller and smaller and it's a shame to admit but some people have resulted in being… a little less honest around here with things."

"I see…" Phoebe responded, now unsure of what else to suggest. There was no way the school would pay for another cabinet to be installed inside the office, and it would be absolutely unfair to ask Shelley to pay for it after she probably already paid for these supplies out of pocket. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Smiling and brushing her lab coat off, Nurse Shelley turned the attention back to Phoebe. "So what brings you here, Ms. Heyerdahl?" She asked as she motioned for Phoebe to sit up on the examining table.

After doing as she was told, Phoebe looked down at the off-white tile floor. "You see, I've been having a lot of stomach pain recently and I was hoping that maybe you know why?"

Shelley nodded and began to do a standard examination of Phoebe: checking her heart and lungs, as well as her temperature. "Everything seems normal here…" She explained before putting away her thermometer and crossing her arms in thought. "Could you possibly explain the pain you're experiencing?" She asked, "As in, is the pain dull or sharp? Aching or stabbing?"

"I suppose it's more of a dull ache… most of the time, then sporadically can become sharp and stabbing." Phoebe frowned as her response didn't seem very helpful.

"I see." Shelley said, tapping her foot still in thought. "And when do you experience your pain most often? During the morning or night? Or maybe even all day long?"

Thinking back on it, Phoebe did notice that the pain seemed to come more often than not in the middle of the night, however today it seemed to last all day. "Today it has been all day long, ma'am."

"That's quite unfortunate. I'm sorry to hear that." Shelley frowned. "And could you show me exactly where the pain is?"

Phoebe stood up and motioned to her lower abdominal area. "Mostly here below my belly button. The pain is similar to that of when I eat way too much spicy food and need to use the restroom right away… however no such urgency has happened, as well as I've not eaten anything as of recent that should cause such urgency."

"My, my…" Shelley commented as she listened to Phoebe's explanation.

The lack of information being given to her by the professional made Phoebe feel a little discouraged. "So what do you think it could be?" she asked, hoping to get something more enlightening from the woman.

Pushing up her glasses and straightening her pose, Nurse Shelley gave the girl a small smile. "I have some suspicions however, none of them are really cause for much concern. You're in the sixth grade, correct?"

The question seemed a little out of left field, however Phoebe nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Oh good!" Shelley's smile grew wider. "Then that means you'll be in our new class that I'm teaching!"

With her frustration growing, Phoebe wrinkled her forehead and failed to hold back a sigh. "Yes, it does seem that way."

Noticing the girl becoming short, Shelley cleared her throat and decided and explanation was in order. "You see Phoebe, what seems to be happening to you right now could either be one of a few things, however since you're not experiencing any inconsistencies in the bathroom… then the only other plausible option would be that you're finally reaching the start of puberty."

With shock in her eyes, Phoebe had no words. She knew well what that meant for her, but despite all that, the idea had never once popped in her head.

The older woman placed her hand on Phoebe's left leg and did her best to console the girl's troubles. "Has your parents talked to you about this yet?"

Her parents, much like herself, were very knowledgeable people and would no doubt know all about the subject as they had to have gone through that change themselves, but never once had the subject actually been brought up to her. "No, not yet…" Phoebe replied quietly, still a little in shock at this revelation.

"This is exactly the reason why the school decided to create this Health Class…" Shelley calmly explained. "There are many girls who find themselves coming to me with similar issues as your own and have absolutely no knowledge about their own bodies! It is the school's job to educate and, with more and more of you coming to me each day, boys and girls alike, it seems that fewer and fewer parents are taking on that subject in a more… private setting. We felt compelled to step up and take on this role for the sake of you children!"

The woman's voice turned from sounding sympathetic to a righteous leader as she spoke. Phoebe could feel the passion emitting from her words and strangely began to feel calm about her situation. It was a just cause, to say the least and Phoebe felt safe in her hands. "So is there anything I can do to help this pain?"

"Some girls find relief in a heating pad; some with an ice pack to the belly… but mostly only painkillers will help you, dear." Shelley replied, coming down from the high of her speech.

Knowing that pain killers at least dulled her pain, Phoebe went ahead and accepted those before thanking the older woman and heading back towards her class. While walking in the hallway, the lunch bell rang and many kids rushed out of their rooms and began knocking her around. With small whines and cries, Phoebe found herself pushed up against a wall and waited for the stampede to pass by.

"You were gone long." A familiar stern voice emerged from the loud yells of students. Phoebe looked up to see that Helga had thankfully found her. Without warning, she reached out and hugged the girl tightly. "Hey, hey! Not too tight!" Helga whined before gently pushing her off.

"Sorry. I'm just really glad I found you!" She replied happily chuckled, "Or rather, you found me."

Helga raised her eyebrow. "So what's age old disease is killing you?" She asked sarcastically before leading Phoebe down the hallway with the other rushing students.

Turning into herself, Phoebe quietly lamented her luck but was also thankful that it wasn't something actually horrible. "It seems that womanhood is finally gracing me with its presence…"

Now even further surprised at hearing those words, Helga looked ahead. "Yeah, Miriam was telling me just last night how nasty some girls can have it…"

"Your mother?" Phoebe asked; astounded.

Helga put on an irritated face and continued her powerful stride. "Yeah, she randomly wanted somefemale bondinglast night after I called her out on wasting our food money on booze. At first I was skeptical of her motives but in the end…" Her voice trailed off and turned a little nostalgic, "It was actually kind of nice."

A giant smile adorning the small Asian girls face and she turned to her friend in delight. "That's wonderful news, Helga!" but suddenly her muscles began to tense up again and she was unable to delight in her friends continued story. Helga's words became more of a mumble rather than audible sentences'. Feeling the absolute urgency to use the bathroom, Phoebe halted her steps and clutched her stomach despite not wanting others to see her in pain.

"Phoebe?" Helga called out to her, now fully worried. "You gonna be okay?!"

"Y-yes!" Phoebe forced out, "But finding a bathroom would be optimal right now…"

Grabbing the pained girl's hand, Helga rushed them to the nearest girl's room. Wanting to give Phoebe her privacy, she waited outside to let her do whatever business it was that needed to be done.

Man… this is getting rough on poor Pheebs…Helga thought to herself as she rested her back up against the wall and crossed her legs for added comfort.I've never seen her like this…

Helga closed her eyes and waited patiently for her friend. Minutes flew by and began to feel like hours and soon, the blonde girl could feel her hungry stomach begin to whine. "Alright! Enough's enough! I'm going in there!" She shouted to herself before moving from her post and pushing the bathroom door open. "Did you fall in, or what?" She asked her friend loudly, ignoring all considerations.

After letting out a heavy sigh and getting no response, her frustration turned into genuine concern. "Phoebe?" A small whine was perceived from one of the bathroom stalls and Helga made her way towards it. She waited a moment for a possible utterance from the girl but when she found that she wasn't going to get one, she continued. "Look, I'm sorry for getting impatient… I'm just really hungry." Again she waited but got no response. "Criminy, Pheebs! Just say something!"

"It's everywhere." The meek girl replied from behind the old and rusted bathroom stall door.

"Huh? What's everywhere? What do you mean?" Helga asked confused.

"It's everywhere and I don't know what to do." Phoebe responded again, although still being cryptic.

"You gotta be more clear than that!" Helga demanded to the person behind the stall door.

"It finally happened, Helga!" Phoebe yelled back in a voice that rivaled that of her best friends. "Can you please just get what I'm saying without me having to spell it out for you!"

Letting the girls words set in, the wheels in Helga's brain began to turn and eventually the hint was finally picked up. "Ohhhhhh…."

"Yeahhhhhh…" Phoebe replied, still as agitated as before.

"Crap… Hold on Pheebs, I'll think of something." Helga said as she paced around the bathroom in thought. "I'll go to the nurse's office and get you something and then…." She stopped and continued her thought, "give me your locker combo and I'll go get you your gym clothes!"

"21, 3, 32." Phoebe clearly spoke and before she knew it, the bathroom door was flung open again and Helga was gone.

Heading to the gym first, Helga rushed to open her friend's locker. After fighting with it a few times due to human error from haste, she eventually yanked it open and retrieved the clothes. "Got em!" She happily stated before rushing out of the locker room. Thankfully no one was around to question her and she was able to escape quickly and made it around a few corners til she got to the nurses office.

Bursting through the door, Helga had startled Shelley and her small 3rd grade patient. "Sorry to bother you but could you throw me something to stop the blood or something? My friend is sorta stuck and needs help."

"Oh my!" Shelley gasped as she put down her stethoscope. "Is she okay? Do I need to bring a first aid kit?!"

"No no no! I got it!" Helga angrily replied, "Just hand me some feminine products and I'll be on my merry way!"

"Oh…" Nodding, Shelley went into a small drawer and pulled out a few feminine products as she was unsure which the girl in question preferred. "Here. I hope these help!"

Snatching them from the woman's hands, Helga dashed back out of the room and ran straight towards the bathroom. After turning a sharp corner, she suddenly collided into a solid force and fell on her behind. "Ugh!"

"I'm so sorry!" A familiar male voice responded.

Helga opened her eyes to see none other than Arnold standing in front of her with his hand out to help her up. "Of course it's you." She replied snidely.

Arnold frowned at her not so welcoming hello. "Everything okay? You seem to be in a rush and…" He looked around curiously, "I haven't seen you or Phoebe at lunch yet."

Helga collected her quest items from off the floor and stood up by herself. "Yeah well me and Phoebe are alittlepreoccupied at the moment. We're gonna be late. What are you even doing here?"

"I was on my way to the bathroom." Noticing the familiar clothes now draped in her hands, Arnold felt even more confused. "Are those Phoebe's gym clothes?"

"I don't have time for your 20 questions, Football head!" Helga yelled at him with a followed up groan. "I got to go!"

Stepping aside to let the rushed girl past, the boy scowled at her attitude. "Okay then."

She could see his frustration and it pained her, however instead of addressing it and explaining the situation, Helga knew what was most important right now and that was getting to her best friend in need. She rushed passed him without so much as a second glance and quickly made it to the bathroom.

"Phoebe! I got the goods!" Helga proudly presented while panting.

"Thanks, Helga." Phoebe replied with what sounded like a small sniffle. Her voice was small and quiet and full of sorrow.

Pushing the clothes and choice items underneath the door, Helga backed up and frowned. "Sorry it took me so long.Some peoplefound it necessary to try and have idle conversation while seeing I was obviously in a rush." Helga explained as she made her way away from the stall and to the row of sinks.

"That's okay…" Phoebe replied.

"Are you feeling any better?" The concerned girl asked her best friend as she rested her hands on the sinks and stared at her own reflection.

A few awkward seconds passed by before Phoebe finally spoke up. "A little… but Helga…"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"…I don't know what to do with thesethingsyou've brought me." Phoebe replied after a few more awkward seconds.

Blinking, Helga turned to the stalls. "Oh. Right." She said, realizing that they didn't exactly come with instructions. "Well I wasn't sure which one you wanted so I just got those…" Although she had a mother and an older sister, Helga herself had never used either of those items but had vague understand of how they were used. "One is basically like a giant Band-Aid that you put on your underwear where uh… the bleeding happens and the other I think you shove up there to stop the bleeding."

"SHOVE?!" Phoebe shrieked; echoing throughout the room.

Shuttering at both her voice and the thought, Helga took in a sharp breath, "Yeah… doesn't sound too pleasant. I'd go with the first one."

Phoebe looked over the two products and hung her head. All the smarts she had wouldn't prepare her for this moment. Agreeing with Helga's choice, she undid the packing of the maxi pad and successfully applied it to her soiled undergarments. "…This is awful."

"Well no one ever said being a woman was pleasant." Helga shrugged but sympathized as much as she could.

Kicking her soiled skirt out of the way, she cleaned herself up to the best of her abilities and dressed herself in her clean gym shorts. With a heavy heart, the girl exited the stall and looked at her best friend with gratitude in her eyes. "Thanks again, Helga."

Seeing someone she loved so defeated left a dull ache in Helga's heart. "No problem, Pheebs." She said with a sympathetic smile. "Do you want to go to the nurse's office again? I can't imagine you'd actually want to continue school like this."

As much as she hated to admit it, she knew Helga was right. Phoebe slowly nodded. "I'd have to agree..."

Helga could see the inner torment that her best friend was facing and lovingly placed her arm around her friends shoulder, pulling her in. "It'll be okay. I'll go with you since I'm probably not making it to lunch at this rate anyway."

Knowing that Helga's comment wasn't meant to be as bad as it sounded, Phoebe nodded and they both exited the bathroom in route to the nurse's office once again.

The cafeteria was loud and busy, and Gerald occupied his time listening to Sid over explain a movie he had just seen on TV last night. Rolling his eyes, he turned to look at the cafeteria entrance in expectancy of his best friend. Once Arnold finally emerged, he waved to him in order to get his attention.

"What took you so long, man? I was starting to get worried." Gerald asked before sliding Arnold's chair out with his foot as a kind gesture. "The food get to you or something?"

"No… not the food." Arnold said, still unhappy about his run in with his girlfriend.

"Boy howdy, Arnold! You look like someone just kicked your pig!" Sid commented once he had finished his story and focused on the companion that had rejoined their table.

"You look mighty downtrodden, Arnold." Stinky chimed in with a friendly but concerned tone.

Arnold crossed his arms on the table and softly placed his head on top of them; smothering his face from the rest of the table. "It's nothing."

"That… certainly doesn't look like nothing." Gerald replied back, now genuinely alarmed at his friends change in attitude. "You were fine before you left. What happened?"

Harold took a large bite of his sandwich; spilling a few of its contents, and chuckled. "Awww, maybe Awnold misses his girlfrwend!" Arnold's head shot straight up and immediately made direct eye contact with his large friend, causing him to almost choke on his food. "I- I mean, uhh… uhh"

With a heavy sigh, Arnold forgave the boy internally, knowing full well that he never seemed to think before talking and that the company within the table were already aware of his engagements. "Just… try to think about what you say before you say it, okay Harold?" He softly gave advice, "Especially in open public…"

Harold cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"Now that you mention it…" Looking around, Gerald noticed that neither of their female companions had actually made it to the lunch room. "The girls don't seem to be sitting at any of the tables. Did you run into them?"

"I did run into Helga, but not Phoebe." Arnold said as he re-accounted his run in with the hostile girl. "Oddly enough, Helga was carrying her clothes so I hope nothing bad happened."

"Maybe some kid got into a really big fight and was bleeding all over the nurse's office when she got there!" Harold suggested with excitement, "And she got covered in it!"

Stinky shook his head. "Naw, I think we'd have heard about something like that by now."

"Or maybe she tripped into another student carrying paint?" Sid added before munching on a bag of potato chips.

Now anxious to find out what really happened, Gerald could feel his insides churn at the thought of the girl he held affections for becoming injured in anyway. "Well whatever happened, we gotta find out as soon as possible."

Soon the end of lunch was signaled and all the students left and hurried on to their designated classrooms. Much to Gerald's disappointment, Phoebe remained absent. Mr. Simmons soon followed behind the student and stood in front of the class, about to begin.

Feeling his heart rise into his throat, Gerald turned to look at Arnold, who simply shook his head in response. Knowing that only one person would actually know the answer, he began writing a note on a piece of paper: "What happened to Phoebe?" and tossed it to his neighbor to hand over to Helga.

Having the folded piece of paper thrown on her desk, Helga scowled at its deliverer and opened it up. Only seconds later, she scribbled her response and handed it back.

Gerald awaited his response eagerly and rushed to open it up. "None of your business, Geraldo. Now stop bothering me at pay attention to the sad little man trying to teach us or we'll both get detention." His excitement upon getting a response then turned into an aggravated frown. Why did she always have to be like that? The few moments in Gerald's life where he actually wanted Helga's help, always seemed to end the same for him: further irritation. Crumpling up the paper, the boy made a successful free-throw at the trash can that was conveniently next to the door which he sat next to.

School continued on as scheduled with their regular classes until it was finally the moment the children had all been waiting for: Health Class. Mr. Simmons began to put away all of his notes and began to clean up the front of the classroom in anticipation for the awaited teacher. Placing all of his awkwardness aside, he turned and addressed the class.

"Now everyone, please be on your best behavior for our next class." He started with a somber look on his face, "Some of the topics that will come up might make you feel a little silly, maybe even uncomfortable but just know that if you have ANY questions… do not hesitate to ask!"

All the students began to murmur amongst themselves in apprehension for this new lesson; some worried and some excited. Only a handful actually had a good idea on what the choice class would be about.

Shortly after the introduction, the homely nurse knocked on the classroom door and let herself in.

"Good afternoon, students!" She sang as she walked through the door.

"Good afternoon, Aunt Shelley!" Sheena replied, standing up and waving to her family member whom she was always filled with joy upon seeing. The other students answered accordingly in a dull tone.

She turned to their normal teacher and held out a few overflowing supplies from her hands, which he happily took from her and placed on his desk. "Are we all excited about our new class?" She asked everyone including the man in front of her.

Gulping in response, Mr. Simmons felt his awkwardness begin to creep back into his being and caused him to turn away from the woman's gaze. "I'm sure everyone here is very excited, aren't we class?"

Without hesitation, Shelley took a piece of chalk and started to write on the board.

"There will be a few things covered in our class." She explained, "But all will have similarities to one subject, which is your general health!" She then turned to the class and pointed out each of the summed up topics she had written down. "Our main topics will include general hygiene, the dangers of drugs and finally sexual education."

Harold let out a large gasp and turned to everyone then back at the woman. "Are we allowed to talk about that kind of stuff here?!"

Shelley replied with a small smile and a nod. "Of course, Harold! That's what I'm here to do!" She looked over at all of the students faces with a calm state of mind to gather all of their external responses. "Each and every one of you are growing up and will be facing many challenges along the way. Some of you might know of these challenges already, as you have older siblings but some of you don't and that's perfectly okay too. I am here to help you learn how to go about these safely and make you comfortable about yourselves. Does anyone have any questions?" The crowd went silent and Shelley continued with her lesson explanation. "Because of how important these topics are to growing young people like yourselves, we will be covering as much as we can over the rest of this year; each day learning a little about each of these topics."

"Will we have tests?" Curly asked with his hand firmly raised.

"Of course, dear!" Shelley answered, promptly placing her gaze on the odd boy. "All classes must have tests in order to see how much each individual learns."

Another hand got raised, and this time it was Rhonda's. "Do our parents know about this? I mean, it's kind of odd that the school just randomly decided to add another class."

Shelley nodded and focused her attention to the posh girl. "Yes. Once the school had decided on supporting the class, a letter went out to each of your families in regards to the lessons and gave the parents options whether to enroll you or not."

"What happens if one of isn't here…? Like, if we had to go home early before the class started? Will that count against us?" Gerald spoke up quietly, feeling a little nervous about his question.

The woman's gaze softened as she heard the young boys question and she let out a small giggle. "No, just like in any normal class it won't count against you, however it's encouraged to get as caught up as soon as possible so you don't fall behind. This may be counted as an electoral class, however passing it will still be required in order to graduate."

Waiting a few more moments to see if the students had any more questions, the woman turned around and began to write on the black board once more. With encouragement in her heart, she knew that what she was doing was for the best of the students and would absolutely not let any of them fail if she could help it.

Chapter 16

Chapter Text

Class ended and with their minds buzzed with new information, the students exited the premises of P.S.118 in route of their own choosing. Gerald said his brief goodbye to his best friend before shoving his hands in his pockets and walking in a very specific direction. Worry about Phoebe's absence weighed heavy on the boy's mind and he couldn't help but shake the weird feeling that something was wrong.

As he got to her house, he straightened his back and made sure his hair was just perfect before knocking on the door. It only took moments for Mrs. Heyerdahl to answer.

"Oh Gerald, how nice of you to come by." The woman greeted him warmly with a smile.

His once impenetrable wall ofcoolsuddenly got knocked down and the boy could only feel a sense of uneasiness. "I-is Phoebe around?" He asked meekly as he rubbed the side of his arm.

Reba let out a small sigh. "She is… but I don't know if she's up for visitors." She answered truthfully.

Gerald's face unconsciously turned into a frown upon hearing her words. "Oh…"

"But I suppose seeing you might make her feel a little better." Reba finished before opening the door for him to enter past her. "Phoebe! You have a guest!" She called out behind her.

The boys face lit up with delight and he nodded to the woman with appreciation. "Thanks."

The woman pointed in up the stairs. "You'll find her in her bed room lying down." She explained; her face becoming a little grim. "Prepare yourself though; she can get a little snippy when she's not feeling well."

Acknowledging the information, Gerald gulped but was no less up for his task. "Got it." He replied before turning towards the stairs. "Anymore advice before I go up?"

Reba smiled and crossed her arms.Such a little man…she thought to herself. "You should be fine, dear. I'll bring up some refreshments for you both shortly, that outta help a little."

Gerald ventured up the stairs and took a sharp left into a long hallway. He only ever been in Phoebe's room once before and that was to console her into returning back to school after an embarrassing incident.I hope something like that didn't happen again…He couldn't help but think back to how much she suffered through all the ridicule. He stood in front of her bedroom door and took in a large breath. Why was he so nervous? It was just Phoebe, after all. He could feel little beads of sweat begin to form upon his brow as well as his palms becoming damp. His heart began to quicken at the thought of her being alone in her room and in some unknown state. "Phoebe?" He called out to beyond the door, "It's… me. Can I come in?" He hesitated.

"You may enter." Phoebe called back in her usual voice.

After taking a few more large breaths to prepare himself for what lie beyond that door, Gerald grasped her door knob and opened it slowly. He peeked around it and saw his girlfriend lying in her bed with a book in her hand. Everything seemed pretty normal.

"Hey." He called out with a smile, "What's up?"

Phoebe turned to look up at him and forced out a smile back. "Reading." She replied quietly.

Taking a few more steps into her room, Gerald could see that there was a large red hot water bottle lying on top of her lower half. "You left school early, that's unlike you. Are you okay?" He asked with concern.

With a few grunts, Phoebe managed to push herself into a sitting position and scooted over so that way her guest could sit next to her. "I'm fine Gerald, thank you for asking."

Her voice sounded normal enough, however Gerald knew there had to be more to it than that. Motioning to the large rubber floppy container draped over her small frame, he let out a small chuckle to lighten up the mood. "What's with that thing?"

Phoebe looked down at the only thing really supporting her in her time of need. "Oh this?" She asked as she patted it and watched the water ripples cascade on top of its smooth exterior. "It helps the pain quite a bit. Mother suggested it after I got home."

"Oh, the pain is back again?"Gerald asked, remembering the stomach issues she had a few days ago. "Did you see a doctor yet?" He gazed down at her hands. They were rested so nicely on top of her lap. He wanted to hold them; caress them and comfort her. Was she in pain now?

Phoebe breathed a calm breath before turning to him with a little awkwardness. "I guess you could say that…" She started as she shuffled a bit in place, and then adjusted her warm bottle. "I saw the school nurse and… although she was a little cryptic and unclear in the beginning, everything became clear later on without her help."

Tilting his head to the side, Gerald attempted to grasp what she had said. "So… that means you're okay, right? Nothing serious?" He asked, trying to get a clearer response.

"Yes, I'm fine. Nothing serious." Phoebe reassured with a nod. "Turns out what's going on with me is very normal and very unavoidable and I suspect we'll be learning more about it soon enough."

The awkwardness in the room lightened up a little as both of the adolescents relaxed into the atmosphere they had created. There was no doubt in her mind that Gerald cared for her, and for that she was glad. She hadn't expected anyone to visit her really, so the sentiment was nice.

"How was the new class?" She asked, breaking the silence.

Gerald snapped back into attention and shook his head. "Weird." He replied, cringing a little. "I guess we're going to be learning more about each other bodies and drugs n stuff… nothing cool. I'd much rather have gym."

Phoebe frowned at his displeasure but placed her hand on top of his, causing him to look up at her in surprise. "Physical education is indeed important, however so is learning about the body and how it works. Think of it as the educational side of gym." She reassured.

"Yeah yeah, I know. The nurse explained its importance pretty muchallof class." He explained as he rolled his eyes. "I never knew one person could be so hyped about talking about uncomfortable and gross things."

The term he had used wasn't very comforting and Phoebe withdrew her hand from his. "Gross…. Huh." She whispered, more to herself than him. Despite her changes being normal, she couldn't exactly disagree with the term. There was nothing pleasant about what her body was doing, regardless of its beneficial properties for the future, but did that mean he thoughtshewas gross to him now? Worries began to flood the girls mind and she let out a small groan.

"You okay?" Gerald noticed a change in her demeanor. "The pain coming back or something?"

"Nothing is wrong, I'm completely fine." Phoebe replied, unable to hide the whine in her voice as she tried to hide her feelings.

Gerald placed his hand on the girls shoulder and got a little closer, "Come on, you don't have to hide it… beautiful."

Phoebe wiggled her shoulder out from under his grasp, causing him to withdraw a little; feeling rejected. "Beautiful, huh?" She responded callously.He basically just said I was gross…

Frowning, Gerald took back his hands and rested them on his lap. "Yeah… You know how I think about you, why you acting this way all of a sudden?" He asked; his tone turning from sadness into a little annoyance. Her mother did warn him she could get snippy but he saw nothing he did could possibly warrant it.

"Acting?" Questioned Phoebe as she turned to him with a scowl. She knew her stubbornness was getting the better of her, however none of that mattered in that moment. "I feel I am acting perfectly normal."

Geez, now she's just getting ridiculous!Gerald thought as he stood up to give her some space. "If you say so." He could see her expression turned a little softer as he backed away and hoped she would get the hint. "I only came over to make sure you were alright. Maybe I should go if you don't want my company."

Just then, Phoebe's bedroom door opened up and Reba came walking in with some chocolate chip cookies and milk. "I brought you guys some snacks!" She said cheerfully until analyzing the mood in the room. "Ya'll alright in here?"

"Yes Mother." Phoebe answered; changing her tone to a happier one. "Gerald was just giving me some space, that's all."

Reba looked between the two preteens with a worried look, before setting down the plate of cookies at the end of Phoebe's bed. "Well alright. If you need anything, just holler."

Phoebe and Gerald nodded and agreed before watching Reba slowly walk out of the room and close the door softly behind her.

With a sad sigh, Phoebe lay back down and gazed up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, Gerald. I don't mean to be hostile with you…" She explained, "I understand if you want to leave me alone. Heck, Mother doesn't even want to say with me very long with how my emotions have been getting the better of me."

Hearing her remorse, Gerald crossed his arms and sat back down next to her. "It might help if you actuallytold mewhat's wrong, though."

Nodding, she turned her head to him. A relationship was two people working together no matter what. What was the use hiding her situation from him? He would learn all about it in a few days anyway; the whole class would! Who better to have understanding her pain than the person whose affection she longed for? In reality, she knew he was actually the only person shewantedthere with her right then.

Phoebe let out a small sigh. "You're right. I apologize…" She said slowly before going over what she was about to explain in her head. "Just… don't think I'm gross, okay?" Her voice sounded vulnerable and weak.

With a proud smile, Gerald placed his hand on top of hers once more and winked. "Wouldn't dream of it, babe."

The Beeper Emporium was once again, swamped with young adults hovering over the old dusty models that were on display. Helga dropped her backpack in front of the door carelessly and snickered at the sight. Sure, this was great for their business but really? What use were those things now except a fashion commodity to them? And to make it worse, those poor saps would spend all that money on those plastic pieces of crap and they would just break soon after anyway. Helga watched as a couple of girl friends giggled as they "tried on" the models with glee.Pathetic morons…she thought as she crossed her arms.But might as well help out seeing as Bob will see me any moment now and demand it anyway…she sighed as she brought her body over to the customers.

"Anything I can help you with, miss?" Helga asked with a sickly sweet voice as she forced out a cringe worthy forced smile.

One of the girls turned to Helga and scowled at her attempt. "Uhhh as if. What couldyouhelp me with anyway?" she responded with a click in her voice as she looked over Helga's attire. "You clearly don't know the first thing about fashion."

Her companion giggled besides her. "Shana… be nice to the little girl!"

Gritting her teeth and holding her tongue, Helga concentrated on keeping her cool and her anger at bay. "I can show you the latest models of the brand you're looking at, plus somehigh endmodels from the back." She lied, knowing full well the ones stored in the back were even older and more out dated… however they didn't need to know that.

"Oh really?" The kinder girl smiled in bliss. "Can we?"

The girl Shana scoffed and flipped her perfectly primed hair to the side. "Sure, if you insist…"

With a low growl, Helga stomped out of the show room and into the hallway. Opening a small storage closet adjacent to her own room, Helga rummaged through the box of miscellaneous beepers that she knew full well were probably duds. "This outta teach those prissy preppy no good fashionista!" She said as she pulled out a few. Just as she was about to close the door, however, she noticed a full box of what looked to be a brand new shipping label. "What's this?" She asked out loud before placing the two set of beepers in her pocket and pulling the box out. She grabbed the package and ripped off the tape holding the two flaps together. Inside where perfectly pristine beepers of what were actually good quality. "Since when did we have these? I thought these sold outmonthsago!" With a scratch of her head, Helga shrugged and shoved the box back inside the closet. "Oh well!" She smiled before pulling out the two set of beepers she had specifically chosen for her customers.

Helga gracefully waltzed into the show room and presented her find. "These beauty's are high vintage and in pristine condition! Top of the line and most valued model available." She explained as she showed them off. "We… were keeping them in the back for somevery specialpeople; however they never showed up so we got stuck with them." She lied. The girls ooh'd and ahh'd at the models before reaching their hands out to touch them, but before they could, Helga snatched them away. "Ah ah ah…" She said before taking them behind her back. "Are yousureyou can even buy these? I mean… they're pretty expensive since they're soexclusive…"Helga smiled. She knew using buzz words would help push her sale and could see that her influence was working on the two girls. "These aren't meant for just anyone…"

The mean girl scoffed and looked desperate. "We absolutelymusthave them!" She demanded before turning to her friend with her mouth open wide. "Right Bridget?!"

The nicer girl nodded with enthusiasm. "I saved up a whole bunch of money from my summer job so I know I totally have enough!"

Helga looked at both the girls square in the face as she sized them up. "I don't know…" She spoke under her breath, although on the inside she was cackling like an old hag.

"Just name your price!" Shana boasted, loud enough for the rest of the store to hear; catching Bob's attention.

Letting out a long and drawn out sigh, Helga nodded to the foolish girl. "Alright, alright… I can see that youreallywant these. Let's just walk on over to the register and I'll call my father over to you to talk details…"

The two girls eagerly followed as Helga signaled Bob over. He looked a little skeptical at her before politely excusing himself from his own customers to join them.

"These twolovelyyoung ladies would like to buy these beepers." Helga stated as she placed the models on the register. "And absolutelynothingwill talk them out of it. What says you, Dad?"

Bob raised an eyebrow at the girl before looking over the beepers. "Uh huh…" He murmured. Unsure of the situation, he turned to the two young customers. "These ones, huh?"

"Most certainly! And nothing you can say will talk us out of it!" Shana explained with a cross of her arms.

"We need them!" Bridget joined desperately as she pulled out her wallet and revealed her cash.

Looking at the green bills, Bob's eyes lit up. "No arguments here. Move over girl, I'll handle this." He said as he pushed Helga out of the way to finish the transaction.

Despite not appreciating the shove, Helga huffed and backed away. "Suit yourself." She mumbled before walking over to her backpack and throwing it over her shoulder. She watched from a distance as the girls proudly bought their prized new possessions.I almost feel guilty… almost…she thought with a laugh before leaving the show room and heading into the kitchen. Inside, Miriam was fixing herself a coffee and resting her elbows on the counter; completely unaware of her daughters presence.

Helga threw her backpack on the table and startled the woman with a loud bang. "O-oh! Helga!" Miriam said, a little shaken. "When did you come home?"

"About 20 minutes ago, you know when school ended?" Helga answered a matter-of-factly as she opened up her bag and pulled out a few notebooks.

Miriam watched in silence a moment, before slowly taking a sip of her coffee. "Is… is that homework?" She asked sheepishly, not wanting to frustrate her daughter with all the imposing questions.

"Doi!" Helga blurted out before noticing the coffee mug in her mother's hands. "Are you… are you drinking coffee?"

Looking down at her mug, Miriam gave it a curious look. "Why, yes it is, Helga." She responded cheerfully. "I figured with how business has picked up a little, I might be of some use to B if I was more awake."

Helga could see her mother was trying her best, but decided not to indulge the woman further and went back to her homework. After a minute of awkward silence, Helga looked up to see her mother was still peering at her from across the small room. "So why are you in here and not out there helping?"

The older woman looked down at the tiled floor and toyed with a crumb at her foot. "Oh… You know how he can get when he's overwhelmed." Miriam explained with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I tried to help a few times but ended up knocking over displays or spilling coffee on someone's shirt… So he sent me in here to be out of the way."

Helga let out a long dragged out sigh and shut her science book. "Well you're not helping anyone being back here either. Just go out there and try again. Welcome customers into the store if you have to but leave the coffee here."

"A-are you sure? I don't want to be in the way…" Miriam replied as she gave a look of concern into her daughter's eyes. "How about I help you with your homework instead? I was pretty good at that the last time I helped you, remember?"

The irritated girl thought back to when her mother ran the beeper emporium for the short amount of time needed. Miriam had become a woman that she'd never seen before. Strong, independent and quick witted. It was amazing what she could accomplish once she put down her substance and forced on something and this included helping Helga with her homework. Her lunches were pretty good too. Sadly though, the homework Helga had was rather simple and she needed no help. "No thanks, Mom. I'm pretty sure Bob needs you more than I do right now. It got pretty lively a little while ago."

Hearing her youngest actually referred to her as her proper noun caused the woman to smile slightly. "Well… alright then." She said as she put down her coffee which looked barely touched. "I guess I'll go do that then."

Miriam walked around the counter and passed Helga before stopping abruptly. "But if you want help, just ask okay honey?"

Helga nodded and opened her book back up, signaling her mom to leave.

She stared at the book for a long while, however it didn't matter how many times she read the first sentence, and it just didn't stick in her mind. "Criminy!" She wailed before sitting back in her chair. "This is hopeless. I give up." She said before slamming the book shut and shoving it in her bag. She knew she was going to need something to gear up her brain and get the juices flowing and she knew just what to rely on.

Quickly the young girl headed into her room and down into her trusty lair where all of her Arnold paraphernalia awaited. There, she turned on her computer and with a loud buzz and whine from its power supply, it started up.

"Oh you magnificent being! Let me gaze upon you and open my mind's eye…." She said out loud to herself as she waited for the old thing to fully start up. It didn't take long for the manufacturer's logo to appear and then the software's. Impatiently the girl tapped her foot on the floor. The moment everything was fully loaded and ready, Helga opened up her Arnold folder and scrolled through various pictures taken that she had taken the liberty to upload there as opposed to pasting the pictures in notebooks that would later fall apart. Swooning at one image in particular of Arnold standing and waiting at the bus stop, Helga grasped her hands together and swirled around in her chair. "My darling! How you make my very being burn up with passion! How I wish to be surrounded by nothing but you! There has never been a day that went by that my heart hasn't fluttered at the sound of your name. Dare I ask… does your heart flutter at mine?" The girl then thought back to his odd behavior and embarrassing explanation at the park, which caused her mind to get cloudy with ecstasy. "I can't believe the day has actually come where you've thought of me as more than a mere tormentor, more than a classmate, more than just that girl who eyes you from across the room adoringly… Oh Arnold, mypassio; my sufferer. Are you not yet ready to leap in the deep vast waters of our love? Just how long will you let me wait for your intended gifts of love?" She continued to scroll through her pictures of him one after another until a small red dot with the number one inside caught her attention.

Taking her mouse in hand, Helga hovered over the notification and clicked on it. Within seconds, a web page was pulled up to the known image of her email.

"The geek replied I see…" She said as she saw the new mail. Now fully out of her Arnold trance, Helga brought her face close to the screen and started to read Brainy's long email. "Unorthodox question, huh? Why would it matter if the computer is from the emporium or my personal one…?" She asked herself; scratching her chin and continuing on. His analysis of her parents made a bit of sense and made her think back to past conversations with them, as well as how her mother acted today. Feeling her heart go solemn, she wondered if Olga had received her letter yet. Lastly…"Lastly, I believe it would do YOU a great of good to let your beloved see your demons as well…- reach out to him and find the well of happiness you deserve."Brainy's words struck a chord in her heart she didn't want touched. Placing her hand on her chest, she leaned back into her computer chair and stared at the words on her screen. Everyone seemed to agree that opening up to Arnold completely was in her best interest but… was it in his? Did his weird shaped head really need the extra burden of her personal problems as well? He just got his family back after all, and now he's dealing with his own changes… wouldn't hers added just overwhelm him? Helga sank deeply into her chair and sulked. "If only it were that easy…" She whispered sadly. "Arnold has enough on his plate as it is and I've been dealing with my problems forever… what's another lifetime added on, right?"

Shaking her head to remove the negativity from her brain, Helga sat back up and began to type her reply to her secret admirer who was no longer secret.

"To: GoldenHero
From: Helgoth
Subject: Re: Unorthodox Question,

Uhhh, Yeah this is the store's computer originally but I hijacked it since it's been long forgotten about. Why do you ask? Thanks for the thoughts on my parents but I'm gonna have to pass on the advice about Arnold. He has his own problems and doesn't need mine."

Helga reread her message before promptly hitting the "send" button and relaxing back in her chair. Unsure if she should go back into her Arnold dream land or actually mature up and go back to her homework, she sat there. Oddly enough, it only took mere moments for a noise to ping in her ear to indicate she had another new message.

"What is he like stalking me or something?" She asked herself before slapping herself in the forehead. "Doi, of course he is. I knew that already but geez! It's like he ran to his computer the moment he got home and waited for my response… what a creeper."

Helga opened up her new message and co*cked and eyebrow. It was significantly shorter than all the other emails he had sent her:

"To: Helgoth
From: GoldenHero
Subject: Download me…,

My heart sores that you would grace me with another email back. I won't take up much of your time as I know it is precious… but would you entertain me for a moment? I have attached a program to this email. Download and install it and leave your computer on sleep mode tonight. Tomorrow after school, I want you to uninstall this program as soon as you can. I'm sure you have many questions however it would be in both our best interests if you do not ask and trust in me, my dearest.

Attachment: "

"Onlooker?" Helga read to herself the file's name. "Sounds like he's going the extra mile to see me at home now too…" She scowled at his tactics before clicking on the attachment then fully downloaded and installed its software. "Well jokes on him because his webcam has never worked a day in its life and even IF it ever did, all he'd see is the black from this dark room once I leave."

There was something that bothered her though that she couldn't seem to dismiss.It's best if I don't ask questions… what's the deal with that?She wondered as she impatiently tapped on her sleek desk with her fingernails. Shivers shot up her spine at the thought of Brainy being shadier than usual.

Hours passed and soon afternoon turned into the night and left many people in Hillwood asleep in their beds… save for one night owl on a mission.

The stand up fan in Brainy's dark bedroom slowly oscillated back and forth, giving a warm faint breeze every time it touched him. His face was illuminated by the LED computer screen in front of him, complimenting his already pale skin. Breathing heavily, he looked at the time. It was 11:09pm. Helga must surely already be asleep…

He looked at an icon sitting in the far right lower corner of his desktop: "Onlooker" It was a simple program that he had downloaded from the darkest depth of the internet and then proceeded to modify in his own time. For what reason? There was none. Brainy had a lot of free time and spent the majority of it searching the world-wide-web when alone… which was most often than not. His mother worked third shift as janitorial staff at a government facility a few cities away and he hardly knew his father, so the only quality time he spent with his family was the small time margin when she got home and before he went to school. After school, she would be asleep until around 10pm which was normally the time he was drift off into his own dreamland… except for tonight. Although tonight was a school night, Brainy had more important things to do.

He hovered over the icon with anticipation soaring through his veins. Should he really do this? Listening to Helga's intimate love rambles and watching her from afar was one thing… but would really being this intrusive be okay? Brainy could feel his body begin to shake under the tremendous amount of pressure he was putting himself through. Instinctively he grabbed his inhaler and took a puff.This is for her benefit… her happiness… it doesn't matter what happens to me.He thought as he slowed down his breathing.Any amount of help I can give… no matter how small… is worth it.

Soon he double clicked the icon and started up the program. After entering a few codes and passwords, he was in. The light on Helga's desktop flickered on from a few blocks away, even though no one was around to see it. There in front of Brainy was her company's bland layout of a desktop. He had all night to search through its files to find what he needed.

TAP… TAP… TAP… TAP…

Arnold sat slouched at his school desk, pencil in hand with a book in front of him. The class was doing a reading assignment and the dead silence was beginning to buzz in his ear. In an attempt to remedy the situation, he began to tap his pencil against the wood of his desk. He stared at the pages of the book with a blank train of thought. Periodically he looked from his book over at the ticking clock to the right of him and from there, to the front of the classroom where the rest of the students were carrying out the same task he was: To read the short story and write his interpretation of what the author was trying to convey. The story itself was fairly simple, however it was hard to see if there was further meaning to the story than just that in itself; a story. He looked around and saw some of his classmates had already begun to write down their own interpretations and began to feel inadequate. Class only had about 15 more minutes left… just what would he write? Skimming through the story once more in order to possibly grasp something he missed originally; Arnold continued to tap on his desk.

Minutes continued to fade away until the poor boy gave up in his endeavors and wrote all he could think of, even if it was a little half baked. The bell rang and all of the students got up from their seats and handed their papers into Mr. Simmons before slowly making their way out of the classroom. Arnold gathered his belongings and waited for Gerald to also do the same.

"Ready Gerald?" He asked with a little enthusiasm in his voice as he led his best friend out of the room.

"You know it," Gerald responded with a smile, "I heard coach say we're gonna be starting dodgeball, and you know I have the best aim."

The two laughed with anticipation as they headed on down towards the gym.

After changing in the boys' locker room, the two headed to the large gymnasium where they met up with the rest of their class and awaited the coach. Arnold watched on as Gerald boasted about his sniper's aim while Curly chimed in with his impeccable blocking skills. Their voices all became drowned out the moment Arnold noticed the girls emerging from their own locker room and of course his eyes searched for a specific someone. Helga walked out in her usual gym attire of a white tank top and pink shorts, along with Phoebe who didn't seem to have changed at all. Noticing this, Arnold nudged Gerald and signaled his attention.

"It looks like Phoebe isn't participating today…" Arnold mentioned as he watched the girls stand in their usual corner of the gym. "Did you ever find out what was wrong?"

Gerald became silent and Arnold couldn't help but become curious. "Gerald?"

With a weak shake of his head, Gerald let out a small sigh. "Yeah… sorta," He responded wearily.

Arnold could see from his friend's dark expression that further questions weren't welcome and turned back to the girls. They seemed to be carrying on normally as Helga told some sort of story to Phoebe in a dramatic way, full with arm flailing, and the boy couldn't help but smile at Helga's antics and clearly neither could Phoebe.

"Alright class! Suit up, suit up!" Coach Wittenberg called out as he stomped through the room to get their attention. "As I'm sure all of you remember from last class, I said we'd be doing dodgeball!"

The class cheered in response but was immediately silenced once the coach put his hand up.

"However this is no longer going to be the case!" His loud voice echoed through the room and caused all the students to groan and turn to one another in confusion. With a harsh sigh, the coach continued, "The school unfortunately can no longer afford to replace our old ones, and since those are too beaten up to use, we will be doing something different."

Gerald crossed his arms in annoyance. "So what are we doing then?"

The coach turned to the disgruntled boy and gave him a large grin. "Instead we're going to be doing track and field. Usually this is saved for the end of the school year when it starts to get warm but I figured since our curriculum has already been reallocated, that we would cut our losses and make the best of the rest of the summer we have left. Any questions?"

"Sir… this school doesn't have a track." Arnold mentioned with a slow raise of his hand.

"Correct! This is why we'll be walking down the street to the high school to use theirs." The man replied promptly. "After you graduate from P.S. 118, you will undoubtedly be transferred to P.S. 121, where you will become more acquainted with the track and field."

"But sir, what if we choose to go to a different high school?" Peapod kid asked in his deep voice.

Coach Wittenberg let out a large whine. "I don't know, kid! Then you'll use whatever sort of gym system they have over there. Anymoreusefulquestions?"

Sid raised his hand. "What will we be doing at the end of the school year then?"

Coach Wittenberg cleared his throat and averted his eyes from the small boy. "That has yet to be determined. Any other questions?"

The students began to quietly murmur between each other until the older male got fed up with it and led them all outside.

"Man! This is ridiculous!" Gerald cried out as they exited through the large metal double doors to the outside. "First they get rid of half the class, now they got rid of dodgeball?! It's almost like they don't want me to have fun this year!"

Arnold replied with a half smile. "Don't say that, Gerald. This year may have started off…" he trailed off as he noticed Helga stomping in front of him, "unusual but I'm sure the rest of the year will be fine."

The tall dark skin boy scoffed, "Whatever you say, Arnold but that's just you looking on the bright side as always."

"Well somebody has to." Arnold reminded, now with a full on smile.

"You sure you're gonna be okay by yourself Pheebs?" Helga asked as the students all prepared to stretch. "I'm pretty sure I could probably sit this class out with you, ya know for moral support or something."

"Most certainly, Helga." The young Asian girl replied with a smile. "I'll be A-Okay."

Helga responded with a simple shrug, "If you say so." Then turn and ran back with the rest of the females.

"Alright you wimps! Grab a partner and stretch! You'll be running a mile afterwards." The coach yelled to them all with full force.

Helga frowned and smacked herself in the forehead.What luck?! Who's gonna be my partner now that Phoebe is sitting this one out?She thought as she slowly moved her hand down her face. Everyone seemed to already have a partner except….Great…Helga cringed as a tall yet happy girl jogged up to her.

"Hello there, Helga!" Sheena greeted, "I see that your usual partner is sitting out and Eugene is currently resting in the nurse's office after eating something he was allergic to… Would you mind being my partner?"

"Criminy…" Helga whined as she looked around again at everyone, "Yeah, Yeah I guess so… Just don't get used to it."

Sheena nodded politely and headed on over to the others, leaving Helga standing there cursing her luck. There was nothing particularly bad about Sheena, the girl just always seemed abnormally happy for Helga's taste. Her optimism and passiveness even rivaled that of Arnold andthatwas saying a lot. A girl who soul life purpose seemed to be taking care of the less fortunate and taking care of the earth. Her esteem for everyone around her was truly admirable; however there was only so much "hippy talk" that Helga could take. Slowly, the girl made her way to her partner.

Coach Wittenberg instructed the students on the proper way of stretching and, using Arnold as his demonstrative partner, gave visuals on how each pair should help each other out. The thought of Sheena having to touch her, made Helga cringe.

"Would you like to go first, Helga?" Sheena asked considerately as she motioned to the ground; indicating Helga to sit down.

Helga crossed her arms and stubbornly looked away. "Psh, No thanks. You can go first if you want."

Understandingly, Sheena sat down and posed in the same position as everyone else. Eventually it got to the part where Helga had to assist and she did so even if very unwillingly.

"This isn't so bad, is it Helga?" Sheena asked as she pulled herself forward to reach the tip of her shoes. It was no surprise to her that her partner didn't find it necessary to respond so Sheena continued to try and make small talk. Looking up at the clear skies, Sheena smiled. "At least it's a nice day out!"

"Uh huh…" Helga responded blandly as she looked elsewhere to find a certain football headed boy to see what he was up to.

"The forecasts predict that the weather all week will be bright and shining!" The tall girl grinned as she finished her stretches and got up. She could see Helga was preoccupied and gave a shy smile. "It's nice how certain things can make the day shine even brighter…"

"Huh?!" Helga yelped as she was startled by Sheena's sudden attentiveness. "W-what are you talking about? Are we done yet?"

"You don't have to hide it." Sheena whispered as she signaled to Helga that it was, in fact, her turn to stretch. "There's nothing to be ashamed about."

Helga blushed awkwardly before sitting down and beginning her stretches. "I DON'T know what you're going on about, just focus on helping me, got it?!"

Sheena let out a small giggle before complying with the stubborn girl's request. She had known Helga just as long as the rest of them and knew that she was a solid force to be reckoned with, however she wished just once that the girl would lighten up a bit.

Now feeling self conscious, Helga focused on her assigned task and remained focused until all the stretches were done. Everyone rose to their feet and awaited the coach's next instructions.

Coach Wittenberg pointed to the large black track, "This is your next task. You will all run 4 laps around this track which will equal precisely 1 mile." then finished with a loud blow of his whistle. All of the kids bolted off towards the track.

"You know Arnold, You're right. This isn't half bad." Gerald agreed through steady breaths to his partner. "It's not dodgeball, but it's not half bad."

"Glad to hear your day is looking up." Arnold replied as he managed to keep up with Gerald's pace. He was not a particularly fast runner; however Arnold had a fair amount of endurance due to the training he received from his grandmother. He knew that Gerald would eventually outlast him but he would continue at this pace as long as possible.

They ended up passing the still sitting Phoebe and Arnold caught a frown from his friend. "I'm sure she's fine." He said reassuringly.

Gerald turned his head to keep his attention on the track. "Yeah, I know." He said rather flatly. His attitude towards his girlfriend was becoming concerning to the blonde boy and only made him wonder further what the problem was. The subject still seemed very unwelcome.

Arnold thought back to how concerned Gerald always was for him and his problems. No matter what the situation or how Arnold reacted, Gerald was always there for him no matter what. Shouldn't Arnold be able to do the same? What about this situation seemed so impenetrable? The vibe Gerald was giving off was just odd.

Looking over at his concerned friend, Gerald let out a sigh and slowed his pace down. "It's not a big deal, Arnold. Don't sweat it." He said with a weak smile, similar to one he had given earlier.

"It just…" Arnold started, feeling a little cautious about his next few words, "You always say that there is no secrets between us, right? So why won't you tell me what's up?"

Gerald frowned. "Because it's not about us, Arnold. What's going on with her is her business and not mine to tell… not that I'd wanna tell anyhow. Girls are just… you know, weird."

"Weird?" Arnold asked, now intrigued. "What do you mean?"

"You know, weird." Gerald repeated, hoping his friend would catch on. "They're different than us; hard to understand."

His words still only confused the boy worse. "I don't get it."

Now becoming fully aggravated with the topic, Gerald rushed his pace. "Never mind man, just drop it."

The truth was, although the situation had been fully explained to Gerald by his girlfriend, he still didn't fully understand it all that well himself. Sure, he knew a lot about girls from his brother but this? This was just way different. Phoebe, being the intellectual that she was, did her best to go into very scientific detail in hopes of making her predicament more interesting rather than the disgusting mess it was, only leaving Gerald with far more questions than he started with and not wanting them answered. He knew that woman gave birth to children but he didn't quite know the process in which the body had to undergo in order for that function to work properly! The tall haired boy cringed a little and began to run full pace passed everyone else, leaving his best friend in the dust to think.

Just a few feet away, Helga watched as Gerald ran off and wondered what could have happened. She could see that Arnold was troubled and it made her heart ache.Did they have a fight? Oh my poor football headed dream boat, dare I attempt to console you?She asked inside as love pulsed through her veins. Brainy's words flooded forward into her mind and she began to highly consider them.Maybe… If I talked about my problems to him, he could talk about his problems with me!The option was very plausible however the fact that all of her classmates were around her made it very impossible.Maybe later… I just wish he didn't look so sad! Maybe a little talking couldn't hurt; after all I did sorta blow him off yesterday.

Helga ran up close to her beloved and ran at his pace. "Hey football head, how's it hanging?" She asked casually as to make nothing seem amiss. "This totally blows, right? I mean, whose idea was it to make us all run a mile in the hot summer weather? There's a total heat wave today! I'm practically dying!"

Arnold could sense she was doing her best and gave her a soft smile. "You're not the only one thinking that…" He replied quietly, looking forward to watch Gerald turn the wide corner and continue on.

"Something eating Tall Hair boy?" She inquired thoughtfully, hoping that her prying didn't make his situation any worse than it might have been.

They both began to jog slower until receding to a brisk walk, letting all of the other students pass by. "Something seems to be on his mind and he doesn't want to talk about it." He admitted, looking up into Helga's eyes and showing the sorrow that lingered behind them.

"So why not be the prying goody-two-shoes you are and bug him about it?" Helga asked with a snicker, "What's stopping you?"

"That's the thing…" Arnold sighed, "I did ask him about it but… he just brushed it off and told me to drop it. Gerald is always open and honest with me so it's strange that he's being so…-"

"Distant?" Helga suggested, interrupting his pause.

"Yeah" Arnold said exhaustively, as if he had the world on his shoulders.

Helga looked around to see that no one was in ear shot, save for Harold's wobbling, panting attempt at a run and decided it was alright to talk a little… freer. "Everybody has things they want to keep to themselves sometimes… right?" She asked genuinely, "I'm sure there has been a time in your life where something was up but you didn't want to discuss it with anyone. I'm like that… all the time."

Her openness was surprising and Arnold turned to her in shock. He contemplated her words and did remember a few times, even recently, where he was put in a spot he didn't want to be open about. Was Gerald possibly going through something difficult that he himself couldn't talk about? Did something happen between him and Phoebe yesterday that he's not comfortable discussing even with him? The thought hadn't crossed his mind until now. Despite Gerald walking in on his and Helga's first real show of affection, Arnold didn't exactly feel comfortable talking about his relationship with her to an extent, even to his best friend. "Yeah… You're right."

"I-I am?" Helga asked, startled by his revelation and blushed. "I mean, of course I am! I'm always right Football head and you better remember it! Doi!"

With a chuckle, Arnold could feel himself feeling a little better. "Thanks, Helga. This talk really helped."

Her blush became darker and she held back a swoon from emerging. "N-no p-problem…" Feeling as though she was going to explode with passion, Helga sped up. "We gotta finish this run or we'll be here all night! Pick up your feet, paste-for-brains!" She said before zooming off.

Arnold continued to chuckle to himself, knowing full well why she did what she did. He watched as she ran off and noticed her athletic features until something inside him stirred once more, something he had done well to ignore. He had always noticed Gerald checking out girls from time to time and never exactly understood why, but never questioned it either… was this what it felt like? If so… "I guess this isn't all that bad…"

Chapter 17

Chapter Text

Gym class ended with Helga gaining a sense of accomplishment. Still feeling the heat on her cheeks and her heart still in a flutter, she jogged over to her best friend with a little pant still in her lungs.

"Ready to go, Pheebs?" She asked after breathing heavy a little bit.

Phoebe had known that they would be participating in physical activity today and had done well to bring something to occupy herself, as she had a note from her mother excusing her from such sports. Finishing the last few sentences of her chapter book, she closed it with a smile. "Ready!" She replied happily. She analyzed the air surrounding her best friend and tilted her head in curiosity "Did something happen?"

"Happen?" Helga repeated in sudden shock, unsure of what to say. "Whatever could you mean Phoebe? Nothinghappened, okay? I ran, we ran, everyone ran and I'm just out of breath, that's all."

Phoebe could feel a chuckle come along and she gathered her things and stood up to meet her best friends gaze. "Okay, if you say so Helga…" She spoke with a little arrogance, "but I'm fully aware of your physical boundaries and know that the little jogging you did wasn't enough to make you this winded."

The blonde, pigtailed girl growled under her breath and waited for her classmates to lead the way so she and Phoebe could tail behind. "It's a blistering hot day, Phoebe! OfcourseI'm winded! Not everyone gets to sit on the grass and read…" Before finishing her sentence, Helga glanced down at the small book in the young girl's hand, "The Handmaid's Tale?"

"And a shame that is Helga, as this is a very intriguing book. It paints the bleak lives of women who are treated like their only use is to procreate and follow instructions of men." Phoebe explained as she looked up to her companion to make sure she was paying attention. "They aren't even given real names as to show they're just objects; truly tragic but also insightful."

"Insightful?" Helga asked with a raised eyebrow, "It sounds just plain depressing to me. What's got you reading that crap anyway? Thinking of joining an all women's cult to overthrow men and lead a nation of your own?"

Phoebe gave a small pout and clutched her book close to her. "It's not crap, Helga and of course not. Although this is a rather peculiar choice, given my regular novels, I would have to argue that sometimes change is good." She could see that Helga's skepticism was on the rise and let out a small sigh of defeat. "And I suppose my estrogen levels have been peaked as of late, causing me to become a little unpredictable and emotional."

"Ah…" Helga smiled as she noticed they were closer to the school and could only fantasize about the small amount of air conditioning they could budget, "Don't you love being a girl? ThankfullyIdon't have to deal with all that just yet but I'm sure when I do…" Helga stopped to develop her thought, "I'll probably blow the school up or something." She finished with a shrug.

"Helga!" Phoebe gasped in offence.

"Don't worry; I'll make sure no one I like is here when that happens." Helga replied with a wholesome chuckle and a wink.

After retrieving their normal clothes from their own locker rooms and a quick shower, all of the students from P.S.118 emerged happily from their obligatory confides and ran towards freedom, however save for two of them.

The foursome stood in front of the doors as both Arnold and Helga gulped. The boarding house very rarely had a working air conditioner on account of his grandpa believing "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" when in fact, although the air conditioner wasn't exactly broken, it also had to be bashed on with a hammer a few times to even start up and even then didn't blow very cold air. Helga, on the other hand, no longer had the beautiful gift of central cooling inside the Beeper Emporium, as her father no longer had the expenditures to spend on such luxuries.

Gerald grabbed his small girlfriends hand and gave her a reassuring smile. "Ready?" He asked her. She nodded in response and with that gave the young man the confidence he needed to begin walking, despite the lack there of motivation behind him. Within a few steps, he looked behind him to see the other two still had their feet planted. "Guys?"

"Huh?" Arnold replied as his brain released him from the dazed thought of enjoying cool air for the rest of the day. "Oh yeah, sorry Gerald." He turned to Helga with a forced smile and his hand out in hopes of her taking it.

"In your dreams, bucko!" She shouted at him before crossing her arms, causing him to frown. Instantly regretting her words, Helga fumbled and reworded herself as she looked at the other couple in front of them. "I mean… Iftheywant to add more heat to themselves by latching on to each other, then that's on them but I don't need the extra heat."

"Oh no… what happened to the central air in the Emporium?" Phoebe asked sadly to her blonde friend.

Narrowing her eyes with a troubled look, Helga sighed "Bob had to cut the extra cost in order to keep up with some financials a few weeks ago." She seethed.

"Times that tough, huh?" Gerald chimed in, attempting to sound sympathetic to the girls' situation.

Helga threw her hands in the air. "Yeah well what do you expect when you have a pig headed dad who would rather continue to make us suffer through this downward slope of a business than just selling the whole thing and cutting his losses?!" She replied as she let her emotions about the topic get the best of her. "I'd rather stay here and enjoy what cool air there is rather than spend another moment in that crapshoot."

The three companions exchanged worrisome looks before coming to a silent contentious on leaving the topic to rest for their friend's sake. There was nothing that could be done to help, and they all knew it.

With a growl, Helga stomped on through the double doors and into the heat while the rest followed. The subject changed into something more pleasant as the four walked towards their regular meeting area before parting ways. She didn't want nor need their pity as she was plenty capable of dealing with her ever changing environment, but the wish of it changing for the better always lingered in her heart. Helga turned her head and watched as the only people close to her slowly made their distance and a small pain twanged her heart. They were all going back to their loving parents and her? Helga turned to look at the gradually decaying building ahead of her. She was going home to that.

Marching towards her destination, Helga noticed something particular in front of the building that caught her attention. In a front parking spot was a rather nice looking shiny car; something that looked like it should be miles away from Big Bobs Beepers. Hastening her steps, she got closer and noticed a woman step out in a small business suit and enter the glass doors. With a sudden strange interest, Helga approached her dwelling and walked inside.

The woman stood looking around aimlessly, as if she was lost. A little taller than Helga, with short gray hair and glasses that hung delicately around her neck, the older woman turned to the young girl with fatigue on her face.

"Oh dear… You'd think with a going out of business sale like this there would be employees around to help customers." She said to Helga with a worrisome look.

Helga placed her hands on her hips and slouched. "You're looking at probably the only alert employee here, lady."

With a look turning from utter exhaustion to a small hint of delight, the woman smiled gently. "Oh I see! Well then, I suppose you'll do…" She said as she turned to lift up the small briefcase she had been carrying. Turning to look for a spot to set it down on, the mysterious lady decided on a small beeper display and opened the case to reveal a stack of papers. "I called about a week ago and spoke to a woman. She informed me that there were still many beepers in stock and my company would be very happy to buy them from you." She explained as she pulled out a small familiar looking flier and handed it to Helga. "We found this in our hospital and my director is very interested in purchasing whatever you have left, so long as they're still useable."

Helga looked the woman up and down before snatching the flier out of her hand.This is the flier that Arnold was passing out around that town!She thought as her eyes grew wide. Looking back at the woman, she could tell that she was indeed serious. "And you want to buy out… our whole stock?" Helga asked in shock.

"Why, yes… I hope that is alright." She smiled at the young girl again.

There was something so simple yet comforting about the woman that stood in front of Helga. She had a very natural grandmother vibe about her and made Helga feel like she could tell this woman anything and not be judged. "Alright? Well of course it is! Take them all for all I care!" She replied to the woman with a snarky tone before looking around to see the very empty store. "But unfortunately one of my parents has to be the one to sign off on them. You know child labor laws and such? So let me go find one of them for you."

The woman nodded in understanding and Helga walked through the showroom and into the back. It was quiet as if no one else was around despite the front door being unlocked. "Bob? Miriam? We have a customer!" Helga called out as she looked into the kitchen. No one. She continued towards her room to see that her bedroom door was cracked open. "Criminy…" She scowled as she approached the room and pushed open the door. In front of her lay her mother, sleeping on her bed. Helga walked over to the sleeping parent and pushed on her shoulders. "Come on, Miriam…" She said with aggravation emanating from her soul, "You have actual work to do! Get up!"

Miriam stirred a little before picking herself up, adjusting the misplaced glasses on her face and looking around dazed and confused. "Huh? Where am I?" She asked.

"My bed, Doi!" The angry preteen replied as she pointed to her bed. "What are you even doing in here? You normally sleep on the couch."

Rubbing some sleep out of her eyes, Miriam let out a small yawn before looking around the room. Her eyes lit up with realization. "Oh yeah! I came in here because your father was complaining about not having clean clothes so I figured I would gather your clothes as well…" She explained as she recalled her memories, "Then I saw your bed and thought it needed to be made but before I could make it, I ended up falling asleep on it! Isn't that funny?"

"Yeah it's hysterical, Miriam…" Helga sighed as she looked behind her, remembering that there was a serious customer waiting for them. "Where's Bob anyway? We have a woman here looking to buy practically the whole store!"

The weathered woman pondered a moment before letting out a small noise of enlightenment. "Oh right! He said he had some errands to run and be back soon… who did you say was here, honey?"

Helga let out a loud growl and stomped her foot. "A customer! Now get your butt out there and take care of her!" Helga demanded as she grabbed her mother's hand and hoisted her on her feet. "She said she talked to you over the phone like a week ago, does that jog your memory?"

Miriam smiled at her daughter's assertive behavior. Her mind was fuzzy but she couldn't help but think that Helga was growing up to be just like her father. "Well look at you, Mrs. Business woman!" She replied with a small giggle before letting her daughter push her out of the room. "Alright, alright I'm going but maybe you should come along and watch for your own educational benefit?"

The thought was absolutely troublesome; however the young girl was interested in such a large transaction. It was possible that this woman was going to really help them financially. "Educational? Criminy Miriam… sure whatever just go help that lady."

As the two entered the showroom, the older woman stood in the same spot Helga had left her and was gazing down at a small handheld computer. Upon hearing their footsteps, she turned the screen off and placed it down inside her suitcase. "Lovely!" She gasped in delight as she saw that Helga had found an adult. "You must be the woman who I spoke with the other day! My name is Diane Winchester." She introduced herself with an applied hand reaching out for a handshake.

Miriam shook the woman's hand and smiled back. "Miriam Pataki, It's very nice to meet you Diane." She then turned to her daughter who looked very disgruntled, "This is my daughter Helga, she told me that you're still interested in buying some of our products?"

Diane nodded and turned back to her briefcase. She pulled out what looked to be a contract and handed it to the now alert woman standing in front of her. "Yes. As I said on the phone, I represent Saint Paul's Hospital and we're in dire need of communication devices however…" Her voice turned depressed and her smile disappeared, "Our Hospital has a very strict budget that we're not allowed to go over, and our doctors and nurses have needs that have been going unmet for quite some time. Many of them require a personal handheld device that lets us contact them quickly when there is an emergency, but it is not within our budget to give them company cell phones just yet. My director noticed a flier of yours inside our building and thought your beepers, as cheap as they are right now, would be a perfect fit for our hospital. This is our budget for this purchase; I hope it is within reason."

"Don't you worry Ms. Diane, You're in good hands." Miriam replied as she took the papers and filed through them. "My memory may be a little bad at times but I do remember the phone call." She then turned to Helga, "Honey, could you go in that back hallway closet and bring me out the box of beepers there?"

The request surprised Helga as she remembered that very box. "Uh, sure." She said as she hurried away, leaving the two adults to discuss business. As Helga came to the closet, she opened the door and saw the box still sitting where she had last seen it. Gingerly, she lifted the box off the floor and did well to lift with her legs and held the box close to her body as to center her gravity; something she had been taught from last year's science class. Mixed emotions went through the girl as she grasped the box tightly. Did Arnold's half baked plan really work? Was it possible that Miriam really had a hand in securing such a large sale that could quite possibly get their family back on even ground? Not only that, but she unearthed and singled out probably one of the best versions of beepers they had left over, just for this company in need? The thought was both compelling and unbelievable. Miriam- the woman who can't even remember to lock the store up at closing time, the woman who gives shaving cream and crackers as a lunch, the woman who accidentally forgets to buy groceries and instead uses the money on her own vices… Helga then remembered the one time in her life where her mother was actually stable and responsible.Wow… It's just like Brainy said, give the woman a purpose and she can be pretty incredible.She recalled silently to herself.Maybe things are really going to be okay for once…

Helga struggled a little but managed to bring the merchandise safely and securely to the two mingling adults. "Here you go, one box of beepers." She announced as she placed the box on the floor between them.

Miriam opened the box and pulled out one of the models. "These right here are the Moterzola LS6000; The last in their line and by far the most reliable. They were built with the highest frequency available and reinforced with premium stainless steel so they're nearly indestructible…" She explained with a very informative voice as she handed the model to the woman.

Taking the little piece of technology in her hand, Diane's head began to swim with advertising buzzwords that meant very little to her. "Will these be able to work around the whole hospital?" She asked patiently, "The hospital itself is quite large and the signal needs to be able to reach not only throughout the inside, but the parking lot and parking garage as well, as some of the staff likes to nap in their vehicles."

Miriam held up her hand as if she was giving her most precious promise. "Of course, ma'am. You're in good hands! Not only will they be able to receive their message as soon as it is sent, but they will be able to take them home as well and still receive the signal."

With a sigh, Diane handed the small device back to the business woman in front of her. "And this premium model… it is still within our budget?"

Nodding, Miriam placed the beeper back in its box. "Absolutely. You're budget is not a problem and I've made sure to include a few extra just in case some get lost. They are a little older than this model, however they should get the job done."

Hope filled the older woman's heart as she grasped the deal she was given. Not only was her director going to be pleased, but she was going to be able to make such a difference in how the hospital was run. She held out her hand to Miriam again. "Thank you so much! You're such a life saver!"

Helga watched in awe as her mother took the woman over to the cash register to sign papers and accept payment. It was simply amazing to see her mother fully coherent and functioning at full capacity, it was almost like she was staring at another person.

"Wow Mom! That was so crazy! I can't believe this just happened!" Helga eagerly asked her mother as they both watched Diane drive off with her new purchase.

Miriam chuckled and patted Helga on the head. "Don't be so surprised, Helga. I handled the business before and I can always do it again."

"Just wait until Bob comes home! He will flip!" Helga let a laugh escape as her body accepted a calm and secure feeling she hadn't experienced in such a long time.

"Let's surprise him!" Miriam shouted out with a clap of her hands as she turned excitedly to her youngest. "I'll go ahead and order us something nice and while we're eating dinner, we can tell him!"

Helga could see the joy in her mother's eyes and started to understand where her older sister had gotten her enthusiasm from.

The Pataki family sat in their makeshift living room around their take out order eating triumphantly. It hadn't taken long for Bob to come home right after the delivery man had made his drop off, and he was beyond surprised to see his favorite Chinese food awaiting him.

"You sure we can afford this right now, Miriam?" He asked skeptically as he opened his container of Kung Pao Chicken.

The older woman turned to her daughter and exchanged brief smiles before turning to her husband and pushing a container of steamed dumplings to him. "Don't worry about it B…" She started, "It will be fine."

"Uh huh…" He replied as he took a bite of food. He could feel there wasn't something quite right in the air.

Unable to contain herself, Helga decided that she would let the cat out of the bag herself. "We might have stumbled into some cash today…"

This immediately caught the man's attention. "Did more college kids come by?" He asked eagerly before shoving another bite of the greasy concoction into his face.

Miriam cleared her throat and placed some rice on her Styrofoam plate. "Not exactly… A nice woman came by the store today and bought a few things…"

"How much is afew thingsexactly, Miriam?" Bob asked as he began to get impatient.

Deciding it was best to just show him the receipt, Miriam reached into her pocket and showed it to the man. Immediately, his plastic fork dropped to the floor and his face became flush with shock.

"Pretty cool, huh Bob?" Helga asked; proud of her mother's efforts.

"Holy Father of Creation!" He shouted, unable to contain himself. "This is a lot more than a few things, Miriam! With this kind of money, we could put ourselves back on the map!" He continued as he slapped the receipt with the back of his hand. "This is just the kind of money I need!"

Although his reaction seemed appropriate for the situation, Helga couldn't help but feel suspicious at his last sentence. "Yeah, we could probably buy our house back with this money and still have enough left over to hold us over while you sell this place and get a new job."

"You're thinking too small, girl!" He replied in a gruff voice. "I had a meeting with a few men today and they were willing to loan us some money so we could get back out there! Sell more than just beepers but all sorts of electronics!"

"You tried that already, Bob!" Helga shouted in desperation. "Remember your appliances? Your camping equipment? None of that junk sold!"

Miriam could feel anxiety building within her as her family argued. "Why don't we all just relax a second?" She turned to her daughter, "Helga, why don't you let your father say his idea and B…" She then turned to her husband with sad eyes, "…It would be nice to get the house back."

"We'll get the house back, don't you worry!" His boisterous voice echoed around the room, "But first we'll need to invest this money a little and Wham Bam we'll have our store flying off the charts!"

"You're not listening, Bob!" Helga shouted again, this time pounding her fist angrily on the stone floor. "You've already tried that angle in the past and it didn't work! You don'tneedto invest this money into another business! Just sell this run down hazard of a shop with the rest of its junk, get our house back and find a real job! No moregetting us back on the map! No more Big Bobs! Just…" But just as Helga could feel herself beginning to let down her guards and really speak to her father, she was interrupted with a big fat finger in her face.

"You listen here girl…" He said with a voice so sharp it could cut through glass, "I'm Big Bob Pataki and us Pataki's never fail. We may fall but we pick our keister's right back up and get back into the game! Everyone knows that! Look at your sister! She is a true blue Pataki and has never once failed us. She's won every award she set her sights on; excelled in every area of study she put her mind to and has been making us proud for years! That is the vision we strive for and we accept nothing less!"

Feeling as though she was wrong for even attempting to trust her father, Helga stood up and pointed her finger right back in his face. "Shehasn'twon every award she set her mind on! Remember the spelling bee? And her judgment in people sucks!" It was if her family's little success had become nothing more than another self righteous pat on the back to the man, and it made her blood boil. "If anyone should decide what we use that money on, it's Miriam because she's the one who made the sale! Not you!"

"That… would be nice." The woman said softly, knowing that she wouldn't be heard over the other two's voices.

"Miriam? She doesn't know the first thing about how to invest and where to put our money!" Bob yelled back as he swung his large arm in the air. "I'm the head of this family and the name on the businessandbank account! I know what's best of us and that's final!"

Her blood was beginning to boil over and Helga could no longer see straight. Enough was enough. She took a deep breath in and stood up. "If that's how you want it, fine." She said in an eerily calm way. "Destroy this family. Run us far beneath the ground into poverty, all for the sake of your pride. Take away what this woman achieved and claim it as your birthright simply because you're the holder of our last name. But you know what Bob?" She asked as she sneered towards him, "In the end, how much will that pride cost us? Is it worth more than your family?" and with that, she turned and left into her bedroom leaving both adults to sit in silence.

Helga's words did nothing more than cause her father to angrily dig into his food, while they sunk into her mother's soul. The woman slowly stood up and headed towards the kitchen.

"Where are you going? You gonna abandon me too?" Bob asked as he watched his wife slowly walk away.

"I need a smoothie…" She responded in a low drone of a voice.

The next day, everything went on as usual. Helga got up, brushed her teeth, got ready for school and left. She met up with her friends and went to class. Her classes were boring and uneventful, her conversations meaningless and everything seemed to blur into one big dream. The talking that went on around her was nothing more than white noise and her lack of energy, even negative, seemed to concern everyone around her. No matter what she tried to focus on, everything just seemed too pointless and Helga had no energy to deal with any of it. Quietly, she withstood class until the very end. Even in their new Health class where they started the subject of drugs and alcohol didn't seem interesting to her.

Finally the bell rang and Phoebe grabbed on to Helga's arm before she mindlessly left the classroom.

"Helga… did something happen?" She asked seriously and not intending on letting her friend go until an answer was unearthed.

"Huh?" Helga responded back, only partially snapping back into reality. "What do you mean, Pheebs? I'm fine."

"Helga…" Phoebe began, knowing there was no reason to puss*foot around the obvious. "Don't insult my intelligence or our friendship. You're acting nothing like yourself. You haven't pushed one kid into a locker, yelled or teased anyone… Are you sick? Has it finally become your time of the month?"

Shaking her head and giving off a small chuckle, Helga removed Phoebe's hand from her arm. "I'm sorry Phoebe…" She responded full of exhaustion. "I just didn't sleep well last night, that's all. Bed's too hard on my back; had me tossing and turning. I'm just tired."

Her explanation gave a small bit of sense, however Phoebe knew that it wasn't the whole truth- if any truth at all. "Helga, you've had the same bed since you were 6 years old. Why would it start to give you problems now? It never has in the past."

"Maybe I'm getting old?" Helga suggested, a little humor in her words.

"It is very unlikely that someone of our age would experience the aches of that of someone much older." Phoebe stated, a little grateful for Helga's change in tone. "However not impossible, considerably unlikely."

Helga shrugged and attempted to walk out again but was immediately halted once more. Her friend's persistence was beginning to wear on her nerves. "Jeez Phoebe, I'm fine now let me go."

"You are most certainly not fine." Phoebe insisted sternly, "and I'm afraid that if you avoid answering me truthfully any longer, that I might become unstable and do something irrational. I would like to avoid that for both of our sakes so if you would please…"

"Fine!" Helga shouted as she whipped her arm back from its captor. "Let's walk and talk, how about that?"

Phoebe accepted the proposal and immediately began to follow her friend. "Why in such a rush to get home?"

"I'm not." Helga put bluntly.

"Did something happen with Arnold?" Phoebe asked, now just guessing at the possibilities for her friend's behavior.

"Not particularly." Helga sighed with annoyance.

"I noticed that every attempt of him talking to you today was futile… forgive me for assuming but that's also very odd." Phoebe frowned.

The two girls pushed the large metal school doors open and walked down the steps. "Maybe I'm just not in the mood to talk to anyone today? I have a right to be in my own mood, Phoebe." Helga noticed that the day was much cooler than it was the day before. She recalled her small uplifting conversation she had had with Arnold, as well as the dread of not spending more time with him but her heart did not stir. She felt dead inside.

Phoebe watched Helga's expression as she answered her and noticed it was still unchanging. The more and more questions she asked, she became no closer to achieving her objective. "Yes, I suppose it is within your right to be as distant as you please but…" Phoebe stopped, causing Helga to do the same. "I'm really worried about you. If not for my sake, then for yours… please tell me what's wrong."

Her words started through Helga like a dull wind; winding and turning through her head until it left a sting somewhere within her. She could see the sadness and concern in her best friends face and knew that her being stubborn wouldn't help either of them at this point as Phoebe was not going to back down. With a final sigh, Helga closed her eyes and pressed her forefinger and thumb up to the bridge of her nose to give herself focus. "Yesterday we sold the majority of our beepers."

"That's… fantastic!" Phoebe's eyes lit up at the information, but then slowly her expression went to confusion. "Isn't it?"

"No…. I mean yes! I mean it's supposed to be but it's not!" Helga tried her best to explain, however fatigue grew on her further and every ounce of her being didn't want to go into the topic. She began to walk again hoping it would bring her stamina back up. "Bob wants to use that money to start our business back up again. It's a stupid idea but nothing I say will change his mind." She began to think back to his speech about her older sister and cringed. "And honestly, I don't even think Olga could change his mind if she tried and you know how she can sweet talk him into anything."

"He's dead set on it, huh?" Phoebe asked, now understanding her best friend's mood.

"Yep." The blonde girl nodded.

Not sure of what to say, they continued their walk in silence as Phoebe thought up reassuring ideas but none of them actually came out of her mouth.

Eventually they came to their parting spot and Helga saw the look of distress on her best friends face. "Don't look at me like that, Pheebs. I'll be fine." She reassured, "I've been living this life for how long?" She chuckled, "You'd think I'd be used to the disappointment but I guess I'm not. It's just… For a moment, for one slight moment I actually believed that everything would be okay; that things would start to look up in my favor. Maybe we'd move out of this dump and back home, maybe we could be a normal family but who am I kidding? That's never going to happen."

"It could one day, Helga." Phoebe coached, trying to be optimistic.

"And one day ice cream will fall from the sky." Helga used the sarcasm to mask the fact that the further they spoke on the subject, the worse she felt. "Dream on, Phoebe. This is just my life: It's how it is now, and it's how it will always be until I'm old enough to get a job and move out on my own." Her words brought little comfort to herself as she had thought on this many times in the past.

"I suppose that is a positive way to look at it…" Phoebe frowned.

Helga placed her hand on her friend's small shoulder in hope of comfort. "Thanks for caring about me, Phoebe." Her voice was warm and kind, despite the negativity and raw emotion she was holding back. "And I'm sorry for keeping these things from you. Something's are just better dealt with by yourself."

Knowing her words were true, Phoebe nodded. "Self contemplation is very important in growing… however, just know if you need anything I'm just a phone call away and my doors are always open to you in case you need to escape."

Helga gave way to a small laugh before turning to the Beeper Emporium. There it's stood in the day's sunlight in all its deteriorating glory with all the unknown going on inside of it. Maybe her father had thought over her words? Maybe he had already signed on a new contract to begin ruining their lives again? Who knows? She turned back to her best friend. "Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow, Phoebe." And with that, she walked off slowly, leaving her best friend full of mixed emotions.

Laying on his bed alone, with only the sound of smooth jazz coming from his stereo to keep his mind at ease, Arnold stared into the sky. He too had been worried about Helga all day, but reflected on her advice the day before. He furrowed his brows as he thought deeply about life. Here he was, about to be 12 years old. He had his parents back, dating the one girl on earth he never imagined himself with, learning new things about his body and coming to grip with the fact that he was growing up. One day, there will come a day where instead of playing catch in the park on a Saturday afternoon with Gerald, he will be studying for the SAT's to get into college. One day, he will be too big to be hoisted up on his father's shoulders. One day, he would exchange his bike for a car. One day, he would be graduating from school and moving out of the boarding house. One day… he would have a family he created along with the family he was brought into. How soon would those days come? Would it happen in a blink of an eye? Or would he actually feel time pass slowly while he took the time to enjoy his current surroundings? He was always told by his grandparents that time passes by in an instant and before you know it, you're eating baby food again and needing others to wipe your butt. Arnold shuttered at the thought and shook the thought out of his head.

A knock on the door startled the boy and caused him to sit up. "Come in." He welcomed the unknown guest.

The door to his bedroom slowly opened and his father emerged. "How you doing there, son?" He asked softly before he entered the room, "You've been up here since you got home from school. Something on your mind?"

Arnold's expression melted into one of gratitude for his father's concern. "Sort of."

Miles gave him a slanted smile and scratched his head nervously. "It's not about the talk we had, is it?" He let out a frustrated sigh, "I know I didn't do very well…"

Patting down the spot next to him, Arnold beckoned his father over to sit down. "No, not exactly. I mean, that's on the list of things I've been thinking about but not the only thing."

The older man walked over to his son and sat down, causing the bed to bounce a little. Looking into the young man's eyes, he could see that Arnold was pondering something heavy. "Serious stuff, huh?" He asked with a playful nudge. "What else is on this list of things you've been up here thinking about?"

After recalling them all briefly in his head, Arnold began to fidget with his thumbs nervously. This was going to be the second father son experience of his life and he wasn't sure what to expect. "Well, mostly just life. Growing up and what to expect…" He started quietly. Silence filled the room as Miles patiently waited for Arnold to continue. "I was just thinking about how my life has changed so much in such a little time. I got you guys back, started a new grade, I'm learning more and more about myself that it's a little overwhelming…"

Miles placed his hand on his sons shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. "I see."

"Yeah." Arnold continued, "And there is one more thing that's really been on my mind…"

"Go on." Miles nodded encouragingly.

Fidgeting again, Arnold could feel a blush overcoming his cheeks and took in a deep breath in a failed attempt at relaxing. "I've been thinking about how… everyone's different. I've been noticing lately small things that I never really paid much attention to before. Such as how someone reacts to something I say, or how someone moves a certain way or has little… I don't know, things that they do that I've never noticed before." Arnold looked bashfully at his father, "Is that weird?"

Unable to contain his small chuckle, Miles smirked and patted his son on the back. "No, that's actually pretty normal. It's good that you're very observant of the people around you. It can really help you in the future, especially when it comes to girls. They can be pretty confusing." He finished with an awkward wink.

Feeling that they were both on the same page, Arnold relaxed a little. "I'm starting to see that now." He agreed as he looked down at his hands. "Helga has always been a really confusing person. One day she hates my guts and is calling me names and picking on me, the next she's giving me helpful advice and saving the day. Next day she avoids me completely and then next she's acting all happy when I'm around."

"And what sort of day was today?" Miles asked with genuine curiosity.

With a solemn sigh, Arnold closed his eyes. "Today she didn't even say one word to me. Not just to me, but to anyone." He shook his head and looked up at his father. "She seemed dazed and confused, like if she was in another dimension the entire time. I tried talking to her, but she barely even noticed I was there…"

Placing a hand on his chin, Miles thought for a moment. "Has she ever done this before?"

Arnold shook his head again. "Not that I can remember, but that's also why I came up here to think. I've been recalling a lot of the things that she's done in the past and compared them to now. I think I can finally understand her a little bit better but this seems really far out in left field. Just yesterday she was her usual self and even gave me pretty good advice."

"So something must have happened after that…" Miles thought out loud as he stroked his long chin. "What's her home life like? I know we met her parents briefly on the plane but I don't remember much about them."

The topic was a difficult one, as it wasn't really Arnold's business to tell, however speaking with his father about it might also enlighten him. "Mr. Pataki isn't very nice. He's loud and bossy and always finding shortcuts to get him what he wants even if it means hurting others including his family, Grandpa really doesn't like him. Mrs. Pataki seems rather nice but I don't know much about her. Helga also has an older sister named Olga who is really nice and helpful, however Helga doesn't like her much because they're polar opposites and not in a good way." He explained.

"Uh huh…" Miles commented in between the explanation.

"I've seen her with her family on a number of occasions, and not once did she ever actually look happy. Her father is very overbearing and even I shudder to think what life with Bob Pataki is like." Arnold sighed as he remembered Helga's living situation. "And living in the Beeper Emporium…"

"Beeper Emporium? They're living in a store?" Miles asked, alarmed to hear such a thing. "Have they always lived there?"

"No, they used to live in their own house but things didn't turn out so good once cell phones became more popular and I assume they no longer could keep their house." Arnold replied, still not totally sure exactly how the family ended up there. "Helga doesn't like to talk about it."

"That doesn't sound like a very nice living situation… I could understand if she was grumpy sometimes. I'd be grumpy if I had to live in a store." Miles said thoughtfully.

Arnold thought about Helga's temperament and how she carried herself. Moving into the emporium didn't make her happy; however her attitude never seemed to change… at least on the surface. She was usually grumpy and scowling about something but never completely silent.

Miles could feel that his son wasn't exactly feeling any better and decided to change it a little. "Life can be hard, Arnold." He started, trying to sound more adults than usual. "It's a lot like poker. You're dealt a hand and you need to make do with what you have. Some people have a good poker face, some people don't. It's possible that Helga has been dealing with something that she doesn't want anyone to know about so she puts up a front and walks around like nothing has changed." He could see his lecture was peaking his sons interest, so he continued. "People like you and I… it's difficult to hide how we actually feel." He said as he smiled and tapped him on the shoulder playfully. "We wear our hearts on our sleeves and everyone around us can tell if something's bugging us because we unconsciously show it. The good thing about us though, is we're able to show others that sometimes it's okay to express yourself when you need to. Have you ever talked to her about her personal life?"

"Sort of… but it's not exactly easy." Arnold admitted, feeling a little silly. "She can be pretty defensive."

"Do you want her to be able to trust you and rely on you?" The parent asked with a smile.

Arnold nodded earnestly. "Yes!" He exclaimed before calming back down and regaining composure. "More than anything, actually but…"

"But it's hard." Miles finished his sentence for him. They exchanged looks of understanding and Miles knew that he had succeeded in his conversation with the boy. "People can be hard. Women, especially. But I know if you care enough about her, and show her that, she'll come around and talk to you." He then looked over at Arnold's clock. "It's still early, why not call her to see if she wants to talk now?"

A feeling of uneasiness suddenly washed over the boy. "Right now?" He asked, unsure of himself.

Miles rose up from the bed and headed to the door. "Yeah! Why not?" He retorted, "Maybe a call from you is just what she needs. Maybe talking to you face to face was too hard and over the phone is easier. You never know unless you try, Son."

Arnold watched nervously as his father gave a short laugh and escorted himself out of the room. He could feel his palms begin to sweat.What's wrong with me? Why am I so nervous to call her?He thought as he looked across the room at his phone.I've called her before and it was fine… of course, some of those times she also yelled at me but she's always yelling.He sat there and did is best to convince his nerves to let him stand and walk over to the phone. As he sat there staring at the device next to him, he could feel a ball in his stomach grow. Did something change between the last time he had called her and now? Was it because he was scared of how she might react today specifically? He had no idea but with a large gulp, he grabbed the phone and dialed the number.

A few short rings and he heard someone pick up the phone. "Big Bobs Beepers." He heard the gruff voice of an angry sounding man on the other end. A man he knew to be Mr. Pataki.

Arnold swallowed hard again. "Hello Mr. Pataki, This is Arnold. Is Helga available to talk?" He asked as politely as possible.

The man grumbled something inaudible. "Yeah, I'm sure the girl is here somewhere…" He said before pulling the phone away from his face and shouting. "OLGA ALFRED IS ON THE PHONE"

Pushing back the need to correct the man, Arnold waited patiently while he listened to the jumbled up noises her phone was making while Bob presumably brought the old cordless phone to her door. He heard him bang on a door and yell one more time before her voice echoed into the receiver.

"Fine! I got it!" She yelled before grabbing the phone and slamming her bedroom door. "What is it, Football head?!"

Her voice and regular tone made his heart begin to slow down and his muscles relax. "I never thought I'd ever be happy to hear you call me that but…" He suddenly realized that he had no real objective to calling her other than to hear her voice. "Uhh… how are you?"

"How am I?" She questioned with a course attitude. "I was doing just fine until you called and I was forced to look at Bob's stupid face. What do you want anyway?"

Arnold felt his heart begin to sink at her words. Did she really not want to talk to him? It sounded like she hated him all over again, despite him knowing the honest truth about her feelings. He straightened up his back and clenched his muscles, "To tell you the truth, Helga… I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He said with a slow and steady breath, wishing he could see her expression to his words. "You were acting very weird today…. Very distant. Did something happen?" Silence overwhelmed the call but he could still hear her breathing on the other end. "I won't force you to talk about anything you don't want to, I just wanted to let you know that I'm here to listen. Even if it's to talk about nothing."

He could hear her snicker in the background. "Talking about nothing sounds fine for right now." She replied shortly.

With a breath of fresh air, the boy relaxed himself enough to lie backwards on his small red sofa. "That's good…" he said as he exhaled. The topic of nothing was a rather impossible one and Arnold began to roam his mind with possible conversation starters. "The weather was a lot nicer today than it was yesterday."

Another brief silence, "Did you seriously call to talk about the weather?" She asked dully.

Stirring a little to get comfortable, Arnold frowned at the question. Of course he didn't but she was unwilling to talk about what he actually wanted and this was the only thing that he could come up with in such short notice. "No… I'm just working the nothing topic as best as I can."

Helga could hear that he was trying, and the sheer fact that he called was enough to make her heart soar. Admittedly, she felt bad that he had to try so hard but she still wasn't exactly ready to put her frustrations into words for him. "Continue with nothing, I guess."

The two sat in another uncomfortable silence while Arnold thought of nothing to say, literally. He had gotten what he initially wanted; her on the phone with him, but it wasn't exactly enough when she wasn't really willing to talk back. Conversations go two ways and this was currently only a one sided one. "What were you doing before I called?"

"Nothing." She answered, "Laying on my bed and counting the rings in my ceiling. I got to about 57 before you called."

"Interesting." Arnold replied with a small smile. "Do you usually do that in your spare time?"

Helga let out a snort and shuffled around on the receiver. The call wasn't going as planned and Arnold had to think of a new tactic.What can I say to get her to talk to me?He thought as he listened to her small breaths on the other end. He envisioned what she looked like, laying on her bed and counting ring impressions on her ceiling. He knew she no longer slept in the same bedroom he had once been in, in her old house, but since he hadn't seen her new one, he could only vision that one.

"Anymore riveting questions, Arnold? As you know, I'm a very busy person." Helga asked with a sigh of annoyance.

Words from his father suddenly began to replay in his head. The thought of her always having a poker face, the thought of how he was always honest.Maybe if I'm honest with her… she'll be honest with me.Clearing his throat, Arnold finally thought of a new plan. "How about we play a game?"

"Over the phone? What could we possibly play over the phone?!" Her voice sounded angry and impatient, but this only proved to calm Arnold further.

"Not really a traditional type of game… but you could think of it as one." He explained as he tried to find the right words. "You know I want you to be able to trust me so how about you ask me whatever questions you want and I'll answer them truthfully, but in return you have to do the same. Deal?"

The rules of the game were simple enough and Helga knew there were so many things about her beloved that she wanted to know but… the price was also pretty steep. "Anything I want to know?" She asked skeptically, "No matter how personal?"

Her question made the boy feel a little uncomfortable, but he nodded. "Yes…" He confirmed, "But it's going to be a two way street Helga. If I answer for you, then you must answer me as well."

"You drive a hard bargain, Football head but..." She stopped for a moment and considered the terms once more. "You have yourself a deal but I'll start."

Not fully knowing the agreement the boy had signed, Arnold ventured into a serious game of truths.

Chapter 18

Chapter Text

Helga cleared her throat and began to search through her minds files. "Any question…?" She wondered out loud over the phone to him, "Any question at all, huh? Hmmm…"

Arnold gave a small aggravated sigh. "Yes Helga, I've said that already."

Resting the phone between her ear and her shoulder, she entwined her fingers for a long arm stretch. "Alright, how about this one?" She started with a smirk, "Why did you really call me? I mean, yeah you said you were worried and I get all that but…" Her voice got hushed a little as a hue of pink adorned her cheeks. Hope began to tingle within her chest. "Was there… possibly… something more?"

Her question was blunt and despite knowing her personality rather well, Arnold was caught off guard. "Something more?" He repeated softly, finding himself a little shy.

"Yes yes! More! You know, as in other reasons besides you worrying about me?" She blurted out with impatience, "I mean you worry about everyone all the time so it's not like this particular time is any special, right?" Although she knew what she wanted to hear, she couldn't help but doubt him as she spoke.

Arnold thought about her words and could hear that her attitude was returning to normal. This made him rather happy but his feelings of shyness continued to grow for a reason he couldn't quite understand. "W-well…" He stammered as he reached up to the back of his neck to scratch the nonexistent irritation that he thought was there. "I was worried about you but I guess there might have been more to it…"

She could hear the hesitation in his voice and it made her heart flutter. "And that is…?"

With a small exhale of defeat, the boy lowered his head. "I just wanted to hear your voice… sorta."

Helga immediately became lightheaded as her emotions swiped her off her feet and on to her bed where she buried her face in her pillow. It seemed like all of the horribleness that had been affecting her all day long had vanished in one instant.He wanted to hear my voice?!She asked herself in her head.Mine?! Helga G. Pataki? I think I might die!... oh wait, probably because I'm suffocating myself, doi.Helga regained her composure and shook off her embarrassment. "R-really?" She asked. "But why? That sounds kind of stupid, even for you Football Head."

Her jab at him hurt worse than intended and the boy frowned. "You think it's stupid that I want to hear your voice?" He asked, silently contemplating his decision of calling her.

She could hear the disappointment in his voice and realized her mistake. "N-no…" She confessed as she pulled her body to roll over on her back. "I mean… probably not for a Football head like yourself. Maybe to usnormalpeople, it might be."

The comeback wasn't exactly what Arnold was hoping for, but he took what he could from it. "When someone you care about is in trouble, I think it's normal for you to want to hear that they're okay above all else." He explained as he pushed his negative feelings aside for her. "And in my case, hearing your voice just gave me some much needed relief, you know since you didn't talk to me all day." Arnold waited for a response from her but when he figured he wasn't getting one, he continued on. "Okay, my turn." He fumbled with a few thoughts in his head before finally opening his mouth to ask, "What happened today that got you so out of it?"

Helga scowled at the question. "Way to just go straight for the goal." She hissed.

"I answered your question so it's only fair, right?" Arnold asked; a little defensive.

She rolled her eyes at his response. "I was just kind of hoping that you would have, ya know, danced around the subject a bit before getting straight to the point…. But if this is what you want…" Helga took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, "Alright."

Arnold listened to her story on the other end and his eyes widened. He knew of how stubborn Mr. Pataki could be, even to his own family but the sheer amount of selfishness he was exhibiting was astounding. "Wow… I'm so sorry to hear that, Helga." Arnold finally said after she finished. "What are you going to do now?"

"WhatcanI do, Arnold?" She asked honestly, "He's my dad. Like he said, he's head of our household and bank account so there isn't anything I actuallycando about this! Just like I told Phoebe earlier, I'm just going to have to deal with whatever he does and make the best of it despite it being the most ridiculous plan ever."

A small smile grew on the boy's lips. "I commend you for your optimism, if anything else."

"Optimism?" She asked with a snarl, "Ya right. I maybe making the best of a crappy situation but I'm definitely not optimistic about it. Hell, I could wind up homeless and on the streets if he doesn't pull this plan off like he wants!"

Arnold shuttered at the thought. "Then for your sake I hope he does pull it off. You said he's been talking to some business man about his idea, right? Maybe that business man really can help you guys."

"Or maybe he's a loan shark and plans on throwing us into even further debt, or is working for the mafia and will have us all killed if Bob doesn't put forward his end of the bargain." Helga suggested with a matter of fact tone. "Face it, Football head, there is no optimistic idea that can come from this other than a miracle happens and Bob backing out. Anyway let's move past this, it'smyturn."

Arnold could feel a dread wash over him as he heard her thinking of her next question.

"How about this one, what's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?" She asked with amusem*nt.

The question was a good one and left Arnold sitting and thinking. "I'm not sure… I can't say I've had a lot of embarrassing things happen to me."

"With your adventurous life? I find that hard to believe." She commented skeptically.

Suddenly a time popped into the boys head and his face grew a darker shade of red at the thought. "Well there was this one time I had a crush on our substitute teacher. I actually overheard her talking about her fiancé whose name was also Arnold, thought she was talking about me, and went to her house thinking the dinner she was planning was for us."

Helga's mouth dropped and a fit of laughter came rolling out. "Are you serious?!" She huffed out. "You can't be serious."

Arnold wanted to curl up in a ball and hide himself away forever. "Yes, I'm serious! And you don't have to laugh at me about it. I was barely 9 years old!" He defended himself despite not being sure if she could hear him anyway over her own laughter.

Helga wiped a tear from her eyes "Boy, that's golden! What did she do when you showed up? Tell you to scram?"

"No, She was very polite and let me inside until he came over and I realized I was wrong." He explained with a little fondness of how the woman handled the awkward situation so delicately. "And fortunately for me, no one else ever knew about it except us and Gerald." Thinking of Gerald's woman woo'ing tactics made him laugh, "And now you."

The girl's laughter calmed down as she steadied her breath. "Okay, okay your turn."

"If you could go any place in the world, where would you go?" He asked once he was sure her laughter was over.

Helga placed a finger on her chin and tapped it. "Hmm… Probably Paris."

Her response surprised the young man and he sat up on his sofa. "Paris? Why?"

"Hey buddy, that's two questions!" Helga shouted on the other end, "You can't cheat!"

"You asked me things about my answer and I answered you so it's not cheating, Helga." Arnold debated sternly, "So long as it has to do with your answer it should be okay."

"Fiiiiine." Helga said with a half hearted scowl. Underneath her attitude, the truth was she was actually happy that he was taking an interest in her likes. "Because they say it's the city of love and I figured it would be a good place for me to get inspiration from. Aside from people making goo-goo eyes at each other and sighing longingly at the sights, there is a lot of history there." A daydream flooded into the young woman's head of the two of them standing on top of the Eiffel Tower, holding hands and kissing and her mind became cloudy, "You could come with me." She added unexpectedly before snapping back into reality and regretting it immediately, "I- I mean… If you wanted to."

Arnold blushed at the thought of them taking a trip to Paris together and presumably by themselves. "You want me to go to Paris with you?" He asked, "Are you sure you want me to go with you and not Phoebe?"

Helga shook her head. "Phoebe would enjoy it too but not in the same way I would. Besides, it's the city ofloveArnold… not the city of Friendship."

The honesty and softness of her voice caused his heart to skip a beat and Arnold gulped. "Okay… It's your turn."

With a frown at the subject change, Helga shifted on her bed causing it to make a small squeaking noise. "What do you think you'd do if you hadn't found your parents?" She asked, wanting to make him feel just as uncomfortable as she was.

The fluttering in his heart stopped and he could feel it sinking into his chest. "That's not really something I'd like to think about but I can't say I haven't." Arnold started as he furrowed his brow at the unpleasant thought, "Actually I used to think about that a lot before I found them." He confessed, "What if they were never coming back? What if they had died? What if they had started another family somewhere else and didn't need me anymore…?" His voice became dark and depressing as he recalled all of his memories. "Sometimes I would have horrible dreams of finding them just for them to be taken away from me again."

"H-hey… but youdohave them back now, right?" Helga chimed in; trying to uplift his spirits again despite the reason for them being down as her fault. "And everything is all sunshine and rainbows now."

"Not exactly…" Arnold replied as he looked towards the door his father had left out of only moments before he called her. "I love them and am very happy I have them back in my life, but it's hard to talk to them sometimes. It's almost like we don't actually know each other really so we do our best to pave the gap between us but… it can be pretty awkward."

"Welcome to having parents, Football head." Helga laughed, "You'll never actually know each other and are always going to be doing your best to communicate with them. Think about it outside the box a little for a moment. They have their generation, just like we do, just like your grandparents do. What we like, they might find weird and what they like we might find stupid. They had different experiences than us so their advice may not be the best but at least they try, right?"

Flashbacks of his father's pep talk from earlier resonated within him as she spoke and he nodded. He could feel a sense of relaxation wash over him as he focused on her words. "Yeah… You're right." He said in a dreamy tone.

His voice caused Helga to blush. She couldn't help but imagine what he looked like right now as he sat on the phone with her. Where was he sitting? Had he changed clothes? Had he showered yet? Did he still use that same shampoo…?

"Helga?" His voice called out to her, breaking her out of her trance.

"Y-yeah?" Her voice responded, a little broken with hesitation.

"Thank you." Arnold said warmly as a wide grin grew across his face. "You know, you really do have a way with words sometimes."

Becoming flustered with yet another compliment from him, Helga's face turned beet red. "Sh-shut up and ask your stupid question already, geez!"

Arnold chuckled and began to think up another question. If they were going to play this game, it would go one of two ways: Meaningful and deep or simple and sweet. He could ask her anything in the world, so what would be important to know?

The line got silent and Helga couldn't help but become nervous. "A-any day now! Hello? Earth to Football head!"

"If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?" He asked suddenly the moment she had finished her sentence.

"Anything?" She asked, "You mean like physical object or anything, anything?"

"Either or." Arnold clarified, hoping it was the latter.

"A million dollars sounds pretty good." Helga laughed, thinking of all the things she could do with that money.

With a small laugh, Arnold figured that she would have responded in that sort of way. "But what would you do with that million dollars? And before you interrupt me with this being a second question- obviously you'd be using that money togetthe thing you wanted, right?"

Helga growled and crossed her legs. "How do you know I'd want to spend it? How do you know I don't want to just shower in it and call it a day? Flaunt my money and laugh in people's faces?"

"I don't, but somehow I don't think that's why you'd want the money Helga." Arnold retorted.

"So now you think you know me, huh? Gonna write my biography now?" Helga said with a sarcastic tone, hoping to veer him off of the topic.

"I think I know you pretty well." He replied with confidence in his voice. "In fact…" Arnold began to think back on their past up until now. He could feel himself becoming entranced once more and his relaxation deepened further. "I sorta think… I've always known you."

"Huh?" Helga co*cked her eyebrow and straightened herself up for better concentration. "You're not making any sense." Her heart began to pound as anticipation of his next words built up in her chest. Had he always seen through her schemes? Even in the beginning? Did he know she had always been following his every move, making shrines to him and worshiping the very ground he walked onbeforeshe blurted it out in his face a few years back?

Arnold leaned back on his sofa and listened to his heartbeat as it echoed through him like a song he had never heard before. Words were getting the better of him and he wished he could just show her how he felt instead of explaining it. "It just…" He started; his angst coming through, "I've always felt that you were never really theyouthat you showed. Despite all the bullying and ridicule that you put us through, mostly me, it was like I always knew that deep down you were someone different." Arnold interrupted his own explanation with a chuckle as he blushed and looked down at his floor. "I know I've told you this before but you're amazing and I think I've always known that, even when I didn't."

Hearing his heart felt explanation gave the girl mixed emotions. On one hand, she was touched and on the verge of passing out of just pure bliss but on the other, complete guilt that he was pouring his soul out to her and all she could do was avoid his direct questions in order to protect herself. Protect herself from what, exactly? Her heart became heavy once she remembered his original question and she knew what she had to do. "Arnold…" Her voice became the softest thing he had ever heard, "I already have the one thing I've always wanted and you know that… but if there was anything else it would probably be to just have my home back." She knew it was time to pay him back with her own heartfelt words, "I-I've… never really had a home really, so it's hard to say that I want itbackbut… I want to live in our house again where we all have our own rooms, a real kitchen, a real bathroom with a showerinsideof it. A place where there is actual room for my things instead of them inside boxes on top of boxes down in a musty old basem*nt filled with bugs and gunk." Helga could feel her heart sink lower as she bared her soul to him, and she sighed. "I know going back in time is impossible, but I want my family not to be broke anymore. I want to be comfortable again and know that I'll have a bed to sleep in tomorrow."

Clenching his fists at her words, Arnold held back his own frustrations as he listened patiently. Memories of a dream he had of her began to flicker in his mind and he could finally see what it meant. Where Helga was now, was practically jail to her. "I'm… I'm sorry." He finally breathed out.

"Don't be." Helga replied with a faint smile that he couldn't see. "I paid my debt from the question I asked earlier." The girl cleared her throat and her mind of all the feelings she had let come over her and forced her attention back on the game at hand. "It's my turn anyway and I'll give you the same question. Ifyoucould have anything you want, what would it be?"

"Honestly?" Arnold replied with a surprised squeak in his voice.

"Well Doi! I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want an answer, paste-for-brains!" She spat back, her voice returning to its usual harshness.

With a gulp, Arnold knew he had no choice. "Honestly if I could have anything in the world, it would be the ability to give you your home back." Hearing his own words made him cringe but he continued, "I've failed in trying… though."

Helga shook her head at his dumb words. "No, you haven't. That big sale we hadcamefrom your stupid plan of handing out fliers in some random nearby town. If it hadn't been for that, then we wouldn't have come into money." She explained; smoothing her voice back out into a more comforting one. "We also wouldn't have had the sales we got from that whole hipster scene if it hadn't been for your idea to model the beepers and post them online. You've helped me a lot, Arnold. Don't discredit yourself."

Her words got through to him, however his feelings remained unchanged. "I just wish I could do more."

Helga scowled. "Stop being such a Football head! Besides giving me whatIwant, whatelsedoyouwant?"

A thought lingered in his mind, but shyness overwhelmed him. "I- I…"

"Ugh," Helga whined in his ear, "Just forget it! If it's that hard of a question I'll just change it."

"If I could have anything I want right now…" Arnold shut his eyes tightly and pressed on, "It would be…"

"It would be…?" She insisted impatiently with a hint of excitement.

"I want to see you."

The words were put so blunt and unexpected, it left both parties stunned.

"You…" Helga forced out with an uncomfortable pause, "want to… see me?"

Arnold nodded earnestly, "I do." He confessed. "I don't know why but…" He placed his hand on his beating heart, "Something inside me tells me that, that's my answer."

The hair on the back of Helga's neck stood up as an electric emotion surged up her spine and into her brain, causing her body to feel like it was melting into the bed. Unconsciously, she let out a longing sigh and dropped the phone to her side.

"Helga?" She heard his voice call out to her from the bulky cordless phone that lay inches from her head.He wants to see me! He wants to see me! He wants to see ME?"Helga? Are you still there?" He asked again, his voice becoming a little more worrisome than before.Is he serious?!

She looked at the phone and casually picked it up and placed it back on her ear. "Why on earth would you want to see ME?" She shouted into the phone, full of an unpredictable rage. "You're joking, right?! I mean, you could haveanythingin the world, Arnold. Literally ANYTHING and you want to see ME?"

The boy became a little offended at her suggestion. "Why are you so mad? Is that a bad thing?" He questioned; confused about the change of atmosphere between them.

Helga flustered a bit on her side, both at his question but mostly at herself. She was doing her best to show him her genuine side but the vulnerable feeling that he was making her feel had a tendency to make her doubt everything from being real to only being too good to be true. Reverting back to her usual angry self was always just easier than expressing how she really felt.

Arnold could hear her still on the line, but her lack of response, especially after her outburst became concerning. "Helga?" He called out to her quietly, thinking about what he could have said that possibly triggered her anger.

"You really want to see me?" She mumbled out in response, almost as a growl.

"If… that's okay with you." Arnold answered, feeling as if he was now walking on eggshells.

Helga sighed and pushed back her negative thoughts and feelings to begin focusing on better ones; the ones she should be letting herself feel in the first place. She glanced over at her alarm clock. "It's after 6pm. If I left now, Big Bob would be suspicious and I'd be forced to interact with him which is thelastthing I want to do right now."

Arnold could hear the uncertainty in her voice and frowned. Everyone would be gathered in his house soon enough for dinner which also wouldn't be optimal for her visiting, especially if she didn't want to interact with people much. "Yeah… and the boarders can be pretty rough around dinner time too."

Suddenly the lights began to flicker in Helga's room. "What the…?" She wondered as she jumped off her bed to open her bedroom door.

"Something happen?" The young man asked on the other line.

The lights flickered in the hallway and suddenly without warning; the power went out in the whole building leaving the phone line dead.

Helga looked down at the phone with disappointment before tossing it over to her bed and looking around the store. She couldn't hear anything suspicious going on, nor did she hear loud winds outside that could have knocked a power line down. "Criminy! What's going on now?!" She shouted, hoping someone in ear shot would respond with something helpful.

"Dang Blasted!" She heard her father yell in the distance before a few loud bangs.

Growling, Helga scoured the dark building in search for him. "What did you do, Bob?!" She called out to him.

A few more loud bangs could be heard, followed by more cursing. "Stupid faulty wiring!" He yelled back before stomping down the hallway in attitude, almost into his daughter. "Sorry girl, didn't see you there."

Helga took a step back and crossed her arms. "Great so now we have no power. What else could go wrong?!"

Bob scratched the back of his head and grunted. "Actually… our power was shut off weeks ago. I had a buddy of mine handle something's so we could get it back free of charge."

"So what you're saying is… we've been stealing it?" She asked, knowing full well she was right.

"Sometimes you gotta cheat to win, girl!" Bob boasted before continuing on down the hallway into a closet. "Now where are those candles…?"

"Why not call yourbuddyto fix this? And where's Miriam?" The absence of her mother was strange given she was normally bumping around in the kitchen by now.

"Huh? I don't know, something about going to the store." Bob replied as he handed a bag out to her. "Here- hold this for me, will ya?"

The bag was plopped in the girl's hands nonchalantly and weighed Helga down immediately as it was a lot heavier than she had expected. "What's in this?"

"Just a few tools I'll need for a project… now where are those blasted candles?!" Bob answered before yelling once more as he hustled through the closet.

Rolling her eyes at her father, Helga placed the heavy bag of tools down and grabbed her coat. Arnold wanted to see her and now it wasn't like she had anything better to do, or avoid.Anything is better than being here right now, alone with Bob in the dark!She thought as she grabbed her coat and flipped the doors welcome sign to "closed".Not like it matters anyway… It will be closed for good soon enough.

Everyone sat around the large dining table as the bowls of food started to be passed around to each individual. The room smelt highly of unique and foreign spices which tingled the nose of everyone there, including Arnold.

"What is this stuff?" Oskar asked as he held his nose. "Are you sure it is safe to eat?"

"Are you really refusing free food Oskar?" Ernie asked as he took a bowl full of rice. "It's not like your chipping in or anything."

Stella smiled as she spooned a large helping of the mystery food on to the complaining man's plate. "It's a special kind of curry I learned to make while helping some natives of Indonesia." She explained softly before turning to Ernie and giving him his own portion. "It has many herbs that help the blood flow as well as headaches!"

"Yeah and we all knowthatwill come in handy, especially with Oskar around." Phil laughed as he jabbed his young grandson in the side. The boys lack of response troubled the man and he gave him a puzzled look. "Everything okay?"

Arnold poked his curry with a spoon before turning to his elder with a forced smile. "Yeah, everything's okay Grandpa. Just got some stuff on my mind." He grabbed a spoonful of the vegetable filled concoction and blew on it a few times before popping it in his mouth. It tasted a lot better than it smelled and for that he was grateful.

"How's the food, Son?" Miles asked him with a warm smile before bending down and whispering in his ear. "I wasn't too sure of it at first too but your mother swears by it." Feeling a death glare coming from across the room, Miles shivered and straightened up before sitting down and helping himself to his own plate.

"Why, this is absolutely divine Stella!" Gerty gasped as she began to eat her plate.

Stella smiled at her mother in law and sat down next to her. "Thank you! But don't thank me, thank the natives that taught me the recipe." She replied humbly. "You'd be amazed at what simple spices can really do to the body in terms of health."

"Speaking of health," Phil turned to his young grandson again, "I heard you started that new class of yours Shortman! How's that going for ya?"

Surprised a little at first by his grandpa knowing, Arnold then remembered that a notice had went out to all the parents in case they wanted their child withdrew from the class. He ate a few more spoonfuls of his food before replying. "It's pretty interesting. They've explained a little on what the class is going to be about and the other day we started learning about how drugs have negative effects on the body."

"Drugs?" Mr. Hyunh said, clearly startled. "Drugs are very bad, Arnold. Stay away from them!"

"Oh no, don't worry Mr. Hyunh. I am." Arnold replied with a reassuring smile, in order to let the man continue his meal.

"Good!" The Vietnamese man smiled back, "You are a smart boy."

Phil scratched his long chin in thought, "Mmm I suppose it's good to start learning about dangerous stuff like that as soon as possible. Kids now days seem to be more curious than ever about mind altering substances! Why I read an article just the other day about kids joining gang wars and doing all sorts of bad things!" His eyes went wide and he pointed his spoon at his grandson, "Don't you go joining no gang wars either, Arnold." He stared at him serious at first, before his face broke into a wide smile and tilted his head back with a laugh. "Ah who am I kidding? I know you're a smart kid."

Arnold laughed back, "Thanks Grandpa."

"I remember back in my day, no one knew drugs were bad!" Phil continued on as the table of listeners ate their food, "Everyone did them! In fact, some were a household staple like sugar or flour! Right Pookie?"

The old woman nodded, "Oh yes! You could even order pretty little jars from catalogs for them." She remembered fondly, "They were even considered miracle drugs at one point that doctors believed could cure any pain but that's exactly how we found out that they were no miracle and people started to get hooked on them." She then shook her head as she recalled such a tragic time. "And people are still hooked on them today, sadly. It's a shame that something believed to be life saving could end so many futures for so many people."

Arnold's eyes turned wide as he listened to his grandparents recollection of the past. "That's terrible, why don't they just get rid of them then?"

Phil shook his head, "That's the big question, isn't it Arnold? It's why they're illegal and you go to jail for having it… but people find ways…"

Gerty's face turned sour. "It's the government that lets it continue!" She spat out, "They make too much money treating those with addiction and side effects to completely halt production even if it is done behind the scenes! Why would they really want to get rid of something that's so profitable? Monsters in business suits…"

"Pookie… calm down and eat your food." Phil scolded her softly with a pat on the shoulder.

Gerty pulled her shoulder away from the man and pointed her spoon in the air as if holding a torch. "You cannot silence me! Down with Big Business! Down with corporate mongrels who benefit off the suffering of others!"

"Yes, Yes Pookie!" He said sternly before swiping the spoon from her hand and sitting her down, "Not right now though, we're all trying to enjoy this nice dinner with our family." He replied sweetly as he looked over his bloodline.

"Awww yes! We're family!" Oskar replied charmingly before placing his arm over Ernie just to be pushed away.

"Get off me, ya loser!" Ernie shouted.

Arnold chuckled at the sight, but his grandmother's words still lingered cautiously in his mind. Despite how eccentric she could be, what she stood up for always meant a lot to her and was always for the good of the people. He was interested in hearing more of what she had to say, but knew that now wasn't the time to continue on that topic.

"What else are you learning about in that new class of yours, dear?" Stella warmly asked after waiting for everyone to settle down.

"We're gonna be taught about our bodies and how they function, but we haven't really touched upon that yet." The young man replied with interest.

"The human body can be pretty cool Arnold, so be sure to take notes and if you have any questions we'll be happy to help." The Mother beamed before nudging her husband, "Right?"

The nudge had caught him off guard, causing him to choke on his food a little but Miles quickly recovered and nodded. "Yeah! Totally! Real cool!" He forced out with a wince, still trying to hold back further coughs.

Arnold laughed nervously, remembering how awkward his dad could be on the topic, "S-sure."

It wasn't long before everyone was finished with their food as well as their casual conversations. Arnold quickly put his dishes in the sink and hurried back upstairs to try and call Helga again to make sure everything was okay. He dialed her number, "I'm sorry, but the number you've called cannot be reached at this time. Please check that you have dialed correctly and try your call again later. Thank you." The boy frowned and placed his phone back down.

"I wonder what happened?" He thought out loud as he went over to his bed to sit. The bed gave a little bounce as he dropped his body on it, and he sighed. "And we were actually getting somewhere too…"

Arnold looked up into his skylight windows and saw it was finally dark. The moon hid behind many clouds but he could still see the luminous light glow from behind them. Was it really that weird to want to see her as a wish? He still couldn't figure out exactly why she got so angry at his answer, but then again it was Helga and her go to emotion always seemed to be something loud and angry.

Looking around his room in thought, Arnold noticed his backpack and suddenly a harsh realization came to mind. "I still haven't done my math homework!" He whispered to himself before promptly getting up, fetching the bag and rummaging through it to find his textbook along with the worksheet he had placed inside of it to bookmark where the lesson was for reference. It wasn't like him to forget school work, but then again… Arnold didn't really feel like he was the same anymore either.

He placed the thick and heavy book down on his desk with a soft thump before cracking it open and looking at its contents. As he looked at the information, the young man grew annoyed at himself. He hadn't really been paying attention in class as of late and couldn't recall learning any of this. All of the equations seemed foreign. "What's wrong with me?" He asked himself as he slumped his back against the chair. "I've always been pretty good at math, I even helped grandpa with it back when he needed to graduate elementary school…" He took his homework and turned it over a few times, "None of this seems familiar at all. Maybe I should just call Gerald and-"

TAP TAP TAP… Suddenly a noise interrupted his sentence. He turned around to see what it was, but noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Tilting his head to the side in confusion, he gave up and turned back to his paper. TAP TAP TAP… went the noise again but this time even louder. Arnold swung his chair around but still saw nothing.

TAP TAP… BANG BANG BANG! Arnold looked up as the noise got louder and noticed a silhouette of something on his skylight. He sprung from his chair and rushed over to it for a better look and above him stood the wish that had been granted. She looked annoyed and motioned to him to open the window with a show of her arms.

Grinning at his sight, Arnold climbed up and pushed the window open. A sharp chill breeze greeted him as well as a strong arm that pulled him up.

"Criminy! Were you day dreaming or what?" She shouted at him before letting go of his arm and placing her hands on her hips.

The young man couldn't help but smile at her, despite her clear irritation. "Sorry, Helga. I was just looking over our math homework." He explained. "What happened to our call earlier? Why did you hang up and why won't my calls go through?"

Helga rolled her eyes. "Because Bob the Brilliant hasn't paid the electric bill in God knows how long and now we have no power, Doi!" She said sarcastically, "Apparently the only reason we've had power until now is because his friend did some illegal wiring and that got busted somehow."

"Illegal wiring?" Arnold asked even though he heard her clearly.

"Yeah, are there worms in your ears or something? Illegal wiring!" Helga scowled and sighed. "Not like either of us should be surprised."

Arnold became worried. "Did he get caught? Is he going to go to jail now?!" He asked hurriedly but was hushed by a cold hand over his mouth.

"Quiet down, will ya?" She said quietly, "Do your neighbors really need to know my business?!" Helga lifted her hand off of his mouth and saw his sad expression. "I don't know if he got caught but I doubt it. Even if he did, he knows how to talk his way out of things pretty easily so don't look at me like that."

"But Helga-"

"Yeah, yeah I get it, you're worried!" Helga rushed to cut him off. Her face became soft and she began to rub the side of her arm. "You don't have to worry so much Arnoldo, I'm fine." She could see that he wasn't convinced and stopped rubbing. "Really…"

With a sigh, he nodded. "Alright." He took in a deep breath to calm his nerves and looked her over carefully. She seemed a lot better than when he saw her at school as well as sporting her usual attitude. The soft pale moonlight glistened on her skin and highlighted some of her features and he couldn't help but stare a little. He thought back to his dream of her again and realized something he hadn't before.
It was almost like a premonition…He thought as his eyes left her figure and to the sky.She may not be wearing the dress and Bob may not be a giant head shouting to her from the sky but…He looked at her again, causing her to stand there awkwardly as he fought his mind.The air about her is the same as well as the situation, kinda…

"You alright there, Football head?" Helga asked, breaking his mental back and forth. "You're even more spacier than usual andthat'ssaying something."

Arnold felt strange at the thought of him dreaming something from the future but shook it off.There has to be a reason for it…He continued to think as he recalled more of the dream in bits and pieces. She was holding her locket and talking to it but he couldn't hear what she had said. He closed his eyes a little to focus better but to no avail.Maybe what she said didn't matter… think Arnold, why does this seem important?

"Arnold?" She called out to him again, however he was too far in thought.

Look at the situation better…He told himself in his mind,She had her locket… of me. She was talking to it but I couldn't hear. Her face…He then focused more on her face.It was solemn but longing, calm but troubled…

"Arnold…?" Helga called out to him again, this time louder.

Hearing his name caused him to look up at her. He searched her face as he continued his deliberation. He thought back to how she looked at school and how she looked now. Then something sparked inside of his brain that he couldn't quite make out.

"Hey! Arnold!" She shouted this time, causing him to snap back into reality.

"Huh?!" He replied in shock; then blinked a few times.

Helga waved her hand in front of his face and gave him a questioning look. "What's wrong with you? You said you wanted to see me and here I am, and what do you do? Stare off into space and waste my time!" She then pointed her thumb over towards his fire escape, "Do you want me to leave? Because I didn't come here to talk to myself, bucko."

"No, no!" Arnold said as he reached out to her, "Sorry Helga, don't leave."

She placed her hands back on her hips and scowled. "Why did you want to see me so bad? I don't get it."

Her question sparked the thought in his mind once more. "Why did you come?" He asked her plainly.

The question seemed odd to her and she wasn't sure if she was to be offended or concerned. "What do you mean, why did I come?" She asked then straightened her back, "I came because it was your one wish if you could have anything! Sheesh, I thought that was obvious?" Her voice came casual but snarky as she pointed her high and mighty expression down at him.

The boy heard her reason but felt it was lacking something. "Would you still have come if your power didn't go out?" He asked honestly, his eyes softening.

His half lidded gaze caused her front to crumble and her eyes darted away from his. "M-maybe. Heck, I don't know the future. Maybe I would have, maybe I wouldn't have!" She replied, a little hesitant. "What matters is Iamhere. Right here, right now." Helga finished with a stubborn huff.

The response still wasn't helping the young man unravel his inner brain workings and he shook his head.It's like my brain is trying to tell me something and… I just can't figure out what! What is it? The answer is right in front of me!Arnold growled to himself internally. He wasn't exactly sure why the dream and reality were nagging at him but what he was sure of was that it was exhausting trying to decipher it all. Giving himself a little break, the boy cleared his head of the puzzle and sighed softly. "Whatever you say, Helga." He said with a small smile before looking around at their surroundings. There were still a few chairs outside from when his family had a cookout over the summer and he motioned over to them. "Want to sit down?"

"It's about time you asked!" Helga snapped at him, "Yes I would love to sit down after hiking all the way up to your house, climbing your fire escape and standing here forever while you space out into oblivion."

The two of them walked over to the flimsy plastic chairs and sat down. The night was quiet but they could still hear cars and dogs barking in the distance. It was familiar but serene.

"Nice night out tonight, isn't it?" Arnold asked as he gave a curious look to his companion.

Helga slumped in her chair and twirled her finger sarcastically. "Real romantic, aren't you?"

He could see that she was in some sort of mood now, possibly because of him, and accepted it. "I can be sometimes." He smirked playfully. "I'd like to think so anyway."

With a heavy and overly dramatic sigh, Helga glared over at him. She could see his smile and optimism and could feel her heart giving way. He was so innocent, so unknowing, so naïve. He couldn't even begin to know how she felt or exactly why she felt the way she did but it wasn't his fault.Let's just relax, Helga ol' girl and enjoy this moment while you can?She asked herself. She pulled her sight away from the boy and looked back over the horizon.He's right, despite everything it is a perfectly nice night out and what better way to enjoy it than with the man of your dreams? Stop acting, relax and go with the flow…She told herself.

Helga felt her heart start to thump at the thought of them spending a romantic evening together, just the two of them on top of his boarding house. The brisk night suddenly turned a little warmer as her skin heated up. "Soooo…" She started out slowly, "Is this what you had in mind?"

Arnold peered over at her at the question and shrugged. "To be honest, I didn't really have anything in mind other than seeing you."

Feeling the heat peak in her cheeks and his eyes on her, Helga's gaze remained out in front of them to the open city. "Is that right?" She asked, unable to contain herself from fidgeting nervously in her seat, causing it to squeak and rattle with every little move she made. "I-I… figured m-maybe there was a little bit more… to your wish…" She said, drawing out her sentence and peaking over at him to see his expression. He seemed so calm; so normal. Was it only her that felt anxious about this whole thing?

The nagging question still played in Arnold's mind as he looked at her from the side. Helga was perplexing to him. An enigma wrapped with a pink bow. Indeed, he did feel calm but it was different yet familiar. It was a feeling he was becoming accustomed to but only one he got when he was around her. "Maybe there is…" He wondered out loud to answer her question then turned to the city. His own actions and feelings were all becoming just as mystifying as her.

Not wanting to interrupt what he might say, Helga stayed quiet and gulped. Many thoughts raced through her head.

Noticing that their chairs were further apart than he thought, Arnold stood up and pushed his closer to hers and sat back down. Placing his hand on his arm rest next to hers, he could feel her body heat emanating off her skin. Just what about her always drew him in? "You know…" He started, pacing himself to keep up with his mind, "A lot of things have happened to us… over the years. Not just us but everyone of our friends too. I guess change is just a part of growing up, huh?" He asked turning to her again with a kind smile.

Confused on what this had to do with her question, Helga just decided to roll with it to see where this would go. "Well yeah, people have to change in order to grow, what's your point?"

"I guess what I'm trying to say is…" Arnold then gave in to his urge and placed his hand on top of hers. The sensation of their body heat colliding gave the young man a powerful calm that washed over him and seeped into his brain, causing no sense of caution. "I've changed… in ways I don't even understand yet, and it's… sorta scary sometimes." He confessed. "But at the same time…" He continued and brushed his thumb up against the soft texture of the back of her hand, "it's comforting."

"It's… comforting?" She asked, looking up at him curiously.

Arnold nodded and drew himself into her eyes. "Yeah." He breathed out. "I wouldn't have ever thought years ago that I'd find myself here… with you… like this." He smiled, "And I wouldn't have ever imagined how it would make me feel, either."

Finding herself unusually hopeful, Helga let herself get drawn into his words. "And howdoes…it make you feel, Arnold?"

"Happy." He replied simply and without hesitation. "And not just happy-happy but… a different kind of happy. A kind of happy I had never experienced up until now and one that I only seem to experiencewithyou." Arnold was beginning to feel relieved as he talked and knew it was the right thing to do. "It's like everything is new," He continued, "It's like I can just be me… does that make sense?"

The dreamy look in his eyes, as well as his touch on her skin was sending her body to mush but her brain perfectly intact as she took all of his words in. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? "I guess so."

"I've felt all sorts of things in my life but up until now… nothing quite like this. It's just hard to explain… yet so simple." Arnold said as he continued to rub her hand. "This is why I wanted to see you… I think."

"You think?" Helga asked; her eyes wide and full of desperation.

Arnold nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I just hated seeing you so distant and withdrawn today and it scared me, Helga. All I kept thinking was 'is she okay?' and when you wouldn't talk to me? I didn't know what to do."

Helga hung her head in guilt. "I can't exactly control how I feel, you know." She said weakly. "Life just happens and I react the way I do. I can't help it."

"I know what you mean but-"

"No!" Helga interrupted loudly and full of vivid emotion. "You don't know, Arnold and that's the problem!" An overwhelming need to finally open up to him surged through Helga's veins. "You don't know what it's like to beme!" She said as she snatched her hand away from him. "I can tell you what goes on here and there but it's not the same as youactuallyhaving to be there! You've always had people who love and care about you, surrounding you at every corner of life and I haven't! I have a lousy drunk mom, an over controlling abusive dad and a perfect do-no-wrong sister. I have a constant image I must uphold at homeandat school and the only light I have at the end of my tunnel is you!"

Suddenly a light flickered in Arnolds head and everything that had been nagging at him since she showed up, came into vision and his eyes widened.

Helga grabbed his hand with both of hers and looked deeply into his eyes with all of her emotions. "It's so difficult opening up and- andtalkingabout crap like thisbecauseof how frustrating- no, painful it is to talk about!"

"But Helga-" Arnold started but was shushed by a shaking finger to his lips.

"No… No 'but Helga' right now… okay?" She asked wearily, "You want me to talk? I'm talking and I'll onlykeeptalking if I know you're listening. Got it?"

Arnold swallowed hard and nodded to let her continue.

"Now that you know me, and know the secret I've been harboring for nearly my entire life, have you ever stopped to wonderwhy?Has your Football shaped brain ever really tried to wrap itself around that? Let me save you the trouble and just tell you. You've always been the one thing in my life that has kept me going, the light at the end of my tunnel, the sun after a hurricane of crap that falls on me through life. You've been my inspiration to go on for as long as I can remember!" Helga explained, taking her finger off his soft desirable lips and placing her hand back down on his hand to firmly grasp. "You're everything I'm not. You're optimistic and helpful, cheerful and always doing the right thing. You've shown me that the world isn't as dark and dreary as it always appears to be. You don't know what it's like to never be seen by the people who're supposed to love you, Arnold. To have your name forgotten- heck, your whole EXISTENCE forgotten until it's convenient for them. I get told to 'Do better' and to be someone I'm not just so I can get a little ounce of attention. Do you know who I've never had to fight to notice me?"

Arnold continued to stay silent, but shook his head.

"You, Arnold." She answered. "Sure, you noticed me for the most part because Idemandedattention by forcing it down your throat in a mean way but from the beginning you noticed me even without that. I…" she suddenly stopped and her voice cracked, "I don't know where I'd be right now, in life right now, if I'd be alive today if it wasn't for that little pre-school boy and his umbrella, sheltering me from the cold rain that poured down upon me that morning." Her lip started to quiver as she held back the dramatic wave of emotions that was crashing down upon her and pulling her out to sea. "And now? Now I'm being forced to deal with the fact that even though you've helped me way beyond what you should be capable, my ignorant pigheaded father is willing to throw it all away for his pride."

With one quick motion, Arnold pulled one of his hands out from hers and placed it on her cheek. "Forgive me for interrupting when you told me not to but even if hedoesdo all that… I'll find a way to help again, Helga. There is always a way! You just have to look for it!"

"See?" Helga nodded, "This is the optimism you have that pulls everyone through and part of that light that I'm talking about… but what if thereisn'tanything you can do?" She asked, placing her hand on top of the one on her cheek and closing her eyes, letting a single tear drop roll down. "Noteverythingcan be solved with your positive outlook! Sometimes bad things justhappenand there isn't anything you can do about it! Do you know what will happen if my Dad completely fails and we become homeless, Arnold?"

The boy shook his head again and urged her to continue with his sad eyes.

Helga swallowed her tears, "It means we'll probably be moved far far away from each other and maybe never see each other again."

"I-I don't understand…" Arnold said, searching her eyes for answers.

"It means we'll probably all be shipped back to live with my Hungarian grandfather- theactualhead of the Pataki family!" She cried out, letting a stream of tears finally flood her eyes. "And he's worse than Bob will ever be, Arnold. He's who Bob fears letting down; the part that drives his stubbornness into what we all see today."

The information that she was delivering to him was simply too much to accept in that one moment. He heard the words, he understood the words yet everything seemed impossible to comprehend.This can't be happening… can it?He asked himself as he stared into the pale blue eyes of his girlfriend.There won't be anything I can do? She'll be taken away forever… all these feelings, those eyes… I'll never be able to see them again?

"Pataki's are told to sweep everything under the rug, bottle up our feelings and push through and succeed." Helga explained as she used her palm to wipe away the tears that escaped the jail that had been holding them for so long, "Of course, Olga is the exception to the bottling up part as she's nothing but a never ending waterfall of tears at least 80% of the time but…" She let out a weak laugh to continue, "This ideology has been pounded into my head since I was born. That, plus the fact I don't evenexistin that family unless I can succeed 100% of the time? Where do you think I'd be today if I hadn't met you? Do you realize the horrors I'll have to face if Bob fails? The tunnel never ends…"

"Then I'll make it end!" Arnold insisted, "Surely there has to be some way for you to stay if they end up leaving!"

Another weak laugh left her lips as she shook her head. "Oh my dear, sweet Arnold… Sometimes you're optimism hurts, you know?"

"I'm serious, Helga!" He pleaded; letting go of her cheek and grabbing onto her shoulders. "You can't…" He forced out with a high pitched broken voice, "You can't leave…"

"Arnold, we're twelve years old. I don't have a choice in the matter come time." She stated simply with a light but painful heart. "But don't worry about me; I'm sure I'll continue to move along like I usually do…"

Listening to her truths and allowing her to open up was nothing like Arnold had expected and he wasn't even sure if this was what he wanted anymore. Was ignorance really bliss? To see someone he cared about so much have to go through this agony? His heart squeezed and hurt like something he had never felt before in his life. The only thing he could compare it to was the thought of his parents being dead and never found. "I don't care what you say Helga, Iwilldo something…. I have to."

A small sad smile graced her lips. Her waterworks had finally ended and she felt freed of the bonds that she once held inside, however they were replaced with guilt. "This was part of the reason Ididn'twant to open up to you…"

"Huh? What do you mean?" He asked, concerned by her words.

"I didn't want you to have to carry the burden ofmy lifeas well as your own and everyone else." She said as she rose up from her seat and faced him with a stern face. "No one needs to carry my burdens except me."

"Helga…" Arnold forced out but no other words followed. Where did that once calm and serene feeling go?

"It's the Pataki way, Arnold. Our business is our own and we don't need anyone's pity." She quoted with her fingers, then sneering away at the thought of her father. "That aside… The last thing I want to do is makeyourlife painful just because mine is."

"But it's myjobas your boyfriend to take that pain away… right?" Arnold suggested with a small inquisitive smile. He stood up and grabbed her hands once more. "This just means I can finally fulfill my end of our relationship."

"W-what do you mean?" Helga asked, skeptical and suspicious.

"Helga you just explained to me that I have been the only thing in your life pushing you forward, right?" He asked; not waiting for an answer to continue, "You have gone out of your way to help me countless times and all because I am this light at the end of your tunnel. Let me repay the debt and not because I have to but because Iwant to. I didn't agree to become your boyfriend just to hold your hand when we walk down the street… I did it because I wanted to bepartof your life and not just the part you want me to see." He could see that she still wasn't accepting anything he was saying, but he didn't falter. "Look, I'm not going to stand here and pretend to know what I'm doing because I don't and quite frankly… neither do you. Neither of us know the future and neither of us should assume the worst just because it's a possibility… You wanted me to accept your feelings after all these years, right?" He asked and watched her eyes turn wide with realization. "So now it's time you accept mine. I may not know all of your pain and suffering or your struggles but… I want to. Loving someone doesn't mean hiding the ugly truth from them for their sake… it means trusting them to accept that ugly truth and move forward beyond it and that's not something I think I know, it's something Idoknow." With utmost certainty, Arnold spoke to her soul and meant every word, "If you truly love me like you insist you do… then give me the same respect."

"This-s isn't something you should j-joke about, Arnold." Helga stammered as her face turned red. "You shouldn't say things like this unless you're s-s-serious…"

Arnold's expression turned as stern as he could. "You don't believe me?" He challenged.

"I-I didn't s-say that it's j-just…" She continued to stutter as her world began to turn around her.

"Fine then," He sighed as he let go of her hands, "If you don't believe my words then my actions are gonna have to count for themselves…"

"W-what are you-"

But before she could finish her question, Helga was stopped by the sudden force of her shirt being grabbed and her body pulled forward to make contact with his own. In the most unbelievable moment in her life, Helga was stopped short by the most passionate kiss in her entire young life as Arnold copied her own dramatic confession from 2 years ago and played it back to her in his own way. She eagerly accepted his show of affection and melted within his strong grip. Her dreams had finally fully come true and he was proving it to her with everything he had.[pic]

After the point had been made, Arnold released her shirt and traveled his hands up to her face and caressed her cheeks lovingly before backing away. He looked into her eyes and gave her a warm reassuring smile. "Through all the hardships that await us in the future… Helga, let me stand by you and protect you in any way I can. Let me pay back the love you've shown me with the love I want to show you."[pic2]

Her eyes welled up once more and she closed them with a smile, letting the small stream flow down her face. "A-are you sure?" She asked quietly.

"Yes…" He said with a small chuckle as he wiped her tears away, "Now stop crying and look at me… please?"

His voice was smooth like silk and she couldn't help but comply. She opened her eyes again but could still feel her emotions overwhelming her.[pic3]

Arnold's smile grew larger and he entwined his fingers with hers, causing her forehead to come down and touch his own in a sense of bonding. "Will you accept my feelings?"

Helga sniffled in response and nodded her head against his gently.[pic4]

"Good… I'm glad." He chuckled again.

After a quick look at a clock and realizing just how late it was getting and on a school night, Arnold escorted Helga off his fire escape and decided to secretly walk her home.

"I don't get why I can't just stay here tonight! Not like anyone will know I'm gone anyway…" Helga scowled as they made their way in the direction of the Beeper Emporium.

"Because I'll have no way to explain to my parents or grandparents why they found you sleeping in my room." Arnold replied with a small squeeze of his hand in hers. "That's not really a conversation I want to have with them."

"I could have snuck out before they even knew I was there!" She insisted but stopped as she saw his disapproving look. "Fine, whatever. Walk me home! Be my knight and shining armor!"

The quiet night was then suddenly disrupted with a ever growing noise of ambulances and fire trucks in the distance. The two squinted as a blinding flash of red and white lights zoomed passed them.

"Geez… some old person found it necessary to fall and break a hip, I guess." The young woman hissed as she scowled towards the loud and obnoxious noise.

"That's not very nice, Helga. What if someone is really hurt?" Arnold suggested with a worried frown.

"Well the whole city knows about it now, now don't they? Criminy, I feel like I'm about to go deaf!" She winced as she covered her ears until more fire trucks passed by in their direction.

An ominous dread soon took hold of Arnold and he gripped his companions hand firmly. "Let's just hurry up and get you home before anyone notices…"

They continued to walk in the direction of the Emporium and strangely the noise of the emergency vehicles only got louder and they both noticed a pungent smell of burning in the air.

Scrunching up her nose, Helga shook her head. "I take that back… someone clearly left the oven on and went to sleep…"

"Helga…" Arnold scolded, his feeling of dread only growing further until finally meeting its peak.

As they turned the corner to approach their final destination, they were greeted with the obnoxiously bright flashing red and white lights. Arnold and Helga stood in horror as they watched fire fighters rush to connect their hoses and turn on hydrants…

The Beeper Emporium was up in flames.

Chapter 19

Chapter Text

Smoke and ashes clouded the area around the two preteens, as both men and women in red uniforms rushed back and forth to put out the flame. Neither said a word, just watched. It wasn't long before the local news network showed up with their station truck in order to film what was going on and more and more onlookers came to the scene.

Helga slowly walked towards chaos as if she was hypnotized and Arnold followed. He swallowed a lump in his throat and could feel his insides becoming queasy as his muscles tensed all over. He couldn't begin to imagine how she felt and didn't even know what to say. Would now be a good time to offer words of encouragement? No, probably not until there were answers. He looked down at her pale hands and wanted to hold them, but feared it might wake her from her trance and send her into some unpredictable irrational behavior that he'd regret.

"We're here right now standing in front of what seems to be Big Bobs Beepers where it has unexpectedly caught fire. I am Michelle Gibson, first on the scene, bringing you here live." The reporter said in front of her cameraman as the team hustled to get shots of the fire from all angles.

Arnold looked back towards them with a grim expression, then back up at Helga whose expression had yet to change. There was no use asking if she was okay, and he knew it. No one was okay right now, except maybe that reporter with their big scoop.

The heat got greater and greater as Helga continued forward. It was as if her body was moving on its own, as her mind was blank and she felt nothing. A fireman bumped into her as he hurried past the two to join his other comrades but she couldn't feel the pain of the impact or noticed anyone close to her.

Now thoroughly worried that Helga had intentions of walking into the dangerous zone, Arnold caught her arm and pulled her closer to the wall of the building they were closest too, allowing more room for the busy workers to pass by.

"I know you're worried about your family but we have to stay out of their way so they can do their job, Helga." Arnold spoke softly to her. Speaking of her family, Arnold found it strange that there was no sign of either of her parents and the knot in his stomach grew.

"Hey!" A tall blond police officer walked towards them urgently, "You kids can't be here! Why has no one roped off this area?!"

"Please sir, this is Helga Pataki, she lives here." Arnold explained as he motioned towards his still stunned girlfriend, "Where is the rest of her family? Are they okay?"

The officer's face softened as he glanced over at the girl then back at Arnold. "Yeah kid, they're fine." He said as he pointed his baton towards the row of ambulances that had been hidden amongst the long row of fire trucks. "They're over there."

Arnold squinted but could see what looked like Helga's mother talking to another officer off in the distance and he nodded. "Thank you, sir." He said to the officer before tugging on Helga's arm that he was still securely attached to. "Come on; let's go see your parents."

"We're here right now standing in front of what seems to be Big Bobs Beepers where it has unexpectedly caught fire. I am Michelle Gibson, first on the scene, bringing you here live."The female voice spoke from the open television that was currently on in Arnold's living room.

Phil sat in his arm chair and pushed his boney body forward to get a better look at the T.V as he looked upon the smoldering building from a distance. "What in the world?!" He shouted, causing the attention of his son from the kitchen.

"You okay in there, Dad?" Miles called out before walking into the room with a dish rag in hand, along with a dinner plate.

"Oh ya, I'm fine but that building sure isn't." The elder replied with a mix of feelings in his voice.

"The local Beeper Emporium of Hillwood, owned by the Beeper King himself: Bob Pataki has been a staple in this community for the last few years. There has been no reports of injury as of yet and the cause of this fire still remains a mystery. We'll have more to bring you shortly…"

Miles set his dry, clean dish down on the sofa and got closer to the television. "That's Helga's family business, isn't it?" He asked as he recalled having met her large father on their way back from San Lorenzo.

"Yeah…" Phil replied as he rubbed the top of his bald head, "We better tell Arnold before…" but before the old man could get out of his chair, he noticed a familiar blond boy pull his familiar companion across the screen and out of focus.

"Is that…?" Miles asked as he watched the same scene his father was.

"Never mind then!" Phil's face grew wide with a smile. "Guess we'll have to find the scoop out from him when he gets home." He said with a laugh.

"And here I thought he was upstairs doing homework…" Miles looked at the old clock in the living room, then at his father with a puzzled look. "Is it normal for him to sneak out at night?"

The old father leaned back in his chair and grinned at his son, "No but young Arnold is growing up, Miles. I'm sure he has a good reason to why he snuck out and why he's there." Phil turned back to the T.V which had turned to a commercial. "It probably has to do with his little blond girl friend with the one eyebrow, if I had to guess."

Miles hummed to himself as he tried to remember himself at that age. He was much more rambunctious than his son; as he took after his mother at an early age, however a small feeling of disappointment lingered in the adult male's heart. Ever since coming back to Hillwood and realizing he missed so much, it dawned on him more and more of how much his one and only son had grown so much without him. It was bittersweet to see the boy have so many problems that Miles could honestly relate to. No amount of stories of Arnold's past could ever make up for the time or experience lost with him and all he could do was rely on his elderly father to fill in the gaps.

"You don't think Arnold will do anything… irrational, do you?" Miles asked his father with a worried look.

"Mmm no." Phil replied as he thought about the question. "Not if he can help it."

"What do you mean, Dad?" Miles pressed for more information as he sat back down on the sofa closest to his father.

Phil gave his son a soft and understanding look. He knew very well the difficulties that his son was having, even if he hadn't experienced them himself. He too lost out on a lot of Miles life and wished to have that time back, however 10 years of an adults live versus 10 years of a child's life was drastically different.

"Why don't you sneak me one of them puddings from the kitchen and I'll tell you a story." He replied warmly. It was about time that Miles learn more about his son from the eyes of the guardian that had been watching over him all this time.

Arnold pulled Helga along towards her parents and hoped it would snap her out of her trance. "See Helga?" He called out to her with a small squeeze of his hand. "You're parents are right there."

She could hear the voice of her love speak, yet for some reason she just couldn't respond. Yeah, she saw her parents in the distance but it honestly didn't make her feel any better. Helga hadn't been worried about her parents; she had been worried about herhome.Everything that she had created was in that place. All her poetry books, her shrines, her video surveillance of Arnold and everything he's done for their city, her computer with a million images of him that she had hand selected to gaze upon… gone up in smoke. What was the point of cherishing anything anymore if it was so easily taken away?

Helga looked over at the boy holding her hand. His grip was so tight and his hand was so clammy it was almost as ifhewas scaredforher. If he was going to be in it for the good and the bad, he was about to experience a lot of that bad and a lot sooner than he knew.

Miriam immediately recognized the two as they emerged from the smoke that had been surrounding them. A look of relief came upon her face as she saw her daughter safe and sound with her friend.

"Oh Helga!" Miriam cried out as she walked quickly towards her daughter and engulfed her in a tight hug; something similar to that of which Olga would give. "I was so worried! Where have you been?" She asked as she let go of the girl to take a better look at her.

"She's been at my house." Arnold replied, causing Miriam to look over at him.

"Thank goodness! We had no idea where she was and I was so worried she might still be trapped inside." The distressed woman explained. "The firemen have been in and out of the building since the fire started and saw no trace of her, but thought it was possible she was in the basem*nt." She became overwhelmed with relief once more and embraced her daughter. "I'm so glad you're safe, honey!"

It was an odd feeling to have her mother hug her in the way she was, but it wasn't exactly a bad one. Helga hugged her mother back awkwardly in surprise. "T-thanks… Miriam?" She finally replied.

Arnold smiled at the sight of them both as it was comforting for him to see her being cared for, even if it wasn't a usual occurrence.

"What happened?" Helga finally asked after her mother let go of her once more and stood back to look at the wreckage.

Placing a hand on her head, Miriam frowned. "I'm honestly not sure…" Her voice became quiet and back to her usual self. "I had left shortly after you got home from school because I had to pick up a few things from the corner store when I happened upon this new little shop that had opened up around the corner. I went in and saw all these cute figurines and they reminded me of you and your sister when you were younger." The woman sighed with nostalgia before continuing on. "I ended up losing track of time in there and before I knew it, they were about to close! So I left and as I was walking back home, I came across a young boy named Johnny who had lost his mother… oh it was so sad…"

"And then you went back home to see that it was on fire?" Helga asked, breaking her mother from her thoughts.

"Well, I helped him find her and then the two of us had a very nice talk. It was after that I started walking this way and saw the smoke and, Oh Helga, I was so scared! The fire department had already been notified and I couldn't find your father…" Miriam continued as she turned her head to look at the angry man on the phone behind her. "He's fine, of course but I just didn't know what to do."

"Do you guys know the cause of it yet?" asked Arnold as he politely made his way into the conversation.

Miriam shook her head. "Unfortunately, they said there is no way of knowing the cause until after the fire is completely out and everything has cooled off… B's on the phone right now with our insurance agency to try and find us some place to stay for the night…"

Just as the woman finished talking, Bob closed his flip phone and angrily shoved it into his pocket. "Scammers! All of them!" He shouted as he made his way towards his family. He then noticed Helga and growled. "Where on Earth have you been, girl?!" He shouted.

The mood between them all changed drastically and Helga's face twisted into something ugly. "I thankfully decided to leave beforethishappened!" She shouted back as she pointed to the blaze. "Who knows if I'd even be alive right now if I hadn't decided on taking a walk?"

Bob opened his mouth to holler back, but was interrupted by the soft hand of his wife. "What is it, Miriam?! Don't you see I'm talking to Olga?"

"What did they say on the phone, B?" She asked, urgently changing the subject out of both curiosity and to avoid further confrontation between the two.

With a tight grip of his fist, Bob fought back the urge to punch something. "Apparently our homeowners insurance only covered our actual house and now that the bank owns it, all the money goes to them!" He yelled.

"Wait!" Helga butted in, "So you're trying to tell us that you only got insurance on our house and not on your business?!" The small hairs all over her body began to stand up as she fully understood. "What kind of moron has a business and doesn't get insurance on it?!"

Bob put his hand up to silence his daughter and continued. "Pipe down and let me finish!" He scolded. "As far as I wasawarethe insurance was to coverBOTHbuildings but the pinheads down in Utah or wherever they're office is can't seem to find that on file. There is no way I've been paying as much as I have for so long for only covering one place!"

Patting his arm gently to calm the big man down, Miriam smiled. "Don't worry! I'm sure they'll find our information…"

"What are we going to do about tonight?" Helga asked bluntly, figuring if anyone was to ask the obvious and real problem, it would be her.

Bob thought for a second. "We have enough to stay in a motel." He replied; placing his hands on his hips and looking disgruntled at the idea. "Nothing fancy but it will do."

Arnold raised his hand in order to gain the group's attention. "My grandpa has actually just finished renovating one of the older rooms in our boarding house. It's nothing special but I'm sure he'd rent it to you."

Big Bob laughed. "Yeah, thanks but no thanks kid. I'd rather sleep outside than in that dump."

Helga frowned at her father's comment and looked sadly at Arnold. She knew he was still doing his best but he was up against a formidable opponent. "Come on, Dad. It would be cheaper…"

With a laugh, he looked at Helga in disbelief. "You gotta be kidding me! We may be broke but we're notthatdesperate to be accepting handouts!"

A few officers hailed down Mr. Pataki who stomped on over to them, leaving the three to stand in silence.

"Miriam, could youpleasetalk some sense into him?" Helga pleaded with her mother. "Even if it's for just one night to get our situation clear and let those insurance guys call you back?"

The older woman smiled warily and patted the blonde girl on the head. "You know your father doesn't listen to me, honey. Let's just do what he wants and who knows? Maybe this will be fun."

Arnold could feel the situation becoming muddy and despite wanting to offer more help, he had no suggestions.

"Fine then." Helga crossed her arms. "You two go! Go to your stupid motel andI'lltake the Football head up on his offer." She told her mother with a stubborn look. "It's getting late and, in case you guys haven't noticed, I still have school in the morning. It would be easier to stay with him and have a way to get to school on time rather than to go towho knows whereand probably miss the day all together."

"Are- Are you sure, Helga?" Miriam asked with an unsure look as she looked between her daughter and her husband off in the distance. "Don't you think the family should stick together?"

Helga let out a loud laugh. "Hah! Family? Yeah right! No one had any idea I was evengoneup until now. I could have been stuck in the basem*nt practically dead, remember?" She said harshly as she watched Miriam's expression turn sad, quickly regretting her words. Her anger was easily placed on both of her parents, however her mother was not to blame for this incident and at the very least she was relieved to see her alive. "I mean…" She continued and cleared her throat, "I'll be fine at Arnold's, Miriam. You handle stuff with Bob and at least you know where I am, right?" Helga finished with a nicer sounding tone.

Depression filled Miriam's lungs as she sighed. Helga was miserable… always so miserable. She had every right to be in this situation; however her independence was only going to complicate things. "Alright honey, you stay with your little friend and we'll come by once we have more information. I'll let B know when he comes back." She agreed unwillingly. At least maybe this would make her happy.

"Maybe you can convince Mr. Pataki to join us?" Arnold suggested with a little bit of hope in his voice.

Putting on a small smile, the woman nodded to him. "I'll try. Take care of Helga for us."

The words seemed odd coming from her mother's mouth but she took them and grabbed Arnold's arm and figured she better make a move on it now before Bob came back and changed the plan. "Come on, Football head."

Having mixed feelings about the whole situation; The Emporium burning, Bob's lack of information and control of it all, as well as Miriam's obvious painful expression and Helga's harsh demeanor… Just what was this family? He could feel Helga tug on him a few times as well as the piercing glare. "I will, Mrs. Pataki. Don't worry." He said as he returned her small smile with a gentle one.

"Any day, Arnoldo!" Shouted the girl as she tugged him so hard he lost balance and stumbled a bit before following her.

Miriam watched sorrowfully as they walked far into the distance before disappearing. Everything around her was chaotic and the overwhelming desperation that filled her body was beginning to make her tired. She took in a deep breath and patiently awaited her husband. Who was he talking to? What were they talking about? Was she even going to get answers to those questions when he got back? Did they even matter?

"Ma'am?" A male voice said from behind her. It was the ambulance driver and he was holding out a white blanket to her. "Would you like a blanket? You look cold."

She hadn't noticed but her body shivered despite the scorching blaze that burn only a few buildings away. "Yes… thank you." She replied as she took his generous offer and placed it around her shoulders. Why couldn't everyone be kind like this?

"Heh, would you look at that? I'm going to be staying at your place anyway." Helga chuckled after they had gotten a far enough distance away and let go of his arm. "Could have saved myself the trouble of watching all my crap burn down if you'd have agreed to hide me there in the first place but oh well, right?"

Unsure if she was being sarcastic or genuine, Arnold chose not to respond. Why add fuel to the fire, right? Speaking of staying at his place, the boy hadn't thought his offer through completely before offering it and now was dealing with the consequences. Surely his family wouldn't mind Helga staying there, given the circ*mstances, however who knew how long she would need to be there? How wouldhefeel about her being so close to him especially after his conversation with her up on the roof? Arnold could feel heat begin to prickle his cheeks as the thought occurred to him. It was bad enough that he had confusing urges and dreams about her, but he had finally begun accepting his feelings for her- hisreal feelingsfor her.

His silence after her rude statement caused Helga to glance over at him. She could see he was deep in thought. Wanting to focus on him rather than her own negative feelings, Helga unconsciously began pushing her dismal reality into the farthest part of her mind.What's got him so quiet? Was it something I said?She wondered as she took in his image. She could still hear the commotion even after they were blocks away from it all and it was trying to remind her…

"Sooooo…." She started whimsically, feeling a little nervous. "Crazy night, huh?" Her question rewarded her with a look up from him. His face looked complicated. "What?"

Arnold swallowed and wondered if he should tread lightly. "Was it really okay to leave your parents back there? Your mom looked pretty worried about you."

Helga snorted loudly and looked back in front of them. "My parents can take care of themselves, you know that. Big Bob is the 'leader of the family' and nothing can stand in his way."

"That's not what I mean…" Arnold could feel a small clenching in his stomach and looked at her sympathetically, causing Helga to seem a little alarmed.

"Then… whatdoyou mean?" She asked.

Still juggling the idea of proceeding with the presumably sensitive topic, Arnold stopped walking which lead his companion to do the same. "It's just…"

Helga had a gnawing feeling inside her and she began to get nervous as he was clearly tiptoeing around something and hoped it had nothing to do with their discussion earlier. "It's just what? Spit it out for crying out loud!" She blurted out, feeling her composure starting to become shaky.

"Look, I know you don't have the best home life… as you told me so yourself, but I don't know if it was right to just abandon them to figure everything out themselves. Youarea family and families should figure things outtogether." He finally spoke as he stared up at her. He knew her private business wasn't his own but he also knew thatnotsaying anything would have also been a betrayal of himself. "Call me nosy or a busybody or whatever, but your mother seemed like she actually cared what happened to everyone and I think you saw it too. Why did you just leave?"

Helga's face molded into a scowl as she listened to his words. Did he not listen to a word I said up on the rooftop? Does he not care how much I've already suffered at the hands of my own 'family'? How could he say something like that as if he knows them?!She thought as rage began to build up.

"You 'look', Bucko!" Helga shouted out. "You don't know my parents! Did you hear nothing I told you earlier?"

"I did Helga, but-"

"But nothing!" She continued, not letting the boy get a word in. Helga pointed her finger at him and jabbed it into his chest. "You heard what Miriam said. It doesn't even matter whatshesays to him, and you know damn well that he doesn't give a crap about anything I have to say! And as far as I'm concerned, they can both sleep out on the street if they want to since your place isn't good enough. Why do you care about them anyway?"

Her jabs were rough and he could feel they were probably going to cause a bruise but his conviction didn't waver. "I just think that we could have waited a little bit longer to see if they changed their mind. Don't you care where they're going to sleep tonight at all? You're not the only one who lost everything tonight."

"No! Idon'tcare!" She shouted back, retracting her index finger from his chest and balling it up into a fist. "What part of that don't you get, Football head?!"

"I think you do and you left before it could bother you." He finally said, telling her what had been bothering him since they left.

His words stunned her for a moment and the girl didn't know what to think or say.

"And I think you know I'm right." Arnold finished with a soft and kind tone.

Thoughts and feelings rampaged in the girls mind as she contemplated his words. They didn't make sense and the less and less she understood, the angrier she ended up. Remembering her mother's expressions from earlier played in her mind and left a sour taste in her mouth. Choosing not to confront him about it, Helga turned around and began to walk towards his boarding house once more.

"Helga!" He called out to her, giving her a few steps ahead of him before eventually chasing after her.

Her stride turned into stomps as he got closer, "What's the use of letting their feelings bother me when my feelings don't bother them?" She hissed as she balled up both her fists and gripped tightly. "You practically just got parents yesterday and now you think you're a master on the subject? Don't preach things you know nothing about and drop the subject, Arnold."

The words stung as he knew there were truth to them but he refused to change subjects, even for her sake. "I may not know about having traditional parents, but I've always had a family." He spoke from the heart. "And I'm only saying something to youbecauseI care, Helga."

The two were nearing his boarding house and both could see its red brick from the distance. Helga quickened her pace in order to near the building but was caught short by his sudden grip on her arm, causing her to halt. She stared him down forcefully however his stern but tender eyes stared back and pierced her soul. Helga could feel her will begin to deteriorate as she lost herself within them. It was clear that hedidcare but this wasn't something she wanted to deal with right now.

Before Helga could open her mouth to reply, the large green door to the Sunset Arms opened up and distracted them both. Arnold's grandpa walked out and looked at them before shaking his head and placing his hands on his hips. "You kids gonna stand out here and chit-chat all night? It's getting late."

"We'll just be a minute, Grandpa" Arnold replied but to his dismay, Helga snatched her arm away from him and headed to the stoop.

"My family's business burned down and now I'm basically homeless. Can I stay here tonight? My parents know and don't care." She told the old man with a casual tone, ignoring what Arnold had said.

Phil raised his eyebrows and looked over at his grandson. "Well… If the Shortman says it's okay…" He said as he scratched the top of his balding head.

Arnold replied to his elder with a half hearted smile and a nod, before Phil opened the front door wider to let the young lady escape, leaving the two males to stand there awkwardly.

"Luck hasn't seemed to be on your side lately, Arnold." Said Phil as he shut the door to talk to his grandson privately.

Arnold let out a loud sigh before walking up and sitting down on the stoop next to him, propping both his arms on his knees and burying his face in his hands. "Not so much, Grandpa."

"We saw Big Bob's Beepers on the news tonight…" Phil revealed before struggling to sit down next to the boy. "Pretty big fire… they find out what caused it yet?"

"No…" Arnold replied, although muffled through his hands.

Phil let the summer crickets chirp around them and took a nice breath of fresh air. He could somewhat taste the smoke even with how far away they were and he smacked his lips. "That's a shame. I'm sure they'll find out tomorrow. Doubt any of their stuff will be salvageable though." He gave Arnold a window of opportunity to speak but when the boy didn't take up the chance, Phil continued on. "Where's the rest of the Pataki's?"

"Probably in some hotel by now." Arnold replied, removing one of his hands from his face and looking up at his grandpa. "I asked them if they wanted to stay here but-"

"But Big Bob probably laughed in your face and called you a puny little peasant boy, right?" Phil suggested, cutting the boy off. "Oh Arnold, your kindness is one of your best traits but not everyone deserves it, you know." He stated with a small pat on the boys fluffy blond hair. "You're a better man than I, Shortman. I wouldn't have offered that hulking blowhard my left sock with the hole in it even if he offered me a million dollars!" Phil paused with a thought. "Well actually I would probably accept it if it was a million dollars but you get what I'm trying to say."

Arnold sighed and looked back at the gray cement. "It just seemed wrong leaving them while their home burned down…"

After thinking of what Helga said before walking into their home, Phil frowned. "And what does your little lady friend think about it?"

"She said she doesn't care but…" Arnold paused and looked up at his grandfather with sadness looming in his eyes. "I know that's not true."

Phil smiled painfully before wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders and squeezing him in. "Just give her some time, Arnold. A lot just happened to the poor girl. Maybe she just needs some time to think quietly or maybe reality will never set in and she'll be like your Grandma and think she's still in Zimbabwe protecting rhinos from poachers."

Knowing his grandfather had the best in his heart; Arnold gave a small light hearted chuckle. "Thanks, Grandpa."

"And if you smell something really bad… it wasn't me." Phil said with a confident voice as he squeezed his grandson closer to him.

"Oh…"

As soon as Helga had barged into the boarding house, she had looked for the safest route with little disturbance. Where was her room going to be? It didn't matter; she just didn't want to interact with anyone right now. She ran up the stairs and headed for Arnold's room. Just as she turned the corner, she heard someone opening their room door and ducked into the nearest available room: The bathroom.

Inside she took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. She needed some privacy to get her head straight and without interruption. "What's wrong with me?!" She demanded from herself. "I know Arnold was just trying to help, in his stupid little annoying prying ways, but just to push my way into his house and act like Iownthe place?!" Helga stopped for a moment after hearing her own words. "Well that does sound like me but that's not the point! Here he is showing me all this hospitality and the best I can do is fight with him and run away! He even went out of his way to offer myparentsa place to stay, despite how horrible they are! He's such a benevolent angel and what am I?"

The girl walked over to his bathroom mirror and took a long, hard look at herself. "I'm… this." She said. The day had been far more stressful than any other day in her young life and it shown. Her hair was sticking out all over the place and there were black particles all over her face and clothes from the ash that was scattered throughout the air. Taking a clean washcloth, she dampened it with some water and attempted to clean some of the specks off her face but only smudged it and made it worse. It was crazy to think that this black stuff used to be her family's belongings and now? Now it was a pile of ash being scattered to the wind; things that once held so much meaning and memories, gone in an instant.

Helga could feel her body begin to shake as the reality started to set in. Her one and only wish was to get her home back and now the only thing she had close to a home was burning down. She was now officially homeless, along with her parents. Just a few years ago, her family was racking in the cash and now they were practically penniless comparatively. No more Big Bob's Beepers to keep them afloat, just… Big Bob.

With wobbly legs, Helga turned around and sat down on the toilet in the corner of the bathroom. Her head was becoming dizzy and the room began to spin. Feelings of nausea made themselves aware to the young girl as she closed her eyes and pulled her legs up to her chest to rest her head on her knees. The toilet seat wasn't very big, but it held her folded up body fairly well. She began to breathe in and out slowly in order to keep consciousness as a form of first aid. When was the last time she ate? Probably school lunch and even then all she did was pick at her plate. Was she hungry? Was she dehydrated? Was this what it felt like to hit rock bottom? She wasn't sure, but the one thing she was sure of was she could vomit any minute.

Suddenly, a small knock came from the bathroom door. Helga picked up her head to look towards it but had absolutely no energy to do anything about it. More knocks came followed by a soothing voice.

"Helga? Are you in there?" Called a feminine voice from outside the door; it was probably Arnold's mother. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She forced out with her usual strong tone, but recoiled with a quiver. She knew it was a lie.

There was a pause before the woman continued. "I'd like to talk to you… Could you come out?" Stella asked.

Realizing that she had instinctively locked the door, Helga growled under her breath before picking herself up and wobbling over. Once she got there, she placed her weight on the handle to steady herself before taking in another deep breath to calm her body before opening it.

In front of her stood the tall brunette woman with a head similar to that of her love. The woman gave a concerned look with a smile. "One of the boarders said you ran in here a while ago so I wanted to come check on you." She explained; sounding a bit nervous herself.

A while ago?Helga thought.I've been in here like 5 minutes! I think…

"I heard what happened to your family's business and that you might be staying here a little while until your parents find a solution. I just wanted to let you know that you're welcome to stay as long as you need to." Stella continued, slowly warming up to her recipient. "I can't imagine what you're going through right now and I'll be here if you need someone to talk to."

Wanting nothing more than to just be alone, Helga steadied herself with the door and huffed. "I appreciate the sentiment but I said I'm fine, didn't I?" She said, struggling to concentrate. Her vision was becoming a little blurry and she could feel her strength being drained every second she stood.

"Yes… You did but you also don't look too well, dear." The woman replied, now feeling more concerned than ever. She watched as Helga's color started to turn pale. "I think you should lie down."

"I can take care of myself!" Helga snapped back through the now loud ringing that was piercing her ears. She could feel her body getting hot and she started to feel sweat beginning to form all over her body. Arnold's mom was right, she wasn't well. Something was wrong but before Helga could say anything further, the room went dark and she collapsed.

Noises. Voices. An annoying light that was now finally coming through her eyelids… Helga stirred before slowly opening her eyes to see Arnold sitting next to her. Looking around, she could see that she was in his room. "What happened?" She asked quietly.

"You fainted and my mom carried you up here so you could lie down." Arnold replied with a frown. "Helga, you should have said that you weren't feeling well. You could have gotten hurt if she wasn't there to catch you."

She could feel herself shiver, even beneath the blankets that she was wrapped in. Forcing her body to sit up so she could get a better idea of what was going on, the young woman noticed that she was in his bed and immediately her face lit itself red.

"No, you should really lie down!" Arnold insisted as he placed his hands on her shoulder to usher her back down.

Unable to fight him, she did as she was told and placed her head back on his pillow. Now feeling completely embarrassed by the situation, Helga closed her eyes and placed her palm on her face. "Out of all the places for me to be… Why am I in your bed?"

"My mom wanted you to wake up in a familiar place, so you wouldn't be startled when you woke up." He explained, pushing back his own embarrassment for her sake. "I figured my room was probably best."

She was right in letting me wake up in his room, but his BED?!Helga screamed inside of her head.Does she not know we're dating? What kind of mother purposely puts her son's girlfriend in his BED?! It's like she's begging for unspeakable events to happen!She groaned out loud at the thought.Not like she's been a mother for very long though, so I can't exactly blame her but still… That's something Miriam would pull.

Images began to flood the girls mind until she was in her own lengthy daydream of the two of them in an ideal moment. There she lay on his bed, his hands in hers, looking into each other's eyes. "Oh my darling, how I've always waited for this fateful day." The dream Arnold spoke to her in a raspy tone.

"Yes, my love." She cooed back, looking into his dreamy eyes and getting lost in their own endless maze.

"And now you are finally here, with me, alone in my bed." He continued as he brought his face closer to hers. She could feel his hot breath on her skin as he bent down and began to kiss her neck.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" She asked him with a slow moan escaping her lips as he kissed. "Are you sure you are satisfied with… me?"

"Yes!" He said loudly, breaking away from her skin and looking deeply into her eyes. "It has to be you. You and only you."

"Oh Arnold!" She gasped happily.

Her daydream suddenly broke as she heard him continue to talk but much of it was lost to her ears.

Arnold let out a heavy sigh and looked down at the floor. So much had happened today and he wasn't exactly sure what to say anymore. Should he continue to apologize? He had pushed her to her limits to a breaking point of fainting in his bathroom. Maybe it would be best if he just stopped talking and they went to sleep. He glanced over at his alarm clock. It was already past 10pm.

"Look Helga, I'm really sorry about today. Maybe it would be best if we just went to sleep." He said as he shuffled his feet. "You can sleep here in my bed, and I'll sleep on my sofa over there. Sound good?"

"Sleep? In your bed?" Helga repeated, her face becoming another shade of red at the thought and images of her daydream coming back. "A-Are you s-sure this is what you w-w-want? This is y-your bed, after all. I could move."

He turned to her with a small sympathetic smile. "Yeah. It would be unhost-like of me to make you move when you're already there and besides," he said as he brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face, "You look comfortable enough."

Arnold turned to get up and walk away but his arm was suddenly grabbed and he looked at her shocked. She had a strange expression on her face that he had never seen before and it made his heart thump inside his chest. A silence played between them as unspoken emotions danced throughout the atmosphere.

"W-wait…" She said meekly, as she pulled her body up to a sitting position again, still holding on to his arm.

"Y-yes?" He asked, strangely hoping she might say something that he himself wasn't sure of.

Helga could feel her body begin to shiver again as the unusually cold air hit her skin. She had been sweating under his blankets yet the only thing her body yearned for right now was the warmth of his own. Another silence hung as the two of them could only hear the steady beat of their own hearts.

"I…umm…" Helga spoke quietly, forgetting why she stopped him in the first place. "Are you sure you should leave me? Right now? I think I'm sick."

Hearing her words made the boy curious. He reached over to the top of her forehead and placed the back of his free hand on it. Immediately alarm shot through his body. "Helga, you're burning up!"

"H-huh?" She replied; completely not expecting what he had said. "I mean, yeah I'm really cold and could use more warmth right now."

"I'll get you more blankets." Arnold assured her as he managed to get away from her grasp and headed into his closet, causing her to frown. "I don't get sick very often so I'm not sure what to do but my Grandma usually makes me soup. Do you want me to get you some?"

Despite him doing his best to be helpful in her bad luck, Helga growled under her breath. Food did sound really good since she barely had eaten that day, but it wasn't exactly what she was aiming for.

He came back with a few more heavy quilts and gently placed them on her lap. "I'll run downstairs really quick and find something for you to eat, okay?" He said with haste before spinning around and quickly exiting his room.

After he shut his door, Arnold ran down his steps and stopped.My heart is still racing… Why? Did she get me sick as well?He wondered, slowly walking towards his second floor stairs. He wanted nothing more than for her to feel better. What could he find her to eat? Arnold ran down the stairs and headed into the kitchen. No one was around and he began to rummage through the cupboards; nothing. He then turned to the refrigerator. After moving some things around, he stumbled upon the left over rice from tonight's dinner and pulled it out. It wasn't much but it was something, right?

"Whatcha up to there, Kimba?" His Grandmother's voice suddenly came out from behind him, causing him to bump his head on the freezer door above him. Arnold turned around to see her smiling at him in the doorway. "Fixing yourself a snack before bed?"

"No, this isn't for me." Arnold replied; rubbing the top of his head. "Helga has a fever and I figured she might want to eat something. We don't have any soup, do we?"

Gerty thought for a moment, and then shook her head. "Afraid not but maybe I could whip up something for dear old Eleanor. Can't have the first lady appear weak to the public, they'll rip her to shreds in the paper!"

"Thanks Grandma, but you don't have too. It's late and I don't want to wake anyone up." Arnold replied before popping the bowl into the microwave and pressing a button. "Do we have any medicine that could help bring the fever down?"

"That I can definitely help with!" Gerty announced before quickly leaving and coming back with a bottle before Arnold could take out the hot bowl. "Here!" She said as she popped it open and spilled out a few pills. "This will help her get back into tip top shape."

Curious, the boy reached out and accepted the little white ovals that she was providing him. "What are these?"

"Oh just something I keep lying around in case of situations like this. Don't worry Kimba, you'll be able to go back to adventures with her in no time." The elderly woman said with a soft grin. "Give her my best wishes and then go right to bed afterwards, got it?"

"Got it." Arnold nodded. "Thanks, Grandma." He said as he watched her quietly leave just as she came. He looked at the small pills in his hand and rolled them around for a moment before remembering her food and quickly retrieved it along with a glass of water for her to take the pills with. Would the pills really help? What exactly were they and where did she get them from?

Once up the stairs, the blond boy stared up his own steps to his room. His pulse began to quicken again as he thought of her waiting there for him. The image of her face while they stood there in silence came back to him and he could feel his face turn red.Maybe I am getting sick…He thought before slowly ascending and reaching his doorknob.I should probably knock… I don't want to startle her.

With a few raps from his hand, Arnold stood and waited for a response. "Helga, I have your food and am coming in, okay?" He called out before opening the door.

There she sat on his bed, right where he left her, still rather pale. Arnold swallowed and brought the food over to her. "I'm sorry it took so long. I got you medicine too." He stated as he handed the small white pills to her.

"Thanks." She replied dully, still a little miffed that he didn't understand what she had wanted in the first place.

"Grandma said these would help. Here," He said, handing out the bowl of rice and water. "I know this isn't much but it should hold you over for tonight."

Taking the warm bowl from his hands made the girl's body shiver again. She frowned as she looked upon its contents. "Rice? That's all you had?"

"It's what was left over from tonight's dinner. My mom made it." He said as he sat next to her again. "I know it doesn't look very appetizing but it tastes better than it looks."

With a skeptical look, she took a spoonful into her mouth. Flavor burst throughout her pallet and she was amazed. The rice looked so bland and yet, it was packed with some unknown flavor. "What's in this?" She asked; her mouth still full of its contents.

"I'm not exactly sure…" The young man admitted with a scratch of his head. He noticed a bump was forming where he had hit it on the refrigerator. "Some spices she got from Indonesia, I think."

Scarfing down her meal relentlessly, Helga could begin to feel her body returning some of its strength. It only took a few moments for her to be done, and she set down the bowl and popped the pills in her mouth, then swallowed with some water.I can't believe my love is taking care of me like this. I know it's not the first time but it's the first time that I can remember. Oh, how the bringer of luck wavers in his feelings towards me. Is there some meaning in him taking things away in order for me to gain others?She thought as she continued to drink the rest of the provided water.

Arnold smiled at her apatite. "I hope the medicine works. You look a little bit better now, anyway."

It was true, she felt much better now that she had some substance in her belly. With a genuine smile, Helga snuggled back under the blankets and got comfortable. "Thanks, Arnold." She said softly.

Her voice sounded much different than it usually did and a red glow graced the boy's cheeks. "N-no problem." He replied shyly. "Do you need anything else before we go to sleep?"

Yeah, your body lying next to me, Doi!She thought at his silly question but obviously would never admit out loud. "No… probably not. The pills are making me feel a little bit sleepy anyway."

He nodded and collected the dishes to place on his computer desk. "Alright. I hope tomorrow is a better day for you."

Helga scoffed at the thought. "Yeah right. The Beeper Emporium burning was probably all over the news, Football head. Everyone is going to know and hassle me about it and you know it."

Retrieving his own small blanket from the closet, as well as a spare pillow that Gerald used when he slept over, Arnold built his small makeshift bed up. "That's true but look on the bright side." He said as he looked up at her with an honest smile. "At least you'll be with friends who care, right?"

"If you consider snooping into my business caring, then sure." She replied; annoyed at the thought. "If thereisany sort of bright side to that, than its being able to deck them when they become too annoying!" She finished with a familiar chuckle.

"Helga." He warned before walking over to flip the lights off.

"Yeah, Yeah I know. Don't even say it, just turn the lights off and go to bed. Sheesh." She responded before rolling over to face away from him. A goofy grin grew on her face at the thought of actually sleeping over his house andinsidehis bed.

Watching her, Arnold gave a calm sigh before hitting the switch and returning to his sofa. After he got comfortable, he looked over towards her direction. The moonlight was hitting her outline in just a way that he could see her completely, even in the dark. Once he was satisfied with taking her image in, he closed his eyes. "Good night, Helga." He whispered to her, but mostly to himself.

"Good night, Arnold."She replied back in her heart.

Chapter 20

Chapter Text

The jungle that surrounded Arnold was hot and lush with green vegetation and various noises from the local fauna that lived there. He was searching for something, but what? He already had found his lost parents so what was left in the jungle for him to find? He looked down to see that the Green Eyes emblem was still hanging around his chest but he had no journal to follow. Holding it up to his eye, he looked through its green glass. Nothing seemed to change in his view, which disappointed the young man and he placed it back down.

"What am I doing here?" He asked himself, looking around to find any sort of clue. "Mom? Dad?" No one responded and Arnold frowned. "Am I lost?"

"Lost? That's one way of putting it, bucko." replied a familiar voice.

Arnold spun around to see Helga standing there next to him with his father's journal. Overjoyed to know he wasn't alone, the boy ran up and hugged his companion tightly.

"Gross! Who said you could touch me, Hair boy?" The girl yelled before pushing him off of her and brushing off her already dirty clothes. "It's so damn hot and humid here, why on earth would you think it's okay to hug me?! Ugh!"

"I'm sorry, Helga." He replied with a smile. "Where's everyone else?"

Helga co*cked an eyebrow and looked around. "Have you been eating the berries? There is no one else here butusnow hurry up or we'll be late."

Her words confused him. "Late?" He asked but instead of getting a reply, he watched as she walked in front of him. "Late for what?"

Helga ignored him and pushed forward, causing him to follow curiously. There were many large bushes and vines in front of their path, but Helga pulled a machete out of her backpack and began to cut them all down. "It's only a little further…" She murmured to herself, quickly glancing at a page in the book.

"Helga, where are we going?" He asked, blocking every branch that happened to swing in his direction as he followed. "Why do you have my dad's journal? And where did you get that sword?"

"Geez do you ever shut up?" She hissed. "Maybe if you stop asking questions we would be there sooner!"

"Be… where?" He asked again before getting a bunch of leaves in the face. "Helga, slow down!"

Just as he finally got the brush out of the way, he noticed his companion had disappeared. "Helga?" He called out to her. "Helga you went too far ahead!"

Still there was no response and Arnold began to get nervous. He stopped and listened to his surroundings. There were no noises of her footsteps, only the chirping of exotic birds and the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. "Helga… Stop hiding, this isn't funny." He called out again, hoping she would pop out from behind a tree or something but sadly it didn't happen.

Pressing forward, he began to follow something that somewhat looked like a trail. Where did it come from? Had Helga made it beforehand? Just where was he going? Arnold's nerves began to attack him every step he took.

Just then, he took a step forward and pieces of the earth beneath him crumbled, causing him to trip and fall down a large slope. The slope seemed to go on forever as if he was being taken to the very middle of the earth itself. The further he went down, the hotter it got. Finally, the fall ended and Arnold crashed into something soft. Opening his eyes, he saw that Helga lay in front of him.

"Helga!" He shouted as he got a closer look at her. She seemed like she was asleep. "Helga, wake up!" He said as he shook her lightly; however nothing he did seemed to matter.

Laying his head down on her chest, he could hear that her heart was still beating and assumed she had just been knocked unconscious by the fall. "I gotta get us out of here…" He whispered as he looked around. They had fallen into some kind of underground cave. It was dark but there was a dim red light coming from somewhere. Hoping it was coming from someone's campsite; Arnold got up and followed the glow. "Hello?" He called out as he went further. "Is anyone there? I need help, my friend is hurt!"

Not wanting to go too far away from his fallen partner, Arnold glanced around a corner to see if there was anything in sight. "Nothing…" He said quietly, "Just where did we fall? What is this place?"

Suddenly, a loud banging of drums began to echo through the cave. Bam. Bam. Bam. Arnold back tracked to find Helga, but her body was no longer laying there. Fearing for the worst, the boy panicked and looked everywhere before deciding to go even further into the cave. Bam. Bam. Bam. The drumming got louder the further he went. He wanted to call out to her, but knew it would only be in vain. "Hello?" He called out again, hoping someone would show up.

Reaching the end of the tunnel, the room opened up into something vast. Arnold was on top of a cliff and could see everything. There were many people in ceremonial robes banging on drums, as well as dancing around a large bed with Helga at its center. "Helga!" Arnold called out; alarmed.

Searching around for a way down, Arnold finally gave up and decided that he would need to make his own path down. Gingerly, he placed his foot over the edge and slid down, hitting many bulging rocks as he went. When he finally reached the bottom, steam shot up from all different areas and the room got hotter. The drummers and dancers stopped to look at him. They were not the Green Eyes tribe he knew, but someone else. He wanted to rush over to his still sleeping girlfriend, but many of the tribesmen blocked his path with large spears.

"Please…" He begged them, "I need to get to her. She's hurt!"

"Youneedto get to her?" called out a voice that echoed around the room; it was male and familiar but Arnold couldn't quite place it. "It's a little late for that, isn't it?"

Arnold looked around but none of the tribesman moved. "I'm taking her back home!" He protested courageously despite being largely outnumbered.

A laugh echoed. "Home? She's already here!"

More steam rose up from around him and the tribesman all parted to the side of the room. Up on top of the ledge which Arnold once stood, a tall and thin hooded figure stood there.

Taking the opportunity, Arnold rushed over to her to look for signs that she was okay. She was still breathing and looked so peaceful. The scenario seemed oddly familiar. "Helga, you got to wake up!"

"Oh she doesn't need to wake up, boy. You do." The man said with another laugh. Suddenly the room of tribesman laughed with him and he could feel the floor beneath him begin to rumble.

"What did you do to her?!" Arnold demanded as he turned to look at the hooded figure.

"What have I done? I haven't done a thing. The real question is: what haveyoudone?" The man asked him, his voice becoming sly and deeper. "It isyourjob to protect her, after all."

Arnold narrowed his eyes up at the man. Despite not being able to see his face, the body shape was familiar. "Who are you?"

The man let out another loud fit of laughter, and the ground began to shake once more. Fissures started to form all over the ground and sparks sizzled and popped all around him. Feeling as though he was in danger, Arnold climbed on the bed where Helga lay to get his feet off the ground. The bed was cushiony and nothing you would expect out in the middle of a jungle or inside a deep cavern. The man continued to laugh harder and sparks turned into flames until the entire floor was engulfed in them.

Turning to his damsel in distress, Arnold placed his hands on her shoulders. Peering into her sleeping face, Arnold could see himself becoming desperate as his brow became moist with sweat. "Helga, you have to wake up. Please wake up!" But she didn't budge. "Is this the sleeping sickness?" Arnold asked the man but not letting his eyes off of her.

His laughing stopped. "Is it? Why don't you tell me, Volcano boy? I would think this would be in your area of expertise."

"Volcano boy…?" He had been called that once before and the image of who the hooded man was came clear into his mind. "La Sombra!" Arnold shouted, turning angrily to the man.

The cracks on the floor became larger and Arnold could feel that things would end very soon. He was trapped. The man laughed again and pointed his finger out to the boy. "What can you do, right? You're powerless to save her and now you've only endangered both of you! What a stupid boy of prophecy you are!"

Arnold's mind triggered a thought at the man's last few words. "Boy of Prophecy…?" He whispered to himself before looking all around him. The floors surface was no longer visible as fire and ember slowly gave way to a hot red liquid. It oozed and spread up the walls and began to rise. Sweat began to pour down the young boy's body like a waterfall and he gulped. He watched helplessly as La Sombra's voice and silhouette slowly disappeared into the distance."

I have to do something… There has to be something I can do!" He cried out, looking around for something- anything to help his situation, but there was nothing. The lava rose higher and higher. Terror succumbed the boy and he embraced his sleeping partner. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" He said as tears formed in his eyes and he squeezed her tight, awaiting their imminent doom.

Just as Arnold thought the end was nigh, his eyes shot open as he awoke in a pool of his own sweat. His body was still in the illusion of his demise and his heart pounded vigorously in his chest. Doing his best to catch his breath and take in his real surroundings, Arnold noticed that it was still dark out and wondered just how long he had been asleep.Everything felt so… real…He thought as he sat up and took in a relieved breath. He turned to a small illuminated clock by his computer: it was a little past 3:00 am which meant he only had a few more hours of sleep before school. Dreading what the morning was going to feel like, the boy lay back down on his makeshift bed. He kicked off the blanket that he'd been using and felt the rooms cooler temperature hit his body.I must have had that dream because of how hot I was...He decided as he enjoyed the much cooler environment.

Everything was so silent, save for the soft breaths he could hear coming from the girl who lie across his room. Arnold turned his head to look upon her, wondering if she looked just as peaceful in that moment as she did in his dream. Why did he have that dream? Why wouldn't she wake up? Was La Sombra really behind it or was there another meaning to it all? Arnold groaned and rolled over to face the back of the sofa. He re-positioned his pillow to the cooler side and did his best to relax. He remembered his grandma's teachings of self control techniques and figured now would be a great time to utilize them. Concentrating on his heartbeat and breathing, Arnold gathered the world within his small body and pushed out all the negativity. So much had gone on; too much had gone on! He was very confident that tomorrow would be a much better day. All he could do was think calm thoughts and slowly drift back into dreamland.

Unfortunately for Arnold, his morning was just as dreadful as he could have anticipated. The bathroom was backed up and a line formed down the hall of boarders waiting to use the shower, his Grandma had decided to make pancakes that morning, which resulted in many burnt and the house smelling so badly that all of the stray animals ran for the hills, and Helga's mood was as sour as ever.

"School will be better…" He insisted to them both with an encouraging smile.

Helga gave the boy a scowl and stormed out his front door and in the direction of their school. After getting to their usual meeting place, she had been unexpectedly jumped on by her best friend with a very tight hug.

"Oh Helga! I'm so glad you're okay!" Phoebe cried into Helga's still dirty pink dress. "I heard what happened to the Beeper Emporium on the news and couldn't think of a way to contact you!"

Helga gave Arnold an 'I told you so' look before looking down at her small friend. "I'm fine Phoebe now get off me before you cause a scene." She said with a washed out voice. Despite her sleep being wonderful, the pills that had been offered to her that night seemed to have put her into a deeper sleep than she was used to and still felt groggy.

Phoebe did as she was told and let her best friend go. "What happened? Why did it catch fire? Are your parents okay?"

"Yeah yeah, everyone is fine and we don't know what happened yet, alright?" Helga responded dismissively with a wave of her hand. "Until my parents figure out what to do next, I'm shacking up with the Football head so don't worry."

After the words flew out of her mouth, Gerald shot a surprised look at the blond boy who pretended not to notice. "You serious?"

"What? Got a problem with it, Geraldo?" Helga asked coarsely, answering for the boy. "I don't see you offering me a place to stay in the meantime."

Placing his hands on his hips, Gerald looked between the two and co*cked an eyebrow. "I'm just surprised that your parents allowed it; either of them." He replied.

Knowing just where the conversation was headed, Helga threw the extra backpack that Arnold had given her over her shoulder and began to walk in front of them all. "Come on you chuckle heads. If we stand here any longer birds will think we're statues and crap all over us! Let's go Phoebe."

"Following!" Phoebe chimed as she chased after the tall blonde girl who had hurried away.

Still puzzled by what Gerald had said, he turned to the boy. "Is it really all that strange?"

Gerald's mouth fell open and he turned to his best friend. "Let me put it this way for you, brother. If I'd ask to even stay a few hours extra at Phoebe's place, my parents would flip! Letting me sleep over? I'm just asking for my grave to be dug!" He explained before starting to follow the girls.

Arnold furrowed his brow and contemplated his friend's words for a moment, but came up empty handed. "But she's homeless right now, Gerald. If Phoebe was in that situation, surely your parents would allow it, right?"

A burst of laughter came out of the darker boy, "You gotta be kidding me, right? Are you nuts?" He asked; his face full of amazement. "The real question is why isn't Helga stayingwith Phoebeinstead of you? Don't you think she would be a little more comfortable around a fellow girl?"

"I don't know…" Arnold spoke while placing a thoughtful hand on his chin. "I guess I really didn't think about that when I offered. Maybe I should ask her later if that would be better."

Gerald shook his head and sighed. "I know you're a bold kid Arnold, but I didn't think you werethisbold! Her comfort ability aside, what about yours? How are you hanging in there with her sleeping over?"

Arnold tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean? Sure, she's cranky in the morning but it's nothing I've never dealt with before. If there should be anything that I'm used to- it's Helga with a bad attitude. Remember that bio project?" He said; turning his head and letting out a small smile in nostalgia. It was so long ago yet felt like just yesterday to the boy. "All we did was fight and become miserable but in the end, everything came out alright."

"That's not what I meant…" Gerald frowned, looking down at his oblivious friend. "You're a pretty sick boy, Arnold."

"Huh?"

Halting, Gerald grabbed the blond boy's shoulders and looked at him square in the face to analyze him. Had Arnold always been this dense? It was surprising enough that he had feelings for the hostile girl but to already bethiscomfortable with her? Just what was going on between them? He could see that Arnold seemed genuinely confused and Gerald felt defeated. "So you're gonna stand here and tell me that not only does being alone with Helga not make you nervous in the least bit, but you don't understand why it isn't a bright idea to have her sleeping over?"

Arnold took his friends hands off his shoulders and stiffened up a little at the question. He was once again in a situation where he was missing a big picture that seemed to be in front of him. "If it was fine for us to sleep in the same room back in fourth grade, then why should it be a problem now?"

"Arnold!" Gerald tipped his head back and cried. "She's sleeping in the same ROOM as you?!" His voice seemed to echo off the buildings and caused strangers to look their way.

Feeling a blush of embarrassment overcome his cheeks, Arnold placed his hand over his best friend's mouth and tugged on his arm to continue walking again. "Don't be so loud, Gerald." He warned in a hushed tone. "I don't need the whole city to know her business."

Once his mouth was free again, Gerald held back his frustrations and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I just don't get it. Do you not feel anything when she's with you? And before you open your mouth and talk about the calm happiness she gives you, which kinda gives me a gagging feeling in the back of my throat, you know very well that's not what I mean, buddy."

Now realizing what he had meant, Arnold's blush became deeper and he felt uncomfortable. "I… I do, Gerald but it's something I'll have to deal with for her sake." He replied with a low shaky voice. "I can't let my feelings get in the way of what's really important."

"I admire your dedication but I sure don't envy you. Not only is Helga G. Pataki sleeping in your room with you but you have to ignore…that?"Gerald shook his head again and tried not to imagine the scene unfolding in his mind.

"It's not that bad, Gerald." Arnold said with a sigh. "I understand what you're saying but I do have plenty of discipline and self control."

"Whatever you say, man… Whatever you say." Gerald said, still internally worrying for his friend's sake.

"So what's it like?" Phoebe asked curiously; her eyes sparkling as she stared up at the tall pigtailed blonde girl.

Helga peered at her best friend from the corner of her eye before letting out a small smirk. She could see that since she had explained her misfortune to Phoebe that the girl had let her worries go and began to see the luck of it all. She shrugged and continued to walk, coming closer to the school doors. The boys were far out of sight so she knew she was safe. "It's alright."

The lackluster answer caused the gleam in Phoebe's eye to short out and she frowned. "Surely you have much more to report than just 'alright'?"

"Sure, it's pretty exciting to think that I'll be living with all theice creamI can eat, however it's not like I've really had a chance." Helga admitted.

Phoebe nodded her head. "I suppose the shock of losing everything has probably… dampened the mood to indulge."

The two entered the school and rounded the corner towards their class. As they began passing familiar faces, Helga couldn't help but notice the stares and whispers that surrounded them. She felt like turning around and running back into Arnold's boarding house but knew that, that wasn't the answer. Helga G. Pataki was no coward.

"Although…" Phoebe continued quietly, "If I were in your situation… I think I would be much too nervous to stay with my own frozen treat, regardless of how delightful it would seem."

"Well luckily you don't have the bad luck of ending up in my family and having to deal with it." Helga replied simply, a little blandness on her tongue.

The small girl frowned. "I'm sorry Helga, I didn't mean to be insensitive."

"Don't sweat it, Pheebs." Helga shrugged as she placed her hand on the portal to the doom that awaited her. "Maybe the little twerp is rubbing off on me. I seem to be making the best out of a very horrible situation."

The comment forced a smile out of Phoebe and she nodded in agreement. If there was one trait in Arnold that she admired, it was always his ability to see the silver lining on even the darkest clouds. The thought of her best friend becoming even a little more joyous than usual made her hopeful. Maybe things do happen for a reason.

As soon as Helga opened her homeroom door, the gasps and whispers got louder and more deafening. She cringed and stomped into the room in the normal Helga Pataki manner and plopped down at her desk.

"Is it true?" The unavoidable first question was asked by Sid. "Did your place really burn down?"

"Did you really loseeverything?" This one was from Harold.

"Are those your only pair of clothes left?" Next was Rhonda.

"Where are you gonna stay?" Eugene asked; his fingers entwined with each other as his sad eyes fell upon the girl.

"Has your family finally turned to their wild side, joined a savage clan of hobos and took to the streets?!" Curly cried out with his fists in the air with excitement.

Helga growled and opened the top of her desk to retrieve a notebook and pencil, doing best to ignore all the questions. It was only a matter of time before everyone had their fill and she could dismiss them all in one giant swoop.

"What started the blaze?" Stinky asked.

"Did anyone get hurt?" Sheena chimed in.

"What's gonna happen to your family's business?" Nadine asked as she pushed a few of them aside to get in on the questions.

Helga gripped her pencil and did her best to be patient and breathe calmly.

"Everyone… please sit down and give her some space, okay?" Phoebe asked politely in her meek voice, doing her best to get everyone's attention.

"Was it really an accident or did you guys do it on purpose for the insurance money?" Rhonda asked as she crossed her arms and eyed the girl. "Knowing your family, I wouldn't doubt it."

"What are you guys gonna do about food? Are you gonna eat out all the time because boy howdy that sounds pretty great!" Sid asked, pushing Rhonda out of the way and causing her to scoff.

As the questions continued, Arnold and Gerald entered the room and saw the spectacle. Instantly, Arnold looked to Helga and saw small veins popping out of her forehead as she restrained herself.

"Everyone… please… be respectful to her private business…" Phoebe pleaded some more but their voices all drowned the poor girl out. After a few of them began to shove her out of the way, the few ounces of tolerance the small Asian girl had crumbled away and her inner demon unleashed. "Everyone BACK UP and BE QUIET!" She shouted forcefully. The room quieted instantly and the others let Phoebe have the floor. She took in a deep breath and turned to them all. "I'm aware that all of you have questions for Helga but please, if you were in her situation would you really want to be paraded with questions like this? This is not this week's' scandal between celebrities and you are not the paparazzi. Helga is our friend and her family's personal business is their own so if you have questions for herout of concern and not curiosity, then please ask her in a more private andquietmanner."

"I bet the only reason you're telling us off is because you already know!" Sid suggested with a huff as he crossed his arms.

"Not at all, Sid." Phoebe clarified as she adjusted her glasses which had slid down a little due to her outburst. "I know just as much as you do and that is because I am respecting my best friend and letting her tell me when she is ready."

As the crowd mumbled to themselves in disappointment, a clear path was made and the boys who had just entered were allowed passage to their desks. Arnold looked at Helga with worry as he past but she did not look up to catch his eyes. He wanted to help her but he already knew that if he were to butt in now it would only had stirred the pot more and caused more chaos; as he wasn't sure how many of his classmates knew about his relationship with the girl.

"Thanks Phoebe…" Helga said through her teeth. She meant it, truly, however her body refused to distress after the scene. At least she didn't have to be the one to end it all for them.

Her best friend smiled and patted the tense girl on the shoulder. "Not a problem, Helga." Feeling proud of herself for being able to stand up for Helga a second time, Phoebe wandered over to her own seat to sit and wait for their teacher to show up.

Moments passed and Helga had finally managed to pry the nearly broken pencil from her hand. She couldn't remember what her original purpose for taking out the writing utensil and paper was, but she figured now would be a good time to utilize those supplies. Turning the cover, she began to sketch herself as a large monster stomping her classmates to smithereens. Why did they care what happened to her anyway? Since when did her well-being become something important to them? She knew the answer was obvious. They weren't actually concerned for her, but rather just nosey busybodies who wanted something to talk to their friends about. Coloring the lines darker and darker, Helga released as much negativity as she could into that one picture. Despite how she was feeling though, she knew she did well by Arnold by not hurting any of them.Oh my beloved, through pain and toil I have fought my deepest and darkest demons for you, my Angel. Are you proud of me? Do you see the light you have given me through your small favor? I am doing my best, my prince. You don't have to care for me, house me or feed me but you have!Helga rehearsed her monologue in her head as she began to draw her saint up in the sky above the destruction she wished she could rein upon the school.Do I dare indulge the thought of you longing for me as I have longed for you all these years? The words you spoke to me atop your roof; the kiss that was bestowed upon me, is it all true? Curse my wretched heart for hoping that maybe… maybe those words came from your heart and not just you wanting to comfort me.She began to detail Arnold further with angel wings and a halo.To share your room, even sleep in your bed? My wildest girl thoughts have wandered there many times but never considered it a true reality one day. The thought of you craving me as I crave you is too invigorating to bare! Is it too soon to test those waters? I have seen the daring look in your eyes before: The hunger. I know all too well the feeling, my dear sweet Arnold! Grace me with your gift of longing and take away all the pain!

The bell rang and signaled the students to be settled in their classrooms. The noise outside of their room quieted down and it seemed suspicious that Mr. Simmons hadn't burst into the room yet. Arnold rose from his seat and peered out of the classroom door window.

"Whatcha gandering at, Arnold?" Stinky asked curiously.

"Doesn't it seem strange that Mr. Simmons isn't here yet?" Arnold asked, turning around to face his friend as well as the class who also seemed to be looking at him- save for Helga who was still engrossed with her art.

"Now that you mention it, it does seem a little off that the bell has rung and he hasn't appeared." Phoebe replied.

"Maybe he ate too much Wambo Burger and is stuck on the toilet?" Harold shouted from across the room. "I know the feeling…" He finished, rubbing his stomach and giving a sickly look to the thought.

"I think that's only you, bubba." Gerald replied to the hefty boy with a shake of his head.

Arnold walked away from the door and around the student's desks to the large window with an open view of the front of the school. He wasn't there either.

"Oh no…" Sid gasped. "Do you think he's gotten sick of us and we'll be stuck with another teacher again?! I don't think I could handle another Lieutenant Major Goose…"

"Don't be absurd." Rhonda waved off with her hand to the boy who seemed to now be cowering. "I'm sure he is just running late or something. Adults do have their own agenda, after all."

"Rhonda is right, Sid. We're Mr. Simmons extra special students and he wouldn't give us up for the world!" Eugene encouraged warmly before giving himself a hug.

"Pipe down, you morons!" Helga called out to them before setting down her pencil loudly. "I'm sure Mister Sunshine and Rainbows will be here any minute. Instead of being like the Football head and worrying so much, why not, I don't know, DO something productive?!"

After her words, Curly jumped up on his desk, nearly pushing Brainy over in the process. "It is time I took over this class! Everyone! In formation! We will take down the school!" He shrieked with a fit of laughter that followed.

With much concern, Arnold went back to his seat and frowned. "I just hope nothing bad happened."

Turning around with a harsh squeak from her chair, Helga eyed the boy sharply. "What's the worst that could really happen to him, Arnoldo? His favorite T.V Drama get cancelled? His grocery store stopped selling his favorite brand of organic freshly pressed juice?!"

He could see that she was just putting on her usual display, but still felt the need to fight back. "Come on, Helga. How can you be like that? What if there was an accident? He could be seriously hurt."

The girl snorted and turned back around. "Then why don't you go search for him if you're worried so much? Scour the streets, for crying out loud! Do what you want just stop ruining my time with your annoying voice!"

Arnold pushed back his negative emotions and proceeded to make his way towards the door again. Maybe Principal Wartz knew where he was and if he was okay. "I'll be back guys." He said with a tone of exhaustion and left the room.

Stepping outside the classroom, he noticed no one in the halls. No teachers, no hall monitors. No one. A strange feeling tingled the boy's stomach as he walked towards the Principal's office. Once outside of it, he could hear a bit of talking between a few individuals and decided to politely knock. The talking abruptly stopped and he could hear someone making their way to the door. After a quick handle jiggle, the door slowly opened to reveal the man he was looking for.

"Arnold?" Mr. Simmons questioned the boy with a shocked look. "What brings you to Principal Wartz's office? Is everything alright?"

"Actually Mr. Simmons, I was looking for you." Arnold explained, eyeing the doorway a little to see who was inside the office.

The balding teacher quickly looked at the clock that had been hung over the doorway and gasped. "Oh my! Is it really that time already? Time sure flies…" The man cleared his throat and looked back at his student with an uncomfortable look. "Don't worry Arnold, I'll be in class in a few more moments. Principal Wartz and I are taking care of a few things."

Arnold couldn't help but notice that his teacher was hiding something, but knew it wasn't his place to pry. He nodded. "Okay."

"Great!" Mr. Simmons clapped his hands together in delight. "I'm pleased that you were concerned enough to come looking for me, but I assure you everything is A-Okay!" He finished before backing up and slowly closing the door. It was only a second, but Arnold was sure he saw something familiar right before the door shut completely.

Shrugging his suspicions off, he made his way back into the lively classroom where Curly had resulted in jumping from one desk to another and annoying the lot of them. Helga crumpled up her art and tossed it in the garbage angrily, nearly walking into Arnold as he opened the door and stepped inside.

"Watch where you're walking, geek bait!" She yelled before crossing her arms defiantly and sneering down at him. "Sooooo…. Did you find your precious teacher? Is everything okay again in the world of your weird shaped little head?"

Frowning again at her attitude, Arnold moved aside and looked at the class. "I did. He's in Principle Wartz's office taking care of some things. Said he would be here soon."

"Oh thankheavens!" Helga exhaled sarcastically, waving her arms around in a dramatic way. "I was actually beginning to think that we would be left alone forever to teachourselves!" She cried out, wrapping her arms around herself and pretending that she was shivering. "I was so cold and afraid, Arnold! You saved us from having to join Curly and his band of idiots." She spat into the trash can next to her and followed Arnold with her eyes as he proceeded to walk away. A familiar feeling washed over her as she finished her charade for the class to see. No one suspected a thing, and even those who knew what was going on didn't make any indication that anything was different, including Arnold. She smiled as if her place was still where it should be and heaved a sigh of stale air.

Arnold wandered his way over to Gerald who finished up a conversation he was having with Nadine. "Hey buddy, you feeling better now that you found Mr. Simmons?"

The blond boy let out a solemn sigh and leaned his back up against the empty desk behind him which belonged to Curly, who was still rampaging around the classroom with his antics. "Yeah, I guess so but something still felt…. Off."

"Come on, Arnold. You're worrying about nothing! Just relax until he comes back." Gerald said, trying to ease his best friend.

Arnold looked around the room at the chaos that had ensued since the beginning of class. "We should probably clean all this up before he comes back. You know how chaos gets to him ever since San Lorenzo."

"True that." Gerald replied with a point of his finger. He stood up and took in a deep breath. "Everyone!" He called out to them, gaining all of their attention. "Mr. Simmons is on his way back to classright nowso let's start cleaning all this up. Curly!" He called to the disturbed boy who was currently chewing on a wooden ruler crouched by the window. "This mess was your fault so get a grip and start picking up, man."

Curly straightened up his back until he was as straight as a pole. "Aye, Aye, captain!"

Smiling, Arnold started to pick up some fallen books and papers until the rest of the class joined in. Even in the craziest moments, they always could come together and act like a tribe.

It didn't take too long for the pre-teens to finish picking up the room and putting it back to the neat and tidy way their teacher liked things. About 15 minutes later, the classroom door opened and the awaited man stepped in.

"Hello Class!" He said in his usual cheery tone. He walked in front of the white board and became the center of attention. "Now I know all of you are eager to know where I've been…"

"As if…" Helga snarled from her seat.

"And I have great news for you all! I was finishing up some paperwork and tying up some loose ends with a veryspecialperson before class could start. I didn't want to missa thing!" He said; his grin growing larger and larger as he spoke. "I have a surprise for you all! Are you ready?" The class cheered loudly, signaling the man to continue. "Very good! You may come in now…" He spoke, looking towards the door.

Slowly it opened up and a known figure entered the classroom. She had long brown hair that was braided behind her and a sweet look about her that everyone came to love, save for one classmate. Her long brown cowboy boots clicked as she stepped into place next to her teacher and she smiled for everyone.

"Welcome back, Lila!" Mr. Simmons cried out as he clapped his hands excitedly.

"I am ever so happy to be back." The girl replied, her warm smile entering the hearts of many. "I can't wait to hear about everything I have missed since I've been away!"

That was the final agitation for Helga as her pencil finally snapped in half. Lila Sawyer, the pretty little sweetheart of P.S 118, one of the girls who stole the heart of her beloved, one of the only few people who knew her deep affections for that very boy. Helga had not missed her one bit and, although she was happy that the class would now focus their attention on her instead of bothering Helga with questions about the fire to her family's business, she loathed the possibility of the little miss still holding a piece of Arnolds heart.

Chapter 21

Chapter Text

The 6th grade class of P.S 118 cheered as their returned friend took a bow and settled herself down at the only free desk, which happened to be behind Stinky in the far right corner of the room. The southern boy turned his body around and smiled at the young girl.

"Welcome back, Miss Lila. I have to say I missed your glowing smile and rosy cheeks, heck I reckon we all have!" He said in a warm voice which delighted the girl.

"That is ever so sweet of you, Stinky." She replied gratefully, "I've missed you all ever so much as well!"

Mr. Simmons cleared his voice to get the classes attention again and began to write the day's lesson on the board. "Yes, it is very good to have you back in class Lila! Now everyone get out your history books and turn to page 209 so we can begin today's topic of the Greek Gods and how they shaped religion for around the world!"

Most of the students did not mind this topic and obediently followed his instructions. The overly enthusiastic gentleman started his lesson while the students listened on and took notes that he had periodically written down. Many interesting stories and facts were told about the far away land and their interesting history and lore. There were a few questions, giggles and sounds of awe as the teacher continued on.

Minutes turned into hours and soon half the day's classes were over and it was now time for lunch. The hungry and eager students filed out of the room in route to the old cafeteria. Many were still interested in Lila's time with her family and gathered around her at the table she chose.

"Oh, I had the most delightful time!" She sang with her fingers clasped together. "It was ever so wonderful to see my extended family again."

"What did you do while you were there?" Harold asked curiously.

"Yeah, do you have any colorful yarns to weave for us today, Miss Lila?" Stinky contributed.

"Well…" The pleasant girl started as she began to shyly play with one of her braids. "As I wrote in my letter, the reason I went away was to help my Aunt May. She had gotten an ever so serious infection after hurting herself in the yard and it needed to be treated right away." The kids all listened quietly as she spoke. "Although many of my relatives live in South Carolina, a lot of them have… rather busy lives and could not take the opportunity to help her. She is my father's precious little sister so he felt obliged to help which I was ever so grateful to join in!"

"Is she feeling better now? Did they clear the infection?" Arnold asked eagerly, gaining the soft girls attention.

"Why, Yes Arnold! She is fit as a fiddle and is back in her field planting daisy's as we speak, I imagine." The young girl replied with a hopeful smile. "I believe she'll be ever so careful this time around."

"Boy howdy, I didn't realize an infection could make you have to stay in a hospital!" Sid called out with a frightened look.

"Of course, Sid! Any infection if left untreated could seriously hurt your body! The infected area needs to be drained from the puss right away and antibiotics given to clear it up" Sheena replied informatively, "You could always ask my Aunt Shelley about it!"

"That is absolutely repulsive!" Rhonda cried in disgust.

"I don't know, Rhonda. It sounds pretty interesting to me!" Eugene disagreed happily, earning a smile from Sheena.

"Well of courseyouwould find it interesting, Eugene! With how much you injure yourself, I'm sure you've had plenty of disgusting infections!" Rhonda replied as she backed away from the small boy before crossing her arms, "And besides, you're a geek! Geeks are always interested in weird things."

Lila listened on as her fellow classmates and friends continued to have side conversations in relation to her topic. Once the voices quieted down a bit, she turned to Arnold who was closely to her left. He was giving her a rather sad face which had her concerned. "Why Arnold, what's ever so wrong?"

The boy rubbed the side of his arm awkwardly. The thought of such a small thing as an infection being enough to emit someone in the hospital for weeks seemed too shocking to be true and it only made him reflect on the importance of safety a little more. His grandparents were always doing miscellaneous things around the house, some more dangerous than the others, and their age made them very susceptible to getting hurt. "I just hope that your Aunt is a little more careful, that's all." He replied, covering up his real concern about his own relatives.

"I assure you, she is ever so fine." Lila smiled back. "Now I am ever so interested in your trip across the sea! Please fill me in on your adventures!"

The class all began to fill her in on the drama that had ensued in San Lorenzo. Her eyes widened at all of the craziness that had gone on, as well as their own dangers that they had faced. "Oh my, you were all held captive by a… river pirate?" She asked; her face full of dumbfoundment.

"And that's not even the worst part! It was all Arnolds fault!" Harold cried out as he angrily looked at the odd headed boy.

Arnold blushed with embarrassment and nodded. "Y-yes… it was all my fault. You see, he was looking for a tribe of people that my parents had helped a long time ago and assumed that I knew where they were. In reality, I knew just as much as he did. He didn't believe me so he locked everyone up." He then turned to his best friend and smiled. "Luckily, Helga and Gerald got me out of there and we found the tribe along with my long lost parents."

Gerald placed his arm around his friend and smiled. "Of course I would help you, buddy. Even if youdidkeep your plan a secret from me."

Lila noticed that someone in particular was not currently present in the group and she looked around. "Where is Helga?" She asked, slowly rising from her seat to get a better view of the cafeteria. The girl in question was sitting at the farthest table possible, with her head rested on the table. "Is she not feeling well today?"

That was when Arnold noticed that she had no lunch. A large rock fell into the pit of his stomach, causing his nerves to betray him and make his body feel weak.Oh no! I forgot that she doesn't get free lunch and we didn't pack her one!He thought dreadfully. Slowly the boy backed up, "I-I'll go check…" He said nervously; looking between his group of friends.

The girl gave him a curious look before sitting down and accepting his kind gesture. "Sure thing Arnold, I do hope she's okay."

Without a second to pass, Arnold walked over to the girl who seemed to be sleeping.

Helga's stomach growled loudly as she damned everything and everyone around her. Hunger didn't usually bother her but with her meals becoming smaller and smaller, it seemed that her body was finally revolting against her in a painful manner. She moaned softly unaware of the sudden onlooker.

"H-helga?" called out Arnold's voice.

Helga moved her arm a little and looked up at the boy with the oddly shaped head. He would normally be a sight for her sore eyes, however right now she had zero energy to even feel the least bit excited. "What?" She hissed out sharply.

Arnold rubbed the back of his head then looked between his talkative group of friends and the girl before him. "Why didn't you remind me to get you a packed lunch?" He asked with a hushed tone.

"What are you, my keeper?" Helga growled before turning her head and facing away from him. "I'll live."

Guilt continued to eat at the boy as he heard the poor girl's stomach protest loudly. "I've already told you that it's my job to take care of you… why won't you let me?"

"Isn't reminding you to feed me a little pathetic?" She replied, "Besides it's not like this is my first time without a lunch. If you recall, this happens very often. I'm used to it. Now go fawn over Miss Perfect with the rest of the rejects over there and leave me alone."

Arnold frowned and knew there was no use in arguing with her right now. If he continued, it would only draw attention to them and that was the last thing she needed. "Fine…" He whispered quietly before walking off.

As soon as Helga knew he was back in his troupe, she turned her head back into his direction. Everyone seemed so disgustingly happy to have her back and it made Helga's insides churn even more. "Just what's so good about her anyway? She's just you're average, sweet and innocent bimbo. She's not good at sports, is average in class, and just look at them! Fawning over her as if she was one of those side show dogs." She sighed and gazed upon her blond beauty. "Is everything just going to go back to normal now? Sure, Arnold's said wonderful things to me; things too wonderful to be true." She could see how he smiled at her and gave a soft giggle to whatever Lila was saying. "She's everything he wants… not me. He probably just sees me as his next charity case; just another kid in the neighborhood with personal problems that he feels compelled to help. That stupid, selfless idiot…. I wonder how long it will take for him to get sick and tired of me and run back to little Miss Wonderful."

Watching as each kid took turns asking Lila questions, she noticed even Phoebe was entwined with the crowd; giggling and laughing with them all. Her heart began to throb until she decided that enough was enough. Without so much as a glance from anyone, Helga got up and left the noisy cafeteria for something quieter: the empty classroom.

As everyone exited the lunch room and made it into the class, Helga woke up from her small insignificant dream. She had gotten a few looks from various people and just growled at them and showed them her fist before they could even say a word. It didn't take long for everyone to arrive and take their seats so Mr. Simmons could continue with the lesson plan. She listened and took notes best she could but the only thing on her mind was getting back to the boarding house and taking a shower. The smell of soot still lingered in her hair and only made her remember her reality and become nauseous. Even if she did take a shower, what would she change into? All her clothes besides the ones on her were gone.

"Alright class," Mr. Simmons spoke as he looked at the large clock above the door and grabbed a large bundle of papers. "It's almost time for Nurse Shelley to arrive. She has given me a few packets to hand out to everyone so please take a stack and pass it to the person behind you.

The class began to talk amongst each other and did what they were told. A hand shot up from the group to grab the teacher's attention. "I apologize Mr. Simmons, but I am ever so lost. You will not be teaching our class?"

Mr. Simmons gasped and placed a hand to his mouth as he realized his mistake. "Oh, I'm so sorry Lila but I forgot to inform you and your father about this extra special class."

"What is it?" She asked wearily to him and the class.

"It's a class about drugs and boobies!" Harold shouted as he stood up.

Mr. Simmons put his hand up to his temple and rubbed the frustration away gently. "No… Harold, it's not."

"It's a class about the natural occurrences of our bodies along with the study of harmful substances we might come in contact with later in the future." Phoebe clarified with a push of her glasses.

"That's what I said!" Harold cried with a pout as he slouched in his chair and mumbled under his breath.

"Oh my… I see." Lila smiled, "That does sound ever so interesting."

Mr. Simmons frowned and rubbed the large bald spot on his head. "Unfortunately Lila, until we get permission from your father we are unable to allow you to take the class." He said apologetically. "But don't worry. I will give you a permission slip before you go home so you can hopefully join us next time. In the meantime, why not go to the library and use this hour to catch up with the material you've missed."

Arnold raised his hand almost as if on cue and stood up. "I'd be happy to give her my notes, Mr. Simmons."

"Very good, Arnold!" The older man smiled. "That would be very much appreciated."

"I'd be happy to give her my notes!" Helga mocked him in a high pitched whiny voice, causing the class to chorus in laughter. She gave the boy a sly smirk and turned away.

Giving her a small scowl, he collected his notebooks and handed them to his newly returned friend. "Here you go, Lila. I hope you can read my handwriting…" He said, a little bashfully.

"Oh don't worry Arnold." Lila replied with a sweet smile as she took the notebooks from him. "Your handwriting is very legible and I'm ever so certain that I'll be able to read it just fine."

Arnold could hear a small growl from Helga's seat and ignored it. If she wanted to be petty and act like a bully for the class's sake, he knew that, that was her choice but she would get no special treatment if that was the case. "Actually, I have a better idea." The young man said as he turned to the teacher. "Since she has missed so much, maybe my notes might be a little confusing for her. Would it be okay if I miss this one class to help her?"

Mr. Simmons face turned a little worried. "Oh that's not a bad idea Arnold but how will you catch up with what you missed? Remember, its recommended that you pass this class not only for your education, but your personal wellbeing as well."

"Don't worry. I'll give him my notes." Gerald chimed in.

With a large grin forming on the older man's face, he turned to Gerald. "Then it's settled. Arnold please accompany Miss Lila to the library and Gerald please take plenty of notes so Arnold won't be behind."

"No problemo, Mr. Simmons" Gerald said as he gave the sappy teacher a thumbs up.

Arnold walked over to the classroom door and held it open for the girl. She smiled softly and walked through it, him following on her tail.

"Looks like the little twerp is still head over heels for her!" Helga laughed out loud in spite of herself as she propped her shoes on her desk and leaned back, "How pathetic." She could feel herself becoming queasy at the thought of them together without her supervision. Should she suddenly become sick and follow them? No, that wouldn't work because the nurse was going to be here any minute to teach, and the substitute nurse probably wouldn't fall for Helga's schemes. Should she suddenly have to use the bathroom? The might work but it would be less suspicious if she pulled that in the middle of class, not the beginning. Ideas began to flow through Helga's head but ultimately she couldn't find a perfect excuse to her liking.

The door opened again and the jolly nurse stepped in and smiled. "I'm sorry I'm late students." She said with a small chuckle. "Someone had a major nosebleed and needed to be cleaned up right away." The woman quickly set her teaching supplies on Mr. Simmons desk, and bid him a farewell as he exited the classroom in route to the teacher's lounge for a much needed break. "Now then, today's class we will be focusing on what to do and what not to do in an uncomfortable situation involving illegal substances…"

Nurse Shelley pulled out a few laminated pictures that looked like they had been photocopied from the school library and secured them to the board for all the students to see. "In this picture, we have a boy asking another boy if he would like some drugs." She explained as she tapped on the picture. "And in this other picture, we can see the boy politely declining the offer. This is the right way to handle the situation." Moving on to the next picture, she pointed out that the boy offering drugs became pushy, "Someone might try to convince you otherwise and tell you that these drugs will make you happy, or smarter or maybe even make other kids like you but under no circ*mstances should you allow anyone to pressure you into taking drugs, even if you think it will make you look cool."

Helga snorted at the woman's remark. "Or you could just tell them to buzz off or you'll kick them into next week."

Nurse Shelley turned around and looked firmly at the young girl. "Two wrongs do not make a right, Miss Pataki. If the situation gets ugly I must stress that you are to exit that situation as soon as possible and report it to a teacher, police officer or if neither are around, the nearest adult you can find. It's best to be safe than sorry." She finished with a wink, earning a look of disgust from her pupil.

"What if they threaten to kill you with a knife?!" Harold called out from the front of the class.

"Yeah!" Sid agreed as he rose up from his chair to be seen, "What if you can't get away?"

Nurse Shelley calmly placed her hands on Harold's desk. "Then and only then would you be allowed to defend yourself physically; self defense should only ever be used as a last resort."

More questions popped up, one after another as Helga groaned in boredom and casually glanced over at the clock.Criminy, just 47 more minutes to go and I am outta here…

Arnold and Lila entered the quiet library and found a place to sit with little trouble as there were no other students occupying the room, just a silent librarian with his nose in a book. Arnold held out a chair for his female companion politely and she gladly took his offer with a smile. After making sure that she was comfortable, the gentlemanly boy sat down across from her and smiled. "I bet you're happy to be back home." He whispered.

Lila gave a small smile and nodded. "As much as I enjoy seeing my family, being away from kids my age was ever so difficult." She explained.

Arnold tilted his head in interest. "Kids your age?"

"Yeah…" She replied, as she began to twirl one of her braids within her fingers. "All of my cousins are much older than me and it's ever so uncomfortable. We just don't have a lot in common and finding any sort of common ground is… well… rather difficult."

"Oh… I see." Arnold frowned understandingly as he too understood what it was like to be surrounded by adults and being the only child. "I guess it is sorta awkward when you're surrounded by adults all the time." Deciding to give the conversation a happier note, Arnold continued. "But at least you were there to see your Aunt get better, right!" He grinned.

Lila's face expression turned off for a slight second before mimicking his grin. "Right!" She replied happily. "My father and I were very happy to see her and I'm sure she is very happy now!"

Unsure of what to make of the off feeling, Arnold decided to dismiss it and get on with the notes. He pushed the notebook in the middle of the table and waited for her to get out her own supplies in order to copy. "Well, I guess we better make use of the time we have to catch you up on school work now." He smiled, "Luckily most of what we've covered was just a basic refresher from before the summer but there has been a few new things added that might confuse you."

The girl flipped through his pages and began to copy down the things that seemed new or important. "It seems like I have ever so much to catch up on…" She sighed quietly.

Arnold couldn't help but become concerned as the girl in front of him was very rarely pessimistic. "Not too much, Lila. Just a few classes here and there. You'll catch up in no time!" He pushed enthusiastically but quietly enough to not be scolded by the only other person present.

"No Arnold, that's not quite what I meant…" She replied, flipping over a page of her own notebook and bulleting a new subject. The two allowed ample time to pass before Lila picked her head back up from her concentration and gazed at the boy with an intrigued look. "I mean the class, Arnold. Everyone seems so… different now."

"What do you mean?" Arnold asked; leaning back in his chair and concentrating on the topic.

Lila nervously began to twirl her braid again in her fingers, "I don't know, Arnold; it just seems that the air around everyone is so much different now… but I suppose that's normal due to all the hardships you all went through while I was gone. I have to say that I'm ever so disappointed to not be able to experience the jungle with you all."

Seeing where she was coming from, the boy couldn't help but frown. If their shoes had been on the others feet, he too would have been pretty bummed to not have been involved with everyone. "I get what you're saying." He replied; scratching the back of his neck. "And unfortunately, we don't have many pictures either as most of our stuff got destroyed on the trip. All we have left are the before and after photos taken at the airport by Mr. Simmons and my Grandpa."

"I suppose I just feel a little… left out, is all." Lila finished before placing her hand on top of the worried boy's. "But don't worry, Arnold. I'm ever so certain that the more time passes around you all; I will get back to where I feel I belong. You all are always so welcoming."

"Right." Arnold agreed, slowly removing his hand from hers. Although he knew that she only liked him, he couldn't help but feel a little awkward and uncomfortable at her bold show of friendly affection. He knew very well that the one Lila like-liked was his cousin Arnie.

A few more silent moments passed while Lila copied down more information. Once in a while she would point out something she didn't understand and the boy would explain it the best he could, causing the atmosphere to go back to normal. Arnold was beginning to recall why he enjoyed the girls company so much. Compared to others, she didn't make him feel silly or judged. She just had this way about her that was so accepting and casual. There might have been a time in his life where he felt lonely or nervous around her; however he couldn't help but notice that those feelings had completely passed and she had just become a normal friend once more.

The quiet in the room started to become a little overwhelming for the boy, even as he pondered to himself. He then realized that after she had come back from her own trip, Lila hadn't talked much about her experiences, especially compared to that of them in San Lorenzo. Figuring a little exchange would be good, Arnold spoke up. "Besides being the youngest there and your Aunt getting better, did anything else happen while you were gone?" He asked as she watched her scribble some things down before giving a small jump to the question but not answering, "Lila?"

"Oh, I'm ever so sorry Arnold," The girl replied as she picked her head up with a small smile, "What was the question again? I seemed to have been very focused on what I was writing and missed that."

"I asked if there was anything you wanted to share about your trip, you know, exciting or something?" He reiterated.

Lila placed a finger on her cheek and tilted her head to the side. "Hmmm, not that I can think of..." She replied before promptly going back to her work. "It was mostly just family gatherings and recalling old times passed."

"Did you learn any new jokes or anymore funny stories?" Arnold asked, trying to get anything out of her. He couldn't help but feel a little suspicious of her unwillingness to become open with him. Never could he think of a time that she didn't have some fun family story to tell the others, so why not now?

"No, not that I can recall…" She answered as she scribbled more words down in the notebook before turning another page.

"How about-" But before Arnold could continue, Lila interrupted him.

"I'm sorry Arnold, but I think it would be ever so wise if we utilized this time for me to focus on my studies. It's not every day that we're allowed this time during class to catch up and it would make me ever so happy to be at the class's current level." She explained with an oddly firm voice.

Unable to really argue with her, but feeling more suspicious and concerned than ever, Arnold agreed. "Okay. Sorry about that, Lila."

"It is most okay!" She reassured him before continuing her work. "Now, how do you work this equation here? I'm finding it quite difficult to maneuver around these decimals and fractions."

Arnold leaned over the table and began to explain the formula given and started to step her through the process, meanwhile pushing the nagging feeling of uncertainty to the pit of his stomach to contemplate later.

Helga had had enough. She could no longer sit idly by while her soul mate fraternized with the enemy. Raising her hand, Helga proceeded to aggressively insist on needing to use the restroom right there and now, gaining some odd looks from her peers and responding with a growl. Nurse Shelley gladly accepted and offered the young girl a hall pass, knowing full well of her bodily conditions. "Just hurry back as soon as you can. We're going to be watching a video soon!"

"Oh joy…" Helga responded before snatching the hall pass out of the large woman's hands and booking it out of the classroom.

As Helga sped on down the hallway, images of possible situations flashed in her mind of how the two of them might be. Them laughing and sharing intimate stories, Them hugging over the turmoil that Arnold had to face in the jungle while we was out gallivanting with her ever so perfect family, Their faces becoming so close as they feel their bodies beginning to yearn for one another until… until… until! Helga couldn't bear the thought of sharing the boy's lips with anyone else and didn't want to waste another second.

"No running in the halls!" A fourth grader shouted at her as she sped past him, almost knocking the poor boy down. No one besides Phoebe had ever been able to compare to her reign of terror when she was hall monitor, especially not some wimpy kid with curly brown hair and freckles.

"Move it or lose it, geek bait!" She shouted back before turning the corner. She was so close to the library she could taste the musty books in her direction. Now all that stood in her way was some wood and glass. Dare she look through the translucent barrier? Anxiety rushed through the young pre-teens body as she placed her back up against the wall next to the door. Her heart pounded in her throat and she could feel her saliva becoming thick and nearly impossible to swallow, but demanding passage through her narrowing throat in which her heart seem to house itself.Steady, Helga ol' girl. I'm sure he's just reading a book while she copies his notes. No funny business, nothing strange…Helga tried to calm herself as she focused on steadying her breathing.After all, this is Arnold we're talking about. He's about as daring as a bowl of pudding. He'd never try anything with precious little Lila, and besides she only likes him, not like-likes him!But it seemed no matter what she said to coach herself before looking into that room; she couldn't seem to stop the quaking within her.If I don't calm down at this rate, I will actually need to use to bathroom so buckle down, Pataki and face your fears. Just peek through that window and we'll feel so much better!Swallowing hard, Helga looked up and down the hallway to make sure she couldn't see nor hear anyone who might catch her, before slowly raising her head and peering through the small rectangular window.

"So you see; if you're trying to convert fractions into decimals or the other way around, all you have to do is think of the whole number. One fourth of a dollar is a quarter, right? A quarter is worth twenty five cents so one fourth of one is actually .25. Get it?" Arnold explained as his body stretched across the table as he drew the example on her notebook.

"Wow, Arnold. I never thought of it like that! You're ever so smart!" Lila praised as she took the pencil back from him in order to try a hand at the math herself. "What about other fractions like one fifth or two fifths?" She asked carefully.

"Those are a bit harder but I'll try to give you some good examples…" The boy replied with a little thought. "Let's see… if you do this…"

Helga watched as Arnold stretched his form across the old table as he tutored the charming farm girl and began to grind her teeth. Why did he have to be so close to her? Why did he have to write things down for her? Wasn't she capable of doing herownwork? And how was this copying his notes anyway?! It seemed like Arnold was going above and beyond to do all the workfor her!As expected from a goody two-shoes like him but… Helga's heart began to slow down as doubt started to creep up from behind her and place its dark moldy hands on her shoulder. She could see their expressions, even from that far away. They looked… happy. It was a different sort of happy compared to him playing baseball with the gang or sharing some advice to another female like Rhonda. She couldn't quite place it but her eyes refused to stare any longer. Prying herself away from the door, Helga sulked her way to the girl's room and buried herself in the stall. Sitting her fully clothed body on top of the gaping toilet, she crossed her arms over her knees and stared down at her feet. What would she do now? Was this the sign to resume status quo and go back to how everything was before? Everything was back to normal. Arnold could now continue fawning over this perfect pre-teen miss and she could go back into the shadows where she belonged… but she also knew that Arnold was always true to his word.I need to be able to trust him but… it's so HARD!She screamed in her head.Stupid feelings! Stupid thoughts! Stupid impulsive actions that only lead to my demise! Curse my wretched soul for pouring myself out to him and leaving myself unguarded! I only have myself to blame for this horrible feeling.Helga felt as a strong tickle inside her nostrils that lead to her eyes becoming moist. Everything felt so stupid.Shefelt stupid.If I could only learn to trust him then I wouldn't have gone over to the library. I wouldn't have spied on him. I shouldn't HAVE to spy on him! He's never really given me a reason to; I've only ever created reasons to inside my head for my own desires. Arnold wouldn't say or done those meaningful things on a whim… that's not like him and I know it. If ANYONE knows Arnold best, it's the girl who's been stalking him day and night for the last decade!Feeling her self doubt start to chip away, she could feel herself becoming strong again.Arnold isn't about lies and deceit. He wouldn't make up feelings to make someone feel better, or offer his lips to just anyone- nor has he ever. Arnold is MINE and I can't let myself get all girly and mopey over this. No, I'm a Pataki and Pataki's are fighters until the day they die! I worked way too hard to give all this up to little miss perfect and her stupid barnyard stories!Helga's doubt was finally gone and broke away into determination with a slight hint of rage.

The bell for schools end rang and Helga stood up and pushed aside the bathroom stalls door.It's time to take back what's mine and do it the old fashioned way. No tricks and no games!She thought as she pushed through the line of girls that were beginning to flood the bathroom. "Get outta my way!" She shouted at them, earning scowls and hissing remarks but Helga didn't care.

Helga marched her way back over to the library just as Arnold and Lila were leaving the library. He was holding the door open politely for her with that stupid goofy smile on his face that made Helga's blood boil. She could see his expression change from a glimmering smile to somewhat horrified as she approached them. Grabbing the door out of his hands and slamming it behind Lila's back, she pointed her finger accusingly at Lila's face before using her other hand to grab Arnolds. "Listen sister, I don't know what you think you're doing but it'snotworking here, you got that?"

"Why H-helga, whatever are you referring to?" Lila stuttered as she looked between Helga's angry expression and Arnolds now panicked one.

"Don't play innocent! You had your chance and you gave it up for some bland, lame brain country hick who collects lint and likes plain flavored gum. Live with your decision and back off!" Helga howled.

Arnold grabbed his hand back once he heard her last remark, causing her to change her glare from her to him. "Helga, you were right there when I offered my help to her when class was about to start, why are you blaming her?"

"Oh don't think you're off the hook either, bucko." She replied; crossing her arms and looking the boy up and down. "I saw the hand you played back in class. I knew what you were up to and you're just as guilty as she is! Offering your help to little miss perfect because you're just that good natured kind of guy but in disguise of getting back at me for my pranks from earlier? I thought you learned from your mistakes of fighting fire with fire! It only leads to you getting burned more."

Lila began to feel hesitant and insecure the more Helga raged and felt herself backing up for her own safety. "Helga, I'm ever so certain this is just a misunderstanding. You should know more than anyone that I've always supported you in your affections for Arnold…"

Hearing Lila's words took Arnold by surprised as he looked between the two females. Had she really known of Helga's feelings for him all this time?

"Yeah well it sure didn't look that way while you two were in the library! Getting all cozy together! I might as well say get a room but hey- looks like you beat me to the punch!" Helga replied, almost immediately regretting her words as she finished speaking them.Crap! I just outted myself! I gotta think of a good lie to get myself out of this!

"Were you… were youspyingon us?!" Arnold demanded to know with a very angry and disappointed look on his face. He thought she was finally beginning to lighten up but he guessed he was wrong.

"Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you Football Head!" Helga spat back, still thinking of what excuse to come up with.

"Then how would you know if we were getting cozy, when we definitely weren't?" Arnold asked, still not budging.

"Arnold was just helping me with math Helga, honest." Lila continued to plead their defense.

"B-because…. Because…" Helga hesitated until finding something a little plausible. "Because I had to use the bathroom and justhappenedto walk by the library and see you two!"

The young man crossed his arms, doubtful of the girl. "Uh huh… You walked all the way to the bathroom near the library when there is a much closer one down the hall from our classroom? Give it up Helga and stop lying already!"

Feeling cornered, Helga's nostrils flared up as he accused her but immediately backed herself up. "I'll have you know thatthisbathroom happens to be myfavoritebathroom because of how unoccupied it normally is! Not like I'm trying to rush back to that joke of a class anyhow, why not take my time!"

Arnold rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance, still unable to believe her. "Whatever you say Helga…"

The three of them listened to the usual commotion which occupied the halls from the various students gathering their things from their lockers and talking amongst their friends. Lila scratched the side of her arm nervously as she wasn't sure what to do anymore. There was nothing more she could say about Arnold helping her that would calm Helga's rage, and there was no defense that she could give for Helga that would do any good… She felt completely useless in their quarrel and defaulted to her usual smile.

"Thanks so much for the help Arnold." She said to him, finally breaking their awkward silence. "I'll review everything you showed me when I get home. And Helga," She continued, causing the unstable female to glance at her from the corner of her eye. "I'm ever so sorry that you took Arnold helping me the wrong way. He was most gentlemanly and our friendship has and will always be platonic…" Lila slowly backed up as she felt more of Helga's gaze on her, causing her to sweat a little. "I'm not exactly sure what happened between you two over the summer, but I'm ever so certain that you'll be able to work out this little misunderstanding in due time. Well then… I should get going!" and without delay, the delightful girl spun around and casually walked towards the mass of students that eventually blurred her out of the couples sight.

Having a colorful mix of emotions battling it out inside the young man, Arnold turned towards his fuming partner and tried to think of what to say at this point. He was disappointed that she spied on him, angry that she accused not only him but Lila as well who was an innocent in this whole dispute, sad that Helga felt the need to not only spy but lie to him, and frustrated that this all had to happen. He had already said his piece and decided it would be best if they just went home. Maybe the walk would clear his mind of all the negativity and leave him with something more constructive to tell her.

Meanwhile, Helga's feelings of dominance and rage began to subside as it left the two of them standing in the hallway. She regretted the way she went about showing their relationship off to Lila, but at the same time did not. She stood her ground, made her feelings obvious to the both of them and hopefully nothing like this would ever happen again, right? Sure, Arnold was mad but he'd get over it and all in all, this would benefit them both, right? At least, this is what she wanted to believe.

"Let's just go home." Arnold finally spoke, turning away from her and slowly walking towards the schools exit.

Helga didn't respond and hesitated for a moment before reluctantly following suit.

Chapter 22

Chapter Text

Commotion from the scene that had unfolded in the bustling hallway of P.S 118 began to spread from student to student, each with different things to say as well as varied accounts. The wind of the people eventually made its way to Gerald and Phoebe's ears, who stood silently and watched as their best friends exited the school. They looked at each other with both concern and disappointment, knowing how the other felt.

Gerald crossed his arms and shook his head. "Just when will those two learn to get along?"

Phoebe frowned and looked back towards the school's large metal doors. "Although it's normal for relationships to have their ups and downs, I do agree that they have them more often than most… however, that's not necessarily a bad thing," she explained.

"Come again?" Gerald raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend's odd opinion.

"Well you see, it's proven that the more conflicts in a relationship people have actually helps build a stronger one as wrinkles get ironed out over time—so to speak. Of course, if two people prove to be too different or expect too much from the other person, then they'll undoubtedly break up in the end. They can either work together to create an understanding, thus building a strong bond or find they're unwilling to move and break."

"So you actually think fighting is… good?" Gerald understood what she was trying to say, however when he repeated the theory out loud, it still sounded a bit ridiculous to him.

Phoebe took the boy's hand and squeezed it softly. "Not excessive fighting, but a few quarrels here and there can be quite beneficial," she said with a smile, hoping he saw the bigger picture.

The two exchanged small glances of affection before leaving.

"Yeah, well I just wonder what she could have done now to make Arnold so mad." Gerald decided to continue on the conversation. "It's not every day I see him so flustered, even with Helga."

Gerald's bold accusation struck a nerve in the small girl that she did her best to ignore, as she understood the statement came out of concern even if they were both unaware of the conditions which caused the fight to begin with. "Why are you so sure Helga's the one who caused the fight?"

"Are you serious, babe?" Gerald asked with a small laugh of disbelief. "You do know who we're talking about, right? That girl's always starting problems."

The ignorance in his voice only caused Phoebe to take back her hand. "I'm very aware that she can be unreasonable and stubborn, however neither of us know what exactly happened except for what we heard in the hallway. For all we know, Arnold could have unintentionally done something inconsiderate that hurt her feelings which caused her to lash out," she retorted firmly. "How Lila came into the mix is well beyond me but with Helga's feelings of insecurity, I'm certain that her being there only made things worse."

"Arnold was helping Lila catch up with school notes… How could he have done anything wrong except be a good friend and classmate? Heck, if he didn't do it, I would have volunteered as well just to get out of that class… it's not very comfortable to sit there and have Nurse Shelley explain saying no to drugs," Gerald argued, feeling a little hurt that she had taken back her hand as he placed his in his pants pockets.

Phoebe remained quiet for a moment to think of an alternate scenario to where Gerald would have to put himself in her best friend's shoes. Once an acceptable one came to mind, she cleared her voice. "Alright then, how would you feel if I asked Jamie-O for tutoring sessions?"

"You? Needing help with school?" Gerald laughed. "And asking Jamie-O of all people? Let's be serious here."

"I am being serious and I'd like a serious answer," the girl replied, unmoving.

"Well why wouldn't you ask me for help if you needed it? Why him?" Gerald continued to ask, now feeling a little uncomfortable with the question.

"Maybe it's something along the lines of sports history, something he might be good in," Phoebe suggested. "However the topic really isn't the point I'm getting at. How would it make you feel?"

Not liking the question one bit, Gerald flared his nostrils and grunted. "I'd be kinda upset that you went to my older brother for help instead of me."

"And what if I happened to have affectionate feelings for him in the past, and you were aware of that even after knowing I reached out to him? You would be very displeased, would you not?" Phoebe continued, hoping that her hint was getting across.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Gerald turned to her with a face of discontent. "Look, I get what you're trying to say but this is Arnold we're talking about. I'd expect my brother to make a move on you but Arnold? He may be a bold kid but he doesn't strike me as someone who would cheat, especially if it caused the wrath of Helga. G Pataki. My man isn't stupid."

"That may be so, but however innocent his actions may have been when offering his help to Lila, it doesn't change the fact that he did once seek her to be his girlfriend and naturally him offering to give his undivided attention to her might stir up feelings of insecurity inside Helga." Phoebe gave Gerald an empathetic look as she imagined how her best friend might have felt. "Not to mention what she's already going through?"

"But we also don't know if that's even what happened. For all you know, she could have decided to take her aggression out on Lila justbecauseshe's having a bad day, which then caused Arnold to get mad. It's not like this would be the first time she took out her anger on someone that wasn't the root of her problem," Gerald firmly suggested, recounting all the times she pushed and shoved people out of her way simply because she was in a bad mood.

Phoebe's upper lip stiffened as her emotions became the better of her. She knew very well that Gerald didn't always think highly of Helga; however she also didn't pin him as the type to be ignorant. Unsure if he was just trying her patience or if he actually believed that Helga would do something so aggressive to an innocent person that it might threaten the relationship she's longed for most of her life, Phoebe let out a flustered noise. "As much as I understand wanting to stick up for your best friend, your inability to look at the larger picture is becoming intolerable and I think it might be best if I walked home by myself today," she explained in a calm and collected manner.

Feeling shocked and rejected, Gerald decided to mask his feelings by crossing his arms and looking angry. "Fine then." He snorted. "It might be better if I go on ahead to Arnold's house anyway just to save him from whatever he got himself into."

The words—whatever he got himself into—played in Phoebe's mind a few times, only fueling her frustrations and giving her the go ahead to feel the way she did at this moment. "Alright. Goodnight then, Gerald. I will see you tomorrow at school," she replied simply.

"Okay. Goodnight then," Gerald responded back, mimicking her reply with a sharp tone.

He watched as the small girl turned around and began to walk another route, assuming it was just to get away from him. It burned him inside that she wouldn't listen to reason especially with the record Helga had.Arnold doing something inconsiderate? That boy thinks about others' feelings way before he thinks of himself and that's how he ends up in most of his problems! You just don't know the boy like I do, babe… He may not be innocent all the time but I highly doubt this is on him..,he thought dejectedly before turning around himself and heading towards Arnold's boarding house.

The steady walk home between the couple in question was quiet and thick with complex emotions. Neither of them said a word to each other, as neither of them really knew what to say. Arnold replayed the scenario again and again in his mind and tried to find even a small window to where things could have ended peacefully, but unfortunately the outcome always would remain the same so long as Helga didn't trust him. Did she want things to change between them at school? Or did she want to remain the same basic bully that she always played herself out to be? Both her previous actions and words seem to always contradict themselves and only caused the young man to become further and further confused. Should he have outright told Lila about their relationship himself? Would that have even made a difference? Should being in a relationship with Helga really mean that he had to pick and choose who he was friends with as well as how he was friends with them? As much as he wanted her to trust him, it seemed absolutely unfair to think that he had to stop helping out or being friends with Lila simply because she felt jealous over a past flame.

Helga's heart began to tremble as she repetitively glanced at the back of Arnold's head and the ground below her. He was so quiet and it felt like her world was slowly skidding to a stop. Just what was he thinking in that large oblong head of his? Was he seriously so mad that he wasn't going to talk to her at all? Sure, she knew she had made him mad plenty of times in the past but that big lug always found it in his heart to forgive her so why would this be any different? Besides, he was the one who decided to have a flirty one on one tutor session withLilawhile she stay stuck in Health class having to silently deal with the dread and doubt in her head. Just how did he think she would feel? Did he even consider it? Was Lila really all that special that she was all he could think about now and Helga was left on the back burner? The thought caused her throat to feel as if air was becoming thin and her head swam.

As they both walked up the steps to the Sunset Arms, one thing became certain. Everything was messed up and although they both wanted to fix it, they couldn't think of how.

Arnold turned the doorknob and quickly moved out of the way to let the flood of animals egress. As he did so, he managed to capture a glimpse of Helga's forlorn expression as she dealt with her physical ill feelings. Swallowing hard and wishing things were different; he turned back around and walked inside his home, holding the door open for her to safely walk inside.

Helga stared at him lost for a moment, before taking his invite and walking inside herself. Only seconds later they were approached by his parents who seemed very happy to see them.

"Welcome back, you two! Did you guys have a good day at school?" Miles smiled as he bent down and hugged his son, not reading the room at all.

"It was pretty… normal," Arnold replied quietly as the air was being squished out of him.

"Oh and Helga, I have some good news!" Stella said as she placed her hands of her hips. "While you two were gone, Miles and I set up the extra bedroom. That way you can have a more comfortable sleep while you're staying with us."

"Yippee…" Helga replied, unenthused.

Completely unfazed, Stella took both the preteens' backpacks and hung them up in the closet. "Now go ahead and make yourself at home, the room is all the way down the hall on your right, room 8," she said before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small key and handing it to Helga. "You can't miss it."

"How can I make myself at home when I don't own anything anymore?" Helga asked bluntly, causing the delightful woman to halt for a moment.

Carefully thinking, Stella smiled again. "When something ends, something else begins anew. Take this room as a fresh start and make it whatever type of home you want it to be, even if it's temporary."

Helga's mind immediately went to the fact that she still hadn't had a proper shower in what seemed like ages, as well as having no clean clothes to change into. "If you say so," she replied as she took the key and headed upstairs, causing the two males to watch her as she went.

Miles scratched the top of his blond head and stared up at her in confusion. "Is she always this moody?" he asked his son.

Arnold let out an exasperated sigh, feeling as if he could let all the wind out of his body and collapse on the floor just to take the load off his body that he was still currently carrying. "Sometimes."

"Women," Miles responded with a friendly wink and nudge to his boy, causing his wife to give him a glare.

"I'm sure she has many reasons to feel a little grumpy, boys. I wouldn't take it too personally," she said thoughtfully, wishing there was more she could do to help the poor young girl in her time of need.

The small family reunion was then interrupted by a small knock on the door. Turning to it curiously, Arnold opened it up to find Suzie Kokoshka standing there with a cheerful look about her. It had been sometime since she had moved out of the boarding house in hopes of starting a better life someplace else without her now ex-husband's problems looming over her.

"Hello, Arnold! Nice to see you again!" she greeted politely.

"Hi Suzie, what brings you here?" Arnold asked before opening up the door wider to let the woman in.

"Oh, there are just a few things Oskar and I have to sort out, as well as a few things I realized I left here. Nothing big," she replied casually, despite the dread she was feeling knowing that once she walked up those stairs and knocked on that door, her ex-husband was going to plead and cry for her to come back.

"Oh, alright then. Oskar should be in his room," Arnold said as he watched the woman head to the staircase leading to the second floor.

"Yes, him and Dad just finished playing a game of backgammon," Miles added, before giving a weak smile and chuckle. "Although I'm not sure I can count that as really playing…"

"Oh I'm sure Phil caught him cheating again and ended the game soon after it started," Suzie said as she continued up the staircase. "Classic Oskar."

The parents grimly looked between themselves as they could only image what being married to that man would have been like. Phil had told them stories and none of them were very nice, making them wonder why he still let the selfish man still live there.

"Good luck!" called out Arnold as he gave a small wave before she disappeared between the floors.

Helga opened her bedroom and took a good look around. It was small and dingy with a strong scent of some sort of lemon cleaner in the air. She could see where they had fixed up a few things like the windows and some floorboards as well as possibly getting a new/old dresser. What good was it anyhow? She had no clothes to put in it.

Flopping herself down on the small twin sized bed; she felt it spring to life and almost throw her off. "Criminy!" she shouted, steadying herself. She took a deep breath and realized that the room was much too stuffy and opened up one of the windows. At first it resisted her due to a freshly dried coat of paint; however it eventually gave way and let a soft breeze waft in. It was the end of September and was soon giving way to autumn. Helga liked autumn the best as it cooled down from being swelteringly hot, the annoying bugs all died, and a few important holidays were getting closer.

The window didn't have a very good view, as it was adjacent to the building next door, but she had a rather good spying view if she wanted to watch the neighbors eat dinner. Such riveting entertainment that would be.

Turning around, Helga placed her palms on the windowsill and leaned back towards the open air, viewing her new room some more. "Home, huh?" she said to herself in a flat tone. "I don't even know what that word means anymore."

Suddenly a knock on the door startled Helga's contemplation. "What?!" she yelled out, signaling whoever was disturbing her to come in at their own risk.

The door slowly opened and Arnold's grandmother allowed herself inside. "Hello there Eleanor," she said as she walked in. "How are you finding the Presidential suite? It may not be up to your standards but I hope it will do in a pinch."

Helga furrowed her brows at the name she was being addressed as again, and snorted in disgust. "Look lady, I don't know who you think I am but my name isn't Eleanor, it's Helga."

"Oh yes, yes, I know Eleanor," Gerty replied as she shut the door behind her and gave the angry girl a blissful smile. She was used to Helga's cruel demeanor but could easily sense there was something off. "Are the accommodations to your liking? What seems to be the trouble?"

"The accommodations are fine if you consider yourself homeless," Helga said as she crossed her arms. "So I guess I don't have room to complain, do I?"

Gerty sat on the bed and patted the space next to her. "Sit down, dearie. Let's talk."

"Oh great, is it time to get advice from some old soul? I'll pass," The young girl stated with a huff.

"I can only imagine how you're feeling right now and would like to lend a quiet ear," Gerty continued, "but only if you'll allow this 'old soul', so to speak. Maybe the First Lady could use a second opinion from the common folks' eye."

Knowing that the woman had no intention of backing down, Helga rolled her eyes and gave in. Sitting down next to the elder, she did her best to keep her thoughts in check. "If it will make you leave me alone, I'm listening."

Nodding with a smile, Gerty took a moment to look the young woman up and down. "Being the First Lady is a very important job and definitely not one to take likely. Are the rebel forces at it again? Are the communists rising?!"

"Whatrebel forces? Speak English, lady," Helga demanded, feeling at her wit's end with this Alzheimer's lingo.

"Oh you know, all those who oppose you and the President from being in office. Rumors and propaganda can really tear a couple apart but don't let the paparazzi and bloodhounds get to ya. They'll back off once you start making the necessary changes," The grandmother replied, doing her best to clarify her meaning.

After mulling over the sentence for a second, Helga began to understand the double meaning to the woman's words.I think she's asking if me and Arnold are getting picked on at school…?Helga sighed, "No, the rebel forces are at bay… for now."

"As I suspected, you've already laid a firm grasp on your role! Very expected of you, Eleanor," Gerty said enthusiastically before calming down and becoming serious. "Then is there trouble in office already?"

Helga leaned back on the bed, causing it to creek and peered up at the popcorn ceiling above her. "Sure, I guess you could say there's trouble in office."

The old woman pondered for a moment. "I see. What seems to be the issue? Are your ideas and the President's clashing? Or are those darn White House officials putting too much pressure on the two of you?"

Thinking of a way to formulate what had happened in the lingo that Gerty was using, Helga let out a groan. "Let's say… The President and I had a falling out over how he's handling internal affairs," she started, feeling even more exhausted than when she got in the room. "I want to be open and honest with the people about the inner workings of the government, however the President seems to feel that everything's on a need to know basis. While I totally agree that some things should remain hush-hush for the people's sake, some things are best if told sooner than later, before the public misunderstands and thinks differently. Get it?"

"I totally agree!" Gerty shouted, standing up and planting her wrinkled feet on the floor. "The people deserve to know the truth! Why, how could we ever trust our leaders if we're shielded all the time? There have already been too many shady politicians running things! Too long, I say!"

"Geez lady!" Helga said, startled at her sudden outburst. "Would you calm down already?"

Gerty placed a hand over her mouth. "Right! Internal affairs can be rather sensitive. My apologies, Eleanor," she said, sitting down once more. "Please, continue."

Hesitating a little bit and becoming unsure how stable this woman really was, Helga decided to proceed. "Whatever… Anyway, that's really all it is. We had a disagreement. I think he's betraying his role as President and leading his people on to believe what they want instead of telling them how it is. At least… certain people," she said the last part sort of low enough to where her companion couldn't quite make out. "Now it seems we are not on speaking terms."

"That's no good. A good President needs his First Lady," Gerty mumbled to herself as she contemplated the complicated situation. Her face turned into a gentle smile and she placed her soft old hands down on Helga's. "A strong hand will always need a kind heart to support it."

"Huh?" Helga gawked, feeling a little awkward at the woman's touch.

"Becoming such an important figurehead can be very hard on a couple, but I believe that the bond between the two of you is strong enough to withstand all the issues you'll be facing… some harder than others," Gerty continued. "Opinions may differ and conflicts will happen, but so long as you stay true to your bond and sort things out privately, I'm sure things will fix themselves in time. I do agree that telling the people the truth is most important, however I also agree in telling themthe right way," she spoke, almost hinting as if she knew there was more to the story than Helga led on. "Once something leaves your mouth, it's always recorded by reporters and will wind up twisted in the tabloids in order to cause a rise in the people and you definitely don't want that. You both ran your campaign too long and too hard to wind up ending the Presidency on some sort of impeachment due to common misconception. Talk to the President and I'm sure you'll both come to some sort of agreement on how things should be handled. In the end, you two must work together in order to run this country successfully."

Helga sat there in awe of the woman's confusing yet completely understandable words. It was if she completely knew what happened and what Helga should do.

Gerty let herself up and walked to the door. "I'll give you some time to think things over, Eleanor, but you're a strong, smart woman. I have no doubt in my mind that things will work out," she said with a wink before leaving.

A low melody of jazz music hummed throughout young Arnold's room as he lay on his bed. He was still frustrated and confused at the turn of events, but most of all wanted to clear the air between Helga and himself. Hadn't he just promised to help her and care for her? But at the same time, does that mean throwing away his personal feelings and beliefs for her sake? The boy rolled over and smothered his face in the pillow; it still smelled of her. Why did relationships have to be so complicated?

I just gotta think things through and logically..,he told himself in silence.I really care about her and I really do want her to be happy… Helga has been through so much bad in her life, I really want to bring some good in it, even if just a little bit, but how will that be possible if she twists the reality of things and believes what she wants?After feeling a little suffocated, Arnold rolled himself back over and stared off towards his computer in the far distance.She went out of her way to be a bully to me in school. That wasn't fair, right? So if she wants to act like that then why is it bad for me to go out of my way to help a friend in need? That's just as normal for me as bullying is for her, right?However, in his head he remembered his Grandpa's wise words of not giving in to vengeful urges, which caused the boy to groan.I should have thought of how she was going to feel though… She's trusted me with her insecurities and I seem to just be making them worse rather than better. If I had been helping Rhonda or Nadine, I bet she wouldn't have reacted as bad as she did… but going so far as to spy on me? Would she have done that no matter who it was?Arnold thought; unaware of how much of a sport Helga had made in the past of spying on him and to what lengths. He then decided maybe he would find an answer better if he looked at their problem from a third person view. What if a friend of his came to him with the same problem, what advice would he give?Well first I would probably tell them to talk about how each other felt to find out the root of the problem. Next, they would have to come to a compromise in order for both parties to feel they are getting fair treatment. I know how I feel, and I know that Helga feels she can't trust me around Lila because of my past feelings for her but… what sort of compromise could we come to from that? Not to hang out with her? Not to help her anymore? That's unreasonable for me and unfair to Lila. Helga's insecurities need to be helped but… how?

It was beginning to dawn on the young sage that he wouldn't always have the answers, at least when it came to his own problems, yet he didn't have the strength to go and seek out an opinion. Luckily for him, he heard his Grandpa calling his name from downstairs.

Arnold jumped up and opened his bedroom door. "Yeah Grandpa?"

Phil moved aside to show that Gerald was next to him. "Young Gerald is here to see you. Just showed up."

"Hey man…" Gerald said with a slight smile. "You busy? I was hoping we could play catch in the park or something."

"Ohhh, a game of catch in the park! That sounds nice, doesn't it Arnold? Oh how I miss being young and playing catch in the park with my best friend Jimmy Kafka… of course he would end up missing my throw and blame me for bad aim but what does he know?!" Phil rambled on before heading on back down the staircase towards the living room.

"Sure Gerald, let me get my glove and baseball. I'll be down in a minute," Arnold said happily as this distraction might be what he needed. He headed back into his room, ran into his closet and pulled out his worn catcher's glove and baseball before running down to meet his friend.

They made small talk and walked to the park, avoiding the one topic on their mind and doing their best to focus on the simple things. There were still a few more hours in the day left of good sunlight and the boys took this advantage to find a nice sunny spot with a freshly mowed lawn to start their back n forth.

"So what did you think of the newest episode of Pop Daddy? Man, I thought it was crazy how he had to go through such lengths just to capture that guy!" Gerald called out, remembering his favorite part. "And just when he thought he was gonna get away; he got outted by his old crew? Shows you gotta be true to where you came from."

Arnold frowned and threw his baseball to Gerald. "Sorry Gerald, I've had a lot going on that I totally forgot that the new episode was last weekend. I'll have to watch it when it reruns."

"You missed a great one, man, but I'm sure it will play again soon," Gerald replied, tossing the ball back at his friend. "They've been slowing down on episodes so they rerun more often. I hope they're not thinking of ending it."

"They couldn't do that; the show has way too many fans!" Arnold said, tossing the ball back at his friend again.

"I dunno, man. You remember how they suddenly ended 'Yo Ernest' last year? And on a cliffhanger no less…. Crazy things happen." Gerald frowned, tossing it back. "If the network thinks it's losing its edge, sometimes they kick off really good shows. Pop Daddy's been around for 3 years now- almost 4!"

Arnold caught the ball and stood still for a moment, using his bare hand to feel the smoothness of the surface as well as the bumps of each stitch. Three and four years ago, everything was a lot simpler. The only problems he ever faced were being forced to eat one of his Grandma's new concoctions she wanted to test on people. His life consisted of friends, cereal, and cartoons after school. "That seems like it was just yesterday, doesn't it?" Arnold asked thoughtfully, releasing the baseball and throwing it back.

Gerald also felt the nostalgia wash over him as he recalled just how far away that past was. He remembered their petty little fights as well as the great adventures they had went on just around the city, trips to the ice cream shop as well as Dinoland and the aquarium being much more fun. "Yeah man, time sure flies..," he said solemnly, with a frown. "But I guess this just leaves us anticipating what's to come, right?" Gerald finished with a little hope in his voice.

What's to come?thought Arnold as he caught the ball again. The boy turned to look up at the sky in wonder. Clouds were moving in and he knew it was only a matter of time before the street lights turned on. He could hear the sound of the Jolly Olly man's music in the distance and turned to look for the sound. The park was always the man's last stop but he knew all the good ice cream was gone by then. Putting his hand in his pocket, he could also feel he didn't have anything but change left anyway.

A silence passed through the boys as they heard the sound get louder and louder, before slowly being drowned out. Seems like no kids took the bait. Gerald could feel his stomach rumble a little at the thought of ice cream, however he also knew his mom would be mad if he spoiled his dinner this late. Speaking of it getting late, the young man also knew there was a looming question in his mind that he had done well to procrastinate asking upon. He threw the ball back to his patiently waiting friend before clearing his voice. "So umm… you know I hate to ask man, but you also know Igottaask..," he started as he fidgeted a little. "All the kids were talking and you know I'd rather hear it from you before believing any of them…"

"You mean about the fight, right?" Arnold bluntly asked, wishing his friend hadn't brought it up.

"Yeah…" his companion breathed out. "I gotta look out for my best friend, right?"

Arnold rolled his eyes a little at the thought, but also knew it would eventually be asked. Heaving a big sigh, he started to walk over to a nearby bench, causing Gerald to follow. After sitting down and relaxing a bit, he decided he might as well come out with it. He knew Gerald meant well and was often a wealth of knowledge when it came to various things so what would it hurt venting to him a little?

"I guess all there is to really explain is Helga got upset that I helped out Lila and assumed something might be going on between us due to me once like-liking her. I told her the truth but instead of her actually remaining calm and listening, she got all angry and… well, acted like Helga," he explained, feeling both drowned from exhaustion at the thought as well as a little irritated. "But what made it worse, is she actually blamedLilafor it!"

Gerald sat there patiently as he listened to his friend go on, ignoring the arrogance of feeling like he was right all along.

"I can understand jealousy just as well as the next person, but what I don't understand is getting aggressive and lashing out at someone who wasn't doing anything wrong. When I saw Lila liked Arnie, I didn't treat my cousin any different. Sure, I really really…reallydisliked him for it but he didn't do anything wrong." Arnold looked up at his friend with pain lingering behind his eyes. He really wanted to understand Helga, he truly did, however her anger and ways of going about expressing herself were always very obnoxious and outlandish to him. "I just don't get it, Gerald."

Gerald shrugged. "I dunno man… it's justHelga,you know? I mean, I thought you knew that going into this?"

"I did," Arnold admitted before feeling a little foolish at himself, "At least, I thought I did."

"Helga's always been mean and rude to everyone. It's just who she is, man," Gerald continued before thinking back to all the things he had learned about her personality over the last year. "Sure she can be really surprising at times but really you were only the exception to that because she like-liked you. You don't see her going out of her way to help me, do you? She's even mean to Phoebe, her own best friend, Arnold. What makes you think that she'd suddenly stop?"

Recalling all the cruel things the girl had done in the past, Arnold couldn't help but feel a little defeated. Gerald was right. He knew that she wouldn't just suddenly up and change, even if he did come to understand her so why did this come as a surprise? He also knew how much of an amazing person she could be when she wanted to be which was part of what he couldn't comprehend about her. She was smart. She was dedicated and loyal. She was strong and passionate yet inexplicably cruel to those she disliked. Why continue to be jealous over Lila when he no longer had eyes for her? He was the one who asked Helga to be his girlfriend, after all, so in her eyes she should have already won the fight. What was left to fight for?

"I just see so much good in her that it's difficult to accept the bad," Arnold finally said out loud. "I want to understand her but instead of being reasonable, she just flies off the handle."

"Well yeah, that's sort of my point Arnold," Gerald replied, placing his arm on top of the backrest of the bench. "She's Helga. Flying off the handle is sorta what she does." He could see that his friend was becoming more and more depressed over his situation but decided to continue. "Look, I get that you always want to see the good in everyone Arnold, and that's a great thing but sometimes you also have to accept the bad. Sorta like your grandpa and raspberries." The topic caused Arnold to raise his head a little in interest. "Your grandpa really likes the taste of raspberries despite the fact he always winds up regretting it in the bathroom. It's classic, man. This is basically the same thing."

"I don't get it," Arnold said, looking confused.

Gerald sighed. "Just because you like the taste of something doesn't mean you should put yourself through something painful just for the sake of being able to taste it, man. Helga is like your raspberries. You like her, even though I can't comprehend why, and you seem to be willing to put up with all the flaws that come with her. I guess what I'm trying to get at is: is it worth it?"

The point his friend made was valid, however Arnold had a much better example. "Do you think all the pain and hardship we went through in the jungle was worth the outcome?" he asked curiously; eyeing his friend.

"Yeah but Arnold, finding yourparentsand being with thisone girlare two completely different things," Gerald replied, with pain in his voice at even having to compare the two situations. "There's many fish in the sea but you only have one set of parents."

"Fair point," Arnold admitted. "But how about those really cool roller blades you wanted?" he continued to ask. "You went through a lot to save up the money to buy them. Isn't this the same thing?"

Gerald remained silent for a second, before giving his best friend an odd look. "Sorta but my roller blades don't bully my friends or hurt people." He could see his friend wasn't giving up justifying his relationship and knew he needed a better example, and he knew just the one. "Do you think all the crap that Jamie-O went through with his ex-girlfriend was worth it? All the chores he did for her, all the things he bought her, all the money he gave her just to keep her happy? Was that worth it, Arnold?"

Feeling as though he had just been punched in the gut by the question, Arnold choked. It was true, Gerald's brother put up with a lot of mistreatment over a girl he liked, so how was this different? Allowing Helga to hurt his friends and cause them issues just to satisfy her insecurities was actually worse because it affected everyone, not just himself. Frowning, Arnold turned away.

"Look brother, I understand that she means a lot to you and that you see things I don't but you gotta look out for yourself too. Do you really want to be a pathetic mess when you realize this is hopeless?" Gerald asked, placing his hand on his friends shoulder with compassion. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

Hopeless… is this really hopeless?Arnold thought to himself as he let the sounds of the park deafen his ears. He could feel his soul being sucked down to oblivion as he considered the thought. Was everything really for naught? Was his situation really comparable to that of Jamie-O?

Gerald could see that the conversation was really getting to his best friend and started to regret ever saying anything in the first place. Getting up from the bench, he thought maybe the walk back home might help Arnold feel a little better. "Come on man, let's go before it gets dark."

Thoughts began to flash before Arnold's eyes as he remembered all of Helga's hardships he had witnessed but forced himself to ignore in the past, all her pain and all of her turmoil from such a young age until now. He recalled how strong she had been through it all, and then remembered that it coupled with her everlong feelings for him. He remembered what she recently had to go through and then some. A scowl suddenly planted itself on the boy's face. "No…"

"Huh?" Gerald asked, a little confused. "Your parents might get worried if we're gone too long; you know how overprotective they can be sometimes."

"That's not what I mean," Arnold said as he got up and looked Gerald square in the eyes. "It's not hopeless, Gerald. She is nothing like that girl your brother dated. She isn't taking advantage of me or using me. In fact, I haven't given her anything but a place stay for a while until her family gets back on their feet," He explained sternly, with a sort of ferocity in his voice. "You are right about one thing though, if I let Helga do what she wants, things will get out of hand but that doesn't mean ending our relationship. It means reaching an understanding, Gerald. Helga may seem strong but deep down, the reason she acts so mean is mostly because it's the safest emotion she has especially when things are bad for her. No, I can't exactly understand why, but what I do understand is that I have totryto understand."

"Arnold, why do you always have to try and act like an adult? We're not even teens yet!" Gerald replied, beginning to become short with how ridiculous his friend was sounding. "Just admit when things are impossible and let them go! Even if you try to understand Helga, she isn't going to change for you!"

"When I thought finding my parents was impossible, was it really right to give up all hope? If I had given up and believed they were gone forever, they really would be Gerald. Not giving up hope and believing they were still alive out there was what helped me get them back!" Arnold defended, "Think about it Gerald, how hopeless does being missing for 9 years sound to you?"

Arnold's words had much truth to them and Gerald recoiled. "…Pretty hopeless, man."

"Exactly, but I have them back and it's all because I kept on believing they were out there and because Helga did everything she could to help me get them back." The frustrated boy finished with a long winded sigh.

The two exchanged looks of unwavering opinions before Gerald finally accepted his defeat. "If you really think that Helga will actually change over time then… I'll stick by you," he said painfully, earning a look of appreciation. "But it doesn't mean I'll enjoy watching you get hurt. I've gone along with your crazy plans before but promise me that you'll back down if it gets too bad?"

"I promise," Arnold agreed with a nod.

Street lights started to flicker around them as they slowly turned on one by one. They both knew it was time to go home and Arnold knew what he finally had to do now. He also knew it wasn't going to be easy reaching an understanding with his impenetrable girlfriend but he knew he had to no matter what. If it meant finally helping her turn a new leaf and letting herself enjoy life a little, the long fight between now and then was well worth it. He promised to protect her and promised himself that he would finally get to see her happy… truly happy.

"Let's get going before webothget in trouble," Gerald said as he pointed his thumb to the now bright lights in the distance.

As Arnold reached his front door, yelling could be heard on the other side. He opened it up and rushed inside to see his grandpa pushing little foam ear plugs into his ears, as well as his parents looking worriedly at each other.

"What's going on?" Arnold asked; a little bewildered.

"Oh just the same as always!" Phil yelled as things were heard being smashed in the distance. "Oskar doesn't know when to give up!"

"Should we step in?" asked Miles to his dad, "it sounds like it's getting pretty serious in there!"

"It may sound like it but nothing good has ever come from trying to butt in, boy," Phil replied with a shake of his head. "Meddling in someone's relationship will never solve anything. Just let them yell it out and eventually it will be over."

Gerty walked over to the old record player and began to play some loud music. "This might help a little. Saddle up, boys and girls! It's time for a good old fashioned hoedown!"

"I suppose you're right, Dad, but…" Stella said with a frown, listening for the bits of yelling she could hear over the speaker. "What if someone gets hurt?"

Phil let out a loud raspberry. "The only thing that ever gets hurt up there are their plates and Suzie's wallet."

Arnold shook his head with a frown and headed on upstairs. The loud noises just got louder and louder as he could hear the other boarders yelling "Be quiet!" and "Other people live here, you know!" mixed in with the original madness. As Arnold got to the long hallway of rooms, he couldn't help but eye what was now Helga's room. Was she in there? He wondered how she felt with all this yelling. Her father wasn't a quiet person and he knew she was probably used to it all, which only made Arnold feel a little sad.She went from one dysfunctional family to another…

"But Suzie, I want to start a family with you!" Oskar cried from behind the sturdy wooden door.

"A family?! How can you even think of a family when all you can think about is yourself?!" Suzie cried back in a hoarse voice.

Arnold did his best to ignore the voices as he reached the pull string which lead to his bedroom stairs. Pulling gently on the string, the stairs slowly descended. Once dinner was done, he knew the fighting would end. Food always seemed to shut them up.

"That's it! I've had enough of this!" screamed a familiar angry voice.

Just then, Helga's room door swung wide open. She stomped out and headed towards the Kokoschka's door. "Will you two pipe down! No one wants to listen to your soap opera bull crap!" she screamed at the door, however the yelling behind it didn't cease.

Knowing she was only going to rile herself up further, Arnold walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't bother…"

"Don't bother?!" she hollered over the couple's voice. "How the hell can you stand it? Do you know how long they've been going at it?! An hour, Arnold! An hour!"

"I know…" he replied sympathetically, "But they'll eventually tire out by dinner time, Helga. Yelling along with them and the rest of the boarders will only make things worse."

Loud clanking and thuds came from beyond what they could see; giving their minds enough information to imagine what was going on. "And breaking things isn't worse?! Bob didn't even break things!" Helga shrieked at the boy, motioning her hands dramatically at their door.

"It's none of our business, Helga," Arnold reminded her with a painful smile.

His words only agitated her more. "Yeah wellmy businessis being disturbed by them! So I think itismy business, Football head!"

Just as Arnold opened his mouth to refute her words, he was interrupted by the fighting adults.

"Please Suzie! Just give me another chance! I promise I'll change this time! I swear it!" Oskar pleaded sadly.

"Just like you changed the last time and the time before that? I should have listened to my mother a long time ago! You'll never change!" Suzie shouted back.

"This time will be different!"

"Different how, Oskar?! Have you found a real job? No, of course not! That's why you sold my things!"

"I had to Suzie, how else would I pay to live here? Do you want me to live on the streets like an old beggar man?"

"Maybe by getting a job like a normal man your age?! My father worked two jobs to support our family! Why must you forever act like a child?!"

"But please… Suzie…"

"And you want to bring a child into this world?!"

"It might bring us closer together!"

Arnold and Helga exchanged looks as they continued to listen on; not like they had much of a choice.

"You're unbelievable… you know that?" Suzie said in a much calmer but almost amused tone. "That's how selfish you are, Oskar. You would bring a child into this world and let the poor innocent thing suffer at the hands of your selfishness just because you think it might make me come back. If I was to defy all my self-respect and come back to you and have a child with you… what do you think would happen?"

"We would be a family, just like you want?" He asked, a little confused but with a sound of hope in his voice.

"No, Oskar. Then not only would I have to clean up after you and pay your debts and support you—but I would have to also tend to the child as well. I would have to feed all three of us with my minimum wage job, Oskar."

"You're a strong and beautiful woman, Suzie! You can do it! I know you can!"

An eerie silence washed over the boarding house for a few seconds before more smashing occurred.

"You're unbelievable!" she screamed. "I didn't think I could be surprised anymore by your selfishness but you just proved me wrong again! Congratulations, Oskar!"

"Suzie please, it was a compliment!"

"No it was you justifying your intentions towards me and my feelings into meaningless words! You love me but you hurt me! You need me but you abuse my kindness! You are nothing but the leech my family said you were in the beginning but I didn't listen to them Oskar, and do you know why?! Because I had some delusion in my head that if I loved you enough and showered you with all the love your family never gave you that you would see the errors of your way and change!"

"But I have changed! I want to do so much more now! Look, I've even circled jobs in the newspaper!"

Suzie took a moment to get a hold on her emotions and took in a deep breath. "You have to either sink or swim and I will not sink with you anymore, Oskar. This is done. We're over and I'm leaving and not coming back. Not like I have anything to come back to since you sold all my things! Maybe once you sink, you will finally learn what real struggle and suffering is like."

Arnold knew that the fight was over and grabbed Helga's hand and pulled her back into her room before the couple could catch them outside their door. They heard the room door swing up as the woman stomped down the hallway.

"Suzie wait! I'll get your things back!" the sad man shouted after her.

"It's too late for that Oskar," she replied as her voice got quieter in the distance.

Muffled arguing could be heard as they got further and further away and all Arnold could do was swallow in hopes that their arguing would never reach that point. In fact, if it ever did he would have to keep his promise to Gerald after all.

Helga let out a loud noise of relief before collapsing back on her bed with a squeak from the springs. "Finally! I thought it would never end!"

Arnold scratched the back of his head and nodded. "I know they can be pretty bad… but hopefully that's the first and last time you'll ever need to hear that."

"Geez, if that guy was always that bad then it's her own fault for sticking with him for so long…" She mumbled into her pillow. "Serves her right to get her crap sold."

"Don't say that Helga…" Arnold frowned. "You don't know their relationship."

"I don't?!" she asked loudly, raising her head to look at him in anger. "I just heard it loud and clear for the last hour. He's selfish and insensitive and she's so much of a meat head that wasted 12 years of her life because she couldn't take the hint!"

"You could look at it that way…" Arnold replied, "Or you could see it as she tried her best and fought for what she believed in, even if the end didn't turn out how she wanted."

Helga huffed and rolled her eyes before laying on her back and staring at her ceiling. "At least she eventually called it quits… I gotta give the woman that much," she said softly. "If she had brought a child into this world for that man, that child wouldn't have a very happy life. I'm proof of that."

Arnold understood where she was coming from and sat down on the bed next to her. "That may be true but if you weren't here, I'd never know you," he said, trying to give her some sort of pleasant feeling. "I'd never have my parents back."

"You can't excuse one misfortune for another, Football head. That's not how life works," The girl explained with a grim expression. "If Miriam had called it quits when she should have, neither Olga nor I would exist. She probably would have moved on to get some sorta successful accounting job and maybe even had found a better man. She would be happy. On the other hand, your parents probably would have died due to that sleeping sickness and your life would be sad. How can you measure your happiness over that of my mom's?"

Frowning, Arnold knew she had a point and it made his heart sink. "You're right… I never thought of it that way."

Helga gave a small glance over at him once she heard the sadness in his voice, and regretted her words even if they were true. With a growl, she got up and faced him. "Stop it with that stupid face you're making! I'm alive and here and so are your parents. Things happen for a reason, right? Get over it and move on! Sheesh!"

He could see she was putting her personal feelings aside for him, and let go of a little smile. There was some irony in their situation, however and it only brought on a good lead into the pressing topic of their own relationship and personal feelings. Inhaling a large breath, Arnold straightened his back and gave her a serious look. "Yes, you are alive and I'm very happy about that," He started on a good but serious note, "and I want you to be happy as well."

"Okay….?" Helga said, suspicions now dwelling within her. "What's your point?"

"I know you weren't happy today because I helped out Lila, however I won't change who I am or who I'm friends with just to make you feel better, Helga." He continued even though he knew it would only start another fight. He could see her face beginning to flush and knew if he didn't continue before her outburst, he would never get a word in. "I think its admirable that both your mom and Suzie stuck with their relationships as long as they have even if you think they were both dumb. Everyone has redeeming qualities and not everyone can see them. I'm sure you mom sees something in your dad which keeps her around, just like Suzie saw something in Oskar that she wanted to help bring out. I know you're a wonderful person and I know you mean well even when you're yelling and angry but at the same time, you can't stomp on my feelings to get what you want just like your dad and Oskar. It's not fair to me…"

Helga took in a deep breath to quell her emotions to let the boy continue. She knew that he had probably been thinking about what he would say to her all day, just as she had done the moment she got into her new room.

"Lila is my friend, Helga. I have every right to help my friend, even if you don't like her," Arnold said as he placed his hand close to her leg, trying to show his compassion. "I will always be as patient with you as I can, but if you care about my feelings as much as you say you do… you'll push these feelings of irrational jealousy aside and realize that you've already won." The boy smiled as he said his last two words, hoping he got his point across.

The redness in her cheeks faded and Helga looked away. "It's not as simple as you make it seem. You didn't watch the person you're dating getting all cozy with someone they once liked—nor will you ever because I've never loved anyonebut you."

"But Helga, I wasn't getting 'cozy' with her. I was helping her with math!" Arnold pleaded, hoping he could get her to look back his way.

"Math doesn't require someone to be only centimeters away from the other person's face, nor does it require people to practically hold hands!" she finally shouted, her voice echoing off the walls of her nearly empty room.

"When was I centimeters from her face or practically holding her hand?" he asked, honestly wanting to know at this point.

"Oh, I don't know, when you were out stretched across the table and writing her notes down for her? You might as well have taken her hand and wrote them for her! Oh wait, youdidwrite them for her! Helping her isn't doing her work for her while feeling her breath on your face!" Helga explained. "It almost seemed like helping her was just an excuse to be alone with her now that she's back! Just couldn't wait to get her all to yourself, huh Football head? Just needed to hear all her stupid witty farm jokes in the quiet sanctity of the library!"

Recalling the exact moment she must have seen, Arnold sighed. "Helga, I was showing her a better understanding of fractions by drawing them out. She was having trouble and needed to visually see how breaking them down was done. Yes, I was reaching across the table but would you have rather I sat next to her? I'd have been just as close."

"I'd rather you not have been there at all!" she replied and crossed her arms. "But no! You just had to rise and shine in the moment, offer your help and be the good little teacher's pet you are bysacrificing your time to aid another." She finished with a mocking tone.

"See? And this is the attitude I mean," He said; becoming cross. "I understand that you didn't want me to help her or be alone with her, but you don't get to decide what I do. The library happened to be mostly vacant during that period and I can't help that. We might be in a relationship, but she is still my friend and I have every right to offer my time to help her just like I'm offering my time to talk things out with you here and now."

"So now talking to you is a privilege?" Helga sneered back.

Giving the girl an annoyed and dull look, Arnold rolled his eyes. "You know I didn't say that."

"No but you didn't have to," The girl replied, feeling a little hurt. "You make it seem like you deem peopleworthyof your time and your help as if you're some high authority. This just in, Arnoldo-you're just a regular kid like me!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Arnold shouted, giving her a small shock. "You're right, I am just a normal kid. A normal kid with friends. A normal kid who wants to help his friend." His voice slowly calmed down as he talked. "A normal kid who has these complicated yet fascinating feelings for a girl he wants to help but won't let him. A normal kid with problems that he wants to solve. So stop damning me for being a normal kid who wants to lead a normal and happy life…"

Arnold searched her eyes for understanding as his heart pounded deep within his ribcage. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins as his testosterone was let loose and into his brain. He stared at this complex girl and hoped with everything he had that she would feel what he was feeling. He wanted to reach out and touch her while she was still silent, but his body betrayed him as he remained as still as the dead just peering into her eyes. Would his words and feelings reach her or would her barricades and pride be too thick and stubborn?

The sound of a car passed by outside her open window, causing a draft to blow in and make her off white sheer curtains dance. She had heard his words. She understood their meaning. She could see he was reaching out to her with his eyes of longing, however her throat remained dry and her mouth shut. What could she possibly say to the boy in front of her? Would saying okay be enough? Should she throw herself at him and lose herself in passion? Surely the answer had to be something in the middle but as she wracked her brain, the answer wouldn't come. Instead they both sat quietly, listening to the sounds of the city.

Beginning to feel as though everything was for naught, Arnold let his hormones calm themselves and give way to a lonely feeling. He got up from her bed and headed to her door.

"Dinner is probably gonna be ready soon. I know you didn't eat lunch and probably have been in here since you got home," He spoke quietly as he gave into defeat. "I don't want you to get any more sick than you have been… so please join us?"

As he reached for her door knob, Helga quickly rose and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her forehead against the back of his head. His body was so inviting and warm. His very essence was as comforting as a mother to an infant. Just what was he that he could stir her so?

"Thank you..," She whispered out into his fluffy blond hair.

He could feel his heart begin to race again as he felt her body so close to his. Her words so quietly spoken into his ear made his body tingle all over, causing him to close his eyes and breathe deeply, allowing all his muscles that were once tense to calm down. He could feel her heartbeat against his back and placed a hand over her arms that embraced him so tightly. A shy but delicate smile grew across Arnold's face and he wanted nothing more than to turn around and engulf them in a full embrace; however he knew she was currently doing as much as she could and didn't want to force it.

"You're welcome," He whispered back, simply enjoying the moment of understanding they could share before going down to whatever chaos awaited them in the dining room.

Chapter 23

Chapter Text

The room felt musty and humid, with particles of dust visibly floating through the air. Miriam slouched inside a small arm chair and heaved a heavy sigh as she looked around the place. They had been staying at this motel for a few days now and she hoped things would change soon. Next to her lay her husband on the dingy full size bed, a beer in one hand and a TV remote in the other. In front of him was an old television that was showing some sort of game show that he liked to participate in. Every now and again, the man would yell at the screen or answer the host as if his voice would get through, but never during his TV time did Bob Pataki decide it was a good idea to pay any attention to his bored wife.

Miriam had become much more alert since the fire, as they no longer had anything she liked to drink to dim her senses. The money had to be saved as much as possible in hopes of them finding a permanent place of residency, which Bob made clear even if he himself decided to spend it on himself. After taking the room in and wondering how all this even happened, she gazed over at her husband hoping he would notice her. If she spoke, he would probably ignore her or shout at her to pipe down. This she knew very well. She wanted to discuss their situation, but he would only tell her that he was handling it and not to worry. She wanted to discuss Helga, but all he would say is that she's fine where she is. She wanted to discuss the two of them getting jobs but no matter how she badly wanted to assert herself, the woman knew she would be pushed away.

Next to her on a nightstand sat a newspaper which she idly flipped through. A few ads were circled in hopes of showing her husband, even if she knew the attempt was futile. She picked it up to look over at her choices once more: a housekeeping job, a telemarketer job, a vacuum cleaner sales rep job, and finally a job as a clerk for a small convenient store up the road. All of those jobs would be simple enough for them, even she knew that. At the very least, she didn't mind applying but would only do so once the room was quiet.

A commercial came on which lead Bob to groan loudly and take a sip from his lukewarm drink. He flipped through the channels for a moment but eventually came back to the same channel he was already watching in hopes that the commercial had ended.

"Can you believe these numbskulls? How do these people even get on these game shows knowing absolutely nothing?" He asked out loud.

"I… I dunno, B," Miriam replied, hoping it was directed at her.

He held up the remote and pointed his finger at the screen. "I'd make a killing getting on this show! It's so easy!"

Before the woman could respond, the commercial ended and she closed her mouth.

What were they even doing there anyway? Were they just staying there until the money ran out or was Bob really expecting a phone call? Miriam wasn't really sure, but she wanted to believe in the man as he would typically find his way out of tough situations. There were many times before the girls were born where the two of them had been stuck up a creek without a paddle and through sheer willpower, diligence, and witty speech, Big Bob Pataki ended out on top. Why shouldn't this time be different? She recalled all of their hardships where the man had proved himself to be strong and capable but… was he still that man? She contemplated this until coming to another question, possibly one even more important. Was she the same woman as back then? Definitely not. Before Miriam had decided to settle down and join the Pataki on his life's dreams, Miriam actually was rather confident and intelligent herself. She got all A's in her classes and even took a few college courses on accounting to be able to aid her future life partner in his goals. Although not very athletic, the woman had a fine muscular build and performed quite well in physical activities. She had a love for classical music as well as a few fine arts. Reflecting inwards, was any of that relevant now?

The woman looked down at her frail body. She was worn, aged, and weak. She had little to no self esteem and didn't even know what was going on in her life anymore, let alone anyone else's. All of her talents were meaningless now, and her physique plummeted shortly after her youngest was born. As far as her interests went, her loving husband no longer indulged her in conversations about them, nor took them on dates like he used to. The records she used to own eventually got broken over time with no real urge to purchase them again. Books got lost and trinkets thrown away. Her only real interest now was living day to day in as much peace as possible. Did she know this was selfish? Yes. Miriam was fully aware that her vise was irresponsible; however, she just couldn't bring herself into stopping. Why should she? Everything she once was… was gone. Her husband, the man who was to bring her joy for the rest of her life, through thick and thin, until death do them part was only ever concerned with getting on top and winning the big bucks. Not for his family, of course, but just for his own pride and greed. He always did his best to remain happy so why couldn't she? She's was just as human as the next person. She had wants and needs as well, so why would it be bad to indulge? The obvious answer was putting her family first.

The thought of her daughters swam into the exhausted woman's mind. Olga had been very successful in all of her goals, and proved to be capable, even if a bit fragile at times. Miriam had always wanted to be a mother and once her firstborn came, she put all of her motherly instincts to the test. She nurtured the girl and taught her everything she knew. She would spend nights reading to Olga and coaching her with the wisdom she had acquired over her own lifetime, meanwhile her husband gave her stern and proper pushes in order to help her achieve her goals. Olga was such a bright and shining star from the moment she was born. There was no doubt in her mind that they had done well.

When Olga had reached a mature enough age, she began begging for a sibling. The two parents weren't sure that they would be able to take on such a task but to see their darling daughter's eyes light up always meant the world to them. Miriam couldn't help but want to give in, after all the girl didn't ask for much. The moment she found out she was pregnant; Olga leaped for joy and squeezed her so hard that Miriam thought her head might pop off. Never in her life had she ever seen her daughter so overjoyed. Of course she was always happy when she won awards or was acknowledged, but this was something very different. Her eyes sparkled and her face glowed upon hearing the news. Miriam remembered this day fondly and wished that the days after could have continued that way.

The pregnancy was much harder this time around, putting the poor woman in the hospital many times. The bills began to pile up and Bob put forth many extra hours at the Beeper Emporium to break even. With each passing day, things just seemed to get worse and worse but probably the worst part of all was seeing her husband's disappointed face when finding out they were having another girl. He demanded for a boy, but there was nothing anyone could do. The only person who was happy to hear this news was Olga. The thought of a baby sister to love and hold and teach only made the girl happier. By the time Helga was born, the happy and carefree family had changed into a much dimmer one. Bob was now engrossed in his business and Miriam was beyond exhausted. The baby girl was born healthy but an onset of colic made things very loud and messy. She cried often and didn't sleep much, causing the whole house to lose sleep. Miriam would have to take Helga on car rides in order to calm her down but unfortunately when she had to stop, Helga would wake up and wail. Her head pounded and her body ached. Miriam would beg her husband to give her a break, but he wouldn't budge and would remind her that he had his own job to do. Olga would often offer to help feed the young baby as well as change her, but often Bob would lead the older sister back to her room to study for some sort of test she had coming up or competition she was in. Miriam was alone.

Was Helga alone right now? How was she doing? Miriam really wanted to know but had no number to reach her daughter. She felt like a failure. If only she had jotted her friend's number down when she had the chance… but there was just so much going on. She knew where he lived, but Bob refused to leave the motel.

Feeling guilt rise up from the pit of her stomach, the worn woman looked at her husband's remaining two beers on the bed. She felt the urge to take one but knew it would only lead to the man whining which she wanted to avoid. She didn't even like the taste anyway.

"It's number 9! Pick number 9!" Bob shouted and broke the woman's thoughts. Unfortunately, the contestants did not pick the number he shouted, which caused the boisterous man to slam the remote down on the bed angrily, accidentally turning off the television. "Criminy!" He growled before turning to his wife. "Miriam, what's for dinner tonight?"

The question caught her off guard and the woman found herself fumbling through a bunch of takeout restaurant menus. "Ummm… Well, we had Chinese last night..," she started as she sorted them. "How about Mexican? There seems to be a nice little place down the street."

"Miriam, you know I hate Mexican! Why would you even suggest that?" Bob groaned angrily. "What else is there?"

"Well, there are a few pizza places, or we could order Chinese again?" She suggested, hoping he would just pick one.

"What kind of pizza? Greek or Sicilian?" Bob raised his eyebrow.

"I'm… I'm not sure," The woman replied, defeated.

Bob grabbed the menus out of her hands and began to look through them. Eventually he came to something and threw the flimsy paper back at his wife. "This one. I've seen a few commercials for it so it's gotta be good."

Miriam picked up the menu and looked at it: Luigi's Pizza Palace. "Alright. Would you like me to call and order delivery or do you want to drive over there? They're only about 10 minutes away."

"Do I look like I'm ready to go out to eat?" He asked, motioning to the fact he was in a dirty t-shirt and underwear. "Order for delivery. I want whatever the chef's special is."

Frowning, Miriam picked up the motel room's phone and began to dial the number. She really wanted to leave that room but it didn't ever seem to matter.

After placing the order, Miriam gently put down the phone. Now was her chance to try to talk to him and she knew she had to, even if she felt nervous. "Hey B, Why not go to that nice little boy's house tomorrow and check up on Helga?"

"Who?" Bob asked, picking up his remote again to turn off the buzzing TV.

"H-helga? Our daughter?" Miriam clarified.

"Oh, yeah, the girl. I already told you, she's fine Miriam. Girl knows how to take care of herself and besides," he continued as he flipped through the channels, "What good would it do to visit her? Not like we have some magical lamp to wish back my business and give her, her bed back."

His point was made but lacked concern for the girl's wellbeing at all. Remembering back to the day that Arnold had taken the initiative to help Helga get home, fed and tucked into bed made Miriam feel at ease. It was obvious that the boy cared enough for her daughter to make sure she was okay, but this was now the second day that she would have to be in his care. "It would make… me feel a little better," She replied with a lopsided smile, hoping it would sway him.

Despite his rough exterior, Bob would forever hold a flame for the woman even after all they had been through. Taking in a deep breath and letting out a loud groan, Bob turned to her. "Fine. Tomorrow we'll check up on her but I'm telling ya Miriam, she's fine."

Just then, his cell phone lit up and a small tune chimed from it. Without a second to pass, the man jolted for it and answered. "Yes, this is Bob Pataki," He stated into the small computer. "Yes. Yes. Yes that is my information."

Miriam listened intently in on what he was saying in hopes of them getting some good news but before she could even wish for a glimmer of hope, the man's face turned beet red.

"What do you mean it's still not there?!" He roared into the device. "You listen here, you half-cracked buffoon! I have invested a lot of money into that insurance and there is no reason to why it should have mysteriously disappeared! Either you're not doing your job or someone messed things up and it is YOUR job to fix it!"

With a small frown, Miriam got out of her chair and sat lovingly next to her partner. Luckily she was close enough to be able to hear the caller as well.

"I'm sorry Mr. Pataki, but there isn't anything I can do. We have reviewed your case several times, checked and rechecked our records and unfortunately we have no such records of you owning the insurance you speak of."

"This is absolutely unacceptable! Where did all my money go then?!"

"I would advise you to talk with your bank. If you've made such payments in the past as you've claimed, there should be some sort of information there with them. This is all I can do to help you, I'm sorry," The quiet caller said before promptly ending the call to avoid another loud outburst from the man.

Bob looked desperately at the woman. "Miriam, you remember we had insurance on our building, right? You remember me making out checks to them and paying every single month, right?!"

Miriam nodded. Although her memory wasn't the best, she did recall that he always paid bills on time and thought she recalled some sort of insurance besides the usual health, life and car insurance. "Yes, I do."

The man turned to his phone again and began to punch in the numbers to his bank. He was answered with a robot woman's voice explaining to him that his call was beyond business hours and to call back tomorrow between the times of 9am and 4pm. "You know what? Screw calling them!" He shouted. "Tomorrow I'm going to march down there to the bank and demand to watch them sort through my records. I'll get to the bottom of this if it's the last thing I'll do!"

Miriam closed her eyes and built as much courage as possible to ask her next question. "And suppose they do find a paper trail and find our money… then what, B?" she asked him honestly.

"I'll reinvest the money back into my business, of course." The big man responded proudly. "I already got an offer from a few companies. Not beepers, but an old manufacturing company across seas I used to deal with now makes off-brand cell phones. All I gotta do is start anew."

Nodding in understanding of his ultimate plan, she continued her questions. "But are we gonna… live here while you build a new empire? Shouldn't we buy ourselves a new home before you do that?"

Big Bob took his large meaty hand and rubbed his chin in thought. The topic had been brought up before but he hadn't really put too much thought into it yet.

"You know, like maybe rent an apartment?" Miriam suggested.

"The Pataki's living out of some rundown apartment owned by some shady characters? I don't think so, Miriam," Bob replied angrily. "My family deserves much better than that. I'm a King and a King needs a palace!"

His statement was rather ridiculous sounding as Miriam looked around the room again. They were already renting a room in a rundown place ran by shady characters. "What about a nice apartment? We could use this time to search around..," She said, avoiding saying what she really wanted. If she was going to convince her husband of something she wanted, she had to make it sound like he came up with the idea himself.

"Apartments are out of the question!" He hollered back. "You always pay far too much for what you're getting. You remember all the places we had in the past! Something always breaking and you don't get to choose who lives above or below you."

Now was her chance and she had to seize it carefully. "If only there was some way to avoid that, right B?" The woman began softly as she latched on to his large arm. The man looked down at her and she locked onto his eyes. "We have a decent amount of money left, even without the insurance we're waiting on. I'm sure the bank has a few foreclosed houses they're willing to show us… maybe one we could afford? That way, we won't have to deal with a landlord swindling your money."

Bob heard her words and the wheels in his thick head started to turn. "Hmm… you might be onto something..," He said quietly, still rubbing his chin. "Hey, yeah! Maybe we can even get our old house back! That thing's been up for grabs since they took it from us and we've got way more than enough to buy it back. Heck, I could even get them to lower the price due to all the damages I know it has!"

"You're such a shark, B!" Miriam smiled, knowing her plan had worked.

"Those bozos won't even know what hit em tomorrow…"

Dinner had been served with a thick awkwardness that veiled the room. Helga knew that the others staying in the boarding house were nuts, but never quite knew just how nuts. The food was quickly devoured just as soon as it was set in front of them, as well as pointless arguments and even a few physical altercations. Was this how Arnold always lived? This was even crazier than her own family but at least most of these people weren't related.

As soon as everyone was finished, the boarders left the dining room, leaving Arnold's family to clean up after the animals. Helga felt compelled to help but the moment she lifted up a plate, Arnold's mother shoo'd her away back to her room to get ready for school tomorrow. Not that she minded, however. Helga was never a fan of cleaning dirty dishes especially if they weren't her own.

Helga got back to her room and realized something very important.How am I supposed to get ready for school tomorrow when I don't own anything to get ready with?!she asked herself silently. Rolling her eyes, she wondered if she had any spare clothes left at Phoebe's. After a quick phone call, much to her dismay, she did not.

"I would offer you some of my clothes, Helga, but I'm afraid they'd be too short for you…" Phoebe said sadly over the phone.

Knowing she was right, Helga frowned. "It's okay, Pheebs. I'll think of something," Helga replied as she rested her back up against the wallpaper that lined the hallway she was standing in.

"I wish you luck." Phoebe said hopefully before wishing her best friend goodnight and hanging up to get ready herself.

Helga moaned loudly as she slid her back down the wall and plopped on the floor. She cursed her luck. How desperately she wanted to shower. At this point, she almost wanted to burn her clothes just to get rid of the stench that reeked all over them.

Hearing footsteps coming up the stairs, Helga moved back to her feet just in time to see her beloved emerging out into the clear. The sight of the boy made her insides relax and her heart flutter.

Approaching, Arnold graced her with his splendid smile. "It's almost bedtime here. It gets pretty quiet here at night… will you be needing anything before you go to sleep?" he asked before scratching the back of his neck. "Yesterday you really didn't get the chance to… you know, settle in."

His question only reminded her of her unfortunate luck. "Sure, Football head. Turn back time and save my clothes!" She groaned loudly. "I'd kill for a shower but what am I gonna put back on? These things?!" She finished as she pulled on her pink dress.

Her complaints lit a light bulb in the boy's head. "You could always wash your clothes here. We have a coin-operated washing machine and dryer in the basem*nt. I know it's late but I'm sure my family wouldn't mind if you washed them now, given the circ*mstances."

"That's all well and good but do you just expect me to waltz around here naked while they're washing?!" Helga asked, a touch more irritated before.

Arnold thought for a second. Her dilemma was pretty tricky and unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to fit any of his mother's or grandmother's clothes, nor were there any other females residing in the Sunset Arms. There was only one thing he could think of, but the thought brought a blush to his cheeks and he hesitated before speaking. "Well… I know I'm shorter than you, but maybe I could find you something to wear? Sometimes my Grandma likes to buy me bigger clothes than fit me. I probably have a few shirts in my closet… if that isn't too weird for you."

With eyes wide and dilated, Helga was shocked that he even suggested that. His clothes? Me wearing his clothes?! This has to be a dream come true! I'll sleep like a baby if I can smell him all night! she thought dreamily before snapping back into reality and putting on her usual scowl. "Sounds pretty stupid to me, after all you're really short. I mean, did you ever even hit your growth spurt yet? I bet you'll stay a shrimp forever," She said, poking him in the shoulder playfully. "But at this point I'll do anything to get these off."

Arnold nodded and headed towards his room. "Stay right here and I'll be back. I'm sure I'll find something large enough for you to be comfortable in."

Helga watched as he disappeared into his room and lost balance, nearly falling over. She held onto the wall for support. "Oh my love! To be wrapped in your intoxicating scent would be most divine…" She swooned quietly. Helga began to imagine what he might come down with. Would it be so small that it would be revealing? What if it was something that hugged her curves and made herself look sexy for him? Should she show off her goods? Knowing full well how underdeveloped she still was didn't put a damper on her fantasies and the thought of him giving in to his urges and courting her into privacy only made her swoon harder. If it wasn't hearing his bedroom door opening again, her heart might have actually exploded from excitement.

"This is all I could find…" He said softly, descending his creaky stairs. "It's not much but I hope it at least fits. It's two sizes too big and I'm actually beginning to wonder if maybe this was intended for my Dad at one point and not me."

He held out a plaid shirt that was very similar to the long sleeved one he wore in fourth grade, however it was indeed very large compared to him. She took the garment and looked it over carefully. It was obvious that it had hung in his closet for a long time due to its musty smell but the waft of his scent still hit her nose and made her sigh. She measured it up to her body and gave an unsure face. "It might work but it might as well be a dress on me."

"You're always wearing a dress, Helga." Arnold informed her, a sly look in his half lidded eyes.

Just what is he thinking?!Helga demanded to know but didn't dare ask. "And just what am I going to shower with? I don't suppose you got a random gift box of body supplies in your closet too, do you?"

"No. That I don't have but I could see if my mom will let you use her stuff. You're both girls, after all," He suggested with a shrug.

"Your family has already done enough for me as it is," Helga replied flatly, crossing her arms. "I'm not trying to ask for even more handouts. It's bad enough I have to wear your clothes!"

The boy frowned and understood where she was coming from. Helga wasn't one to accept much help and already her pride had been compromised to its max. "I suppose… you can use my stuff? It's not super manly or anything, just basic run of the mill off-brand that my Grandpa picks me up so I can't guarantee it won't dry out your hair or something…"

Oh my sweet and merciful Angel! With how luscious your hair always is, I highly doubt it would to anything to the straw-like hair I already possess but bless your heart for worrying about its health! Helga cooed in her head. "I suppose it will do… for now anyway," She replied to him with a snort before starting towards the bathroom to lather herself up in whatever velvety soft product he happened to use. "I'll just call my parents tomorrow and hope they give me some money to buy my own stuff for the future."

Quickly Arnold ran back upstairs to grab his shower caddy for the girl in waiting. Back in the day he was able to leave his stuff in the bathroom, however Oskar was now in the habit of using other people's things to avoid getting his own and Phil finally implemented a rule to put a stop to it. "No personal items left in the bathroom or they'll be tossed out!" The thought of her using his things wasn't particularly uncomfortable, after all Gerald had used them a few times during their sleepovers, but he couldn't help but feel a little… happy. Unable to place why, he ran downstairs and handed her his belongings.

"Thanks, Shortman!" she replied with a wink before opening the bathroom door. "I plan on taking a nice long and hot shower so don't wait up!"

"But Helga… You don't know how to get to our basem*nt to wash your clothes and I highly doubt you have quarters for it." Arnold replied with a cross of his arms and an obvious look.

With a short blank stare, Helga realized he was right about one thing: She did not have money but she wouldn't let the cat out of the bag that she knew his building just as well as he did. Letting out an aggravated sigh, Helga slammed the door in his face. "Fine! Just wait in your room and I'll make it quick," she yelled from behind the thick wood barricade.

Arnold chuckled to himself before heading back up to his room to wait. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a few rolls of quarters. He wondered how he should feel about all this. Her wearing his clothes and using his shower supplies; it was almost as if they were married or something.

However Helga knew exactly how she felt: Fantastic! She danced off all of her soiled clothing before turning on the hot shower. She sang to herself while steam quickly filled the room and she gracefully stepped inside. The water felt wonderful on her skin and she could already feel her misery melting away with every water drop. If only she could feel like this forever! Carefree and nakedly dancing in her love's shower. The same shower he uses every day… along with a bunch of other strangers but that wasn't the point! She reached for his aromatic shampoo that she loved so much and lathered her hair up in it. The overwhelming scent of the boy she pined for filled the room and she swooned loudly. "This must be what heaven is like!"

The shower finished with Helga feeling very refreshed as she dried her body off with a fluffy white towel and hung it to dry, before adorning Arnold's overly large clothes. The shirt ended just above her knees but still showed a decent amount of leg. She began to button the shirt up and wondered just how much she should leave open? Buttoning it to mid breast, she looked at herself in the steamed up mirror. "No, I don't have enough to sustain this..." She told herself as she buttoned it up more. All the way up to the final button made her look like a geek, so she unbuttoned it a few until it reached just below her collar bone. It was enough to show off a bit but not too much, leaving much to be wondered by the only boy she ever wanted to see her like that. "This ought to do it!"

Wrapping her hair up in the damp towel, Helga opened the bathroom door, letting all the hot air rush out and giving her much needed oxygen. She filled her lungs before looking back and forth to make sure no one would see her. It wasn't like she was indecent or anything but still. The last thing she needed was one of his creepy boarders to see her almost half naked. After gathering her stinky clothing, she hurried up to Arnold's room and tapped on the door.

"One second," she heard him call out.

"We ain't got all night, Football face so let's take the lead out!" She replied in a hushed but rather warning tone.

Arnold opened his door to reveal that he was already in his bed clothes. "Sorry Helga, I had to get dressed too."

Despite already having seen him in these clothes, the blonde couldn't help but blush a little and withhold a squeal from deep within her. She walked back down his stairs and waited patiently for him to follow. "Lead the way."

Slowly stepping down his stairs in hoping it wouldn't creak too much and disturb anyone, Arnold followed her instructions and began leading her down the second floor, then to a door which led to the basem*nt. It was dark and humid and Helga could smell the scent of laundry that had recently been done.

Arnold flipped on a light switch to illuminate their path. "Come on," He said with a smile, leading her through rooms.

Once at the washing machines, the helpful boy showed her exactly how to load the clothes and how much money to deposit. He noticed that his parents left their laundry soap unattended and handed the bottles to her. "Here."

Helga accepted them and went about her business, leaving young Arnold to watch her as she went. He paid mind into not looking her over too much but couldn't resist the blush that unknowingly mounted his cheeks. He'd seen her in a bathing suit before which showed off way more than his shirt, but something about the way it fell on her just made him feel fuzzy. "You know, even after your parents give you some money to get clothes and supplies, feel free to keep the shirt as sleepwear if you want," He said casually, wanting to help with a little extra to hide.

"You assume they'll even give me money," She growled after shutting the lid on the washing machine loudly. Unbeknownst to him, she was fully aware of his eyes.

"They have to," Arnold replied hastily, "They're your parents. They can't just leave you with nothing."

Helga sighed and turned around. "You act like you've never met them before, Arnold. They've left me to fend for myself since I was four years old. Sometimes with no food, sometimes with no ride in the cold rain or snow. It doesn't matter what's going on," She explained. "Worst comes to worst, I'll ask to borrow some money from Phoebe until they manage to give me some. I've done it before."

Wanting nothing more than to offer her his allowance, Arnold knew full well that she wouldn't take it and would only respond in how she wasn't his charity case. "Alright, but I'll be sure to at least get you lunch money tomorrow."

"Whatever," She said with a flip of her hand before walking in front of him and into a doorway. "How long does the wash usually last?"

"About 35 minutes," He said, allowing her to lead the way as he turned the lights off to save his grandparents' electricity.

"I'll shove them in the dryer, then go to sleep. Do you have an extra alarm I can use to wake up early? I'd rather grab my clothes in the morning before everyone is awake than stay up late and not wake up at all," Helga asked, hoping to dear God that no one would be up to see her in this getup.

Arnold nodded and shut the basem*nt door behind them as they entered the first floor once again. "I should have one in my desk. I use it sometimes when I'm afraid my usual alarm won't wake me."

The boarding house was very quiet and as the two preteens made their way through the house, it seemed like every single noise that was made was echoing. They both rushed upstairs until they got to her bedroom. "I'll wait here and you grab it." Helga stated as she opened her door and leaned against the doorway.

She watched as he ran up his stairs and disappeared before making her way to her bed and unfolding the top comforter. Wondering how comfortable the bed would be on the inside, she gently lay down and pulled on the covers. It was significantly warmer than she expected and knew she'd have to keep her window open. She wiggled around to feel the springs resist against her. The bed was clearly old but not older than her old mattress.This will work, she thought, removing the damp towel from her hair and throwing it on the ground.

Hearing Arnold beginning to head her way, she quickly removed the blankets and sat in a cross legged position. If she was gonna show off anything worthwhile, her legs were her only go-to. Helga cleared her throat and did best to get comfortable as she awaited her company.

"Sorry it took so long…" Arnold said as he fidgeted with the small palm sized alarm clock. "It needed batteries."

"No big deal," Helga replied casually, waiting for him to look up.

After a small click of the bottom compartment snapping together, Arnold looked up to walk towards her but stopped in his tracts.

"What is it?" She asked coyly, knowing full well what it was. "You gonna give me the alarm clock or not?"

The image of her sitting in his clothes, suggestively positioned, as well as her damp, wavy hair cascading down her shoulders made a shiver go down the boy's spine. Her image almost reminded him of that weird dream where they were locked in their classroom together. With a gulp, Arnold managed to budge his firmly planted feet from the floor to hand off the clock. "Yeah… Here."

"Thanks!" She said as she quickly snatched it out of his hands and placed it on the nightstand next to her, beginning to set her alarm.

Arnold felt compelled to watch her every move and it stunned him as if taking his eyes off her, even for a second, would be the most regretful thing he had ever done. The way the shirt rose a little up her thigh as she stretched to fiddle with the buttons, the way her hair fell in front of her face and made her brush it away. Did she know how she was making him feel? The urge of walking over to her and getting as close as possible washed over the young man, but his body remained stunned in place.

"You know, if you take a picture it will last longer, Football head," She said, snapping him out of his daze.

A flood of red came over what felt like his whole body as he realized she knew he was watching her. Quickly he spun around to look at her open doorway. "I-I'm Sorry!" He shouted a little too loud for that time of night. "I r-really didn't mean to s-stare!"

Helga let out a small chuckle before finishing her task and looked over at the straight standing soldier. She could help but feel a little sorry for him, even though it was her fault he was feeling so embarrassed now. It was amazing to think that, just mere hours ago, their relationship was on the verge of ending and now she was successfully entrapping him into something that easily came out of a romantic comedy.

Maybe Gerald was right…Arnold thought as he tightly closed his eyes and tried to focus the inevitable red coloring on his skin to go away. Maybe I don't have as much discipline and self control as I thought. But the image seared into his mind wasn't leaving anytime soon.

Feeling a bit sorry for the kid, Helga let out a soft sigh and knew she shouldn't torture him anymore. He was far too innocent for her to play games with this early on, even if it was fun. "It's not really that big of a deal, you know," she spoke, gaining his attention but not enough for him to turn around. "I mean… I am your girlfriend after all, right? If anyone has a right to look at me, it's you."

Arnold's body quaked a little from the permission she was giving him but he refused to turn around even still. "That might be, but it was still very rude of me. I really didn't mean to stare..." He said with frustration in his voice.

Now becoming annoyed with the fact he was being this knightly, she let out a small growl. "Stop being such a dweeb and turn around, Criminy!"

Her demand sent him to obey and Arnold turned back around. She was sitting normal on her bed, covers a little bit messed up and with an annoyed face. The hue still hadn't fully receded but he was still working on that.

"What's so bad about you seeing me? It's not like I'm giving you a peep show," She continued on, trying to defend him for himself.

"B-but still..," he responded, looking at the floor before her, in a low voice, clearly ashamed for his acts. "My Grandpa always taught me to respect others' privacy and this is no different."

"And I clearly wasn't asking for privacy, now was I?" Helga responded with a stern voice. She couldn't help but notice that the boy was still blushing and doing his best to look at the floor and not her. She knew not to take this as an insult but his awkwardness only made her feel a little self conscious. "And… now you're making me feel awkward..," she said, feeling her own face become rosy. Helga had always been rather self-confident, even with her newly blossoming body, but she was beginning to feel exactly how Arnold was feeling: embarrassed. Tucking herself underneath her bed covers, Helga pulled the comforter up to her neck and got comfortable. "Better?" She asked, hoping he would at least look at her now.

Arnold picked his head up and nodded. "Yeah, thanks..," he said sounding rather relieved which made Helga feel a bit worse. He walked over to her bed and sat down next to her, resting his arms over his knees. "I didn't mean to make things awkward. Sorry if I offended you at all… It's just…." His voice trailed off into thought.

"Just new to you?" She suggested, causing him to glance over at her in surprise. "It's not like this isn't new for me too." Her voice sounded honest and almost girlish. "Not only am I living with you, but I gotta rely on you for a while too. You're not the only one feeling uncomfortable, Arnoldo." She finished and nudged his shoulder with her own.

"Yeah…" Arnold agreed, giving Helga a small smile. "It's strange to think how so much can change within such a short period of time. While I was at the park with Gerald, we were talking about how it seems like just yesterday we were entering the third grade where our only real concerns were waking up super early to catch Saturday morning cartoons." He paused for a second, letting it all sink in again. "It's weird, isn't it?"

Helga let out a huff and crossed her arms. "You think that's weird?" she challenged with her usual harshness, "Try fawning after someone day and night for practically your whole life from the shadows, following them, making altars and poems of them and…" As she continued, she realized how much information she was spilling and cleared her throat, "and ignore I said all that," she said with a squeaked, high pitched voice, causing Arnold to let out a small giggle in response. "Point is, try wanting to have someone notice you and then… they finally do. And you live with them. And are using their shampoo and clothes, for cripes sake! That's a little weirder, dontcha think?"

Although he could probably never imagine what this all felt like for her, he did understand where she was coming from. "Try living your whole life practically without parents, thinking they're probably dead just to suddenly have them back again. It's like a dream."

They looked at each other in content silence for a while before Arnold rose back to his feet. "It's getting late and you gotta be up early. I'll let you sleep."

Helga watched him as he walked over to her door and grasped the doorknob. Honestly, she didn't want him to leave but knew it was not only unacceptable for him to stay but would be highly frowned upon by his family. "Good night, Arnold." she said with her shy true voice, letting all her worries and defenses go.

Smiling, Arnold chose to not look back as he knew it would only make him want to stay longer. If only they could always be like this. "Good night, Helga." He said softly before quietly leaving and shutting the door behind him.

Helga let her body collapse back on the bed with a longing sigh. "If only this could last forever…"

The very moment the sun peaking through the hotel's window blinds pierced Bob Pataki's eyelids, he awoke with a mission. He pushed his sleeping wife beside him. "Wake up Miriam, it's time to go," he said, determined, before getting out of bed and searching for a pair of decent pants.

"Huh?" Miriam moaned out with a tired, groggy voice. "Where are we going?"

"To the bank, remember?" Bob answered, thrusting one leg through his pants, then the other. "We gotta find out just where our money is and possibly con them into giving us our house back."

His voice was like music to her ears. Miriam smiled and sat up in bed. "Oh yeah, yeah. I remember."

"Good, now hurry up and get ready." Bob gave his wife back a small smile, something he didn't do often enough. "We got a lot of work to do today."

Chapter 24

Chapter Text

Mornings were always hard for Helga, from when she was just in preschool to even now. However, this time instead of attempting to wake her parents to help her get ready and bring her to school, this time she was setting an alarm for 5am to rush down the stairs to a basem*nt she wasn't too familiar with, to retrieve her clothes and throw them in the dryer before anyone awoke. She put her quarters in the machine and forcefully pushed the sliding mechanism, causing it to click and begin its process. It would be about another hour before they were done, but considering they were only a few articles of clothes, she figured it would only be about half the time.

Helga looked around for something comfortable to sit on while she waited. She didn't dare go back upstairs and possibly wake someone up or worse, have to interact with someone. Looking behind her, she noticed there was a stool in front of what seemed to be a folding table for clothes. It wasn't the most comfortable seat but it would do.What am I supposed to do for 30 minutes down here?She wondered while looking around even further. There wasn't much in the laundry room aside from the washer and dryer, folding table and a cupboard with various detergents that she assumed the tenants used. To the left, Helga noticed the Laundry room rules.

"Rules huh? People need rules to wash clothes?" She asked herself with an arch of her eyebrow. "Let's see what we got here… Use quarters only? Well duh." She started with an amused voice. "Fold socks, garters first? I don't even want to know who wears garters in this house… Clean lint trap after every cycle, wash sheets on Mondays only… pretty normal, riding in clothes dryer is forbidden without an adult?! What the heck kind of place is this?!" Helga became astonished the more she read, wondering more and more about the life Arnold led that she wasn't even aware of. "Modern music is not allowed on Thursdays and Saturdays? What difference would it make what music is played? And there isn't even a stereo in here! Do not wash fuzzy slippers? I wonder how Gerald feels about that." She said with a smirk. "No standing in your birthday suit in order to wash everything." Helga looked down at her attire and wondered to herself if anyone else had ever been in the same predicament as herself; having only one pair of clothes. "Last but not least… smoking permitted inside washer on rinse cycle? There is so much to that one I don't even know where to start!" Helga shook her head and leaned her back on the small table. The sides dug into her skin, but she managed to deal with it. Just how long had she been down there? Probably only a few minutes but it was beginning to feel like eternity…

After wandering around the small space, looking at the random detergents and reading their ingredients out of boredom and even some self contemplation, the sound of freedom finally rang through the girl's ears. "Beeeeep!" the small alarm clock she brought with her sang as it signaled that 30 minutes had passed.

"Finally!" She exclaimed as she went over to the dryer and pulled open its door, causing it to suddenly stop. She pulled her clothes out and felt them all over. They were hot but didn't feel damp to her. "Great! Now all I gotta do is change into these bad boys and I'll be all set for school!"

Just as she began to unbutton the oversize shirt Arnold had given her, she heard footsteps above her head. Looking over at her alarm clock and pressing a button to show the time, Helga became nervous. "It's not even 6am yet! Why are there people awake?!"

She knew people probably had to wake up for work but what were the chances of them doing laundry this early? Searching around for a place to conceal herself, Helga noticed that there was a small corridor that lead into the depths of the basem*nt where they stored various furniture. Rushing over to it, Helga managed to duck behind the stairs. It seemed safe enough to change there even if someone did decide to intrude on her private time.

Much to her relief, Helga changed her clothes in peace and walked back upstairs. She quietly opened up the door that lead into the first floor hallway and looked around. There was a light on in the kitchen and she could smell food being made. "Arnold's looney grandma must be cooking…" She whispered to herself, sneaking down the hallway and up the stairs to the second floor. As she approached its clearing, she noticed a line of people in front of the bathroom. Walking by them to get to her bedroom, Helga overheard them arguing about who was first in line to shower."Criminy, this place is a walking nut house!"

Opening up her room door, Helga began to relax and sat down on her bed. All was finally well and she could properly get ready for school.

The large sliding glass doors automatically opened as Big Bob Pataki entered through with Miriam close behind. The bank was large with many tellers to his left and a few office spaces to his right. Unsure of which to go to, he promptly stomped over to one of the offices and placed his sweaty hands on the man's shiny wooden desk.

"I demand to speak to a manager!" He bellowed out to the man, who was no more than a foot away from him and shuttered at the loud voice.

"What seems to be the problem, sir?" The small man asked cautiously before looking around to spot a security guard just in case.

"It seems some of my hard earned money is missing and I want to know the meaning behind this!" Bob answered; pulling out a chair and sitting down. "I'm sure you've heard of Big Bob's Beepers, right? Well that's me! Big Bob Pataki!"

"Oh yes! I know of you." The man replied with a weary smile. "Shame what happened to your business. It was going so well too… but you know what they say, technology waits for no man."

"Yeah whatever…" Bob sneered, "I'm sure you know by now that some strange fire caused my store to burn down. After opening the doors about 12 years ago, I made sure I bought insurance on that building just in case of something like this. Enough to cover both the buildingandthe supplies inside."

The man nodded. "Yes, that sounds logical enough."

"Except when I called my insurance company, they said they had no record of such things! I demand an explanation!" Bob hollered out again before slamming a fist down on the poor man's desk. "I've already spoken to everyone I could there and was told to come here next. I have to have some sort of statements or copies of checks I've made out to them here, right?"

Stroking his small black goatee, the man listened to Bobs outbursts. "Indeed. We should have some sort of records pertaining to your payments of all sorts, so long as they were made from your account." The man passed Bob a notepad and pen. "Write down all your account numbers along with your private pin and I'll see what I can't pull up."

Bob did as the man asked and wrote down a few numbers and slid the notepad back to the banker. "Should be all there."

"Splendid." The man said as he looked at Bob's writing. "This should only take a few minutes. You may go ahead and sit in the waiting area over there. There is some complimentary coffee as well, if you'd like."

Bob grumbled in response but did as suggested. "Come on Miriam." He said to his patient wife.

As the man turned on his computer, he found the necessary program and began to enter Bob's information. He found the account in question and noticed that the angry business man was right and there had been numerous payments to an insurance policy. Interested, he began to research the possible explanations to why or how those payments could have disappeared. He himself decided to call up the branch. He spoke with a few different people, and after being on hold for quite some time, he finally got someone who could help. He explained that he was from the First Financial Institute of Hillwood and had his client Robert Pataki with him and that he was in fact looking at payments made to them.

"That's odd…" The insurance agent said over the phone. "I have the account here that is owned by your client but there is nothing here regarding payments at all. His policy seems to be written up fine but I can't seem to find anything proving he ever went further with it. How much money did you say he has paid over the last 12 years?" The banker tallied up the amount and responded with the large number, causing the agents eyes to go wide. "That's definitely alarming. I'll have to contact our security team because there could have been a possible breach in our system. Let your client know I'll call him back when I get some information and that this will be hopefully settled soon."

The banker hung up the phone and hailed Bob over with a smile on his face. "Good news, sir." He started, "It seems that we have plenty of information pertaining to your payments. I have called your insurance company and spoke to the proper personnel. They believe your accounts information may have been compromised and will get to the bottom of it for you. They'll call you back as soon as they have it all sorted out."

"Well it's about time!" Bob shouted, causing some of the man's papers to blow off the table. "Why couldn't they have figured that out when I called them?!"

The man picked up his papers and reorganized them. "I'm sorry sir, but I do not have an answer for that. It's possible that they may have been under some sort of cyber attack recently and feared you were a scammer out to get more information." He suggested with a shrug. "Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

Miriam tugged at her husband's shirt and gazed up at the brute. "Why yes there is, isn't there B?"

Letting the wheels in his head spin for a second, he eventually realized what she was hinting at. "Oh yeah, there is one more thing. I'd like to get my house back that you people took from me!"

"Ah I see. Well as much as I would love to serve you for that purpose, I'll have to direct you to someone more suitable to help with that." The man answered before walking from around his desk and ahead of the couple. "If you would follow me right this way…"

Bob looked over at Miriam and gave her a sly smile. Things were finally looking up for the Pataki's.

School continued as usual once the students of P.S 118 got into their classrooms. Whispers circled around about what might have happened the day prior, but Helga ignored them and continued on with her day. So what if they wanted to make rumors about her? Not like that was new. They didn't need to know her business anyway.

Arnold, however, felt a little bit different. He worried that more drama could cause harm to Helga and did his best to wave off suspicion.

"Guys, it was just a misunderstanding." He told Rhonda and Nadine who were hot on the topic.

Rhonda turned to Lila, who sat far behind her. "Is that true? It's hard to imagine a misunderstanding with something as simple as a tutoring session in the library!"

"Sounds to me like Helga up to her usual antics." Nadine chimed in with a smirk, giving Rhonda a nice laugh.

Lila quietly began to put her supplies from the last class away and prepared for the next. "Oh Rhonda, I'm ever so certain that it was as Arnold said. Helga simply misunderstood Arnolds intentions when helping me, is all." She smiled.

"And what would she even care?" Rhonda asked her before turning to Arnold with a follow up question. "Don't you like-like Lila, Arnold? Wouldn't it be natural for you to want to help her?"

Arnold cringed at the question. "Rhonda, would you please keep your voice down?" He pleaded with her in a quiet voice, looking around to see if Helga might be listening. Luckily for him, she was in the middle of ripping some paper in order to crumple it up and toss it in the trash can near her. Turning back to Rhonda, he gave the posh girl a grim expression. "No, I don't like-like Lila anymore." He replied, ignoring Rhonda's first question as to not incriminate the secret relationship.

"And why not? What's not to like about her? She's pretty, smart and fashionable!" Rhonda cried out, even louder than before. Suddenly she let out a gasp, "Could it be…?" She asked him, then turned her chair around to face the country girl, "Are you and Arnie an item now?!"

Lila giggled and let out a small blush as she placed her hand on her cheek. "As much as I'd like that ever so much… that unfortunately isn't the case."

Arnold could see that Rhonda's attention was now fully absorbed in a new topic, and he felt his job had been done. It wasn't long until Mr. Simmon's started their next topic and the class settled down.

The bell rang signaling the children that it was now lunch time and everyone quickly ran out of their seat and into the hallway in route to their new destination. Pushing and shoving ensued but Helga eventually made it to the front of the lunch line, with Phoebe quickly behind her.

"What seems to be the hurry, Helga?" Phoebe asked curiously as Helga was normally nonchalant about lunch time.

"Nothing much, just not trying to miss anymore meals." She replied as she got her plastic tray. "And besides, there is tapioca pudding today."

"Ah, I see." Phoebe replied with a smile. "Have you gotten your appetite back already? I'm surprised, to be honest. Normally trauma such as you've experienced can take quite a hold on people and cause them to not eat for weeks, maybe even months."

Not wanting to let Phoebe know that the reason she hadn't been eating was due to lack of funds, Helga simply went along with it. "Well you know me, Pheebs. I'm always quick to bounce back." She said, returning the smile before quickly snatching a cup of pudding before anyone else had a chance.

They all sat down in the lunchroom and carried on the usual conversations: school, television shows, music and the movies that were coming out soon.

"I can't wait for Fight Fest 6!" Helga exclaimed as she chewed an extra chewy chicken nugget. "I've been waiting all year for this!"

"I'm particularly excited about the Romance of the Three kingdom movie adaption coming out next week." Phoebe added to the conversation.

"You?" Helga asked her best friend with a surprised look, "Interested in a romance movie?"

"Nah Helga, you got it all wrong!" Gerald answered, waving his fork in the blonde girls face. "The Romance of the Three kingdoms is actually about a war between Chinese kingdoms."

Phoebe's eyes gleamed as she looked towards her boyfriend. "Why Gerald, I had no idea you were interested in it also." Although she still had lingering feelings of frustration towards him due to their argument the other day, it warmed her heart to know that they were interested in such a thing. Gerald gave her a wink before continuing to eat his food and she turned back to Helga. "The story, which is part historical, part legend and part mythical, depicts the lives of feudal lords and their retainers, who tried to replace the dwindling Han dynasty and restore it. It's widely known and beloved all over East Asia and is even compared to Shakespeare!"

"Sounds pretty interesting Phoebe." said Arnold as he listened on while enjoying his own lunch.

"Man, you got no idea!" Gerald replied to him. "It's got all sorts of crazy battles and rebellions."

Everything seemed to go back to normal between the sixth graders as if the commotion from the other day didn't even happen.

Soon lunch was over and everyone got up to throw away their trash, still hot in their conversations, unaware that they had been being watched from across the lunch room the whole time. This person was patiently awaiting their opportunity to talk to a specific someone.

In the hallway, Helga had split up from the others to quickly use the bathroom before class started. Just after she was done and exited the girl's room, that specific someone was waiting for her.

"Uh… Helga…" She was suddenly tapped on the shoulder which made her quickly turn around and attack whatever surprised her. Per usual, her fist sent poor Brainy flying across the hallway and into the wall.

"Criminy! Why you sneaking up on me you weasel?" She shrieked before calming herself down and brushing off the spot he had touched.

Brainy centered his glasses and stood straight up with a smile. "Hi…" He said between breathes.

"What do you want?!" She asked, clearly frustrated. "Were you waiting for me to use the bathroom? Just how creepy can you get?!"

Brainy was unaffected by her insults and simply handed her a piece of paper. "…Here" He wheezed with a smile as she snatched it away.

"What's this?" Helga asked before even opening it up to look.

"Look." He replied before turning around and heading back to class, leaving Helga alone in the hallway confused.

Without a second to lose, Helga unfolded the piece of paper and read its contents:

"My dearly beloved… It breaks my heart to know that your home has burned down along with all your precious possessions however I know you're strong enough to prevail. I long to speak with you again, although we both know that's impossible in person. Please do me a great honor and going to the computer lab after school. I have written you an email that I hope you might find interesting. Of course, if you have other engagements, I understand and hope that sometime soon you'll be able to make time for a plebian as myself."

Helga scratched her head and reread it a second time. "What's up with him?" She wondered out loud before crumpling up the paper and tossing it in a trash can on the way to class.

The rest of school went on as planned until the bell rang again, signaling for the end of the day. All the students cheered and rushed out of class. Arnold waited by the door patiently for Helga to gather her things so they could walk back to the Sunset Arms together.

"Ready to go?" He asked casually as he watched her throw her backpack over her shoulder.

"Sorry, Arnoldo but you'll be walking home alone today." She replied with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I have other plans."

The news caught the boy off guard. "How come?" he asked with a discouraged face.

"None of your beeswax!" She shouted at him as she pushed her way passed and out the classroom door. Noticing that he was still standing there, she turned around and sighed. "Look, I'm just going to the computer lab to… to…" She stammered as she thought of an excuse. "To do some research. I'll be back at your place in no time so don't worry."

"Alright." Arnold responded with a slanted smile. "See you at home, Helga."

"Yeah, sure." She said before watching him walk away. Her heart sank and she knew she let the boy down by passing up the chance to walk 'home' with him.Home? He wants to walk home with me? Our home?! Curse my wretched soul for letting down the boy of my dreams for some geeky no body. I'll make it up to you somehow, my prince~She sang in her heart as she made it to the computer lab.

She opened up the door and turned on the lights. All of the computers were still on but there was no one in sight.

"Perfect, no one around to nose around in my business…" She said to herself as she sat down and moved the mouse around to turn on the idle computer screen. Quickly she clicked the app on the desktop that would take her quickly to the student portal in which she spoke with Brainy. Surely enough, she had one message in her inbox. "Now let's see whatGoldenHerowants."

"To: Helgoth
From: Golden Hero
Subject: My report,

Fairest Helga,

It is unbearable to watch you suffer but as the time swims through our decaying bodies, so does the unfortunate experiences which plague us. The sun will soon shine over you, my love. To that, I ensure- or rather it would be more proper to sayinsured.You'll will know what I mean in due time. Just know that I will forever be looking out for you, my dearest. I know now that you're in good hands and I look forward to watching your happiness from henceforth.

Forever your hopeless servant,
-GoldenHero"

Helga stared at the screen for a while with a questioning look on her face. At this point, she was no stranger to the fact that the kid insisted on invading her privacy and looking out for her, nor could she blame him for his reasons were the exact same as her own with Arnold, however she could help but feel something fishy might be going on.

"Just what is that spiky haired weirdo up to?" She asked herself as she clicked the reply button.

"To: GoldenHero
From: Helgoth
Subject: Re-My report,

I'm not sure what exactly you're getting at bucko, but unless you want a swift kick to the face I would advise you to stop butting into my business. It's nice to know that you care and all but seriously Brainy, enough with all this cryptic nonsense. I have better things to do with my time than wondering what you're up to.

-Helgoth"

"There, that oughta do it." Helga said simply as she pressed send before leaning back in the computer chair for a small stretch, pleased with her response. "Maybe this will get him to back off."

It only took Helga a short time to reach her new strange home. She opened up the door, instinctively stood back to let whatever animal wanting to get out, do exactly that, then waltzed on in. The day had been a rather uneventful day in her eyes and the only thing she could really think of doing at that moment was reaching her room and starting on the little amount of homework she had.

Helga climbed the stairs and headed to her bedroom. Pulling out the small room key, she unlocked the door and let herself in. The sight of her new bedroom was still rather foreign to her; however it was still much more welcoming than an old utility closet with her stuff crammed in. Despite not even having her things anymore, it was almost as if a weight had been lifted off of her small shoulders to not have to be reminded of her family.

Dropping her backpack on her bed, the girl rummaged through it to find the notebook and worksheets that she needed to complete by tomorrow. She took her things over to the desk provided and sat down. Things around her were very quiet, almost to an eerie sense. She did her best to concentrate on her work, but without any noise from a television or music or even the loud yelling she was used to hearing from her father, everything felt too strange. Although Helga finally was given the much needed break from her family, she was soon realizing just how uncomfortable it was beginning to feel.

"Maybe the Football Head has some music I could borrow…" She wondered out loud before sliding away from her desk and getting up. Just as she was about to open her bedroom door, a knock startled her causing her to jump a little. "Criminy! What is it?!" She yelled to the door as she placed her hand over her quickly beating heart.

"It's Arnold's Grandpa!" Shouted the elderly man's voice from beyond the door. "You got a visitor!"

"A visitor?" Helga questioned herself before opening up the door and seeing both her parents standing before her eyes along with her new landlord.

Phil looked between the family with amusem*nt before adjusting his suspender with a loud snap and backing away. "I'll leave you guys to it then!" He said as he let out a jolly chuckle and disappeared down the hallway.

At first Helga was surprised to see the two of them standing them, but then the unavoidable annoyance of looking at their faces washed upon her. She rested her body against the doorway and scowled. "What do you two want?" She asked harshly.

Bob narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "That's no way to talk to us, little lady. Now straighten your posture and let us in. We didn't come to this flea bitten boarding house for fun."

With a heavy sigh, Helga backed away from the door and gave her parents the much needed opening to enter. "Then whatdidyou come here for?" She asked, watching the two's expression as they entered the room and looked around briefly.

"We have some good news, honey!" Miriam said with a smile as she shut the door behind her. "Your father and I have just come from the bank and they think they've figured out where all our insurance money went! Isn't that exciting?"

Helga rolled her eyes. "Yeah about as exciting as getting a flu shot."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Bob shouted back at her. "This means we should be getting you out of this place soon."

"And what if I don'twantto leave this place soon?" Helga asked honestly. "I have a decent room and actual meals every day."

"You call this decent?" Bob responded as he walked over to the peeling wallpaper and flicked it with his stubby fingers. "This place is a rat's nest! No daughter of mine should have to live like this if I have any say in it."

"And since when have you cared about my wellbeing, Bob?" The young girl replied with skepticism in her voice. "I have no money, no clothes and everything I owned is dust! I've gone days without eating before and not once were you ever concerned."

"Excuse me?!" Bob hollered as his arms shot straight up in the air with shock. "I've busted my butt your whole life for this family!"

"Yeah soyoucould live comfortably." Helga stated, completely unaffected by his show of anger. "But what about me? Have you even once wondered how I've been doing since our stuff all burned down? Have you bothered to call and check on me?! I'm living in a house full of weirdos for Christ's sake! Who knows what could happen to me here!"

Miriam placed her hand on her young daughters shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. "That's why we're here now, Helga." She said quietly, gaining the girls attention. "It was to make sure you're doing okay and give you the good news."

"And how is this even good news, Miriam?" Helga continued to interrogate. "So everything can go back to the way it was? So you can go back to being dazed and confused all day? So Bob can go back to his delusion that we're 'on the map' and important again? So I can go back to being called Olga everyday and wondering if either of you even know I exist?!" She shouted, letting her emotions get the better of her. "If it wasn't for Arnold letting me stay here, who knows where I'd be! Probably sleeping on some floor full of piss and roaches while you guys forget about the real problems we have here!"

Her words hurt her mother, and only angered her father more. With a stomp of his foot, he caused a shake in the old building in order to gain an upper hand over his daughter. "Don't you dare talk that way to us! Whether you like it or not, we're your parents and we deserve respect! Not this baloney you're spewing to make yourself feel better!"

Helga gritted her teeth at his remark. "You've never once given me any ounce of respect so I'll be damned I give you any."

"I don't need this!" Bob yelled as he stomped to her door and swung it open so hard it practically broke off its hinges. "Come on, Miriam! We're leaving. Maybe when the girl has fallen off her high horse, we'll be able to have a real conversation!" He finished before disappearing from their sight.

Miriam stood there looking between the wide open door and her infuriated daughter. Not wanting to feel her husband's wrath later, she knew very well that she had to be hasty. The woman opened up her purse and handed Helga what little money she had. "Here, take this so you can buy the things you need." She said softly, looking into the girls face. "It may not be enough right now but once the bank and your father settle things, there's actually a good chance of buying back our old house…"

The redness in Helga's face began to fade a little as she listened to her mother's words. "And how do you know Bob will actuallybuy backour house?" She asked. "How do you know he won't use that money to invest our lives into some other failing business that he can't keep afloat?"

Miriam walked over to the door and placed her hand on its old brass knob. She looked into the hallway and could see that the commotion had caused interest in a few of the tenants. "Because…" She started with a heavy heart before turning around to face her daughter again. "I haven't always been the best mom to you Helga, but I don't want to see this family torn apart even more than it already is."

The woman's honesty caught the angry girl off guard as she listened quietly, wanting desperately to believe what she was hearing.

"I'm still his wife and I still have some strings I can pull." Miriam smiled. "Don't worry." She finished before leaving and quietly closed the door behind her, leaving her daughter full of thoughts and emotions that she couldn't even begin to sort through.

Helga looked down into her hand at the money her mom had just given her. She flipped through the bills and counted. It was only $60 but it would at least get her a few pairs of clothes and some shower things.

It didn't take long for the inevitable knocking at her door to happen. "Come on in, Arnold." She said full of exhaustion as she turned around to pick up the shoes she had so recently taken off to put back on.

The door opened up and the boy peeked his head through, watching her as she slipped on each shoe, unsure of what to start out with.

"I'm sure you and the whole block heard us just now." She said openly, tying her laces. "So don't even bother to ask questions like you don't already know."

"Okay." He said simply, letting himself in. He could see that she was torn out from the fight and didn't want to push her. "Are you okay?"

"Just peachy!" She angrily shouted; standing up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some shopping to do." She said, pushing him out of her way and leaving, knowing full well that he would follow her. "Miriam gave me a little bit of money so now I won't have to mooch off you so much."

"I see." Arnold replied, closing her door behind him and rushing to catch up to her brisk steps.

Helga rushed downstairs and put back on her jacket, waiting for her partner to catch up and do the same. "And before you ask, no I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay." Arnold said again as he slipped his arms through his own jacket. "Want me to ask my Grandpa if he'll drive us to the store?"

"No, a walk will do me a lot better than being cooped up in that musty old car." Helga responded as she brushed passed him and out the door.

They both left the Sunset Arms in route of the nearest retail store.

Arnold shoved his hands in his pocket and stared up at her curiously, still unsure of what to say. She had already told him not to ask questions and indeed he had heard practically the whole fight as his room was only above hers. Should he make small talk? Probably not because she seemed to be in the mood to bite off anyone's head who looked at her funny. Why did things have to be so complicated?

Meanwhile Helga repeated the fight in her mind over and over as she gripped the money tightly in her pocket. She knew her father was just a blow hard who looked out for himself, but was it really possible to get their house back? And if so, how would they even begin to pay its expenses? Bob didn't have a job, nor did Miriam. They had no more furnishings to even put in the house, so what would be the point? Helga wondered what sort of leverage Miriam had on Bob that made her so confident that he would even bother to go through with getting the house back and not just throwing it all away in stocks or something. What would she doifthey managed to buy back the house? Would everything really go back to normal? Did Helga want to go back to her usual routine? After only living with Arnold for a little while, she was already beginning to enjoy it there. His family was warm and welcoming, there was always food offered to her- even though she refused it a lot of the time out of pride, she had her own sense of responsibility that actually did her some good. Wouldn't moving back with Bob and Miriam be taking a step back?

Helga looked down at Arnold who seemed to be occupied in the cracks on the sidewalk. She wondered what he was thinking, although she figured she probably knew.That worry wart is probably racking his brain around what to say or do around me right now... but honestly I don't even know what to say to him. I could just start venting out loud and ranting and raving down the sidewalk, but he already knows how I feel. He knows how they are. He knows what they said! I just can't stand them anymore!She could feel her face turn hot with anger again as she thought of her parents. Maybe ranting would make her feel a little bit better.

"You wanna know what I think is hilarious?" Helga asked him, still looking straight in front of her and concentrating on her destination. She could feel his gaze upon her and decided to continue. "That for the very second I actually start to enjoy the peace and quiet, they have to come out of nowhere and ruin it all!" She let out a forced laugh. "I mean, here I am, doing my homework and minding my own business when suddenly they show up out of nowhere? And for what? To check up on me? They didn't even bother to ask how I was! All Bob did was start talking crap about my room and saying they had good news. No 'How have you been Helga?', no 'How's life with everything you grew up with destroyed?' What a joke!"

Arnold could feel a pain in his heart as she spoke. It's true that they hadn't bothered to even call in the two days she was with him; however their visit wasn't even long enough to even bring up the subject of how she was. "What was the good news?" He asked just to let her continue venting.

"That they're planning on buying back our house, as if that would do them any good!" Helga responded with another forced laugh.

"It would be a good start at getting your lives back together, though." He replied in her parents defense.

"No, a good start would be both of them getting jobs and having stable income tosupportthe house they want back!" She shrieked as she looked down at the yellow haired boy. "Are you kidding me, Arnold? Even a pre-schooler could figure that out!"

Arnold knew she had a good point but couldn't fault her parents for at least trying. "At least they're attempting to walk in the right direction, right?"

Helga immediately halted and glared at him angrily. "Sure it would be a great start if they had some sort of plan on income but do you want to know what their plan is? Huh, smart guy?" She asked, seething through her teeth. "They're planning on paying for the house and whatever else we need with whatever little money they have left now and with the insurance they took out on the business thatno onecan seem to find! What if they never find it, Arnold?! And even if they do, how long will that hold us over for? One month, maybe two?! Knowing my parents, they'll wait until the money is dry before evenattemptingto get new jobs and do you wanna know why?" She paused for a second to catch a breath, not even bothering to let him ask. "Because Bobs stupid pride in owning a business and being successful is way more important than him humbling himself and getting some minimum wage job temporarily until we're back on our feet!"

Arnold frowned as he watched her work herself up again. He wanted desperately to sooth her but really didn't know what to say. She knew her family way better than he did and even he knew Bobs temperament and attitude. "Why doesn't your mom try to get a job then?" He asked curiously.

"Can you imagine Miriam doing anything else other than lying around on the couch with a drink in her hand?" She asked him honestly, even though she was aware that she was the one who witnessed it.

"Well there was that one time she took over your dad's business because he hurt his back." Arnold explained, "If I remember correctly, she did a really good job."

"Yup! And the moment Bob got back into his position, she went right back to forgetting everything and loafing around again!" Helga replied, now beginning to walk again. "The only thing I have to hope for now is she really has something up her sleeve like she hinted at."

This peaked Arnolds interest. "What do you mean?"

Helga let out a long sigh. "She said something like she had strings she could still pull to get him to do what was right but I don't even know what that means." She admitted. "Miriam has very rarely done anything useful in all my years of breathing. Can't imagine she could do anything now…"

Arnold thought for a moment. He recalled all the things his grandpa had told him over the years about women and how they can be crafty, but he also didn't know Helga's mother very well at all. The very few times he had spoken to her, she seemed very nice but she also didn't do much to help Helga's living situations. He shrugged, "Maybe she knows something you don't and plans on using it? They have been married for a while and Grandpa has always said that women are crafty creatures."

"You do realize you're speaking to one, right?" Helga asked bluntly; no tone of amusem*nt in her voice.

The boy smiled, "I know and you've always had a hand at keeping me on my feet so why not your mom?"

"Because Football head… My mom is a dull as a piece of plywood." She replied.

They reached the retail store just before the street lights started to come on. As they were about to walk in, Helga stopped Arnold.

"You wait here." She insisted. "I don't take long to shop."

Arnold co*cked and eyebrow at her unusual request. "Why can't I come with you?"

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms stubbornly at the boy. "Because sometimes girls need to shop by themselves." She explained. "Do you really wanna see all my feminine products?"

The blond boy felt a blush overcome his cheeks as he remembered she needed to buy personal products that she didn't currently own.I guess sometimes I do forget she's a girl…he said in his head. With a nod, Arnold stood aside from the automatic sliding doors. "Alright then, I'll wait here. Try not to take too long though, I didn't get a chance to tell anyone where we were going and they might start to worry."

"Yeah, yeah I got it." Helga said before walking through the doors and into the store.

As Helga browsed their wares, she picked up some shampoo, conditioner, body wash, a scrubbing sponge, deodorant, toothpaste and a toothbrush. She walked by the menstrual section and thanked her lucky stars that she had yet to be plagued with that problem yet. "One less thing I gotta worry about…" She mumbled to herself as she went on ahead to get herself a few bath towels. As much as she enjoyed basking in the scent of her beloved, she knew that while staying at the boarding house, she was required to have her own things.

She walked a few aisles over and grabbed a small container of laundry soap and fabric softener, not even bothering to give them a smell as she couldn't even care less so long as they did their job. The pre-teen stood and pondered for a second, wondering how much money she had left and if there was any sort of personal product she could have missed.

Quickly she made her way over to the women's clothing to grab undergarments. She walked alongside the bras before stopping and feeling her own chest. "They aren't exactly impressive but I suppose I might as well grab one now. At least now I have some privacy to get what I want." She said to herself as she grabbed the smallest bra that didn't look absolutely hideous or incredibly dainty. "Now for some clothes…"

Luckily for her, she managed to find something similar to what she usually wore. Pink dresses, white shirts and even a few new things that she thought might look nice. Deciding that she had no time to try anything on and confident that these items would fit her, she made her way to the check out.

The cashier scanned her items and bagged them. "Total comes to $54.98." She said with a flat tone.

Noticing she had a little bit of money left over, she ran over to a cooler and grabbed two yahoos. "Add these too." She said as she handed them over.

"Total now comes to $58.94" said the cashier.

Helga handed over the $60 to the woman and then grabbed her bags. She was handed back the little change she had left which she shoved into her pocket before booking it out of the retail store. Looking around, she noticed Arnold was still where she had left him.

"Did you get everything you need?" He asked with a smile; happy to finally have company again.

"Hope so." Helga replied. "Here." She said as she handed him the yahoo. "I had a bit of change left over so I got you this."

Arnold had received many things from Helga over his time, but he couldn't remember if she had ever actually given him something physical. "Thanks!" He said enthusiastically before popping it open.

"Yeah, don't get used to it Bucko." Helga sneered before throwing the bags over her shoulder. "Come on before your parents freak out and think you got kidnapped or something."

The boy took a sip of his ice cold beverage and nodded. It was amazing to him that even after she was in such a foul mood, she still went out of her way to buy him something with what little she had left.

Their walk back to the boarding house was a lot less tense as Helga got the fresh air she needed as well as vented a little. It also helped to know that she had her own belongings as well, but one thing still seemed to bother her. The thought of her leaving the Sunset Arms and leaving her open opportunity to have Arnold whenever she wanted wasn't a very good one. Sure, she knew she couldn't live there forever, especially rent free. She knew that she was too young to afford to live there and wasn't old enough to get a job to support herself. She knew that once her parents finally got themselves a place, whether it be their old one or some new apartment, that things would go back to the way they used to be. Her parents would go about their daily lives and she would be forgotten.Still…She thought, keeping her pace steady as they trekked through the pedestrians on the sidewalk in their path,Miriam has never been crafty. Sure, she has proved herself useful a handful of times but what could she possibly have up her sleeve that she can hold over Bob? And if there is something, why has she never used it before?

Helga pondered over her past and came up with nothing of use.Miriam and Bob aren't the only ones I have to think about either…Helga recalled Brainy's email to her. His "cryptic nonsense" gave her an uneasy feeling. He fell into the same category as Miriam in Helga's mind as useless.Just what is he up to? What could some geeky twelve year old boy, who can't even talk to people, do to help me?Helga could feel a sickly taste in her mouth as she thought about it. Just what did she know about him? Just what did anyone know about him, really? The boy was a mystery to all.

She looked down at the boy walking besides her. It had been many moments since they had said anything and she knew their dwelling was getting closer and closer. The moment they got to the boarding house, it would be time for some strange dinner his family came up with and they would have little time to chat after that as well. They both had homework to do and she couldn't help but get a little excited at the thought of changing into something new and hers.

"Hey Football head," She started as she stared in front of her as they walked.

The boy perked up at the sound of her voice. "Yeah, Helga?" He asked with his usual innocence.

"Odd question but…" Helga began to rethink her question. "You and Brainy are friends, right?" She asked, trying not to make the question sound too suspicious.

No matter how she worded it, the topic was as random as it got and Arnold co*cked an eyebrow. He never actually thought about it himself. The kid hung around him and his friends sometimes. He also sometimes played baseball with them in the past. Brainy had been in their lives as far back as he could remember but could he really say they were "friends"?Arnold looked to the path in front of him as he pondered the question. "I guess so." He stated as he continued to mull over the question.

"What do you… know about him?" She asked, her voice cracking a little.

This question too, seemed to come out of the blue and Arnold found himself lacking for an answer. "Now that you bring it up," He replied, "Nothing." Arnold's eyes became wide as his own answer surprised him. He thought he knew at least something about each of the kids in his class but no matter how much he thought about it, nothing at all came to mind. "Why do you ask?" His voice was full of curiosity.

"No reason." She backed down to avoid further questions, meanwhile kicking herself for even bringing it up. Helga knew that he wouldn't let it go, but prayed to whatever God might be in the universe that he might.Great! Why did I have to open my big mouth and ask him? Sure, Arnold is probably the best person to ask since he knows basically everyone but now that he's in the same boat as me, what can I possibly say? Yeah Arnold, we've been emailing back and forth. The guy has been stalking me just as long as I've been stalking you. He probably knows everything about me and that's not intimidating to hear at all. Hell, it's a little scary to think even… Not that he's ever been a threat. In fact, he's even helped a bit.

Arnold gave a heavy sigh. "If you say so." He said, giving Helga a small sigh of relief which he could easily hear from his distance. "But," He continued and she tensed, "Now that you've brought it up, it does seem strange that I can't think of one single thing. I know his name and… That's about it. He does okay in class. He hangs out with everyone even if it's just in the background. He doesn't say much and when he does, it's simple short sentences." Arnold analyzed the boy as they approached the upcoming stoop to his building. "He's a bit…" He searched for the best word he could possibly use to describe the boy in question, "dull."

The adjective used made Helga burst out in one big "Ha!"If only he knew what I did, the boy is anything but dull. He's incredibly eloquent with his writing and could probably rival even me! Dull is a word used to describe someone like Arnie…She thought, but standing from the outside looking in; she could definitely see how Arnold came to that conclusion.

Arnold walked up and reached for the door. He knew there was probably a lot more to her question then she let him see but for now, it would have to wait. The day had already been stressful for her and he didn't need to add to it by forcing her to answer his question. Not yet, anyway. He now had his own mystery to think about. What did anyone know about Brainy?

The evening went on as normal as ever for Arnold, save for the person now on his mind. He ate dinner and was now sitting in his room, at his desk, looking at his homework. It was simple homework, nothing difficult. He had answered a few of the questions but found himself bouncing back and forth from a dazed mind clouded with mystery to actually doing his assignment. He thought about his childhood and the small bits and pieces which Brainy was part of. Birthday parties which he had attended: Brainy was always there. Games he played in the park: Brainy always took part even if it was a small part. The various adventures he had with his class, whether it be searching for lost pirate gold or waiting for a haunted train to show up, Brainy somehow was there.Just… why was he there?Arnold questioned to himself.Some of those adventures didn't even involve him. In fact, how did he even know that Helga, Gerald and I would be at that old train station?The math didn't add up, and that had nothing to do with his homework.He wasn't around when Grandpa told us the story, and the only reason Helga knew about it was because she showed up just as we were discussing it. Brainy was nowhere in sight. Does he just hang out on 53rdstreet?The creepy thought made him shiver as that whole area was mostly abandoned but it was no creepier than to think that the kid hung out in old abandoned caves either.Maybe he likes the abandoned places for the atmosphere?One thing he knew for sure, though, was he would definitely do a little digging when he got to school. Surely one of his friends would know something about him.

Chapter 25

Chapter Text

"Nope."

"Not uh.."

"Sorry, Arnold."

Those were most of the answers Arnold had gotten from his classmates that day. The moment he had arrived in his classroom, Arnold had made it a point to ask each of them if they knew anything about Brainy. When it got towards lunchtime, he felt absolutely defeated.

"Why are you so interested in Brainy all of a sudden?" Gerald asked after swallowing a mouth full of food.

Arnold sat with his elbow propped up on top of the table, with his large head resting on the palm of his hand. He hadn't so much as touched his taco salad and had no real appetite to. "Don't you think it's strange?" He started, moving the food around with the tip of his fork. "We've all grown up with him, Gerald. He's been in every single one of our classes. He's played with us since we were little. He's been at all of our birthday parties and even some of the sleepovers and… what do we know?"

"The kid's a mystery, so?" Gerald replied before taking another full sized bite. "Everybody has to have their secrets and it's not like any of us have felt the need to ask him about his life. The kid barely says a word!"

At this point, Arnold had already made up his mind. He knew the only way to know more about Brainy was to just talk to him directly. It would be strange to just go up to a kid who didn't talk and try to strike up a meaningful conversation but if he could do it with strangers on the street such as Stoop Kid and Vincent the pigeon man, why not Brainy? After all, Brainy wasn't a stranger at all.

"I'm gonna do it." Arnold said at last, pushing his food tray away. He stood up and looked around the cafeteria for the spiky haired boy.

Gerald began to cough at the sudden statement. "What?" He managed to say before swallowing his food and washing it down with a gulp of chocolate milk.

"I'm gonna just go talk to him. How hard could it be?" Arnold replied, turning back to his friend. "He's one of us, after all."

"One of us?" Gerald copied, definitely confused. "Arnold, do you hear yourself? How can someone be one of us if you know absolutely nothing about them? Sure he's always been around but that's like throwing a… a…" Gerald looked around for something to explain his thoughts. He peered at his taco salad and got an idea. "It's like throwing a banana into a taco salad and calling it a fruit salad. You can't do it! It makes no sense and besides," He grimaced, "It would be nasty."

Arnold ignored his friend's comparison and continued to look around. There were so many faces and so many of the students had grown taller over summer vacation that it wasn't easy to look around them, even with them sitting. "Well I gotta do something."

"No, you don't." Gerald replied, "You just feel like you gotta do something. You always feel like you gotta do something even when no one asked you to." The boy could feel himself growing a little annoyed but he pushed the feelings away. This is always how his best friend had been, and there was no changing that. It was one of those situations where he knew he either had to be in or out and now was the time to make that decision. Gerald let out a loud groan and pushed his empty plate of food to the side. "Fine… what's the plan?"

Arnold smiled. "I was going to just sit with him for the rest of lunch and maybe spark up some conversation or invite him to hang out but… I can't seem to find him anywhere." He admitted, feeling defeated.

Gerald gave a helpless shrug, "That's that then, huh?"

"I'll just ask him after school if he wants to hang out with us." Arnold decided as he turned to his friend with a smile.

"Of course you will." Gerald sighed heavily, knowing it was too good to be true. Truthfully, Gerald really had no real interest in the boy in question but a good mystery was always fun to solve.

Down the hall, to the right and up the stairs stood the doorway to the computer room. Few kids sat there with headphones on, engrossed in whatever music they were listening to while browsing the web, others talked amongst themselves about a project they had been working on, while one lone 6th grader sat in silence. The moment the bell rang for gym class, he knew where he was headed. He had been given permission to be excused from the class if whatever they were currently doing was too strenuous. It was a bit disappointing, as Brainy liked to participate with the other kids; however he also knew he wasn't missing out on anything big. Times like this he had no problem relying on his asthma and severe allergies. There were more important things to tend to. The only thing important to him at this very moment was being able to see if he had gotten a response from his Goddess.

Quickly, Brainy logged into the computer using his student ID and password. On the desktop, he saw the icon for the student message board and he clicked it. He waited patiently as the old computer struggled to open it up as there we others currently connected to the network, however he had plenty of time for it. As soon as it fully loaded, he proceeded to log into his account and held his breath in hopes to see the little symbol he opened for. One second passed… two seconds… three seconds… Brainy could hear his heart pound within his boney body and it echoed into his ears. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity had passed, everything was fully loaded and the small icon appeared before him.

She responded!He thought, taking in a deep breath to calm himself while his right hand searched his pocket for his inhaler. He brought it up to his face in anticipation of using it, but instead sat it down next to the mouse and proceeded to click the message.

Helga's message was short and straight to the point, just as she normally was. It was clear she hadn't suspected a thing and that his plans were going just fine. Unfortunately, the one thing he hoped she would have included inside her message was left out.But how are you doing?He wondered. There was only so much he could see from the outside looking in and now that she was staying within Arnold's boarding house, it was a little harder for him to check up on her.

Brainy sat in silence as he considered what he would write back. If he continued to be cryptic, it would only annoy her further and possibly ruin everything… at the same time, if he told her outright, things could be even worse. The thoughts made the boy uneasy and a quick puff of his inhaler helped a little. Simplicity would be the best route.

To: Helgoth
From: GoldenHero
Subject: Inquiry

Purest Maiden,

I apologize for any irritation I may have caused you in both our last exchange, in-person and online. I do not mean disrupt your life with my presence. My love for you is both true and unyielding. My only wish is for your happiness. True, you may wish for our exchanges to cease and I promise in time they will, if you wish it but please allow me to take a few more moments of your time.

How are you doing? Did you ever hear back from your sister regarding your parents? Is your family any closer to becoming whole again? I do pray your response is positive. I am your servant and only wish the best for you.

Forever yours,
GoldenHero

The boy chewed on his lower lip for a moment before rereading his message a few more times and hitting send. He would have to pass her another note in hopes of her finding this message and he knew that it would aggravate her. She currently didn't use her locker as there was much she had to put inside it, and handing it to her would only cause her to yell at him and probably toss it out immediately. Even he knew how unreasonable he was becoming. Brainy looked at the clock in the lower right corner of the computer monitor. There was still a while left of lunch for him to relax and think about it. He grabbed a pair of headphones near the computer and placed them on; adjusting them a bit to fit the shape of his head. He reached in his backpack for a candy bar, unwrapped it and took a small bite.

The day was particularly cool outside as the students walked from their school over to the high school. Fall was finally here and it was rather evident in the weather now. It was cloudy out, with not much breeze and somewhere around 70 degrees. Cool enough to break a sweat and not mind it too much, or at least that feel like the sun wasn't sapping all of your strength.

"I just don't know how you can stand it!" Shouted Rhonda as she walked with her gaggle of girls down the track. "If she ever came at me like that, I would have half a mind to put her in her place!"

"Really…" Lila said nervously, looking from the loud girl to the others around her, "It wasn't such a big deal. I am ever so certain that if I just talk to Helga about the situation will clear itself up." She finished with a smile.

Rhonda sneered at the comment and looked ahead of them towards the girl in question walking with her best friend. "I'll never understand what anyone sees in that girl… if you can even call her that."

"It's true." Spoke up Nadine, "She does act way more like the boys then the rest of us."

Lila thought back to the few times that she and Helga had, had decent conversation. She knew full well that the girls around her didn't understand her secretive side, which was fine, however she also wasn't very comfortable with them saying such negative things about her either. Lila hated all negativity and preferred to always look on the bright side, very similar to Arnold, which is why they got along ever so well. "Well, that is just what makes Helga her ever so special self, Rhonda." Lila finally replied after she let some time pass in thought. "You are wonderful with fashion, and you're way with bugs is ever so unique, Nadine." Lila looked up at the silhouette of the sun that hid behind the looming white clouds. "Phoebe is quiet but full of knowledge; Sheena is always ready to lend a hand to help… Helga is just ever so…"

"Vulgar." Rhonda stated.

"And loud." Nadine added.

"And has absolutely no taste!" The rich girl sighed. "You remember all those times Itriedto be patient with her, don't you Nadine?" She looked to her best friend and once she saw her nod in acknowledgment, she turned back to Lila. "This was way before you moved here, Lila. We once had a 'girls only' party since the boys were having a 'boys only' game. I helped give fashion ideas, we painted nails and even tried to give her a facial, but do you want to know what she did? She threw it all back in our faces and said all of these things were stupid!"

Nadine recalled the day in question, but also couldn't help but state the rest of it as well. "You're not wrong Rhonda, but she did make a good point in the end. 9 year olds don't really need to wear heels or put on rejuvenating face masks."

The correction made Rhonda grit her teeth and turn her head away from them both. "That's not the point. The point is she'll never understand what it means to be a girl." The seething young lady watched as Helga made small talk with Phoebe as the rounded the corner of the track. "Why, she's basically a man wearing a dress!"

Hearing Rhonda say such things made Lila frown. "I don't know… I'm ever so certain that she has some feminine charm about her…" She said, wanting to fully disclose what she knew but held it back for Helga's privacy. "And besides, my uncle Louis likes dresses and they look ever so fabulous on him."

"She has about as much feminine charm as a swine rolling in mud." Rhonda spat out in disgust, ignoring Lila's last comment. "I doubt she'll ever bloom into womanhood." She finished, her voice tone changing from harsh to light and feathery as she emphasized how she herself had been transforming. "A crude person like Helga Pataki could never be compared to something as delicate and refined like a flower. More like a prickly cactus!"

"Some cacti have flowers." Lila replied softly. "Although I do have to say, that was an ever so good comparison." She agreed, although not for the same reasons. "Some flowers are tall, some stay short. Some have pretty colors where others have dull colors…" She continued, feeling sure of herself that this would finally help the opinionated girl change her mind, "Some are smooth and some have thorns. I suppose Helga could be compared well to a cactus since she is ever so rough on the outside but even she can blossom flowers when the time is right."

"Then throw her in the desert and keep her out of my sight." Rhonda groaned, missing the point completely.

"Maybe Lila has a point though." Nadine said thoughtfully, "Maybe all Helga needs is to be in the right climate to fully show what sort of girl she can be."

"Oh God, not you too, Nadine…" Rhonda whined as she placed her index finger and thumb upon the bridge of her nose as if the conversation had given her a headache.

"I mean, I've been telling you for a long time that not all bugs are gross and many have changed how they look and act because of their surrounding environment." She continued, much to her best friends' dismay. "For example, the co*ckroach is one of the oldest species of insect around and if you compare the American co*ckroach to that of a Yamato co*ckroach, or even a Madagascar hissing co*ckroach… they're all vastly different in size, color and shape! I personally think that the Panchlora Nivea is beautiful and maybe you could too if you could just get over the fact it's a bug."

After Nadine gave her speech, Rhonda looked from one girl to the next and could see that they had found mutual agreement. "So what, you think we should try giving her another makeover? I would have better time spent dressing up Harold as a girl again."

"No, Rhonda." Lila giggled. "I'm just ever so certain that Helga will blossom right before our eyes if we just give her sometime…" Lila finished with a quiet smile.

"Whatever." Rhonda continued, "She still had absolutely no reason to scream at you in front of everyone like you were doing something wrong by just getting tutored by Arnold in the library. Why, it almost seems to me like she was saying that he was her property or something!" The two listening girls looked at one another again in a mutual understanding, and let out a small giggle. "Just because he's her number one victim doesn't mean she actually owns his time, and it's beyond me why he lets her bully him so much!" Rhonda noticed the other girl's reaction and scowled in confusion. "What? What am I missing?!"

"Rhonda… don't you remember that fight that happened the day of our project presentations?" Nadine asked with humor hanging in her voice. "You know… the whole thing between Sid, Stinky and Helga?"

The slender girl twirled her straight black hair in thought for a second. "Oh yeah, I do recall you telling me something about it happening but then all that stuff happened with me and it slipped my mind."

Nadine waited a few more moments to both allow the anticipation to well up in her best friend but also to see if she seriously hadn't heard the full story. "You seriously don't know?" She asked, eyeing Rhonda with amusem*nt.

Lila looked at them both with a curious smile but said nothing to allow the girls to continue.

"My God, Nadine! Spit it out!" Rhonda shouted as her patience was wearing thin after every second that passed.

The next few moments consisted of some of the juiciest details that ever graced the ears of Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd. Nadine laid down all of the facts and speculations that she had both heard from Sid and Stinky themselves and from what she had gathered from other talk amongst peers. Rhonda had stopped dead in her tracks as she continued to listen on to Nadine's information, her jaw dropping. "WHAT?!" was heard by all within a couple miles distance as the girl screamed the only word that came to mind, causing all of her classmates to stop what they were doing for a moment and look towards her.

It took a moment for Rhonda to compose herself and use her normal inside voice. "How have you kept all this information to yourself this WHOLE TIME?!" She demanded, stomping her foot.

"I'm sorry, Rhonda." Nadine apologized with a shrug, "I honestly figured you knew. I'm just as surprised as you are really."

"Don't give me that!" Rhonda shouted, the pain of betrayal now deep within her heart. "You know damn well that if I knew, you would have known that! This is a disaster! How am I, Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd the last to know about something like this?! I am the epitome of the grape vine of P.S 118 and something likethishas been kept from me this whole time?!"

"It hasn't been exactlykept from you, Rhonda." Nadine said with a dull expression. Despite knowing how dramatic her best friend could be, sometimes even she became surprised at how Rhonda could make something about her that had nothing to do with her. "It's not as if they're telling people about it and besides, how have you not noticed anything between them since school started back up?"

"I have to agree…" Lila said meekly, "I thought it was ever so obvious by the way Helga acted towards Arnold helping me."

"But Ithoughtwe were in agreement that it was just Helga being her usual self, Nadine!" She shrieked at her calm friend. "Knowing this but not telling me sooner is strictly against the Best Girl Friend code!" Rhonda crossed her arms.

"Right… and it's not as if I was hiding it from you." Nadine explained, co*cking an eyebrow at just how much this was not only upsetting Rhonda, but how she was tossing the blame. "I agreed with you that she was acting her usual self because… well, she was. That's all there is to that. I didn't agree with you to let you think something else or to confuse you, and especially not to hide anything from you." She could see that her words weren't reaching Rhonda and rolled her eyes with annoyance. "Look, Rhonda. You're acting a little ridiculous right now."

"Ridiculous? Well fine then! I'll act ridiculous all I want and you two can become best friends instead since you both seem to AGREE so much!" Rhonda huffed, completely ignoring how she was making herself look in front of her friends. She stood there for a moment, hoping Nadine would take her words back but once she realized that she wasn't, Rhonda stomped off the track to grab her bottle of pure glacier water she had placed on the benches.

Nadine and Lila stood there a little dumbfounded at her actions but eventually moved towards continuing to walk the track.

"I do hope you two will be okay after all of this…" Lila managed to say, feeling ever so guilty that she no doubt had a hand in making Rhonda feel uncomfortable.

"If it's not over this, it will be over something else in a few days." Nadine shrugged with a sigh, "Rhonda lives and breathes drama. I've gotten used to it…" she continued, her voice full of exhaustion. She could clearly see that Lila was concerned. "She'll always be my best friend, even if she acts all entitled. Don't worry about it." She said with a smile. "By tonight she'll be calling me after dinner about the latest thing she read over the internet and pretending none of this even happened."

The tanned girl's words assured her, even if only a little. Lila absolutely hated conflict and did her best to avoid it at all costs. Still, despite wanting nothing to do with it, she did know that it was partially up to her to confront Helga about her accusation the day prior. It would be no easy task but she had faith that so long as she got Helga on a good note, the talk would no doubt run smoothly… or rather she hoped.

The moment Rhonda's scream had echoed around the court, Helga and Phoebe's mild jog had skidded to a stop. They had looked back to see that it had only been some stupid argument between her and Nadine and immediately decided it was no big deal and continued on their exercise.

"I'm beginning to think that Coach Wittenberg might be sexist…" Phoebe said, way too casually for her statement. Since her own women-hood had announced itself in its not so discreet fashion, so had Phoebe's opinions and this wasn't something that Helga minded.

"What makes you think that?" Helga had to ask, fully aware of the possibilities of why she would say that. "Because he calls the guys 'girls' when they don't do the things he wants and how he wants them? Or is it because he sends us to jog on the track while the guys actually practice running against one another, timing their speeds and making it an actual sport as opposed to just throwing the cows out to roam?."

The girls turned their attention to the very sport in question and watched as the boys were pitted up against each other to run, as the Coach shouted at them with a small watch in hand. They watched as Gerald was up against Stinky's time and how the other boys sat on the grass, completely out of breath and clearly needing some water.

"Don't be wussy girls!" They could hear him shout just as someone begged for some of the water. "Don't you know that back when man was most primal, he would be out day and night tracking and hunting animals far faster and smarter than him! All I'm asking if for youmento beat this one pencil necked kid's time! If he can make time like this, so can the rest of you ladies!"

The girls could hear Stinky whine in self defense at the clearly uncalled for comment, but continued their jog together.

"That and definitely some other things, but I was mainly focused on the latter of the two choices." Phoebe replied with a small smile.

Helga shrugged it off. Everyone knew how the Coach was and it was no sweat off her back what he told the boys. She knew full well that she could take on most of them in an arm wrestling match and beat them without so much as blinking. "He just tries to act overly manly to compensate for the fact his wife beats him in practically everything." She explained. "So he takes it out on the boys? Less work for me."

"Right." Phoebe said, remembering a bit about the Coach's wife Trish. The woman was a prime example of feminism. She stood up and opposed any man who said a woman couldn't do something. She ended up being the Coach for the girls' basketball team over at a high school a few districts away. "Still, it's discouraging when we could be doing something better suited for us."

"I bet we could out run most of the boys." Helga said a matter-of-factly. "But as it stands, I find a nice jog can be a little refreshing when you have things on your mind."

"Oh? Is there something on your mind, Helga?" Phoebe inquired, "Other than your family and living situation, of course."

Helga had been contemplating bringing up the subject of the emails to Phoebe all day, but knew the moment she did, it would only cause her best friend to worry. Arnold was absolutely no help as far as information, and there was no reason why Phoebe would know anymore than any other student. The bottom line was, no one knew anything and if anyone did, it was probably herself. At the same time though, being alone with the nagging concern was also very lonely.

"Let's just say that someone strange has been reaching out to me lately, for reasons known but unknown at the same time, and it's just starting to bug me." She explained, her eyebrow furrowing as she finally said it out loud and her jog fell to a slow walk.

"How… odd." Phoebe responded, matching her speed. "And has this unknown person reached out to you before?"

Helga thought for a moment. It was true that this wasn't the first time he had suddenly started talking to her, but the first time was a time she would rather not remember. He had tried to woo her through their private messages on the school board. Her girlish heart trembled at the thought that this very person reaching out with longing arms could be her Arnold, but much to her embarrassment, it was in fact not. She had promptly stopped responding to him after that and even he had grown a little distant as far as interrupting her secret moments of expressions of love towards Arnold. Of course, things didn't stay that way and before long, he had grown bold enough to continue to annoy her with his loud breathing.

"Yeah but it's not the same." Helga replied. "The first time was more innocent than this time." She thought about all his messages and still couldn't get the sick taste out of her mouth. "This time… just feels weird, like there is more to the messages that I'm not seeing… Like if they're a disguise for something more. Something bigger…."

Phoebe studied her best friends face and could see how troubled it was becoming. "Something… menacing?" She said in a hushed voice.

Helga looked down at her friend and absorbed the words. "Menacing?" She repeated back. Turning back to the track, she contemplated on just what those words really meant. Generally, they were associated with something nefarious but at the same time, the word could be used to mean something meddlesome as well. The word seemed to fit but at the same time, felt too harsh for how she felt. She studied his messages in her mind. He asked how she was, which was normal and offered to listen to her woes. There wasn't anything menacing about that… but then there was the unorthodox question he had asked.Just what did he mean by I'll know in due time? What could he possibly do to make sure I'm happy?Helga thought.

"Helga?" Phoebe called out to her, breaking her train of thought.

"Huh?" Stumbled out of Helga's mouth, bringing her back to the present. "No, I wouldn't go so far as to say menacing. He is definitely not a threat to me, that's for sure."

"He?" Phoebe had just gotten her first clue about this enigmatic stranger that Helga was talking about. "So it's a boy who's messaging you?"

Crap!Helga cussed at herself inside.Great job, Helga. Really, just great. Now Phoebe is going to dig further into this than I want.Mentally, Helga was kicking herself but did her best to go back to her friend who was still patiently waiting for her answer.

"I guess…" Helga groaned out, making it seem like it was no big deal. "Not like it matters."

Phoebe shifted her eyes to the boys who were being fussed at by the coach, and then back to her companion. "It might matter, depending on who it is. In fact, if this mystery boy has ill intentions for you, you could be in danger Helga."

"Look, Phoebe you're looking far too deep into this, Okay?" Helga pressed with a sharp tone. "It doesn't matter, so let's just drop it."

"Absolutely not!" Phoebe replied as she let her stress ooze out. She gave her best friend a concerned look. "I fear you're being too nonchalant about this. Clearly it's bothering you for a reason and that says multitudes of something to its subject or the person in question."

"You know, I can take care of myself, Phoebe." Helga replied, trying to calm her friend down a little with a smug smile. "It's not a big deal."

She looked at Phoebe and could see that there was no way it could be dropped. "Do you find any boy we know particularly threatening? Look at them, Pheebs, they're all dolts! I could beat the crap out of them with two hands behind my back and crippled for cripes sake!"

"That maybe so but…" Phoebe started, losing her words.

"But nothing." Helga finished for her. "The thing that's really bugging me about these emails isn't who is sending them, but how he's wording them. Like, he's telling me that he's doing something toensure my happinessor something corny like that. He's in love with me, Phoebe, not threatening my safety."

Phoebe eyes went wide in realization. "Then it's…"

"Yes." Helga replied with a sigh.

The girls let the conversation remain quiet for a while as they walked their designated path around the large paved oval. Phoebe knew about Brainy's affections for Helga since the fourth grade and had done well to not remind Helga about it, on account of how eerily similar he acted towards her as she did with Arnold, save for the bullying. She knew that he seemed to always be around Helga, even if she herself was unaware of it. Brainy was almost like a phantom lurking in the background and it gave Phoebe the creeps. She didn't dislike him, per say, just felt very uncomfortable around the quiet boy.

Helga knew now that the cat was out of the bag, the best thing she could do to ease her best friend was to let her read the emails and analyze them further. If anything, Helga felt a little relieved from this burden and found comfort in possibly getting answers from what Phoebe thought of them.

"I'll let you read them after school, if you want." Helga said quietly as they were reaching the end of the track towards the bleachers.

"I would like that." Phoebe smiled, feeling encouraged.

"And remember, this conversation never happened." Helga stated, with a familiar look.

"Forgetting." Phoebe replied, gleefully.

Gym class ended and the girls walked back to their school along with their peers. They quickly went to the girls locker room and changed back into their regular clothes, grabbed their backpacks and walked towards the exit but the moment they reached the hallway, Phoebe was tapped on the shoulder. She looked to her right and saw Brainy there with an awkward smile.

"Y-yes?" She asked him, quickly looking from Helga back to him.

Brainy handed her a piece of paper, then slowly left the school without saying a word.

Phoebe and Helga stood paralyzed for a moment in disbelief at what had just happened, and the irony of the situation before snapping out of it.

"Well open it up!" Helga shouted impatiently. "What does it say?"

Phoebe unfolded the piece of paper and read its contents:

Hello Phoebe,

I know we've never spoken but I hope this message finds you well. We have someone mutual in common and it would please me to a great measure if you would direct that said person to the computer lab before leaving. I'm aware how unorthodox this may seem, however I fear that if I was to ask her myself, she would only protest, punch me in the face, then leave. Just know that everything I say, I mean well even if she thinks otherwise. Do me this one favor please, and I will never ask anything of you ever again.

"Things just got a lot more interesting…" She folded the paper back up and placed it in her skirt pocket. "It says for us to go to the computer lab before going home." Phoebe explained, as she could see Helga was growing hostile while impatient. Her demeanor seemed calm, but inside, Phoebe was full of anticipation. "You said you would let me read those emails, correct?"

Helga let out a loud groan of annoyance. "Why is he being such a pest?!" She asked out loud to no one in particular. "Yeah yeah, sure sure. Let's GO to the computer lab so I can read his new pointless message." She said with a wave of her hand.

Phoebe grabbed Helga's arm and speedily pulled them both towards the computer lab.

Arnold waited patiently on the stoop of the school, Gerald by his side. They knew Brainy wasn't at gym so it was much more likely for him to exit the school through the main entrance and not the gyms. 5 minute passed… then 10… then 15. The more the minutes ticked away, Gerald became frustrated.

"Come on man, he's not coming." Gerald said as he tapped his foot on the cement.

"He will, Gerald." Arnold said hopefully. "Let's just keep waiting."

Gerald checked the time on his watch and groaned, but continued to stay by his friend. Students continued to pour out of the doors cheerfully and ran in various directions, none being the student they hoped for. After 10 more minutes of waiting, and the wave of students had turned from a river, to a stream to a small trickle, Gerald had his fill of waiting and stretched. "He had to have left out the Gym, Arnold. I'm sorry but he's gone home."

Arnold frowned but knew his friend was right. "But that doesn't make sense. He would have had to go through the entire school just to exit that way."

"Maybe he lives in that direction and uses that exit often?" Gerald suggested, lugging his backpack over his shoulder and preparing himself for his walk home.

No one knew where Brainy lived, so Arnold couldn't suggest otherwise. Discouragement was written all over the poor boys face, but he knew there was nothing more he could do. "Maybe."

Feeling sorry for his friend, Gerald patted Arnold on the back with a smile. "How about we go get some ice cream? I could really go for that cold creamy goodness right about now. Coach worked us to the bone trying to pass Stinky's time!"

The suggestion made Arnold smile. "Okay."

The two talked and laughed about the day as they headed for their favorite ice cream shop. Once they approached, they were glad to see that it was mostly empty and had a new feature flavor to boot! "Hawaiian temptation" they called it. Intrigued, Arnold got two scoops in a bowl and sat down. He waited for Gerald before taking a bite.

"How is it, Arnold?" Gerald asked as he took a bite of his Loca Mocha ice cream.

Arnold took a bite and swirled it around in his mouth, tasting as many flavors as possible. "It's pretty good!" He replied after swallowing. "Its banana flavored ice cream with pineapples, coconut, cherries and something else I can't quite make out, but it's good."

"Speaking of temptations," Gerald started after another few bites of his ice cream, "How's it been with Helga at your place? Get sick of her yet?"

Despite knowing that Gerald was merely joking, Arnold gave him a disapproving look. "Actually, we had a talk about what happened with Lila and I feel like I made some progress."

"Progress, huh?" Gerald said, skeptical. "I'll believe it when I see it." After hearing his own words, he began to think about other options. "I mean, unless it's another sort of progress but that you can keep to yourself."

"Gerald!" Arnold shouted, his face turning red. He noticed he got the attention of the cashier and shyed his face away.

"Calm down, lover boy." The boy laughed at his friend's embarrassment. "You know I'm just messing with you."

Wanting nothing more than to now bury his red face in his ice cream, Arnold shoveled a few more bites in his mouth. He knew Gerald was curious but why did he always have to bring things like this up? Did he get a kick out of Arnold's reactions? If so, he wasn't any less cruel than Helga in that aspect.

Gerald could see that his question really stuck something in his best friend, and decided to ease up a bit. "It's nice to hear that you guys talked it out though."

"The talk went better than I expected, actually." Arnold said, his face turning back its usual cream color.

"What did you say?" Gerald asked curiously, as he knew Arnold wasn't good with confrontation and she was probably the worst person to confront.

Arnold stirred his ice cream around with the long plastic spoon, making swirls of different colors that eventually blended with the banana flavored ice cream and turned a weird shade. "I just told her how I felt, really."

The answer was rather bland for Gerald's taste so he took another bite of his ice cream to at least excite his mouth as his ears weren't getting anything. "Oookay? And?"

"And that was that." Arnold stated, looking up at his friend. "How are you and Phoebe?"

The subject change caused Gerald to choke a bit on his frozen treat but managed to swallow it nonetheless. "We're good, we're good." He assured him. "Not much change with us. She's cute and sweet and I'm tall, dark and handsome!" He said with a wink and they both chuckled.

"That's good to hear." Arnold smiled. He had wanted to ask about their 'progress' to possibly fluster him back but knew it was none of his business and he honestly wasn't the type to ask. Still, he also knew that his relationship with Helga was far different than Gerald's was with Phoebe. Phoebe was quiet and refined. He couldn't see her doing anything that was beyond innocent.

"Truth be told though, I honestly don't get to spend a lot of time with her." Gerald admitted, sadness lingering behind his smile. "She likes to make sure school work is out of the way before doing anything fun with me, so doing anything after school sorta hard. On weekends, I'll invite her to my place but you know my sister has to bug us every second she gets. Her place is just… well…"

"Awkward?" Arnold guessed.

Gerald grimaced. "Her mom likes to frequently bring up refreshments and we have to keep her bedroom door open so there's no privacy. The moment her dad gets home, things just feel tense so I generally leave before that."

"Why not plan a day to go out then?" suggested Arnold; wanting to help his friend. "You know, like a date. I took Helga to the park and it was pretty…" His mind flashed back to them under the trees and before he knew it, a small pink hue graced his cheeks at the fond memory. They were open and honest with each other, and it felt nice. "Nice." He finished.

The suggestion wasn't a bad one, and Gerald had found himself thinking about it from time to time as he lay in bed at night, waiting for sleep to take him. "I don't know where I would take her though, not that the park is a bad idea it's just too basic. I want to take her out some place nice. Not some super flashy expensive restaurant type of nice, just something in the middle. Something she'd really like that wouldn't cost me a fortune."

"Why not take her to a museum?" Arnold asked, thinking it was a place that checked all his boxes. "Or even the aquarium?"

"Yeah Arnold, let me take my girl on a date to places we've been a million times for school field trips." Gerald said bluntly with a dull expression on his face. "This is part of the reason I'm having such a tough time figuring this out."

His friend made a valid point; they had gone to the few museums and the aquarium on school field trips so it wouldn't exactly be special. "Why not take her someplace out of town? I'm sure there are pretty cool educational attractions outside of Hillwood."

Gerald rolled his eyes and groaned. "Yeah let me just ask my Dad if he'll take my girl and I out of town on a date. He would do nothing but ask us questions the whole way there, chaperone us during the date and then probably ask more questions on the way home!" The boy explained loudly. " I'll definitely pass."

"Could always ask your brother?" Arnold was grasping at straws.

Gerald thought on that possibility a moment before shaking his head. "Jamie-O would probably just tease and make fun of me the whole time. You know how much he loves to embarrass me every chance he gets."

There was one more suggestion that Arnold wanted to make, but he knew Gerald would probably shoot that down too. "…Public transportation?"

Gerald stated hard into his friends face. "You serious? And have us get stuck on the train again?"

"It didn't end up so bad though." Arnold smiled, trying to lighten the boy's mood a bit. "We even all held hands and sang!"

Gerald let out a gagging noise. "I'll pass Arnold, thanks."

Both boys finished their ice cream, threw out their trash and made their way out of the ice cream shop and towards their houses. As much as Arnold wanted to help Gerald with his plight, he was out of suggestions to make and he could only see his friend was growing more and more tired of the conversation.

"Wanna come over to my place? My Dad has a board game he's been wanting me to play with him that could be fun." Arnold asked, changing the subject to one Gerald might actually like.

Gerald laughed softly. "Is he as much as a poor sport as your Grandpa? Cuz if so, I'm in."

The computer lab was mostly empty, with only one kid still at his computer, struggling to close his backpack as he had way too many contents stuffed inside of it. Phoebe led Helga to the furthest computer possible, but still waited for the student to leave before logging in. She had gotten to the student message board then passed the keyboard to Helga. With a roll of her eyes, Helga proceeded to enter in her information, and then pass the keyboard back to Phoebe to navigate.

"I don't know why you're so excited about this." Helga said as she slumped up against the computer desk. "I know I'm not. If anything, this is just getting further and further annoying."

Phoebe chose not to answer her, and continued towards the message notification. She issued a small click to the mouse, and allowed the computer enough time to load the page. There she saw of series of back and forth emails between the two, more than she expected. She began from the first exchange, and all the way down to the current new unread message. The two read it together, and then looked at one another.

"His emails seem innocent enough…" Phoebe started, a little doubt in her eyes. "But I do see what you mean."

"He's just meddling in my life!" Helga yelled while pulling on her hair. "What does he want from me?!"

"From the looks of it, just thoughtful conversation but…" Phoebe read his messages to her one more time. "Why would he ask you to install a file onto your Dad's business computer?" she asked queerly.

"I don't know!" Helga yelled again, her voice whining with frustration. "I figured he was just trying to spy on me at home, or something. It wouldn't surprise me since he's such a little creep."

Phoebe's stomach churned a little bit at the thought of him using her family's computer to spy on Helga in her most vulnerable moments. "Well… even if that was the case it would have done him little good since the computer was in the basem*nt."

"I thought the same thing." Helga replied, taking in a deep breath and steadying her emotions. "It's why I just did what he wanted." She snorted with amusem*nt, "I just figured it would only bum him out to see nothing but pitch black."

Phoebe turned her head quickly to the girl. "You did WHAT?" She asked loudly. "Helga! That's incredibly reckless of you! Who knows what was on that file!"

"Don't know, don't care!" Helga yelled back, "It doesn't matter now anyway since everything burned in the fire!" Helga grabbed the nearest chair and sat down. She placed her elbows on her knees and held her face in her palms. She could feel a headache coming on as she thought of everything precious to her becoming engulfed in flames. Everything she had collected of Arnold, every poem book she wrote, all of her journals… Everything was gone now.

Phoebe could see that she was only stressing Helga further and quelled her anger at the situation. "Helga, I'm not trying to upset you but we don't know what his intentions were with that file and what frightens me even more if the fact he asked you to not ask questions about it. It's incredibly suspicious…"

"Yeah well I didn't think much of it at the time." Helga replied, her voice muffled by her hands.

The small Asian girl frowned. She knew Helga was smarter than this and decided to blame it on a moment of poor judgment. She turned back to the computer and continued to analyze the emails out loud. "He seems to care about how you're doing and wants to help, that much is apparent." She started, as she scrolled up and down on the screen. "It seems innocent enough but then asks you to download a file, tells you not to ask questions…" Phoebe adjusted her glasses and looked at Helga with a questioning look. "Not only that but the next message he says:The sun will shine over you, to that I ensure…?"She turned back to the computer for a second to relook then turned back. "I'm sorry, then corrects it toinsure? He wrote it very specifically and it has to be for a reason."

"Yeah, because he's a cryptic weirdo who thinks his puns are funny." Helga waved off the suggestion, not seeing any sort of connection.

"Insure… ensure…"Phoebe pondered to herself out loud, "You will know in due time… Helga does any of these things sound familiar?"

Suddenly something clicked in Helga's brain and she turned the computer screen to face her. She reread the message Phoebe was stuck on and her eyes widened. "Insure, like insurance?" She spoke to herself, letting her friend hear as well.

"What is it, Helga?" She asked, anticipation welling up inside her at a possible explanation. "Did you think of something?"

"No… it can't be…" Helga whispered, turning the computer screen back to its original position and sitting down. "That doesn't make any sense. How would he know about that?"

Phoebe placed her hands on Helga's shoulder and resisted the urge to shake her silly. "Helga, please share with the rest of the class before I shake the idea out of you…" She threatened in a silly way, but still meant every word.

"Yesterday my parents came to visit me." Helga started; her words slow and steady. "They came to tell me that the bank seemed to have figured out where their insurance went that was on the Beeper Emporium and that I would be leaving Arnold's soon." Helga looked at Phoebe dead in the face. "Insure? Insurance? That's the only thing that makes sense but how would Brainy know about my parent's insurance going missing and possibly reappearing? No one knew about that except me and my parents. In fact, I questioned Bob if he had insurance on the place out right and he insisted he did, but it disappeared into thin air. The whole thing was weird but I just chalked it up to him lying through his teeth since he didn't want to pay the extra money."

"I'm pretty sure every business is required to have some insurance on their building, just like people do with their cars. It might be illegal otherwise, however I'm not well versed in such matters so feel free to disregard." Phoebe replied as she scratched the back of her hand. "But the timing does feel too perfect to be coincidental and that would explain his pun. Helga, you don't really think he's behind it, do you? I mean, that would be rather impossible for him unless-"

But before Phoebe could finish her sentence, Helga caught on. "-unless he had my father's business and personal information." She finished.

They both eyed each other in silence for a moment while the information hung in the air. The environment felt heavy with stress and Helga's stomach began to twist and turn with every thought. Was it really possible for a 12 year old boy to be able to do such a thing? The thought seemed impossible but both girls knew that sometimes, with a little willpower, many things were possible. Helga had proved that herself with infiltrating a business and saving the city, finding a man's lost daughter, finding Arnold's parents and more.

Helga put herself in Brainy's position for a second. "If I had found out that Arnold's living situation was bad, and there was a possibility of him moving away… you bet your butt I would do everything in my power to keep him here." She said sternly. "I wouldn't give it even a second thought."

"You don't think he had anything to do with the fire… do you?" Phoebe asked cautiously.

Helga shook her head. "No because there was a possibility of me being inside when it started, and he wouldn't have risked that. I mean, I wouldn't if it was Arnold's boarding house. Besides, why would he start a fire then make our insurance disappear?"

"Right." Phoebe agreed, "At that point, why start the fire at all even if he knew you weren't home if it risked you having to move or creating a more chaotic environment for you if he cares for you so deeply."

"Exactly…" said Helga quietly as she looked down at the floor. The room felt like it was spinning and she closed her eyes. "Also I'm pretty sure I heard something about faulty wiring. That's probably what caused the fire; Bob trying to rig things to make electricity cheaper or get free cable." She finished and took a gulp of her own saliva, trying to calm the bit of nausea that was trying to overtake her. Her insides protested angrily as anxiety rampaged through her body.

Phoebe could see that Helga wasn't feeling well and decided it was time to leave. She logged out of the computer and stood up, reaching out to her ill friend with her hand. "Come on, let's get some fresh air."

Helga nodded and took her friends hand, picking herself back up without a word. The feeling of wanting to vomit just made every step she took worse and worse. She wondered if Arnold would feel this terrible if he had found out how much she had really stalked him and unknowingly assisted him with things. Some more personal than the others. What made things worse, was if Brainy was actually responsible for her parents information suddenly disappearing, even if for her sake, he would no doubt face dire consequences if found out. Would he be tried as a child or as an adult? Would he face jail time or be sent to juvenile hall? It was all for her, she knew. She would have done the same for her beloved and wouldn't regret anything. Did he feel the same way? Did he really not care what would happen to him if he was caught?

The girls walked out of the school in silence, neither knowing what to say on the matter but they both knew they were thinking the same things. The fresh air felt good to breathe in but didn't soften the heavy burden of information they were carrying.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Pheebs." Helga finally spoke, her voice sore with regret.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Helga." The small girl replied without an ounce of hesitation. "You're my best friend and I've always told you to come to me if you need help." Phoebe smiled a large warm smile.

The tall blonde girl groaned loudly. "Why must everything be so complicated?!" She yelled up at the sky. "If it's not one thing, it's another! When will it end, Phoebe? When?! When can I just wake up one morning and life be a normal, everyday sort of life? Without useless parents to mess things up, or stupid kids to interfere with my life?!"

Passerbyers began to look at them as they continued down the street.

Phoebe didn't know how to respond but just looked at the loud girl sympathetically. She knew Helga's life had never been simple and didn't imagine it getting any better anytime soon, either. "Look on the bright side, Helga." She finally managed to say, "You get to spend a lot more time with Arnold than you've ever been able to before."

"But how long will that even last?" Helga retorted. "As far as I know, Bob is trying to mess that up as well! Good news, he says." Helga spat on the ground, nearly hitting a poor man's shoe. "More like let's take away the only good thing I have going for me."

Phoebe frowned as they reached the intersection in which they would have to part. "Try not to think about it so much and just enjoy the time you have to spend together. For all you know, you'll be getting your house back and everything will go back to the way it was before." She grimaced at the thought of Helga's life prior. "Maybe your parents will get jobs and you won't have to see them as much?" She added, hoping it brought a little hope into her sour friend.

"Yeah and maybe gold trees will sprout up and hand us a million dollars." Helga replied, knowing full well the chances of that happening being none. "But you're right. I should use the time I have left to spend with Arnold while my parents are monkeying about." She gave her friend a small smile, "Thanks Phoebe."

"You're welcome, Helga." Phoebe replied before waving and taking off towards her house.

Helga stood there for a moment as she watched her friend turn the corner and was out of sight. She gave a large and heavy sigh and continued down the street.

The moment Helga opened the boarding house door; she heard erupting laughter coming from the living room. She peered inside and saw Arnold and Gerald playing some sort of game with Arnold's parents and couldn't help but feel a little lonely. Not wanting to disturb them, she continued upstairs toward her room, doing her best to be as quiet as possible as to not gain anyone's attention. The last thing she needed right now was unwanted attention.

She gradually made her way to her room undetected, kicked off her shoes and fell on her bed. It made a loud squeaking noise as her body forced contact on it, and almost bounce so high she thought it was attempting to throw her off. "Criminy!" She shouted at it, throwing both her arms down to keep the weight evenly distributed enough to halt its motion. "Just where did they get this mattress? A trampoline park?"

She could hear everyone talking and laughing below her and decided her next investment would be a stereo for sure. Anything to keep the house's noise to a minimum from reaching her new private sanctum. "I hope I never have to leave here…" She said to herself softly. She could feel sadness begin to sprout as she considered the possibility of moving soon. The place wasn't in the best shape and the boarders were odd at best, but it wasn't a lonely place. The place had laughter and love within its walls and she never really got to experience that while growing up. Even amongst all the chaos of boarders shouting at one another, Arnold's weird grandma and grandpa, the place felt more like a loving home than she had ever experienced.

Helga closed her eyes and took in all the sounds and smells. She soaked up the environment as if tasting her last supper and soon found herself drifting to sleep.

Knock, Knock, Knock…

Helga heard it but rolled over, continuing her slumber.

Knock, Knock, Knock….

"Helga?" Called a sweet voice from the distance.

"Yes, my love?" She called back to it, still dreaming as she held her pillow tight.

From the other side of the door, Arnold heard her speak but the words were far too quiet to make out. He didn't want to assume they were an invitation, but dinner was ready and he had barely seen her all day besides looking at her from time to time in class.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

Arnold waited a moment and heard Helga say something else but it didn't sound like a no, so he slowly turned her doorknob and let himself in. He saw her curled up in the fetal position, hugging her dingy white pillow closely.

She's asleep?Arnold thought as he crept forward. He watched as her body rose and fell with every deep breath she made. He hoped silently that whatever dream she was having was nice. He noticed how peaceful she looked and found his body pulling him closer to the bed.What am I doing?He questioned himself, standing next to the bed.I should just go downstairs and tell them to save her a plate and let her sleep.He continued to watch as she smiled in her sleep, mumbling something he couldn't quite hear. Arnold felt compelled to stand there and watch her for a little longer, before finally bringing himself to turn around and leave.

Creeeeeek

The floorboard beneath him yelled to him. Arnold winced, afraid it would wake her. He turned his head and saw she made no move. He took in a sharp breath and continued towards her door.

"Don't… go…" He heard her mumble, causing him to freeze in place. He turned his head again and saw her roll over to her other side and abandoning her pillow. "Don't…"

"Everything okay up there, Shortman?" Arnold heard his grandpa calling from the bottom of the stairs. He wanted to desperately respond to him, but he knew if he did that she would spring to life and probably hate him forever for being in her room without permission. At the same time, he was also very curious about her sleep talking.

"I have to go…" Arnold whispered to her, hoping it would reach her dreams and allow him less guilt upon leaving. He watched as her face turned into one of sadness but she didn't respond. "I'll be back later, I promise."

The sadness she displayed faded into something else. It was an expression he couldn't make out exactly, but it didn't look bad. He crept closer to her door and managed to open it without making a sound. He slowly closed the door behind him and backed away quietly.

"Whatcha doing there, Arnold?" Phil asked loudly, causing the boy to jump up in fright.

Arnold stood with his back against her door and breathed heavily. "Nothing!" He replied in a panic.

"Mmmm… doesn't look like nothing." The elder questioned with a finger on his boney chin. "You look spooked! Did I spook ya?"

Arnold nodded quickly, still catching his breath as his heart attempted to break through his ribs and out of his body.

Phil looked the boy up and down before giving a shrug. "Well is she coming down to dinner or not?"

Arnold shook his head. "No, she said she'll sleep later." He said. Realizing his mouths choice of words, he panicked again and quickly corrected them. "I mean, she'll eat later."

"I see…" Phil replied, still intrigued in his grandson's actions. "Okay well you better come down quickly or I can't guarantee either of you a plate. You know how they are down there! Savages!"

Arnold nodded again, finally forcing his body to move forward and urging his grandpa to do the same. "Yeah, let's go."

The pair walked down the hallway and to the stairs before Phil stopped abruptly. He turned around and looked is grandson up and down before giving himself a chuckle and walking down ahead of him. Arnold gave him a questioning look but chose to not indulge in his grandfather's bait that he was clearly giving to explain himself.

They reached the dining room where the hungry boarders were giving him a displeased look.

"It's about time, Arnold!" Ernie said from his chair.

"Yeah, I thought I was going to starve waiting…" Oskar whined, looking at him sadly.

"Starve if you have to!" Mr. Hyunh told Oskar as he pointed a fork in the man's face. "It is polite to wait for everyone to eat! You are not polite!"

"Sorry everyone…" Arnold apologized as he found his seat and sat down.

Stella came in with a pitcher of ice water and set it down on the table for everyone to grab. She noticed someone was still missing. "Arnold, Where is Helga?"She asked softly.

"The boy noticed her sleeping and felt it was best to save her a plate" Phil responded as he gave his grandson a quirky smile. "Isn't that right, Arnold?"

Arnold's face turned pale as he knew his grandpa was up to something, but chose not to question it. "Yeah."

Miles shook his head. "Poor girl. She's been having such a rough time."

"Oh Eleanor is a strong woman." Gerty added as she poured Phil and herself glass of cold water. "She'll be fine. Just give her some time."

Arnold's parents exchanged odd looks but decided it was best to not question the old woman on the girls name and let it go.

"So Arnold," Miles started as he warmly looked to his son. "How was school? Learn anything new today?"

"Yeah, what are the schools teaching you young minds these days?" Ernie asked, waving his fork around causing a bit of food to fly onto the table. "A buddy at work says his son has that new class about drugs too. Crazy, if you ask me."

Mr. Hyunh gasped. "Drugs? Drugs are bad, Arnold! Very bad!"

"Arnold, don't do drugs!" Oskar cried out. "They will ruin your life and you'll never get it back. Be a good boy and stay in school."

"It's a class teaching us about drugs and how they negatively affect us all, guys." Arnold corrected, causing his older peers to settle down. "They're not telling us to do them."

The adults exchanged banter about the subject, going from why not to do them to personal experiences with them, making Arnold silent but continue to eat. He wasn't fond of the subject and honestly hadn't even attended the class much yet to chime in with anything worthwhile. He had spent his class time tutoring Lila and even that ended up bad. Arnold thought of Lila for a moment and made a note in his head to talk to her tomorrow. He hadn't spoken to her since Helga's accusations and wanted to make sure she was doing okay.It must have really made her sad to come back to school after being away for so long, just to be yelled at for doing nothing wrong…He thought sadly.I'd call her if I knew her number.Arnold made a mental to get that as well, even if he knew it would cause Helga to give him grief over it. He had been making a small phone book for his classmates since the third grade, that way he could always call one of them if he needed to. He had just about everyone's by now, except hers and Brainy's. This sparked the thought to continue on that note. It was a shame he was unable to talk to him, but would definitely do his best next time he had class.I'll make sure to talk to him, even if it means I have to follow him all day.Arnold thought, insistent.

After dinner, Arnold helped his parents clear the table before giving each of them a kiss on the cheek and heading upstairs to get ready for bed. He could see that the boarders weren't blocking the bathroom yet and quickly gathered up his shower supplies and a change of clothes to be able to use it first, before anyone could stop him.

Arnold set his clothes on the bathroom sink and distributed his toiletries around the bathrooms tub for easy use. He turned on the shower, letting the hiss of the water relax his body. He was anxious to get in, but knew it normally took a moment for the water heater to kick in and give him the warm shower he wanted. Slowly he undressed, placing his used clothes in a pile by the sink and tested the water with his hand.It's Perfect!He thought happily before jumping in. He let the warm water wash away the days worries while he slicked back his thick blonde hair to get soaked. He wondered if anywhere in the world, it rained warm like this and if so, contemplated moving there as soon as he was able. There was just something about a nice hot shower to make everything seem good again.

The moment he was done, Arnold turned off the shower and dried off with a fresh fluffy white towel, brushed his teeth, got clean bed clothes on and dried his hair off one more time before placing the used towel in a hamper to be washed. He collected all of his belongings and opened the bathroom door, letting all the steam out into the hallway. With a serene smile, he headed towards his bedroom. He passed Helga's bedroom door and wondered if she had woken up yet and knew there was food waiting for her in the refrigerator. Standing there silently for a moment, hoping to hear any movement coming from her room, Arnold proceeded to his room and looked at the time.Its 8:48pm and she still hasn't woken up yet? At this rate, she'll wake up hungry in the middle of the night…He thought, placing his shower items back where they belonged and throwing his dirty clothes in a clothes basket.Should I wake her? I don't want her to be hungry and I doubt she'll get herself food if no one is around. The boarding house is still a new place for her, and if I was her, I wouldn't feel comfortable enough to just go to the kitchen and make something…He continued to ponder before making up his mind.I'm sure if I wake her up nicely, she won't be too mad, right?He asked himself mentally, heading back down his ladder and to her door.

He listened to the silence once more before calling out to her. "Helga, are you awake?"

No response. Not even a peep from the fire alarm needing a new battery.

Arnold gulped before squeezing her door knob and giving it a small turn, praying it would be enough to wake her and he wouldn't have to himself.

Her room was dark and the only light that shown came from a street light from outside her window. He let his eyes become adjusted to its darkness before looking for her on the bed. She was still exactly how he had left her earlier; curled up and hugging nothing as the pillow still remained at her back. He wondered for a moment how exactly she found comfort in no pillow behind her head, but dismissed the thought and inched towards her. He was a little scared at how she would react to him, but knew it was in her best interest to wake up and eat.

The moment he reached her bed, he placed a warm hand on her shoulder, causing her to stir a little at his touch. "Helga?" He called out to her softly, hoping she wouldn't be too mad. "Helga, you gotta wake up and eat…"

"Mmmmm…" She replied, her face going from peaceful to annoyed.

He caressed her shoulder lightly, hoping it was enough to wake her before calling out to her again. "Helga… I know you're tired but you need to eat…"

"You're not my real dad…" She mumbled in frustration, turning over again and finding her pillow.

Arnold sighed and sat down in the now empty spot on her bed. He looked to her lamp and wondered if turning it on might help.No… I would be pretty mad if I woke up to a blinding light…He reminded himself. He looked towards her windows and wondered if maybe opening one might cause enough ambient noise to wake her.No… if everyone yelling downstairs didn't wake her, a few crickets won't do the trick and she's probably used to the street noise.Arnold felt defeated and knew the only way to awake his sleeping girlfriend was to continue as he was. He placed his hand back on her shoulder.

"I came back like I promised…" He said quietly, hoping she would at least respond to that.

"Mmmmm…" She noised, but in a happier tune. "Don't… go…"

"I won't…" He replied softly, a small smile gracing his lips unexpectedly.Was she always this way when she slept?He wondered if it was possible to have a conversation with her like this, completely ignoring his main quest in the first place.

"I… don't wanna go…" Helga moaned in her sleep sadly.

Arnold's ears picked up at her words and frowned.Where is she going in her sleep and why didn't she wanna go there?He wondered. "You don't have to if you don't want to…"

Helga groaned softly and kicked her legs a little, causing Arnold to stifle a giggle. It felt as if time had stopped and he had almost forgotten his purpose there in the first place.I still have to wake her up… but how?He softly rubbed her shoulder hoping she would either wake up or say something else. What would she do if she woke up to him sitting there? Would she be mad? Would she try to accuse him of something heinous? Arnold shuttered the thoughts out.Maybe I should just go…He thought as he looked to the door.She can't be that hungry if she still hasn't woken up yet, and the longer I sit here and try to wake her, the more worried I am that someone might find me in here and think the worst…

Arnold looked at the sleeping girl with longing, affectionate eyes. He wanted nothing more than to brush away the stands of her hair that had fallen in her face and kiss her on the forehead, but he wasn't so bold. Feeling a little wistful, he stood up and prepared himself mentally to leave, allowing one last look at the rare sight of a peaceful Helga.

"Stay with me forever, my love…" He heard her swoon, causing his heart to stir.

Now more than ever, he fought back the urges to stay by her side for the rest of the night, and solidified the idea of needing to go. The words she said, though undoubtedly for him, were not meant to be heard by him while she slept. He knew that and yet he wanted to respond to her.

"Only if you let me…" He replied, voice no longer a whisper.

He watched as she rolled over towards him once more. She had a smile on her face.Did she hear me?He wondered, hoping the smile was for him.I'll just leave a note about the plate waiting for her under her door and hope she gets it.He decided as he finally walked away from her bedside and to the door. He wanted to say good night but shook his head and left. He had indulged far too much, even for his own liking and it wasn't like him to take pleasure in invading other people's privacies.

Arnold walked back to his room, closed the door and pressed his back up against its smooth surface. Although he thought it silly, these events between them were not something he would ever let himself forget; priceless moments of innocence and unadulterated bliss.

Little did the young man know, things were going to change far too soon…

Chapter 26

Chapter Text

The young man chewed on the tip of his pencil eraser, eyes closed and his head throbbing. Panic began to invade his usual calm and neutral self as his eyes stared into the blackness behind his eyelids.

There is no response…Was all that echoed in his mind. Time was becoming more and more stretched and the longer this mission went on, the more deadly it would end. He was no idiot. His insides tugged at him to do something, anything but he refused them.I need a clear mind…He thought as he did his best to trek through all the possible negative outcomes he could be rushing into with every moment left without action. His throat was dry and scratchy; his palms were moist with sweat.

There were only two possible choices to make at this time. Either revert what he had done and possibly get away with it, but end up regretting it if it's too soon… or wait another day and see if his queen responded to him. If news of greatness, he could easily undo what he did. If not… he would continue to hold steady his plan even if it ended badly. Both options had possible good or bad endings and fate could bless him with the best outcome… or send him to jail for many years into adulthood.

Brainy's head pounded with every thought. His heart throbbed painfully. His breathing as raspy as ever and even though he could easily relief that one symptom, it meant going across the room away from his computer. Was he a gambling man?

A cold wind filled with bits of snow flew by as children draped in parkas of animal fur ran around in circles playing some unknown game. It was nearly time for recess to be over and their loving teacher would be glowing with excitement and colorful stories of far off lands they could only dream of. Stories of Kings and Queens, stories of wars and famine, stories of families not too different from their own but with cultures far different, stories of different climates of which they had never experienced. Some laughed and played while others threw their body into the white fluffy snow to make snow angels.

"Betcha can't catch me!" A girl with red pigtails called a boy with raven black hair before bolting around the igloos.

"Oh yeah?!" The boy challenged before following suit. He ran around the igloo but saw no sign of his friend. Turning his head back and forth, the boy scrunched his nose in confusion. He rounded the school a few more times before turning around and noticing a tall man with a bag approaching the school. Being the bravest in the class, the boy stood his ground and watched as the man got closer. "Whatcha here for there, mister?" He asked in a cheeky tone.

The man gave the boy a warm smile before reaching in his large bag and pulling out a letter. "Just a letter for your teacher," He replied and held it to the boy. "Make sure she gets it!"

The child nodded and looked down at the letter. It was small and looked to be a little dirty. He couldn't read very well but well enough to make out his own teachers name. He chose to end his little game with his friends early and head on into their icy school, but just as he reached the door, a sharp cold pain reached the back of his head causing his dark hair to turn white.

"You wimp! I knew you couldn't catch me!" The girl's familiar voice shouted. He turned his head and saw her smug grin as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I can so!" he shouted back before waving the letter in his hands. "I got more important things to do than chase your sorry butt around!"

The girl eyed the piece of white paper curiously before walking over. "What's that?"

"A letter for Ms. Pataki" He replied before snatching it away from the girls view and turning away, "For her eyes only!"

The early morning's glow reached Helga's eyes and softly pulled her away from her slumber. Her eyelids fluttered open slowly as she gazed over at the open window at the far end of her bed. Everything was quiet and peaceful; something incredibly rare for her. She sat up and could feel her body ache. "How long was I asleep?" She asked herself, shuffling her legs around her bed and eventually throwing them over the side to get up. Helga reached for the alarm clock that Arnold had lent her and noticed it was much earlier than she expected. Everyone was probably still asleep and she didn't blame them.

Helga threw her arms up and let out a loud moan as she stretched her limbs. She had slept far too long and knew she would pay for it in aches and pains but it was worth it. It was probably the best sleep she had gotten in a while, despite her drifting off to not so pleasant thoughts. In fact, she couldn't really remember much of her dreams either, which was rather odd. "Well no point in wasting time…" She said as she walked to her new closet. Inside she found all her newly bought clothes hanging and waiting for her. On the floor, was a small basket with a sundry of toiletries that she would be using for her shower that her body so desperately craved. She could feel a quake in her stomach that caused her to wrap her arms around her mid section and wince. "Damn… I gotta grab something to eat too." The hunger pangs slowly subsided and she quickly grabbed her things to prepare for a somewhat normal morning routine.

The shower was marvelous and refreshing. As much as she enjoyed lavishing herself in her beloved's scent, there was something about using her own products that just felt right. She didn't feel as though she was being a nuisance or needy. She was just herself, Helga G. Pataki and wasn't intentionally relying on any help. How much of that was true though? Helga jumped out of the shower and slowly dried herself off with the towel. This still wasn'therbathroom. This still wasn'therhouse. Negative thoughts and feelings began to intrude in her subconscious. Doing her best to push them aside, Helga took a deep breath and looked into the foggy mirror. She gazed upon herself and drank in the image. She drank in the feelings of her surroundings and did her best to normalize her thoughts.Everything is fine…,she told her inner self.This is where I belong anyway.The thought gave her a mixture of emotions, knowing just how true it was. It was a house of crazies and she, more than anyone else, was aware of just how far she could go. It was the home of the one person in the entire world whom she treasured more than life itself; the one person who made her life even worth living. She wondered briefly if other people in the world had ever felt the way she did, but then quickly dismissed the thought as she approached her bedroom door. Helga noticed a small white triangle sticking out from beneath and she co*cked her head to the side.Was that there before?She thought as she opened the door. It was a small piece of paper that had been folded up to be even smaller. Helga knelt down and picked it up.How in blazes did I miss this?She asked herself before opening it. The contents made her smile something fierce and nothing in the world could bother her at that moment. It was so wholesome yet so typical of him. Helga's heart quickened and she gave the paper a tiny kiss before placing it on the nightstand.

"It's almost like he knew I'd wake up hungry…" She said with a longing tone. It was weird to know that someone truly cared for her without expecting something in return. She didn't need to fear this plate waiting for her downstairs like it would be held over her later on and she would need to act so incredibly grateful. As if the mere act of making sure she ate properly was one that would somehow create world peace or cure cancer and the person should be made ruler indefinitely. Helga could feel herself becoming soft at the thought that maybe, just maybe, the object of her obsessions was truly growing to love her the same ways she loved him. Would one day she wake up to breakfast in bed? Would one day they even share a bed? Her mind became clouded with possibilities until her stomach interrupted her fantasies with another twist, turn and growl. "Ya, ya, I hear you." She grumbled at it after coming back to the earth.

Helga put away her belongings, threw her used clothes at the foot of her bed and made a quick dash downstairs to the kitchen. She looked around the room for a moment in silence to hear if anyone else was possibly around, before opening up the fridge and rooting for the plate in question. Her meal was plain to see and she wasted no time putting it into the microwave to warm up. The beeps of the number pad let out loud yells that she felt could be heard across the world and made her shutter. "Please, let the whole house know how I'mabusingyou." She angrily told it and pressed the 'start' button, which seemed to respond to her in agreement. She could hear the mechanisms within it begin to whirl and soon her food was making its circular journey to nowhere. The thought of real food, good food, actually made her a little excited inside. The feeling felt stupid to her and actually made her cringe. It was pathetic to feel so excited for a real meal and she knew it. Helga wanted to punch herself in the head but before she could do it, the microwave told her she had missed her chance. Giving it a scowl, she threw its door open and grabbed her steaming food. Meat and vegetables lay before her swimming in some sort of clear sauce. She let another silence wash over the room before placing the food down and hunting for a fork.

The food was great, just as she expected. Each bite seemingly better than the next and before she knew it, her hand was shoveling it into her mouth with lightening speed. Delicious, nutritious and homemade: Was she in heaven? It sure felt that way by the time she was done. Her belly full and bulging from her pink dress, Helga let out a sigh of contentment. "Wasn't traditional breakfast but you sure won't see me complaining." She said to herself with a smile.

"Oh good!" said a sudden familiar voice from behind the girl. "It was meant to be good!"

Helga jumped at the sound of the voice and nearly fell out of her chair. Standing up and turning around, she eyed Arnold's grandpa standing in the doorway with his back rested up against the frame and his arms crossed. "Don't scare me like that!" She yelled, gathering up the dishes and bringing them to the sink to wash.

Laughing softly to himself, Phil walked over to her and took the dishes out of her hand. "Don't need to do that," He said warmly, "I got it. You go get ready for school or something."

"But," She started but was immediately cut off.

"Not buts missy." He said as he turned to the sink and nudged her out of the way. "You get going now and leave these dishes to me. I wouldn't want young Arnold to think I'm slaving you away down here while he's asleep. Why, that would make me the worst grandpa imaginable!" He chuckled.

Helga scowled and crossed her arms as she watched him turn on the water and begin scrubbing. "It's Saturday. There is no school and I was fully capable of washing them myself. You don't need to cater to me, old man. I've been taking care of myself since I was like 4."

"That may be true but so long as you're under my roof, you'll do what I say since I'm your landlord." He said with a wink.

"So if you ask me to scrub the gutters, I have to?" She asked, arching her eyebrow in amusem*nt.

"Scrub the gutters, clean the toilets, feed the pig…" He started as he kept count on his fingers, the water rushing over the plate, "Vacuum the rugs, wash the windows, dig the moat…"

"Dig the moat?" Helga asked with dry skepticism.

Phil began to scrub the plate some more. "Yeah! You could dig a moat around the boarding house before the storm that's coming. Catch all that rain water and then, who knows? Maybe Pookie can get us an alligator to protect us from all those annoying door to door salesman!" He chuckled loudly to himself.

His laugh seemed to bounce off all of the walls in the mostly empty first floor and made Helga feel a little at ease. Despite not wanting to be seen as needy, she could tell that he was just trying to make her feel welcome and not a total burden. Helga let her scowl turn into a sly smile. "But if you get alligators to chase away the salesman that also means you won't be getting any of those chocolate turtles from the Campfire Lass."

"Ohhhh!" Phil closed his eyes and fantasized about those delicious treats he loved so much. "Touché Ms. Pataki! Definitely no alligators then. It's bad enough I have to wait once a year for those little sirens to come around and tickle my sweet tooth, I couldn't imagine not getting any at all. I would die a sad, sad man…"

"And what storm that's coming?" Helga asked curiously.

Arnold's grandpa finished washing the plate and set it in the strainer to dry. "The weather man last night said something about a storm coming this way. Who knows if it's true? They're wrong more than half the time anyway. Best prepare now then be sorry later."

Helga thought of the rain storm that flooded the city back in fourth grade. The image of the students painting themselves and pretending to be Native Americans made her laugh, as well as her stumbling upon the principal in full Mexican attire dancing in the hallway. It was all fun and games for the most part, until it was time to save their teacher from almost being washed away. If it wasn't for Phil and his lifeboat, it could have ended badly for them. "You still have that old lifeboat in case we need it?"

Scratching his bald head, Phil looked around as if it was expected to be somewhere in the kitchen with them. "Hmm, should be somewhere. Maybe in the basem*nt or the shed… Suppose I'll have to look for it later just in case."

"Yeah, you do that." She replied as she turned around to leave, somewhat listening to him mumble to himself. The thought of getting trapped in the boarding house due to a rain storm didn't seem too bad, so long as there was food to eat and the boarders kept their distance. The thought even seemed kind of fun.Better than being trapped with Bob and Miriam…She thought as she exited the kitchen in route of her bedroom.

Hearing the girl's footsteps echo away, Phil turned around and smiled to watch her go. Truthfully, he was happy to see her helping herself and taking the initiative. He knew it must be hard for her to swallow her pride and accept help but eventually she would warm up to the boarding house. Everyone always seemed to. Maybe it was the generations that lived there over the years; the people who had come and gone. Maybe it was the love and hospitality of the Shortman family that seeped into the walls, or maybe it was something in the water corrupting people's minds. Who knows? Phil didn't and honestly he didn't really care too much. What mattered most to him was his grandson's happiness and it was apparent that the two kids were entwined for better or for worse. Phil could recall all the times Arnold had come to him complaining about the young woman, the times she would skip rope outside the boarding house just waiting for him to come outside so she could call him names, the times she would somehow wind upinsidethe boarding house, and the times her family happened to cause issues for his own. Could he really call it all coincidence? Or was it possibly… fate? The muse made Phil chuckle again.

"Just what has that poor boy gotten himself into?" He asked to no one in particular, shaking his head. "Kinda makes ya think…"

Arnold stirred under his blankets uncomfortably. He had, had one of those weird and confusing dreams again that always ended with him feeling frustrated. He awoke to a sharp pain in one of his legs, which caused him to kick off his blanket and rub it gently. The pain seemed to radiate from his knee up into his thigh and within the few moments of him being awake, the other leg began to mimic the pains. Unsure of what to do, the young man got up and began to walk around, hoping the pain would subside. Much to his misfortune, the pain only seemed to get worse and gradually made it to his calves and caused the boy to sit back down on his bed with a frown.The coach must have worked me too hard…He concluded as he started to rub his legs again.Maybe if I just continue to rub them like this, it will help stimulate the blood flow and ease the pain eventually…But no matter what he did, his legs continued to throb.

Knock, knock, knock…

The young man looked up at his door. "Come in."

The door creaked open and a familiar female face peeked in. "Figured you were awake." Helga said as she pushed her way through the doors opening. "I heard you walking around on my ceiling." She said, pointing up with her finger.

"Yeah..." He said with a smile, his pain somewhat subsiding at the sight of her. "How did you sleep?"

"Eh. I slept okay." Helga responded with a shrug.

"Good!" He said, wondering what time she finally managed to wake up but figuring it might be a little strange to ask. Doing his best to ignore the shooting pain, he stood up and walked towards her. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

Helga eyed the boy critically as she watched him walk. It was clear to her that there was something wrong; all the years of her watching his every move particularly helped with that. She was nothing short of an expert. "You fall outta your bed or something, yutz?" She asked playfully, ignoring his question and grinning to mask her concern. "You look like you got hit by a truck."

"No…I woke up like this." He replied glumly, looking down at his limbs. "Is it that obvious?"

She could hear the hurt in his voice and her delightful grin vanished. "I- I mean… not really." Helga retracted; shuffling her feet. "You're just usually full of life in the morning… annoyingly so." She finished with a cross of her arms and a turn of her head.

Arnold sat on his small red couch and let his arms fall across his lap in defeat. "It's just weird. I figured maybe I overdid it in gym class yesterday but usually I can just walk it off." He explained, sadly looking at his feet. "I've been up for about an hour, walking around my room and even trying to rub the pains away but…" Arnold looked up at Helga, concern in his eyes, "My legs really hurt."

"Like, a lot?" She asked, her face drooping a little.

"Yeah," He responded. "More than I'm used to, anyway."

Helga hated seeing him like this and gritted her teeth. What could she do? She had to help him somehow, or at the very least cheer him up. "Well… maybe you slept on the wrong side of the bed? Or heck, maybe you're just getting old." She joked.

Smiling a little, Arnold appreciated what she was trying to do. "I'm pretty sure 11 isn't all that old, Helga."

"Hey, hey, hey!" She protested, pointing her finger at him. "You're almost 12, Arnoldo. Who knows? Maybe it all goes downhill in your family around then."

They gave each other a small smile and let the tension fade away a little. "Yeah… maybe" He said, rubbing his thighs with a firm amount of pressure hoping it would work.

A few more moments passed between them in silence before she noticed that he didn't seem in a hurry to stand up again. Another pain shot up into his knees and caused the boy to wince a little. It seemed as though the aches synchronized themselves with every beat of his heart and were only shooting violently once in a while.

Helga watched as he struggled with a frown. She walked over to him and placed a soft hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up. "Look Arnold, I don't exactly know how you're feeling but I can at least tell that it's bad enough to keep you from jumping around like merry sunshine." She said, watching his pain stricken face turn soft as their gazes met. "You want me to get your grandpa? I know he's awake..."

Knowing she was right, Arnold nodded his head in agreement. "I guess." He said, placing his hand on top of hers, causing her to blush a little. "It's nice to have you here, Helga."

His words and actions instantly made her swoon, causing fireworks to go off in her head and soon she was giving him a goofy looking face. The moment she realized it however, her face turned a darker shade of red and she swiftly retracted her hand from his. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Football head." She replied quickly; walking backwards towards his bedroom door. "I'll let your grandpa know. Just feel better, okay? Don't go injuring yourself all over the place and causing trouble for people! Sheesh!" It was far too early in the morning for him to be making her feel this way and she needed to escape soon and fast or she might do something she would regret later.

Arnold quietly watched as the embarrassed girl quickly ran out of the room and shut the door behind her. He smiled fondly and propped his head upon his hand. He couldn't help but think of how endearing she looked just then; running out in frustration. He thought of how she looked just last night as she lay curled up on her bed; sleeping. He thought of his dreams about her even though those thoughts embarrassed even himself. He sighed a little. Maybe it was just him growing older that made him feel this way. Was all this normal? Probably not.Maybe I am as sick as Gerald thinks…He analyzed himself silently. Gerald had made it very clear that the two of them sleeping under the same roof was very weird and risky but how could that be true when it felt so… so right?

Sharp pains threw him out of his contemplations and Arnold cried out quietly. He scowled down at his body, got up with a little wobble then walked over to his bed.

"Arnold?" called a voice from behind his door.

The young boy looked towards the door and cleared his thoughts. "Yeah?"

The door opened again but this time his grandfather emerged. "You okay, Shortman?" He asked cautiously. "Your little girlfriend said something about you feeling under the weather before she ran out of the house."

"Yeah Grandpa, I'm alright." He said reassuringly, a small sigh following his words. It was comforting to see the old man as he was the caretaker that had overlooked the young boy's life growing up.

Phil looked the boy up and down before deciding to sit next to him. "Was it the food?" He asked. "I told your mom not to add so much basil but she was convinced it wouldn't hard anyone. Or maybe your grandma added something to the pot when no one was looking…" He said wearily, his eyes narrowing at the thought. "I wouldn't put it past her."

"No Grandpa. My stomach is fine." Arnold explained, "Actually, it's my legs that hurt."

"Your legs?" The elder man raised an eyebrow. "Whatcha do to them? Kick a ball too hard?"

The thought of that being possible amused the young boy and made him smile. "No… I think I just pushed myself too hard during gym. The coach had us running back and forth the entire period and maybe I just wore them out."

"Ohhhh, so muscle pains eh?" Phil inquired, putting a finger on his boney chin.

"Yeah..." Arnold replied, before suddenly changing his mind. "Well, actually no." He thought deeply about the pains. "It seems more like pain is coming from my knees and shooting up and down through the rest of my legs. I know it doesn't make any sense but this doesn't feel the same as if I pulled a muscle or something."

Phil patted the boy on top of his feathery blonde hair and grinned. "Oh Arnold, it makes perfect sense!" He stated; almost gleaming. "You're a growing boy, that's all."

The prospect made sense but that the same time didn't, as it seem like the only ever heard those words when it came to him eating. "Huh?"

"I mean it!" Phil stated. "Literally!" The old man got up and began to pace around the room. "Why it happens to everyone at some point in their lives… except maybe Ernie. When you grow up, your body changes and does all sorts of weird things-"

"Yeah Grandpa, I know. We've had this conversation before." Arnold interrupted.

"Right! But sometimes these changes can be painful!" The old man continued. "You're getting taller, Arnold!"

"Taller?" Arnold thought about it for a moment. "But I thought we only grew in our sleep?"

Phil nodded excitedly. "Yes! Most of our growing happens in our sleep but sometimes, specifically during these times, your body goes on overdrive and decides… well it's going to do it whenever it feels like it! Pretty rude if you ask me but your body doesn't care! It's got a whole list of things it's trying to accomplish right now Shortman and this is just the beginning!"

Arnold rubbed his legs again then focused more on his knees. "And it's supposed to hurt this bad?"

"Some days it will hurt more than other days, and it will happen pretty random." Phil explained thoughtfully. "Happened to me like that anyway. One day you're a shrimp and the next you could be the next hot shot playing basketball!" He finished with a laugh. "Although you probably won't be getting any taller than me so you don't have to worry too much."

The boy eyed his elder up and down and measured his height against his own. "So it's going to hurt like this until I get to your height?" He asked in horror, not wanting to even imagine how that was going to feel in compared to how he was already currently feeling.

"Goodness, No! It's only gonna hurt for a little while and then it will go back to its usual growing process." Phil reassured, giving his grandson a breath of relief. "Don't worry about it too much, Arnold. I'll go get you some pain killers and you relax up here. The pain will go away and you can go back to your usual day to day life." He finished with a wink then headed back to the door.

"Thanks, Grandpa." Arnold said as he watched him go, letting himself relax a little knowing that this pain was only temporary and nothing to be really concerned about.

"Anytime, Shortman." Phil replied on his way out. "I'll be back."

Once Arnold heard the click of his door, he let his body fall back against his bed. He could vaguely hear the voices of the others below him and let the familiar noises calm his nerves.

The sky was bright and shining as the early morning turned towards the afternoon. Saturday was usually a busy day in the park, and today was no exception. People rode around on their bikes, walked their dogs and many kids ran around playing various games. It was a good day to do these sorts of things and this too was agreed on by Stinky. Today he had planned on meeting Sid there to stretch his limbs with a nice game of Frisbee but so far his small friend had yet to show. This wasn't going to bring him down though. Putting a little pep in his step, the tall southern boy began to walk over to the nearest bench and waited patiently. He watched as people passed by with their smiling faces and nice attitudes. He watched as a couple held hands and strolled down the cobblestone pathways, as well as girls giggling to one another close by. He watched as an elderly woman threw some seed to some birds. He watched as a father and son played catch and it made it think of his Pa and himself back when he was a youngin. Of course that wasn't too long ago and they didn't go to the park either, but that didn't matter. What mattered was it was nice to watch people getting along and being happy.

Stinky scratched his head and looked back and forth, as he had been waiting there for quite a while. "Just where is he?" He wondered out loud.

"Oh, Hello Stinky." A cheerful voice came from behind him.

The boy turned his head to see Lila standing there with her usual delightful face. This brightened up his predicament quite a bit and Stinky smiled back. "Why, Miss Lila. Fancy meeting you here." He greeted politely.

Lila stretched her arms behind her back and walked around the bench over to his side. "It's an ever so wonderful day. I just had to enjoy it outside and couldn't think of a more suitable place to go." She explained before placing a curious finger on her chin. "Are you waiting for someone? I couldn't help but noticing you looking around."

Stinky's grin shrank a little at the question and he turned to look around again. "Yeah. Sid was supposed to meet me here but hasn't shown yet." He replied, his voice sounding a little disappointed.

"I don't suppose I could sit with you until he comes?" The girl asked, "You looked ever so lonely."

The comment confused him a little, as he was quite content with his surroundings but he patted the spot next to him nonetheless. "Be my guest!" He replied, scooting his body over a little further to give her more space. He was always happy to spend time with the girl. The aura around her was always so bright and shiny, as well as her stories so colorful and interesting.

"Thank you." She replied, smoothing out the skirt behind her before sitting down.

The two of them listened to the ambient noises around them quietly and relaxed. It was nice to have company, even in the most unexpected sorts.

"Have you and your Pa settled in nicely since returning back to town?" Stinky asked thoughtfully; placing his arm over the top of the bench behind her.

"Oh, yes!" Lila replied, noticing his movement but giving them no real thought. "Being with my family was nice but being back home is ever so refreshing."

Stinky nodded and smiled. "Family sure is nice. I have a large family myself but most of them are back in Arkansas."

"Oh?" Lila inquired, giving him the opportunity to continue.

"Yup. Most of them are farmers, you see but since the land was getting barren on account of pollution in such, we moved here." He explained. "They stayed there though in hopes of it getting better."

"And did it get better?" She asked thoughtfully.

"Nah, I reckon not." He replied with a frown. "A drought came right after and they started bickering and eventually moved away from each other; still in Arkansas but away from each other. We get letters from them every so often but not that much."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Lila's frown mimicked his own. "Do you miss them?"

"Can't really miss people you haven't met." Stinky said with a queer expression.

"I suppose that's true." She said, looking down at the ground and kicking her feet in the dirt a little. "I didn't know much of my family either until recently. I knew my Aunt's ex husband and a few of my cousins though. It was nice meeting them but also ever so awkward at the same time." She explained with a weary tone. "Everyone was so much older than me."

Stinky thought on what she said and understood, but noticed something didn't add up and he scratched his head. "But didn't you say they were too busy to come help?" He asked; confused. "Ain't that why you went all the way there?"

"Well they came after to pay-" Lila suddenly stopped mid-sentence and swallowed, "to pay her a visit!" She concluded happily. "She was ever so happy to see them now that she was well. I suppose maybe it was even better that they came after the fact, as to not stress her in her prior condition."

Noticing there was something a little strange about her demeanor just then, Stinky couldn't help but get suspicious. "Are you okay, Miss Lila?" He asked with mild suspicion. "You get something caught in your throat there? I heard there was some Chinese flu going around. I hope you didn't catch it or something."

"Oh I am ever so fine, Stinky but it is nice of you to ask." Lila's smile grew to its usual charm and she shrugged.

Narrowing his eyes a bit, he decided that she had no reason to lie about it and relaxed. "Okiedokie!" He grinned.

Feeling the air around them getting uncomfortable, Lila stood up and brushed herself off a little as to possibly get rid of any wrinkles on her skirt. "I suppose I should get going now…" She explained, sounding a little disappointed. "I'm sure Sid will show up soon and you two will have an ever so fun day!"

The thought of her leaving and him possibly ruining their time made Stinky mentally kick himself. "Y- You can stay as long as you like!" He insisted a little too quickly and grabbed her hand. "I was just a little angst-ridden for your wellbeing is all. No need for you to go or nothing." Realizing his sudden grab at her was rather inappropriate; Stinky let the girl's hand go and did his best to straighten himself up. "I'm sorry about that."

Lila could see his distress and looked around nervously a moment. It was strange and completely new to her for him to reach out like that, but at the same time he did seem ever so regretful about it. "I… I suppose…" Lila replied, unsure of herself but sitting down next to him again.

Stinky could feel himself becoming a little nervous. Truthfully, he had always been smitten with the pretty pigtailed little miss but had never really found the courage to come right out and tell her. He had seen Arnold's trouble with like-liking her and not getting her feelings in return and really didn't want that for himself. He also couldn't bare another rejection like he had with Helga all those years past, not that he thought she would do so in such a cruel manner like his former, but couldn't really bring himself to risk it again. His youth was supposed to be filled with springtime and joy; not downtrodden and wistful events.And besides… she likes Arnold's homely, dull as dirt cousin… She could never like a guy like me…Mourning his rotten luck, Stinky placed his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands.

"Why Stinky… What's ever so wrong?" Lila asked innocently as she looked over at him; trying to see his face.

Turning his head but remaining how he was, Stinky gave a heavy and defeated sigh. "I just hoping to have a nice, wholesome and carefree chat with you but it seems like I musta said something wrong…" He admitted sorrowfully.

Doing her best to put aside her own insecurities, Lila placed a reassuring hand on his leg and smiled up at him. "To be perfectly honest, you grabbing me like that did startle me but… I'm fine." Her words seemed genuine and earned her a half hearted smile from the boy, urging her to continue. "I just figured I had taken enough of your time, is all."

Hearing such a thing made the lanky boy chuckle. "Why, that might be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. You don't take up my time, Lila. In fact, I enjoy every second of you being around." His mood had been lifted and he wanted nothing more than to continue where they had left off. "Your rosy cheeks and enchanting smile always charms my heart."

His words made the girl feel a little more confident in herself and graced him with the very smile he talked about. "You are ever so lovely yourself, Stinky. Just ever so much!"

Doing his best to not make her feel unwelcome again, Stinky continued to have idle conversation with her. They spoke about the weather, about class and about anything else he could think of that they might have in common, causing the atmosphere to lighten up. She laughed at his jokes and was in awe at a few of his stories.

"And I even grew a pumpkin as big as a house once!" Stinky explained, concluding one of his stories. "That thing was massive! You shoulda seen it!"

"Goodness!" Lila entwined her fingers together and looked curiously at him. "Do you think you could grow something like that again?"

Stinky rubbed his chin a moment in thought. "I don't see why not but I haven't tried in quite some time. Right now, I'm just growing basic stuff behind the house. Nothing too big or special."

Feeling a little shy, Lila looked down and shuffled her feet against the dirt. "Maybe you could show me your garden sometime? If it's not too much trouble…"

The opportunity made a spark in Stinky's head, causing him to jump up off the bench in excitement. "Hot Dog!" He cried out. "I could show you right now, if you want. I don't live too far from here. It would be a short walk."

"It is a nice day for a walk…" Lila agreed, "But maybe it would be best for next time. I'm afraid it's getting ever so late and honestly my Dad is expecting me home soon." She could see his excitement begin to flicker out and dim. Standing up, she placed a kind hand on his arm and smiled. "But maybe I could come see it tomorrow?"

Stinky's eyes opened a little wide at both her words and her touch. "You… You mean like a date?" He asked hopefully.

The term made Lila noticeably cringe for a half a second, before returning to her usual relaxed self. "Not in so many words…" She smiled harmlessly. "Just a normal visit between friends."

"Oh…" The boy's hope slowly dwindled away, however he was still happy that he might have gotten somewhere with her. "Okiedokie. How about we meet here for tomorrow around noon?"

"That sounds ever so nice." Lila replied happily as she clasped her hands together.

They both said their goodbyes and waved before she skipped away and out of the park. Stinky stood there for a moment, before remembering that his whole plan for coming out here was with Sid and that he hadn't shown up at all. Wondering if everything was all right with him, he headed off towards Sid's house.

Once there, Stinky rang the doorbell and stood back. He waited a moment before ringing it again and peeking his head into a window. There was no movement. "Sid? Ya home?" He called out before going back to the door and knocking. Eventually he heard a little shuffling and the door creaked open. "Sid…?" but before he could get another word in, Stinky was immediately pulled inside.

It took a moment for the tall boy's eyes to become accustomed to the dark room he was standing in. None of the lights were on, and all the window curtains were drawn shut. "What in the heck?"

"Hey Stinky." Sid started in an uneasy voice. "Sorry for not showing up."

With a few more blinks, Stinky's vision finally became normal and he looked down at his shorter companion. He noticed that the boy's face was covered in bandages. "Sid! Whatcha dressed up like a Mummy for? Halloween isn't for another month or so."

Sid turned around and began to pace around his living room. "I'm not dressed up, you idiot." He explained. "My face is just… different is all and I didn't want you to see."

"Different?" Stinky questioned. "How the heck is it different?" He watched Sid pace around a few more times and started to grow impatient. "Did you fall and scrape it or something?"

"NO!" Sid shouted before dropping to his knees and covering his face with his hands. "It's horrible!" He cried. "It's terrible! My face! My beautiful face!"

Just what the heck is he going on about?Stinky asked himself as he walked over to the boy in concern. He knew his friend very well and knew that he could jump into hysterics on a whim but this seemed a little eccentric. "Sid? What happened?"

"I don't KNOW!" He screamed out with a few sobs. "I woke up this morning, I went into the bathroom, climbed in the shower and noticed when I was washing my face that it felt different. Alarmed, I jumped out of the shower and looked into the mirror and… and…"

"And…?" Stinky pushed in annoyance.

"AND I WAS HIDEOUS!" Sid finished with a wail.

Stinky brought his hand up and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Sid, you probably don't look any different then ya normally do. What are you going on about?" He waited a few more minutes to see if the frantic boy would come to his senses. Once he realized that he wasn't going to stop, Stinky grabbed his arm and pulled him up. "Snap out of it, will ya?" He said with a few good shakes to Sid's body, trying to jerk him back to normal as if he was an old vending machine.

"Okay! Okay!" Sid shouted at him, pulling his hands away and walking towards the bathroom. "Follow me…"

Stinky rolled his eyes and followed his friend; silently regretting ever even coming to his house. As much as he was curious as to what provoked him, he was also becoming tired of the antics.

The moment they got into the bathroom, Sid turned on the lights. "I'll show you but you have to promise not to laugh, okay?" He said with a little whine in his voice.

"Sure Sid, whatever you say." Stinky coaxed calmly. "Just take off the bandages and show me."

"Do you promise?" Sid asked, stalling for time. "Swear to me, Stinky. SWEAR TO ME!"

"I Swear!" Stinky shouted. "I promise! Just take off the dang bandages already!"

A few seconds of silence passed before Sid let out a few more sniffles. "Okay…" He turned around and began unwrapping his face, causing the white fabric to slowly entangle on the bathroom floor. It seemed like ages had passed before he was finally done, but he didn't turn around. "Are you ready?"

With another aggravated sigh, Stinky placed his hands on his hips. "As ready as I'm ever gonna be."

"Okay…" Sid replied but still made no motion of turning around.

"Sid."

"OKAY!" He shrieked loudly. He turned around and looked up sadly at his tall lanky friend.

Stinky looked at him for a moment, until becoming over torn with laughter. "Willikers!" He cried out through his loud cackles. "Is what you're on about?!"

With anger and embarrassment, Sid stood up and began to throw punches at Stinky in futile hopes of getting him to stop. "Quit it, you jerk!" He yelled. "You promised! You liar!"

Tears formed in Stinky's eyes as he couldn't contain himself. As he gazed on Sid's face, there stood 3 large pimples on his nose, as well as a few minor ones on his forehead. "You look like Principal Wartz!" He shouted through his laughter.

His punches became harder at the comment, "You're the worst, Stinky! I should have never showed you!" Sid cried out. "IT'S NOT FUNNY!"

Knowing full well that he was being insensitive to his friend, Stinky did his best to stifle the rest of his fits of laughter and eventually they receded to a few raspy breaths. He watched as Sid huffed and puffed about the bathroom in anger, not knowing what to do with himself now. "Is that seriously all, Sid?" He asked as he calmed down.

"Is that all?!" Sid asked angrily, "My face is a nightmare!" He threw his arms up in dramatics and went over to his mirror. "What am I supposed to do about this?!"

Wiping a few more tears from his eyes, Stinky sighed. "You pop em, Sid. Have ya never gotta a zit before?"

"Of course I have!" Sid yelled back at his friend, "But these are huge! They're terrible! I can't even bare to touch them!"

The southern boy walked over to his distraught friend and looked at them both through Sid's mirror. "Well I ain't doing it for ya! That's nasty!"

"I know its NASTY!" Sid flustered, "I've tried washing them, covering them up with a bandaid, covering them up with my mom's make up! Nothing works!" He could feel tears forming in his eyes again at his plight. "How am I supposed to go out like this?! Everyone's going to point and laugh at me and call me names like pizza face!"

"Or Principal Wartz" Stinky snickered again. "On account a they look just as big an ugly like the bumps he got on his nose!"

"You're not helping!" Sid pushed Stinky away from him. "I never should have let you in! You're probably gonna spill the beans to everyone now!"

Stinky rolled his eyes, "Oh come on! Just pop em already! You're being a big baby!"

Sid went to throw another punch at his friend, but Stinky blocked them all with his hands. They fought for a little while before Sid finally gave up and sat on the toilet with defeat. "I'm gonna have to wear a mask at school or something…"

"Or you could quit being a big baby and pop em." Stinky replied, "It really can't be all that bad. Why not go to the drug store and find some sorta numbing cream or somethin? There's gotta be some sorta magical cream amongst all them elixirs."

The thought hadn't crossed Sid's mind. Instantly he stood up and reached into his pants pocket. He realized he had no money then immediately ran out of the bathroom, causing Stinky to watch him in confusion. "Jus' what are you doing now?" He called out to him but got no response. Eventually Stinky left the bathroom and wandered back into the living room and watched as Sid threw apart the house clearly looking for something. He darted in and out of the room, flipped over couch cushions and even emptied out a few decorative candy bowls.

"My mom has a safe in her room filled with a little extra cash in case of emergencies." The exasperated boy explained while throwing open the closet door and rummaging through its contents. "All I gotta do is find that key, open it up and grab a few dollars then you can go to the store and get it for me!" The plan seemed fool proof and the only logical option at this point.

"Sid, why would your mom leave the key lying around the house like that?" Stinky asked, knowing full well that his friend was throwing his house in disarray for no reason. "Why not check in her bedroom? It's probably under her mattress or something. That's where my Pa hides all his secret things."

"That's a good point!" Sid said as he flew from the closet and down the darkened hallway.

Stinky shook his head and followed him. "You're such a dang fool…"

After a few more minutes of loud crashes, bangs and other unexplained loud noises, Sid finally exclaimed an "Ah Hah!" and came out of his mother's bedroom triumphantly. "This is it! I got it!"

Shaking his head and heading towards one of his windows, Stinky peered outside and saw that the beautiful day was becoming cloudy. "Just hurry it up. Starting to look like the weather is gonna turn badly and I ain't trying to stay here all day." He explained in frustration. "I already waited for you half the dang day..."

Sid came running back into the room and handed Stinky a $20 bill. "Here." He said as she shoved it into the taller kids hands. "Take this, go to the pharmacy and see what they have. Buy yourself a Mr. Nutty as payment and come right back. Got it?"

"Yeah…" Stinky sighed as he put the money and his pocket and headed for the door.

"And don't tell ANYONE about this!" Sid demanded as he followed his friend. "No one!"

"Okay Sid!" Stinky replied in annoyance.

The nearest pharmacy was only a couple blocks down the street and only took Stinky a few minutes to get there. He browsed all their selection with a confused look on his face. He had no idea what he was actually looking for. "Athlete foot cream, Antifungal cream…" He scanned all the items out loud. "Anti itch cream, hemorrhoid cream, triple healing cream…"

"Can I help you?" A young sales clerk asked as he went up to the boy. He was shorter than Stinky but only by a few hairs, with stubble on his chin and neck. Despite his rugged appearance, he carried a professional air about him.

"My friend has a huge zit and is too much of a baby to pop it. You got any anti pain cream?" He asked with a tired expression.

The man thought for a second. "You mean like acne ointment?"

"What the heck is acne?" Stinky asked with a raise of his brows.

With a waving motion to follow, the store clerk disappeared from the aisle. With no other option, Stinky chased after him and wound up in front of another display of random medical grade options. "Acne is basically just a lot of really bad pimples." The clerk explained as he picked out a few products. "Some of these help to prevent them from appearing and others help them to go away faster. Which does your friend think he needs?"

Stinky pondered the options. "I reckon he'll need both at this rate. You got any numbing medicine to help him with the really big ones?"

The man handed him two boxes then disappeared around the corner and eventually came back with another box. "Here." He said as he handed him the third box. "Lidocaine should do the trick. This stuff is typically used to help muscle pains but it should work. I don't see why it wouldn't…"

Knowing absolutely nothing about any of these things, Stinky simply nodded and brought them to the cash register. When he got the total, he frowned when he realized he didn't have enough for his candy bar, sucked up his dismay then brought the items back to his desperate friend.

"You got the goods?" Sid asked from behind his front door in a cloak of darkness.

Stinky thrust the plastic bag to the boy and gave him a disapproving look. "You still owe me a Mr. Nutty, Sid. Those medical creams were mighty expensive so consider yourself lucky you had enough."

Eyeing the bag suspiciously, Sid accepted it and slowly opened his door a little wider. "You coming in?"

"Naw, I gotta get on home. It's starting to get dark and I'm getting hungry. You're on your own." Stinky said as he turned around with a wave. "Good luck. I'll see ya on Monday. Hope you manage to pop them zits!"

Having spent the day with Phoebe in order to get some girl time and let out all of her frustrations about living with Arnold, Helga was finally on her way back to the Sunset Arms. She noticed that the weather was suddenly taking a turn for the worst, just as the weather man apparently predicted and wondered if she was really gonna have to dig a moat.

She opened the door and let the conglomerate of animals run back inside the house before walking on in herself. She could hear adults talking to each other and continued to mind her own business towards her own room. Once inside, she kicked off her shoes and looked out of the window. She could see the clouds were looking more ominous as the minutes flew by. "Geez… It's hard to believe a sunny day can change so fast. I'm lucky I got here when I did." She said as she noticed it started to softly rain. "I wonder what Arnold ended up doing?" Helga remembered how he had been in pain and felt a little guilty about leaving so quickly. "What was I supposed to do?!" She asked herself in annoyance. "With his stupid, beautiful Football shaped face looking at me like that?! The way he touched my hand…" The image was burned into her brain and she knew there was no way it was going to disappear. Helga pulled out her worn locket and gazed into it lovingly, slowly caressing the glass with her finger as if stroking him in person. "Could it be true? Have my wildest fantasies really become real? Arnold…"

If you really love me like you insist you do… Then give me the same respect…Through all the hardships that await us in the future…Helga, let me stand by you and protect you in any way I can. Let me pay back the love you've shown me… with the love I want to show you…His words still played in her mind, despite the time that had passed. The passionate kiss he had given her up on his roof top, the way she saw him look at her from time to time, the way he had touched her that morning after confiding to her how he was in pain; the look on his face. All signs seemed to point to yes, and even Phoebe seemed to agree that it was very possible for all this to be real.

"What do I do?" Helga asked Phoebe as she walked back and forth in front of her.

"What do you mean, Helga?" Her patient friend asked curiously. "This is what you want, isn't it?"

"Of course it is!" Helga shouted, nearly causing herself to lose balance. "This is all I have ever wanted in my whole life! It's just so… so…" Helga fought her brain a little for words to come at her, "Just so strange! It feels wrong!"

"Wrong?" Phoebe couldn't believe her ears. "Why does it feel wrong for Arnold to love you?"

"Because it just DOES!" Helga shouted back at her best friend. "I just can't seem to explain why!"

Phoebe continued to watch her blonde friend pace around her room without any words of comfort. She had no idea what to say and, although Helga was wired a bit differently from herself, normally she could at least follow what the girl was trying to get across. This time, however, she was at a loss. "Helga…?"

"It just feels wrong to believe him!" Helga cried out but after listening to the words she had just uttered, she looked at her confused friend and backtracked. "No, of course I don't think he's lying. He doesn't lie, that's just completely against everything that little goody-two-shoes is! Despite that, his actions sure don't lie! Those can't lie!"

"Then….?"

"Then all signs point to him ACTUALLY loving me!" Helga threw her hands at her face and felt like she was going to melt but instead dropped to her knees. "But if I accept this and allow these feelings to grow between us then there's a possibility of things going haywire!"

"Well of course, Helga." Phoebe replied; completely baffled. "That's how relationships are. You won't know unless you try though. All relationships are trial and error."

"And I've spent my whole life AVOIDING that!" Helga couldn't handle her feelings anymore and looked at her friend with all the stress in the world. "Phoebe! I have spent my WHOLE LIFE avoiding relationships for this very reason! I can't ruin something if it never began!"

Phoebe started to feel anger rise inside of her small frame but did her best to quell it through clenching her jaw. "And if it never begins then it can never get better either…" Standing up, she walked over to the girl having an existential crisis and knelt before her. "Helga, you're talking crazy." She saw Helga's obvious expression and decided to alter her words, "Crazier than normal!" She clarified. "You've been loving him for years, right? He has been the absolute core of your world since as long as I've known you! You can't be seriously thinking of throwing everything away because you're scared of somehow ruining everything!"

"N-not throwing it away… just doing my best to avoid it at all costs?" Helga corrected, her voice sounding innocent.

"Right and you have to hear how ridiculous that sounds!" Phoebe reached out to the girl and looked into her eyes; her rage receding and sympathy coming through. "You've always believed that you two were soul mates so why are you faltering from that now? If there is anything about you that has never changed in all the years I've known you Helga, it's your tenacity. You can't just run away now because you think things might get rocky. Of course they're going to get rocky! You fight with Arnold more than any other classmate we've ever had and look at you now!" She could see that her words were possibly bringing some sense into her friend. "But you'll never know unless you let things take their course. You have to look up, stay strong and take things as they come… after all, part of wedding vows are 'for better or for worse' right?"

Her best friend's words sank into her heart and brought a little ease throughout the frustrated girl's body. Her words made sense; they always did with Phoebe which is why she was her best friend. No matter what sort of crisis Helga was having, Phoebe always had some way to explain it in a way to make her understand it a little better, or in the very least, offer a few suggestions to make whatever it was somewhat easier. "Phoebe's right…" Helga admitted to herself. "I shouldn't be so afraid of letting things take its course." She continued to stare out at the rain and let the noises of the water tapping up against the window soothe her. "So what if he loves me? That's okay, right?" She asked her reflection. "He already knows me well enough to know I don't always mean some of the nasty things I do. I just can't help it if I run away sometimes… it's part of who I am, right? Heck, maybe I'll even grow out of it one day… Maybe he'll even… help me."

Helga's thoughts were stopped when she could hear the wooden boards above her begin to make some noise. It was obvious that Arnold was still in his room and the realization of this made her want to go to him and apologize to him for something she hadn't even actually done yet. He would understand, right? Arnold was always an understanding type of guy but how much of a basket case would she really have to be, to just barge in his room and start apologizing for things shemightdo in the future? It was absolutely nuts and she knew it.

Clutching her locket with all the love inside her being, Helga put it away and looked towards the door. "At the very least, I should check up on him." She decided out loud. "It's not every day that I might get the opportunity to console his weary body. Maybe he'll even let me touch him…" She finished with a loud swoon after considering the possibilities.

Chapter 27

Chapter Text

With a hard swallow, Helga stared up at the door beyond the pull down stairs. Just what was Arnold doing, that very moment? The thoughts willed her legs to move and she found herself ascending to the portal to her love. Once at the top, she stopped and listened for a moment. She could hear soft music playing beyond it and could only imagine that he was relaxing on his bed or possibly at his desk.

Softly, the girl rapped at the door. Was she disturbing him? Helga closed her eyes and waited. What if he was getting dressed? What if he was doing something private? The thought made her want to run away but her feet stood planted.

"Come in." She could hear him call.

Well this is it… I'm just gonna walk on in there, ask how he's doing and be nice to him. I've been nice to him before, I can do it again. It's not that hard… I just make it hard.She thought before touching the shiny door knob. Hesitating for a second, knowing full well that she wasn't actually ready to face him, Helga forced herself to enter. This was the second time today that she had made this trip to his room so surely it was okay.

Upon entering, the girl looked left and right until she noticed he was lying on his bed with a paperback book in his hands. It was plain to see that he had probably spent the majority of his day there due to the evidence around his bed: A cup, plate and a few candy wrappers.

The moment he noticed it was her, his eyes lit up and he smiled. "Helga." He called out to her, dog earring his page and placing the book aside. "I was wondering when you were gonna come back."

She could see that he seemed to be doing better and this put her worry at ease. With some courage, Helga stepped into his room and shut the door behind her. "H-hey Football head…" She said, sounding a little unsure of herself. "How's it hanging?"

The casual air about her was refreshing to the boy. After seeing her reaction to his show of affection earlier, as well as his grandpa saying she literally ran out of the boarding house, Arnold wasn't too sure exactly how she was going to act next time he saw her. Looking down at his book, he pulled it back up and showed the cover to her. "I've just been catching up on this book I started a while ago." He replied, "I figured I'd take your advice and rest for today."

He took my advice?!Helga swooned in her mind.No! Stop it right there, Helga! We are not going to swoon! We are going to act like a normal person and have a normal conversation between normal people. Got it?!Helga squinted her eyes at the cover from a distance and noticed it wasn't one she was familiar with. "Oh ya? How's that been going for you?" She asked; slowly walking towards him but stopping about a foot from his bed.

Arnold shrugged and placed the book back down again. "Truthfully I was a little bored at first…" He said, with a nervous laugh. "Originally I had plans of going out and doing some investigating but by the time I started feeling better, I noticed the rain clouds coming and… well, here I am."

"Investigating?" Helga knew that Arnold and Gerald would sometimes go out on adventures, exploring the unknown, but usually there was some urban tale behind it or ghost story and she wasn't aware of anything new circulating around.

Knowing he had said too much, Arnold coughed and scratched the back of his hand. "Y-yeah. Nothing big." He started, unsure of what to say. He couldn't very well tell Helga that he had plans on trying to find more out about Brainy as this would probably only cause her to become annoyed. "Gerald was telling me the other day that a new record store was opening up by his house and I figured I'd go check it out." He lied. He seemed to be covering up a lot of things lately and it didn't sit well with him.

Helga crossed her arms at his response. "News to me but I suppose a chuckle head like you would be interested in those things." She looked over at his stereo system, "Smooth Jazz, huh? Personally I enjoy a morelouder and angriergenre but to each their own." Although she had to admit, it was quite soothing, especially paired with the rain that was coming down above them and tapping up against his glass windowed ceiling.

Her typical response gave the boy a little smile; it was nice to see her acting like her usual self. "So where did you go earlier?" He asked curiously.

"Hung out at Phoebe's…" Helga replied nonchalantly, "You know, the usual." She continued to look over his stereo system and not look back at the boy as to keep herself level headed. The likelihood of her seeing his half lidded gaze and handsome smile and becoming goofy and weird was very high and this wasn't what she wanted.Slow and steady… you got this Helga old girl!

"Oh? And what did you do there?" Arnold asked.

"What is this, a court case? Mind your own beeswax, Arnoldo!" She snapped, immediately regretted her actions.Ugh! What is wrong with me?! Just act nice!She scolded herself in her mind.

Arnold's smile disappeared with her attitude. "Alright, sorry I asked." He said flatly; picking his book back up to continue reading.

And we already blew it! Fantastic!Helga continued to scream in her head and mentally kicked herself. She knew she came up to see him for one reason and that was to help him feel better, not worse. With a deep breath, she turned around and watched him turn his page. "S-sorry…" She said quietly, "Old habits die hard…"

"Uh huh…" Arnold replied; not looking up at her.

This caused Helga to feel further uncomfortable and knew that if she continued to not control herself, then the next thing she would have to do was leave as to avoid further conflict. "I mean it!" She said, louder than intended.

With a sly smirk, Arnold pulled his book back away from his face. "I know." He said simply, causing her to give him another little blush. "But you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." It only seemed fair as he wasn't completely telling her the truth either, and besides, he knew she liked her privacy.

With a huff, Helga walked over to him and let her body drop next to him on his bed. She could tell that he was teasing her and she didn't appreciate it. "Yeah whatever, Football head. Not like I wanted to tell you anyway…" and with that, pulled the book away from him. "And it's rude to read when you have company."

Arnold scowled. "I was reading that before you showed up unannounced, Helga." He explained, attempting to take it out of her reach but failing as she kept pulling it further and further from his grasps. Eventually he gave up. "Did you just come up here to bug me, or did you need something?"

His words caused a sharp pain to shoot through her, but she also knew that she deserved it since she was purposely bothering him to keep her feelings intact. Although, the thought caused her to wonder:Why would he love me if I bothered him all the time? Sure, I've done a bunch of other things in the past that he appreciates but… who could really love their tormentor?The thought caused a mix of emotions but she put them aside. "I came up here to see how you were doing." She replied, truthfully. "And it seems you're doing fine now."

"Grandpa gave me some painkillers." Arnold said with a shrug. "After taking those and getting some food in my stomach, things started to get better." He eyed Helga, waiting for her to drop her guard and then quickly snatched his book from her grasp. He watched as she scowled at him and stuck his tongue out in response.

Helga rolled her eyes at his childishness but secretly enjoyed it. It was a side of him that she didn't get to see often and honestly and it only made her feel a little better about herself.Teasing isn't really tormenting…She realized; looking down at his legs.Though it is when you're young and have no idea why someone is purposely going out of their way to bother you.Deciding to give him a taste of his own medicine, Helga poked his leg to see if they still hurt and he wasn't telling her.

Naturally, Arnold pulled his leg away and gave her a sharp look. "What are you doing?" He asked suspiciously and somewhat annoyed.

"Nothing." Helga lied, attempting to poke it again but when failing, poking his other one.

"Helga! Stop it!" He cried out; now bringing his knees to his chest in hopes of getting her to stop.

"I thought they stopped hurting?" She asked; her face full of doubt. "Doesn't seem like it to me. Seems to me like you're just trying to act fine when…" but before she finished her sentence, she lurched forward and gave his shin a stab with her finger.

"Ow!" He cried out in pain.

She shook her head in disbelief. "When they still hurt."

"Well they didn't hurt until you started poking them!" He snapped, giving her an angry stare. "Yours would too if I poked them!"

"Is that a threat?" Helga narrowed her eyes at the boy, looking him up and down. "You wouldn't dare…" She challenged.

Despite wanting but to do the same to her so she could feel how he did, Arnold knew that it was not only the wrong thing to do, but it would also probably cause them to fight more. "I would…" He insisted, "But I'm not going to." Arnold watched as her hard gaze turned a little softer and gave her a smile. "Now can I put my legs back down or are you going to keep attacking me?"

Helga crossed her arms and looked away. "That all depends… Are you gonna come clean or are you gonna keep putting on this act?"

"It's like I said, Helga." Arnold furrowed his brow. "They don't hurt anymore, or rather they didn't until you started bothering them."

"Uh huh." She said, mimicking his words earlier. "Sure Arnold, I believe you."

Her voice sounded harmless and carefree and the boy knew that typically meant she was up to something. "You do?" He replied; skeptical of her motives.

"Yep." She looked back at him with a false smile. "In fact, since you're feeling so up to it, why not take a jog with me down the block? You know, since you're feeling better."

They eyed each other back in forth, jazz music humming around them and rain still pounding on his glass ceiling.

"In the rain?" Arnold was almost surprised at the suggestion, but knew she was still probably just joking.

"That's right, Football head. Have you ever heard of an umbrella or a raincoat?" She asked; eyes still full of challenge. "I'm sure you have a few of those in this dump."

"You can't be serious…" He sighed, feeling defeated. All he had wanted to do was relax, read his book and listen to music and now there was a chance he would have to run around just to prove his point. Why did he have to anyway? Why wouldn't she just believe him?

"Serious as a heart attack." Her voice was firm but calm.

With a roll of his eyes, Arnold stood up and began to walk over to his closet to find some better suited clothes for this game. "Fine."

Helga watched as he rummaged through his things and crossed her legs. Was he really going to go through with this ploy? Truthfully she had no real want for this but there was no backing down at this point.Why must I always make things difficult?She asked herself with a little pain.Why couldn't have I just come in here, had a nice conversation with him and, who knows, maybe even had a nice night but noooo. I had to open my big stupid mouth! I had to push his buttons and test him! I hate this!She imagined him jogging in the rain, his hair all wet and slicked back. She imagined the daring look in his eyes and her heart began to thump deeply in her chest.Eh, maybe it's worth it.

A loud crack of lightning flashed over head, followed by a soft rumble of thunder in the distance. Arnold poked his head out of his closet and looked at the sky. "It's getting really bad out there…"

"Chickening out?" Helga asked sternly; although still deep in fantasies of them running in the rain together.

"No." Arnold scowled, going back to his closet. "It's just a really bad idea."

Helga laughed. "Bad idea because you know I'm right."

Her voice made him angry and Arnold couldn't help but wonder where all her niceness had gone to. "Why are you acting like this?" He demanded, coming out of his closet with clothes in his hand. "You were fine this morning! Did I do something to make you mad?"

Seeing that he was serious, Helga's expression dropped and all of her delusions vanished. "No, I'm fine. It's you who's putting on a show." She insisted, her voice growing short. "Why can't you just admit when you're not okay?"

The mere question seemed like it had to be a joke. "I did!" He replied loudly, his annoyance of the situation finally wearing on his last nerve. "I admitted it this morning. If you believed me then, then why not now? Do you want me to be in pain or something?"

Another crack of lightning hit the sky and the sound of rain began to hit harder above them. His words had stirred something inside her.He's absolutely right. This is nuts! But I can't back down now… maybe I can find some way to turn this around…She thought. "N-no… I don't."

Arnold threw his change of clothes on his computer chair and walked straight to the girl with a stern look on his face. "Then why are you doing this?"

"B-because…" She started, finding words that she didn't have.Think! Think of a reason!

The blond boy frowned while she contemplated.Why does she do this? It's almost like she just finds reasons to fight with me. What's the point? What is she hiding now that she needs to act this way to cover it up?He thought as he waited patiently for her response.

BOOM!

Thunder and lightning cried out above them, causing both of the kids to lose their train of thought and look up towards the windows. The lights began to flicker around them and the music became distorted.

"Uh oh…" said Arnold as he looked around. "That's not good."

Seems like at least the weather is on my side for once…Helga thought as she seized this great opportunity to not answer his question.

"Better find the flashlights, Pookie!" Arnold's grandpa could be heard below them, as well as some of the boarders complaining about the situation. "Oh pipe down! Stop your yapping and help, for goodness sake. The boarding house isn't going to fall apart. It's held by plenty of gum and spit."

The lights continued to dim and flicker and Helga grew a little worried. "Electrical not up to code or something?"

"I don't know. This happens every thunderstorm. Grandpa said something once about not wanting the wires to be updated because if people found out about how much copper was in these walls, someone might try to break in." Arnold explained before going back to his closet. He stood up on his toes as he reached for a few flashlights that had been stored on the shelf above his clothing wrack. He managed to find two and threw the other one to his female companion. "Here, you're gonna need this."

"Geez, if this place goes up in flames next then I'll be two for two." She replied, half jokingly.

Arnold gave her a look but said nothing. The tension around them seemed to fade as they both knew something worse was probably going to happen soon. Flashes of lightning started more frequent as well as the loud booms of thunder. It was apparent that the storm was right upon them at this point.

"I don't still have to jog in that, do I?" Arnold asked, knowing full well if she cared at all for their safety that there was no way she'd still insist.

"Ohhhh!" She called out with a grin on her face. "So youarechickening out then?"

"Helga!" He couldn't believe his ears but before he could begin to protest, he heard her laugh.

"Obviously not, you idiot." Helga replied; flicking her flashlight on and off to make sure the batteries were in working order. "Have back up batteries in there too?"

The question was a good one but Arnold shook his head. "No… I'll go downstairs and grab some extra." But before he could make it to his door, the lights flashed again and completely went out. Cries of dismay were heard throughout the house, as well as Miles trying to calm people down and send them away back to their own rooms.

"These are all the batteries we have guys…" Miles voice said from below. "I'll check the circuit breaker in the basem*nt and we'll have our power back in no time… don't worry."

"Or… not." Arnold said with a small sigh.

"Great! So now we're stuck in the dark for who knows how long!" Helga said as she let her back fall down on his mattress. She watched as the rain attempted to pour down on her and the lightning flashing in small, skinny zigzags across the sky.

Footsteps were heard and a knock on the door followed. Arnold opened it to find his mom standing there with two D batteries in hand. "How are you doing, sweetie?" She asked warmly. "I brought you these." She looked around the room. "Is Helga with you? I didn't find her in her room."

Helga raised her hand. "Present."

Stella smiled and handed the batteries to her son. "Your father is trying to fix things so hopefully we'll have our power back on soon." She informed, despite them already hearing that. "Hopefully you won't need these but keep them just in case."

"Thanks, Mom." Arnold smiled back, placing the batteries in his pocket. "Do you guys need help with anything?"

The older woman patted her son on his head and smoothed out his long blond hair. "Don't worry about us. We've been in situations much worse than this." It always warmed her to know that her son had ended up with the biggest heart imaginable. "Let the adults take care of it."

"Okay." Arnold nodded to his mother. He watched as her figure moved out of sight and could hear her walk down his noisy wooden steps. Once she was officially gone, he closed the door and frowned. Usually in times like this, he was the one taking orders from his grandparents and helping everyone out but this time he wasn't needed. This time his parents had the reins and in a way, it made the boy feel a little lonely.

The two preteens let the weather echo around them for a time, without any words. Neither knew what to do or what to say, having never been in a situation like this before.

Arnold walked back to his bed and sat next to his silent girlfriend. He looked up to see what she was so fascinated with and eventually found himself lying next to her watching the sky as well. "Pretty neat, huh?" He asked, referring to the glass window panes.

"It's not every day you get to watch as the weather tries to get to you but can't." She replied simply. "So yeah, I guess it is pretty neat." Helga had noticed that all of her annoying thoughts and feelings from earlier seemed to have simply vanished, leaving nothing but a hypnotic trance. She didn't feel the need to comfort him or have anxiety about her screwing everything up. She didn't care that he was clearly mad at her only a little while ago. All the mattered, was the ambiance of a storm above them.

Turning his head, Arnold watched as Helga became entranced in the weather. He hadn't forgotten about their fight but he also hadn't forgotten how innocent and peaceful she looked sleeping. A little guilt filled his heart as he kept the scene to himself. He wondered what she was thinking about, why she was acted so flustered that morning as well as so hostile not too long ago. Maybe it was just Helga being Helga or maybe there was something more to it. There always seemed to be something more going on with her that he couldn't see.

Seconds turned into minutes until the two felt like hours had passed between them in silence. The universe seemed to have stepped in to quell their fight and neither of them minded.

Down inside the basem*nt of the Sunset Arms, Miles and his father were fidgeting with the switches on the circuit board.

"Just how old is this thing?" Miles asked, as he hopelessly flipped the main circuit off and on a few times.

Phil put a hand on his boney chin and rubbed. "Mmmm… definitely older than you, that's for sure. I think the last time this old thing got looked at was in the 50's."

"Dad…" Miles could tell that there were probably a lot of things that needed updating in this old house. "That's something we'll need to schedule at some point." After a few more tries, the man gave up and sighed.

"Did you suddenly win a million dollars and not let your old man know about it?" Phil asked with amusem*nt. "This place has been run down for a long time but it's nothing a little duct tape and glue can't fix."

Knowing full well that their family didn't have the cash needed to fix any of this, Miles swallowed hard. "I guess it's time that I picked up a new job then." He knew that this time would come soon but avoided thinking about it. He wanted nothing more than to spend his time catching up with his son but summer was over and Arnold was at school most of the day anyway. Finding a nine to five job wouldn't be that bad.

"I was wondering when you'd bring that up." Phil commented as he forcefully shut the box, which bounced right back and hit him in the nose. With a little rub, he motioned for them both to go back upstairs. "I didn't want to push you or anything, son but we could use the extra income…"

"Yeah… I know." Miles frowned. "I'll start looking tomorrow. The Sunday paper usually has plenty of jobs listed in it and if not, I'll borrow Arnold's computer and search online."

"You know how to use the computer?" Phil gasped. "I barely know how to turn on a light switch!" He laughed and led them up the rickety steps and into the main floor; holding the door open for his son. "I'm genuinely surprised though. I can't figure that thing out for the life of me. Tried once while Arnold was at school but the blasted thing kept asking for a password. I used every single thing I could think of but it wouldn't let me in. Made me wonder what the boy could be hiding but then I figured he deserved his privacy and I really didn't need to look at pictures of Hedy Lemarr."

Stella greeted them as they got to the living room and handed her husband a cup of tea. "Seems like you two had no luck."

"No. Looks like the whole street is down so all we can do is wait for the power company to fix it." He replied, taking the hot cup and wincing in pain before grabbing its handle. "Did you find the kids?"

"Yeah. They're both in Arnold's room." Stella explained. "They seemed fine and already had their own flashlights. I gave them an extra pair of batteries though, just in case."

"Oh don't say that too loud or the others will hear you!" laughed Phil as he sat down in his favorite chair and leaned back. He noticed his wife wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Hey, where's Pookie?"

"Mom said something about collecting all the animals and ran off." Stella shrugged. "I really hope she wasn't serious. I didn't hear the door open at least."

Phil groaned. "Oh she probably was but we have plenty of animals here in the boarding house already. She's probably hunting them down as we speak." He could feel the concerned look of his two kids and waved his hand. "She'll be fine! A bulldozer couldn't knock that woman down. She's perfectly safe… can't say the same for the animals though!"

"You aren't worried about her falling on something in the dark?" The woman asked, grabbing her husband's hand. "I understand that she's healthy but…"

Miles squeezed his wife's hand and frowned. "Mom's not getting any younger…"

"Don't worry so much!" Phil assured them. "That woman has like a sixth sense, no, like eleven senses! She's probably the most dangerous thing in this house, in all honesty. She'll be fine! Now more importantly, did you lock the refrigerator like I asked? We don't need Oskar trying to sneak food and causing the cold to get out."

Waving the key, Stella walked over and handed it to Phil. "Already taken care of."

"Good, good." He smiled as he took the key and put it in his pocket. "Usually I have the Short man do all of this. I can't tell you how many times we've had to buy more food due to a power outage. Made all the boarders get their own fridge after that but it still doesn't stop them."

"Speaking of Arnold…" Miles started as he looked to them both. "Are you sure it's wise to leave them up there alone like that?"

Stella guided her husband to the couch and sat him down. "They'll be fine, honey. We've talked about this before. We have to be able to trust our son."

"I don't know… This isn't something as simple as trusting him not to steal or lie about something important. A lot more goes on in a boy's head than you know, Stella." He explained as he envisioned a bunch of bad outcomes. "I've had…the talkwith him but…"

"Miles." She interrupted as she stroked his hand. "Let them be for now. Arnold hasn't shown any signs that we need to intervene between them and Helga doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would give in to any pressure. They may be coming of age but they're still young, dear."

"Listen to your wife, Miles. She's a smart lady." Phil chimed in. "The quickest way to get a child to not trust you is if you show no trust in them. I've told you once and I'll tell you a million times if it makes you feel better. Trust young Arnold to make the right decisions! He's never let me down so far."

"You can't tell me that a boy and a girl who are clearly involved, alone in the dark, isn't a risky mix." Miles pleaded, looking back and forth between the two adults.

"No one's saying it isn't…" Stella said; her voice a little hesitant.

"But maybe it's just the mix they both need to make decisions of their own. Growing up means facing a lot of challenges and maybe this is one of them? Who knows? Maybe we'll all learn something from this!" Phil finished. "Now one of you go in the kitchen and grab me one of them cookies that mylovelydaughter in law baked!" His voice was sweet and full of confidence. "This is going to be a long night..."

The two parents looked at each other, one with a lot more doubt than the other, until Stella got up and left to fetch her elder the treat he asked for, leaving the two men alone.

"Do you really think this is a good idea, Dad?" He asked, still unwavering from his feelings.

"I'll have you know that I don't think much at all." Phil explained a matter-of-factly. "And more importantly if you don't let the boy make these choices for himself, then he may make bad choices later in life. It's much safer for him to experience these things now then, let's say, when he's 16 or so and those hormones of his are really raging!"

Miles heard his dads point but still felt unsure. Arnold was almost twelve years old and had shown them all that he had a good head on his shoulder but that didn't mean his feelings couldn't get the better of him. Hormones made a lot of things different, especially the part of the brain that makes decisions, which was still developing. Was it really okay to leave them alone?

"So what do you want to do?" Arnold asked, finally breaking their silence.

"What can we do, Arnoldo?" Helga shrugged, her eyes still locked to the weather above. "We have no power! We can't listen to music, can't watch TV, reading a book by flashlight would suck and it's too early to go to sleep…"

The boy mulled over her words. "We could play a game?" He suggested.

"Yeah? Like what?" Helga asked, turning her head to finally look at him.

"Like… uhh…" He hadn't really thought that far ahead but knew if he said that, she would probably jump down his throat. He tried to think of the times that he and Gerald had gone camping but were too awake to sleep. They had usually just chatted until they felt tired but he somehow didn't think that this was going to work in this situation. Not only did Helga not have a lot in common with him, but he wasn't even sure how to start a conversation with her. "We could play 20 questions?" He answered meekly, knowing full well that she would toss the suggestion in the can like last week's lunch.

"Hah!" She laughed out loud. "That's a good one. What are we? 6? Try again."

"I spy?" He tried.

Helga let out a loud snort. "That one's brilliant! I'll go first. I spy something dark. Oh wait, that's right, its darkness!"

"Well we could…" Still Arnold couldn't think of any solutions but relied on his experiences in camping. "Tell ghost stories?"

Helga remained silent for a moment. "Put that one on the backburner for now. Next?"

Surprised that she didn't flat out reject the idea, Arnold began to feel a little more hopeful with his suggestions. "We could just… talk?"

"Talk?" Helga questioned, her eyes lighting up. "What do you mean, just talk?"

"You know, like just talk. Get to know each other better" Arnold explained. "I'm sure there are plenty of things I don't know about you yet."

Knowing he probably still had a lot of questions for her; Helga had to think about it for a moment.Talking doesn't sound bad but what if he asks questions I don't have answers for? What if he asks things too personal and things get weird? But on the other hand, I have the chance to see his reactions in real time… which could be worth it.

"Any other suggestions?" Helga asked with a wave of her hand and plain disinterest.

Arnold scanned his room in thought of other options. "I have a deck of cards in my desk. We could play war?"

Helga sighed in irritation. "I don't feel like holding cards in one hand and a flashlight in another. A lot more trouble than what it's worth and besides, I'd cream you."

"War is more of a game of luck, Helga…" Arnold informed, "I don't think you could predict that outcome so easily."

"Well let's just talk for now then." Without a second thought, Helga knew exactly what her first question would be. "So does your legs really not hurt anymore?"

Arnold rolled his eyes at the question. "I already told you earlier that they felt fine." He explained. "But honestly, yes they do sort of hurt again. Nothing like they did in the morning, more like a dull ache now but they didn't hurt when you first showed up. Grandpa said it was growing pains and not to worry about it."

"Oh so the shrimp is finally growing, huh?" Helga amused. "It's about time. I figured I'd be towering over you forever!"

"Haha, very funny Helga." Arnold replied dully. "Now it's my turn. Why did you want to know so bad? I mean, I get that you were concerned this morning when I told you but then you pulled a complete 180 when you came back. It was almost like you wanted them to still hurt…"

Helga could hear sadness in his voice. "Of course I don't want them to hurt!" She forced out, regretting how her actions made him feel. "I….I just wanted to make sure that you weren't trying to seem better when you weren't, that's all." She began to fidget where she sat, uncomfortable with needing to explain herself. "I was worried this morning… and I figured that when I came back, you probably wouldn't tell me the truth since I kinda… ya know, freaked out and left." She knew this was only half the truth.

"Do you really think I'd lie to you about something like this?" His voice sounded genuinely surprised. "Have I ever lied to you before?"

"N-no…." Her fidgeting began to get worse. She felt like jumping out of her skin and heading for the hills.

"Then why would I lie now?" He continued. "It just makes no sense."

Helga took in a deep breath. "I don't know! Okay!" She shouted, "It's my turn anyway! You're asking too many questions!"

Arnold noticed that she was already beginning to panic and decided to let her have that. "Alright then, ask." His voice sounded harsher than intended but knew he couldn't take it back.

The girl frowned and looked back up at the windows. She allowed a few more rolls of thunder to sound off before finally speaking. "Do you like me living here with you?" Her voice sounded shy and girlish. It was something that had been gnawing at her for a while but how could she just come out and ask? Arnold was always a kind and giving person, even if he didn't want to be.

"Yeah." He said with a simple shrug. "I mean, it's sort of felt like a big sleepover, so far."

His answer surprised her. "Really?"

"Well… yeah. Gerald sleeps over all the time and I've even had a few sleep over's with all the guys from class. We usually just hang out like this so it hasn't seemed much different." He explained. "I know the situation is different but… the sentiment is sort of the same."

His answer wasn't the one she really wanted to hear. The thought of her being compared to 'one of the guys' bothered her since this wasn't the first time. Sure, she was more boyish than girlish most of the time. Okay, she got along with way more of the boys than the girls but that's just how she preferred it. "So, I'm just one of the guys then?"

"You know I didn't say that." Arnold replied, unamused. "All I'm saying is that you're welcome to stay here for as long as you like and I'm pretty sure my family feels the same way. So to answer your question, Yes Helga, I like you living here. It's nice to see you more often and frankly, you've been a lot less mean since moving in."

Her heart thumped at his explanation.It's nice seeing me more often?! Be still my beating heart! I can't believe he's not sick of me yet! Maybe Pheebs is right and I'm worried about nothing… Maybe I'm not as much of a bother as I think I am…

"Do you like living here?" Arnold continued as he made some shuffling movements which caused Helga to snap back to the present. She could only see his outlines and felt as the bed moved.

"It's better than living with Bob and Miriam so far." Helga answered plainly, holding her feelings back. "I don't hate it but I also can't say I completely love it…"

"I know it's not the best place in the world, and you probably don't feel comfortable around all these people you don't know but I'm glad to hear you don't hate it, at least…" Arnold smiled. Lightning continued to flash over their heads, illuminating the area and Arnold could see that Helga was smiling. It made him feel good to know that she was happy, despite her shortcomings but little did he know, her smile had nothing to do with what he thought it did.

Deep inside, Helga was resisting the urge to ask him more questions that she shouldn't and could possibly regret. She could feel herself becoming bolder by the second. "Yeah… I don't hate it." She breathed out, her longing for him growing as she only half paid attention to the words he said.

"That's good!" Arnold said gladly. He thought of how happy she seemed when he had touched her hand that morning before she got flustered and ran out. He could see her hand wasn't too far from his but still didn't think it was right yet to try again. There had to be a right time when he knew she wouldn't push him away.

Thunder crashed loudly around them, causing Helga to jump a little. "Geez!" She shouted at it, completely startled now. "Just how long is this storm planning on going on for?!"

"It's been a while since we've had a good thunderstorm." Arnold informed after some thought. "I'm pretty sure we were due for one." He thought about how it seemed his room was getting colder and got up. "Are you cold?" He asked attentively, heading back to his closet for the extra blankets.

Oh my thoughtful prince~ He's so selfless…. Helga cooed in her mind.Caring about me without looking for anything in return! Dare I indulge a little? Accept his offer of kindness and possibly test the waters?

"Helga?"

She heard him call her name. Shining her light towards him, she could see that he was carrying two and it didn't quite fit her fantasy but didn't seem any harm in it either. "Yeah, Sure whatever Arnold, I guess it's cold if you're thin skinned." She replied with an attitude. "But I'll accept a blanket if you're offering one."

Arnold rolled his eyes with a smile as he reached out to hand her one, their hands brushing against each other and causing him to feel just how cold her skin actually was. "Why didn't you tell me you were cold earlier?" He asked with unease.

"Because it doesn't bother me, Doi." She said as yanked it completely out of his grasp and placed it around her shoulders. "Don't worry about me, Football head. What about you? Aren't you still in pain? Why do you keep walking around?"

He looked down at his legs and shrugged. "I guess it doesn't bother me all that much either, and besides it's not like I could ask you to get blankets. You wouldn't know where they were."

Oh if he only knew…She thought at his silly statement. "Well instead of being such a gentleman, why not sit down and let me help you next time, okay?" She said; her voice lighter than normal.

Her offer surprised the boy and made him smile. "Okay. Thanks, Helga." He said as he sat back down in his previous spot. Appreciating one of the rare times that she would be nice, Arnold let himself relax next to her.

"Good. Now let's continue with our little chat, shall we?" She said with a smirk as she waited for him to get comfortable. "Unless you want to do something else…" She hinted as she eyed him, her heart throbbing with every second that passed.

"Something else?" He asked innocently, "What did you have in mind?"

"Oh… I don't know…" She lied, "If you could do anything you wanted right now, what would it be?"

The question seemed familiar and struck something in Arnolds mind. Feeling like he had heard it before, he decided to repeat it back to her. "If I could do anything right now?"

Her impatience with him not getting her hint started to fluster the girl. "Yes! Anything! Anything at all, right now. What would it be?" She said, full of frustration as she secretly crossed her fingers at her side.

Arnold placed a curled finger to his lips and contemplated the question. It was a simple enough question but at the same time, it was also putting him on the spot. Filing through his brain, he thought of various things he had wanted to do but hadn't gotten the chance. Finding out more about Brainy was first and foremost but he couldn't tell her that, listening to that new Bladverk album was another one, taking her out on another date sometime soon was also something that had been on his mind today. There were many things he wanted to do but what was a good one to tell her?

Criminy!She shouted in her mind.Do I really have to paint him a picture? How can he be so dense?!Helga huffed and looked over at his simple expression.If he takes too long to think about it, we could be here all night and not doing the things I had in mind!Helga felt her jaw clench at how stupidly naive he was and decided to give him a little push in the right direction. "Maybe something you've been wanting to do for a while but haven't had the chance?"

"I'm sorry, Helga. There is just a lot of things that I'd like to do so it's hard to name just one." He openly admitted with a frown as he turned to her. That's when he spotted her hand as it grasped the blanket he had provided. It sparked an idea into his head.I did say I should wait for the right time…

"Forget it!" She shouted; her patience finally wearing too thin to continue this game. "If it's too hard of a question, I guess I'll just have to-"

"Your hand." He interrupted, causing the girl to halt.

"Huh?"

"I've been waiting for a good time to try since you haven't been in the best mood…" He cautiously explained, reaching out with his left hand and softly caressing her exposed one. He could feel a soft blush creep across his cheeks and he looked up at her. He could see her expression was becoming flustered again but didn't back down. "Could I hold your hand?"

Helga fought the urge to melt in place as she gazed upon his cute face.Not quite what I had in mind but… baby steps are good…Slowly, she uncurled her hand from the blanket and offered it to him. "This is the one thing you want to do?" She asked in incredulity.

Her willingness to accept his selfish request made him smile. "Yeah… if it's not too much, that is." He noticed her fingers entwined with his own, and for a split moment, he felt like he was transported to another place, his blush becoming deeper and seemingly moving throughout his body. The rain above them sounded lighter and it almost seemed like what little light they did have, seemed to only shine focused only on her.

"N-no…" She stuttered, "This isn't t-to m-much…" Despite her feelings of impatience just a moment ago, Helga stared into the boys eyes and time felt like it grinded to a sudden stop, along with all her thoughts.

Arnold could feel himself getting a little light headed and giddy. Was this all from just them holding hands? The feeling was intoxicating and it seemed like they were the only two people in the world.Why is she so surprised that I would want to hold her hand?He was beginning to remember that there was a lot more things he had been wanting, but hadn't really had a chance yet.This is okay, right? Us being together like this?Arnold felt as if gravity was bringing them closer together, but did his best to resist it. His mind flash backed to the one dream of them together in the classroom. They were alone now, just like then. Was it a sign? Or was he dreaming now just like then? The boy looked down at their clasped hands, then back up at her.She doesn't seem like she hates it right now, either.He thought as he lightly caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, not breaking their gaze to make sure she wasn't sending him any sign that his show of affection was too much.

I'm not dreaming, am I? This is real? Like really real?Helga began to ask herself in disbelief as she stared into the eyes of her one true love.Are we finally going to have a passionate moment alone? One not brought on by my hysterics for once? Oh my love~ Show me that you want me like I've always wanted you. Take this longing away! I can feel my ego pulsing in my stomach! Just tell me that you need me like I need you! Pull me into your embrace! You said you'd let your actions show what I couldn't believe… now is the time to prove it!

The blanket around him suddenly felt hotter than he needed and Arnold slowly let it fall around him. It almost felt like he had a fever; his body was growing so hot. His heart urged him forward as a hunger started to overcome him once again. He felt like he was missing something and Helga was withholding it from him.Why do I feel this way?He wondered as he let his body move on its own, inching closer to her. Why were her features suddenly so clear? He could see how wide her eyes were as he got closer. Was she afraid? Was it wrong for him to give in to this feeling? Arnold thought back to the abandoned studio; it was dark there as well. How long had it been since they were alone like this? It seemed like ages.She would stop me if she didn't want to, right?He asked himself, bringing his right hand up and placing it against the wall behind her; his fingers pressing into the little grooves that made the makeshift stairs up to his skylight.

Feeling like her heart was going to explode; Helga could feel herself becoming nervous.There's that expression again… What should I do? What if he regrets it?!Backing up, Helga could feel her head hit the wall behind her, just inches from his hand. "I- I thought all you wanted was to hold my hand?" She breathed out in a challenging voice; excitement welling up within her. Her heart was beating so loud, could he hear it?

Her words reached him but didn't stop his slow advancement. "I… did." He replied quietly.

"Then… what are you doing?" She quietly asked; swallowing hard.

"I'm… I'm not sure."He admitted, now centimeters away from her. His veins were surging with something he had never felt before. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore. "Is… this wrong?" He whispered.

His sultry voice so quiet yet so close to her it caused a shiver to go up the girl's spine. The hesitations and anticipation was driving her insane. "O-only if… you think so." She whispered back and closed her eyes.

Feeling like he had given her plenty time to stop him; Arnold took her response and decided it was all he needed. Letting his urges finally take over, he closed the gap between them and kissed her deeply. He could feel her gasp beneath him but he didn't mind. The thunder behind them sounded so quiet, was it even real? Or was that their hearts beating so loudly? Was any of this real? He could feel her lips quiver under his own and he backed away and looked into her eyes. What was this feeling and why was it so good? [pic]

Helga trembled and opened her eyes. It had finally happened but it didn't feel like enough. "Geez… It only took you long enough." She hissed at him quietly. Taking her only free hand, she grabbed him and pulled him down closer and took his breath away for her own, but this time she wasn't going to let go until she was ready.

Arnold felt like he was losing this battle and pulled himself above her to gain more leverage, not wanting to break their union apart. He knew he should probably stop, but he couldn't. Forces he couldn't control were pulling his strings as if he was a puppet to its mercy.This… is incredible…He thought as he let go of her hand and placed it behind her waist to control the situation. Feeling as if he were to let go, she might escape him and end all of this. He heard as she made an interesting noise as he pulled her body closer to his and it only made him want more.I have to stop…He told himself,but… I can't… Why?I've lost my mind… I have to take control back…Arnold felt his body resist his mind but he knew this had gone further than he wanted.

Oh joy~ Oh Rapture~Helga moaned in her mind as all her girlhood dreams were finally coming true. Bringing both of her hands up behind him, she ran her fingers through his thick blond hair and back down from his neck to his back.

Her acts sent electricity to course through the young man and he knew that this had to stop right now or else things would definitely go too far. With much regret, he forced his body to listen to reason and he broke apart from her.

Helga opened her eyes and looked at him with a questioning lustful look. "What's wrong?" She asked once she got her breath back.

"We… have to stop." He said between breaths. He watched as her expression changed to something which seemed sort of angry. "I'm… sorry."

Filling her heart with dismay, Helga didn't know what to say. Did she do something wrong? She searched his eyes for a better answer but when she didn't get one, she knew she had to ask herself. "Why?"

Arnold swallowed and pulled himself fully away from her grasp and sat up. Taking his right hand, he put it up against his forehead, closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He listened to all the noises around them and noticed that the rain had let up and the storm was passing. Just how long had it went on for? It seemed like hours but Arnold had to be sure. Anxiety caused him to lean over and grab his alarm clock to look at the time. Only an hour had passed since the lights had gone out. With a sigh of relief, he knew he was safe from the possibility of his family becoming suspicious from how quiet they probably were.

"Arnold?" Helga asked, growing worried. "Did… I do something?"

With a shake of his head, he looked back at her and smiled. "No. Not at all." He then smiled brightly to reassure her. "It's was just… getting a little intense…" He admitted with a blush.

The moon was finally coming out from behind the dark rain clouds that loomed overhead and its light shun on them both. He noticed how beautiful she looked just then and a calm sensation overtook him, causing all the electricity he was feeling to subside.

Wanting to ask more questions, Helga opened her mouth but closed it immediately after. She saw how the moonlight shone on his brilliantly blond hair and caused his emerald green eyes to glow. There was no use in protesting, she knew he was right. "I guess asking for more would be… sorta greedy, huh?" She asked, a small laugh emerging from behind her words.

Her laugh became contagious and Arnold found himself mimicking it wholeheartedly. "Yeah…" He rested his back against his shelves and looked up at the sky as it started to clear up. The power was still off but it wasn't a problem anymore. His eyes had fully adjusted and could see everything so clearly now.

Feeling a little self conscious and awkward, Helga began to fidget in her spot. "It…wasn't bad, was it?" She asked nervously. "With me… I mean."

Arnold looked over at the shy girl from the corner of his eye and laughed. He saw how it startled her and he grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know…" She scowled and looked away.Why do I feel so embarrassed now? I felt fine before…Things didn't seem to make sense to her and doubts started to fill her head again. Maybe it was her, maybe it was something she did, maybe he realized he didn't feel the same?Dammit! Why do I have to feel this way?!Helga felt like running away again but Phoebe's words echoed in her mind. "Hey Arnold?" She asked, breaking the silence in spite of herself. She felt as if she was going to break and crumble at any moment.

"Yeah?" He asked, still coming down from his high and not aware in the least of the sudden mix of emotions she was feeling.

"Why…" She started, unsure of herself. "Why did you want to do that?"

The question took him off guard and Arnold sat up straight. "What do you mean?"

Anxiety started to turn into hostility and Helga was unable to hold it down any longer. With a quick jab to his arm, she let her emotions show. "You know what I mean!" She replied loudly. "Stupid Football head! That! What we just did! All of that!" She took in a deep breath as she saw his look of bewilderment. "Why did you do all of that when all you wanted to do was hold my hand?!"

Blinking a few times to try and contemplate her words, Arnold was coming back with nothing. "What? But I thought it was okay…?" Nervousness started to take hold of him next, "Was it wrong?"

"NO!" She yelled, full of fluster.

"Was it bad?!" He asked, panic starting to take him hold.

"NO!" She repeated, standing up to try and control her emotions.

Arnold was now fully confused and he looked around, then back at her. "Helga, I don't understand. If it wasn't wrong and you didn't hate it… then what are you talking about?!"

Helga gripped both of her hands tightly. "What made you do it? Just tell me!"

Unsure of what she was looking for and completely perplexed at what was wrong, Arnold began to breathe hard in hopes of calming his nerves down. "Why I kissed you?" He asked; his mind spinning.

"Doi!" She cried back with a stomp of her foot.

"B-because… I wanted to…?" He asked them both, now unsure of everything.

"But why?!" She urged, clearly looking for a specific answer that the young boy was unaware of.

Arnold placed both his hands on his head and closed his eyes. This was all happening so fast and he needed a moment to catch up. "Why are you so mad?!" He asked, louder than intended. He opened his eyes and could see that she was growing further and further upset and wanted to comfort her in some way but had no idea how anymore.

Unanticipated tears started to form in the girls eyes and there was nothing she could do to hold them back. "Stupid Football head!" She said furiously. "This is all so stupid! You're so stupid! Why do I have to spell everything out for you?!"

Jumping up from his bed, he put his arms around her and held her close to him. Expecting her to push him away, the boy was surprised to notice that she wasn't. "Shhhh…" He shushed her. "You're going to make the whole house come up here!" He explained with a little pain in his voice. "I don't know what you want me to say, Helga. Just tell me! I'm really confused! I thought everything was okay! Just tell me what you want me to say!"

"I can't tell you! That defeats the purpose!" She replied, her voice seething with anger and sadness.

"Then can't you just give me a hint?!" He asked drastically.

Helga looked down at him and met his eyes. She wanted to both punch him and kiss him again at the same time and the conflicting emotions were driving her insane and she knew it. With a few long breaths, Helga willed herself to be honest despite how hard it was. "I…I…" She forced out quietly. "I… I love you and…" Her voice was wavering and she couldn't help it. "and I just want to know if you feel the same way!"

With a few more confused blinks, Arnold found himself furrowing his brow. "I…" He started, uncertain of his own words. He could see that she was definitely in pain about this but he felt stuck. Wanting nothing more than to console her, he hugged her tighter then let her go. He took a few steps back so he could see her better and opened his heart completely. "I'm… we're still kids, Helga…" He started solemnly. "You've told me before that you loved me and I know you mean it but…"

"But…?" She could feel her heart starting to break at each passing word.

"But I haven't experienced this feeling long enough to say it's the same as how strongly you feel!" He confessed, despite wanting with every ounce to shut up. "I don't exactly know what this feeling is that I'm feeling. There has been so many different ones; new ones that I've only ever experienced with you. I want to say its love… it's the only thing that seems to make sense." He smiled half heartedly. "I'm just afraid of disappointing you, if it's… not." Arnold felt like his words were so heavy that they were even crushing him.

Clutching both her fists so hard, Helga was expecting for droplets of blood to start dripping off of them. "So let me get this straight…" She hissed. "You don't… know?" The last word causing her voice to break.

"I'd be lying if I said I did." Arnold reached out and gingerly took both of her hands, expecting her to snatch them away. When she didn't, he looked down at his feet and prepared his words. "I don't want to lie so I'll just tell you everything that I do know." With a deep breath, the young boy continued, "When I'm with you, I get this feeling like I'm whole when I didn't know I wasn't to begin with. Getting my parents back made me happier than I can explain and completed me in a way I knew it would… but with you?" Arnold narrowed his eyes at the floor as he searched for the right words. "With you it feels like I found a missing piece I didn't know I was missing. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense." He laughed in spite of himself. "It's so easy for you to say how you feel because of how sure you are of those feelings but I've never experienced this before so how can I be sure? I haven't had years to back these feelings up like you do; merit and proof of these things. I want to assume its love but… how could I live with myself if I was wrong?" He could feel her hands begin to tremble at his words and he hated himself. "What I did back there… Whatwedid back there was something I've never done before. I can't tell you for sure why I did it. I just followed what felt right and when you didn't push me away, I thought you wanted it to. Was I wrong?"

"…No." She whispered softly.

"This happy feeling that I get only with you… what do you think it is?" He asked, genuinely hoping for an answer. "Is it similar to how you feel?"

Sucking up her sorrow, Helga ripped one of her hands away from him in order to dry her eyes and wipe the discarded liquid on her dress. "I can't say if the happy feeling is the same as yours, but the… feeling of being complete is the same." She explained as calmly as she could through the unstable emotions.

"Okay so it's a step in the right direction," He asked hopefully. "Right?" Arnold waited a moment to see if she would respond but when she didn't, he tried his best to continue, hoping it might make her feel a little better. "Just… please give me time to know how I'm feeling, Helga. These feelings are new and I… I want to be sure before I put a label on them and give them to you properly."

The young woman nodded and gave him her hand back, still recovering from a broken heart.

Her reaction gave him hope but he was still unsure of where they stood. "Do… do you still want to be my girlfriend?" He asked, wishing he hadn't.

"Don't ask stupid questions or I'll deck you into next week." Helga replied, in her usual hostile tone but with notes of lingering melancholy. All the words he had said had reached her heart and she knew that even though she was sad now, the feelings would soon pass. In fact, his truthful words only made her love him that much more, which she didn't even know was possible.Leave it to the Football head to sweep me off my feet in passion, break my heart immediately after, and then mend it after adding a piece I didn't know I needed…She thought in astonishment. "You want to know what I think?" She asked after grabbing both her hands back from him to wipe her face one more time. "I think you're a yellow haired shrimp who doesn't know the first thing about anything! I think you're a goody-little-two-shoes who acts so wise and all knowing around everyone else when, in fact, he knows nothing about himself at all! I think…" She continued with a clear of her voice. "I think you're the dumbest person I've ever met!"

Arnold waited calmly while she insulted him, knowing there was probably more to it.

"But I also think that you're the kindest, most loving person to ever walk this earth and I'd be damned if I let anyone else have you! It took a lot of guts to tell me the truth…" She stopped, getting her feelings in order. "More guts than anyone person has in their whole body to tell me something like that. You may not know for sure how you feel, and heck, I don't know how I even expected you to know. To tell you the truth, I came up here today in hopes of showing you my kind natured side and possibly helping you feel better again. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I was damn sure going to try. And what ends up happening? I make a fool out of myself, cause you to get mad and then mother nature goes berserk!"

"I was more annoyed than mad…" He corrected.

"Whatever! That's not the point!" She yelled as she pushed him backwards, causing him to stumble and laugh a little. "The point is we're both stupid and have no idea what we're doing. I'm walking as blindly into this whole relationship as you are."

Her honesty warmed his heart and he watched in awe as her strength knew no bounds.

"Arnold, I'll love you till the day I die and unless fate deems it otherwise, that means I have a really long time for you to figure yourself out." Helga explained, a little flushed from her own words.

"Thanks, Helga." Arnold said with all the warmth in his heart. "I just have one question, though."

"Yeah? What is it?" She replied, impatiently placing her hands on her hips.

"Is it okay if I kiss you again?" He asked shyly, looking between her and the place it last happened.

Resisting the urge to punch him in the face for asking such a stupid question at a time like this, Helga simply gritted her teeth. "Do whatever you want, Arnoldo! It's no sweat off my back!"

Without needing anymore encouragement from her confusing hostility, which wasn't confusing at all for someone like her, Arnold stood on his toes, cupped her angry face in his hands and gave her a small kiss on the lips. Instantly, her anger subsided, her fluster fizzled up then relaxed in the palms of his hands. "Sorry about that." He said after letting her go and scratching the back of his head with a cheesy grin on his face.

His apology seemed unfounded and Helga pushed him out of her way as she sat back down on his bed. "Go get your stupid cards and let's play a game of war before I change my mind."

With a small gleam in his eye, Arnold did just that. They played a few games until the lights flickered back on and caused both of them to wince in pain. The night of chaos had finally ended and the whole house was heard cheering from below them, completely unaware of the chaos that ensued within these very walls. Tomorrow was a new day and Arnold was hopeful towards his future, even if it was clouded in mystery. He bid his partner goodnight with a friendly wave as she walked down his steps and headed to her own room. They both had a lot of growing up to do and tonight he had definitely learned more than he expected to. Not about each other, but specifically about himself. After closing his door when she was finally out of sight, Arnold laid his head at the foot of his bed. He could still smell her scent even after she was long gone and it caused his mind to wander. He knew he was going to have another weird dream tonight but this time, he didn't think it was going to be that bad.

Chapter 28

Chapter Text

"Willikers! It's Sunday!" Stinky's voice was heard throughout his old wooden house. Quickly the boy jumped out of his bed and ran to his bathroom in order to shower and get ready, almost knocking his dad over in the process.

"Where's the fire?" His father asked before his boy shut the bathroom door.

"No fire, Pa! Jus gotta be looking my best for later!" He replied quickly before shutting the door, leaving his dad to scratch his head in wonder.

The bathroom was quickly fogged up with the young man's shower as he cleaned himself as throughout as possible. After jumping out and wrapping a towel around his skinny waist, he went to the mirror and used his hand to wipe away the condensation in a circular motion to reveal his face. He looked at his appearance for a moment before deciding he would do something with the little amount of facial hair that started growing in. Arming himself with a small disposable razor, shaving cream and his father's aftershave, he got to work. Once done, he nodded in approval, spiked up his hair and headed on back to his room to get dressed. Upon opening up his closet, Stinky closely looked around to find something he thought would be suitable for today. He pulled out his nicest and least worn clothes to wear for just the occasion, as well as got out the ironing board and iron. With a hiss of steam, he began ironing out any wrinkles his clothes may have had until 100% to his liking. He knew it wasn't an actual date, but it was probably the closest thing there might ever be to one anytime soon and especially with the girl he sought after

Once he was all set and dressed, Stinky slipped on his shoes, laced them and headed on out the door. It didn't take long for him to reach the park. It was damp and muddy from the rain storm the night prior so no one was really paying it much mind, besides a few joggers and dog walkers. People had their daily routines and usually didn't let a little rain or dampness get in the way of that.

Clouds were still looming over him but every so often, a ray of sunshine would peek through and cause the boy to shield his eyes in order to see. Silently he hoped he wasn't too early or too late for his big day.

"Good afternoon Stinky." A pleasant voice said, causing him to look over his shoulder. There Lila stood in the distance, as radiant as ever with a charismatic smile. She walked up to him and did a small curtsy. "Might I say that you look ever so handsome."

The compliment made the boys ears turn red in embarrassment and he softly kicked a nearby pebble. "Why thank you, Miss Lila. You look mighty fine yourself." He considered this to be a great start to a great day. "How did you and your Pa fair last night? I reckon the whole block lost power for a few hours. I hope you weren't in the mix."

"Our house was affected as well but my dad and I decided it was an oh so great idea to pull out our candles and play some board games. It was ever so fun!" She explained optimistically. "What did you do?"

With a motion of his hand, Stinky lead in the direction of his house and caused his companion to follow. "Well it wasn't much of a big deal for us on account a we have many lanterns already. Saves on the electric bill in all so we were plenty prepared." Stinky boasted. "Can't say I did anything of much fun though. Went out back and made sure I dug trenches around my harvest to prevent drowning. Once I finished laboring, I just hit the hay easily. Not much else to do."

Once they arrived at Stinky's house, he ushered her inside. She looked around and found the cottage like house quite charming. "Oh you're house is lovely." Lila said as she walked closer to the mounted animal heads on the wall. Holding back her disgust, she turned to him with her usual smile, "And your decorations are ever so… unique."

Stinky scratched his head. "They ain't my decorations. One of my Pa's hobbies is taxidermy." He replied casually, leading her deeper into the house towards the back door. "I dabbled in it for a little. Found I didn't have much of a knack for it and gave up."

His answer gave her little relief but she didn't let her expression change. "I'm certain you must have done a fine job. Don't be so hard on yourself, Stinky."

Stinky smiled. "You wanna see it?" He offered with a spark of a new found idea as to possibly woo her with his stuffed goat.

"N-no, thank you." She politely said with a wave of her hands. "I'm ever so interested in your garden though!" She finished, noticing the disappointment on his long face.

With a shrug, the boy continued passed his kitchen and out to the back porch. With arms wide open and a proud grin, he presented his back yard. "This is it."

Lila clasped her hands and her eyes sparkled at the sight. "Wow Stinky!" She said in amazement. "This is oh so impressive!" She looked it over and noticed that there were many different plots. "How many different vegetables are you growing?"

Having to think for a moment, "Pumpkins, onions, leeks, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes…" He said as he counted on his fingers. "Started growing melons this year as well as eggplant but those didn't turn out so well."

"That's a great variety!" She said in awe. "Are you planning on expanding it even more?"

Stinky shook his head. "This is it for now. Reckon I got my hands full as it is."

He walked her down into the garden so she could get a closer look. She paid attention to each individual plant and looked each over carefully, causing Stinky to feel a sorta connection with her. He could see that her smiles were genuine as were her interests. Once he was done giving her the tour, he walked her back to his porch and led her to one of the rocking chairs.

"You fancy some lemon fish juice, Miss Lila?" Stinky asked pleasantly. When he saw her reaction to the name, he laughed. "There's no real fish in it, just lemons. I promise."

"O-oh…" She replied with a queer look. "Then I'm quite certain I'd love to try it."

Stinky headed on back into the kitchen, leaving Lila to sit nicely on the porch. Slowly she rocked back and forth and found that she was enjoying their time a little more than she had expected. It was painfully obvious that Stinky like-liked her, but that wasn't a problem. She was charming, after all. Many boys were interested in her but sadly she had to turn them all away, all except for one, and that relationship ended just as quick as it started. With a frown, Lila thought back to her oh so enjoyable time with Arnold's ever so interesting cousin Arnie. The way he counted things, listed ingredients off of the back of packages and collected various useless things just stirred her heart in a very specific way that no other boy could do. Sure, her time with Arnold was enjoyable but after a while, she noticed that the only reason she thought he could be her special someone was because of how she was certain he was interested in her. Liking someone because they like-liked you, was not real love and it was plainly obvious after he let her down. The fun times were real, but the feelings were just feelings of having a fun time, not love.

Lila heard the screen door open up and tucked a stray hair around her ear and looked to her host. He was carrying a large pitcher of lemonade with one hand, and two cups in the other. "Would you like some help?" She offered.

"I got it." Stinky said confidently. "Us Petersons have lots of strength in our arms and fingers. This ain't nothing." He placed them all on a table in between the two rocking chairs and poured them both a glass. "It's called lemon fish juice on account a you gotta fish the little piece of lemon out of them! It's my Aunts recipe."

"Oh, I see." Lila said; picking up the class and eyeing the yellow liquid a little. "This is your Aunt's recipe?" She asked.

"That's right." He said with a little sip. "My Aunt Stinky."

"What a peculiar name…" Lila couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Are many people in your family named that?"

Stinky nodded. "Sure are. It's been a family tradition for a long time. Don't know how it started but it just kept on going."

Lila smiled, finding everything oddly comfortable and took her own sip. The juice was sweeter than she expected and a piece of lemon bumped up against her lips. "Are these pieces of lemon candied?"

The southern boy gave the girl a look of shock. "How did ya know?"

"I could just tell." She shrugged before taking another sip. "So do you have any other hobbies?"

Thinking for a moment, Stinky gave her a shy look. "Well… I don't know if I should tell you…"

Now intrigued, Lila sat forward and had all of her attention on him. "I'm ever so certain I won't tell anyone, if it's a secret or something." She finished as she placed a kind hand on his leg.

After hesitating for a moment, Stinky decided to come clean. "Remember how I said that I'm particularly good with my hands and fingers? Well I decided to try my hand at playing the guitar." He blushed, hoping to keep this a secret for a while and only letting people know once he got better at it. "I ain't very good yet but I've always liked how the guitar sounds."

Lila gave him a kind look and withdrew her hand once he was finished. "Do you think I could hear you play? Once you're comfortable, of course."

Stinky blushed redder and fiddled with his drink for a moment in thought. "I- I suppose it would be okay…" He said, not looking up at her in fear of seeing her expression. Part of him regretted admitting it to her but the other part was hopeful that if she was impressed, he could woo her a little. With the last swig of his drink, Stinky set his drinking cup back down on the small table and got up. "I'll be right back."

With a tilt of her head, Lila was a little confused. She hadn't meant right now but also was still interested. "Alright." She said with a curious smile.

Briskly he walked inside his house and up to his room. He stared at his guitar sitting in the corner and gulped at the thought of playing in front of someone. He also needed something to play as well. That's when he remembered that he had started writing a small tune and figured it was good enough to show off for now. He grabbed both and headed downstairs. His father was at the foot of the steps and looked at him curiously.

"Whatcha got there, son?" He asked, slowly moving out of his boy's way. "Is that my old guitar?"

Truthfully, Stinky had found it hidden in the basem*nt one day after helping him clean it out and he had never told his dad that he took it back upstairs with him. "That's right. I reckon I'd try my hand at it as a pastime."

A warm smile spread across the old man's face. "I see. I don't suppose it has anything to do with the young lady sitting on the porch?"

"Pa…" Stinky whined as he passed him and headed back outside, causing his dad to just stand there and watch.

"Boy's growing up…" The man said, a tear lingering in his eye at the touching thought of his one and only son trying to win a girl over with music.

Stinky ran onto the deck, a little breathless. He looked to his companion with an embarrassed smile and cleared his throat in an attempt to save face. "Sorry I kept ya waiting."

"Not at all." Lila replied, placing her empty cup on the table next to his.

Fumbling a moment with his words and actions, the lanky boy sat on the stairs of his porch to get better positioned for his private concert. He took out the piece of paper with sloppy written notes on it and placed it to his side. Nervously, he got the instrument properly in his hands and began to adjust the strings. "I'm still learning…" He said, plucking at the strings as to make sure it was in the right tune. When she didn't respond, he swallowed his emotions down and cleared his head. "Okay…"

He strummed his guitar a few times in order to get his jitters to stop. Once he heard the notes, he started to feel calmer and began to play the notes on his paper. He thought of the time they had spent together so far today with each note, and thought of possible good times yet to come. The melody sounded better and better as he continued to play and soon he was fully confident in himself. When he finished, he took in a deep breath and looked up to her. Lila stood there with her hands to her lips with an expression he couldn't quite make out. Was she happy or sad? "Miss Lila…?" He called out to her; placing down his guitar. "You okay?"

She lowered down her hands off her face and down to her chest. "That was most beautiful, Stinky." She said in a surprisingly longing voice. "How come you think that you're no good?"

Despite her words, he couldn't help but notice her expression didn't seem to match. "Never played in front of nobody before," He replied as he got up to go back to their chairs. "I know I need more practice but I reckon I'm my biggest critic. You really think it was beautiful?"

"I'm certain that it was." She gave him a grateful smile and sat back down with him. "Just ever so certain. You shouldn't doubt yourself so much."

"Garsh…" Stinky said, another blush overcoming him and shying away. "If you really think so." He wondered if she was just flattering him or if it really was true. She had no reason to lie unless trying to not make him feel bad but she seemed sincere. Once he found himself putting feeling into his music, it did seem to sound a little better, even to him.

He heard Lila pour them both another glass and sat back down. "Do you have any other hobbies that you're hiding?" He heard her ask.

"Nah, that's it." He replied. "How about you? What are your hobbies?"

Lila thought about it for a moment and took a sip of her drink. She looked down at it and stirred the beverage around a little. "I suppose I've always really liked operas and plays. I find theater ever so enchanting and sometimes find myself singing the tunes to myself." She admitted, as she stared down at the floating bits of lemon that she couldn't quite fish out.

"I heard you sing in the auditions for Eugene, Eugene and found your voice very captivating." Stinky was shocked when he saw her blush a little at his statement. "Found myself jealous that I wasn't up there in Eugene's roll but I reckon I wouldn't have been very good anyway. That boy just has the flair for dramatics and the like."

"Yes! Eugene is ever so wonderful when it comes to musicals!" Lila agreed, "He upstaged even me!"

That's when Stinky had an idea. "Hey…" He started a little apprehensively. "You ever wanna do a song with me? I mean, my singing really bites but with me practicing enough to become real good, I reckon with your voice and my strings we could make a capable pair."

Lila slapped her hands together in delight and her face glowed. "That sounds like a marvelous idea, Stinky! I would be oh so honored to accompany you with a song."

"Really?" He said, genuinely surprised. "You don't think it would be weird?"

"Oh no, I'm most certain that I would find it ever so enjoyable." She reinforced.

He looked at the girl in admiration, completely taken aback by her enthusiasm for the idea. The idea was just a shot in the dark to spend more time with her but the more and more he imagined it, the more he saw that it was a pretty good idea. "Alright, I'll start working on a song."

The two enjoyed their time together, finishing their drink and finding that they had a little more in common then they knew. Stinky now had a little more confidence in himself and decided he would give it a go and really try his hand at winning her over enough to make her his girl.

The day concluded with him walking her back to her place. They waved goodbye to each other and the moment she disappeared into her house, Stinky couldn't help but jump for joy. Although it wasn't a date, it sure felt way better than just throwing rocks at a dumpster with his classmates or eating ice cream with Sid and Harold. Now it was time to really think about what he was planning on doing next.

Lila looked around her house and noticed that her Dad was still at work. With a lonely sigh, she walked into her kitchen and opened the cupboards and found there still wasn't much she wanted. She grabbed a can of already prepared pasta in meatballs and looked at it solemnly.

"Daddy doesn't get paid till Thursday so this will have to do for tonight." She told herself as she grabbed a pot and placed it over the stove to warm up her meal. As she stirred the pot to evenly distribute the heat to her food, she recalled the small song that Stinky had played and found herself smiling. He may not be Arnie, but he had his own merits. He was simple and kind with a certain boyish charm to him.It makes no sense to hold on to someone who has already broken up with me…She told herself as she played with the food.Pining for someone who loves another is foolish, just ever so foolish… Maybe it's time to move on…

Lila finished preparing her food and brought it to her kitchen table to eat. She could feel herself becoming a little depressed, something she typically didn't let anyone see. She had to be perfect, after all and it wasn't easy. Always holding in her true feelings and keeping face. This was something she had learned to do once her mother had passed when she was very little. Her father became a broken mess and she was his only anchor.

"Don't cry Daddy, it will be okay…"She remembered telling him as he wept day after day. What do you do when your only parent can't even take care of himself? Parents aren't supposed to show their weakness but what could anyone expect after something like this."Mommy will always be with us…"After a while, she decided the only way to make things better was to put herself in her mother's absence and take care of him. She wore her best clothes, put on her best smile and always did her best to care for their very grim situation. It was hard but she had to do it and soon it just became another part of her… even when truthfully, she had her own demons.

Lila finished her dinner and placed the bowl in the empty sink with a loud clank. She turned on the water and apathetically washed the bowl, spoon and pot she had used. Nothing was to be left in the sink. Nothing was to be left dirty if she could help it. Her dad needed to come home to a clean house to keep his spirits up because it's what her mom would want.

With a sigh, she brought herself to her bedroom and opened up her journal. She kept one to make sure to log every happy event that happened in her life so she could reference back to it whenever she needed cheering up. Flipping through the pages, she recalled each and every event with a painful smile. She had so much to be grateful for; so many pages of happy memories with her friends. That's when she got to her second to last entry. It was the last week before all the students in her class were preparing to go to the jungle… without her. She had helped everyone set up for the video that Helga, Gerald and Phoebe had made in order to get Arnold's project to win. She loved helping them all out. Arnold looked so happy when he won. The very next day, however, was when she had to leave to South Carolina with her dad. There were no entries from that point on until her first day back from school.

She took her pen and tapped the paper a few times until she was lost in thought about the day once again.I had an ever so wonderful time today…She wrote slowly and delicately,Stinky has a very inviting presence and I feel like I could tell him almost anything… almost.With a frown, Lila put down her pen and stared off into the distance. Everyone in her class had someone as their best friend; someone to open up to but who did she have? The closest person she had was Arnold but that turned sour when he wouldn't give up his chase on her. Dark thoughts crept into her mind and caused her to doodle a little in the margins of the paper. Swirls upon swirls marked her pages whenever she got into this deafening trance of loneliness.One day… maybe things will change.

The next morning, all the children crammed into the classroom with various tales of the weekend that had passed. A few of them got into their respective groups and gossiped as well as others sat in their usual spots and chatted with the person next to them.

It was another day which gave Arnold another chance at talking to Brainy. He watched as the silent mysterious boy walked into the class and sat down in the back next to the bookshelves. He wasn't going to let anyone get in his way and today was finally going to be the day he got some answers.

"Where you going, man?" Gerald asked as he saw his best friend get up. When he looked in Arnold's direction, he saw and rolled his eyes. "You still on about that?"

With no reply, Arnold just gave his companion a friendly smile and headed towards the kid. Once there, he realized he had no idea what he was going to say but he knew he had a few minutes to figure it out. "Hey Brainy." He said in his usual friendly tone. He noticed that Stinky wasn't in his seat and found it convenient as he sat right next to Brainy. "Mind if I sit next to you?"

Brainy looked at him and gave no indication that he was opposed to it. "Okay." He breathed out nosily.

Arnold sat down and looked to the boy wearing an unusually happy smile. "How's your morning been?" He asked just to start the conversation.

"Fine." Brainy answered, his expression not changing.

"Do you have any plans after school?" The blond boy inquired inconspicuously.

Brainy looked between the boy speaking to him and his Goddess from across the room as she spoke to her best friend with a really uncomfortable look. He wondered what she was talking about then looked back to Arnold. "Not really." He replied.

"Would you like to hang out with me?" Arnold asked warmly, "I've been thinking lately that we haven't ever really hung out before, you know, just the two of us."

Brainy looked from him and again back at Helga. He wondered if she had finally replied to his email yet. He would have to check during lunch again. Looking back to Arnold, he noticed that he was still waiting for an answer. "Sure." He replied, deeply hoping she had replied by now.

His answer seemed to give Arnold some joy and he stood up smiling. "Okay! Want to meet me in front of the school after the last class? I don't know exactly what you like doing but I'm sure we can find some things to do." The loud breathing boy nodded his head and then turned his head to face the front of the class. He found it sort of odd but let it go. "Okay, see you then!"

Arnold stood up and noticed Stinky approaching him. He moved out of his way and let the boy sit down in his designated seat.

"Hey Arnold!" He said happily.

"Hey Stinky, sorry for sitting in your seat, I was just having a conversation with Brainy." He explained, as he got ready to leave.

The southern boy gave him a queer look. "Why'd you wanna do a thing like that?" He asked, almost shocked.

Arnold looked immediately at Brainy who he assumed would have been offended, but noticed that Brainy seemed completely unchanged and co*cked an eyebrow. "No reason."

As Arnold started to leave, Stinky caught him by the arm. "Hold on real quick, Arnold. I could use your help with something!" He started as he let the boys arm go and pulled out a paper and pencil from his bag. "I was just wondering…" He said with a hushed tone as he looked around to the other students who were still very much engaged in their conversations with their peers. "When you were trying to court Miss Lila, what did you do with her?"

The question seemed odd but Arnold found no reason to keep the information to himself. "Well we went to the cheese festival, I took her to the movies, we went to Dino land once… Why do you ask?" He noticed that Stinky was writing the answers down.

"Oh I was just asking on account of I wanna make sure I don't make the same mistakes you did." Stinky replied plainly as he finished his writing.

The comment was insensitive but Arnold kept his annoyance to himself. "Okay."

"Anything else I should know?" Stinky asked, finally looking up.

"She is allergic to stuffed animals, doesn't like rides or scary movies and can't swim." Arnold said in a dull tone, wanting nothing more than to leave immediately and go back to his seat.

Stinky wrote those things down as well then gave Arnold a thumbs up. "Okiedokie Arnold, thanks!"

"Don't mention it..." Arnold replied as he left back to his seat.

As he approached, he noticed Gerald eyeing him with interest. "What was that about?" He asked, noticing Arnold look of annoyance.

"Don't ask." He replied as he sat back down in his seat.

Moments later, Mr. Simmons came walking into the class full of pep and enthusiasm and placed his materials down on his podium.

"Good morning class!" He started as he did every day. "I'm pleased to let everyone know that every single one of you did a fantastic job on Friday's pop quiz!" He said as he shuffled through his papers looking for the quiz in question to hand back to the students.

"Even me?!" Harold yelled in surprise.

"Yes, Harold. Even you!" Mr. Simmons cheered as he handed the large young man his paper. "This just shows how much you can do when you apply yourself!" As he reached Lila, he remembered that she still needed to hand in the permission slip for their new class. "Oh Lila, did you ever get your dad to sign the permission slip for Health class?"

With a frown, Lila shook her head. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Simmons. I completely forgot to get it back from my Dad this morning but I'm ever so certain that I'll bring it back tomorrow." She said as she took her quiz paper from the man.

Mr. Simmons mimicked her frown. "Well, alright Lila but this means you'll have to excuse yourself again during last period."

"I understand, Mr. Simmons. I'm ever so sorry." She said apologetically.

Helga had overheard their conversation and looked at Arnold to see if he would rise to the occasion again. When he didn't, she felt better but decided she had to do something to make sure it wouldn't happen again. "I'll join her in the library, Mr. Simmons."

The balding teacher looked curiously at the young lady. "That's… oddly helpful of you, Helga." He mentioned as he handed Curly his quiz and made his rounds to the last line of students.

"Yeah well I'm in a good mood today, so sue me." She shrugged. It wasn't a lie. She had woken up in a very good mood. "I want to make sure she's as caught up with class as the next person. After all, she is my special classmate" She finished in a sarcastically innocent tone.

Lila smiled at the offer. "That sounds lovely, Helga. Thank you ever so much."

Mr. Simmons thought for moment as he finished handing the last quiz to the girl who was talking to him. He looked between the girls, "Are you sure, Helga? You could fall behind in class."

"Are you kidding? I'll take Phoebe's notes home with me. Right, Pheebs?" She asked her best friend with expecting eyes.

"That's right. It's no problem at all." She smiled to the teacher with assurance.

Mr. Simmons smiled and sighed in approval. "I have to say, I am blessed with very special and caring students. I have to say…" He wiped a small tear from his eye and stood back up at his podium. "I'm just so happy that you all reach out to each other in need."

Helga smirked at herself. Her plan worked just like it should have.

Gerald looked confused between the two girls who clearly didn't get along very well, then back at his best friend who just had a smile on his face. It was suspicious. Very suspicious.

"What the heck was that about?" Gerald asked his best friend as they got into the cafeteria line. "Helga offering to help Lila? Is this some alternate dimension or something? Are we in a movie?" He looked around, "Are there cameras I'm not seeing?"

Arnold laughed a little as he grabbed his lunch tray. "No, she's just in a good mood today I guess." He shrugged.

Gerald eyed him and slowly grabbed himself a chocolate milk. "You're also in a pretty strange mood, man. You've been all smiles all morning and its weirding me out."

"What are you talking about? I'm always in a good mood." Arnold asked with a raised eyebrow but he had to admit, his morning was also pretty good. He just woke up on the right side of the bed; literally.

"Uh huh…" Gerald said, not really wanting to go further into the discussion as it was clear he was missing something but had a feeling he didn't really want to know. "All I'm saying is it's weird." He decided it was time to change the subject. "So what did you say to Brainy?"

Arnold finished gathering his lunch and followed Gerald to a lunch table. "I just asked if he wanted to hang out after school and he said okay." He explained; placing down his tray and sitting. "Not much else."

"What do you plan on doing?" Gerald asked as he speared a couple of baked ziti. "You have no idea what he even likes to do."

It was true, Arnold had absolutely no idea what he planned on doing with the boy but he wasn't going to let that stop him. "Could just walk to his house…" He suggested out loud. "I've never been there before so that should be interesting."

"You could ask Stinky what his house looks like. I'm pretty sure I overheard him talking about them doing their project there." Gerald said as he pointed his fork in Stinky's direction.

Arnold thought of their conversation earlier and shook his head. "No thanks, Gerald."

With a loud and exaggerated sigh, Gerald shook his head. "Whatever you say, man. I just hope you don't expect me to hang out with you guys. The kids weird and besides, I promised Timberly I'd take her to get ice cream today."

"Oh?" Arnold was surprised to hear that, since Gerald often did his best to avoid his sister at all costs. "Did something happen?"

Gerald stirred his pasta around a little bit. "Yeah… Saturday night when the blackout happened, she tripped on a bunch of her own toys and got hurt. I mean, she should have picked them up like we told her to so it was her own fault but she was pretty shaken up about the whole thing. I felt bad so I told her I'd take her out."

Arnold smiled at his best friend's generosity. "That's pretty nice of you."

"I'm her brother. I gotta be nice sometimes." Gerald smiled with a shrug. "Speaking of blackout, you never did tell me if anything happened at your house. Did the boarders get crazy again and your grandma hog tie them together like last time?" The boy laughed at his memory of it. "That was hilarious. Mr. Potts was so mad!"

"I wasn't apart of taking care of the boarders this time." Arnold explained, doing his best to avoid the real answer. "My parents took care of it."

"Oh?" Gerald said; taking a piece of his garlic bread. "What did you do?" but before he could let his best friend answer, an even better question popped up. "What did Helga do? I bet she freaked out."

Arnold closed his eyes and swallowed the food he had just put in his mouth, almost causing himself to choke. "Not much. We talked and played cards." He said after a hard cough to clear his airway.

With a skeptical look, Gerald finished his food and pushed his tray away. He watched as Arnold composed himself and knew there was something up. "Uh huh…"

Feeling his friends eye's on him, Arnold drank some of his milk to finish getting the last of the food debri away from his trachea. "What?" He asked, willing himself to not remember the rest of the events and make himself obvious.

Gerald continued to eye him then shook his head. "Nothing man. If you wanna keep it to yourself, I'll respect it. After all, a cool dude doesn't kiss and tell, right"

The statement caused Arnolds face to turn red and he knew there was no way to hide it. He silently cursed himself for wearing his emotions so carelessly.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Gerald laughed as he watched Arnold scowl and push the rest of his food away. "You're the worst at lying." He felt bad as he watched him struggle and patted Arnold on the shoulder. "Don't worry man. You don't gotta tell me anything."

Arnold wiped his mouth with a napkin and leaned back in his chair. It's not that he didn't want to talk about it; he just felt it was incredibly personal and rude to the other party involved. "Thanks." He replied with a forced smile. It was part of the reason he was having such a good day, almost as if residual feelings were still affecting him. Their conversation had ended a lot better than he had expected it to do as well, despite how hard it was and it was clear she felt the same way. Arnold looked over at the girl in mind chatting with her own best friend.

"I have to say, you're in a very good mood today." Phoebe laughed as she carried on her casual conversation with her best friend.

Helga shrugged. "I guess even I can't be angry all the time"

"I suppose you're planning on talking to Lila during Health period to clear up any misunderstandings?" She asked confidently.

"That's part of it." Helga said as she happily took a bite of her food. It was nice to be a part of the normal kids who ate lunch regularly. "But mostly I just didn't want to cause anymore misunderstandings. Figured I'd offer my help before a certain someone did and cause more problems."

"Very astute." Phoebe commended. "Just be sure to grab my notes before you go… 'home'." The last word made her giggle.

Helga scowled knowing full well she was being mocked and was honestly just happy that none of the other kids caught that slip earlier. "Yeah, yeah whatever. I won't forget." It was true though. She was learning to call that place home for more reasons than one. It was warm, welcoming, people didn't seem to mind her there, she was treated well and above all, her love was there. She thought back to their important discussion and decided she needed to figure out how to make him confident in his love for her. Helga wanted badly to tell Phoebe all about it but school wasn't the place to do this, nor was over Arnold's house phone where anyone could intercept. There was also the possibility of Arnold finding out and getting annoyed but at the same time, it was just as much her business as his.

Lunch concluded and all of the sixth grade students made it back to their classrooms with ease. Classes picked up once again until it was finally the last period. Helga gathered her things and headed to the door, waiting for Lila to get her things together. "Come on, Miss Perfect." She huffed as she opened the classroom door and waited.

"Coming." Lila smiled back as she followed.

They walked to the library without saying a word. Helga threw her backpack at the first open table and sat down without grace. She watched as Lila smiled at her and sat down opposite side.

"And before you get anything confused," Helga started, "I only offered my help to get out of that stupid class. You're not missing anything. I'd rather pound nails through my skull than listen and watch movies about saying no to drugs."

"I'm very thankful for your help, regardless of your motives Helga." Lila smiled, in complete understanding. She pulled out her work books and began to study without much thought.

She doesn't want to talk about it?She thought as she watched Lila work with interest.Does she expect me to just up and apologize? Because fat chance of that.Helga crossed her legs and looked around the Library. Arnold was right; it was particularly empty during this period. She got up and decided to grab a book to read. She filed up and down the rows of books, looking for specific authors she knew she enjoyed. One title ended up catching her eye and she grabbed it. As she walked back to her table, she noticed Lila watching her. "What?" She asked with much attitude. "Got a problem with me reading?"

"Not at all, Helga." Lila smiled as she watched her hostile companion sit back down and prop her foot on the table.

Helga noticed that the girl was still watching her and did her best to ignore it but eventually she gave in. "What?!" She demanded, slamming the book down. "Do you have something to say to me? Spit it out!"

"Shhhh!" The librarian said from across the room, causing both the girls to pay attention.

"It's not like there's even anyone else here." Helga whined but the Librarian just shook his head and went back to his computer. She turned back to Lila, "Well?"

"I was just ever so interested in what happened with you and Arnold over the summer." Lila replied heedlessly.

"A-arnold?!" Helga yelped, earning another hush from the librarian. "I- I have no idea what you're talking about. Nothing happened between us over the summer. Nothing at all." She stammered nervously, as she reopened her book.

"I don't know…" Lila replied slyly, "Doesn't seem that way to me…"

"Yeah well what do you know?!" Helga replied angrily. "You weren't even there."

"Well that's sort of my point, Helga. I wasn't there even when I wished I could have been." Lila said with a forlorn look about her. When she noticed that Helga wasn't giving in, she decided to use their argument to her advantage. "I don't think you would have came at me like you did the other day, if nothing has happened." When she saw Helga look up over her book, she continued. "It's not like I mind or anything," She said with a stretch. "You know I've always been ever so supportive of you two. You make a cute couple."

With the girl's last words, Helga found herself a little less anxious. It was true that Lila had known about her feelings for Arnold for a while, and even sort of helped her out after she had found out by purposely reminding him that she only liked him as a friend, and not as a romantic interest. "Fine." Helga gave in. "What do you want to know?"

With a happy few claps from her hands, Lila put her workbook aside and gave Helga her full attention. "Why, just about everything, I suppose."

"Look, little miss smarty pants, I'm not about to spill my whole life story to you. Got it? And everything I DO tell you stays between us or I'll snap that pretty little neck of yours." Helga started and when she saw that the girl wasn't budging from her interest, she continued. "There isn't much to tell. We went into the jungle, I helped him find his parents, we shared a m-moment and that was that. Happy?" Lila gave her a glance that expressed she knew there was more. "No I'm not going to go into much detail than that. He knows of my feelings, I know of his… somewhat and that's that. End of story." She finished with a wipe of her hands.

"Somewhat?" Lila asked, with much concern. "Whatever do you mean, Helga?"

Helga slumped back in her chair. She really didn't want to have this discussion, especially before she had it with Phoebe but there really was no getting away from it now. Lila was supportive so was it really so bad to divulge a little more? "Somewhat as in… we know what we are to each other but he's still not certain about the extent." As she said her final words, she was unable to keep from frowning. It still hurt a little, even if it was understandable. "He's sure that he like-likes me now but maybe not in the crazy way that I feel for him."

Lila's eyes saddened as she heard the tale. "Whatever will you do?"

"What can I do?" Helga admitted. "All I can do is wait for him to fully figure it out and go from there. No crazy scheme is going to be able to make him decipher his feelings, no amount of pestering will make everything become clear… there is nothing I can do but continue with what we do have an be happy about it and, trust me, there's plenty to be happy about and before you even ask, I will absolutely not tell you any of that. It's private so you can go kick rocks."

"I respect that Helga." Lila smiled. "I'm satisfied that I know even this much."

Despite not wanting to continue the subject at all, she was grateful for the girls words. "Yeah thanks now get back to studying so it looks like I actually helped you with something." She said with a small smile.

"And I have to admit, your optimism is very admirable."Lila explained as she picked her book back up and realigned her papers. "It seems like maybe he's rubbing off on you a little." When she noticed Helga's alarmed look, she waved her hands dismissively. "In… the most innocent way possible, I'm sure."

"You have anything interesting happen to you while you were gone?" Helga asked without much care as she turned the page of her book. "I'm surprised you're not tantalizing everyone in class with your stupid barnyard tales."

Lila bit her lip and stared down at her papers. "Well…" She knew it was a moment she was able to be open and honest, and decided that she would honor her companion with similar news. "I decided yesterday that I would give up my feelings for Arnie in hopes of a new suitor." She explained. "As much as I find him ever so perfect and want nothing more than for him to see me as I see him, I find it painful to just hold on to something without any… well any real reason to."

Helga heard her words but flipped through the book some more. "So what you're saying is, you don't want to hopelessly pine for someone who has no interest in you with hopes that one day he'll change his mind?" Knowing a little something about that herself, Helga looked over at the girl who clearly looked like she'd seen better days. "Look, honey. The way I know it, you have two options. One: Keep your hopes up high, do your best to get through to him and maybe one day he'll change his mind, or two: Give up the chase and move on. The first option is very unhealthy and I don't recommend it, and the second it seems like you've already chosen and I can't say I blame you."

"Yeah…" Lila sighed. "I wrote him a few letters since he was last here and he hasn't returned any of them. I don't see any reason to continue so… here we are." She finished with a painful smile.

Knowing full well the pain that Lila was going through, Helga wanted to reach out and comfort her but knew she couldn't. Nothing she could say or do would make the situation any better, nor was she inthatmuch of a good mood that she would willingly do something as disgusting as hug the girl. Instead, she nodded her head and continued on with her reading. "You'll get through it. I'm sure there are still plenty of saps throwing themselves at you. Just pick one."

The thought made Lila smile a little. It was a prospect she was already considering even though she wasn't quite sure she was ready for it. Even still, she knew she had plenty of time to figure it out since she was still so young and had her whole life ahead of her. "Thanks, Helga." She beamed with gratitude.

After school, Arnold followed Brainy on his walk to his house, trying to keep up conversation but not getting much in return.This is hopeless…Arnold thought as he looked over at the quiet kid.He's only giving me one word answers…

"So what do you usually do after school?" Arnold asked tiredly, hoping to get something more.

"Not much…" Brainy replied, still hot on his idea of getting home and turning on his computer to see if there was an awaiting message. He wondered if Helga had told him anything about their exchanges but figured probably not or Arnold might have other things to say to him.

"You just usually go home?" Arnold wondered if he ever really hung out with anyone anymore. Sometimes he would be hanging around in the background but not much since the beginning of summer. What changed?

"Yeah." Brainy said as he turned the corner.

It looked to Arnold like they were going to a part of town that he wasn't really used to. Had Brainy always lived this far from school? He recalled that Brainy was typically on the bus so maybe he was only walking for Arnolds sake?

About 5 more minutes had passed and eventually Brainy walked up to a pretty plain brown house. Its structures looked very similar to that of Stoop Kids and made Arnold wonder if maybe they were close by but had just taken a roundabout sort of way. "Is this where you live?"

"Yeah." Brainy said as he pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. He held the door open to his follower and smile. "Come on."

Arnold nodded and headed on in. Everything looked very clean and in its place, almost as if the place was on display. He felt very out of place and scratched the back of his head. "Nice house…"

"Thanks." Brainy replied as he took off his backpack and hung it in the closet. Without a word, he headed up the stairs and Arnold followed. They turned a corner and passed a few more rooms, each with the door closed until they reached the end of a hallway. Brainy opened it up and walked inside.

"Is this your room?" Arnold asked, feeling really oddly nervous as if he was walking into some sort of trap.

"Yeah." Brainy said as he took off his shoes and neatly tucked them under his bed.

Looking around, Arnold could see that his room was very clean. There was the usual, a bed, dresser, computer desk and a door to probably a closet. Odd thing was, there were no posters on his wall or any sort of indication of what the boy was into. "So what do you usually do?"

"Here." Brainy answered as he sat down in his computer chair with a smile. He pressed the power button and the screen started to boot up. Weird mechanical noises and fans were heard coming from the machine and Arnold walked over to see if maybe Brainy would show him something there. Strangely enough, the machine looked almost new and it had completely started up in the fastest amount of time Arnold had ever seen.

"Wow." Arnold said as he looked around the computer. "It's pretty fast. Do you like computers?"

"Yeah." Brainy said, his voice beginning to get raspy. He opened his web page and went to the schools message board. He could feel his anxiety got worse the moment he noticed there was no new message icon to be scene. With silent panic, Brainy pulled out his inhaler and gave it a quick puff.

Arnold looked on as Brainy seemingly opened the webpage just to close it again. With a frown, he hoped more would happen. He noticed there were many icons on his desktop and assumed that they were probably games. "Do you like to play computer games?"

At the mention of games, Brainy pulled up solitaire and offered the computer to his nosy companion. "Wanna play?"

"No thanks." Arnold said as he took in a deep breath. He was doing his best to seem interested but Brainy wasn't giving him much. "What do you usually do at your computer?"

The question seemed innocent and Brainy knew Arnold to be a trusting guy. Knowing that he was definitely not going to show him the extent of his intellectual prowess, he at least was going to show him something in hopes of satiating whatever the odd shaped headed kid was looking for. Brainy opened up another web browser and opened up a forum. "Look." He said before getting out of his chair and offering it to Arnold.

Arnold took the seat and looked over at the screen. The threads seemed simple enough and he scrolled on through. After a while, he noticed that all the discussions seemed to be about hacking, coding and questions about special programs. "Do you make programs?"

"Sometimes." Brainy replied without emotion.

"That's pretty impressive." Arnold admitted. "I have a computer at home but it's very old and slow. It can do the bare minimum when I need it to, but that's about it." He continued to scroll through the forum and read titles. "Is it hard to learn?"

"Not really." He replied with a shrug.

When Arnold opened up one of the threads, he attempted to read but was lost in lingo. "And you understand all of this?" He asked in surprise and Brainy nodded. "Can you show me some of the programs you've made?" Arnold asked, not thinking much about it.

Brainy paused and thought for a moment. Many of the programs he had made were specifically for the people looking for them and once they received it, he deleted it from existence as to not get an electronic trail back to him. He thought back to earlier times when he was first messing around with coding and decided to show him. He went into a folder that lead into many other folders until he double clicked on an executable file with unknown characters. A screen popped up and in big sparkling letters, read "Web Genie."

"What's this?" Arnold asked, turning his chair around to see Brainy.

"Watch." Brainy said as he took the mouse and pressed Start. Immediately a genie came on the screen and informed them that he could read anyone's mind and all they had to do was think of a person, place or thing and after answering a few questions, the genie would instantly be able to tell them what they were thinking.

"You made this?" Arnold asked, astonished. "I've seen things like this before but this looks older. Did you create the base of this game?"

"Yeah." Brainy replied with a smile.

They both went back and forth with playing the game, the genie winning each and every time. Arnold was actually having some fun and it was pretty interesting to know what Brainy was capable of but aside from that, he still couldn't figure out why Helga was interested. The boy seemed plain despite his computer smarts.

"Thanks for showing me this." Arnold said with a smile. "It's really pretty cool. Why don't you share things like this with everyone else?"

Brainy's usual dimwitted smile faded and he shook his head. "Nah."

"Why not?" He asked, knowing he clearly struck some sort of mine.

With a sigh, Brainy sat down on his bed. "No reason."

With concern welling up, Arnold turned the computer chair around and faced him. "Come on, Brainy. There has to be some sort of reason. You know you can tell me."

It was true that Arnold was a very understanding guy, and Brainy knew that but there was no real way he could explain himself. This was just something he learned out of curiosity and decided to continue with it in hopes of helping other people. He had the proper technology for it, so why not? No one else in his class really had interests in computers as most of them would rather be playing baseball or go to the movies. Brainy wasn't physically built to be able to compete with them so found solace with technology… and a certain someone whom he couldn't name. His thoughts then went to her. Where was she right now? Normally he would be following her and making sure she was okay. Had she ever read his message? Did she ever plan on replying? Or was this silence meant to get him to stop everything he was doing. Brainy shook the thoughts out of his head and remembered that he was asked a question. "It's just… not for them."

"So you think they won't understand?" He asked, knowing that even he wasn't fully sure of any of this himself.

Brainy shrugged. "Maybe."

Arnold thought of his friend not feeling like anyone else could understand his interests and it made him sad. Had Brainy always been this lonely? "I'm sorry, Brainy. I can't say I understand much of it either but hey if you ever want to teach me any of it, I'm willing to learn."

With a smile, Brainy nodded. "Okay."

Looking at the time and knowing he wasn't going to get much else out of his host, Arnold decided to call it quits. He said goodbye to his strange friend and headed on home.

Feeling relieved. Brainy went back to his computer to look at his emails. He clicked his last exchange with Helga and noticed that it was at least seen. Why wasn't she replying? How was he supposed to keep this scheme going when he had no idea what it was actually doing on the other end? The thought was maddening and Brainy took in another puff of his inhaler. Deep inside, he hoped that even if he was to fail in his endeavor, Arnold would at least succeed.

Chapter 29

Chapter Text

It had been five days since the Beeper Emporium had burned down and the Pataki's were beginning to feel the strain not only on their comfort, but on their finances as well. Even with the motel being the cheapest in the area, without a kitchen to be able to cook their own food, they were forced to order take-out daily. Day after day, money dwindled and with no news from the bank or the insurance company, Bob was at his wits end. He understood investigations took time. He understood that in order for him to get this insurance payout, he had to remain calm and patient but every moment of the day was being wasted with waiting. 'Time is money' he was brought up to believe and this only meant he was losing money daily that he could have been earning.

Miriam had done her best to point out possible jobs in the area, but Bob had refused them all.

"I created an Empire, Miriam! And you want me to stoop down and get a minimum wage job?" He shouted at the poor woman.

"It would just be until we're back on our feet, B…" She pleaded, holding today's newspaper in front of him.

"And how do you think that will make me look?" He growled as he crossed his arms in defiance. "I'll be the laughing stock of the whole city! I started my business from the bottom and built it to the very top! Going back to the docks and hauling freight would be going right back to square one." Shame lingered in his voice. How was he to know that beepers weren't going to last longer than they did? How was he to know that the wiring wasn't secured safely when he had one of his buddies rig it for him to get free utilities? It was all bad luck and showing off his weakness to everyone else was something he couldn't bear.

"Bob… it wouldn't be that bad…" Miriam frowned. "It would only be for a little while…"

He could hear her words; the desperation that she couldn't hide. He wanted to be good for her. He wanted their family to be prosperous. That was his job as a man but look at him now. Bob stared around their motel room and then back at himself. He needed to do something and fast to make up for the lost income. Big Bob opened up his flip phone and began to rummage through his contacts.

Miriam sighed and placed the newspaper back down. How long were they going to stay like this? She understood that these turns of events were causing him mental strain but sitting when you should be moving wasn't going to get them anywhere. That was when she decided there was only one option for her at this point, and that was to apply at a job herself. Getting up, she walked over to her purse and looked through it. She had a little bit more cash and would use this money to get her a decent set of clothes in order to look presentable to employers, with or without her husband alongside her.

"I'm going out." She stated as she slung her purse on her shoulder. "I'll be back in a bit."

The news caused her husband to look up in surprise. "Where are you going?"

"I just thought a nice walk would help my mood…" She lied, knowing full well if she admitted her plan to him that he would try and stop her.

Bob waved her off and continued to look through his phone, causing his wife to leave without another word.

"He's gotta be in here somewhere…" Bob said to himself as he continued to scroll through his contacts. As much as he wanted to be able to use the money they had left to buy their house back, he knew it was stupid to jump in head first to another financial debt without anything to help him float. He needed money to get the house and keep it, and for that he would need income. Having been in the business, Bob had gained many contact and a few of them still owed him some favors which he was now planning on collecting. With a few more scrolls down his contact list, he finally got to the name in question: Nick Vermicelli. "That sleazebag owes me big from that last stunt he pulled…" He murmured to himself before pressing the call button.

After a few rings, a man answered the line. "Hello?" He asked suspiciously.

"Hey Nick," Bob started with a deep manly voice. "You still in cahoots with that guy who could get me a good deal on manufacturing cell phones? I need to call in that favor you owe me from screwing me over with Sheck."

Nick gulped on the other end. "Yeah, yeah. I know him. You looking to go back into the tech business? I could call in a few favors."

Bob repositioned himself on the old bed to relieve the ache in his lower back. "Do what you have to. My family needs this money and I need to get back to work." He explained, placing his hand on his forehead in defeat. "Don't you dare do anything funny, you hear me? Just talk to the guy, make the plans and we'll meet him together."

The line was quiet for a moment. "Where do you expect to set up shop? I heard your place burned down. You can't sell without a place. You need a place, Bob? I heard they're planning on tearing down the old meat packaging plant in Smithington. That whole area is being redone and an outlet mall will be put in its place. My brother happens to be working for that construction team. I could ask him if there isn't anything already available for you to move on into… you know, if you already got the cash needed." Nick explained smoothly.

There was one thing Bob could always rely on, and it was Nick and his contacts. The guy may have been one of the shadiest characters in his career, but he certainly knew people and that's what Bob needed. "No funny business, Nick or I'll snap that neck of yours with two fingers. You hear me? I mean it."

"Yeah, yeah." Nick reassured. "No funny business, I swear. Do you have the money or not?"

Bob sighed and thought of what little he had left. "I have the money… but you better not upcharge me. I'm expecting a discount for all that crap you pulled a few years ago."

"I promise! Scouts honor, my friend." Nick said with a bit of humor. "Lemme call my brother. I'll get back to you by tomorrow."

"Why not today?" Bob asked angrily. He had grown tired of waiting.

"These things take time, Bob. Not everyone is sitting on their butt watching TV all day. Some of us have things to do. You understand." His words cut deep but Bob let them go. "Tomorrow, I promise." Nick finished.

Bob hung up the phone and threw it to the end of the bed. This was his best chance at getting his family afloat again but he hated that he had to stoop to such levels.This would have never happened to… him. Bob thought as he grit his teeth. Images of his past started to flash before his eyes.

Originally born in Hungary, Bob was the youngest of two siblings and the son of a very lucrative business man named Stephan Pataki. After opening one of the biggest auto parts retail stores in the area, the Pataki's grew in wealth and eventually would expand and move to the USA. When Bob was around 10 years old, his father told his sons that once one of them came of age and proved worthy, that they would inherit the business in the US, while he would go back to the motherland to continue to control the company there. This would not be a problem at first, but as Bob grew older he would notice that his elder brother Peter was becoming his father's favorite. Tall, slender and charismatic like his father, Peter had the makings of a smooth businessman within him while Bob remained stout built and athletic with a hot attitude that led him into getting in trouble more often than not. Bob began to resent his eldest brother and decided it was better for him to explore other options in life than to fight for his father's attention and approval.

At the age of 18, he had decided to enlist into the military and put to use his brute strength. There, he would strive and would move from base to base until eventually ending up in Fort Bennett, South Dakota where he would meet Miriam at a college bar. It didn't take long for them both to hit it off, as she was beautiful, smart, funny and from a good family. He admired everything about her, as her parents supported everything she wanted from day one, where his choices were always questioned and criticized. Deciding he wanted nothing more than to settle down with his new wife and start his own business, Bob left the military in hopes of achieving more than his family ever thought he could.

At first it was hard, causing Miriam to drop out of college and quit the swim team to support Bob while he took odd jobs and made a name for himself. This would lead to her parents disapproving and cutting off all financial help for the two and leaving Miriam to shut herself in even further. Bob hated seeing his wife like this and eventually decided it would be better if they moved further west where neither family could impede on their happiness. Odd job after odd job, Bob gained friends and found talent in sales.

Sales would turn into an open door for them both and eventually the two had enough money to start up Bob's Tech N Spec. His business started slow but as technology became more and more relied upon, he knew that he needed to move them forward the same way his father had originally done. Things were looked prosperous for the two for a while, but soon Bob would lose one of his business partners as well as a few of his trusted manufacturing companies and had to start again. This made them pick up and move once more until finding the small city of Hillwood and planting their seed company. Olga was soon on the way and things were brighter than ever causing Bob's to turn into Big Bobs Beepers and business was booming! Everyone seemed to be needing his merchandise and the cash was flowing in like he had never dreamed. They bought the house, Olga was born and nothing could stand in the man's way. But underneath his prosperity and happiness, a remnant of his past continued to haunt the man.

Day after day, he still seemed to loom in the shadow of his elder brother and father. Periodically they would get together and the family would be whole, but it never took long for a fight to occur and this ultimately caused Bob to completely disinherit his family all together. That was when he decided to never speak to them again. Helga was born soon after but even she was never allowed to know her family from afar, only ever hearing stories from Miriam when she was in her usual drunken stupor.

Bob hated where he was. He looked around the dank room and could only image his brother laughing at his misfortune from someone in his nice penthouse in California. Rage started to form in the large man and he lashed out at the bed's headboard with a large pound of his fist.

"I won't fail…" He said to himself, gritting his teeth as hard as he could. "You'll never be better than me." He imagined his brother laughing at him, calling him names and hiding behind his father; his father sneering at him with disgust. How could he let this happen to his family?

Miriam walked around Hillwood aimlessly for a while until finding herself in front of a department store. With her bag clutched in her hand, she entered the automatic doors and walked inside. It had been quite a while since she went clothes shopping and the amount of people browsing, mixed with all sorts of sounds started to overwhelm the woman.

Taking a deep breath in, Miriam analyzed her surroundings until eyeing the sign attached to their ceiling reading "women's clothing". Without any thoughts, she wandered that way until she found the selection. At first she browsed through a few racks until deciding they weren't her style at all. Low cut shirts, ripped jeans and practically see-through garments were far too revealing for what she had in mind so she continued to go forward. Next, she found dresses and leggings and considered them for a moment. Dresses could look nice so long as they weren't too flashy. Miriam touched a few to check their material before deciding that they would be too thin for the upcoming weather and gave them a pass. Finally, after a little more searching, she came across button up tops and slacks and knew this was the look she wanted.

The feeling was exhilarating to be able to pick things for herself without someone nagging for her to hurry up and Miriam wondered why she didn't do this more often. A smile found itself placed upon her lips as she continued to looked through various wears until she found herself holding a set of clothes, a new purse, new shoes and a few accessories to match it all.This will do. I don't want to go too overboard.She thought as she approached the checkout line. In front of her was a mother and daughter who seemed to be arguing.

"But Mommy I want it!" The little girl shouted, "I need it! You never get me anything!"

The mother did her best to hold in all of her frustrations. "We don't have enough, dear. Maybe next time." She said in a soothing voice, looking apologetic to the customers and employees around her.

Miriam wondered how her own girls were doing and a guilty feeling came across her. Was she wrong for buying new things for herself while she had no idea how well her youngest was doing? Was Olga happy where she was in Alaska? Were they both warm and healthy? Looking back down at her items, she started to second guess her decisions. Was it okay to buy these things? A nagging feeling overcame her and she remembered all of the times she had spent their money on alcohol to help her cope with her life. Was this any different?

"Next in line." A cashier called out and Miriam came back to the present and noticed that it was her. She walked over to the cashier and laid her things out on the belt.

"Hello." She said shyly as she moved forward. The cashier seemed to be in another world and Miriam looked around again. She wondered if maybe they were hiring as the atmosphere wasn't too bad and the employees didn't seem too miserable. "Do you like working here?" She asked the cashier.

"Pays the bills." The girl replied as she finished ringing up the fashion items. "That will be $89.95."

The price made Miriam jump but she knew there was no going back at this point. She had the money and didn't want to seem silly by putting some of the items back. Fumbling in her old purse, she pulled out her wallet and handed the girl $90. "This should cover it…" She said with a little embarrassment of her situation.This was a lot more than I intended on spending….She thought sadly. The cashier handed Miriam her change and bags before wishing her a good day.

With her new things in tow, Miriam headed back out of the department store and into the open breeze. Part of her felt good for taking care of herself but the other part still doubted if she was doing the right thing. Now she would have to go back to the motel and hide her purchases in the trunk of their car in hopes of her husband not finding them and questioning them. Whenever she had an interview with a possible employer, she would quickly change in the car and drive there in secret and this was for the best for everyone.

Walking in the direction she had once came from, Miriam continued to plan out how she was going to do all of this without her husband knowing until a familiar blond boy in a small blue hat passed her unknowingly. Standing there for a moment, Miriam decided she should approach him.

"E-excuse me!" She called out to him with her arm stretched out. "A-aren't you Helga's little friend?"

Arnold heard the woman's voice and turned around. "Mrs. Pataki?" He replied, in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh… I was doing a little shopping for myself." She admitted, another pain of guilt washing through her. "How's… How's Helga doing?"

He looked upon the woman and could see that she was struggling with something. "She's doing fine." He replied, adjusting his backpack a little bit. "Everyone at the boarding house seems to like her so she's getting a little more comfortable than before."

Miriam forced a smile as she attempted to quell the misery within her. "That's good!" She said, slowly approaching the boy. "S-she's not having trouble, is she? At school or anything?"

Arnold shook his head. "Not to my knowledge."

Remembering how she had given Helga the bit of money she had on her the last time she saw her daughter, Miriam wondered if she ever did get the things she needed. "She doesn't need anything, does she?" With that, she shuffled back in her purse and pulled out another $30 and handed it to the boy. "Give this to her… Just in case." She finished with small a sigh of relief.

Arnold took the money and stared at it for a moment before placing it in his pocket. "I'll give this to her the next time I see her." He looked upon the weathered woman and felt a little sorry for her. It was clear to him that even though she wasn't the best mom; she at least cared for her daughter which he wasn't sure he could actually say for her husband. "How are you guys doing?"

The question took Miriam off guard. "We're… we're okay!" She said with wavering conviction. "Thank you for asking…"

He heard the depression in her voice and wondered if it was really true. As much as he wanted to dig a little deeper to find out more about the truth of their situation, Arnold knew it was getting later in the day and he would have to catch the city bus home in order to get back before the streetlights came on. "Well it was nice seeing you, Mrs. Pataki." Arnold said with a smile. "Stop by any time to visit her. I'm sure she would enjoy seeing you guys."

The offer was nice but Miriam knew better and her face showed it. "T-thank you… Alfred."

"It's Arnold." He corrected with a nervous scratch to the back of his arm.

"Right!" Miriam replied anxiously. "How silly of me… Thank you, Arnold. I would but… I really don't think it would be best right now." She said with another tired sigh. "Helga needs time to herself and I think seeing us will only make her angrier…"

Despite knowing the woman was right, Arnold couldn't let her statement slide without giving her a little input. "Helga may be…" He searched his thoughts for the best way to describe the girl, "a little complicated but I think the more she saw you guys trying and showing that you care… I think she'll come around a little more."

His words stirred the mother inside her and she started to feel even worse. "You're right…" She said sadly.

Arnold reached out and touched the woman on the arm, causing her to look up at him. "Just think about it." He reassured her warmly. "I gotta go; my bus will be here soon. It was nice seeing you, Mrs. Pataki." He finished before walking away, slowly picking up his pace into a jog to his intended bus stop.

Miriam watched the boy as he disappeared behind a corner and she clutched her bags harder in an attempt to stable her emotions. What kind of mother was she to rely in a young boy to take care of her child? She needed to put an end to all of this and if Bob wasn't going to move forward in the right direction, she would.I'm almost a 50 year old woman. What kind of life am I living?!She yelled at herself inside as she continued to walk back to the motel.I have to do everything I can to make things right… with Bob, with Helga and with myself.

As she rounded a corner, Miriam noticed a help wanted sign inside a tax preparation store and a light lit up in her mind. It was the fall and that's when everyone decided to get their things together in order to prepare for income taxes.I… I can do that!She realized with a smile and with that, she walked into the building with her head held high. "I'd like to speak to the hiring manager, please!"

Back at the boarding house, Helga found herself sitting at her desk and doing one of her English assignments. With a pen cap in her mouth, she chewed while she answered the questions on her paper and looked back into her text book for some references.God, this homework is so boring…She thought to herself as she scribbled more answers down. She had been at it for probably an hour and could feel her stomach begin to growl. The thought of running down to the kitchen to fetch a bag of chips or something sounded like a good idea, but she still couldn't really bring herself to just barge on in like she owned the place and delve in their cupboards.I bet Arnold has a stash somewhere in his room...She thought as she pushed herself from the desk and got up.

Helga opened her bedroom door and looked to the left and right. No one was around. "Coast is clear…" She whispered as she crept to the string that hung from the ceiling. Slowly, she pulled it down in hopes of it not causing any noise. "He probably wouldn't mind if I just hung out in his room for a while…" She said to herself as she quietly walked up his stairs, a few of them creaking in protest. His door opened with ease and revealed the sanctuary behind it.

Walking in slowly, Helga breathed in deep to bask in all the glory it had to offer. The home of her beloved was filled with everything him and when by herself, she felt like bursting with excitement. "Don't lose sight of why we're here…" She reminded herself as she looked around. "There's bound to be a stash somewhere…" Helga looked to his bed and noticed that his pillow and blankets were now positioned at the foot of his bed, rather than their original spots. Silently questioning it, her eyes then observed the little sliding doors nearby.

With interest, she walked over there and slid it open. "Bingo!" She said cheerfully as she noticed what looked to be a small cardboard box with various snacks in them. "Every normal kid has something like this, even the Football head."

After taking a few snack size candy bars and a small bag of chips, she felt pleased with her selection and headed back to the door. That's when the girl noticed his computer in the distance and a thought flickered in her mind.I never did respond to that creep, did I?She thought as she slowly walked over to it. Her reflection stared back at her in a warped way as she looked into the black monitor and she frowned. Really, she had no real want to respond to him and to continue this farce, but at the same time if she didn't reply he would probably continue whatever he was currently doing behind her back and, despite him being a creep, she really didn't want him to get in trouble in her name.Just what does he get from trying to be a martyr?She wondered as she booted up Arnolds computer without much thought to his privacy.

Helga sat down in his computer chair and propped her feet on the side of the desk. Opening the bag of chips, she happily popped one in her mouth and crunched it loudly. The flavors spread throughout her mouth and she could feel chills down in her stomach. Was it just because of how hungry she was or was it more delicious on account of her stealing it with no one noticing? Helga thought of how predictable Arnold was at his hiding spot and shook her head.He's not even creative. I need to go back in that hiding spot and see what else the little dweeb has hidden in there.Her eyes widened at the possibilities and she found herself giggling a little to herself.I'm such a loon…

The computer finished starting and a password screen glared back at her. "So you think you're gonna stop me, huh?" She asked it with a challenge before cracking her knuckles. "Think again. He's got as much creativity as a bucket of water."

With ease, she typed in the password and got it on the first try, causing the computer to light up and show the desktop. Helga had seen his computer a few times and it was pretty basic so getting it to open up a browser and going to the schools homepage and reaching her student email was simple enough.Why does this feel so wrong?She wondered as she went to the last message that was sent to her.I'm just gonna reply to the little freak and making myself clear to him that he needs to stop. I don't need his help and never did. Sure, it's nice to have someone looking out for me in the background but this? This is a little much…

Helga reread his last message and sighed. "Oh well, it's now or never…"

"To: GoldenHero
From: Helgoth
Subject: Enough's enough,

Brainy, I thought I made myself perfectly clear that this needed to stop. I have looked over our emails and I'm pretty sure I know what's going on now. Don't worry, your illegal acts will be safe with me but you need to stop now. I don't need your help and never asked for it. Like I said before, I appreciate the thought but this is going overboard.

As far as your question about my family… nothing has changed and nothing will. No, I never heard back from Olga but at the same time, how would I? How would she know where I'm staying or how to get in touch with me? Honestly, her intervening would probably only complicate things further at this point. I don't know what my parents are doing and I honestly don't care. The one thing I DO know is Bob has caught on to your scam and is trying to reverse it. Fix it before someone catches you and this comes back to hurt you. It will hurt for a lot longer than just a punch in the face.

-Helgoth"

"Done…" She said as she hit send. "Let's hope this gets through his thick skull…"

"Helga?"

In panic, Helga immediately exited the webpage and stood up in hopes of her body hiding the screen. In front of her was Arnold, looking rather confused. "A-Arnold!" She said nervously, "What brings you here?!"

"This… is my room." He replied with a raise of his eyebrow. Slowly he started to walk closer to her, curious at what she was hiding. "And the door was wide open. The better question is why are you here?"

His slow advance towards her only made her panic more and she felt around the monitor with one of her hands and quickly turned off the screen. "Nothing!" She yelped.

"Nothing?" He repeated, finally about a foot from her. He could see how nervous she was and knew that if he made one wrong move, she would run away. "It doesn't look like nothing."

"I... I w-was…" she stammered; looking back and forth from him and the computer screen and slowly drifting to the left to move away from them both. "I was just looking up something for our English assignment!" The excuse seemed logical enough and Helga decided to roll with it. "Y-yeah! That's it. Our English assignment."

"The English assignment?" He mused before looking back at his black screened computer. He could hear that it was still up and running but decided not to investigate until after things were calmed down.

"Yep!" Helga insisted with a nod of her head. "I just didn't understand something so I decided maybe the internet had more information and what did you know! It totally did so I'll just be on my way back to my room to finish that homework now…" That's when she noticed the small candies and empty bag of chips left on the desk.Damn… How am I supposed to explain that?! He's gonna know I went through his things…Helga began to sweat.

"If you say so…" Arnold replied with a small smile as he picked up the snacks in question and handed them to her. "I'm going to assume these are yours?"

Helga snatched the food away and made more backwards steps to his still open bedroom door. "I was hungry?" She shrugged.

"You know you can always just go downstairs and get something from the kitchen, right?" He asked, clearly amused by her act. "I've told you before, Helga. You're welcome here and you don't have to sneak into my room and grab my things. I'll let it slide this one time but next time…" Giving her a devilish grin, the boy crossed his arms. "Next time I won't be so forgiving."

With a gulp, she fumbled to find the door handle until she grasped it.He's not mad…?She wondered. His grin was suggestive and she could feel herself calming down a little. This wasn't the first time he had found her in his room and she knew it probably wouldn't be the last either. Maybe Arnold was just used to it at this point?

"Well… I better be getting back to my homework now…" She said with a hint of sadness. Homework was really the last thing on her mind and the thought of spending more alone time with him in his room was far more appealing, but she knew if she stayed any longer that he would probably ask more questions she wasn't interested in answering.

"Good luck." Arnold smiled softly as he watched her turn away and leave the room. He felt like he was forgetting something but when remembered the money he had for her in his pocket, she was long gone. "Oh well, I'll give it to her later." He said to himself as he placed his backpack on the ground to begin his own homework.

Meanwhile on the other side of town, a ding rang out from Brainy's computer and it only took a fraction of a second for him to quickly click the notification that popped up on the right corner of his screen. His heart started the beat faster and faster while his program exited for the more important task at hand.

It only took a moment for him to open and read the mail, and soon his heart was racing for another reason. Brainy brought his thumb to his lips and began to chew the tip of his nail. She had figured out his plan and her father was a step closer to finding him.What should I do…?He wondered as he continued to chew. The possible outcomes had still not changed. If he let go of the only leverage he had on her life to possibly become better, then it could get worse. If he held on to it, the likelihood of him being found out continued to climb every second that passed. It was obvious that her father was going to look into the missing bit of money he should have, but there was just no way of telling how in depth the outside forces were going to look into him and if they were tactical enough to find him. Again the question was brought into his mind. Was he a gambling man? The thought of him getting thrown in jail wasn't exactly the worst thing in the world but even if that did happen, would all of this had been for naught? Had he stalled Big Bob enough from throwing his money away in an attempt to fix his life? Was he even a little wiser to the strain his decisions had on his family? Maybe in the end, it didn't matter though…

Brainy realized his thumb nail was chewed to the quick and sighed. It didn't matter really because his adored demanded he reverse the curse he had placed on Bobs account. Even if he felt that holding on to this hope was in her best interest, could he really bring himself to go against her wishes? With a few clicks from his mouse, Brainy found himself into the heart of a program that had encrypted the files in question. All he had to do was click one button and everything would be restored, yet Brainy continued to stare at his screen; unmoving.It seems too soon…He told himself.Just one more day… One more day and I'll release you…

Arnold finished all of his homework and properly placed everything back inside his backpack. The curiosity of what she had really been doing on his computer continued to nag at him and before long, Arnold found himself turning back on the monitor. The old thing flickered a few times before it allowed him to see the desktop. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

"It's pretty unusual for Helga to need help with school…" He wondered to himself as he clicked his mouse on the web browser. "And it would have been easy for her to just ask Phoebe or even me if that was the case."

The screen flashed bright at Arnold's command and maximized the browser to the last thing it had once been on. After a few moments of loading all the graphics, it showed Arnold just what he was looking for.

"The student message board…?" He asked out loud.

With a few more clicks, the boy navigated the site until stumbling onto the very thing he sought: many emails sent back and forth between her and Brainy. Arnold combed through them all slowly. At first it was just general curiosity but before long, he began to feel confused and even a little betrayed.

"What is all of this?" He asked himself with anger slowly rising. Once he got to the final email that she had just sent, it only confused him even further.

Without a moment to waste, he knew he needed answers. Arnold got up and raced down his stairs in route to her room but the moment he touched her doorknob, he heard the triangle ringing downstairs to indicate that dinner was ready. Suddenly, all the doors in the hallway flung open as all the boarders headed to their meal, with the exception of Helga's. Standing there awkwardly, the disruption had pulled him from his irate thoughts and caused him to rethink things for a moment. Helga had many secrets and he knew it was up to her if she wanted to share them with him. This was her private affair and he had no business butting in. On many occasions in the past, Helga had voiced her opinions on Arnold sticking his nose where it didn't belong so would it really be wise to confront her? On the other hand, she had neglected his own privacy by entering his room without permission, taking his food without asking and using his computer to contribute to these private emails. The conflicting opinions bounced around in the boy's head for a while before being interrupted by the door in front of him finally opening.

Helga stood there with a questioning look, causing Arnold to take a step back.

"Food's ready." He found himself saying, completely shutting out all of the thoughts he had just had in hopes of finding a better solution later; one that didn't involve him losing his cool over something he didn't quite understand.

"Yeah, I heard." She replied with an obvious face before heading in that direction. "You gonna come down or just stand there like a dimwit?"

Arnold tried to pick up all of his lost motives and decided to follow her down to the kitchen. He could feel the money her mother had given her still in his pocket and knew he would need to talk to her later anyway. This wasn't something he needed to deal with right now.

Chapter 30

Chapter Text

I have to stay calm. There has to be a reasonable explanation for this.Arnold thought as he chewed his food slowly, half listening to the banter around him. He could feel his heart start to race again and did his best not to show his frustrations to anyone else at the table.I know there is nothing going on between them romantically… but why does it bother me so much that she's messaging him? Just what's going on between them that I don't know about?

In all of his years of knowing the two, there was one thing he knew for certain and that was the relationship between the two in question was very one sided. Brainy had confided in Arnold about his affections for the girl but it was clear through their interactions that it would never be mutual. Knowing what he knew about Helga now, it was obvious why but this still did not subdue the emotions that Arnold was doing his best to bottle up.Was this why she asked me what I knew about him? And she was talking about something illegal…Fear started to add with the mess of emotions he already had, as he considered the possibilities of her being mixed up in even more than he knew.Why hasn't she talked to me about this yet?

Arnold's thought process was interrupted by Helga suddenly laughing at a story that Ernie was telling her.

"Oh man, that's rich!" She said, with what looked to be a genuine smile.

"It was, trust me!" Mr. Potts replied as he waved his fork around. "You should have seen the look on that protesters face! The realization that the building was coming down no matter what, really hit him like a ton of bricks… if you know what I'm saying." He smirked at his own joke.

"That's the sort of job I can get behind…" Helga mused as she poked around her food; all of her attention on him. "Seems like a great way to relieve stress."

"I'm telling ya, I've never needed a therapist!" He nodded in response. "Just pull the lever and BAM all your tensions are gone! It's almost like the wrecking ball is smashing it all away with every swing." Ernie took a bite of his food then had a thought. "Hey! Maybe you can come to the site sometime and I'll let you pull the lever. I've brought Arnold before so why the heck not?"

"Really?" Helga seemed almost a little too happy at the offer.

Looking over at Arnold, Ernie smiled. "I really like your friend here, Arnold. Got a good head on her shoulders. Perfect for demolition."

Not really knowing how to respond, Arnold simply smiled back before taking another bite of his food and allowing them to continue. He was happy that Helga had finally taken to eating with them, at least for right now. In a way, this was just another step of her opening up and coming out of her shell. He wondered how she was feeling as he watched her laugh again at whatever Mr. Potts was saying. He wondered what she was feeling before she entered his room and what her ultimate goal actually was in going there. Was it for the snacks or were they just a cover up for the email? Arnold remembered how nervous she looked when he suddenly caught her and it only made the whole thing even more damning to him. Was she trying to keep her exchanges with Brainy a secret? Was she in over her head in something dangerous? And most importantly, why wasn't she telling him?

"Arnold?" His mother's voice brought him back to the table. "Sweetie, you've hardly eaten your food." She noticed, pointing to his plate where there was only a few bites missing. "Is it okay?"

Seeing his mother's unease made him take another bite. "It's good!" He insisted with a forced smile. "I just have something on my mind."

His words caught the ears of Helga, but she continued to feign listening to her side conversation while listening to the more important one across the table.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Stella asked him as she stroked his feathery hair back.

Arnold shook his head and continued to smile. "It's not a big deal." He suggested, trying his best to come up with something to make her drop the subject. "Just school stuff."

School stuff?Helga co*cked her eyebrow as she listened on, biting her lip with nervousness.I don't buy that for a minute…

"Well alright, but if you need any help, feel free to ask!" Stella replied lovingly. "Now eat up or your brain won't have enough fuel to help you out with whatever this 'school stuff' is."

Feeling happy to oblige, Arnold took a few more bites to take the worry off of his mother. He was enjoying his meal; it was just hard to focus on both his thoughts and eating. He was doing his best to push the thoughts out, but the more he saw and heard Helga enjoying her time with Ernie, the more uncomfortable he became.

When concluded, Arnold stayed back to help his family clean up. He tried to occupy himself with positivity as he enjoyed helping them, but sadly the thoughts continued to get in the way. Luckily for him, none of them knew what was going on in their boy's head and thanked him for all his help.

"It's getting late, Shortman." Phil said as he started shooing his grandson away. "If you're so worried about school stuff, why not ask your little girlfriend there with the one eyebrow? I'm sure she'd be happy to help with that… among other things." He joked with a wink, earning a blush from Arnold before he turned away.

"Grandpa…" He said, annoyed.

"What? Does she get bad grades or something?" The older man asked as he placed both his hands on his hips in thought. "With how much her old man probably pushes her, I somehow doubt that." Phil waited for a moment to see how Arnold would reply, but when the silence lingered a little too long, he decided to continue quietly, "Unless she has to do with that 'school stuff'?"

Arnold gave him a heavy sigh. "It's complicated. Good night, Grandpa." He said before leaving.

Phil gave a shake of his head. "Poor kid's already having woman issues and he's not even twelve yet!"

"What's that, Dad?" Miles called from the kitchen as he scrubbed the dishes.

"I said you better start treating those old plates with care before I scrub you like that!" Phil threatened before returning to his son. "Oh I remember back when you were still in diapers and you'd get so dirty I would have to scrub you till you were pink…" He reminisced happily, getting a blush from his son as well and earning interest from his daughter in law. "Remember Pookie?"

"Give that pig a buttermilk bath and send him to the fair!" Gerty smiled as she rolled up a towel and smacked her son on the rear, causing Miles to shout and the rest of the party to laugh.

Unsure of what to do or how to approach, Helga stood in the upstairs hallway and waited for Arnold to appear. The likelihood of their homework keeping him from eating was very slim but she also wasn't ready to deal with the possibility of him being unhappy with her.

Criminy! He's probably suspicious! What do I do? What if he really was upset that I broke into his room and took his snacks!She paced back in forth in front of her doorway.He joked around with me and gave me that dashing smile… but what if it was all a cover?!Thinking about it for a moment, Helga shook her head.Nah, the Football head wears is heart on his sleeve. He couldn't cover up and ant with a blanket.Placing her hand on her chest, she decided to breathe deeply and try to look on the bright side.It's okay, Helga old girl… Maybe it really is just the homework assignment? What if he was just knee deep in it when dinner was ready and his mind was just swimming with answers? His head is certainly large enough for math problems to swim around with ease…

Helga could hear Arnold slowly walking up the stairs and acted as if she was just coming out of her room and happening to see him. She could see that he still looked distracted but put up her front like she didn't notice. "Getting ready to finish that homework and go to bed?" She asked him casually as he got closer to her. "If it's really bugging you, I could let you cheat off me! I'm already done."

Arnold stopped and looked up at her with tired eyes. His feelings were wearing him thin and at this point he really just wanted the day to be over so he could sleep and hope for a better tomorrow. A tomorrow where he had all the answers. "No… I think I'll just go to sleep. Thanks anyway, Helga."

Reaching out to soothe him, Helga could see that whatever was bothering him had to be big. "Come on… can't be that bad… can it?" She hesitated, still knowing that the reason could still possibly be her. When he didn't stop her from touching his arm, she took it as a sign that he was willing and let her hand glide down to his.He seems kind of lifeless…She thought as she grabbed his hand. "Arnold?"

Her hand felt nice in his and he responded with a small squeeze. She was being so warm and inviting. Her display downstairs of casual conversation with the boarders was refreshing from her usual stubbornness to fit in.Why does it feel like my heart's being squeezed?He wondered as he looked into her eyes, seeing that she was growing more and more concerned.I feel like she just broke up with me even though she's reaching out to me. I should feel better, not worse...

Geez! He looks like a sad and lost puppy! I can't take it!Without much thought, Helga looked to make sure no one else was watching them before pulling him into her bedroom and shutting the door tight. She watched as Arnold looked alarmed but at least he seemed snapped out of whatever stupor he was in.

"Look! I'm sorry, alright!" She shouted as she threw her back to the door. "I shouldn't have gone into your room without you being there and I shouldn't have taken your food!" The buildup of worry was beginning to take a toll on the young girl and she couldn't help but start into her dramatics. Pacing back and forth once more, she continued. "I was just hungry! It just seemed really weird to just go downstairs and ask for something to eat! This is YOUR family Arnold, not MINE! Heck, even if it was mine it's not like there would be much to snack on anyway so my next best bet was to hope you had something! I know it was wrong of me but you seemed fine with it earlier!" She said, looking at him painfully.

He could see that she had no idea of the real reason and he swallowed his fears and stuck his hands in his pants pocket. He could feel the money still nicely folded inside and remembered he still had to give it to her, but right now really didn't seem like the time.

When Arnold still didn't respond, Helga felt like she was just going to melt into a puddle on the floor, seep into the cracks in the foundation and disappear forever.He must know what I was doing on the computer…She thought in terror.What do I say to him?! How would I even begin to explain that in a way that it makes sense?!Helga took a deep breath and tried to steady her own thoughts.No I exited out of the page… I'm jumping ahead of myself. If he found out, he wouldn't look defeated… He'd just ask me about it and butt into my business like normal… So why does he look like someone just roasted and ate his pig?!

Arnold could see there was really no way around this and decided to sit down on her bed. It looked like she had no idea what was wrong with him so admitting it was even worse. If she didn't see it to be a problem, maybe it really wasn't and Arnold was overthinking it?

"Helga…" He started, pulling his hand out of his pocket and making himself more comfortable. "You wouldn't hide something important from me, would you?"

Feeling her heart in her throat, Helga swallowed and sat next to him.Man… he's really serious.She thought as she considered her words carefully. "I've spilled nearly my whole life story to you, why would you think that?" Her voice sounded like someone had kicked her in the shins.

"So if you were in trouble… You'd tell me, right?" He asked, looking over at her seriously.

Helga could feel herself begin to sweat."Am… I in trouble?" She asked with the purpose of making it more of a statement.Geez… try to sound more incriminating, why don't you?!She scolded herself.

"Are you?" He asked, narrowing his eyes as to make sure she wouldn't break contact.

"I don't think I am…" Helga replied, putting a finger in the collar of her shirt to vent her body's heat. "Arnold… you're kinda scaring me. What's wrong?"

She really isn't going to tell me…Arnold thought, his heart racing as his adrenaline started to kick in. It felt as if she was lying to him, even if she wasn't. It felt like she was rejecting him, even though she seemed to be trying to support him. Many negative thoughts and emotions started to overwhelm him once again and Arnold was becoming consumed. "Why did you ask me about Brainy the other day if you seem to know him so well?" He hissed out between the grit of his teeth.

His sudden words to the heart of the matter caused Helga's front to falter. She knew the cat was out of the bag and she somehow screwed up when closing that page. Fiddling with her fingers, Helga looked away. "Uhh…" She was lost for words.Crap! How do I explain this! Oh yeah Arnold, the guy who's been stalking me since as long as I've been stalking you seemed to have hacked into my dad's finances and is currently holding them hostage for some reason and honestly I don't know what to do or how I should feel about it… I mean, all of that is true but that's not exactly something he's gonna wanna hear. Lying won't make this any better either and he's probably read everything by now…Helga turned her head, finding it absolutely impossible to keep eye contact with him. "Be-because…"

With quick reflexes, Arnold put his finger under her chin and turned her face back towards him. "I want the truth…"

"The… the truth?" She stammered, feeling herself fall into bits and pieces. Those beautiful green eyes were stained with disappointment, betrayal and confusion. She could tell he wanted nothing more than to lash out but his good hearted and calm nature wouldn't allow it, no matter how much his heart probably screamed it.

Arnold nodded and removed his hand from her chin and placed it on her trembling hands. He knew they were on the same page but he still couldn't seem to stop himself from feeling this way. Giving a nod to clarify, he left himself silent for her to continue unaided.

"The truth… is…" Helga felt his warm sweaty hand on top of hers. He was just as uncomfortable as she was. "The truth is, I don't know." She admitted with a sigh. "The truth is, I'm trying to handle it myself without actually knowing what he's doing." Her honesty earned a softer look from him. "Am I in trouble? I don't think so but will he be? Absolutely if he doesn't stop prying into my life and trying to help me! And before you tell me that I should have come to you about this, what the heck did you expect me to say? I don't even know exactly how he managed to do what he did! Phoebe didn't really know what to say either!"

"So Phoebe knows about this?" He finally asked, a little shocked and even more disappointed that he was out of the loop.

"Y-yeah but she forced it out of me and then the little freak approached her himself afterwards so there was no avoiding it." Helga shrugged. "It's not like I was purposely hiding this from you. I've been trying really hard to be honest and not hide things but this was a little… different…"

Surprised at her demeanor, Arnold slowly rubbed the top of her hand to let her know that he still cared and was trying to calm down. "What did he do?"

Helga went into a full blown explanation of when the messages started and her conclusion to his actions, causing Arnold to feel even more frustrated. It was surprising to hear that the boy could go to such lengths with his abilities but it didn't seem like his intentions were malicious. If anything, Brainy clearly had a plan that only he knew about and was doing his best to keep the illicit activity to himself so she wouldn't get mixed up in it if it did go array.

Arnold looked away, as he could feel himself grow a little jealous. Some other guy was going to such lengths to try and help her and what was he doing? Letting her stay at his house? Sure that was nice but that didn't compare to the gall this kid had to hack into databases and encrypt information at will. He could feel himself becoming powerless.

"Look…" Helga's voice spoke up, unsure of how to really resolve this. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it but you can't just assume that everyone is going to run to you whenever they're stuck or have a problem!" Her voice rang true but the boy still couldn't look at her. He knew the fault wasn't on her, it was on himself. "I'm not some damsel in distress who needs saving, Arnold! I can beat up anyone I want, when I want and how I want and this includes that spiky haired creep!" Helga brought her hands out from under his and threw her fists up in the air. "Did you forget? I'm Helga G. Pataki! I've punched that numb nuts out cold more times than I can count! Just let me handle this and don't worry about it!" When he still didn't move, she sighed and draped her arms around him and let her weight topple them both down on the bed. When she saw his shocked response, she rolled off of him and propped her elbow up and held her head. "You're such a Football head." She said to ease him.

Smiling at her sudden affections, Arnold leaned forward and touched her forehead with his. He let his worries escape him and he breathed a sigh of relief. The world was finally falling off his shoulders and he could see that she was being genuine with him. "Thanks, Helga. I try."

Helga blushed but didn't pull away. Instead, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel content, despite everything that had just happened. She had never seen him so wound up and knowing it was her actions that caused it, didn't make the situation any better but at the same time, she felt like it moved them both further.So this is how a relationship is supposed to feel like… huh? Feels a little too mature for our age but what the heck, I'll take what I can get.

Seeing her close her eyes in comfort, Arnold did the same. He wanted to hold her and never let go. How could he be so careless and quick to judge? It wasn't like him at all but he knew the reason, even if he wasn't ready to admit it himself. He could feel his pulse slow back down and let the warm fuzzy feelings he was used to feeling with her around, begin to take over. "I'm sorry." He finally said, breaking their moment and causing her to look back at him.

"For what?" She asked, almost sounding amused.

"For letting my emotions get the best of me…" He replied with a frown. "I just hated the thought of you keeping secrets from me, especially if you were in trouble. I want you to be able to lean on me and tell me everything…"

Helga sat up and laughed. "Are you kidding me?" She asked, absolutely astound at what she was hearing. "If it were the other way around and little miss perfect was secretly messaging you, you bet your life I would have blew my lid without a second thought!" Helga shrugged. "But then again, that's just me."

Sitting back up, Arnold smiled at how relaxed she was being about all of this.

She then made an angry face and jabbed her finger into his chest. "Now you know how I felt when I saw you being cozy with her in the library. Doesn't feel very good, does it?!"

Arnold couldn't help but laugh, regardless of the pain that was now shooting where her finger once was. "No… it doesn't but at least I didn't make a scene in the middle of school." He replied, eyeing her to get a rouse.

"Doi! We're not in school, Football head." She said with a cross of her arms and a scowl. "And if you had decided to make a scene in your own house, your whole family would have been riding you to make sure you're okay. Would have been a whole lot messier than kids gossiping, if you ask me."

The thought of family caused the boy to remember the cash in his pocket and he pulled it out. "Speaking of family," He said as he held it in front of her. "I saw your mom today. She told me to give you this."

Helga blinked a few times at the gift before taking it. "Miriam?"

"Yeah, she asked how you were and I told her you were doing good." Arnold watched as her expression became a little complex. "I told her to visit but-"

"But let me guess," She said flatly, "It would be too much trouble?"

Arnold gave her a sideways smile. "Not exactly." He said; knowing well that even though her mother looked unhappy at the offer, there was much more behind her words than she would say.

"Then what? Was she too stumbling drunk to give a reason? Or are their lives so great without me that visiting would be too much of a bother?" Helga demanded, her anger slowly growing at the thought of her useless parent's attempt at providing for her. She wanted to give the money back to him but knew it was fruitless. Instead she stuffed it inside her shirt, next to her locket.

Wanting to reach out to her, Arnold frowned. He knew nothing he could say would make her feel better especially since her mother didn't outwardly say why. Sure, she had agreed with him that visiting would be a good idea but she also didn't say she would, and her expression said otherwise.

"Face it, Arnold. Learn to not rely on my parents just like I have." Helga said as she slumped her posture. "Life is easier that way."

The truth was painful and Arnold could hear it in her voice. It was one thing to grow up in a loving family without parents, but it was another thing to have them constantly betray your trust. She made that painfully obvious and although he couldn't fully understand, he silently agreed and grabbed her hand.

"At least you have a little money to get yourself something nice?" He suggested, trying to make the best of it.

She gave him an obvious dull look, "You always have to look on the bright side, don't you?"

"Somebody has to?" He shrugged with a smile.

Helga lunged forward and messed up his hair, causing him to laugh. "Stupid Football head with his stupid optimistic views…" Her face softened and she could feel herself getting weak at his boyish charm. "You better get out of here and get ready for bed before someone comes looking for you." She said regretfully.

"Yeah, you're right." He agreed with a nod before he got up and letting her hand go in the process.

Arnold walked to the door with thoughts in his head and a blush on his cheeks. Things really seemed to have turned themselves around fast since he first came through that door. Just as he turned around to say goodnight, he noticed that Helga was already standing in front of him. Before he could talk, she reached her arms around his neck and pulled his lips to hers. Her kiss was soft but pure, making his mind escape him and causing him to stumble backwards, hitting his back on the door in the process.

Pulling herself away from him, Helga placed a finger upon his lips before he could speak. "Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I would say good night to you till it be morrow. Farewell, Romeo…" She whispered with a smile. "Now get out of my room before you get us both in trouble, geez!" And with that, she opened her door and pushed him out.

Arnold stood there, blushed and with a dazed look upon his face. He wanted to say good night to her but she shut the door before he could. Touching his lips with the tips of his finger, he smiled shyly. It would seem that this passionate show of affection would become something a lot more normal than he first expected at this age. Knowing full well that Helga was no normal twelve year old girl, he wondered why this stunned him every time. "I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I'll be baptized…" He whispered back as he walked to his room, "and henceforth I will never be Romeo…"

Helga felt so lightheaded she rested her back against the door in which he once stood and slid down to sit. She placed her hand upon her heart and let out a loving sigh. Pulling out her locket, she gazed at her love once more.

"My love for thee is as deep and boundless as the sea. The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite. Come to me with all that you are, and there I'll have. Be my lord, my knight, my God and my savior. For without you, I am nothing." She spoke to it lovingly. "And with you, I have felt more than if I lived a thousand lives… oh~"

Pop music chorused in the background of the bedroom of Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd as she sat on her bed and carefully painted her nails. Each brush precise and each tab into the little bottle was small and quick as to make sure she didn't spill any on her luxurious comforter. The revelation she had back before the weekend was still pressing in her mind, but it no longer bothered her as much.

"It's just… baffling." She spoke out loud to her phones receiver sitting next to her. She had been speaking to Nadine on speaker phone.

"I know what you mean but…" Nadine's voice echoed and trailed off. "It's really none of our business, Rhonda. If they're happy then why not be happy for them?"

Rhonda smirked as she finished painting her last nail. She put the brush back in the bottle, screwed it tight and then stretched her arm out to admire her handy work. "Au contraire, Nadine…" She spoke with elegance, "I am happy for them! A little confused but if this little… affair keeps that ogre's attitude in check, then this is call for celebration!"

Nadine sighed heavily. "Why do I feel like you're planning something…?"

"Oh Nadine, you know me so well!" Rhonda smiled wildly. "I just think this gives us a chance to really have… some girl time, you know? After all, we're all in sixth grade now. This will be our last year in P.S 118 and who knows? For some of us, this could be our last school year together. I say it's time I throw another lovely party in their honor and we spice things up with some… more mature party games! What do you think?"

The thought of having a party didn't seem bad; however Nadine cringed at the premise of it. "Rhonda don't you think it would be a little awkward to throw a party over that? It's not like you threw Phoebe a party last year."

"I suppose your right…" Rhonda scrunched up her nose then blew on the fresh dark red paint that glistened. "Well I want a party regardless of the reason. I think all of us girls are far overdue! I want a party and a party we shall have!"

"Well Halloween is coming up, why not have another costume party?" Nadine suggested happily. "That way we can invite the whole class."

"Yes, yes, the whole class but I want some quality time with the girls first, Nadine!" Rhonda whined. She blew a few more times at her nails then an idea sparked. "What if we have a makeover partybeforethe costume party?"

"Wouldn't the make-over clash with some of the costumes…?" Nadine pointed out. "Like what if someone wants to go as a clown? It would make no sense to put makeup on just for them to remove it later."

"Nadine, Darling! You're thinking too small! I don't mean like we had back in the fourth grade… That was so juvenile! I mean quality makeup, hair and nails too! The whole experience! I can even ask Mommy to go to her favorite spa and bring back some masks! Not a goopy weird homemade ones, but a nice thin refreshing mask!" Rhonda felt the idea was simply perfect and she began to get excited. "And if someone wanted to go as a clown, or something else that requires face paint, we can apply it for them after they're all exfoliated and hydrated!"

"That does sound pretty fun." Nadine smiled from the other line. "Even if someone was planning on wearing something over their heads for their costume, they'll at least feel fresh under it."

"Exactly! No matter what, everyone will have so much fun!" Rhonda said with a sly grin, having someone particular in mind. "We can talk about our crushes and play a few games… just a simply marvelous bonding experience. Afterwards, we'll have the usual Halloween event and everyone else can join us later when we're all freshened up! What do you think?"

"I think it sounds pretty great, Rhonda!" Nadine cheered whole heartedly. "Want to start writing up the invitations tonight? Or would you rather we start a little closer to the event?"

Testing each fingernail with a light touch from a q-tip, Rhonda's grin grew wider. "I'll start on them tonight and tomorrow you can help me pass them out. I wouldn't want people to have to miss out due to lack of notification. That would be terrible, just absolutely terrible."

"You don't want my help?" Nadine asked; a little offended.

"Oh it's not that," Rhonda dismissed with a wave of her hand, "Daddy just brought home a custom printer and I've been dying to try it out. This just gives me an excuse. You understand, right?"

"I guess…" The voice of her best friend sadly said from the small cellular device. "Alright, I'll help you pass them out tomorrow before class. Deal?"

"Deal! Now ciao darling, I have to get ready for bed. Can't exactly offer a beauty party when I'm looking shabby myself, now can I? See you tomorrow!" She said before hanging up the phone and lying on her back.

The thought of both parties filled the girl with joy and it had been quite some time since her and her fellow females had bonded. Rhonda couldn't wait to hear all the new and juicy details about her classmates' relationships, crushes and more. Not only that, but this was going to be a fantastic chance to bring out the inner Goddess in all of them, even if she knew at least one of them would resist. Fantasies started to glide through the aristocratic girls mind.She won't be able to resist for long and besides… even she has to admit in order to keep her man, she'll have to look her best, right? Let's see what's on the other side of the mask that is Helga G. Pataki…

Being the most pretty, popular and fashionable, Rhonda always made sure to plan and execute the best parties that people would talk about for ages. With the most exquisite catered food, to the high end entertainment, the Lloyds never skimped on luxury. It was important for everyone around them to view them as elite and that was passed down to their beloved only child. At least once a year, she would show off her riches to her friends and classmates buy letting them come to her house and bask in the limelight that they could never hope to achieve on their own. It wasn't as if she looked down upon them, rather she just wanted to be generous and show them the finer things in life. Playing sports and rolling around in the mud was child's play and it was high time some of them started to grow out of it... especially if they were of feminine respect. Rhonda typically had no real problem with any of her friends at school, and why would she? They all looked up to her and wanted to be like her. There was only one real student that pressed her patience though, and that was a certain female bully of P.S 118. There was just so much about Helga that Rhonda didn't understand and the more she tried, the more annoyed she became. Helga never looked pretty, she never tried to act feminine, she would push kids around, threaten to punch their faces off, get loud and crass then stomp away as if all was right in the world. This was not the type of behavior a young lady should have and she was certain of that. Sure, playing sports with her friends and partaking in the casual rough housing was part of being a kid, however they were preteens now and Helga seemed to take these immaturities to another level. Was it Rhonda's business how Helga chose to spend her time? Absolutely not but she also couldn't ignore her obnoxious vulgarity either. Women were supposed to be beautiful and dainty; something men were supposed to long after and fuss over. Just what did Helga have that could make any person fall for her, let alone Arnold? He was practical and sensible. He was noble and chast. If there was any a more likely pairing, it was none other than the two of them... so why? The mere thought boggled Rhonda's mind and she had every intention on finding out just that. This little makeover party was going to shed some light on just what the boisterous girl had that this young man could possibly want. What hid behind her worn, outdated pink bow, straw-like blonde pigtails and roughed up exterior? Was there a certain charm that the girl had that Rhonda couldn't see? Just what was that tomboy hiding? In just a few weeks, Rhonda would do everything in her power to find out, even if it meant putting on a show for all the girls to partake in.

Jumping out of her bed, Rhonda headed to her computer and brought open a program that would help her customize her invitations. Picking the font, color, and size, even being able to add decorations at will, she knew that these invitations would look very good and hopefully entice her girl friends.

"Arts and crafts are so last year…" She said snidely as she finished up her project with a few splashes of extra pizzazz. "That goes there… and final touches… voila!" She said as she pressed the print button.

Rhonda pushed herself out of her computer chair and ran down the hallway to her father's study. She peeked inside first to make sure he wasn't there, and then approached the machine. It whizzed and whirled as it spit out the images she was looking for and she clapped with glee.

"Rhonda darling, whatever are you doing in here?" Brooke appeared from the doorway, looking cross. "You know how much it stresses your father when you fuss around in here without his permission." She explained, pressing her index fingers to her temples.

Gathering up her invitation cards, Rhonda brought them over to her mother with a smile. "Mommy! I was just speaking with Nadine and we came up with the most wonderful idea! Take a look!" She explained, watching her mother skeptically take the cards and look through them.

"But dear… you didn't bring this to my attention first." Brooke frowned, placing her hands on her hips. "You can't just decide on having a party without consulting me first. What if we have something planned that day?"

"Do you?" The girl said, pouting her most innocent pout.

Brooke looked at her daughter, then back at the invitations. "Truthfully, yes. Your father has a business meeting upstate and I was hoping to get my skin touched up by Dr. Tousignant…" The girls sad face only made the woman become further exhausted. "But… if it really means that much to you…"

"Oh Mommy!" Rhonda shouted as she threw her arms around her mother and squeezed. "You're the greatest!" After letting her go, she gave her a shy smile, "Is it possible for us to see your beautician and possibly get some spa masks? I really want to show the girls just how they can bring out the beauty from within."

Petting her little girl on the head, Brooke sighed. "I'm sure we can work something out… just no more plans without my approval. Is this clear?"

"Crystal!" Rhonda replied with another tight hug. She grabbed back her invitations and ran back over to her bedroom. Placing them neatly in her backpack, The girl's excitement welled up and exploded, causing her to dance around happily. There was so much she was going to learn at this party!

Chapter 31

Chapter Text

“So… let’s go over this one more time, shall we?” The blonde pigtailed girl started as she gestured to the shorter male companion next to her. “You tell no one about what you know and this includes Gerald…”

Arnold opened his mouth to say something but froze the moment she gave him a piercing glare. He swallowed and faced forward while they walked down the dirty sidewalk on the way to school.

“This also includes anyone you know, including people you DON’T know. Got it?” Helga finished with a concentrated look.

“Got it.” Arnold said in a low, downtrodden voice. He hated that he had to keep this information to himself, but knew there was no real solution even if he was to confide in someone.

“And finally, you are not, under ANY circ*mstances, going to talk to Brainy.”

The moment the girl finished her added insert, Arnold shot a look of astonishment at her. “What?”

“Get it through that thick, football shaped skull of yours!” Helga growled as she poked his forehead. “This isn’t your business! HE isn’t your business! Got that?”

“But…” Arnold tried but was cut off almost as soon as he uttered the first syllable.

“BUT NOTHING!!” Helga howled back. She took in a deep breath and steadied her thoughts. “I’ll deal with him myself. It’ll only complicate things more if you butt in!”

Arnold huffed but said nothing in response. There was nothing he could say to change her mind, and he knew that. This was just something she was going to have to handle on her own even if he did disagree with her. He thought back to their conversation the night prior and frowned. It was plainly apparent how uncomfortable she was being the center of all of this mess and he wanted to do everything in his power to make things right, even if it meant him not being in it at all.

They both rounded a few more corners until they could just make out the school in the distance. The morning had been a little more chaotic than normal which led to the two preteens becoming a little later than usual in running out of the door.

A large swarm of students were congregated in front of the steps of P.S 118, which caused interest amongst the couple but before they could get anywhere close to the kids, Helga grabbed Arnolds arm and held him back.

“Remember what I said Arnold, or so help me-“

“I got it, Helga.” Arnold reassured her with a just as warning tone, causing her to back down from her stance. “I won’t speak a word of it to anyone.”

“And?” She pressed forward, nudging towards the spikey haired quiet kid who happened to also be in the gaggle of students.

Arnold shook his head. “And I won’t approach Brainy either.”

Helga looked at him warily but when she saw in his eyes that he wasn’t backing down from his word, she gave him a small sigh and freed his arm. She watched as he continued to walk ahead of her to see what the commotion was about and took this moment to self-contemplate.

“Oh Arnold… what a feeble-minded fool, what a near-sighted nincompoop…. How I hate the way he insists his personal opinions on others. Always throwing his two cents into people’s lives without them asking for it! How I loathe him…” She whispered through her grit teeth in frustration. “And yet…”

Helga looked around to see if anyone had noticed her standing by herself at the end of the sidewalk. She noticed the way the morning sunlight shown on his golden locks that stuck out whimsically; the way he was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet while he tried to get a better look through the cluster of eager kids without pushing anyone out of his way.

“Oh, how I love him!” She cried as quietly as she could as to not disturb anyone in earshot, “The way he cares for the wellbeing of others without a need of gratification! Always looking out for the little guys without even thinking of the repercussions from the big guys! His perfect shining example of goodness with the creamy center of wholesome intentions always seeping its ways into the very core of everyone’s tough expectations of the world… A world of cruel, unloving and selfish souls that don’t deserve him. I… don’t deserve him and yet he still chooses to remain by my side despite the peril he knows will come. His stupid blind optimism always remaining ever vigilant even in the face of concrete doubt. If only I could think the same way…” She watched as he managed to finally wiggle his way inside the crowd and decided maybe it was a good enough time to get in on the action for herself.

Marching up to the students in her usual hostile manner, Helga started to push and nudge anyone that was in front of her. “Move it or lose it, geekbaits!” She shouted, nearly throwing a third grader that didn’t see her coming. “Out of my way!”

In the center of the children stood Eugene with a shiny new razor scooter as well as a sparkling smile of new braces.

“How come you get to have something so cool, Eugene?!” Harold asked with an angry pout as he placed his fists on his hips.

The bright boy gave a shy smile. “My grandma came to visit me yesterday when she heard I was going to have these braces put on, and as a gift, bought this for me!” He explained as he pushed the scooter forward so everyone could get a good look. “Isn’t it perfect? It has two big wheels and its dual suspension system reduces vibration and allows for a smooth ride even in the toughest parts of the city, a large reinforced braking system so I can stop easier and smoother without risking falling off and hurting myself, and a high-density durable aluminum alloy frame so it’s safe and sturdy for years of enjoyment!”

“As if it’s going to last that long…” Gerald said in a hushed tone to Arnold who was standing next to him.

“Gerald…” Arnold scolded with a solemn look.

The young man shrugged in response. “What? You know it’s true. That kid couldn’t keep from falling off of it if it was glued to his legs.”

“Hey! Can I ride it?” Harold asked as he slowly walked towards it, eyeing its shiny paint and cool decals.

“Yeah right, Harold.” Sid smirked. “You’d probably break it the moment you stepped on it!”

Harold thrusted his fist in the short kids face, but Sid took a step back just in time to dodge and laugh again. “Say something like that again, and I won’t miss next time!”

“You only missed on account a you’re so big, Harold.” Stinky snickered.

Eugene waved his hands in front of his friends in order to get their attention. “Guys! You don’t need to fight!” He then rolled it over towards the angry boy. “Don’t’ worry Harold! It can hold up to 220 pounds so your weight wouldn’t even be an issue!”

“See? Even Eugene is calling you fat!” Sid mentioned, causing all the kids to laugh in unison.

“No… I…” But before Eugene could defend himself, Harold rushed towards Sid and chased him out of the crowd.

“I’m going to pound you!” He screamed as he disappeared into the school, leaving the rest of the kids to laugh at the sight.

Rhonda shook her head. “The scooter is cool in all, but what about the metal in your mouth. Isn’t it disgusting?”

“It’s not all that bad, Rhonda.” Eugene smiled, showing the braces off. “Sure, I’ll have a metallic taste for a while but the dentist told me that it will wear off in a few days!”

“Why not opt for a more discreet option like those invisible ones?” She asked and crossed her arms. “Those brackets make you look even more like a geek than before and I didn’t even know that was possible.”

“Because not everyone has money like you do, Princess.” Helga remarked snidely, earning a scoff from the girl.

“I think they make you look more mature.” Said Sheena with a warm smile as she touched her ginger friend’s shoulder.

Eugene looked up at her with an encouraged smile. “Thank you, Sheena! It means so much to me that you think that.”

“Did they hurt?” Someone called out from the group.

“How much did that scooter cost?” Another called out.

Knowing that the bell was going to ring at any moment, Lila walked over to Eugene’s side in order to control the madness that was starting to ensue again. “I’m sure everyone has ever so many questions for our friend Eugene, but I’m afraid school is starting soon and we might be late.” She smiled courteously.

“Yeah.” Arnold agreed. “We should probably head to class before we all get in trouble.”

The mass of students started to groan and protest but with a quick show of her fists and a growl, Helga had the herd scampering away into the school. Arnold looked at her and smiled but she rolled her eyes and stomped forward. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s just go already!”

The moment the class was settled in their seats, Rhonda took this time to shuffle inside her backpack and pull out the party invites along with the special invitations for the girl’s only day. She handed half of them out to Nadine and quickly they went to work with handing out the individual envelopes to their respective owners.

“As you all know, Halloween is approaching so I decided to honor you with an invitation to my costume party!” She explained as she handed a set of invitations to Phoebe and moved up the row to Arnold and Lorenzo. “Be sure to wear your best costume and stay for some party games and refreshments!”

“Hey!’ Curly shouted as Nadine handed him his invitation. “Why are the girls getting an extra invitation?!”

“Because we’re having a separate party for just the girls first.” Nadine explained calmly as she passed him with ease and handed a pair of invitations to Lila. “And you’re not a girl.”

“Criminy…” Helga rolled her eyes as the pieces of papers were handed to her. “Not this again. Thanks, but no thanks, Rhonda. I’ll pass.”

Rhonda growled and slapped the colorful pieces of laminated paper on the blonde girl’s desk. “No can do, Helga. Participation is a must.” She tried to explain with a sugary sweetness despite her resentment for Helga’s outright refusal. “Trust me, you’re gonna wanna come.”

“Oh yeah?” Helga asked skeptically, crossing her arms and slouching in her seat. “And why’s that?”

Shoving the invitations closer, Rhonda eyed her. “Just trust me on this one, okay? Come to the parties! You’ll have a great time! I guarantee it!” She finished with a wink before walking back to her desk.

Helga cringed and looked over at Phoebe who just flashed her own invites and shrugged. She stared blankly at the pieces of paper; reflecting briefly on the fact she hadn’t been invited to the last one and initially crashed it, and actually wondered why on earth she had been invited to this one. Nothing had changed between her and Rhonda’s friendship, nor her appearance or how she carried herself. Helga wasn’t typically labeled as a girl so why now? It was possible that Rhonda had something up her sleeve, or it was simply that she wanted to show off in front of everyone for some reason. Regardless, Helga placed the invitations in her backpack to think on them later. The parties were still weeks away and there was a more important event coming up much sooner: Arnold’s birthday.

Over the past week, whenever she had a quiet moment alone to herself, the fact of the upcoming date would run across her mind and cause her to halt all other thoughts. What would she get him? What would they do? Should she remove herself from the boarding house in order to let him have family time? Would he even really want to spend it with her? So many questions would press in the young girl’s mind until she would forcefully throw them out. The most important of those questions was the gift. She didn’t exactly have money anymore so maybe she could make him something? Maybe plan something for him?

“Good Morning class!” Mr. Simmons shouted to his class as he entered the room, full of pep and joy and completely disrupting the girls thought.

The class responded back in their own way and Helga watched as her teacher got ready. He was going on about how he was inspired by something he had recently read and urged the students to do some creative writing on their own. Most of the students grumbled about this, but Helga felt rather indifferent. She enjoyed writing as it was a type of outlet for her most of the time but with all of her volumes now turned to ashes and tossed into oblivion, what was the point? The thought of starting again seemed almost obligatory and that wasn’t a good feeling about something you had genuine passion for. From time to time, she considered grabbing a spare notebook from Phoebe or maybe seeing if the Football head had one he didn’t need and was willing to part with but so much about her surroundings had changed, she wasn’t even sure if she would be able to become comfortable enough to let the juices flow.

Helga glanced back to take a quick look at her muse in question. He sat there looking straight ahead with his usual smile, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. It was the clueless smile that always made her want to toss spitballs at his head but given the new seating arrangement, that was impossible. It was plainly obvious why the seating had changed since the last few years. All the troubled kids seemed to be sitting in the front row while all the easy students were seated more so in the back. This made it impossible for Helga to pull any sort of shenanigans she usually would to keep herself occupied but now her only real option was to actually pay attention.

“Alright, now I have something very special for today’s class!” Mr. Simmons explained as he stepped out of the room for a second to pull a tv on rollers into the room. “After reading that article, it really made me think all morning long about a movie I’d really like you all to watch! It truly shows the significance of looking out for your fellow man and hearing the call to adventure! Doesn’t that sound great?!”

“What sounds great is no class.” Sid said snidely, causing a few of the students to chuckle.

“Now Sid, of course there is still class.” Mr. Simmons corrected, “I have prepared a worksheet with questions about the movie so be sure to pay attention!”

“Awwww!” moaned Harold and he smushed his face on his desk. “Come on! Can’t we just have a break! And here I thought we were gonna have a fun day!”

The older man frowned at the large boy’s remark. “We will, Harold! This movie will be very fun and I believe that you’ll really enjoy it. So, sit up and relax. Helga, can you get the lights please?”

Hearing her named caused her to snap back to attention. “Huh? Yeah, sure whatever.” She said as she got up and flicked off the lights and sat back down.

The students began to quietly mumble to each other until the teacher stood in and hushed them. Helga opened her backpack and fumbled around for her work notebook so she could distract herself while the movie played. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested, but it was always helpful to have something else as a distraction when the more boring parts happened. She found herself drawing a familiar Football head with a goofy smile holding a neatly wrapped present. The darkness of the room was comforting, as well as the movies background noise. Placing her head down on her notebook, Helga found herself dozing off to sleep.

The light was dim and flickering rhythmically as the fire inside the fireplace swayed and crackled. The room smelled of earthy wood and smoked logs as well as something faintly sweet in the air, music played softly from a record player that was placed somewhere in this mysterious yet sensual cabin. It was warm and comfortable as the two loving couple sat on a bearskin rug in front of the blaze that caressed their skin with every fiery snap of its flame.

“Would you like another cherry, my darling?” Arnold asked as he graciously offered a bowl to his loving partner. He was wearing a black suit and tie with gold trim and a red collared undershirt. His hair was slicked back and face wearing his finest debonair smile.

Helga ignored the fruit in question and set her eyes on him and only him. She wore a silk red gown that was cut to hug every one of her luscious curves but gave plenty of the imagination to crave. Jewels around her neck and wrists as well as fine gold that hung from her ears in droplets. “Only if you feed them to me, my love.” She replied as she stared into his sparkling green eyes. With every lick of the flame, they shimmered and made her figure even more bewitching.

Without question, Arnold took a small round cherry and offered it to her lips. She parted them slightly, allowing him to pop the object in without resistance. He watched as her lips formed a grin as she enjoyed the taste of the fruit, and the man couldn’t help himself but brush her bottom lip with his thumb as he looked hungrily at her. “How is it?”

“Why not try one for yourself?” Helga asked with a shy smile, looking down at the bowl and gathering one up for herself but before she managed to grab one, Arnold grabbed her wrist and stopped her, causing her to look up at him with concern.

“Why would I want to sully my mouth with the taste of such inferior fruit when I could have the lips of my angel?” He asked as he brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed each individual fingertip.

Helga blushed and looked away shyly. “Surely, you jest…” She said, wanting nothing more than to hear more from him.

The man looked shocked at her words and pulled her closer. “Not at all. Why, nothing is as superb and delectable when compared to the fruit of our love.” Arnold pulled her as close as possible then brought his other hand around to the small of her back. He let his hand trail up and down her smooth gown, feeling her shiver at his touch.

Her face adorned a crimson glow that rivaled that of the fire that burned in front of them. She could feel herself be drown into those eyes as well as her body giving in to all his small touches. She could feel herself melt in the palm of his hands and become helpless. Nothing was to pull her away from him, ever. She belonged to him and only him. “I’m forever yours…” She whispered, looking down and noticing a shiny gold ring on one of her fingers that matched his own. “As always…”

Arnold smiled at her words. “And I could want nothing more… Spending the night with you, like this, is the most wonderful birthday gift I could ever hope to receive…” He wasted no time in kissing the lips he wanted most. The kiss was not of that of a shy boy or even a nervous teen. It was the kiss of a man and the man she loved.

Letting herself become consumed by the cozy environment and the strong arms of her beloved, Helga let all her worries and self-doubt go. There was nothing in this world she wanted more than this; more than his lips on hers, his breath on her skin and their hearts beating as one. She could feel his hand gliding up and down her spine and eventually around her back and to her hips. Was this the moment she was waiting for? Would all her dreams come true?

The room became hotter and hotter, causing the blonde woman to open her eyes and see that the fire had escaped the pit and started to circle around them. Her body sat frozen as it devoured everything in its wake. The floor beneath them started to crack and splinter, causing Helga to stand but the moment she did, it broke apart and swallowed them whole.

Falling felt like an eternity but eventually she felt herself hit the floor. It was cold and damp. Looking around she noticed that she was in some sort of cell and Arnold was nowhere to be seen. Standing up, Helga brushed herself off and noticed that she was in a striped black and white suit that looked worn and tattered. “What the?” She spoke aloud as she observed her surroundings. Where was their cozy cabin in the woods? Where was Arnold and where was she now?

Before she could ask any more questions, Helga could hear what sounded like footsteps in the distance. Each step echoed and bounced off her room with a deafening noise. Closer and closer it came until a dark figure came in front of her. Helga walked closer to it until she was stopped by the metal bars in front of her. The outlined figure was tall and lanky. Its eyes glowed a yellowish tint and it breathed ragged and loudly. Clouds parted and moonlight shone into her cell from a window, illuminating the person in question. “Brainy?” She asked it.

The figure nodded and gripped the bars with both hands.

“What are you doing here? Why am I here? What’s going on?” She asked angrily. None of this made any sense and he had ruined her perfect night. “Where is Arnold?”

Brainy backed up again and the moons glow seemed to follow him, brightening up what looked like to be another cell. Brainy was wearing the same outfit she was, and he smiled at her as he sat on his cot. They were both in jail.

Panic started to creep into her body as she wandered around her small cell in thought. Why was she here? What was she going to do?

Suddenly, she heard a loud crash that sounded like metal colliding with stone. Helga looked up to see the door to her cell had been kicked open and in front of her was Arnold in a ninja costume. He ran up to her bars and reached his arm through to touch her. Quickly, she grabbed his hand and placed it upon her cheek.

“I have come to save you.” He said powerfully. “Stand back.”

Helga nodded and walked to the back of the room. She looked over at Brainy who still sat on his cot with a stupid grin on his face. Looking back at Arnold, she noticed a few more men rushing in the room with army attire on. They wrapped C4 around the bars that came between them and signaled her to take cover. She flipped her cot over so that it shielded her from the harm. A loud BANG cried out and soon pieces of shrapnel rained around her.

“Are you okay?” Arnold asked as he ran to her, reaching out for her hand and pulling her up. He looked her over in grief but to his relief found no wounds on his woman. “Thank Goodness. It’s time to get you out of here!”

Helga grasped her loves hand and began to run with him out of the room but the moment she neared the exit, she stopped them both. “Wait.”

“What is it, my love?” He asked in utter shock.

She looked over at her cell mate who still sat in the same spot. “What about him?”

Arnold let out a laugh. “Him? You can’t be serious?” He cupped Helga’s cheek with his hand. “Don’t worry about a fool like him. He got himself into this mess now let him get himself out. Come on, we don’t have time to lose.”

“But…” Helga spoke but her words fell on deaf ears as Arnold pulled her out of the room. They ran up several flights of winding stairs until eventually making it on to a roof where a helicopter awaited them.

“Get on.” Arnold insisted as he held the door open. She glanced inside to see a few more army men and a pilot waiting for her.

Looking between her love and the getaway vehicle, Helga felt conflicted. I can’t leave Brainy to rot down there by himself! Who knows what could happen to him! She thought sorrowfully. It was all her fault he was there, and she could feel it in her bones. If she left now, what sort of monster was she?

“Helga, we don’t have much time.” Arnold pleaded, “You have to get on. Now!”

She could hear footsteps getting louder and louder behind her as well as shadows in the doorway. There was no choice now. Regretfully, she listened to her partner and jumped in the helicopter. The doors shut tight and soon they were levitating to whatever destination awaited them.

Arnold held her in his arms and nuzzled her neck. “I knew you’d make the right decision…” He whispered in her ear but it only made the rock in her stomach become heavier. Was leaving him to die really the right decision?

The helicopter was flying towards the sun and its rays blinded Helga. Squinting and doing her best to shield her eyes from the light, she looked over at the pilot. “Geez bub, what are you trying to do? Blind me?” She hissed in his direction. The unknown person ignored her and continued to fly closer and closer in that direction, causing her to close her eyes in pain.

“Are you okay, Helga?” Arnold asked lovingly in her ear.

She wanted to respond but her head was beginning to pound from the headache.

“Helga?” He asked again, a little louder.

“Helga?”

Snapping back awake, Helga noticed she had fallen asleep in class. The classroom light had already been turned back on, causing her headache to shoot into the back of her eyes. “Ugh!” She hissed and covered her face with the crease of her forearm, “What?!”

“Someone clearly didn’t get enough sleep last night.” Rhonda commented. “School is hardly the place for it. You’re lucky that Arnold woke you up before Mr. Simmons comes back.”

Helga could feel her eyes were adjusting to the room and looked up to see Arnold standing next to her with his hand on the back of her seat. The sight of him gave her mixed emotions but she knew what she had to do.

“Lucky? Yeah, right.” She blurted out. “Who on earth would be lucky to get woken up by a Football head! Now I’ll have nightmares for weeks.” Her words caused the boy to scowl and make his way back to his seat. Helga immediately hated herself for it but it was really the only save she had.

Rhonda rolled her eyes and looked down at the moist notebook. “The least you could do is not drool all over your notebook. Disgusting!” She shouted, causing the students to comment to each other.

Helga ripped the wet page out of her notebook, crumpled it up and threw it at the girl, causing her to shriek and the class to laugh. “I think that’s the biggest spitball I’ve ever thrown. You should feel honored, Rhonda.”

“Ugh!” Rhonda wiggled away from the ball of paper until it hit the floor. She kicked it and glared at her aggressor. “What is wrong with you?!”

“What? I can’t exactly throw them at that geek anymore so I guess you’re my next best target.” Helga smirked. It was after those words that Mr. Simmons entered the room once again and began handing out the copied pieces of papers to each of the students. Rhonda continued to glare at Helga angrily but didn’t say a word.

The bell rang loudly, indicating it was finally time for lunch. All the kids picked up their various belongings and started to head out the door.

“Phoebe, you got a minute?” Helga said, catching her best friends arm as she was about to pass her. She watched as Phoebe made a face at Gerald before he and Arnold left the room.

“Of course, Helga.” Phoebe smiled down at her friend who was still sitting in her seat. “What’s wrong?”

With a large huff, Helga opened up her notebook and showed her the picture she had drawn. “It’s his birthday soon and I have absolutely no idea what to get him!” She shouted in frustration.

Phoebe gave her best friend a quizzical look. “You would be much more of an expert on that then I would.” She explained. “I’m honestly surprised you haven’t thought of this sooner. Isn’t the date rather close?”

“It’s next week…” The blonde girl grumbled as she slammed her notebook shut, crammed it back into her backpack and flung it onto her desk.

Stepping to the side to allow her friend some room, Phoebe frowned. “I see. That only gives you a few more days to plan. Have you not thought of anything?”

“No!” Helga shouted as she stood up and threw the backpack over her shoulder. “Not a damn thing! It’s not like I have the money I used to where I could just throw it at some expensive and flashy gift and call it a day!” She walked out of the classroom and into the hallway with her friend in tow. “I need something inexpensive that really shows the twerp how much I care!”

“You could always make him something?” Phoebe suggested thoughtfully. “Something handmade generally shows its giftee that you really took the time to create it. Its genuine and can easily be inexpensive.”

Helga scowled. “What? Like a macaroni picture, Pheebs? Get real!”

“I’m being quite real, Helga. It doesn’t have to be something related to arts and crafts. It could be a poem or you could even draw him a picture.” The small girl explained, “The picture you showed me, although a sketch, is easily something better drawn than most kids in our class.”

The suggestion wasn’t a bad one, however it made Helga cringe. “That seems too mushy.”

They made their way to the lunch room and stood in the hot meal line. The subject now had to be more classified. “Somehow I feel Ice cream wouldn’t mind something mushy or sentimental.” Phoebe continued. “He might be more flattered than you think.”

“It’s not about him being flattered!” Helga growled impatiently, causing and awkward stare from her companion. “Well… I mean, it is but I just don’t think I could handle something like that yet! I need something that says how I feel without it literally saying how I feel!” She thought back to her Christmas gift to him a few years back. It was from the heart. It was sentimental. It costed her no money at all, just a sacrifice she really didn’t want to make but had to in light of the situation. If only something like that could happen again where he said what he wanted out loud and in front of her.

Phoebe placed her hand on Helga’s arm and smiled. “I’m sure you’ll think of something, Helga. Just be patient.”

“Patient? Phoebe, I don’t have TIME to be patient!” Helga bellowed, causing a few kids in the line to look over at her. “It’s only a few days away!”

Furrowing her brow, Phoebe contemplated the subject even harder but came up with nothing. “Why not ask him what he wants? After all, you’re at the ice cream shop daily.”

Helga wanted to shush her best friend so badly but knew there was no use. It wasn’t like the ears around them had any idea what or who ice cream was, nor did they know where she was currently staying. “I can’t just ask him what he wants!” Helga replied in a hushed but serious tone. “It ruins all feeling behind something well thought out.”

“Well, unfortunately you’ve had all the time in the world to have thought it out.” The smart girl frowned. Her words seemed insensitive and she hated seeing Helga in such a tough spot, however there wasn’t much she could do to help. “Desperate times call for desperate measures and it seems to me that you’re at the point of desperation.”

The truth caused Helga to sigh. She thought of the little bit of cash her mother had given her. It wasn’t much but it was all she had to work with. “Wanna come search around town with me after school? I could use a second pair of eyes.”

“As much as I’d love that Helga… I already have plans, but I’ll be free tomorrow after school.” Phoebe said, regretfully as she placed a fruit cup on her tray. The small girl grabbed her hot lunch off the line and followed Helga to a nearby table. She watched as her disgruntled friend opened up her bagged lunch and set out an array of food in front of her. It made her feel good to know that Helga was finally eating a normal lunch daily and couldn’t help but smile.

Helga looked up at her friend and co*cked her eyebrow. “So, what are these plans of yours?” She asked as she picked up her sandwich and took a bite. “You never have plans.”

Phoebe pushed her food around with her fork and avoided Helga’s gaze. The thought wasn’t a really pleasant one but it was something rather inevitable. “Mother is having me see a new doctor considering my… development.” She said meekly.

Propping her elbow on the edge of the table, Helga rested her head in her hand and continued to eat her sandwich. “Crotch doctor, eh?” She asked simply and watched with amusem*nt as her best friend became startled. “It’ll be no sweat, Pheebs. I went with Miriam once because she ‘didn’t want to leave me home alone’ and they mostly just asked her a bunch of routine questions.”

The expression on Phoebe’s face soon changed into a calmer one and she decided to finally take a bite of her food.

“Well, that was until they made me leave the room so they could do the exam.” Helga smirked as she watched her friend’s expression changed to one that had her on the verge of choking.

“E-exam?” Phoebe managed to say after a forced swallow. She straightened her back up in order to gain more confidence. “What sort of exam?”

With a shrug, Helga took another bite of her food and waved her sandwich around casually. “I dunno but they threw a robe at her and told her to get undressed. Probably had to do with the object in question.”

Phoebe’s face burned a dark red and she hid it in her hands. “Mother didn’t tell me any of this.”

“Probably didn’t wanna scare you.” Helga shrugged. She could see how outwardly uncomfortable the girl was getting and decided to ease her pain a little. “But like I said, Pheebs. It will be no sweat. Not a big deal. She came out of it fine and life went on.” Helga chuckled a little to try an minimize the awkwardness around their table. “Olga probably went too after getting her monthly visits from Aunt Flo.”

“That’s… not really helping, Helga.” Phoebe managed out from behind her palms.

With another shrug, Helga put down her sandwich and opened up a plastic water bottle. After a few gulps, she put it down and decided to change the subject. “Planning on going to Rhonda’s party?”

“I was considering it.” Phoebe sighed, trying to regain her composure. “The all-girls party sounds like it could be rather pleasant. It’s been quite a while since all of us have gotten together to do anything. Her costume party’s every year are also very fun. I’m sure this year will be no different.” She thought about her words carefully and looked over at her blonde friend who looked uninterested. It was obvious why she didn’t want to go. Without a doubt, Rhonda had planned on them doing all sort of standard female activities and that wasn’t exactly Helga’s forte. “How about you?”

Helga picked up a piece of bread crust that had fallen and rolled it back and forth between her thumb and index finger. “Probably not. First of all, it’s not like I have a costume nor the money to get one. What am I going to do? Show up as myself? And second of all, I’ll be damned if I have to be stuck in a room with little Miss prissy pants while she gossips about the school and paints her toenails.”

Taking another bite of her food, Phoebe chewed it and the information given slowly. “You could always make your own costume.” She suggested, knowing a quick rejection was coming.

“Yeah, right.” Helga scoffed, “I don’t exactly have materials just lying around to play with and I’d rather shut my foot in a door than ask Arnold’s family for help. I don’t need any more handouts.” Her voice was melancholic and her face sullen. It was just another jab at her current reality that she really didn’t have anything anymore. “Besides, I’ve already decided that the little bit of money Miriam gave me is going to be used on Arnold’s birthday present. He deserves it more than I do.”

“At the very least, I would enjoy it if you attended her all-girls party with me.” Phoebe said to break the tension. “As much as I enjoy the other girls that will be attending, I would enjoy it much more if I had my best friend with me.” She noticed Helga slight smile and decided to continue. “And to stop me before I do anything stupid like smear guacamole on my face.”

Helga gave Phoebe a hard stare before finally giving up. “Fine. I’ll go.” She sighed. “I won’t like it, but I’ll go.” When she saw her companions face light up with a grin, she felt a little bit better and finished her water. “But if things get weird, I’m out of there. Got it?”

“Got it.” Phoebe nodded and gave a thumbs up.

Arnold knew Gerald was talking to him. His mouth was moving and he knew that there definitely was words but for some reason, Arnold was retaining any of it. His eyes were fixated on the quiet intellectual a few tables down. He was sitting with Curly and Park who seemed to be in a heated conversation about something, but of course, not partaking at all. He thought back to the emails and it made his blood boil for some reason. Was it the possibility that Brainy was a threat? And what sort of threat was that, exactly? Arnold mulled through the reality that this quiet and odd kid seemed to know more about Helga than he did. He seemed to care about her a lot and for how long? He wasn’t sure. Arnold was aware first handed how he was able to surf through computer programs with ease, but to the extent of hacking into a company’s data base and freezing and account? Wiping it clean? Where was his limits and were there no boundaries that he wouldn’t cross?

Gerald stopped talking when he realized that his companion was off in another world. He called out to him a few times but when he realized that it wasn’t going to be enough, Gerald lightly punched him in the shoulder, causing Arnold to recoil and look his way in surprise.

“Sorry man, but you wouldn’t come back down to earth.” Gerald explained with a shrug. “Just what’s got your attention this time?”

Arnold avoided the real topic just like he was instructed to and thought of something else. “Huh, oh just a dream I had last night.” He deflected. “It was just pretty weird. Everyone was turned into random animals and we all had to try and work together to find the spell to turn us back.” Truthfully, that wasn’t the dream he has last night but it was the most interesting one he would admit to having all year.

“Uh huh.” Gerald replied with a raise of his eyebrow. “You don’t say.” He looked at Arnold curiously and searched this face of any hidden secrets but decided to concede. “What animal was I?”

Going back to the dream, Arnold thought a while to try and recall but realized he honestly didn’t remember. “I’m not really sure anymore.” The blond boy scratched his head and giggled awkwardly. “I’m pretty sure it was pretty cool though.”

“And what were you?” Gerald asked plainly, now definitely sure that Arnold was hiding something. He was far from the best liar.

“Uhh…” Arnold thought nervously. “I was some sort of dog. I was brown and I don’t think I had a tail.” That part was the truth as far as he could remember.

Looking his friend up and down, Gerald could feel himself becoming aggravated with this charade. Why was Arnold always trying to hide things from him now? He considered the possibility of it having to do with his new house mate, or his parents but normally if something was really bothering him, Arnold would have no problem in confiding in him so was wrong now?

He remembered Arnold’s plan to hang out with Brainy the day prior and decided to touch on that instead. “So, what did you and Brainy do yesterday?” He asked casually to steer the conversation in a different direction. Gerald took a bite of his food and when he noticed that his friend wasn’t answering, looked up again to notice that Arnold’s face went pale. “What? It couldn’t have been that bad.” But when Arnold’s face didn’t change, Gerald felt suspicious. “Could it?”

With a shake of his head, Arnold focused on taking a few more bites of his own food before finally answering. “It went okay.” He could tell his friend’s eyes were on him but he didn’t dare look at him. “We went to his house and it was normal. His room was really plain but he had a pretty nice computer.”

“A nice computer?” Gerald asked, skeptically.

“Yeah.” The boy confirmed with a nod, but still refrained from facing his friend. “I could tell it had to have been really expensive.” Arnold pictured the boy’s room in his mind. “It was really weird that he had no pictures or posters on his wall. Everything was very… plain.”

“Plain?” Gerald started to take interest but at the same time, it seemed like the room reflected its owner. “Well, what did you expect? The kid is kind of plain.”

“He showed me some pretty cool things he could do on his computer though.” Arnold knew he was going into dangerous territory so he proceeded with caution and only would divulge the needed details. “He can even make games. He showed me some.”

As much as Gerald was slightly interested in Brainy’s one hobby, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Alright, anything else happen?” He pushed, hoping to get something more out of his hesitant friend.

With a few more moments of silence, Arnold shook his head. “Not really. I mostly just sat there awkwardly while he showed me things then I left.”

“Whatever you say man. So long as you got that thing out of your system.” Gerald sighed before finishing his last few bites of lunch. He knew that he sounded sort of cruel but at the same time, the boy in question just gave him a bad feeling. “I mean, I have nothing against the kid, as you know, but sometimes…” Gerald looked over at Brainy. He watched as Brainy took a few bites of his food and smiled absentmindedly as Curly started to howl like a wolf with one foot on his seat. “You ever look at someone and just wonder what goes through their heads? When it comes to his case, Arnold… I honestly think the answer is nothing. Nothing goes through that kid’s head. It’s just an empty breeze.”

Arnold looked in the same direction as his friend and understood what he meant, even if he did have the inside scoop of it all. You would never in a million years think that silent vague boy was capable of taking away the Pataki’s insurance away with a click of his mouse. “I know what you mean, Gerald.” Arnold said as he continued to stare, silently holding back his feelings on the matter. “But sometimes… it’s the silent type that you’ve gotta look out for.”

With a loud laugh, Gerald looked over at his friend in surprise. “You’ve been hanging out with Helga too long man. She’s warped your brain.”

“I’m serious!” Arnold looked over at Gerald with desperation in his eyes. “Curly was a quiet kid before he held himself captive inside Principal Wartz’s office. Now look at him.”

They both looked back over at the table. Curly was making goo-goo eyes at Rhonda from afar who was clearly ignoring him. After a few seconds of not getting through, they saw him whisper something in Park’s ear before strutting up to her table. He made some sort of gesture that made her scream, pick up her empty lunch tray and threaten to throw it at him.

“It’s hard to believe that, that kid used to be quiet.” Gerald nodded in agreement as he watched Rhonda chase the kid out of the lunch room; Curly cackling loudly as he ran.

“I wonder what he said.” Arnold packed up the rest of his trash and got it ready to be thrown out.

“Really?” Gerald looked over at him dully.

“Actually…” Thinking about it, Arnold shook his head. “Not really.”

The two gathered up all their trash and headed for the garbage cans, each with their own curious thoughts.

Chapter 32

Chapter Text

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.

Opening up the pamphlet, Helga's eyes skimmed through all it had to offer. She had gone to the museum of history many times due to school field trips and once because her family dragged her there to see some sort of show that Olga was a part of. It was always the same old thing but every so often, they would change a few rooms up to attract people into thinking it was something new. She turned it over to the last page and her eyes spotted something interesting, causing her to halt.

"Every visit to the new exhibit gains 1 free pass to the city botanical gardens."

"That's it!" Helga yelled loudly and clutched the paper until it had permanent creases. "All I have to do is visit the stupid museum and I can get a free pass to the gardens!" Ideas of the two of them holding hands, smelling flowers and gazing at beautiful views together began to float in her mind, causing her heart to melt. "It's perfect! I can even bring Phoebe with me so we're able to get two! I won't have to spend a dime and it's something he'd totally enjoy! Helga, you're a genius!" She turned around and ran back towards the boy handing out the coupons to grab one more.

The next day, Helga wasted no time in starting up her plan. The moment she saw Phoebe sit down at her desk, she reached inside of her backpack and thrusted the coupon in the young girl's face.

"The history museum?" Phoebe asked, looking the coupon over.

"Yeah, can you come with me after school?" answered Helga nervously, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that Arnold didn't notice. "There's something I need to check out."

"Well, of course I can Helga…" Phoebe stated awkwardly, noticing her friend's demeanor seemed off. "It's just such an odd request, coming from you."

Helga straightened herself up and puffed out her chest. "Yeah, well sometimes I like educational things. So, Sue me."

With a giggle, Phoebe placed the precious coupon inside her backpack with glee. She noticed Helga's glances at Arnold and started to put two and two together. "This wouldn't have something to do with a specific birthday, would it?"

Immediately, Helga put her hand over Phoebe's mouth to shut her up. "Maybe…" She whispered. "It's just an idea right now. I'll explain more after school when we get there, got it?"

After a compliant nod of her head, Phoebe took the hand away from her mouth and smiled. "Of course."

Helga took in a deep breath and walked back to her desk, avoiding as much attention as possible from anyone in the room. When class started, she looked up at the clock.Only a few more hours to go…She thought silently as she watched the seconds tick away.Then I'll be one step closer to planning an amazing birthday present for Arnold!

"Any plans for your birthday yet?" asked Gerald as he grabbed his backpack from the side of his desk. Class had just finished, and the bell had run for lunch. He could feel his stomach was grumbling louder than normal and winced at its loud noise.

Arnold watched as his classmates shuffled out of the room, one after another and all in deep conversations. "No. Not really."

"Really?" Gerald sounded surprised. He hoisted the heavy backpack over his shoulder and placed a handout to let Arnold walk in front of him towards the door. "You'd think with your parents back an all, things would be booming right about now." They walked into the hallway and joined the mass of students. "I mean, isn't this your first birthday with them since you were like a baby?"

Giving Gerald a sideways smile, Arnold nodded. "Yeah." He readjusted the weight of his backpack and continued to face forward in thought. Just what would his birthday be like this year? Normally it was just some sort of crazy event led by his grandparents that would turn even crazier by the boarders. Typically, he didn't really invite his friends over as the whole circus that always ensued was a bit embarrassing to say the least. Gerald had witnessed these events a few times and it was decided a few years back that they would hang out and do their own thing on a different day, as to not make the holiday more overwhelming than it already was.

Looking at the complicated expression on his friend's face, Gerald raised his eyebrow. "You don't look all that excited though." He observed. "Come on, man! You're gonna be getting double the presents! I'd kill for something like that." Gerald emphasized with a groan as he imagined the mountain of presents. "I'm lucky if I get one really cool gift since my Dad always says, 'It's the little things that matter, Gerald'or 'Think of this as an investment towards and even better gift next year.'I hate it!"

Arnold gave a small smile at his best friend's complaint. "I doubt I'm getting double the presents. It's not like my family is any wealthier now than they were last year." He considered the chance since the summer. "If anything, there is just that many more mouths to feed, more electricity being used and more water running."

"Great, now you're sounding like my Dad too!" Gerald rolled his eyes. "And you're the one who's supposed to look on the bright side."

"It's not about optimism, Gerald. I'm just being realistic." Arnold shook his head, but his smile still remained. "It will be different though… having them here."

"I wonder…" Gerald mulled over as he placed his thumb and index finger on his chin as if he was stroking an invisible beard. "Will there be less chaos than normal… or more?"

The thought made them both chuckle as they rounded the corner into the lunchroom. Arnold spied Helga and Phoebe from across the lunchroom and noticed they had already gotten a table and started eating. She was another new cog in the innerworkings of the boarding house now. What would she add to the mix?

"I can see you looking their way…" Gerald mentioned casually as he got his food. "You wanna sit with them today?"

Blinking a few times at his friends' question, Arnold turned away and looked at the array of colorful gelatin cups that were next to him and grabbed one. "No… I shouldn't." He said regretfully. "She's already said numerous times that she doesn't want any attention drawn to us. It's bad enough that we risk people seeing us walking to and from school together. If rumors got out…"

"That you two are dating?"

"Gerald!" Arnold shouted in a panic, causing more students to look his way and getting the exact opposite thing he wanted. "Not so loud!"

With a shake of his head, Gerald sighed and headed on toward the girl's direction anyway. He understood their need for keeping the relationship a secret but at the same time, he felt the whole thing was getting a little old. "Well, you can go ahead and sit with the guys then." He explained flatly. "I have a girlfriend that I don't have to keep secret."

Arnold wanted to protest but he knew he had no case. "Okay then…" He replied just as flat, watching his friend walk away. It had been some time since he sat at his other friends' usual tables and figured maybe this would be a nice change.

Looking over across the lunchroom, Arnold analyzed each table. He noticed Harold, Stinky and Sid at their usual spot and considered sitting with them, but then thought of how loud and obnoxious they could be and felt it wasn't exactly what he was looking for since he was already a little frustrated. He saw Rhonda, Nadine, Lila and Lorenzo sitting at a closer table and considered that as another viable option since it had been sometime since he joined them, but just as he inched closer, he could hear Rhonda was going on and on about some fashion blog she was a part of and changed his mind. As he continued to look around, he finally noticed Eugene and Curly sitting at the far side of the lunchroom and decided to join them.

"Well, well, well… look at what the cat barfed up…" Curly stated condescendingly as Arnold approached their table. "Gerald kick ya to the curb, huh?"

Immediately regretting his decision but knowing he had come to far; Arnold sat his tray down.

"Oh, Curly! Don't say things like that!" Eugene smiled as he turned to Arnold with appreciation. "Arnold is our friend! Why wouldn't he want to sit with us? Sit down, Arnold! Make yourself at home!"

Returning the smile to Eugene's kindness, Arnold pulled out the empty chair and sat down. "Thanks, Eugene."

"Ourfriendyou say?" Curly asked snidely as he eyed the newcomer up and down above his spectacles. "Friendsdo nice things for one another. I don't remember him ever doing anything nice for me."

"I got you that meatball sub back in the fourth grade." Arnold replied plainly as he took a bite of his food.

"That was FORCED!" Curly bellowed loudly. "That wasn't out of friendship! Nay! It was out of obligation!"

"You framed me for pulling the fire alarm but we're still friends." Eugene chimed in, albeit a little nervously.

With a sharp glance towards the speaker, Curly adjusted his thick framed glasses and crossed his legs in defiance. "That's different. We had somethingsto sort out, see? All water under the bridge now."

Arnold couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You nearly got Eugene expelled, Curly." He reminded him sternly. "But I'm glad to hear that things are going well for you guys. Anything new?" The question was merely a way to avoid more conjecture from Curly, rather than small talk.

"We were just talking about what Halloween costumes to get for Rhonda's party, right Curly?" Eugene replied, looking over at his eccentric friend who was rocking back and forth on the hind legs of his chair. "I was thinking of maybe going as an Astronaut or a Ringmaster from the circus! I can't really decide on the two right now but there's plenty of time ahead of me. How about you, Arnold?"

"Huh?" Arnold looked up from his food and noticed the two boys staring at him with interest. "Oh… I haven't really thought about it yet."

"Haven't thought about it?!" Curly asked him with vigor. "It's only going to be the most important party of the year and you haven't thought about it? Are you crazy!" Curly quickly stood out of his seat, causing it to screech backwards. "Everyone who is anyone will be there! Boys and girls alike! Kids from all grades!" He gestured out towards the lunchroom occupants with arms wide open. "And our gracious and glorious host will be providing the sanctity of her own dwelling to us miscreants! Surely you jest, Arnold."

The two boys stared at Curly with wide and unassuming eyes then exchanged glances.

"I doubt it's going to be that much of a big deal, Curly." Arnold reassured with a calm voice as he placed one of his hands on the table towards the boy, trying to gesture him to sit down. "It's just going to be her usual party."

"No big deal?!" Curly howled again, this time causing more heads to turn. Throwing both his hands down in Arnolds direction, Curly caused the table to vibrate violently. "You're an even bigger fool than I thought!"

With a clear of his throat, Eugene turned gingerly to Arnold. "He overheard the girls yesterday talking about the possible games we'll be playing." He explained softly with his voice hushed. "Let's just say… Rhonda has a little bit more planned than just darts and pin the tail on the monkey."

"Spin the bottle, seven minutes in heaven, truth or dare…" Curly started to list off as he grabbed his seat and sat back down. "Twester and even drinking games!"

The last one threw Arnold for a loop. "Drinking games?" He asked. "Curly, I highly doubt there's going to be alcohol at this party. You're blowing this way out of proportion."

"I heard there's going to be giant Junga!" Eugene clapped his hands with excitement. "Oh, that would be so much fun!"

"You just don't know who you're dealing with, Arnold." Curly pointed a finger in the boy's face and wagged it shamefully. "My woman is sophisticated and classy. No doubt there will be high class bubbly there for us all to toast the night to!"

With a sigh, Arnold took another bite of his food and let the two continue back and forth with what they speculated would be at the party. All of Eugene's suggestions were as innocent as they come, however Arnold had a clear view at just how delusional Curly was being. Ever since their few days of dating and swift break up, Curly never really got over the idea that Rhonda was secretly in love with him. Even with confronted with the truth by the woman in question, it only seemed to drive the kid even further into his fantasies. It didn't matter who told him what or how, Curly seemed to think that Rhonda just liked to give him chase and he sought after nothing more than the thrill.

"I don't know about you two," Curly started as he finished his last slurp of chocolate milk, "But I'm going to make the best of that party! I've even picked out the perfect costume! And before either of you ask, there is no way I'm telling! I can't risk the possibility of either of you plebians stealing my idea!"

"I wouldn't dream of it…" Arnold said dully. He could only imagine it was something either completely absurd or over the top, per his usual style.

With his milk carton clutched firmly in his hand, Curly looked over at his raven-haired beauty and sighed longingly. "I've got the night all planned out and there's no way I'm leaving that party without my woman latched in my arms." As he finished his sentence, the carton crushed and a few droplets of milk spat out in various directions, causing the other two boys to exchange weary glances. A few more seconds of silence passed before Curly shot his attention back to his table mates and crossed his legs as if nothing had ever happened. "So, who are you two looking to get with, in the end?"

"Get with?" Eugene asked in confusion.

"I think he means, as in date." Arnold explained, looking at Curly who only nodded in agreement.

The ginger kid shuffled in his place. "I don't really have anyone in mind." He then looked up, rather uncomfortably. "Aren't we a little too young to worry about that anyway?"

"Are you kidding me?!" Shrieked Curly as he grasped both sides of his head in frustration. "We're in sixth grade now! This is where it all begins! Boy meets girl, girl falls head over heels for boy in hot in steamy passion, boy and girl spend the rest of their lives together! This is what all the games are FOR! To find your one true love!"

"Just because that's your goal, doesn't mean it's the same for everyone else." Arnold commented, noticing how further uncomfortable Eugene was becoming with Curly's description. "Maybe some of us just want to have fun, right Eugene?"

"Y-yeah…" Eugene smiled nervously. "I'm just going for the dancing, music and fun."

"Oh, come off it!" Curly pleaded, "Everyone knows that Sheena has been into you for years! Do you really think she just dotes on all your injuries for nothing!? You should be using this time to bag your lady in the safest way possible!" He then took Eugene's unopened water bottle and laid it on the table between the three of them. With a quick twitch of his hand, he had it spinning at full speed. "All you'd have to do is invite her to play the game, spin and hope it lands on her and when it does…" The bottle's speed started to dwindle until finally coming to a full stop between Curly and Eugene. "You just pucker up your lips and she's all yours, no questions asked." He finished with a cackle.

Quickly grabbing his water bottle, Eugene twisted open the top and gave a few gulps of water. The whole idea had his head spinning and all the fun ideas he had were beginning to fade.

"Just leave him alone, Curly." Arnold insisted with a glare from across the table. "Not all of us are looking for the same thing." He then looked over at his friend who was doing his best to stable his breathing. "Maybe he's not ready or maybe he's just not interested. Whatever the reason, no one is going to force him to do anything he doesn't want to do. Right, Eugene?"

Eugene gave a half-hearted nod at Arnold before giving into a few more gulps of water to avoid having to talk.

Curly blew a loud raspberry at the two and crossed his arms. "Those are words spoken by men who intend to beforever alone." When he noticed that neither of the two were yielding to his ideology, he let out a loud huff. "Doesn't matter to me either way." And with that, Curly grabbed his empty lunch tray and brought it over to the garbage cans, leaving the two boys alone to soak in their decisions.

"Don't worry about him, Eugene." Arnold said kindly as he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, hoping to calm him down a bit. When the boy looked up at Arnold with eyes full of worry, Arnold retracted his hand and frowned. "Man, you're really bothered…" He noted as he studied the boy's expression. "No one's gonna make you participate in any of those games. Besides, I highly doubt it's going to be as big as Curly is making it out to be. Just go and have fun in your own way. There's gonna be a lot of other kids there that probably won't participate in those games anyway."

"Are… Are you going to?" Eugene asked with a cracked voice.

"Huh?" The question startled Arnold, as he honestly wasn't expecting Eugene to ask.

"Participate in those… games." Eugene clarified as he played with his bottle cap. "Like spin the bottle and truth or dare."

The thought really hadn't crossed his mind. It was true that if Curly was right, the sixth graders would be participating and, despite Curly's hallucinations of a relationship with Rhonda, he was pretty sure that plenty of others would join in hoping to find a significant other of their own.

With a smile and a shake of his head, Arnold placed his hand back on his friend's shoulder. "No, I'm going for the same reasons you are. Just to have fun like a normal kid."

"This wouldn't be because you're already in a relationship with Helga, would it?" Eugene asked simply, opening a large can of worms unbeknownst to him.

Arnold's eyes widened and he nearly stumbled out of his seat. "How… how did you…?"

"Because it makes sense why you wouldn't want to participate." Eugene tilted his head as he observed Arnolds irate behavior. "What's wrong, Arnold? Is it supposed to be a secret? Because you know I wouldn't tell anyone if it was. My lips are sealed, honest!"

"That's… not what I'm worried about, Eugene." Arnold explained as he straightened his body back up in his seat and took a deep breath. "How did you find out?"

"I overheard Sid and Stinky talking about it after that big fight you guys had in front of the school. I was drinking from the water fountain and they happened to be passing by." Eugene explained as he painted a vivid picture of the scene.

Arnold furrowed his brow and placed his head on the lunch table with a loud groan. It was obvious that Harold wasn't the only person he should have had a talk with that day and since so much time had passed between now and the incident, there was no telling how many kids had found out the same way Eugene had. "Great…"

"Oh boy..." Eugene patted Arnold on the back. "Arnold, you don't look so good. Do you need to lay down in the nurse's office? That always makes me feel better. Do you need me to escort you?"

Unfortunately, there was nothing the school nurse was going to be able to do to ease the boy's troubles and Arnold just shook his head. It meant a lot to him to know that the kid cared and wouldn't tell anyone their secret, but there was nothing anyone could do or say to make light of the situation now. "No thanks, Eugene. You wouldn't happen to remember anyone else who might have been in the hallway during that time, would you? You know, who could have possibly overheard them talking as well?"

"Gosh..." Eugene thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "That was a long time ago. I remember there were others in the hallway, but I can't remember any familiar faces."

That news was at least good, as Arnold was confident that Eugene had a good enough memory to at least recall if there was someone he knew. "Thanks, Eugene." He sat back up and gave the boy a weary smile. "That helps a little… Just do me a favor?"

"Anything, Arnold. Just name it!" The boy smiled excitedly; his shiny new braces glimmering from the iridescent lights above their heads.

"Tell me if you hear anyone else mentioning it, okay?" replied Arnold exhaustedly as he looked around the room at all his classmates talking happily amongst each other.

"Sure thing, Arnold." Eugene agreed. "But I do have to wonder… why exactly is it a secret? It wasn't a secret when you were dating Lila…" He paused a moment while he analyzed his words. "Of course, that was more one sided on your part, but your acts of romance were not gone unnoticed then. What's changed?"

This was now the second jab at him this week at his futile attempt to woo Lila and Arnold winced. He knew he was going to have to explain the situation in a way that his friend could grasp without totally giving away the reality that Helga just couldn't handle their peers knowing in fear of the consequences. "Have you ever had something you enjoyed that you never told your friends because you were afraid of how they might react?" He asked; pulling at his brain to try and formulate the right things to say without sounding suspicious. "Something that maybe they wouldn't really understand?"

The light in Eugene's eyes dimmed a little and he found his body becoming cold at the thought. He understood completely.

"Like maybe a T.V show that they might find childish, but you really like and wish you could share it with them?" It was the best example that Arnold could think up with such short notice.

"You mean like when everyone found out that Iggy still slept in footy pajamas?" Eugene smiled sympathetically, remembering how Arnold had gotten blamed for that whole scandal and was forced to walk in the open street to model in spite of Iggy's pride.

With another wince at yet another painful memory, Arnold nodded. "Yeah, something like that." He replied with a shallow breath. "It's sad, but sometimes you just know when you need to keep some personal things to yourself in order to protect yourself from embarrassment or shame. I may be happy with my relationship but-"

"Not everyone will understand." Eugene finished with a sigh. "I get it, Arnold. You don't have to explain anymore."

Unsure if he should be grateful or worried at his friends resolve, Arnold took Eugene at his word and concluded his explanation. With unspoken mutual understanding, they both picked up their trash and disposed of it properly.

The moment they arrived at the classroom; Arnold gave his friend a smile. "Thanks, Eugene." He said from the bottom of his heart.

"Don't mention it, Arnold." Eugene smiled back before heading on in.

Class resumed with business as usual until eventually Mr. Simmons stepped out of the room and Nurse Shelly waltzed on in. She seemed peppier than usual, as this was the first time all her students were present for the class since Lila had finally returned the permission slip. To celebrate, she treated them all to a wonderful video on how to support a friend or family member who could be struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction. The class concluded with her handing out pamphlets with information on local organizations that aided in the recovery of addiction as well as a magnet for everyone's refrigerator.

"Can you believe this?" Helga asked the class as she swung around her magnet. "Does she seriously expect all of us to just put these on our fridge? The woman is losing her marbles."

"I don't know, Helga. Some families might benefit from this information…" Lila chimed in with an optimistic smile.

"Yeah, well if you knew anyonestrugglingwith addiction, then you'd know they're probably already too far gone to care." She replied as she flung the magnet across the room without a care. "Come on, Phoebe. We've got plans."

Phoebe jumped out of her seat and rushed towards her friend's side without a word.

"Where are you two going?" Gerald asked with genuine interest.

With a scowl, Helga turned her head towards her judge and jury. "Not that it's any of your beeswax, Geraldo but we're gonna go throw rocks in the river." And before he had time to reply, she grabbed Phoebe by the arm and dragged her out of the room.

Gerald shook his head and turned towards Arnold who was still sitting in his assigned seat. "What's eating her?" He asked him, knowing full well that there probably wasn't anything specific and even if there was, this wasn't the time or place for Arnold to disclose such information. Not that he probably would anyway. "You wanna go rollerblade downtown? My brother said he heard they're converting an old lumber yard into a skatepark and I've been meaning to look into it."

Thinking between the options of confronting Stinky and Sid, contemplating all his current worries and going roller blading with his best friend… the answer was a no brainer. Arnold's brain needed a break and some old fashion hanging out with his best friend was definitely on the right track. "Sure thing, Gerald." He replied gladly. "I just gotta stop home and get my skates. I'll meet you at your place."

The bus was cramped and smelled of sweat and pleather, with a random assortment of passengers onboard. Helga and Phoebe weren't fortunate enough to grab a seat and were forced to hang on to the railing straps which hung along the bus's ceiling.

To and frow the girls were rocked back and forth until the bus skidded forward to an abrupt halt whenever someone pulled on the stop wire. It wasn't the most pleasurable ride; however, it served its purpose. What lay before them was the tall historical structure of the Hillwood Museum, clad in a tall stone staircase, pillars and large golden colored front doors with a worker standing on each side to check them in.

"Tickets?" The old lanky man said at the door as the girls approached. He held out his hands and waited patiently for Helga to open her bag up and present him with the tickets as needed. "Ah, you're here for the new Egyptian exhibit. You'll find what you're looking for on the second floor heading towards the cafeteria. If you need a guide, one can be appointed to you for a small fee. The welcome desk is just ahead. Please enjoy your stay."

Heading on in, the two friends looked back and forth around the large lobby. It hadn't changed at all since their trip last year in the fifth grade, nor from the time before that from their trip in the third grade. Always the same old thing just different wall décor always showcasing whatever exhibit they were pushing that week.

"Now that we're safely in the museum, are you willing to disclose your idea for Arnold's birthday present?" Phoebe asked as she looked up curiously at her tall friend.

Waving her to follow, Helga began to walk in the direction of their intended destination. "Well, I was in the shopping district yesterday going crazy trying to find the perfect birthday present. I was about to just give up and leave when I saw this poor sap hanging out coupons for this thing. You know the kind. Mascot outfit, waving people down. So, I figure, why not? Let's see what he's selling. He gave me the coupon and also this…" She explained as she handed the pamphlet down to Phoebe. "Look at the last page."

Phoebe did as instructed and flipped the pamphlet over to the last page. "Every visit to the new exhibit gains 1 free pass to the city botanical gardens?" She read out loud, a little surprised.

"Yeah! I figured we go to this lame exhibit, get those tickets and then BAM! Perfect birthday date and completely free! With… a little bit of effort." Helga grabbed back her pamphlet and looked over the page again. "Beautiful tropical atmosphere without the threat of river pirates or indigenous tribes who worship him!"

"You're trying to recreate the trip to San Lorenzo?" Phoebe adjusted her glasses as if seeing Helga for the first time.

"N-not exactly…" Helga stammered as she fiddled with the paper in her hands. "It just so happens that he likes this sort of stuff, and it just so happens that that's where he first acknowledged my feelings! It's not like I'm trying to recreate that intense boyish passion where he grabbed my hands and leaned in for a kiss. That moment when he realized he saw me as more than just a school yard bully, a classmate who bugs him or a tormentor that's hounded him every single day since preschool! But as a woman who adores him for all of his perfections and imperfections! As a soul mate who would follow him to the fiery pits of hell if I had to! I'm not trying to recreate that at all, Phoebe! I have no idea what you're talking about!" When she realized she was going off on a tangent and gradually getting louder, Helga stopped and blinked. She could see the other visitors looking at her and whispering, causing her to shield her face and drag Phoebe further into the museum. "As I said. Just a nice and normal birthday present. No ulterior motives."

"Right…" Phoebe agreed quietly, not wanting to invoke her passions any further.

They continued to vaguely look at the various statues and paintings that hung along the walls in each room and around every corridor. Rooms upon rooms, hallways upon hallways until they eventually reached the stairs they needed to ascend in order to get to the very room they sought. With hands on the marble railings, they walked up; every step they took echoed around the wide-open stairwell in a rather deafening tone.

Once they reached their destination, they stood in awe at the large indoor pyramid that was made.

"This wasn't here before." Phoebe observed as she approached it. The closer she got, the smaller and smaller she felt.

"How did they manage to build this in here?" Helga asked as she walked over to the podium that stood in front of the velvet ropes that blocked the public out from getting too close. On the podium stood an informative article explaining which pyramid it was a replica of, when the original was built and why it was the particular choice for this attraction.

Phoebe walked over to her companion and read over the article for herself, then stepped back once more to fully take in the sight. "I have to say, it's definitely inspiring. To think that centuries ago, massive structures like these were built by hand, and for what purpose? Once it was believed that these were tombs for the mighty pharaohs but that's since been debunked as no mummy has ever been found in a pyramid. Some speculate that they were made to contact otherworldly beings, Gods even, as their geographical location is set in a very specific way, not to mention the specific dimensions of the pyramids themselves tell their own story."

"Yeah, yeah but where are the tickets to the botanical gardens?!" Helga whined, as the attraction no longer concerned her. She began to hunt around but it seemed there was no ticket station in sight. "Was this all just a ploy to get people here? That's false advertisem*nt!"

Looking around the oversized room, Phoebe was also at a loss. "It's possible that they already ran out and we're too late."

"Wecan'tbe too late!" The blonde girl cried as she kicked one of the metal poles that fastened the velvet ropes. "I just gotta take him to see those gardens! Our whole relationship depends on it! What kind of lifelong partner would I be if I can't even manage to celebrate one measly birthday properly!"

With a frown, Phoebe walked over to Helga and watched her throw her tantrum around the room. "I could hail down a tour guide and ask them?" She suggested in a meek voice, not wanting Helga to cause any more of a scene then she was already making. "I'm sure it's not hopeless, Helga."

The word hopeless made the girl drop to her knees and pout. "This was my chance to really show him that I want his day to be special…" She explained in a whisper as she sulked on the cold stone floor. "To show him how special he is to me."

Phoebe knelt down and made herself eye level with the sullen girl. "You've done more than enough to show him how special he is to you, Helga. We both know that." Her words were warm and comforting, causing Helga to look up at her. With a smile, she held out her hand. "Come on. Why don't we go to the gift shop? Maybe we can find something there that he'd like within your price limit."

Taking her best friends' hand, Helga nodded and followed her out of the room, damning her luck with every step that she had to take until she reached the cursed gift shop.

"See? There are plenty of good things here." Suggested Phoebe as she pointed to small replicas of some of the exhibits. "Sometimes, you need to look beyond the surface and really take in your surroundings. There's bound to be something here that Arnold would like for his birthday."

Helga dragged her feet over to look at some of the books, then trinkets, then various shirts and other memorabilia that all had logos of the museum on it. "This is all junk, Phoebe." She said through grit teeth. "This was all a waste of time!"

Ignoring her friend's pessimism, Phoebe continue to look around until eventually making her way to the counter where they had a bunch of jewelry behind a case. "Maybe a nice leather bounder journal, perhaps?" She suggested as she gazed upon a bookshelf that was to her left. "It's helpful for one to write down their innermost thoughts, specially to help them through tough times in their life. With Arnold having his parents back, I can only imagine all of the things he could be feeling. His life has completely changed."

Slumping herself beside a rack of fluffy stuffed animals, Helga sighed. "I want him to be able to confide inmewith his innermost thoughts!" She whined loudly, as she grabbed a stuffed bear and poked both its eyes. "Not some stupid journal!"

As Phoebe opened her mouth to protest, her train of thought was interrupted by a large woman who entered through an 'employee's only' door and seated herself behind the front register. "I see I have some customers!" The woman smiled.

"Ma'am, you wouldn't happen to know of any tickets to the botanical gardens that the museum might be offering?" asked Phoebe as she approached the cashier. "We saw them being advertised along with your new Egyptian exhibit, that I must say, was breathtaking!"

"Why yes! I do recall something about that!" The woman replied, her voice had a slight southern drawl to it. "I heard they were originally being handed out by the tour guides but since many were getting misplaced, they're now being offered over at the front desk when you walk in."

Helga's eyes lit up. "Are you sure?" She asked excitedly, dashing from the plushy stand and over to the counter. "Like absolutely one hundred percent, absolutely, without a doubt, sure?"

The cashier smiled and nodded. "So long as my hearing is still intact, I do believe it's what I heard."

Without a second to lose, Helga grabbed Phoebe's arm and yanked her out of the gift shop without so much as a goodbye or thank you to the nice worker. Nothing could stand in her way now. All they needed to do was get back to the main entrance and demand the tickets they were due.

On their way back to the main entrance, Helga pushed her way through many families that were just starting to file in, many with young children. She could see the smiles on the young kids faces as they pointed to the paintings or giggled at the reenactment dolls that were set up behind displays. None of this mattered to her though, because they all stood in the way between her and her hot ticket to showing Arnold a wonderful time.

With a skidding halt, the two girls made it back to the front desk.

"Do you still have any more of those tickets for the city botanical gardens?" Helga asked through her labored breathing.

The lanky old man who once greeted them at the door, shuffled his body over behind one of the counters and held out some tickets with his weak and wrinkly hand. "Are these the tickets you're looking for?"

Helga quickly snatched the tickets out of his hand and grinned like a mad man. "Yes!" She shouted, so loud her voice seemed to bounce off the walls. "Finally!"

"It seems you got what you wanted." Phoebe commented, unable to contain a grin from running ear to ear. She noticed the mans startled face and simply bowed out of respect and brought her friend out of the building and into the nice open air. "So, have you decided how you're going to present the tickets to him?"

With excitement still welling in her, Helga kept her eyes on her prize. Everything was finally working out in her favor! She had heard her friends question but didn't really have much of an answer yet as only step one had been completed and that in itself was a feat. Slowly, she walked down the large steps and onto the busy pavement and shrugged. "I really haven't thought that far yet." She replied truthfully, her face not wavering from the smile. They both walked over to the bus stop and waited. "It would seem pretty stupid if I just threw it in his face and said 'Here ya go, football head. Happy birthday.' and it wouldn't seem very special if I gave it to him along with whatever other gifts his family got him."

The bus arrived and the two girls dropped their coins in the collector and sat down.

"I suppose my only real option is to wait until after the celebration and give it to him then, that way my gift is the very last and I can soak up all of the gratification for myself and in private." Helga finished her train of thought openly and the bus took off.

"Sort of like, saving the best for last?"

"Exactly." Helga agreed with a sly smile. "I don't want to mix mywell thought out presentin with whatever other crap he's getting."

"Very astute of you." Complimented Phoebe as she pulled her hands in front of her lap and intertwined her fingers together. "I'm sure he'll be delighted."

Blowing air through her nose loudly, Helga leaned back in her seat and kicked up one of her feet to rest on the edge of her seat. "He better be. I don't want all that effort wasted."

Her friend's words got her to thinking as the bus bumped them up and down. Had Helga always put this much thought into her birthday as well? All of the gifts she had given her usually were very practical, just as Phoebe usually liked them. It made no sense in getting a bunch of items with little uses to clutter up one's room. Clutter only leads to chaos and chaos isn't good for a growing mind, that and every year her father made it a point for them to all donate things they no longer used or found no joy in anymore. Books, School supplies and the occasional ticket to something was normally Helga's style for her. She treasured every single one down to the most used and worn item.

Did Gerald put that much effort in her gifts as well? Over the years, he gave her small things that didn't seem too noticeable. A decorative eraser to put atop her pencil, a high-quality ball point pen, a key chain... Their affection for each other was never intentionally kept hidden, however neither felt the need to really draw attention to themselves, either. Public views of affection were kept minimal as well and this is how they felt comfortable… but what about now? Things had changed a little this year and there was no doubt in her mind that everyone knew of their union, which was fine. Would his presents become more elaborate as time went on? How much thought went into them?

She recalled her own gifts to him, and her heart sagged a little. She did her best to get him things she knew he would enjoy for times and times to come but… did they seem thoughtful? He always smiled and thanked her. He would later give her a small kiss on the cheek when no one was around. Truly it always meant something to him, but would she need to step up her game? Would the quality or quantity need to increase? The questions swam through her mind and Phoebe shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Helga pulled on the stop cord and signaled the driver that their stop was nearby. "Ready to go, Pheebs?" She called to her.

"Ready!" chirped Phoebe, startled from the sudden break of her thoughts.

The bus stopped and the two girls got out. It was finally time for the both of them to go their separate ways. They said their brief goodbyes, waved and departed.

Phoebe clung to the straps of her backpack and turned the corner towards her house. She breathed a breath of fresh air as being cooped up on that bus was beginning to become suffocating. Had it been the bus? Or had it really been her insistent thoughts analyzing her current relationship where nothing bad had even happened? Her mind buzzed and she started to feel insecure.

Everything is fine…She assured herself silently and her pace quickened.You're merely being absurd, that's all. Gerald and I are perfectly happy in our relationship and nothing need be proved… Helga has just gotten in my head. Not intentionally, of course. Her insecurities are well founded in their own way.However, nothing she told herself seemed to quell the feeling that was poking at her every crevasse.

She opened her front door and locked it tightly behind her. The smell of dinner wafted towards her and her muscles released a bit of their tension. Home was a place to feel safe and secure, and that's exactly what she was. No reason to let little things bother her, especially unfounded ones.

"I'm home." She called out to her parents who she could hear talking in the kitchen.

"Okaerinasai." Her father called back before appearing from the doorway. "How was your outing with Helga?"

The familiar sight caused her heart to slow down and everything seemed right in the world once again. With a strong will and a smile on her lips, she placed her backpack down and hung up her jacket in its designated spot. "Pleasant."

Kyo looked down at his watch then motioned for her to join them in the kitchen. "Glad to hear it. Dinner is almost ready so please wash up."

"Certainly, Father." She replied without hesitation. There was no need for her to question anything about her relationship with Gerald. They were practically the ideal couple. Not going too fast or too slow. Making sure their studies and families came before anything else, after all, they were still adolescents. But still…

Dinner began and concluded. Despite all their pleasant conversations about the day, as well as her daily fencing lessons with her father, Phoebe could not get rid of a tiny little nagging feeling in the back of her head. Even her comforting shower did nothing to sooth the frustration that was budding from within.

Storming out of the bathroom, the small Asian girl threw her dirty towel in her hamper and flopped down on her bed. She stared at the ceiling for what seemed like a lifetime before finally deciding to nip this doubt in the bud and confront the problem head on.

Reaching over for her phone, Phoebe let out a deep sigh before dialing the number.

Ring…Ring…Ring…

"Timberly!" Gerald shouted from across the living room as he chased his little sister who had the remote to the T.V. "Give that back!"

"Haha! You can't catch me!" She mocked as she jumped on the couch, over to the chair and back on the floor again, sprinting into the kitchen where the phone continued to ring on its receiver. "You're too slow!"

Ring…Ring…

Gerald growled as he continued to chase her. The moment he got into the kitchen; he noticed the phone ringing. With a quick angry glance at his sister, who was now back in the living room sticking her tongue out at him, he admitted defeat for now and headed on towards the phone.

"Hello?" He grumbled angrily.

"Gerald?" A small meek voice called back on the other line.

Quickly, Gerald gathered his composure and cleared his voice. "Phoebe? Is everything all right." He could see the clock in the kitchen and noted that it was rather late for her normal calls.

He could hear her giggle on her end. "Everything is fine, Gerald. Not to worry."

"Oh, okay…" He let out a longing sigh, now completely forgetting about his sister in the other room. "That's good to hear. What's up?"

The line went silent for a moment, before Phoebe finally managed to reply. "Not much. How has your night been going?" She avoided the real topic she had in mind for a much easier one for now.

The question made the boy turn his head towards the living room where he saw his little sister bouncing up and down on the couch, watching her favorite T.V show. "Pretty normal on my end." He replied, letting more of his frustration ooze out. "Timberly, being her usual self and doing everything she possibly can to get on my nerves." He heard her chuckle again, which made him smile. "How was your day with Pataki? Throw lots of rocks into the river?"

"Oh…" Phoebe remembered the excuse Helga had given and found herself stumped. Usually, she would have kept the outing a secret since it was what her best friend wanted, but thinking about it now, there really was no reason for the act in itself to be kept a mystery; only the motive. "We didn't go to the river, Gerald." She corrected, "We actually went to the History Museum."

Shocked by the reply, Gerald found himself a loss for words. "W-what? Really?"

"Yes." Phoebe explained, "There was some business there she had to take care of and wanted me to join along. I admit, I was rather surprised myself when she asked me to accompany her but we had a very enjoyable time."

"Helga… wanted to go to the museum?" Gerald reiterated in order to fully let the idea sink in. "Now I've heard everything. What's going on with that girl? She's been so weird lately. So… not like herself."

It was true that over the last few days, Helga had been significantly mellowed out compared to her usual self. Less pushing and shoving of the other kids, keeping rather to herself and even offering to help Lila… even if that was for her own benefit. From the eyes of a bystander, Helga did seem pretty unlike herself. "I suppose I can see what you mean…" Phoebe started; treading carefully on what she could divulge. "However, I assure you that she's just had a lot on her mind as of late. Nothing to worry about."

"Oh, I'm not worried." Gerald clarified. "I'm just starting to think I've entered the twilight zone." He ended that last part with a mystical sounding voice. "Helga not bugging people as much and actually offering to help? Meanwhile, Arnold's acting weird too." Gerald furrowed his brows and recalled their recent conversations. "He's clearly keeping something from me and its really beginning to wear me down. I mean, everyone's got their personal things going on but… wanting to hang out with Brainy?"

"Brainy?" Phoebe cut him off the moment the information connected.

"I get that we've grown up with the kid but, even you've got to admit that he's on the weird side." Gerald looked down at his floor, noticed a lone crayon and kicked it aside. "Even with Curly being as mental as he is, at least has reasons for what he does… but to do absolutely nothing, pretty much ever? Now that's strange."

This wasn't something that Phoebe had been up to speed with. Had Helga informed Arnold about her suspicions about Brainy? And if so, what was he planning on doing about it? A sick feeling entered her throat, causing Phoebe to swallow. "Arnold has always been a very friendly guy, Gerald. Surely, he just wants to get to know his fellow friend and classmate. What's the harm in that?"

With an eyeroll, Gerald let out a sigh. "I guess you're right but…" He could feel a tingle go up his spine the moment he recalled the spikey hair kid's dead stares. It was almost like he was a zombie at times. "The guy just gives me the creeps. I feel like there's something going on and I'm the only one who doesn't know about it."

His suspicions were true but the girl knew she had to keep her silence. "Maybe or maybe not…" She eluded. "I wouldn't think too much about it though."

"I just wish I wasn't kept in the dark." The boy confessed. "Arnold's head has been in the clouds a lot more lately then normal and when I ask him about it, I feel like he's making up things to avoid answering me straight."

It was nice to know that Gerald could open up to her about his frustrations and concerns, and this led Phoebe into remembering the whole reason she had wanted to call in the first place. "Are you always 'straight' with me?" She casually segued in. "I couldn't blame you if you wanted to keep a few personal things to yourself."

Gerald let out a light laugh. "Nah, I'm always straight with you. I have no reason not to be, after all, you're my girl…" He swaggered.

His response caused a small blush to adorn her cheeks and she could feel her heart flutter. "I… I see."

"If there's one person you've always gotta be truthful to, it's the person special to you." He could feel the heat raise to his cheeks as well. "That's the only way things work out. It's how my parents have always survived, anyway. Even when my Mom doesn't want to tell my Dad about something sheknowsis going to make him flip out, she still does it anyway. Like how much the electric bill was last month, Woah! My Dad lost it!" He chuckled at the memory. "But even so, the family talked it out like we always do and found things to cut in order to lower the bill. Now, each of us are allowed only one hour of T.V time which…" Gerald looked over at his sister again, who this time was rocking back and forth on her heels in front of the appliance in question, heavily engrossed in the show. "My sister kindly stole from me…" He finished with a growl.

His honesty lightened the girl's heart. "So, you'd tell me if anything I did has bothered you?" She asked, hoping to know the answer already.

"Of course, Phoebe." The boy on the other end smiled back. "And I'd expect the same from you. I'm not a mind reader, you know."

She thought back to her honesty during the most difficult time last month and sighed.My fears really are unfounded. I'm such a fool…She scolded herself.

"Well, I'd better be going now…" She said shyly as she looked at the time. "I'll see you tomorrow at school." As much as she didn't want to hang up, there was no doubt that her parents would eventually notice the line being tied up and have some questions for her. Questions that she really didn't want to answer.

"Okay. See ya, babe."

His affection caused her to blush an even redder shade. "See ya… babe." She repeated before quickly hanging up and exploding in a squeal all over her bed.

Chapter 33

Chapter Text

The street lights flickered on as the sun went down around Hillwood, causing all children who were still playing outside to run back into their homes. Many were already inside and awaiting dinner, and this included Arnold.

The dinner table was mostly full and all were awaiting their chef’s presence along with the promised food. Once the food was assembled on the table, it only took the sound of the last dish hitting the surface for the boarders to start digging in.

Helga watched awkwardly while the adults filled their plates, then looked across the table at Arnold who seemed to be doing the same. She wondered what exactly the meal was, since all she could really see was it was some type of stew. Next to it, were some grainy looking dinner rolls as well as a plate of seasoned rice.

“Alright already!” Phil shouted at his tenants, while shewing their hands away from the food. “You scavengers act like you haven’t eaten in days!” He could hear them grumble but paid no mind, and instead looked at the two young kids and shook his head. “You can’t grow unless you eat, so you better grab some food while you can.” Then finally looked to his own. “And if you have any intention on eating your own food, you better start serving yourselves first.”

The elder’s words granted the rest of the table sometime to plate their own food, leaving Helga as the last. She stood up and looked over at the pot, with an arched eyebrow.

“It won’t bite.” Arnold noted with a smile, as he spooned some of the stew onto his rice. “Just try it.”

Skeptical, she looked the contents over again. She could see Stella and Miles eyeing her out of the corner of her eye, so she prepared her plate in the same manner as her peer and sat down.

Eating at Arnold’s house always seemed to be an adventure. No dinner was ever the same and more times than not, it had ingredients she had no idea even existed. It was much different from the basic meat and potatoes, basic pasta dish or take out her family usually had… and those were on the good days. Typically, her dinner was cereal or a sandwich unless Olga came over. In fact, Olga usually showcased her extensive culinary prowess and caused her parents to just fawn over her more, causing Helga to hate her food on pure principle. It didn’t matter if the food tasted good because it would always taste sour with a mouth full of animosity.

After everyone was done eating, the boarders slowly made their ways out of the dining room, leaving the family to clean up, per usual.

“You go on ahead and take care of your homework, Shortman.” Said Phil as he pushed young Arnold out of the dining room, leaving him a bit baffled.

Helga looked between the two and figured it was only best for her to follow suit as it honestly made her uncomfortable to do anything in this house without Arnold nearby.

“Not so fast, little lady.” Gertie called to Helga before grabbing onto her arm lightly. “I was hoping we could have a talk before you saddled up back to the ranch.”

“Huh?” Helga was startled but had no idea how to handle her situation. Was she in trouble? She looked at Arnold who seemed just as confused as she was.

Gertie let the girl go and only gave a warm smile, while Phil led Arnold away.

“Have a seat…” The old woman said as she gestured to the chair Helga had gotten used to sitting in.

This made Helga want to run away even more, but did as she was told and sat down. A million thoughts flew through her head as she waited patiently for the old woman to get on with whatever it was. She could feel her stomach nervously twitch with every passing second.

Phil managed to make his way back to the dining room, and sat down next to his wife. Moments later, Arnold’s parents emerged from the kitchen and did the same.

“What is this about?” Helga finally said, doing her best to push away all of the anxieties that were raging around inside her.

“I’m sure you’re aware that its young Arnold’s birthday next week.” Phil started as he looked around the room at his family with a smile. “And we were hoping you could get him out of the house that day so we could set it all up. Obviously, don’t go and spill the beans to him, but just, you know, drag him around town for a while so it gives us some time.”

“We want to be able to set up the dining room with a banner, streamers and really go all out!” explained Miles as he pointed to the open door ways and edges of the ceiling.

“Since it will be our first birthday with him that he can remember, we really want to make it special.” Stella chimed in, reaching over the table, and placing her hand on Helga’s arm. “Could you do this for us?”

Astonished at this request, Helga looked between all the adults again and breathed in deeply. “So… let me get this straight. You want me to drag Arnold out of the house for an undisclosed amount of time so you guys can dizzy up the place?”

“Sure!” laughed Phil, “You can even get your little friends involved. Have a baseball game, go throw rocks in the river, take a trip to Elk Island! Whatever you want just don’t come home until, oh- I don’t know… late afternoon-ish.”

“We’ll even give you a little money, that way, it will be like a date.” Stella encouraged as she reached in her pocket and pulled out a couple of dollar bills.

Everything was happening so fast, that Helga felt like her head was spinning. Not only did this give her a perfect chance to take him out for his birthday, but they were even throwing cash her way? And they were encouraging her to make it a date? Images started to flood her brain with the possibilities and she could feel herself being whisked away into her fantasies. Quickly, she forced her focus to the conversation at hand.

“Eh…” She shrugged casually. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”

The two younger parents looked at each other with excitement and held each others hands.

“Thank you, Helga.” Said Miles, warmly. “This really means a lot to us.”

“Do you want me to get everyone from our class to come too?” She asked as she pushed herself back up to her feet, assuming the talk had been over.

Phil hummed to himself and forced a laugh. “No… No.” He remembered the mess everyone had made on the roof top when they had invited everyone to the showing of their winning contest entry to San Lorenzo, then cringed. “We’ll be making this one family only. Less of a mess, that way…”

“Oh…” The term he used caused her heart to sink a little. She had been forcing the creeping suspicion away that she may not be invited, and it seemed like maybe she was right. “Okay.”

“Hurd the cattle, round up the horses and take em to pasture to graze!” Gertie shouted before laughing hysterically, causing the others to jump. When she settled down, she patted Helga on the head. “Do be sure to take good care of Tex for us, Calamity Sue.”

Slowly backing away, Helga nodded compliantly. “Right… Well, I got homework to do so… I’ll be going now…” She said with some uneasy hesitation. The moment she noticed that no one was stopping her, she turned around and raced out in route to her room of solitude.

The adults watched her queer behavior but didn’t question it. It was something Phil and Gertie had become accustomed to, since they had known her and all her quirks for years now, however, it still left Arnold’s parents scratching their heads.

“Everything settled then…?” Phil asked them, his voice drawing out the last word as he looked in to each of their faces. “No more doubts?”

Gertie jumped out of her seat and placed her foot on the chair that the girl once sat in. “It’s gonna be a hooten and tooten jamboree!” She yelled out, before laughing once again.

“I hope so…” replied Miles, still looking a little unsure of himself.

The days had been flying by a lot sooner than he would have liked, which gave him little time to plan such a big event. It was one thing to plan a party for a one-year-old. Not much to really do except put a party hat on his head, give him a small cake to mash his face into, a few presents to play with and fill the house with love. A preteen though? Miles could hardly remember himself at Arnold’s age since it had been so long, but there was one thing he could remember, and that was his birthdays were either embarrassing or nearly forgotten about, if something was going on in the world. He didn’t want this for Arnold. He wanted to plan something completely age appropriate with just the right amount of pizazz.

Stella placed her hand on her husband’s shoulder, patted it a few times then smiled. “You’re such a worry wart…” She stated before returning to the kitchen.

“That’s part of why you love me though… right?” When Miles turned to look at his wife, he noticed she had already left and panicked a little. “Right? Stella!”

Smoothing his bald head, Phil sighed and watched his son chase after the pretty brunette woman who he could hear chuckling from inside the kitchen. “What are we gonna do with him…” He mumbled to himself. Looking over at his own wife, who had finished her play of hysterics and seemed to come back to the real world, he gave her solemn eyes. “We went from raising one boy, to a different boy and now to two boys! I tell ya… I’d be pulling out all of my hair, if I had any left! If things go on this way, I dunno if I’ll make it to 91!”

The woman cackled and began to finish clearing up the dinner table.

“And you’re the worst one of them all!” He motioned to her, with a grin. He knew it wasn’t true; at least not the extent he was making it. Her wiles kept him on his feet, as well as helped him forget the age they truly were. You’ll always stay young, if you’re young at heart… Phil reminded himself before helping his cherished spouse.

It was time to finally take a load off and let Miles take the reins of Arnold’s rearing, and Phil had every intention of enjoying every second of it. He could vividly remember all of the trouble that came with raising a teenage boy. The joys and sorrows. The punishments and rewards. All the confusing feelings about growing up and frustrations of how to handle it… these were the things that Phil fondly remembered. Miles wasn’t a very difficult boy; if anything, he was a blessing. A bit more rambunctious than Arnold, but a pleasure nonetheless. He had his own strengths and weaknesses and it was going to be very amusing to watch him raise a teen boy.

This realization also put feelings of sadness into Phil, and he frowned. Young Arnold always came to him with his boyhood struggles, adventure stories and celebrations and now he would have someone else to share them with. His real father. Phil was no longer the primary male figure for him and thus, he would have to get used to Arnold sharing things with Miles that even he didn’t know about.

“Chin up.” Gertie demanded as she watched her husband sulk silently. “That’s where Miles, gets it from, you know.” She mentioned with a wink.

“Ohhhh…” Phil whined as he furrowed his brows. He knew his wife could read him like a book and hated it. “Give me those spoons!” He demanded as he snatched the shiny silver utensils out of her hand, hoping he could change the subject. The last thing he wanted to do, was confront these feelings. “Don’t you have someone else to harass?”

“My, my…” Gertie sang playfully as she watched the old man scowl and finish picking up the last of the cups. “But you’re my favorite target!”

Phil rolled his eyes, but smiled on the inside. After all, it didn’t matter what sort of attention she was giving him because underneath, he knew it was laced with love.

Arnold wandered up to his room and laid out his homework. He had done his best to set aside his worries that afternoon for the sake of just enjoying himself. Now that he was home, in the quiet of his room, it was a lot harder to keep his thoughts at bay.

So much had gone on, and only recently. His relationship with Helga had gotten a lot better from inside these walls, however at school, everything remained the same… just how she liked it. Just how long would they have to keep this up? How long until the walls of their façade would come crashing down around them? Knowing full well that Stinky and Sid knew about their relationship, and had opened their mouths carelessly in the halls of P.S 118, it was only a matter of days before everyone knew… if they didn’t already. Arnold wondered just how many people actually knew now, but were being kind enough to keep it to themselves.

That aside, there was also the subject of Brainy and whatever he was doing. He had promised Helga that he wouldn’t confront him, and he didn’t… but deep inside, boiled something callous and hideous that not even he wanted to admit. It wasn’t so much as jealousy, as it was the need to protect. Monsters lurked behind corners in dark alleys but they could also hide behind computer screens. If one boy had the ability to do something so massive without much effort… Its scared Arnold to think of what Brainy could accomplish if he really set his mind to it. This led into the fact that Arnold really didn’t know much about the boy in the first place, which bothered him even more.

With all of these things going on, how was it possible for Arnold to even consider his birthday? This was something he knew Gerald, or any other normal kid, couldn’t understand. He always carried the mighty weight of the world on his shoulder, even if it had nothing to do with him.

Taking out a freshly sharpened pencil from his desk, Arnold tapped it a few times against his paper, lost in thought, before mindlessly popping it into his mouth and chewing on the metal part for a minute. He looked down at his worksheet but the words seemed foreign to him.

He considered the good things around him. His parents were warm and loving, just like he always thought they would be. He was finally spending time with them, although admittedly, less now that school started. The stories they would tell him, and how happy and interested they were to hear his stories as well, were all dreams that were coming true! He felt whole, for the first time in his life. He would have the wise teachings of his grandparents, the loving support of his real parents, as well as random life lessons learned by the boarders. He had so many friends, and now even a girlfriend!

Arnold then realized that he had completely worn out the pencil eraser and set it down. He could taste the metallic residue, as well as tiny bits of the pink eraser that had imbedded themselves into the crevasses of his teeth. Spitting to the side, he set down the utensil and stared at his worksheet again. Things just didn’t feel right. How was he supposed to enjoy all of these new things with so much bad looming in the distance, just waiting for the perfect moment to jump out and ruin everything? Could he take care of these things before they really did any damage?

The boy rested his back against his computer chair and sighed. “Gerald is right…” He spoke softly to himself. He remembered a conversation that he and Helga had before the Emporium burned down. She had told him that if she was strong enough to endure what she had already, then surely, she could endure people finding out about their relationship. He knew she could; She had proved time and time again how capable she was.

Closing his eyes, Arnold began to fantasize what life might be like if their relationship were out in the open. He thought of them holding hands and smiling at each other as they walked down the street and through the halls of their school. Of people smiling and whispering in awe of how perfectly they complimented each other, just like how he thought of Gerald and Phoebe. He imagined them going out on dates to movies, to a nice restaurant, or even to the beach. The wind blowing carelessly through her thick blonde hair, a perfect smile on her lips, and her slightly tanned skin shining under the sun’s rays. He thought of how wonderful things really could be, if they were allowed to be. He knew that reality could be harsh, but just how different would things really be if she allowed them to be more open? Would people really ridicule her like she feared? Would knowing that one of the biggest, baddest and meanest bullies of P.S 118 had a softhearted and kind side really tear open the fabric of her school life?

He then considered Big Patty. She was a very large and very standoffish girl, however when you got to know her, she was similar to Torvald in a way. Just because she looked big and mean, and sometimes held kids accountable for their actions, didn’t actually make her mean. Patty had a bad reputation but she also didn’t hide that she was a kind individual and no one dared bully her for it… so why wouldn’t it be the same for Helga? Surely, size wasn’t the biggest contributing factor as everyone knew that Helga could be just as brutal as the next person and if anything, her small stature actually made her faster and harder to control. She was muscular and fast, not large, and slow. Her mind was also quick and, even if sometimes she made mistakes, she was mostly quick witted not only in a fight but with her words as well.

Feeling himself unintentionally smiling at the thought of her, Arnold shook his head and remembered that there was something he was supposed to be doing, and thinking about girls was not it. Again, he stared down at his worksheet. It was only a few open-ended questions regarding something they covered in history. They weren’t even hard questions! So, why was it so hard for him to focus?

Looking over at his shut door, he wondered if Helga had finished her homework and, if she had, what she was doing right now?

You’re a hopeless romantic… He remembered Gerald had told him once when he was still after the affections of Ruth. He thought his friend was just being funny but now? Arnold smiled again, but this time intentionally. He knew it was true.

Thinking back to his father’s journal, Arnold remembered how stupid he looked in front of his mom as he tried to woo her and wondered if he looked the same.

Walking back and forth with an angry expression cemented on her face, Helga had no intentions on doing that worksheet, not while she was feeling this way. She went over the conversation in her head once more. They wanted her to take Arnold out for his birthday, they would even pay for it so long as she brought him home on time and didn’t join them. It was sort of cruel. She would get what she wanted but at the cost of being alienated from the main event.

“Who even cares?” She spat. “Who would even want to join some dorky birthday party anyway? With streamers and balloons? Are they gonna bring in a clown too? I wouldn’t be caught dead at a party like that.” She growled.

Feeling her heart sink lower and lower, she remembered how friendly his family had been to her. They welcomed her into their house, at no cost to her, given her all the food she wanted, even if she didn’t accept most of it. Because of them, she was allowed to have precious moments with Arnold that she never even considered possible. I owe them… She thought sadly. So what if they don’t want me there? I can’t blame them. I wouldn’t want some outsider lurking while I cherished and celebrated the birthday of my long-lost son who I hadn’t seen in 10 plus years!

Suddenly, it felt like all the joy she had managed to acquire after getting those tickets; all her fantasies, just seemed to blow away. Helga walked over to the small desk in her room and opened the drawer. There in front of her, lie the tickets she had worked so hard to get. “It’s not like my plans have really changed…” She told herself. “I can still give him my gift after the party’s over…” she smiled in spite of herself, trying to pick up her own spirits. “In fact, this works out for me. This means I’ll have two dates with him. Yeah! One before the party, then one after. I’ll give him my gift after his lame surprise party and he’ll be super excited, no doubt! We can plan for when we’ll go and use his parent’s money to have the time of our lives!”

Her words did not convince her though. When would after the party be? She wasn’t given a time to be back at the boarding house. Did they expect her to sleep somewhere else? It’s not as if she was paying rent anyway. She wasn’t owed this room for free. She would take him out, relinquish him to his beloved family while she went… where? Helga hadn’t thought of that. She would probably head over to Phoebe’s for dinner but that thought made her feel even worse. The realization of her situation, how homeless and alone she really was, really set in.

Helga sat down on her bed softly, feeling its little bounce rise up and down beneath her. “This is pathetic…” She realized. “I’m pathetic. This whole thing is just one big fat joke! Just when I think the universe is giving me a break, it’s really just poison disguised as candy! I’m able to have the date of my dreams, with the love of my life, but then I’m cast out to who-knows-where-ville for the rest of the night while they party it up?” Her heart had finally sunk to the lowest pit it could find inside, and nestled there comfortably.

To make things worse, how would she galivant around town with him, on his birthday, without people noticing? Sure, it was something she was willing to deal with if it meant making Arnold happy, but it was just icing on the cake. His birthday fell on a weekend, which made things a bit easier, but at the same time, who knows who could show up and rear their ugly head while she was trying to have the time of her life? Then rumors would spread and she would be the butt of yet another joke. In school and out of school, that’s all her life really was. A sick and twisted joke.

Helga fell backwards and let her springy bed catch her. It squeaked loudly and normally she would cuss back at it, but not this time. This time, she could feel small bits of water surround her eyes and she closed them immediately to keep them from spilling. Even though she was alone, this still wasn’t something she enjoyed doing. Hold it in… keep it inside and sweep it under the rug. That’s the Pataki way. Helga snorted at her father’s voice inside her head. Yeah, that’s exactly why we’re all messed up!

She then let a few tears escape and rolled over to her side, clutching her knees up against her chest. What was worse? Being ignored and insignificant to her own family? Or being used as a pawn by a family she was just starting to accept?

The morning sun was a lot warmer than it had been the last few days, and the wind a lot mellower. The day was being met very gladly by most of the people around Hillwood, but Helga couldn’t manage to appreciate it. She tried. The moment she walked out of the Sunset Arms with Arnold by her side, smiling as usual, the only thing she could do was scowl at it, cling to her bag and walk on forward. She could hear Arnold trying to make small talk with her, but most of his words just seemed like wisps of dirt from the wind that flew right by. She would reply shortly and trek on.

Completely confused and concerned, Arnold eventually gave up on the small talk and walked silently with her until they got to school. It was clear that she either woke up on the wrong side of the bed or something had happened last night with his family. He hadn’t forgotten their strange request to speak to her without him, however he didn’t question it much as he assumed it probably concerned something personal. Maybe her parents had called and they were making good progress in finding a new house? Helga would have definitely taken news like that in a bad way. He couldn’t imagine her wanting to go back to living the way she had been, even if her current situation wasn’t great. Maybe they wanted some sort of rent since they had no idea how long she would be staying there? Arnold shook his head. He couldn’t imagine his family confronting her about something like that. If anything, they would contact her parents directly.

Once they made it inside, Arnold headed over to his locker.

“I’ll just be a second.” He told her as he began to fiddle with the lock. “I just need to grab a few things.”

Without answering, Helga gave a wave of her hand as if she couldn’t careless, and continued on towards the classroom.

Frowning, Arnold turned back to his locker and continued on his business, wishing he could figure out just what was on her mind today.

Helga opened the door to her classroom to see that it was already mostly full, with the absence of Arnold, Lila, Brainy and Curly. With a shrug, she threw her bag on the side of her desk and sat down. Without even a second to lose, Gerald approached her with his arms crossed and a raised eyebrow.

“That’s strange…” He commented with skepticism. “You’re here… before Arnold?”

“It’s a free country, Geraldo.” She hissed back with a side glance. “He can be as late as he wants. And besides, I’m not his keeper.”

Gerald looked back and forth before peeking out the classroom door for a quick second, then went back to his conversation. “So… my man’s birthday is coming up…” He started in a suave manner, as if he had nothing up his sleeve. “Got anything planned?”

Helga could feel heat rise to her cheeks at the question and immediately sent a glare towards Phoebe, who looked unaware and surprised. “What gives you the idea that I have ANYTHING planned?” She asked, although still looking into the frightened eyes of her best friend.

“I mean… it only makes sense…” Gerald shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Given your… living situation… in all.” He replied quietly, as he looked around to make sure he brought no attention to them.

His words caused anger to bubble up deep inside her chest. It was obvious that Phoebe has spilled the beans to him, one way or another, but she wasn’t too sure how much she had said. Taking a deep breath, she calmly turned her body back to the cool kid in front of her. “My… living situation has nothing to do with it.” She corrected him, sternly. The moment she locked eyes with him though, she had a feeling that there was more to this conversation than him just being nosey. After all, since when did Gerald ever care about what she had planned? “However…” She began, as she straightened her back and placed her hands on her desk in a polite manner. “If you’re looking to ask something specific, now would be the time.”

Gerald could see that she was catching the hints he was throwing, and nodded his head. “I was just wondering, out of usual curiosity… that if there was something going down… let’s just say, a party of some sort... when and where it would be?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her, causing her to scowl. “If you catch my drift.”

Sighing and leaning back in her seat, she turned her eyes away from him and smiled. “And… let’s say, for some strange, ungodly reason… I did have this information you were looking for… given my living situation, what makes you think that I would tell you?” She watched as Gerald jumped at her question, but continued on. “If there was…” She looked up at the ceiling and placed her finger on her chin, pretending to be in thought, “I don’t know, some sort of surprise party… don’t you think that you would have been notified by someone else about it? If you were invited, that is.” With her final words, her eyes pierced his in a challenging glare.

Feeling as though he came onto this situation in the worst way possible, Gerald straightened his posture before looking out the door again. “Okay. Okay.” He waved his hands in surrender. “You make your point, but I’m just looking to be on top of my game.” He gave her a reassuring smile and decided that maybe it would be best if he just came clean about why he was asking. “I know his family is probably planning something big. You know how parties at his house are…” He stopped and then looked at her deadpanned, obvious face, and cleared his voice before continuing, “We’ll maybe not, but they’re usually pretty crazy. I can’t even imagine what it’s gonna be like with both his grandparents and his actual parents! He doesn’t think anything’s gonna happen, but he’s gotta be wrong, right?”

The classroom door opened, and Lila graced everyone with her award-winning smile, before saying her hello’s and walking to her assigned seat.

Helga watched as the room’s attention shifted to the pretty country girl, before returning back to her unwanted conversation. “So?” She asked dully. “What’s your point?”

“I’m just saying that if there is some crazy party going on, I want in and I know you probably got the scoop.” Gerald finished, giving her an obvious stare.

Thinking back to her conversation with his parents, she knew very well what they had planned, and none of it was as exciting as he seemed to think. “Unfortunately for us, Tall Hair Boy, it’s a family exclusive party.” She breathed out, trying to let her frustrations go with the exhale, and watching Gerald’s face become surprised. “Yeah, I feel the same way but it’s not up to us. If you do something with him, that means you gotta plan it in advance and not for the day of.”

“They’re planning it to be all day?” Gerald’s face gleamed in awe, as all he could imagine was it was going to take the boy the entire day to open the mountain of presents.

“No, you moron!” She corrected, as she pounded one of her fists into her desk, hoping to snap him out of his fantasy. “Whatever they have planned isn’t until late afternoon, but…” before she could finish her sentence, a realization dawned on her. They wanted me to take him around town, show him a good time and distract him before the inevitable surprise party. The two of us together, out in the open, all day long would definitely draw attention… But not if Gerald was with us… Helga considered how awkward it would be, if it was just the three of them and decided that she would use his interest to her advantage. “Actually…” Her voice heightened in pitched and a charming smile grew across her face. “Let’s talk after class…”

“Huh?” Gerald became confused, as he thought he was finally getting somewhere. He opened his mouth to ask for more information, but before he could, the classroom door opened again, and the person in question walked inside.

Helga gave Arnold her usual scowl, causing him to walk past her and to his desk as if everything was normal. “As I said…” She said to Gerald, in a whisper, “We’ll talk more about it after class. Now get out of here before he starts asking questions!”

Slumping a little in his steps, the boy did just that, causing Helga to feel even more exhausted than she already did. Turning her head a little, she tried her best to get a glimpse of her beloved and surprisingly, he didn’t look like his usual, head in the clouds, optimistic self. In fact, his head was in his hands and he almost looked frustrated.

A few moments later, Curly came dancing into the room, with Brainy not too far behind as well as Mr. Simmons, with his usual uppity morning routine. The day would continue on as any other.

Arnold, meanwhile, grit his teeth and sunk into his chair as he recalled the event that had just unfolded.

While at his locker, Arnold watched sadly as Helga disappeared into the distance. He turned to the combination lock and began twisting and turning the little nob, in the way he knew he could get it open. “25…15…21.” With a loud click, he jerked the handle up and the door opened with ease.

Inside, he moved around various old school papers that he probably didn’t need anymore, but kept just in case, in order to find another notebook, as his current one was almost full, as well as a new pencil since he managed to chew off his eraser last night.

Once he grabbed the things he was looking for, Arnold began to shut his locker door, but stopped. He could see Brainy off in the distance, listening to whatever Curly was telling him. He watched as the boy smiled his absent-minded smile, and nod his head enthusiastically as if he was agreeing to whatever the crazed boy was telling him. He could only imagine that it was something along the lines of what he had told Eugene and himself just the other day.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold held his possessions in his hand tightly and continued to watch from behind the thin metal door. There was nothing particular he was waiting to see, and he wasn’t even really interested in what they were doing, but he was just unable to peel his eyes away from the plain boy.

Arnold could feel his insides begin to twist and turn. Why was it that he looked so normal? Just a normal, everyday kind of kid with nothing remarkable about him. No one would turn their head or even bat their eye if they saw Brainy walking. In fact, it was rare for anyone to even notice him at all… and yet, he was able to do something so extraordinary like hack into a company and remove its assets. He could create programs and do whatever he wanted with them: turn them into simple games or create spy tools. His unusual talents weren’t what really bothered him, though. Arnold knew that everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses, each unique to that individual. What really fascinated Arnold into watching this boy’s seemingly meaningless conversation with his peer, was the fact that underneath his ordinary exterior, he had the ability to choose to launch this program. From behind the darkness of his computer screen, he would choose to go so far with the thought of helping the person he cared for most, even if it meant he could possibly go to jail for it.

The feelings inside Arnold churned further and he could feel his hand begin to shake. He promised Helga that he would not approach him, and he wouldn’t, but it didn’t mean that he had to feel good about all of this. Thinking back to her demeanor earlier, Arnold couldn’t help but wonder if maybe her bad mood stemmed from worrying about this? She had told him to stop, but had he? Brainy didn’t appear to have a care in the world but, then again, he never did. How would either of them be able to tell if he had reversed his plans or not?

The blond boy took in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then breathed out. There was a quick and easy solution to all of this. All he had to do, was ask Helga to check her messages with him there, to see if Brainy had replied. It was simple and nothing to stress about… even if he knew she was irritable today.

Forcing himself to smile, Arnold shut the locker door and headed towards the classroom. Curly smiled and waved at him, before spinning in a circle and running ahead while Brainy turned to see who Curly had greeted. With his own courteous smile, he waved to Arnold as well.

I don’t dislike Brainy… Arnold told himself as he gave the boy a curt nod. I just have bad feelings towards him… that will pass. He’s doing what he thinks is right, just like I am. He cares about Helga, just like I do… However, it wasn’t really until that moment, that his words really sunk into his brain, causing Arnold to stop and look at the kid.

Brainy’s raspy breathing became audible as he opened his mouth a little more to speak. “Hey…”

The voice caused Arnold to twitch. Just how long had this boy been in love with Helga? He remembered how Brainy had reached out to him, back in the fourth grade, in order to help him set up a meeting with her. It was clear he was still in love with her then and now, but when did it start? He wanted to ask, but instead gripped his notebook until his knuckles turned white.

“Hey.” Arnold replied, shortly. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to ask, that it was becoming increasingly more difficult to just stand there next to him without the permission to do so.

As Arnold turned to continue walking, he felt Brainy reach out and tug on his arm, causing a sudden burst of exasperation. He could feel his muscles immediately tense up, as if they wanted nothing more than to strike but Arnold’s discipline wouldn’t allow that. He had learned a lot of things from the karate his grandmother had taught him, and to know when and where to pick your battles was one of them. Brainy was not a threat to Arnold, even though his irrational hormones were telling him otherwise. Choosing not to speak, the irate boy turned his head to look at the boy who seemed to want his attention.

Letting go of his sleeve, Brainy took a step back and paused before giving a simple, but encouraging thumbs up, along with another raspy smile.

It was clear in Arnold’s mind that Brainy had no idea how he was feeling and simply replied in kind with his own thumbs up, before pushing himself to leave.

Once he entered his classroom, he looked to his left and immediately noticed Gerald standing at Helga’s desk. He was only interested for a split second, before she made the clear indication that he was not welcomed in this conversation, and forced his body to move along. Arnold could feel a small tension headache coming on, and cupped his head in his hands. He could hear the sound of his homeroom door opening and closing again, with the newly added voices of his teacher. He let go of his head, straightened his body, and opened up his notebook.

Throughout class, Arnold contemplated: Why was Helga in a bad mood? What had his family talked to her about? Was he doing enough as her boyfriend? Was he right in letting her have her way and letting their relationship remain a secret? Was it even really secret anymore? Was there really a point in trying to hide it when, in reality, it was beginning to put strain on him? He enjoyed their relationship but shouldn’t he be allowed to enjoy it outside of the confides of his? Was this feeling selfish, or was Gerald right? Had Brainy reversed what he had done? Did the Pataki’s have access to the funds they so desperately needed and if so, did that mean that Helga would be moving out soon?

Arnold paid attention to his class, took his notes, and scribbled in the margins of his paper. Black swirls turned into black masses until they couldn’t be anything else and reflected how he was currently feeling.

He had recently had such a nice talk with her, that ended in them mutually feeling relieved that they were able to express how they felt and no longer needed to hide anything. She seemed to really enjoy living with him so what would life for them be like after she would have to inevitably move out? Arnold felt the pit in his stomach twitch at the thought.

A loud ring caused the boy to jump in his seat, and he had noticed everyone around him getting up, ready for their lunch. Letting out a loud sigh, Arnold slouched back in his seat in order to fully bring himself back to the current. His soul felt heavy and he could feel his stomach lurch a few more times, but this time, due to how hungry he was, though the thought of actually eating didn’t really seem appealing.

He watched as Helga got up and signaled Phoebe to join her, paying absolutely no mind to him. He watched as the small Asian girl smiled, collected her things, and then joined her best friend at the doorway. Looking over at Gerald, who seemed to be them also, he wondered if they would be eating together today or if he would be forced to sit at yet another table. The thought caused another hunger pain and Arnold finally stood up, causing Gerald to look his way at the sound of his chair screeching backwards.

Gerald tilted his head but then was quick to walk over. “You okay, man?” He asked as he looked his best friend all over. “You don’t look so good.”

Placing a hand on his forehead, Arnold shook his head. “It’s nice to know that I look the way I feel…” He mumbled out before grabbing his backpack and opening it up to place his belongings inside. He had woken up just fine but it seemed that since he had been in his head since getting to school, that it had now taken a physical manifestation that was noticeable by the people around him.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…” Gerald crossed his arms and glanced over at Helga who seemed to be standing in the doorway still waiting on him. She still had something she needed to tell him and he figured it would be now but, looking back over at Arnold, he realized that it would have to wait so he waved her out. He watched as she rolled her eyes and huffed before leaving, likely diminishing his chances of getting that precious information but his best friend’s wellbeing mattered more right now. “You wanna go to the nurse’s office?” He asked once he turned his focus back to the blond boy who seemed to have been growing paler. “Or… home?”

Letting a small smile go, Arnold shook his head again. “There’s just been a lot on my mind lately.” He reassured, throwing his backpack over his shoulder, and heading out of the classroom.

Gerald quickly followed and made sure to stay as close to him as possible, fearing that the boy could fall over at any given minute. “Are you sure? You look like death, man.”

“Nothing a little food can’t fix…” Arnold replied, although he didn’t even believe himself. Why had Helga been waiting for Gerald? He wanted to ask him but somehow couldn’t find the effort needed.

“Be sure to grab some extra than because, damn… you don’t look good at all!” reinforced Gerald sadly while shaking his head. He could see that his friend was slow in step, as if the wind had been knocked out of him. “I know you like to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, but man, that’s just an expression and you seem to be taking it literally…”

Shooting his companion a sharp scowl, Arnold could feel his headache beginning to throb but turned to look ahead of him, and quicken his pace.

“You wanna talk about it?” Gerald asked as he jogged a little to catch up to Arnold’s sudden speed walking.

The gesture was a nice one but Arnold was beginning to feel hopeless. Were all these worries even something he COULD talk about? He knew the topic of Brainy was off limits, as well as talking about the frustrations within his relationship, as it was obvious what Gerald would say. He looked up at the ceiling for a moment before turning back to his friend with an exhausted smile. “No… I’ll be alright.”

“That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard you say.” Blurted out Gerald, shamelessly. “But alright. If that’s what you want.” Feeling bad for his friend, he placed an arm around Arnold to show him that he was there for him. “But if you change your mind, I’m all ears.”

A genuine laugh escaped Arnolds lips at the show of comfort and he could feel the heavy weight begin to lift a little bit.

Gerald on the other hand, truly was beginning to worry. We had such a good time yesterday… so what could have happened in such a small amount of time? He wondered as he steered his best friend towards the cafeteria. He then recalled his conversation with Helga. Did they have some sorta fight? No way, she would have definitely been more touchy than usual, and she seemed pretty normal… so what gives?!

They got to the lunch line and grabbed their food without many words passing between them, then settled themselves at an empty lunch table. Gerald watched Arnold as he poked around his food and could feel his worry turning into frustration. “You know, it won’t jump into your mouth by itself, right?” He asked playfully, trying to lighten up the mood with a little banter. “I hope you don’t expect me to feed you because that’s where I draw the line.” He laughed.

The joke caused Arnold to give a small chuckle, but he continued pushing around his food. His stomach grumbled more but the thought of eating didn’t feel very pleasant.

“I know it doesn’t look all that great, but its not too bad.” Gerald encouraged as he took a bite of his meal. “In fact, this sauce actually tastes like they added something other than salt to it. I wonder how that got passed Principal Wartz’s budget?” and laughed again.

Arnold appreciated what Gerald was trying to do and took a bite. “Yeah, you’re right.” He replied with a bit of surprise before echoing his friend with a little laughter.

Feeling as though he accomplished something, Gerald continued on with some light hearted conversation, bringing up topics like his family, shows he had seen and then eventually ending up on the topic of Rhonda’s costume party.

“Have you figured out what you’re gonna dress up as?” The dark-skinned boy asked, finally finishing his Meat hash surprise, and pushing away his tray. “I wanted to go all out but with how my Dad has been hounding us lately about our bills, I’ll be lucky if I’m allowed to cut some holes into old bed sheets and call myself a ghost…”

Much like his upcoming birthday, Arnold hadn’t thought much of what he was planning on being for Halloween. “I’m sure your Dad will let you get something cool.” Arnold said as he examined his plate that was still mostly full. The only thing he had really managed to eat without issue was the bread roll. “And if not… then we’ll both just be really lame ghosts.” He finished with a chuckle. “I know we have plenty of really old bed sheets that my grandpa wouldn’t mind us getting rid of.”

“That’ll be our last resort, though.” Gerald gave a wink and leaned back in his seat. “I’ve been looking at those really cool Karate Ranger’s suits, but I really don’t want to mess up my hair. Hat hair is the worst…” He explained as he brushed his hair smooth with both of his palms, “And keeping my hair in tip top shape is already hard enough as it is.” His eyes glimmered as he thought of his favorite suit, but then he frowned at the thought of the helmet not fitting and his hair throwing it across the room in a comedic fashion.

“What about something simple, like a vampire?” Arnold suggested, much liking the idea for himself. “All you’ll really need is some of your Dad’s old vintage clothes, a cape and some dollar store plastic fangs. You can ask your mom to let you use her make up for some finishing touches and you’ll look great!”

It was nice to hear that Arnold was finally beginning to sound like his usual self, and Gerald smiled. “Yeah, that does sound pretty cool. I’ll keep it on the list.” He said as he checked off an imaginary list on the table. “You got any more ideas?”

Arnold thought for a moment while tapping his fingers on the plywood table, then suddenly laughed. “I bet the school will let us use those fruit old costumes from that dumb play. You looked pretty good as a strawberry!”

Grimacing at the thought, Gerald made a gagging noise and stood up. “Yeah right. I’ll definitely pass on that idea. I’m pretty sure that I’ve grown out of that old thing anyway. I’d be surprised if they even still HAD those costumes.”

“Yeah…” Arnold laughed again and grabbed his plate to follow. “You’re right.”

Looking over at his friends mostly full plate, Gerald co*cked his eyebrow and hesitated. “You sure that you’re done? You hardly touched your food. I thought you were hungry?”

Looking back down at the food in question, Arnold’s body grumbled again at the sight of the slop and he cringed. “The bread was enough. I’ll just eat when I get home.” He explained as he hustled to throw out the tray.

“Ah… saving room for the good stuff, smart man.” Gerald smiled as he followed Arnold to the bins. “Mind if I tag along? My mom’s planning on having some of her girlfriends over today for some weird party. Something about kitchen stuff.”

As the two exited the lunch room, Arnold glanced backward and noticed that Helga and Phoebe were still at their usual table and engaged in conversation. He could feel his heart longing to be able to sit with her but forced his attention back to his companion. “Yeah. I don’t see why not.” He shrugged as he left the room.

After having watched Arnold hesitate, Gerald snorted loudly and stared at his friend as he walked past him. “I know you don’t wanna talk about what’s bugging you but, seeing what you just did, I can only assume she’s involved.”

Arnold felt his blood run cold at the correct assumption but didn’t allow himself to halt, causing Gerald to hurry and catch up.

“And you don’t have to talk about it. That’s cool.” Gerald continued as he waved his hands in surrender. “But I hate to see you torturing yourself, Arnold.”

The term torture did seem pretty accurate and Arnold sighed before turning back to his friend. “It’s not her that’s really the problem, Gerald. So, don’t worry.” He explained as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “We haven’t even been fighting lately.” The thought brought a much needed smile to his face, as it was a nice change of pace to think of something pleasant for the moment. “We’ve been open and honest with each other and she’s been really relaxed around the boarding house.”

Gerald raised his eyebrows in surprise at the notion. “Helga? Relaxed? You sure we’re talking about the same girl?”

“Yes, Gerald. I’m sure…” Arnold smile grew a little at the fond memory of them together. “She really isn’t the problem. I really like having her around.” He then thought of her usual display around school and shook his head. “It’s different when we’re together.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” replied Gerald, his eyes widening as he tried to wipe away images of what they might look like alone together. “And that’s not something I want to really get into, either. I’m just worried about you.” They both rounded the corner and could see Mr. Simmons in the distance, heading on into the classroom.

Once they got to the door, they stopped. Gerald placed both of his hands on his shorter friend’s shoulders and sighed. “Look. I know I may not be the easiest person to talk to when it comes to your relationship. I get it. I don’t see what you do but its just kinda hard from my point of view.” He watched as Arnold opened his mouth to object, but Gerald silenced him as he put his hand up to continue speaking. “That being said, I really, and I mean REALLY hate seeing you like this. So, how about after school, we go hang out in your room, we can grab some ice cream from the Jolly Olly man, and you can just let it all out and I’ll listen. I won’t object or even give my opinion, unless you ask, of course.” He arched his eyebrow in a playful interest and let the boy go.

Frowning again, Arnold looked around them both to make sure none of their classmates were nearby. “I just need to work on some things, Gerald.” He said quietly, a little sad at the truth. It was hard to be unable to express all of his concerns, and what he could express were all things that he had mentioned to Gerald in the past. “And I’ll probably just be telling you things you already know.”

“Hey, if all you need to do is repeat a few things a bunch of times in order to let it out and be free, then by all means.” Gerald placed his hand out to do their signature hand shake and gave his friend a warm smile. “That’s what friends are for, right?”

Arnold gladly reciprocated by placing his thumb next to his friends to complete the shake. “Right.” He said, sounding a little relieved. It was nice to know that Gerald really wanted to be there for him, even when he knew he wouldn’t fully understand. He just hoped that maybe after their talk later, that things might be a little easier on him.

Back in the cafeteria, Helga and Phoebe had just managed to finish their food and were in the process of throwing away their garbage.

“I really do sincerely apologize for telling Gerald about the actual whereabouts of our outing, Helga.” Phoebe apologized again, for probably the fifth time. “I really saw no harm in it as it didn’t exactly give away your position.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Helga growled as she pushed the cafeteria door open viciously. “You don’t have to keep apologizing, Pheebs! I’ve gotten over it already.” She explained, even though her actions were proving otherwise. “It just would have been nice if you hard warned me before Geraldo approached me this morning. I mean, I know he wasn’t asking what MY plans were, and more of what Arnold’s parents were up to… but for a moment, it really had me worried.”

Phoebe adjusted her glasses and followed her friends lead. “I’ve never betrayed your trust before, Helga, and I had no intentions of beginning.” She watched as Helga turned down another hallway, seemingly in route to the nearest bathroom. “Furthermore, I have to say that… well, I’m rather surprised that Arnold’s family would just cast you out like that. Surely, you must have misunderstood…”

“I didn’t misunderstand.” Replied Helga, rather harshly as she forced open the bathroom door and growled at some fourth grade girls, who then immediately left. “It was as clear as day. No friend. Family only. What’s there to misunderstand?” She then threw open one of the stall doors and locked it behind her.

Resting the small of her back up against the cool, porcelain sink, Phoebe tipped her head back and looked up at the iridescent lights as they began to flicker with old age. “It just seemed incredibly out of character for humanitarians, such as them, to act in such a manner.”

“It wasn’t so much as them, as it was his grandpa who specified that it was family only,” Helga explained as she went about her business. “But it was obvious that they were all in agreement about it.” She pressed the button on the back of her toilet and let it flush loudly before continuing. “Look, It doesn’t matter anyway. I don’t care. I’m over it!” Helga spoke as she flung open the stall door again. “Since Gerald is so interested, I figured, why not make it a double date. All four of us can go out and do whatever, then we’ll drop him off at his house and I’ll go to your place, that way he can have time with his friends, his family…” Helga approached the sink and began to wash her hands. “And he’ll get my present later on. The day is about him, Phoebe, not me.”

Phoebe blinked a few times before turning to her friend. “That’s a rather mature way of thinking about it.” She mentioned as she wasn’t really prepared to hear something like that coming from her best friend’s mouth.

The compliment made Helga feel a little full of herself, and she caught herself smiling before promptly splashing some water on her face, grabbing a paper towel, and then drying it off. Turning to Phoebe, she shrugged. “Guess maybe I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. Who knows? Now let’s go before we’re late to class. The last thing I need is someone running their mouths and making my mood worse.” And without another word, Helga charged out the bathroom door, leaving her partner a little bewildered.

“Following!” She yelled out quickly, as she found her feet and began to pursue the tall blond-haired girl, who now had a drastic lead.

Helga clenched her jaw as she stomped her way to their classroom, that was now filling itself up with her classmates. She could feel Phoebe catching up behind her and focused her train of thought in order to complete the school day. She hadn’t lied to Phoebe about how she felt. Not exactly. She had managed to resolve herself to only focus on it being Arnold’s day, however her feelings of discontentment towards the residents within the walls of the Sunset Arms were still very much real. What’s one more disappointment to tack on the list? She had decided, before joining her class once more.

A couple of miles down the road, Big Bob stood next to a payphone. He impatiently tapped his foot against the cement, glaring at any of the people passing by that looked his way.

Swiftly, he glanced at his watch and then back at the payphone. “He better not have lied to me…” He growled angrily, knowing deep in the pit of his stomach that Nick Vermicelli was not trustworthy. “If he did, I’ll be snapping that pencil neck of his…”

RING…

The payphone besides the hulking man rang loudly, causing Bob to lunge forward and grab onto it, as if his life depended on it.

“Hello?” He asked the unknown caller, in a hushed voice. He waited patiently while the foreign man on the other line spoke very specifically, before agreeing and hanging up.

Chapter 34

Chapter Text

Down on the corner on 82nd street, stood Harold, Stinky and Sid as they watched large bulldozers, diggers and wrecking balls slowly drive their way into a fenced off area. The three were silent as they licked their popsicles while loud beeping noises and yelling could be heard for a few blocks. Men in construction hats were holding a large piece of paper, pointing to it then pointing to some of the decrepit buildings to their left and right.

"So, this is it, huh?" asked Stinky as he took another lick of his popsicle.

"And you're sure they're planning on putting a mall here?" Sid asked the large boy standing next to him, with a rather skeptical look.

Harold nodded his head then took the final bite of his frozen treat. "Yeah. My cousin's part of the crew that's gonna be tearing this place down." He explained as he carelessly tossed his popsicle stick on the ground. "Supposed to be really big! Like, 5 levels high!" He emphasized as he tried to reach his hand far up to the sky.

The kids looked around the surrounding area. This place had been long run down for a few years, with many of the buildings already falling apart on their own. A pizza shop wasn't too far from them, but for the most part, nothing within the next couple of blocks had anything of interest.

"Why are they putting it here, outta all places?" Stinky scratched his head. "There ain't nothing here to attract anyone."

"That's the point!" Harold answered loudly. "They're getting rid of all of these crappy buildings so that way they can put up something to get people to come! Duh!"

"Yeah but…" Sid looked around again as an old newspaper flew by before getting caught on a light post. The sidewalks were cracked, the roads needed work and soot from the construction filled the air. "Nobody even comes to this side of town anymore."

Harold became impatient and stomped his foot. "Ugh! You guys are just stupid!" He yelled. "They're building a really cool mall here that's gonna have a ton of cool things inside! Everyone's gonna wanna come and see!"

"You reckon this is why Mr. Simmons had us do that project from before?" Stinky asked the two of them, but only Sid shrugged.

"My dad was watching the news last night; something about the city's crime rate going up?" explained Sid as he turned and began walking away from the loud work site that was only a few yards from him. "I guess they wanna make the city better so they're getting rid of a bunch of old stuff to do it."

"Hey, yeah! Wasn't that what that Sheck guy was trying to do?" Harold asked as he followed Sid across the street.

The voice of Sheck rang through the kids heads: "Out with the old, in with the new" and the three of them shivered.

"Something like that but he wasn't fixing up no old buildings, he was getting rid of them all for some giant road to go overhead to connect us to other towns." Stinky replied as he caught up with this two friends. He scratched his head again as he tried to remember that whole ordeal. So many people were selling their houses, closing up shops and moving away until Arnold had found some loop hole to stop it all from happening. If he hadn't of done that, would they all be here right now?

"Oh, yeah." Sid nodded before turning back to Harold. "Did your cousin tell you what shops were gonna be going in this mall?"

"No." said Harold bluntly. "How's he supposed to know something like that? All he's in charge of is the wiring… or something."

Sid began rubbing his hands together as he thought of the possibilities. "Boy Howdy! I hope they put in a new roller rink! That old one is beginning to suck!"

Harold laughed. "Yeah, and it's beginning to smell like baby puke! Gross!"

They walked as far as Harold's house, then sat on his stoop. During lunch time, Harold had told them about the construction and they all had agreed to check it out after school but since there wasn't any plans now, they just decided to relax.

The sun beamed down and warmed the boys up, causing Sid to take off his cap and wipe his forehead from the little bits of sweat that were gathering.

Taking notice of his friend's movement, Stinky looked over and could see that Sid was still having a complexion issue. "Geez, Sid!" He yelped at the sight. "Your foreheads got more craters than the dang moon!"

Blushing with embarrassment, Sid quickly put his cap back on and smoothed his bangs over his eyes. "Yeah… well they're not easy to get rid of, so shut up!" He replied before shoving the southern boy. "The crap you got me from the drug store just sucks! That's all!"

Looking back and forth between the two, Harold had no idea what was going on and became confused. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing!" Sid shouted immediately. "Don't worry about it!"

Not liking Sid's aggressive tone, Harold held up his clenched fists and showed it to the small boy. "Hey! This is my house and I'm the boss!" He angrily replied back, shaking his fist in his face. "Now tell me!"

Unable to contain his laughter, Stinky slapped his leg and carried on before earning his own Harold fist in his face. "Sid's forehead looks like a dang brail sheet!"

"I don't know what that is!" Harold hollered in annoyance. "Stop being confusing!"

Sid grit his teeth and shoved Stinky again, but this time hard enough for him to lose balance and almost fall off of the step he was sitting on. "Shut up! It's not funny!" He then turned to Harold with a beet red face. "It's just acne, okay?!" His voice was shrill. "It's not a big deal!"

"Ack….nee?" Harold sounded the word out, hoping he could further understand it.

"Yeah! Sid's got loads of pimples on his head." The tall southern boy explained as he reached for Sid's cap but failed to swipe it. "Show him, Sid!"

"NO!" The stringy haired kid stood up and jumped off of the stoop. "Leave me alone!"

Stinky sighed as he shook his head in disappointment. "Quit being such a baby…"

Understanding the situation now, Harold's angry face lightened up into a much more pleasant looking one and he smiled. "Oh? That's all?" He said as he stood up. "I got a bunch of pimples on my back. They're huge too… and itchy. My mom said it's because I'm a man. Wanna see?"

The two boys looked at one another before shrugging. "Yeah. Okay."

Without delay, the large boy turned around and lifted up the back of his shirt, displaying the large amounts of pimples that covered his back. The two looked in both awe and disgust while they gazed upon this marvel as if they had never seen anything like it.

Harold let his shirt fall back down, and he turned around with a proud grin on his face. "Pretty gross, right?"

"And I thought I had it bad…" Sid whispered to himself, still awestruck.

Stinky cringed. "Your back really bites, Harold."

"You're just jealous because you haven't hit puberty yet." Harold spat as he sat back down and proudly crossed his arms. "Right, Sid?"

"Hey!" Stinky angrily yelled back. "That ain't true!" He then pointed to the stubble that had been growing on his face and leaned forward for the other two to see clearly. "Jus' cuz I ain't got them nasty welts on my body, don't mean I ain't going through the change too. See?"

After loudly blowing out air through his nostrils, Harold sat back and looked unamused. "That ain't nothing!" he cried. "I've had hair growing all over the place for ages!"

At first, Stinky wanted to question it but as he sat back down, he remembered that Harold was older than them by a decent amount, although you'd never be able to tell by his personality and immature ways. He had always wondered why Harold wasn't in a much higher grade, but chose never to ask on account of it not mattering too much since they were friends.

Suddenly, Harold's front door flew open, causing the three to quickly turn their attention to it. In the doorway, stood Harold's mom with a spatula in her hand and an angry expression on her face. "Harold!" She shouted as she held out her wrist watch and pointed at it. "Your father's gonna be home any minute and dinner is almost ready. I need your keister in this house to set the table. Say goodbye to your friends."

"Mom!" The embarrassed boy scowled before standing up and turning back to the two, who looked amused. "I gotta go guys… I'll see you tomorrow."

The two waited until the woman stomped back into the house before chuckling.

"Better help Mommy with dinner, Harold." Sid laughed before backing away. "Don't wanna make her mad!"

Harold's face turned crimson as he clenched his fist. "Shut up and get outta here before I pound you!"

"But if you do that, you'll be keeping your Mom waiting even longer." Stinky added as he too, took a few steps back. "Then maybe she won't feed you."

"Not that, that could really hurt…" Sid finished at a safe distance.

Harold leaped off his stoop but before he could chase his friends away, he heard his mother call his name loudly from inside the house. "You guys are lucky its dinner time!" He shouted at them before turning around and stepping in his doorway.

The two laughed again but just waved and walked away, leaving Harold to grumble to himself as he slammed the door behind him.

He hated how much his friends made fun of him and hated it even more that he knew they wouldn't be his friends anymore if he beat them up. He was a man now, yet they never showed him any respect. He did so much for them and yet, they always ended up teasing him about his weight or how faithful he was to his family. It wasn't fair. Just once, he wished he could hold something over their heads and make them feel like this, then maybe he could force them to stop.

Sulking, Harold made his way over to the dining room and began to set the table. He could hear his mother humming inside the kitchen and this put a smile on his face.One day, when I'm older… I'll show them. I'll get married and have a good job, just like Mom says, and they'll all be jealous!He thought happily as he folded the napkins and set them to the side.

On the other side of the construction site, Big Bob Pataki and Nick Vermicelli stood with blue prints in their hands.

"And this is where I'm gonna be putting my new store?" Bob asked in a hoarse voice.

"If you play your cards right, yeah." His business partner confirmed as he grabbed the papers out of the large man's hands. "The structure is gonna be massive, Bob. Massive! They're planning on putting in over 100 stores and what better than a cell phone store to add to it? Just think of all the teens coming and going who wanna have their own phone plan? Think of all the business this place is gonna attract and they'll be passing your new location."

The premise sounded great, however there was one big factor that Nick was overlooking that made the veins in Bob's head bulge out. "It's going to take AGES for them to finish building this, Nick!" He shouted, causing his companion to recoil unexpectedly. "I don't have time to wait for all this!"

"Patience, Bob!" Nick reassured him with a frustrated scowl. "The city's finest are on top of this! The mayor wants this thing build ASAP to attract revenue." He then shrugged. "Sure, it may take a month to get done but once it's done, you'll be swimming in dough!"

"A MONTH!" Bob had nearly lost his mind. It was clear to him that this man had no idea the insurmountable pressure that he had on his shoulders.

"At the earliest, yeah."

Bob turned around, knowing that if he had to look at this man for one more second, that he would absolutely lose his temper and do something he regretted. "Look…" He said as calmly as he could. "There has to be another place for me to put my store in the meantime. I'm living out of a roach motel, for crying out loud! You can't expect me to be okay with waiting that long to get started!"

Nick raised his eyebrow in interest. He could tell that Bob was desperate and this was the first time that the Beeper King had ever showed any vulnerability in his presence. Out of pity, he placed his arm around the man's broad shoulders and sighed. "I hear you, man. I do." He explained softly.

"You owe me!" Bob shouted again, looking at the skinny tanned man with a glare of pure hatred.

"You're right. I do." Nick agreed, slowly walking the man back to his car. "But things take time, Bob. You know that. You don't have any inventory and it will take time for the factory to manufacture and ship your new products, anyway." Once they got to the Pataki vehicle, Nick let go of his companion, leaned against the car, and shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "Do you have any other options?" He asked with a sly smile, knowing very well the answer. "Treat this time like the vacation you've always needed but never had time for!" He could see that Bob wasn't budging and furrowed his brows. "Go! Enjoy your family or something! Let me worry about the messy details and I'll keep you in touch."

Feeling as though he had nothing left, Bob walked around to the driver's side and opened the car door, causing the vehicle to shake and Nick to remove himself. "I want updates daily, you got that?" He watched as Nick pulled out his cell phone and scowled. "I mean it!"

"If I have any updates, I'll call you!" The shady businessman said with irritation as he flipped it open and began to mess with it.

Taking his mannerisms as an insult, Bob slammed his fist down on the roof of his car in order to gain Nick's full attention. Once the man looked up, Bob eyed him. There was nothing more he could say that he hadn't already to the man, so the best he could do was convey his feelings through his aggressive actions.

Rolling his eyes, Nick began to walk off. "Daily updates. I got it…" He said wearily. "Don't expect much though, Bob. If you want things to go your way, you gotta let me do my job."

Bob waited until Nick got into his own car and drove off before he felt comfortable enough to sit down. The seat felt hard and uncomfortable, just like he liked it. It helped him stay focused and that's exactly what he needed right now.

He pondered their conversations and gripped his steering wheel tightly, causing his fat pale fingers to turn red. Everything about that man bothered him, from his goatee to his shiny leather shoes. He hated how the man could act so casual and nonchalant, knowing very well the gravity of Bob's state-of-affairs and how things were for him. The notion of him 'taking a vacation' was not only laughable, but insolent.

Hanging his head low so that way his forehead touched his steering wheel, Mr. Pataki growled. "A month? He expects me to wait for a month? Miriam and I are living in a motel, the girl is at some boarding house and he tells me to take a vacation?!"

He knew Nick Vermicelli was taking advantage of the upper hand he had, and Bob did not like the taste of it at all.

Back at the Sunset Arms, Arnold and Gerald had just finished listening to Miles tell a story about how he managed to save a village in Somalia from pirates and were heading up to Arnold's room with hearts full of excitement.

"Man! You're so lucky to have such a cool dad!" Gerald expressed as he watched his best friend tug on the string to his bedroom stairs. "He's went all over the world and helped so many people! The only thing my dad's ever saved is money on bills and that's still a war he's never won…"

Arnold chuckled at his friends comment and headed on up to his room. "He's already told me so many stories, Mom too!" He replied as he opened his door and let himself in. "Sometimes I wonder if he's just making things up, like my grandpa does, but my Mom has always verified that it's true."

"That's incredible!" said Gerald as he threw himself on Arnold's red sofa. "And your Grandpa was in the war AND fought Hitler too?" He laid down and stared at the popcorn ceiling above, just simmering in the amazement. "Your grandma has done some pretty crazy things, too! Your whole family is full of such righteous people…"

Feeling his own amount of admiration for his family, Arnold's cheeks glowed a little. "I only hope I can live up to such high standards…"

"Are you kidding me?" Gerald yelled as he rolled to his side to look at his friend who had just sat down in front of his computer. "You've saved the neighborhood from destruction, got Chocolate boy to give up chocolate, got Stoop kid to leave his stoop, saved Coach Wittenberg's marriage and probably a bunch of other things I can't even think of right now!" When he could see Arnold's expression seem a little uncertain, he let out a loud whine. "Come on, man! You're the most incredible kid I know and you managed to accomplish all that before even turning 10 years old!"

"It's not like I did it all on my own, Gerald." Arnold mentioned as he got himself comfortable in the small chair. "You've helped too."

Gerald gave him a sideways smile and rolled back on his back. "You're too modest, Arnold. Give yourself some credit."

The flattery was getting to the boy's head, making Arnold feel a lot better than he had at school. The rest of the school day went on as it normally would, but unfortunately, he still was unable to talk to Helga and find out what was bothering her. Figuring he would just find time later; he would let himself have fun with Gerald.

A silence passed over the two of them, allowing Gerald to remember exactly why he had come over in the first place. "Alright then, spill it." He said abruptly, causing Arnold to give him a questioning look. "Why you've been all down n stuff?" He elaborated. "I said you could vent it all out to me and I'd listen so, here I am."

"Oh… right." Arnold replied, feeling a little silly. He wiggled in his seat once more, trying to get comfortable before ultimately deciding that standing would be best, as walking back and forth always got his brain moving. "Well… you see…" He started as he headed on to his door in order to lock it shut, making sure that no one would just walk in on such a private conversation. "I've been thinking about what we talked about yesterday, right before lunch… how I've been trying to keep my relationship with Helga secret for her sake…"

"Uh huh…" Gerald replied, letting his friend know that he was paying attention.

"And… well…" Arnold began to pace back and forth between his bed and his computer desk. "It's really been putting a strain on me…"

"No doubt."

"You and Phoebe know about it, Harold, Stinky and Sid know about it and I just found out that even Eugene knows!" He cried out in frustration, causing Gerald to turn and face him again. "Half our class already knows so… who are we hiding it from?"

"Rhonda, Nadine, Lila…" Gerald began to list, "Sheena, Curly, Brainy…"

"No, he knows too!" Arnold interrupted.

This information caused Gerald to sit up and give Arnold a peculiar look. "You told him?"

"No…" Arnold admitted, feeling the heat rise to his ears as he knew this would be something hard to explain.

"Then how…" but before Gerald could finish his sentence, Arnold interrupted him.

"I can't…" He stopped and his words sounded painful. "I can't explain that right now, okay?" He asked in desperation, hoping his friend would back down.

With a shrug, the dark-skinned boy leaned back on the red sofa. "Alright. Continue."

Arnold took a second to recollect his thoughts as his heart raced so hard it felt like it would break out of his chest and run away. "Right…" He said before he began pacing again. "I understand why she wants to keep it a secret, I really do! But keeping up this act is just…"

"Exhausting?" suggested Gerald with an obvious tone.

"Yes!" Arnold cried out, thrusting his fingers through his hair. "I have to make sure that people keep it to themselves so that way word doesn't spread, and it's exhausting, Gerald! It really is!"

Gerald shook his head, feeling sorry for the boy but remained silent.

"She's had such a complicated life and bad things have just been following her lately, and I don't want to add anything more to that list!" Arnold wanted to tug out his hair but resisted. "Some days, she's happy and we can just talk and have a good time. Other days? Like today? She won't even talk to me and I have no idea why!"

"She seemed fine to me." Gerald added, with a queer expression on his face.

Arnold immediately looked at him. "That's another thing." He continued. "What were you guys talking about before I got into class? She won't talk to me but she can talk to you and Phoebe?"

"Well, Phoebe is her best friend so I don't know why you'd be surprised about that…" Gerald replied, secretly wondering how he could avoid actually answering the real question. "And as far as what we were talking about…" He ran through possibilities in his mind as quick as he could, before finally deciding on something. "I wanted to know what she was planning on dressing up as for Halloween?" It was a plausible enough excuse, seeing as he had asked Arnold the same thing that day.

"Really?" Arnold demanded, showing that he was doubtful.

Feeling uneasy, Gerald shifted in his seat and swallowed hard. "Y-yeah, man. I mean, showing up in the same costume would be pretty embarrassing, right? I gotta know what everyone's ideas are so I can stand out and be cool."

It had dawned upon Arnold that he had no idea what she was planning to go as and he let out a frustrated wail. "What did she say?"

"Huh?"

"Her Halloween costume?" He clarified. "What is she planning to go as?"

Gerald gulped, feeling as though he had just been caught out in his lie. "She… uh… didn't say."

At least this made the two of them, and Arnold gave a sigh of relief. "Okay, good…" He said, trying to calm himself down and get his mind back on track.

"You're really bugging out about this, huh?" Gerald watched as it seemed like all of the pent up frustrations just oozed out of his usually calm best friend.

"You have no idea…" Arnold confirmed. "I want to make her happy but I want to be happy, also. I want to be able to go out to the movies, or to a restaurant with her and hold her hand and not worry about looking over my shoulder to make sure no one we know sees… Is that selfish?"

Unsure if his question was legit or figurative, Gerald crossed his arms. "No? Why would it be?" He watched as Arnold gave him an exhausted stare. "Look, do you want my opinion?"

Bringing himself back over to his computer chair, Arnold sat down and rested both of his arms across his desk before placing his head on them. "Sure…"

"Everyone deserves to be happy, but sometimes, when you're sharing your happiness with another person, you may not always agree." Gerald began as he stood up and walked over to his best friend. "She wants things to be secret because she feels some type of way. That makes her happy. You want to be able to have the freedom to do whatever you want with her, whenever you want with her, regardless of where you are. That makes you happy." He placed his hand on Arnold's shoulder and gave him a look of understanding. "I know she's difficult to talk to but… have you tried talking to her about this?"

Arnold nodded his head. "We spoke about it once and agreed to take things slow. All it took was us holding hands in public once for Harold to find out… and you know what happened."

"That I do, brother. That I do…"

"Right after all that happened, her father's business burned down and she became homeless." Arnold continued. "Then the misunderstanding with Lila… and now…."

"Now?" Gerald was curious as he was fully aware of all of those listed things, but didn't know of anything else.

Realizing what he was about to say, Arnold sat back up and shook his head. "My point is, just when we were finally making progress in being open about our relationship, things just crashed all around her and I can't bear to make her anymore uncomfortable than she already is." He looked at his friend with sorrowful eyes. "I don't want to put any more stress on her than she already has."

"But keeping that stress all to yourself is ruining you." Gerald explained sympathetically. "She loves you, right?"

"Right."

"So, why on earth do you think she'd want you to shoulder all of these things and become the wreck you've been all day?" Gerald blurted out. "Think about it, man. If I knew that Phoebe was upset about something that I was unintentionally doing, I'd be super upset that she didn't tell me! I don't want to hurt her! I want us to laugh and hold hands and possibly more, someday!"

Arnold could hear his words and understood his point, however, his feelings remained unchanged. "But that's different, Gerald."

"How?" The boy was astonished and took a step back to really look at Arnold's face.

"Phoebe comes from a good home and has a good life…" Arnold sighed, hoping that he wasn't going to say anything he shouldn't. "It's just not the same."

"So what if Helga has things going on? Does that mean she cares about you any less?" Gerald was surprised at what he was hearing. "You told me the other day that you managed to talk it out with her about Lila, right? Why is this any different?"

"Because that was a misunderstanding." Arnold explained, feeling another headache coming on.

"And?" Gerald sat back down on the sofa but never took his eyes off his friend for a second. "How isn't this a misunderstanding? She seems to think that you're okay with keeping everything a secret, and you clearly aren't!"

"But that misunderstanding directly affected someone else!" Arnold insisted. "Lila didn't do anything wrong and Helga went off on her! She didn't deserve that so I had to stand my ground and say something!"

Gerald remained quiet and listened patiently, despite wanting to ring his friend's neck for how ridiculous he sounded.

Looking at his companion's expression caused Arnold to back up and focus on calming down. He knew that if he didn't, that someone would probably come up and check on them soon and he didn't want that. "I've had a few good talks with her that started out rocky but ended up civil." He confessed, wanting to focus on something positive to help him relax. "I… I do want to talk with her about this. I really do but I just think that now wouldn't be a good time…"

"Then when?" Gerald spoke, looking for a direct answer. "When you've tormented yourself long enough for others to notice? We're already here, man."

Arnold could see the truth in his words and frowned.

"I don't like seeing you like this, Arnold." Gerald admitted with a voice full of concern. "You may be good at hiding it from your family but it'll only be a matter of time before they notice too." He could see that his words were getting through and started to become hopeful. "Take my advice and put a stop to this before it gets any worse. You say that you've had good talks with her? That's awesome! That means that you've been able to get through to her when a lot of other people can't. The moment she sees how miserable you are with keeping your relationship a secret, she'll be glad you told her before things got worse."

"And what if she's not?" asked Arnold. "What if I tell her how I feel and she puts up all of her barriers and shuts me out?"

Gerald locked eyes with Arnold and could see how much he was suffering with this, but there really was only one answer to that question. "If she's okay with you being unhappy… then this relationship is toxic, man and you deserve better."

Arnold closed his eyes and digested Gerald's words. Helga had shown him time and time again that she cared about him more than anything else, including herself. He had no doubt in his mind that if he told her the truth, she would put on a strong smile and endure the hardships for him… but that's not what he wanted. He didn't want her to suffer anymore. He wanted to take on some of the burden in order to relieve her of some hardships… not cause more.

"I see you've got a lot to think about…" Gerald finally said, after a long silence. He stood up and made his way to the door. Arnold looked up at him but said nothing, as there were too many thoughts swarming his brain. "I understand that you wanna make her happy, but ya can't forget about your own happiness to, man. Remember that." And with that, Gerald let himself out.

Arnold could hear his best friend's footsteps make their way down his flimsy wooden stairs and eventually fell silent as he reached the carpet on the second floor. He let out a loud sigh, got up and made his way to his bed to lay down. He did have a lot to think about, but there was an easy answer to all of this and Gerald made that very clear. Helga may have ups and downs. She may have a lot of struggles that many people never have to suffer in their lifetimes. She may be complicated but she was strong, despite all that. She had proved to Arnold that she would give up anything in order to see him happy, even if it meant she would lose something. It was her selflessness that worried Arnold the most… but Gerald was right. If Arnold allowed himself to feel this way for too long, he would definitely attract the concern of his family and peers, causing even more problems as well as problems for her.

He sat up and looked at the makeshift stares to his skylights. He remembered the intimate kiss they shared during that thunderstorm and how she demanded to know his feelings after that. At first, he was confused but after she explained herself and put him on the spot, he felt terrible for not having a proper answer, yet… she accepted it without question and even smiled. She let him kiss her again.

She's shown me that she loves me time and time again, even when I never noticed…The boy thought quietly. He remembered how her family would have no doubt prospered if Sheck had taken over the city or if she let her dad tear down Mighty Pete. He remembered how she purposely lost the spelling bee, despite how many free beepers her dad would have to give out, for his sake. He remembered how she confessed to giving away her Nanci Spumoni snow boots in order to bring Mr. Hyunh together with his daughter for Christmas, all for him.She's done amazing things, just to make me happy, even if the outcome was not in her favor…He thought as he brought his knees up to his chest and hugged them.All because… she loves me.

Maybe it was toxic to give your all to someone who was giving you nothing in return, especially if they were taking it willingly, but was that true when that person was unaware of all the gifts? He considered all the things she did in secret, then considered how he was keeping his feelings a secret from her, in order to make her happy. Was it the same?

Instantly, his thoughts caused the wheels in his brain to turn and connected to his fluttering heart. His eyes grew wide and a shy smile crept itself upon his lips. He could feel the heat in his cheeks were bringing its usual red hue but he couldn't stop it, nor did he want to. "I think…" He spoke softly to himself. "I think I've fallen in love with her…"

Down at the docks, Helga had been carelessly throwing random bits of debris into the water that lay in front of her. She needed time away to think about everything, and this was always the best place to go. The seagulls were screaming and dock workers were loading the catch of the day on to big trucks behind her. The smell was so overpowering, but Helga didn't mind. This was another world that she wasn't a part of.

Across from her, stood Elk island, in all its glory. She remembered the trip with her friends to find buried treasure from some old gangster, and smiled. Things just seemed simpler back then, even with all the chaos at home. It was hard to believe that only two years had passed and yet, so much had changed.

The pigtailed girl closed her eyes and let the sound of the crashing waves seep into her soul. It was tranquil and something she needed.

"This is … all just a part of growing up…" She sounded disappointed, but at the same time, it was something she had come to accept. Not everything was going to go her way, and rarely it did anyway. "I guess this is okay."

She had come here to consider her options going forward. It was decided that she would hand over the reins of Arnold's birthday to Gerald, hang out until the decided time, then go back to Phoebe's for the night. Phoebe had no issues with this plan, and Helga knew that she wouldn't. Her best friend was always there for her, even at her worst.

Helga could recall all the times she had snapped and howled at Phoebe, even when she didn't deserve it. In the end, she would always realize that she was being too hasty, or was in the wrong, and would apologize but still, the thoughts always bothered her. She wished that she wasn't always so quick to hostility but the acts were imbedded in her DNA.

"Am I doing the right thing?" She asked her reflection, before dropping a pebble into the water and watching it ripple. "If so, then why does this feel so… crummy?"

Unfortunately, her reflection didn't give her a response and Helga stood up to stretch her legs. The sun was setting and she could feel the warm glow being exchanged for chill winds, causing her to shiver. It was a nice day, even if she wasn't able to fully enjoy it.

Walking back to the boarding house was as boring as ever. Nothing of significance caught her eyes and the only thing keeping her company were her persistent thoughts.

The moment she could see her destination in view, her heart tightened and caused her to stop. "Ugh!" She whined. "Why do I even care if I'm invited?!" Helga kicked a nearby empty can in frustration before proceeding. "It's not like I'm going to be living here forever anyway. So what if I'm excluded? I don't pay rent and I'm not part of Arnold's family."

As she ranted to herself, she noticed the boarding house door open up, and Gerald stepping out. Recalling that she still had to tell him the plans, she stood on the sidewalk and waited for him to approach her.

Gerald shut the door tightly, turned around and jumped off the stoop before he noticed Helga standing there a few feet away. His conversation with Arnold was still very fresh and caused him to scowl a little bit. It wasn't her that he was mad at, it was the situation as a whole.

"Hey." He waved to her awkwardly, before picking up his steps to reach her.

"Hey." She replied back, unsure of what to even say. Normal Helga would have thrown out some sort of quip but right now, she wasn't feeling very normal. "Still interested in that information?"

Gerald had completely forgotten all about it and smirked at the question. "Oh yeah. So, what's up?"

Helga took a deep breath. "Long story short, his family is planning on doing some sorta surprise party but none of us are invited. Family only." She explained. "But they want us to take him out all day and are paying for it. You want in?"

The boy looked her up and down, and could see the off mood that Arnold was talking about. She wasn't pulling any strings or trying to come up with something clever; she was just telling him the facts. "Of course, I do. Why wouldn't I? He is my best friend, after all." Gerald replied, proudly. "What do you think we should do?"

"I was planning on leaving all of that to you." Helga stated before placing her hands on her hips. "As you said,you'rehis best friend so you know him the best, right?"

Noticing her attitude, Gerald raised an eyebrow. "Ooookay? How much money do we have to work with?"

"I don't know!" Helga's usual temper was starting to resurface, "They didn't say how much." Once she caught herself, Helga cleared her voice and tried to remain normal. "I'll find out on Friday and let you know. Deal?" She asked, with her hand straight out for a handshake.

He looked at her hand for a moment before grasping it and shaking on it. "Deal." Once their hands let go, Gerald backed up a little. "I'll go home and start planning somethings. I'll see you tomorrow." He said before turning around and leaving.

Helga stood there and watched him go, unsure of what to do with herself. Her stomach grumbled and she knew that dinner was probably soon, however this wasn't something she was looking forward to as her negative feelings still lingered.

Dim light softly crept itself through the windows of the dusty old motel. Dusk was now upon the city of Hillwood and Miriam Pataki sat alone and looked through some papers, while the T.V in front of her played whatever channel that her husband had left it on.

She had noticed it becoming dark and slowly turned to her side to turn on the lamp next to her, instantly showing all the little dust particles that floated around.

The clock next to her read "7:08pm" and she sighed. Bob had left at around 3pm and said he would be back shortly; that he had some business to take care of. Naturally, she paid this no mind as he had been frequently taking phone calls in private but him being gone this long seemed out of the ordinary.

Going back to the papers on the bed, she shuffled through the necessary documents that she had managed to get through the mail for her upcoming job interview. Important things like birth certificates and social security cards, along with her hand written resume and some miscellaneous things she thought she might need.

Bob still wasn't aware of the job she had applied for, or that she was expecting an interview in a couple of days, nor did she want to make him any wiser. The very thought of them having this conversation, exhausted Miriam more than having a few drinks on the side. Instead, she had informed the motel front desk to only notify her of any mail and kept her new clothes hidden in the trunk of their family car. Things were working out so far for her and she was starting to feel like her own self again.

Still, Miriam looked out the window and saw that he still hadn't returned and her heart sank a little. It made her feel a somewhat bad that she was keeping something like this hidden from him, however it was also apparent that he was also hiding things. Bob never really was the type to just outwardly explain himself or go into detail of his plans with her. Those types of talks were usually saved for business partners or potential customers. No, sadly she was usually left in the dark until either he had made a good choice and boasted about it, or made a bad choice and wallowed in self-pity. She wondered which outcome his current proceedings would be.

Picking up her valuables and placing them in a folder, she came across something she had forgotten she had ordered: her daughters birth certificates and social security cards.

Everything had been destroyed in the fire, and that meant all of their identifications as well so everything had to have been reordered. It had now been a full week of them living in the motel, and those documents had just arrived today.

She looked at them all individually before placing them in the important folder. The names, birth dates, weight, and length of her daughters. Memories flashed before her eyes and she felt all warm and motherly again. It had been 12 years since she was able to experienced the loving warmth of holding a baby and she knew that she would never experience it again, unless one of her two girls had children of their own.

From time to time, she would wonder if Olga would ever decide to settle down and have a family. She could recall the one time she had brought home a boy, whom she had only known a very short while, and announced to her whole family that they were to be wed as soon as possible. The very notion caused Miriam's heart to sink further, as her own mistakes flashed before her in the form of her eldest daughter. She argued and tried to explain to Olga that the whole thing was a bad idea, and that rushing into marriage wouldn't give her the wonderful feeling she thought she would have. Sure, weddings can be beautiful as you stand there in your white dress, family all around you, while you profess your love to the person who stands next to you, but in actuality, it is only a large party to celebrate the two of you. It does not change the relationship, nor bring you closer together. All it does, is leave you with the debt of this large party and memories of feeling special for a day. Miriam did not want this for her eldest daughter and luckily, the mistake wasn't made as the boy seemingly vanished the day of the wedding. She saw how distraught this made Olga, which broke her heart as well, however a weight had been lifted off of her chest since she no longer had to worry about Olga making the same mistake, she did so many years ago. Still, if Olga had ever managed to find a good, loving man with a good head on his shoulders and a nice job, who proved he could support their relationship for many years to come through many, many months of just courtship, Miriam would be happy to see her daughter wed.

Then there was her youngest, Helga. The angry, stubborn girl who never showed any real interest in anything other than wrestling and playing outside with her friends. She saw so much of Bob in her daughter, that it worried her every time they would have a shouting match. Countless times, she wondered why she couldn't have turned out to be a soft, gentle, and quiet girl like her older sister? Was it simply the curse of genes, or was it her environment? Either way, she had turned 12 years old in the spring and it seemed like she was set in her ways; ways that no one could ever change. It was relatively hard for Miriam to ever imagine Helga settling down with a nice boy, who would be able to withstand her wrath, getting married and then even having children. The thought caused Miriam to feel remorse for this unknown boy, if he should even exist. Still, she wished her daughter the best of luck in her life and hoped that one day she might mellow out and become someone.

This thought caused her to remember her encounter with Arnold, just a few days ago. He was a nice boy who seemed to care about her daughter, so much that he was allowing her to stay with him until they got back on their feet. He was a good friend. She could recall another time when Helga had bumped her head, that he had cared for her until she had gotten home. There were also a few more memories that were rather fuzzy to her, that seemed to be relevant, however Miriam couldn't really recall. Something about Helga's closet, but nothing came clear. Either way, the thought of maybe this boy caring for Helga caused Miriam to feel a little less worried.

Hearing a car pull up reawakened Miriam to her current situation and she hurried to finish clearing the bed, shoving the folder underneath. She peered out the window once more, and saw that Bob had finally returned.

Quickly, she got up to their mini fridge, grabbed a cold beer and waited next to the door to which ever Bob might come through: The happy successful one, or the angry disappointed one.

Chapter 35

Chapter Text

Arnold laid awake in his bed, as he watched the sky above him. The moon was high and bright, and a few wisps of thin clouds would sometimes happen by but for the most part, it was clear out. He was filled with so much emotion that he really didn't know how to sort it all. The worry of the talk he would have to inevitably have with Helga, the when and where he would let her know of his for-sure feelings for her, as well as his upcoming birthday, and the party that was happening at the end of the month. He wanted so badly to talk to Helga about all these things, yet just couldn't seem to find a time to do it, despite her sleeping in a room just below him.

During dinner, he was excited to see her sit down and eat, however that's all that really happened. She didn't engage in any sort of conversation and when he would try and speak, someone or something would interrupt him, making him feel more and more discouraged. He had decided on talking to her after dinner as well, but before he could get himself up those stairs to her bedroom door, he noticed she had already closed it and seemed to be in no mood to talk. Not wanting to bother her with whatever was going on, Arnold dragged his feet up to his bedroom in order to plan how to proceed.

First, the talk of exposing their relationship. Arnold wanted to wait until after he sorted out his own feelings before engaging her with such a topic. He knew she would no doubt start the conversation off hostile, throwing in how she felt and why, before ultimately agreeing to his terms in order to make him happy. Helga's way about doing things usually were the same, so they were easy to predict at this point. Once he was sure how he was going to go about the talk, and so long as she wasn't already in a bad mood, he would bring it up privately in a safe environment.

Second, the confessions of his feelings. He considered using this to follow up the first talk, but decided that it would seem more like a tactic to calm her down, rather than outwardly just telling her his true feelings. Instead, he considered using whatever birthday money he might get, to take her out on a date and confess there. He imagined it being a fine, romantic sort of night and smiled. Things like this needed to be said in a proper setting and if he was unable to take her out anywhere, he would settle to doing something nice on his rooftop, like he did for Oskar and Suzie. Either way, he was excited for this to happen.

Third, his upcoming birthday. Gerald had been making such a big deal out of it, yet Arnold couldn't find himself in the spirit. Of course, he was looking forward to it, however everything that had been going on really overshadowed this potential joyous event. Knowing it wasn't very great to feel so apathetic about something everyone else was clearly excited about, Arnold decided that now would be a good time to start getting in the spirit. He considered the events his parents might be planning as well as the funky decorations that his grandparents usually used. He considered the few presents he might get, even though he had no idea what they would be. Most importantly though, he considered how it would feel to be spending it with the parents he hadn't seen since he was a baby, and his first girlfriend. Anticipation began to fill his body at this thought. Even though he never really saw his birthday to be a big deal, he knew that his parents definitely were going to feel different and that they were probably planning something big to remember.

Lastly, Halloween as well as Rhonda's party. It wasn't something completely alien to him, as she had thrown them in the past, however with certain people like Curly hyping it up, Arnold wondered if it was going to be all that grand. He considered all the party games that his classmates had mentioned, and how the whole feel of this party would be more grown up than ever before. The thought of this was stressful as Arnold wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to his youthful years, as well as they weren't even teens yet, so why would she go through all this trouble? Rhonda always made her parties as extravagant as possible, but was there a more underlying reason for this party in particular to be so big? And the fact she was having another party before that, just the girls, seemed a little weird as well. Neither party alone would have even struck the boy as unusual, but placing them back to back just seemed extreme, even for Rhonda. He grew a little concerned that maybe she had something going on, and was just covering it all up by throwing the most lavish parties possible, as this would absolutely be something she might do. Was she moving? Were her parents having a divorce? Or was there something else that might be bothering her, causing her to want to unwind in such a fashion.

Arnold let out a long yawn before realizing how tired just thinking had made him. He knew it was getting closer to bed time, but it disappointed him to know he was unable to really talk to Helga today. He snuggled down into his bed and decided that maybe tomorrow would be a better day.

The next day came and went, as well as the one after that, resulting as the same as the day before and soon, a full week had passed with the same outcome every day: Helga only giving very short responses, as well as him never being able to get her alone and in a decent mood to find out what was wrong. The boy's frustrations grew and grew but he did his best to remain on the bright side.

It was finally his birthday. For better or for worse, he was definitely going to spend some time with her and hopefully find out what exactly was bugging her so much.

Arnold jumped out of his bed and quickly got dressed. He expected to come downstairs to see his family awaiting him with big smiles, noise makers and popping streamers but the house seemed oddly quiet. He made his way to the second floor and knocked on Helga's bedroom door. He knew that it was still rather early in the morning, however still expected her to be awake.

"Hold on…" He heard her grumble from behind the door, making his excitement grow exponentially.

The moment she opened the door, however, he could see from her messy bed hair that she had probably just woken up.

"A-Arnold!" She shouted in surprise, slowly hiding her messy self from behind the door.

"Hey!" He said happily, hoping that today would finally be a good day.

Helga groped her hand over to the small alarm clock that he had lent her, and scowled before tossing it on her bed. "It's seven in the morning, Football Head!" She hissed. "What are you doing up so early? Don't normal people usually sleep in on the weekends?"

Arnold let his excitement die down a little, and he scratched the top of his head, wondering if she had forgotten what today was. "Sorry, Helga. I guess I was just too excited to sleep for too long." He watched as she rolled her eyes at him, but this only made him smile. "Can I come in?"

Looking down at her ensemble, Helga then looked back at him. "Can I at least get dressed?" She sighed. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen her this way before, but for some reason, she really didn't want him seeing her like this now. She knew full well that she did not look good in the morning.

"Sure." He managed to say before the door was slammed in front of his face.

It only took a few minutes of listening to her make unnecessary noises before her door opened again, and he saw her standing there in her usual clothes, hair, and scowl on her face. She motioned with her arms that he was allowed in, and he gladly did so.

He looked around for a second, and noticed that things had been moved around a little but otherwise it was the exact same from the last time he had been in there. "I see you're making yourself at home." He smiled, hoping to strike up some good conversation.

The term 'home' struck a chord in the girl, and she grunted. "Sure. Whatever." She shrugged.

Hearing her attitude caused Arnold to look at her with a frown. He could see that she still seemed more standoffish than she had been since moving in, and felt it was finally time to address this concern. "Is… something wrong, Helga?" He asked softly, slowly approaching her.

"No." She replied bluntly, crossing her arms in an attempt to ground herself. "Everything is justpeachy.I'm on top of the world."

Despite her response, Arnold could tell that she was most definitely lying. "Come on, Helga." He said as he sat down on her bed and patted the spot next to him. "You've barely said a word to me for a while… and I want to know… well, why?" He watched as her expression changed from frustrated to surprised but she did not move. "Did I do something wrong?"

Now feeling unnerved, Helga swallowed and turned her head. "I've just had a lot on my mind. Nothing to worry your stupid Football head of yours."

"Can't we talk about it?" He insisted, wanting so badly to get up and comfort her but he knew that she would definitely push him away, since she had been basically doing that for most of the week.

"There's nothing to talk about!" She yelled. "Quit getting on my case, will ya?"

Arnold could feel all of his excitement drain from him his body and he hung his head. "…Okay."

"I mean, don't you think I would have talked to you about it by now if I wanted to? Sheesh!" She surprisingly continued on, feeling as though she couldn't contain herself. Helga turned around and saw the state she was putting him in, and immediately choked up. This wasn't what she wanted but there wasn't anything else she could really say. "A-anyway…" she began slowly. "Since you're already dressed and ready, I suppose we can go now…"

Hearing her words, caused him to pick up his head and look at her, shocked. "Go?" He asked. "Go where?"

"That's a great question, Arnoldo but unfortunately you don't get to know the answer to that." She said as she grabbed her shoes and sat down on the bed next to him. "All you get to do is follow me. Got it?"

Not sure of what to say, Arnold just stared at her for a moment. Their eyes made contact, and he noticed that although she was grumpy just a moment ago, there seemed to be a smile that lingered behind those eyes. "G-got it…"

A moment seemed to pass between them as the noises of the world filled the void they had created. Arnold waited for her to make a move, silently hoping that she would slip up and reveal something more but luck didn't seem to be on his side lately, as when she seemed to feel comfortable, she got up and headed to the door with a particularly determined look on her face.

"Don't ask any questions. Just. Follow." She demanded as she stared at him from her doorway.

"Okay, Helga." He sighed, picking himself up and doing what she wanted. Was she mad at him? Should he have tried harder to talk to her? As the days had flown by, Arnold was now regretting giving her time to come to him on her own and wishing he had just cornered her and fished whatever was bothering her out sooner.

Meanwhile, Helga's mind was cluttered with all the thoughts and possibilities of what today could look like. Over the course of a few days, Gerald, Phoebe, and herself had written down a few activity ideas depending on the price range they had to work with. Fun things they knew Arnold would enjoy, as well as places to eat before they inevitably dropped him back home to the mercy of his family and whatever they had planned.

Just as they managed to reach the front door, the two halted as Helga visibly hesitated.

"What is it?" asked Arnold, innocently with his head tilted to the side. She was so eager to leave a moment ago, so why stop now?

Helga placed a finger under her collar in an attempt to cool herself off as she looked over her shoulder to the empty hallway. "You wait right here. I'll be right back…" She said before immediately leaving the boy standing awkwardly in front of his front door. It only took a few moments before Helga had reemerged and back into her rushed state. "Okay, let's go." Helga flew open his door and walked down his stoop.

"What was that about?" He asked quietly as he closed the door behind them. Once he turned around, Helga had marched up to him and growled in his face.

"Hey! What did I tell you about asking questions?" She barked angrily, causing the boy to stumble backwards in surprise of her sudden aggressive behavior. Helga stood over him a moment, blinked at the sight of him, then slowly walked backed down and turned away from him to regain her composure.

Feeling as though enough was enough, Arnold stood back up and crossed his arms. "See? This is exactly what I mean!" He started as he walked down his stoop and stood behind her. "What'swith youlately?!"

Helga gulped and closed her eyes. This was not the way she had wanted to start her day with him; however, he also had showed up far earlier than she had expected and she had had little time to actually prepare herself. "I… I don't know what you're talking about." She deflected.

"Yes, you do." Arnold grabbed ahold of her arm and spun her around to look at him.

The moment she saw the face of her beloved with mixed feelings of anger and confusion, Helga looked away nervously. She didn't know what to say. Should she just spill the beans and let the day proceed as planned? Tell him that the reason she had been avoiding him all week long was to keep everything a secret for this very day? Tell him that her poor attitude towards him lately was due to feelings of back and forth inadequacy? Today was supposed to be a day to remember, yet all she was doing was making it a day he would want to forget. "I…"

"Yes?" Arnold's voice was still laced with frustration but he could see from her reaction that maybe being so forward wasn't the approach he needed. Lessening his grip on her arm, he slowly moved his hand down to hers. "I'm sorry…" he said regretfully. "I've just been trying to talk to you all week long and now that we finally have a chance to spend some time together, you don't seem happy about it at all. Has something changed?" Arnold felt his throat growing dry as he stood his ground. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No..." Helga sighed truthfully, still averting her gaze from his.

"Then what is it, Helga?" Arnold pleaded. "Just talk to me."

The sun was beginning to beam on them and noises of people opening their windows, leaving their houses, and having conversations began to seep into their surroundings. Helga grabbed her hand away from his and looked towards her intended direction. His sad face, his sad voice, his guilt leaden words hung from her heart strings and pulled her down. "I promise that when the day is over, I'll talk to you about it." She said in nearly a whisper. "Okay?"

That was all Arnold needed to hear in order for his mood to perk back up. "Okay." He looked around and noticed that some people were eyeing them, then blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry about… snapping out in the open like this. Which way are we going?"

Helga smiled to herself as she let her own bashful face recede. "This way…" She replied with an annoyed huff as she began to walk in the direction towards Gerald's house.

As they got closer to their intended destination, it became clear to Arnold where they were headed. "We're going to Gerald's house?"

"Do you have short term memory loss or something, Football head? Didn't I already tell you not to ask questions?" Helga hissed as she looked down at her impatient companion.

"I'm sorry." He apologized again, unable to ignore his slowly increasing excitement. "It's just the only thing I can think of in this direction."

When they stopped in front of the Johanssen residence, Arnold looked up at Helga and his smile grew wider. Helga shrugged and walked up to ring the doorbell. "Guess you just have an eye for observation."

It only took a moment before they head someone rushing to the door and as it swung open, Timberly stood there all bright eyed.

"Arnold!" She squealed happily as she stared at her brother's best friend, before looking over at Helga and scowling. "Oh, and I see you brought a friend." She stated with clear annoyance.

Helga co*cked her eyebrow at the little girl's obvious disgust. "Nice to meet you too." She replied sarcastically with a cross of her arms.

"Hey Timberly." Arnold smiled as he walked up the stoop and patted the 6 year old girl on the top of her head. "Is Gerald around?"

Timberly brushed his hand off of her head and backed away. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Arnold!" She whined. "You don't gotta keep treating me like one! I'm in 1st grade now!" She stopped briefly to look behind her before opening the door wider to let the two older kids in. "Yeah… he's still getting dressed, I think. Someone's been in the bathroom a long time and it's probably him."

"Styling his hair to perfection, no doubt." Helga smirked before following the two inside the strange house. "And they say girls take too long to get ready…"

The small girl eyed Helga one more time before giggling at the comment. "You think he's bad? Jamie-O is way worse!"

"That's his older brother." Arnold informed Helga with a small smile. "He's the one who helped us get that studio for the photo shoot."

"Yeah. And I'm his sister, Timberly Johanssen." She happily explained as she put her hand out to the blonde girl. "Putt 'em there!"

Helga looked curiously at the little girl's hand before finally deciding on reciprocating the hand shake. "I'm Helga…" She replied awkwardly before taking her hand back.

"I know who you are." Timberly said, placing her hands on her hips and looking Helga up and down. "You're the one who's always making fun of my Arnold." She stated sourly. "That's not very nice, you know."

"My… Arnold?" Helga questioned, looking over at her totally embarrassed, red faced boyfriend. "This I gotta hear…"

Timberly smirked. "We dated; you know!" She exclaimed as she remembered all of the nice thing's he had done for her, before scowling at Helga once more. "Arnold's the nicest guy in the whole world so you better stop picking on him and calling him names!"

Arnold placed his hand on the young girl's head once more and chuckled uncomfortably to himself, giving Helga an apologetic face. "Thanks for sticking up for me, Timberly but you don't have to worry about Helga. We're all friends, see?" He motioned to Helga and smiled, hoping she would catch his hint.

co*cking her eyebrow once more, Helga shrugged and smiled awkwardly back. "Yep.Friends."

Timberly squirmed out from under Arnold's hand and looked at the two of them and their odd expressions. "You two are weird…" She declared before walking over to the living room and flopping on the sofa. "GERALD! YOUR FRIEND'S ARE HERE!"

Arnold grabbed Helga's hand and slowly brought her over to Gerald's staircase. "You wait here, I'll go see if he's ready." He said, trying to push off the awkward feeling that Timberly so lovingly placed on him. He started to walk up the stairs before stopping and looking back down at the obviously still amused Helga. "Don't ask, okay?"

She smirked. "Ohhhh, you're not getting off the hook that easy."

Shuttering at the thought of having to explain himself later, he swallowed before turning back around and ascending the staircase.

Arnold's ears picked up the sound of running water in the bathroom but still made sure to check Gerald's room before boldly knocking. He slowly pushed open the door and peeked in to see the same messy room he always saw, except with the absence of his best friend. He wondered for a moment if he should sit and wait for him, but not wanting to catch Gerald coming freshly out of the shower or something, he decided to go forth with knocking on the bathroom door instead.

"Gerald?" He called out after a few knocks.

The water immediately stopped. "Arnold?" a few more seconds passed before the bathroom door opened up to a steamy but fully clothed Gerald with a toothbrush sticking out of the side of his mouth. "You're early, man." He mumbled before opening the door wider, in order to give his friend entrance.

"Early?" Arnold wondered aloud while he watched Gerald go back to the bathroom sink to finish up his morning routine. "Helga said something about it being early too…" He watched as Gerald brushed a few more times before spitting out his toothpaste into the sink. "Just what am I early for?"

Gerald put the tap water back on and grabbed a cup and filled it to rinse out his mouth. "You know I can't answer that, right?" He asked, with an obvious tone before sipping the water and gargling it.

Arnold sighed and rested his back up against the door frame.

Seeing his friend's frustration caused Gerald to shake his head before spitting out the water. "It would ruin the surprise!" He said as he smiled a shiny white smile. "Just follow our lead."

"Our?" Arnold asked curiously, as he raised his eyebrow. "So, you and Helga planned this together?"

Gerald hesitated for a moment before leading Arnold out of the bathroom and back into his bedroom. "Something like that. Just don't worry, okay?" He said as he grabbed his red hoodie and carefully placed it over his head, as to not to disturb the hair he had just finished styling. "You're gonna have a great day!"

Trusting his best friend's word, Arnold smiled and nodded before placing his hand out to Gerald to do their signature handshake. "Okay."

Gerald smiled and met his fist with Arnold's to mutually shake on it. "You get to have that talk with Helga yet?"

Frowning, Arnold shoved his hands in his pockets. "No… I thought for sure I could this morning but she rushed us out of the boarding house and we even ended up fighting…"

Observing the disappointment on his friend's face, Gerald shook his head again. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not a very good start to your day, huh?" He asked sympathetically before placing his arm around the boy's shoulders. "Don't worry about it too much. You've got the whole day ahead of you!"

"Thanks, Gerald." Arnold forcibly smiled.

The two walked down the stairs and saw Helga standing bored in the kitchen. "You done fancying yourself up, Tall hair boy?"

"Nice to see you too, Pataki." Gerald grinned at her before turning back to his short blond friend. "We just got one more stop before we get the day moving. Let's go."

The three of them left the Johanssen residence and eventually made their way to Phoebe's without much conversation between them.

"You two wait out here, I'll be right back." Helga insisted as she knocked on the door.

"Why can't we go in?" Gerald asked with a hint of irritation, as if she was trying to keep something about Phoebe secret from him.

Rolling her eyes, Helga turned away and instead rang the doorbell.

"One moment!" Sang a woman's voice before she eventually opened up the door. "Helga, hunny! Good morning!" Greeted Reba. "Phoebe told me that ya'll got plans today. Come on in!"

Internally thankful that Phoebe's mother hadn't noticed the boys, Helga stepped on in and quickly shut the door. "Phoebe in her room?"

"Sure is!" The red haired woman smiled. "Want me to get her for you?"

Helga shook her head. "No thanks. I'll go get her." She said as she ran up the stairs and headed for Phoebe's room.

Once she got there, she knocked on the door loudly. "Pheebs, you up?" After only waiting a couple of seconds, Helga opened the door without permission to find Phoebe still curled up on her bed. "Geez, this is what I figured…" She mumbled to herself before walking over to her small friend and poking her with her foot. "Up and at em, Pheebs. We're wasting daylight."

Phoebe rolled over and groped her hand out towards her end table, feeling for her glasses. "Helga…?"

"Who else would it be?" She replied, pushing Phoebe's glasses over to her confused hand in order to help.

Placing her glasses on her face, Phoebe blinked a few times before sitting up. "What time is it?"

"Almost 8am." Helga huffed. "Arnold and Gerald are waiting for us outside."

The sound of her boyfriend's name, caused Phoebe to wake up faster and she stood right up. "Gerald? He's here already? Outside?"

"I know you're blind but you're not deaf too, Criminy!" Helga said as she walked over to pull open one of Phoebe's curtains, to reveal the boys standing outside, chatting. "See?"

"Oh… My…" Phoebe turned to Helga. "I'm hardly decent."

Helga noticed her friends disheveled appearance and laughed. "Doi, its why I made sure that they stayed outside." She said as she flicked the cowlicked hair that Phoebe's pillow had bestowed upon her. "Take your time and get ready. They're not going anywhere." She explained as she watched her best friend take offence to Helga's playful teasing. "What? It's not that bad." She chuckled. "I'm sure your boy-toy might even find it cute."

Phoebe walked over to her closet and quickly gathered her prepared clothes. "I despise it when you refer to him that way…" She hissed before disappearing behind her folding screen to change. "I don't make fun of your affections for Arnold."

Sitting down at Phoebe's desk, Helga kicked her feet up and balanced back but didn't respond. Images of their fight flooded back into her mind, along with the painful expression he had shown her. Helga allowed the feelings of guilt to wash over her again.

Noticing that Helga hadn't responded with some sort of sarcastic retort, Phoebe glanced around her folding screen to see exactly what was wrong. "Did something happen?"

"Geez!" Helga whined out loudly. "Nothing happened!"

Pulling her shirt over her head, Phoebe frowned. "Right." She replied as she went back to putting on her fresh clothes, awaiting Helga to characteristically explode in a rant, as she was never good at keeping her emotions to herself.

"All week long he has tried to talk to me and what have I done? Ignored him and pushed him away! I'm the worst!" Helga cried out, letting the legs of the chair slam on the floor, causing a loud bang. "How can I tell him that the reason I've been blatantly avoiding him is because I've been stressing over this birthday? Wallowing in self-pity over the fact that his own family doesn't want me around when they celebrate the day of my beloved's birth?! Sure, they gave me 50 bucks to celebrate it with him privately but I can't even do that without needing you and Gerald to practicallychaperoneus in order to keep out of the publics watchful and accusing eyes! I'm a disgrace!" Standing up, Helga walked over to the window and watched as Arnold and Gerald laughed about something. "I'm a mess! I can't take it anymore, Phoebe! I'm going crazy! I've already gotten him upset once today and we had barely left his house! And it's his birthday?! I'd rather rip the skin off my bones and burn myself alive before I do something so stupid like that again!"

Phoebe sighed and walked out into the open, watching as her best friend threw herself against the messy bed. "Helga, please calm down before Mother comes up here to check on us." She informed as she walked over to her hysterical friend and sat down.

"He doesn't deserve to be upset on his birthday, Pheebs…" The blonde girl wanted to cry but controlled herself by muffling her face inside the wad of blankets. "Why can't I learn to control myself better? Why do I already respond to mere inconvenience with lashing out at the person I care about most?!"

"I'm beginning to suspect that the reason you kept them out of my house was more for your benefit, rather than mine…" Phoebe observed calmly. "Did you apologize to him?"

"Not… exactly." Helga let herself fall backwards out of exhaustion. "I will before the day is through, though…"

The Asian girl smiled. "Arnold is a very understanding person and he knows better than anyone, not to take your hostility personally. I know that my words won't soothe you as well as his might in this situation, however, my advice would be to put this incidentbehind youfor now and focus on helping him enjoy the rest of his day."

Helga whined sadly but Phoebe paid her no mind.

"And as far as Gerald and myself chaperoning you…" She adjusted her glasses and watched as Helga sat back up and looked at her, eyes full of regret. "All you have to do is say the word… and I'll signal to Gerald that I would like some alone time with him. There are plenty of things on today's to-do list that could lead the both of you to catch up on some much needed… bonding time."

"Thanks Phoebe…" Helga said as she forced out a smile.

With a chuckle, Phoebe got up and began to fix her hair. "You're most welcome, Helga. Now please collect yourself while I finish getting ready. We have a nice day ahead with wonderful weather to accompany it."

Without a word, Helga stood up and made her way to the bedroom window that had a perfect view of the boys. She opened it slowly, as to not draw any attention from them, slumped down next to it and secretly began to listen in.

"So, are you excited about today, man?" Gerald asked as he slumped up against the stoop, waiting for the two girls to join them.

Arnold shrugged and looked around. "I guess so…" He thought of all of the excitement that had been building over the night before, then how it all seemed to deflate after his argument.

Giving his friend another minute to add on to his flat response, Gerald shook his head. "You have to be the only kid in existence to not be excited about his birthday." He sighed and watched Arnold as he seemingly looked around at nothing, leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "I get that you don't like over exaggerated events, but come on Arnold! Aren't you the least bit excited to spend time with your parents?" He waited again for his friend to respond, but when no answer came, his irritation began to show. "Do I have to remind you that it's your first birthday with them?! They're gonna shower you with presents and love and it will probably be the best birthday of your life! How can you not be looking forward to that?!"

"It's not that, Gerald…" Arnold slowly turned towards his friend and sat down next to him. "I am excited…"

Gerald raised his eyebrows in skepticism. "Well, it certainly doesn't look like it." He watched as Arnold crossed his arms on his knees and buried his head in them, with a groan. "Or sound like it." When his friend didn't budge, Gerald knew that he had to do a little digging and hated it. "Did you finally have that talk and it ended badly or something?"

Arnold shook his head in response but remained silent.

"Did you have another fight?" Gerald guessed, hoping that he was wrong but when Arnold nodded, he rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't wanna know what the fight was about, and you don't gotta talk about it if you don't want to but, for the sake of today, could you just try to put it behind you? It's your birthday, Arnold!" He exclaimed with enthusiasm. "And we got a whole day planned for you!"

"We?" Arnold picked his head back up in interest.

With a nod, Gerald smiled. "Yeah, man! We, as in, the three of us! Helga, Phoebe and Me"

The thought of his friends planning a whole day for him, made a smile grow on the boy's face. This also explained to him why Helga was being so secretive about it, and maybe even why she had been avoiding him for a while. "How long have you guys been planning this?" He eagerly asked, hoping for some answers.

"I dunno." Gerald scratched his chin as he thought back. "Last Tuesday or Wednesday, I think…"

Arnold gripped his fists with excitement. "That's great!"

"It is?" Gerald had become absolutely confused by his friend's reaction. "Of course, it is! It's your birthday!" He smiled, finally seeing something positive come out of this. "It's about time you finally got with the picture." He chuckled.

Arnold continued to grin at the thought of the three of them meeting in secret and discussing plans together, all for his sake. It was as if the memory of their argument was beginning to melt away, and all of his anticipation was starting to come back again. "What are the plans?"

"Ohhhh no." Gerald shook his head. "If I told you, Helga would kill me and I do not want to be on her bad side. You guys have enough going on." When he saw Arnold's grin begin to fade, Gerald gave his friend a small push and another smile. "Just let it be a surprise! It'll be a lot more fun, that way."

Arnold nodded and the two of them laughed. "Okay." He replied, now feeling better about all of this. "I wonder what my family has planned..."

"That's the spirit!" Gerald wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders and smirked. "Think of that new set of rollerblades you've been wanting! Or that super high tech keyboard!" He explained as he motioned to the vastness of the world with his outstretched arm.

"It's not about the presents, Gerald." Arnold smiled, knowing full well it was always about the presents for him. "I'm just looking forward to celebrating it with my parents. To see their smiling faces and spending some quality time is really all I need. Sure, the presents are always nice but I just enjoy the time I get to spend with them."

"That's one thing I don't think we'll ever have in common." Gerald gave the boy a sour look. "It's cool having my parents aroundsometimesbut most of the time, it's just a pain. Gerald, do this. Gerald, do that. Gerald, make sure you pick up after yourself. Gerald, watch your sister… It's just a pain." He looked over at his friend who was still smiling, despite the complaints. "I get that I'll never know what it's like to grow up without them, like you did, but eventually you'll know the pain of the nag, nag, nag, nag, nagging!"

Arnold chuckled. "Yeah. Helga has said the same thing before too." He looked up at the clear blue sky and watched as the sun beamed through some windows. "They haven't really scolded me for anything yet, and I still follow the same rules I always have. I suppose, one day I might feel the same way that you guys do but for now…" He let the wind jostle his hair around a bit, before smoothing it back to its original position. "I'm just gonna enjoy things how they are. Their hugs and stories, the funny things they do with Grandma and Grandpa, the way they react with the boarders…"

"Yeah… I feel you." Gerald gave the boy a small grin as he watched Arnold's face go into a dreamy state. "Just enjoy them while it lasts."

It wasn't too much longer until the two girls emerged from the house. Phoebe bowed and greeted them both with a smile.

"Ohaiyo Gosaimasu!" She spoke happily in her Japanese tongue.

Helga closed the door behind them and stomped down the stoop and past the boys. "Let's just get a move on while there's still daylight."

Giving her boyfriend a shy smile, Phoebe walked over to him and held his hand, earning herself a shy smile in return.

Gerald beamed over at his best friend. "You ready, Arnold? Because today is gonna be something fun!"

Arnold smiled at him, then looked over at his impatient girlfriend who was standing on the other side of the road, tapping her foot, and looking annoyed.I hope so…

After a short ride from the old city bus, the four kids stood in front of a shiny metal diner.

"Big Ned's House of Pancakes?" Arnold read aloud to the group before turning around and looking at their faces.

"That's right! First stop's gotta be breakfast!" Gerald replied happily before rubbing his stomach. "All you can eat pancakes for 5 bucks is a great deal, dontcha think?"

The girls agreed and they made their way inside. As they walked in, they were greeted by a small dinging bell that hung on top of the door, to signal the staff of their arrival.

"Just sit anyplace you like, darlings!" A large woman in a hairnet yelled from across some tables. "I'll be right over!"

Arnold smiled as his stomach was beginning to hurt since there hadn't been time to eat before Helga dragged him out of the house. "Where do you guys want to sit?"

"It's your birthday, Football head. You pick." Helga gestured to the mostly empty diner with many vacant seats.

The boy looked around thoughtfully until finally deciding on a corner window seat and led the group over to it. "How about here?"

They all took their spots in the booth and relaxed until the server made herself over to them. She handed them each a menu, as well as a special's page.

"What'll you be having to drink?" She asked pleasantly as she flipped open her note pad.

"I'll have the strongest coffee you can muster up." Helga replied dully as she slouched against the window. "Bring the sugar but hold the cream."

The group looked surprised at her order.

"Aren't you a little young to be getting a coffee, sweety?" The woman asked, with a bit of amusem*nt.

Immediately, Helga thrusted her finger across the table and pointed it in the woman's face. "Look, lady. I already have a mother and I've been drinking it since I was nine." When she noticed how she startled the woman, as well as the people around her, she sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. "Just bring me the drink?"

With a raise of her eyebrows and a sigh, the woman wrote the girls order down on her paper. "Alright, hon. Just know it'll stunt your growth if you have too much of the stuff, and give you the jitters."

Helga turned towards the window and gazed out at the parking lot. "Thanks. I'll take note of that."

The boy's frowned at one another before placing their own orders of orange juice, while Phoebe just ordered a glass of water. Once the woman left, they all brushed off Helga's attitude to have pleasant conversation, while she continued to stare out of the window.

There I go again! Letting my frustrations get the better of me…She thought as she gazed at her own reflection that was only inches away from her nose.At least this time it wasn't at Arnold. If the woman had just simply wrote down the damn order and didn't ask questions, things wouldn't be this way but of course not. Test my patience, why don't you? As if I needed more of that in my life.

"Here ya go, sweetlings!" The woman boasted as she returned, a tray in hand with everyone's drinks. "Orange juice for you and you, a water for you and…" She stopped as she noticed that Helga wasn't paying her any mind. "And a large black coffee with sugar on the side, for the cranky one."

With a smile, Arnold took the coffee and sat it in front of Helga. "Thanks." He said for her, pleading with his eyes for her to not say anything else that might set the girl off.

The woman rewarded him with a jolly smile and opened her note pad once again. "You dears decided on what to eat?"

"We'll each be getting the all you can eat pancakes!" answered Gerald as he took everyone's menu's and handed them back to the server. "With extra butter and syrup!"

Chuckling, the woman closed her note pad and nodded. "Very good! They'll be out in a few minutes!" Then walked away humming something to herself.

Helga awoke from her self damning thoughts to the smell of the coffee that sat in front of her, then looked over at Arnold, who still had a smile on his face. She took a sip and her insides filled with the hot liquid, which soothed her.

"Feeling better?" He asked her cheerfully, before placing his hand on her leg to show that everything was okay.

She looked down at his hand, then back at the coffee. The black liquid swirled in front of her in an almost taunting way, so she took another sip. "The last thing I needed was for someone I don't know to give me advice that I didn't ask for." She explained as she ripped open a few sugar packets and dumped the contents into her morning companion.

"You know she only meant well, Helga." Phoebe mentioned with kind eyes. "Caffeine may be good to help stimulate your brain in the morning and clear the morning fog, but ingested too much too often can be harmful and even addictive."

Helga stirred her drink but didn't look up. She knew that their eyes were on her, and this wasn't the type of attention she wanted. "I just have a headache and it helps me relax." She growled, wanting nothing more than for the subject to be dropped.

"My mom is like this every morning too." Gerald chimed in as he placed his elbow on the table and rested his head against his palm. "If she doesn't have her morning cup of coffee, I swear she turns into something paranormal. Its freaky how that stuff can turn you from an inhuman demon, to a normal everyday person."

The story gave the girl a slight grin and she looked over at him before mimicking his stance. She could see that he was trying to ease the tension and was grateful for the help. "Oh yeah? Imagine what I can be like in the morning."

Gerald shivered. "No thanks. I'll take my brothers full nelson's all day before I subject myself to that."

They all had a laugh before Arnold realized something. "Oh yeah. How's your brother doing now that he's living out of the house?"

"College life seems to be treating him well." Gerald replied as he crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back in his seat. "He doesn't visit too often, and I don't blame him, but when he does come home, he seems his same old self."

"What has he decided to major in?" Phoebe wondered thoughtfully.

As the three became embroiled with the topic, Helga looked down to notice that Arnold's hand hadn't moved from her lap. With a goofy grin, she turned her head back to the window and allowed herself to finally relax. He had put their earlier fight in the past and was going out of his way to try and comfort her, even if it was with small gestures.Oh, my benevolent prince…She adored on the inside.Putting aside my scornful tongue lashing and outlandish behaviors to comfort me in my time of need. Always forgiving me for the things I don't mean to do, and looking forward to speaking with the real me, the me that loves you unconditionally, no matter the cost. Oh Arnold. May one day, I cast aside this gross misconduct I call a façade and adorn the true face that hides within, even in public. For you, and only you, my love, would I scorch my feet on the black coals of degradation and walk on the path of humility in front of all you hold dear.

She then let her mind wander to the thought of them being alone together, in the diner, and cozying up to one another. Her heart fluttered and she found her left hand leaving her warm coffee cup and finding its way to on top of his, under the table and on her leg.

Noticing the sudden warm touch, Arnold looked over at her and could see her adoring grin from the reflection of the window. Unconsciously, he grinned back.

The food arrived shortly and all four of the kids were delighted as the large stack of pancakes were placed in front of each of them. With grumbling, hungry bellies, each of them began to devour their food until only little remnants of crumbs and sticky syrup remained.

"Now THAT is what I call a breakfast!" Gerald groaned happily, as he leaned backwards to give his bulging belly some room.

"I couldn't agree more, Gerald." Phoebe smiled, feeling content as she had not over indulged as much as he had, but was still full. "This was a wonderful idea."

"Right? I saw an ad for this place in the newspaper a while back." Gerald looked over at Arnold and then at Helga. "You two ready to go to our next destination?"

"I can't wait!" Arnold exclaimed as he stood up from the booth and allowed Helga to follow. "Where to?"

The second bus ride was considerably longer than the first, and dropped the group off in front of the large baseball stadium.

Gerald reached into his pockets and pulled out four tickets, and flashed them in front of Arnolds face. "Cool, huh?" He said as he watched his best friend become excited. "They may not be front row seats, but at least we'll be close enough to actually see the game, unlike that time we got scalped tickets."

"Thanks, Gerald! This is awesome!" Arnold replied as he stared at his ticket.

They walked up to the doors and showed the worker their tickets, before he let them pass. The game wouldn't be starting for another half an hour, so each of them were allowed time to leisurely find their seats and get comfortable.

"Now all we gotta do, is sit back, relax with our full bellies and watch a good game of all American baseball!" Gerald stated as he sat down and propped his feet up on the chair in front of him.

Arnold looked fondly between his three companions. "I can't believe you guys did all of this for me."

"The day isn't over yet, Arnoldo." Helga mentioned with a soft grin. "There is still one more event after this one that you get to enjoy."

More people began to file in and soon, the whole stadium was full of avid sports fans.

"What a beautiful day we have here, folks!" The announcer's voice came through into their ears loudly. "Be sure to grab some snacks and refreshments from our snack stands because the game is about to start! All of our hotdog's are proudly provided to us by Mickey's Dog Pound! Get em' while they're hot because when they're gone, their gone!"

The fans began to cheer loudly as the players slowly entered the field and took their seats in their respective dug outs.

"Peanuts!" A man shouted as he walked up the stairs with his tray of snacks. "Peanuts! Who wants peanuts!"

A little boy jumped up and shouted "Me!" Before his dad hushed him, grabbed the bag of nuts, and paid the man.

"Not me…" Helga stated as she placed both her hands on her stomach. "I ate enough to last me for the rest of the day."

"Are you okay?" Arnold asked her, in a hushed voice.

She could see that his eyes were full of concern, so she snorted and smiled. "Oh, I'm more than okay." She turned her attention back to the game as she noticed it was beginning. "I haven't eaten like that in a while. I'm uncomfortable but…" Turning back to him, she gave him a look of reassurance, "It's a feeling I can learn to like."

The fan's cheered loudly again as the players took their positions.

Arnold looked down at her hand, which cupped the end of the arm rest. He thought of his talk with Gerald about his wants and feelings, and decided that, considering they were in a crowded public place with many people she didn't know, maybe she would be comfortable with allowing a bit affection to be outwardly shown.All I gotta do is take thing slow… just like before…He thought to himself as he eyed her hand before looking back up at her. Her sour mood had passed so maybe there was a chance.

Slowly, he relaxed his back up against the back of his seat and got himself comfortable. He glanced at her hand one more time before placing it on top of hers.

The nerves in Helga's body all immediately signaled an electric reaction as his body suddenly became in contact with hers, and she unconsciously jumped. Helga looked at him nervously at first, but when she saw his warm smile, she forced herself to push away all of her nagging anxieties and enjoy the feeling.

"Is this too much?" He asked softly as he eyed the players far down below, not wanting to draw attention to themselves.

With a fluttering heart, and a longing sigh, Helga looked out at the field as the pitcher threw a fast ball which the swinger missed. "Shut up and watch the game." She replied stubbornly, resisting the urge to swoon.

From the corner of her eye, Phoebe watched and giggled before grabbing her own boyfriend's hand and squeezing it.

Gerald slowly leaned over towards Phoebe's ear. "Is it working?" He asked quietly during the loud cheers when the ball finally made contact with the bat, allowing the player to run to first base.

"Yes." Phoebe replied. "Things are moving along nicely."

The sun shone high in the sky as it beat down on everyone in the stadium. The game had finally ended with the visitors sadly winning, and everyone very hot and bummed.

"This afternoon sun is killing me!" Helga whined as she gradually got out of her seat; slowly unsticking her bare legs from the seat's plastic upholstery. "You'd think it would give us a break since we're in flipping October now! Criminy!"

"The breeze is quite nice." Phoebe smiled, trying to add something positive even if she too was sweating.

They made their way over to the stairs and slowly descended them.

"Don't worry, Helga." Said Gerald as he walked next to her. "We'll cool off in our next stop."

At first, the girl replied with a sneer, but when she looked down at her smiling and content looking partner, her sneer turned into a small smile. "Yeah, whatever."

They walked out of the stadium and back to the bus stop.

"Another bus ride?" Arnold asked them curiously.

"Another bus ride." Gerald shrugged and placed his hands on his hips. "At least there might be air conditioning in there?"

The wind blew and gave the kids some small relief before the bus made its way to them. With a screeching halt, it allowed them passage and soon they were on their way to their last destination.

Chapter 36

Chapter Text

Arnold watched out of the bus window impatiently as he noticed the bus going back into the heart of town. The anticipation was killing him, but he knew that if he asked where they were going, he would only be shot down again, and since this bus sadly had no working air conditioner, he knew it would be a more hostile shot than normal.

He could hear Gerald and Phoebe softly talking in the seat in front of him, and giggling about something, but was unable to make out any words. He looked over at Helga, who looked as annoyed as she possibly could be as, and decided not to bother her with idle conversation. Instead, he focused his attention back out the window and enjoyed what he could of the ride.

The bus would stop periodically and passengers got on and off. He listened to the money clink inside the collection next to the driver. He could hear a baby whining somewhere behind him, and a mother calmly shushing it. Gingerly, Arnold rested his head up against the window and was finding the motions of the bus were lulling him into a daze.

Ding!

Phoebe stood up and grabbed the bus string that hung draped across the edge of the ceiling and wall, causing Arnold to suddenly jolt up and back into focus.

"Are we there yet?!" He asked excitedly to the friends around him.

"When the bus comes to a stop, yeah Football head." Helga replied, dully. "Keep your pants on."

Arnold smiled and chuckled at her response, even if it didn't sound very nice. "Sorry, Helga. I'm just really excited."

The bus let out a loud screech, then hissing sound as it came to a complete stop, and the four eagerly left the hot vehicle.

Once the bus had finally left, Arnold waited for the large amount of smoke from the exhaust to clear before he looked around to acknowledge his surroundings. There wasn't anything particular of note around him, but he was sure of one thing, they were close to the movie theater.

The crew began to walk ahead of him and he quickly jogged to catch up.

"The movies?" He asked Gerald, causing the boy to smile back. "I knew it!"

"Well, saying the next place would cool us off, was a dead giveaway." Helga growled in frustration, as this was the one place that she had planned for them to go.

"What movie are we seeing?" The odd headed boy asked impatiently, with clutched fists full of anticipation.

Helga shrugged. "Don't know yet, all depends on what's playing."

The answer was both confusing, and intriguing and Arnold decided it was good enough. "Okay."

Once the movie theater was in sight, he noticed that instead of going to the front counter, they were going into the alleyway next to it.

"We're… sneaking in?" He asked, a bit concerned.

The four stopped in front of the emergency exit to one of the showing rooms.

"Well… We wanted you to be able to have the full experience with snacks and stuff." Gerald shrugged as he pulled out the remainder of the money. "And you wouldn't have been able to with what we have left."

Phoebe frowned. "I don't recall this being part of the plan."

"Relax, Phoebe." Helga said as she removed the small cardboard wedge that held the door propped open. "I've been sneaking into the movies since I was five." She opened the door enough to slip through. "No one will even notice us."

Gerald gave his frustrated girlfriend an apologetic look before shrugging and following Helga. With a shake of her head, she followed and so did Arnold.

The room they walked into, currently had nothing showing but commercials.

"Perfect!" Helga whispered as she crouched along the wall and towards the back of the room. "Phoebe! Gerald! Grab us some decent seats before all the clods come rushing in. The Football head and I will grab the snacks."

"Finding!" Phoebe replied as she grabbed Gerald's hand and led him away.

Arnold watched curiously as the two separated from them, but followed Helga willingly. Once they reached the door, he grabbed her hand and caused her to stop.

"What?" She asked impatiently. She looked at him until her eyes fully adjusted to the dim lighting and saw that he was giving her a half lidded smile, causing her to blush.

"Thanks for planning today, Helga..." He replied before placing his hand on her cheek and quickly giving her a peck on the lips. "It means a lot to me."

All the blood in the girl's body rushed to her head, and she felt like she was nearly gonna faint. Quickly, she grabbed onto the door handle to steady herself. "Y-yeah…W-well…" She stuttered; her brain not really cooperating to make words.

He watched as she became flustered and chuckled to himself. Placing his hand on top of hers, he pulled open the door. "Let's go get some snacks."

Meanwhile, Phoebe and Gerald had picked some seats fairly close up to the screen, but not so close that they would have to strain their necks to see the show.

"It's not every day you get to pick your seat like this." Gerald mentioned as he sat down comfortably and reclined. "This is the life!"

"Indeed…" Phoebe replied as she sat down next to him.

Sensing her displeasure, Gerald groaned and placed his arm over her shoulders and held her close. "Don't be like that, babe!" He pleaded. "I know you don't like to break the rules but this is for Arnold, remember?" He felt her deeply sigh and frowned. "You were the one who suggested we end in a private place so they could have some time to work things out. What better place than the movies?"

"What are we going to do if an usher catches us?" She asked, sternly. "Do you think they would accept your reasoning as a valid one to steal?"

Gerald snorted. "We're not stealing… we're just simply filling some empty seats…"

"Gerald…"

Rolling his eyes, he knew this wasn't a fight he was going to win. "Arnold and I have snuck into the movies a few times, Phoebe. The ushers only ever clean at the last showing and they only opened up…" He quickly checked his watch. "Like an hour or two ago! Relax!"

Despite still feeling very uneasy about the situation, Phoebe placed her convictions aside and leaned into his warm embrace. "Alright…"

Rubbing her arm gently, Gerald rested his head up against hers. "Thanks, Babe."

With arms full of popcorn and soda, Arnold and Helga walked back into the show room and noticed that the room wasn't as empty anymore, as a handful of people sat quietly and waited in various seats.

It wasn't hard to spot their friends, as Gerald's hair stood out so the two made their way over to them and plopped a bag of popcorn and a large soda in their laps.

"Thanks!" Gerald replied, with a thumbs up.

Arnold placed his thumb up against his friends and proceeded to do their handshake but before he could sit down, Helga grabbed Arnold's hand and jerked him away.

"What?" He asked her, a little surprised.

With her own thumb, she motioned to the couple who were cutely nestled against each other.

"Do they look like they want company?" She asked flatly.

Arnold looked back at them and realized what she meant. "Oh…"

With another tug on his arm, Helga brought him away. "Enjoy the movie, lovebirds." She said loudly, before dragging her boyfriend along awkwardly.

The two giggled and waited for the birthday boy and hostile girl to be of long enough distance.

"I told you things would work out." Phoebe smiled to her boyfriend.

Gerald brought her hand up to his lips and gave it a quick kiss, before wiggling his eyebrows at her, causing her to giggle again.

"I'm beginning to understand just how clueless Arnold can be…" She mentioned softly, as she turned to watch Helga pick a seat and sit them down.

"You don't know the half of it…" Gerald replied in a long, drawn out and exhausted voice.

"I wonder what movie we're gonna watch." Arnold whispered excitedly to Helga as he sat down.

She handed the popcorn bag over to him and placed their large soda in between them. "I don't know but it better be good." He smiled at her remark and offered her some popcorn. "No thanks. Like I said earlier, I'm pretty full."

Arnold blinked. "Helga, that was nearly four hours ago…"

She raised her eyebrow at him and took a sip of their soda. "And? Do I look like I'm starving?"

Sadly, he looked down at the large bag and wondered if he could really eat it all by himself. He thought back to the eating contest he was once a part of and swore he would never eat like that ever again, and although this wasn't nearly that much food, the towering bag did look very intimidating.

The commercials finally concluded and the lights dimmed darker, to indicate that the feature film was about to start.

"Finally…" Helga sighed as she slouched in her seat.

Arnold watched her silently and smiled at how unladylike she could be whenever she was relaxed. He popped a few kernels in his mouth then turned to the screen.

The movie started off with a bunch of high school students gathering and talking about some big event that was happening soon. A circus was coming to town and everyone was excited to go as this was going to be the last time it would ever perform.

The day of the circus finally came and the friends gathered in front of the large and flashy sign. Loud carnival music played around them and very odd attractions were shown. Each character had their hand at playing a few games, flirting, and showing off some of their personalities, before the main event was finally at hand. They all entered into the large tent and sat down in the front row. The ringmaster came out, introduced himself and explained that everyone inside that tent would experience something they would never forget.

Clowns came out with trained animals and the fantastical event began. The friends laughed and cheered as everything unfolded until the final event was upon them. The ringmaster made his way to the middle of the stage and threw his hands up in the air. Suddenly, small white flakes began to rain down inside the tent, almost like it was snowing.

The onlookers oh'd and ah'd at the spectacle until it became very clear that things were beginning to get a little strange. Their visions became blurred and colors became brighter. Sounds became distorted until all they could see is black and hear nothing but laughter.

Arnold began to eat the popcorn faster with enjoyment and he glanced over at his partner, who looked moderately amused.

The light in the theater became incredibly bright as the screen suddenly turned white.

The group of friends were finally able to see again and what they saw certainly shocked. They were all inside cages in some sort of dark room.

"I promised a show of a life time…" The ringmasters voice came out of some speakers. "I promised a show you'd never forget in your life time… and I always keep my promises…" He finished with a loud cackle.

Some of the kids yelled, and some of them cowered on the floor together. It became obvious to everyone that whatever they were in now, they weren't going to get out of without a fight.

"Some of you my know each other… some of you may not…" The ringmaster continued over the cracking, low quality speakers. "But you'll all get to know each other very soon… your life may depend on it…"

Helga chuckled and reached back over to grab the soda. "This is getting pretty good."

Arnold smiled and turned back to the screen.

The cages opened and the people all ran out and looked for an exit. There was only one large door and it was locked. People banged on it and yelled but the only answer that came was the loud cackling from the man over the speaker.

"Don't you worry. I'll open the door but when I do… you better run until you can't anymore."

One of the main characters yelled at the speaker and tried to seem like an alpha, causing a few people to get behind him. More people started to grow confident and stand up for themselves, until the doors began to creek and slide open. In front of them was many hall ways so the people entered inside. The moment they looked back at their cages, the door slammed shut and an audible locking sound was heard.

Many people looked around confused, wondering what they should be running from. Many challenged this whole thing as a harmless joke.

Suddenly, a loud noise came and filled the theater.

A large hole opened up through the ceiling and cages were slowly being brought down. Inside, were large and angry animals; animals that were once a part of the show they had just witnessed.

It became apparent what was happening now, and the obvious main characters began to run down a hallway, causing the majority of the people to follow them or down their own hallway. The few who stayed behind and mocked the ringmaster, met their demise the moment those cages swung open.

"It's not all fun and games… is it?" The ringmaster asked the crowd as they ran for their lives.

The main characters ran and ran, with some of the people following them falling prey to traps until it was inevitably only them. They ran into rooms and out of rooms. They solved puzzles until finally they walked into another large room with a stage. The lone ringmaster stood and waited for them, with his cane in hand and his hat lowered over his face. The door behind them swung shut and killer clowns chained the doors and swallowed the key.

"Congratulations for getting this far…" He explained in a low, hoarse voice. "Life is a cruel game were only the select few can survive." He looked up at the group as if he was peering into their souls. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Some of the characters yelled at him, others cried and others remained silent.

The clowns began to surround the ringmaster on the stage and the man smiled a crooked smile. "From here on out, it is up to you to find your way out. There will be surprises ahead… many surprises… life is full of surprises…" His voice echoed off the walls of the theater. "Not all of them always… good."

Suddenly, the stage began to rise and the ceiling opened up once more.

"This is the final act. Good luck!" He said before leaving them all with nothing but loud laughter until dead silence.

The 12 people argued amongst each other before deciding to press onward. Behind the stage that was now gone, was 3 doors. They split up into groups of 4 and headed into the unknown.

It was clear that days began to pass, as the friends struggled to overcome obstacle after obstacle, hoping that someone was looking for them and that they would be saved. It was also clear that with the tasks becoming more difficult, that many of these characters would not survive.

Helga let out another laugh and leaned towards Arnold. "You wanna bet who lives and who dies?" She asked in amusem*nt.

Arnold looked down at his popcorn that was now, surprisingly half gone. He wondered to himself when that happened before turning to her. "Sure."

"That one jock guy and his stupid bimbo of a girlfriend are totally gonna die." She predicted as she slyly reached over and grabbed a fist full of popcorn. "And I bet they die the most gruesome death ever… while that old hacker guy and that geeky medical student get out alive."

"Okay…" Arnold smiled as he watched her eat some popcorn, then turned back to the screen. "I think that jock guy definitely dies but he sacrifices himself for his girlfriend and she lives. That old hacker guy definitely has some secrets. I bet he betrays the party and dies, leaving the prom queen and med student to get out alive."

"Fair enough…" Helga grinned openly, impressed with his prediction. "What about the creepy old guy. Live, or die?"

"The trucker?" Arnold asked, looking at the screen again and watching the characters argue amongst themselves over food rations. "That's hard but I think he'll live."

"I don't." She popped another piece of popcorn in her mouth. "I think he's full of himself and that's gonna be his downfall." She chewed loudly then pointed at the screen. "That chef too… he's definitely going to die. I bet the teacher and that little girl make it out though."

"The fortune teller, artist, police officer and rich guy?" Arnold asked, seeing as they were at the last team.

"Dead, dead, live and live." Helga responded shortly as she finished her handful and slurped more soda.

Shaking his head, he snatched her soda from her and took a small sip. "I think the fortune teller will live but the rich man dies."

Helga scowled at him before playfully swiping her drink back from him. "You're on." She challenged as she reclined back in her seat. "And who said you could take my soda?"

With a grin, Arnold placed the almost empty bag of popcorn down on the floor between them. After taking that sip of soda, he knew it was almost gone so it was best to not become further thirsty or else someone would have to get more.

The scene changed back to the truck driver attempting to figure out the puzzle, while the teacher and chef felt around the walls for clues. The little girl sat on an old sofa and sang quietly to herself.

"Will you stop that singing!" The old truck driver yelled to the little girl, causing her to cover her ears and cry.

"Now look what you've done!" The chef yelled back. "The girl is scared enough as it is! Do you need to go and make it even worse?!"

The teacher walked over to the girl and hugged her closely. The little girl grabbed on to the woman and sobbed into her chest until her breathing returned to normal. After assuring her that everything was going to be okay, the girl nodded and got up to help them look for clues.

The old truck driver went back to the task he was given, placing specific pieces into specific holes without getting it wrong, in fear of the consequence. Each piece made a sound, and it was clear that there was a sequence he had to figure out. "Hurry up and find those clues!"

"We're trying!" The teacher replied back, as she moved over to a table. She felt underneath it and found a card with musical notes on it. "I think I found something."

Everyone rushed over to her and discussed the puzzle. The truck driver brought the music piece over to his puzzle, dropped the pieces into the holes indicated by the music piece, and a drawer opened to reveal four vials of different color liquids.

"What the hell is this?!" The man blurted out angrily as he stomped over to the next part of the puzzle.

The chef picked up the vials and sniffed them. "Nothing I have ever seen or smelled before."

"Look!" The little girl shouted as she picked up a playing card with some colors on it. "I found something."

Everyone gathered over to her and looked at the clues and it became obvious that each one of them had to drink a vial in order to complete this stage, as the door would only open when a droplet of someone's blood who had drank the concoction was placed on the lock pad.

"But what if this is poison?" The chef asked, looking over his green vial.

"It doesn't matter, now does it? Just drink it, prick your finger and place your finger on that damn lock pad!" The truck driver demanded as he shot his red vial's liquid down his throat, and did just as he knew he had to.

The little girl cried again but did as she was told and drank her blue vial, allowed the truck driver to prick her finger and she placed it on the pad.

The chef and the teacher looked between each other before taking their own colorful concoction, pricking their fingers, and placing their droplets on the pad.

Loud shaking began and soon, their door opened into another hallway which they knew would end up in a room.

"Run!" The teacher shouted and the four ran as fast as they could until they reached the other door. They jiggled the handle but it would not budge. The door read "Only two may enter here".

"Hurry!" The angry, loud truck driver yelled as he pushed the young woman away and jiggled the handle for himself.

A thump was heard and the adults turned behind them to notice the little girl had fainted. Quickly, the chef ran to her and picked her up. "She's not breathing!" He cried out, causing the teacher to join him.

"Lay her down, I know CPR!" The woman yelled and the chef did as he was told.

"There is no point!" The truck driver insisted. "The door says only two can enter. She's a goner! Don't waste your breath!" and just as he finished his sentence, he dropped to his knees and clutched his heart.

The teacher cried as she held the little girl in her arms, and the chef ran over to the other man. His eyes were bloodshot and it looked like he was having a heart attack. The irony of his last words, caused him to chuckle before he fell forward and silent.

The door before them opened without any assistance and the chef and teacher walked into a room. The room looked like a lounge, with a buffet of food, drinks, and a few comfortable sofas.

"How can we celebrate at a time like this?!" The teacher cried as she threw herself on the sofa.

As soon as the chef entered the room, the door behind him swung shut and locked tightly, causing the woman to rush over to it. "And now their bodies will remain in there like a tomb?!"

"When we make it out of here, we'll call the authorities and retrieve their bodies!" The chef replied as he placed his shaking hands on the woman's shoulders. "Not all hope is lost, Sharon!"

The woman turned around and cried in his arms until she had no more tears left.

"Hah! What a loser…" Helga blurted out, causing someone else who was watching to shush her. "I mean, come on! It's obvious that once they leave that place, it will explode or something so no evidence will be left behind. That's what I would have rigged it to do."

Arnold silently agreed that if it ended that way, it would make sense but still held out that hope was still possible, and all of the fallen people would eventually be retrieved and have a proper burial.

The two adults began to comfort each other as they sat down on the sofa. The chef held the teacher in his arms, and rocked her back and forth while he hummed a song.

"That… is a nice song…" The teacher whispered to the man. "Where is it from?"

The chef looked down at the sad woman and smiled. "My mother used to sing it to me during thunderstorms. I don't know what it is called… only that it always lulled me to sleep, even in the scariest times." He let go of her and stood up, grabbing 2 wine glasses, and handed one to her.

"But what if-"

The man placed his finger on her lips, then sat down. "If this is meant to be our last day on earth, it will be such, even if we don't want it to be, right?" He asked, gaining a nod from her in return. "Whether poison or nourishment, let us go in our own way…"

The two drank their glasses of wine, spoke of times long past and eventually their spirits were lifted. They joked and played around until the wine was gone.

"Tim… we can't…" The teacher whispered softly to him, as he brought his face closer to hers. "You're… you're married…"

"My wife died when all of this began and there is no getting her back…" He whispered back sadly, slowly closing their gap.

Their kiss started out soft but eventually turned into something a lot greedier and more animalistic. They each began to slowly take off each other's tops…

Arnold watched this display of loveless lust unravel before his eyes. He gulped and looked over at Helga, who seemed unaffected and had even managed to grab the popcorn from the floor without him noticing.This doesn't bother her?He wondered, feeling himself become uneasy.

Feeling his eyes on her, Helga slowly turned her head and gave him a questioning look. "What?"

With a blush, the boy cleared his throat. "This… doesn't make you feel… weird? Or uncomfortable?" He asked, as he pointed towards the screen where the two people were now only in their underwear and still making out.

Helga smirked and popped one of the kernels in his mouth. "Uncomfortable? Because of this? You got to be joking."

Arnold blushed a deeper shade, now at his own embarrassment.

She suddenly reached over and turned his head back to the screen. "You see them, Football head?" She asked playfully in his ear, causing a shiver to travel up his spine. "Those are two people who could die at any moment, grasping for any sense of relief from their dire situation."

He heard her words but could only see the faces of the two adults touching each other in manners he wasn't used to seeing.

"It's not romantic, it's pathetic." She stated with a grunt before sitting back down in her seat. Noticing that he had no response for her, she looked at him again and noticed that he still looked very uncomfortable. "Is… is this your first time seeing some rated R content?" She asked in astonishment.

The scene had changed to another group's struggles, and Arnold quietly nodded his head. "Grandpa usually doesn't let me watch TV after 8 o'clock."

"Geez!" She shouted, causing another person to shush her. She turned around and threw some popcorn in their direction. "Mind your own business, you moron!"

"Helga!" Arnold grabbed her by the elbow and sat her back down, his embarrassment now focusing on something different. "You're gonna get us kicked out!"

Slumping back down into her seat, she shrugged. "Fine, fine…" She shook her head and smiled, "I've seen things way worse than this. Things that come on way past 8pm, Football head and let me tell you…" She turned to face him with a grin he had never seen her wear before. "Things get way wilder than just hot and heavy kissing and grabbing…"

"W-wilder?" Arnold gawked back before closing his eyes and shaking the images from his head, causing Helga to laugh and grab her drink.

The movie ended with only the fortune teller, teacher and hacker genius making it out alive and the ending being open ended with whether or not all of those bodies would ever be found.

The four friends walked out of the theater back through the emergency exit with many things on their mind.

"Man! I cannot believe the police officer died like that!" Gerald yelled after closing the door. "I mean, really? How could he make such a rookie move like that?"

Phoebe frowned and grabbed his hand. "I agree that his plan wasn't thought through… however I was impressed that he managed to unlock all of those mechanisms all by himself in order to let the other man live…"

"The way the chef got squashed by the boulder was hilarious, though!" Helga laughed as they made it from the alleyway and towards their bus stop once more. "He should have been watching where he was going instead of staring at that lady's butt!"

"Hands down, the hacker was my favorite." Gerald pointed out before continuing with all of his favorite parts that the hacker had a hand in.

Arnold listened to them all and smiled. "It was definitely an interesting movie. What was it called?"

"Choice Consequences." Phoebe replied, knowingly. "A very fitting title for their predicaments."

The bus pulled up and opened the doors, allowing the four to enter and take their seats.

Gerald leaned over the back of his seat and smiled at his best friend. "So, how's your day been, my man?"

"It's been great!" Arnold replied enthusiastically. "I couldn't have asked for a better day! The food, the game, the movies… I really had a fun time."

"And the day is only half over." Helga mentioned, her voice turning harsh as she looked away, causing Arnold to give her a questioning look.

"Is… is there more?" He asked, unsure if this was a good thing or not.

Gerald gave him a chuckle and sat back down in his seat. "That's something that I don't even know, man."

After a while, the bus dropped them off close to the Sunset Arms and the four stood in front of the large red building. They looked up at the old building and noticed that nothing really seemed out of the ordinary.

Arnold walked up his stoop to open the door, and noticed no one was following him. "Aren't… you guys coming in?"

"Sorry, Arnold but I promised my mom that I'd help her take care of… all the laundry." Gerald replied, scratching his arm, and looking uncomfortable. "Jamie-O brought a bunch of his stuff over and… I don't want her to have to do it by herself. Who knows what crazy stuff she might find?"

"I have to apologize as well, Arnold." Phoebe chimed in, sadly. "I have fencing lessons with my father."

Arnold then looked over at Helga, who looked the most uncomfortable out of the bunch. "Helga?"

Her face began to turn red at the thought that she couldn't go inside with him. The day had been such a success, aside from their brief fight earlier that morning, so why is it she couldn't enjoy the final act with him? Helga kicked a nearby pebble and took in a deep breath. "I… I have something I gotta do…" She lied.

"Mother asked Helga if she could help her with… dinner, right Helga?" Phoebe helped, with a sympathetic look on her face as she placed her hand on her best friend's shoulder.

"R-right…" Helga stuttered quietly, refusing to look up at the sad face she knew her beloved was wearing. "I'm… actually sleeping over…"

An awkward silence passed between them all before Gerald cleared his throat. "Yeah, sorry man. Call me tomorrow and let me know all the cool stuff you get, okay?"

Looking at his front door, and then back at his friends, Arnold's heart felt heavy. "Yeah… okay…" He said solemnly, poorly hiding his disappointment. With a heavy swallow, he opened the door and stepped inside. "I'll see you guys later. Thanks again for the really fun day. It was great!"

It was obvious to the kids that Arnold was forcing his smile, but they all gave him a smile of reassurance back, save for Helga, and wished him a goodnight.

The moment he shut the door; the three friends could hear his parents yell "Surprise!" from within the house.

"I guess that's, that." Gerald was the one to break the heavy silence, as he grabbed his girlfriend's hand. "A job well done."

"Y-yeah…" Helga replied, looking at the stoop of her beloved, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

"Mother was pleased to hear that you would be spending the night, Helga." Phoebe reminded her, happily. "She really was hoping you would help her with dinner."

Helga didn't respond, but continued to look at the stoop.

The couple glanced between themselves and seemed to give a silent understanding.

"You know…" Gerald started slowly. "It would be a shame if someone crashed that party… Walk in, unexpected."

"Indeed. It's possible that if such a situation happened like that, maybe they wouldn't know what to do." Phoebe added, waiting a moment to see if her friend would respond. "I once knew a girl who crashed a party that she felt she should have been invited to. Just showed up, completely unannounced and took over the whole thing, and had a lot of fun… Right, Helga?"

The light in the living room lit up, and the kids could see someone placing a party had on Arnold's head through the shadows.

"The Helga Pataki I know, wouldn't let something like not being invited stop her from getting what she wanted." Gerald pushed in a rough tone.

"That is true…" Phoebe smiled. "She would yell, Get outta my way, geekbaits! And storm on in…"

They both watched as Helga clenched her fists angrily.

"You're right…" She whispered, before turning around and showing them her angry, red face. "You're right!" She yelled again before stomping inches away from them. "Screw invitations! I don't need to be invited! Criminy! I living there, for crying out loud! They can't keep me from my room!"

"Well, technically you are living there rent free…" Phoebe pointed out.

"Who cares?! No one wants to live in this run down piece of crap anyway!" Helga shouted accusingly. "I pull my own weight and ask for nothing! In fact, I didn't even want to live here but they insisted! They practically threw their hospitality in my face and then think they can uninvite me?!"

Gerald and Phoebe smiled at each other at a job well done.

"I'll show them what it means to uninvite Helga G. Pataki!" She cried to the world, before stomping up the steps, throwing open the boarding house door, and disappearing inside with a loud thud from the door swinging shut behind her.

"Hey! Treat that door with some respect, young lady! That wood is older than I am!" Phil scolded Helga from another room.

With one final huff, Helga marched her way into the living room and saw all the happy faces of everyone that lived there.

"Helga?" Arnold looked at her with a joyous surprise. "I thought you were helping Phoebe and her mom?"

"Yeah, well I decided to crash this party instead." She shrugged stubbornly as she crossed her arms and waited to be thrown out.

Stella smiled and ushered the girl to sit next to Arnold on the old sofa. "We were surprised to hear that you weren't gonna make it!"

When Helga sat down, she gawked at the woman in confusion. "Huh?"

"Yeah? What kind of girlfriend leaves this helpless kid to the mercy of all these crazy adults?!" Phil asked before he gave a wicked laugh.

Helga turned to him with a shocked face, that slowly melted into anger. "You're the one who said this was a 'family only' event!" She yelled, full of confusion and embarrassment.

"I told you that I didn't want you getting the whole dang school involved!" The old man threw his arms up in the air and chuckled. "I didn't say that you couldn't come!"

"Helga… honey, you live here." Stella informed as she placed a loving hand on the girls back. "Did you really think you weren't invited?"

The room became quiet as everyone waited for Helga's response.

Suddenly, a large realization dawned upon Arnold and he placed his hand on the girl's leg. "Is… is this why you've been so unhappy lately? Because you thought you couldn't come to my birthday party?"

Helga let out a loud scream and stood up. "How the heck do you think I should feel?! I had a week to plan the perfect day for you, even though I wasn't invited to the main event?!"

The adults took a step back and looked at each other, astonished that they had unknowingly created such a grave misunderstanding.

Gertie walked over to the girl and gave her a large hug. "Oh…. Eleanor! You should have said something, dearie!"

The old woman's warm embrace and kind words caused Helga's eyes to water. She had been boxing up and forcing down her own, real emotions for so long, that they were threatening to expose themselves in a way she wouldn't tolerate. "What could I have said?" She replied, angrily. "You have me under YOUR roof! Feeding me YOUR food! I don't have a leg to stand on, let alone have room to complain about a favor ASKED of me!"

"But Helga…" Miles walked over to the girl and knelt down to face her rage head on. "You don't owe us anything…" He said softly. "If you hadn't of helped Arnold, against all the odds back in that jungle, we wouldn't even be here right now."

"Of course we would help you in your time of need!" Phil placed his hands on his boney hips and let out a long, exasperated sigh. "If it hadn't of been for you and that cute little gold locket you stole back from me all those years ago with Arnold's picture in it, none of this would even be possible!"

"You KNEW about that?!" Helga shrieked in horror.

"I may be old and feeble-minded, but I'm not SENILE!" Phil laughed. "Shortman told us everything you kids sacrificed out there to get my kids back! How could we not be grateful?"

Helga could feel her head begin to spin and she wanted to run away. They all knew about her locket. They all knew about her secret. They all knew of her feelings for Arnold and… they were all perfectly okay with it? This whole time, she thought that they were all just pitying her, when in fact, they were helping her out of pure gratitude and concern? This information was too much for Helga to handle and she felt her knees get weak, causing her to sit back down.

"I think she's a little overwhelmed…" Stella said as she looked into Helga's glassy eyes. "Let's put all of this aside for now, and continue with the party."

Gertie ran over and turned on the record player. "It's party time, boys and girls!"

The noise around the house sounded only like muffled congestion in Helga's ears, as she stared off into space, trying to take in all of the new information and feelings.

Arnold smiled and grabbed both of her hands when he noticed all the adults had taken their attention off of them. "Helga?" He called out to her, lovingly.

She turned her head, but her blank expression still remained.

"I'm sorry about earlier." The boy confessed with genuine embarrassment of his own. "I didn't know that you've been shouldering all of this… all for my sake. I wish you would have said something to me… even though I know you couldn't." He looked into her eyes and gave her a confident smile. "I had a really fun day! Thank you!"

Helga watched as her body reacted on its own and reached out to touch his cheek. He blushed at her touch, but didn't brush it away. "Oh Arnold…" She sighed, finally breaking from her daze. "To see you smile at me that way, I'd do it all again without question…"

He blushed at her truthful comment and looked around at all of the adults doing a jig to his grandmother's music. He stood up and reached his hand out to her. "Come on, let's join them!"

Everybody danced, played games, ate the food on display, and even partook in some party shenanigans before it was finally time for Arnold to unwrap his presents. His parents sat him down in the chair with all of the streamers covering it and began to hand him colorful boxes with bows.

The boy's shining smile grew. "Thanks, everyone." He said as he picked up a small box.

Miles held his wife close as she snapped a quick picture. "Open it up, son!" She called out to him.

Arnold unwrapped the small box and opened it up. His face gave a queer look as he held up what was inside. "…Grandpa's underwear?"

"That's where those went!" The old man shouted and laughed as he snatched the briefs away. "There's more, Shortman!"

Removing some white fluff, Arnold revealed a small shiny object. He held it up and looked it over. He recognized it immediately but was still a bit baffled and looked at his grandpa. "It's your old swiss army knife."

The man nodded his head with a proud smile. "It served me well for many, many years and I think it's time for it to become someone else's." He explained as he thought fondly of the item. "Keep it with you always, Arnold! You never know when it might come in handy someday and get you out of some sticky situations!"

"Except for school, son…" Miles added, quickly. "Don't bring it to school."

Arnold chuckled and placed the old relic in his pocket. "Thanks, Grandpa. I'll take good care of it."

Ernie brought over the next gift, which was larger than the last. "Open up ours next, Arnold."

"We all pitched in!" Mr. Hyunh added, with a large smile. "Even Oscar!"

"I scraped together all of my pennies so you could have a birthday present, Arnold…" Mr. Kokoshka explained sadly, hoping to get some recognition for the small amount he added to the pool. "I hope you like it."

Arnold slowly unwrapped the paper and opened the box. "A new catcher's mitt!" He yelled as he pulled it out of the box, some filler falling on the floor. "Thanks, you guys! How did you know I needed one?"

"I found your old one in the dumpster while I was looking for dropped change on the ground." Oscar confessed. "I was so sad for you that I suggested it to everyone else."

"Criminy…" Helga mumbled from the corner of the room, not wanting to interrupt anything.

Stella ran over and handed her son his next present. "This one is from us!"

The boy ripped off the wrapping paper and smiled widely. "Is this…?"

"It's your own cell phone!" Miles called out, as Arnold inspected the phone's box. "That way, if you're ever out and stuck, you'll be able to call home instead of relying on the payphones around town."

"It's a prepaid, as well." Stella added. "It means that you will always be able to make emergency calls, however if you want to make leisurely calls, you'll need to buy those minutes using your money you get from your chores."

Arnold took the phone out of its box and looked it over. It wasn't flashy in anyway, but seemed practical and easy to use. "Thanks Mom and Dad!" He smiled at them as he flipped the phone open and shut. "I'll make sure I keep it charged and have it on me at all times when I leave the house."

"That's my boy!" Miles cheered before he handed him his next present. "This one is from your Grandma."

The box was long and rectangular, with a colorful bow tapped on the top. Arnold removed the cover to find a blue and red woven blanket that was clearly handmade. "A new blanket!"

"I knitted it myself!" The old woman mentioned. "There is something inside it too!"

Arnold picked the blanket out of its box and noticed there was a smaller box inside. Curious, he unwrapped the box to find a new electric toothbrush. Unsure of how to show excitement for this type of present, he forced a smile at his grandmother who seemed to be awaiting a response.

"Brush well, Tex or your mouth will be looking like its full of cow pies!" Gertie shouted with a laugh. "And no woman will want to kiss a mouth like that."

Helga turned away as a blush suddenly mounted on her cheeks and began to exit the room as she was beginning to feel awkward.

"Oh, good job, Pookie!" She could hear Phil shout from behind her. "Now you've gone and embarrassed the girl!"

The girl rolled her eyes at his comment but continued to her room. Although the woman's words did send some eyes her way, it wasn't the only reason she was feeling awkward. Standing there, by herself, while she watched loving family members shower Arnold with gifts while she kept hers hidden for later, made her feel like the odd one out.

Once she got to her room, she opened the desk drawer that had the tickets in them. She picked them up and looked them over as she thought of all of the gifts his family had given him. Was this really the right gift, after all? It made her feel a little cheap and selfish. Sure, he would enjoy going to the botanical gardens but she was more looking forward to enjoying that event with him, rather than him just enjoying it himself. Her mind flashed back to the conversation she heard him and Gerald talking about outside, while Phoebe was getting ready.I haven't really seen him spend a whole lot of time with his parents…She realized as she looked over the tickets. She thought back to the baseball game and remembered the little boy who got those peanuts. He had his parents with him, as did many of the other kids who watched the game. This caused Helga to imagine Arnold and his parents at that baseball game, all holding number 1 fingers, with hot dogs and sodas in their seats.

Helga sat down at her desk and placed the tickets on the woods soft surface.I had the whole day to spend with Arnold because they gave me the money and opportunity…She thought as she remembered their happy faces when she barged into the room, full of rage.I thought… I thought they didn't want me around and were paying me off, when it couldn't have been further from the truth! Phoebe was right… Miles and Stella aren't the type of people to have malicious intent. I have to make this right…

Then Helga noticed something particular about the tickets. She picked them up and smoothed them out in her hand. "Is… is there…?" but just as she wondered aloud before her finger and thumb pushed hard between the pieces of paper, revealing that there were actually three tickets, instead of two. "They were stuck together?" Helga held the tickets up to her eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing. "Criminy! I must have been so excited to get them, that I didn't notice this earlier…"

With a loud whine, Helga threw them down on her desk. "It doesn't matter how much I want to have that romantic date with Arnold, in the controlled jungle environment of the botanical gardens, free of pirates and poison darts... he would enjoy it much more with his parents, not me!" Her heart ached at the thought of her losing her opportunity with him, but knew it was the right thing to do, for their sake. "He's spent his whole life without them… and this is the least I can do…" She whispered to herself as she slumped in her seat, her body letting gravity drag herself to nearly falling off the chair. "They'll have a far better time teaching him things and showing off, compared to a half-baked attempt at me trying to rekindle the moment we lost back in San Lorenzo. And Arnold? He even said himself just today that all he does is look forward to spending time with them and since I've been living here, they've been focused on helping his elderly grandparents while he focuses on school."

Helga allowed gravity to pull her down completely, as her bottom fell to the floor, causing the small rolling chair to wheel backwards until it hit her bed. She crossed her legs and slouched forward, with her elbows touching her knees, and her face in her palms. She imagined her love holding both of his parent's hands while they pointed out different flower species and explaining to him different purposes they could be used for, pointing out some sorta weird looking bug and giving him a lecture on how some tribe probably worshiped it. She imagined after a long day of walking and talking, Arnold becoming tired so his dad would carry him on his back, all the way home so that way they could tuck him in. These were the things that Arnold missed out on his entire childhood and these were the moments he deserved. "I've had the luxury to watch him practically my whole life! And they haven't!" She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Knock, Knock, Knock…

Helga was interrupted by someone at her door. She got to her feet, wobbled a second then placed her ear against the door. "Yes?"

"Ummm…" She could hear Arnold's voice on the other end, and her heart began to beat fast. "I was wondering if you wanted a slice of cake?"

He left his party to come all the way up here and offer me cake?!Helga fanned herself and smiled wildly as she felt her adoration for the boy beginning to rise.

Outside in the hallway, Arnold held the plate of birthday cake close to him, while frowning at the door. He knew his grandmothers comment probably caused her to leave, and felt bad about it. "I can leave it in front of the door, if you want?"

Helga took another deep breath. She had meant to apologize to him properly over how she acted earlier, and wondered if this was a good time to do that. There was also the matter of the tickets and how she would present them to him. Were they waiting for him downstairs? Had they already finished the festivities and were cleaning up?

"Helga?" Arnold called to her again. She could hear the disappointment in his voice and knew she had no other choice than to confront him now.

The blonde girl unlocked and opened the door. She placed a hand on her hip and looked surprised. "You came all the way up here… to bring me cake?"

Arnold blushed and held the plate out to her, shyly. "Well… yeah."

She accepted it and opened the door wider, giving him the signal that he could join her, which he did without much hesitation.

Noticing that the tickets were still on her desk, Helga quickly placed the plate over them, in an attempt to conceal them before she was ready.

"I'm… sorry about earlier…" He started, as he stood there apprehensively in the doorway. "My Grandma can say some crazy things. I hope she didn't bother you…" He scratched the side of his arm awkwardly, and looked at the floor. "I'm also really sorry that my family caused that big misunderstanding… and I know they're sorry too."

"Stop."

Helga's voice caught the boy off guard, and he looked up at her: She was sitting in the rolling desk chair, looking irritated.

"But Helga-"

"Maybe your Grandma should have given you something to clean your ears out with instead, because you must be going deaf!" She challenged, causing him to give her a guilty look. "You have nothing to apologize for." Her look softened as she gave him a small but sad smile. "I'm the one that needs to say I'm sorry. It's always me. I'm the one who acts without thinking. I'm the one who always jumps to conclusions! You had every right to be frustrated with me this morning because…" Her voice cracked as she fought off her emotions. "I've been the one avoiding you since I couldn't get out of my own head. I really wanted to plan the perfect day for you, but I didn't like the thought that I was being pushed out. I blamed your family instead of justasking them clearly, and you had to pay for it! You, Arnold, the one person who didn't deserve it."

Arnold could hear the desperation in her voice, and it only made him feel worse. "It's okay, Helga!" He insisted as he smiled and began to approach her. "I had a really fun day! It was a real surprise that you guys went through all of that trouble, just to make today special for me!" When he sat on her bed, he noticed by her face expression that she was still beating herself up over everything and reached his hand out and placed it on hers. "How about tomorrow, we just spend the day together? Just the two of us?"

His suggestion caused her heart to skip, but she shook her head. "We can't."

"Why… why not?" He asked, full of worry.

Helga let go of his hand and turned around. She moved her plate, took the tickets, and turned to face him again with them in hand. "Because you have other plans."

"I… do?" He asked as he looked at the pieces of paper she was holding.

Squeezing them one more time to solidify her decision that this was the best thing, Helga handed them to him and gave another small smile. "Here. Happy birthday."

Arnold took the tickets and looked them over. "Three tickets to see the city's botanical gardens?"

"Yeah, they're for the new rain forest exhibit." She explained shyly as she looked down. "I got them for you and your parents. I noticed you guys haven't been spending a lot of time together. I found these and figured… I don't know, maybe you could all take a day trip… or something." She grumbled.

It took a moment for her words to register in his brain, but after they finally had, Arnold leapt up and gave her the biggest hug he could muster, causing Helga's eyes to widen in shock. "This is the best present of all!" He stated before letting her go and looking into her eyes to show her that he meant those words. "It's a shame that you can't come with us, though…"

"Gardens aren't really my style, Football head." Helga shrugged and laughed. "I like loud angry mobs and violence, remember? Monster trucks and wrestling? Angry death metal?" She then took his hand once more and gave him a real smile, something she hadn't managed to do for a while now. "I'm glad you like them, though."

Seeing her happiness caused Arnold to feel at ease. Things were finally right again in their little world. "What about next weekend?" He adamantly suggested. "Can we can do something then?"

Helga smirked. "Like what?"

Allowing a warm and fuzzy feeling to wash over his body, Arnold thought of possible romantic places to take her to confess his feelings. "I got a bit of birthday money… so maybe some place nice to eat?"

The suggestion caused Helga's mind to wander into her fantasies. "You mean something with romantic appeal? Dim lighting, soft music playing in the background and a dinner by candle light?" She asked with a soft and dreamy voice.

Arnold blushed and looked down at her hands. "Y-yeah… something like that…" He replied nervously, feeling his heart beat in his throat.

"I'll have to check my calendar but I think maybe I could squeeze you in." Helga replied playfully when she noticed his adorable boyish behavior. "But don't say I never did you any favors."

Feeling grateful that she was handling his shyness about everything so well, Arnold chuckled. "Alright."

The noise downstairs began to pick up as it sounded like someone broke something, causing an argument between the adults.

Arnold rolled his eyes and stood up, slowly letting go of her hands. "I better get back downstairs before Grandpa strangles someone…" He said regretfully, as he stared into her starry blue eyes.

"Is this typical for your birthday?" She asked in amusem*nt, trying to imagine what sort of troubles the boarders have caused Phil in the past.

"Something like that." Arnold replied with a shrug. He noticed she still hadn't touched her cake and handed it to her once more. "Here. My parents made it and its pretty good." He smiled as she looked down at it with a queer look. "It tastes better than it looks, I promise."

"I bet they added weird things to it…" She frowned as she poked at the frosting with her fork. "Is it at least sweet?"

Love filled Arnold's chest as he silently cherished the vision of her picking at her food like a stubborn child. "Of course it is, Helga." He laughed. "It's cake."

After giving him a look of doubt, the girl cut a piece with the side of her fork and reluctantly took a bite. She gave it a moment in her mouth to really get a taste and noticed that he was telling the truth. There were some interesting flavors she hadn't tasted before, which was something she was dreading since his parents liked to 'spice things up' but the taste was surprisingly delightful.

"I know its not your typical birthday cake, but I'm used to things being out of the ordinary when it comes to my family." Arnold casually joked with a witty grin. He waited and watched as she took another bite. "Do you like it?"

"Eh, it's alright." Helga shrugged before putting the half-eaten cake back down on her desk. "I've had better."

Arnold gave her a heartwarming grin. He wanted to stay with her longer but he knew that he needed to intervene downstairs. "I better get going now." He said as he placed his birthday present in his pocket. "I'll show them to my parents after whatever is going on downstairs has settled…" He winced as he heard his grandpa call someone some colorful names. "Whenever… that happens."

"Okay." Helga frowned as she watched him turn around and head towards the door.Arnold… always the mediator…She sighed to herself, feeling sorry for him as it seemed he was always the more mature person of this nut job of a household. A feeling of regret washed over her as he grabbed her door handle and she stood up. "Actually, Arnold… wait." She said as she felt her anxious and longing heart begin to throb in her chest, not wanting him to go.

He turned around and gave her an encouraging smile. "Yeah?"

Looking down at her piece of cake, then back at him, she suddenly had an idea. "You might as well take this back down with you…"

"Oh..." Arnold's smile disappeared as he watched her collect her plate and begin to bring it to him.

"Yeah… it's just not my style." She said as she placed it in his hand, but didn't let go. "It's not bad but… I'm looking for something a lot sweeter…" Noticing that Arnold was still holding on to the doorknob, she placed her hand on top of his and slowly entwined their fingers until they were both grasping it. "You know what I mean?"

With a hard swallow, Arnold could feel his temperature rise and his head begin to go fuzzy as her body moved closer. There was just something about the way she was talking, and the way she was moving, that was so enticing. Almost like if his body knew something that his brain didn't. He stared up at her anxiously but didn't move. "Do you want me to get you something else?" He quietly asked through his shallow breathing.

Helga locked eyes with him and slowly forced him backwards until they both heard the clicking noise of the door as it was closed. She could see that he was anticipating her moves, and it made her wear a devilish grin. "Oh, you don't need to get me anything." She teased as she gradually let go of his hand and trailed her fingers up his arm.

Her touch caused tingles to shoot up Arnold's spine in an almost electrifying way, and he unintentionally shivered. "I… I see." He said as he let go of the doorknob and held the plate with both hands.

Her fingers trailed further up to his shoulder, then to his collar bone, under his neck and to his chin; her gaze never wavering from his. He was submissive and pliable to her touches and she wondered what was going through his mind. She leaned forward and brought her lips to his ear. "I think you can give me something much sweeter…" She breathed lovingly, leaving the only gap between them being held by the plate they both clutched.

Her breath on his skin caused him to grip the plate harder, making an audible clanking noise when the fork was jostled against the ceramic. He felt like a mouse being cornered by a hungry cat but instead of feeling scared, he was further drawn to her. Images from the movie flashed in his mind of the two adults enveloping each other in passion, and Arnold swallowed nervously again, unable to keep himself from inserting them into that situation.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" She whispered sweetly before letting out a small giggle and bringing her face closer to his. Seeing his expression caused her to blush a deep shade, but she didn't hesitate, only smiled. "Just what are you thinking about in that dreamy little mind of yours? Eh, Football head?"

Arnold's face grew redder than it already was, unable to answer her with the truth. He knew he was being teased, since it was something she had mastered, but he wasn't used to being teased in this manner nor had any idea how to respond to it. Part of him enjoyed it, and all the ways she was making him feel, but another part of him grew frustrated and unsure of himself since he couldn't get his thoughts straight. "I'm… I'm not sure…" He answered her softly and quietly. "Everything… is a little fuzzy…"

Helga chuckled to herself as things were a lot more amusing than she expected them to be. "Sorry about that." She said as she tilted his chin upward. "I'll clear things up for you."

When their lips finally met, Arnold nearly dropped the plate. Her lips were warm, and pleasant, just as they always were except this time, he could taste the sweet cake on them. He wanted so badly to put down the plate and hold her in his arms, however the nearest table was in no way in arms reach, so instead, he gingerly moved it out from between them with one hand, and grabbed her waist with the other, causing her to give a small squeak of surprise. Arnold grinned beneath their kiss before pushing up on the balls of his feet to gain some equality in their height difference and deepened their kiss.

Not expecting such a feverous response from her partner, Helga felt her legs become weak and she grabbed on to his shoulders to steady herself, but only caused them both to stumble forward a little bit and their lips broke apart.

"I'm… sorry." Said Helga, breathlessly and embarrassed. "My legs kinda got all wobbly there."

Arnold gave her a shy smile but understood. "It's okay… mine were kinda… getting that way too…"

The two kids stood there with bashful smiles on there faces, and just basked in each other's glow. The noise from below them started to louden once more, but this time it was laughing instead of yelling.

"I guess you didn't have to intervene after all." Helga stated with an awkward grin. "Seems they figured it out themselves."

"Yeah…" Arnold agreed, still letting his body return to normal before he gave walking another try.

Another awkward silence passed between them as they listened to the adults below.

"Hey, Arnold." Helga suddenly said, breaking their silence.

"Yeah?"

"Happy birthday." She finished with a warm and loving smile.

The boy smiled back. "Thanks, Helga."

Chapter 37

Chapter Text

It’s strange how things can change. One moment, you’re playing and dancing in an open fire hydrant, trying to stay cool from the summer’s heat, in only your bathing suit… and the next, you can’t even imagine showing your friends your naked skin. Suddenly, you become conscious of yourself and those around you. You begin to wonder how they see you in their eyes; you worry if you’re too fat, or too skinny, if they find you attractive or utterly repulsive. When once you were just careless friends, having fun and enjoying each other’s company, and now when you suddenly notice your own imperfections… you wonder if they see them too.

Hours passed while Arnold was deep in his thoughts. He could hear the ticking of his clock next to him. Just what time was it? He wasn’t sure and didn’t dare to look. Instead, he replayed certain images in his mind over and over. It was almost like if his mind was a broken cassette tape that continued to skip and rewind.

He listened to the noises around his room: The creaking of an old wooden board from below him from someone walking in the hallway, a fire alarm beeping from a dying battery, cars passing his house with a loud muffler that needed to be replaced… everything he heard seemed so loud.

Laying on his bed, flat on his back with his pillow clutched to his chest, the boy just listened and watched the images for what seemed like an entire night, but what probably only a few hours. He never ended up making it back downstairs to help his family, and instead decided it might be better for him to take a shower to wind down, and ponder his thoughts by himself.

Why did these images mock him so?

Arnold took in a deep breath as flashes of his memory came forward of the things Helga had done to him in her room. The way she slowly walked up to him, how she placed her hand on his and slowly backed him up against the door until it closed behind him. The way she lightly dragged her fingers across his body, from his hand to his chin. How she spoke in a soft unassuming tone and feeling her warm breath on his skin. He knew what she wanted, yet he was frozen in place. "It's more like going on a roller coaster for the first time! To put it bluntly, she'll make you really excited and nervous but in a way you've never felt before." His father’s voice reminded him, causing the boy to shift uncomfortably.

Playing back the scenes of the movie, Helga’s voice echoed in his brain. “Those are two people who could die at any moment, grasping for any sense of relief from their dire situation. It’s not romantic, it’s pathetic.” Yet, the acts of kissing and touching seemed like something people who were in love would do. Arnold felt something tug at his heart and he closed his eyes. There were so many things that didn’t make sense, and that included his own feelings.

These two things contradicted themselves. Helga claimed that what those two adults did, wasn’t romantic… it wasn’t love, yet it’s something two people do when they are in love. The feelings his father explained he would feel, along with Gerald’s concern with them living together and being alone behind closed doors and finally, the unrelenting urges to be as close to her as possible… weren’t they also connected to love? He only had these feelings when he was with her. Was love not the common denominator?

Arnold knew he understood what love meant. He understood that people must love each other very much to get married and start a family. People who are in love, do anything for each other, including sacrificing things they wouldn’t for other people. These things are openly spoken about everywhere you go; in books, movies and even seeing families together in the park or on dates. Love was something that was warm, joyful, and affectionate… but was there more to it he didn’t understand?

Feelings of frustration caused the boy to roll to his side. Why did things have to be so complicated?

The next morning, Arnold awoke to a loud trumpet being played loudly from downstairs. He quickly jumped out of bed, put on his clothes, and raced down to see what the commotion was about. “What’s going on?”

When he got into the kitchen, he saw his grandma in Army attire, plating stacks of pancakes in front of the hungry boarders.

“It’s about time you got down here, Colonel.” She stated as she placed a 5^th pancake on top of Ernie’s plate. “We can only keep the troops at bay for so long, so you’ll need lots of energy!”

The young boy sat down at the table, and looked around in confusion. “Where’s Mom and Dad?” He asked, remembering the tickets Helga had given him.

“Oh, they’ll be along.” She explained, rounding the table to give him his own set of pancakes. “Rowdy soldiers are always getting into trouble and injuring themselves, you know. A couple of greenhorn recruits… Always making trouble for our poor nurse.” The old woman shook her head and plopped a few pancakes down on Arnold’s plate.

Opening his mouth to ask for more information, Arnold was interrupted by the sounds of male voices crying out in pain.

“The old man and Miles were trying to fix a hot water pipe.” Ernie said as he finished a large bite of his breakfast. “Got themselves burned so Stella is patching them up.”

“Are they okay?” Arnold asked in concern, looking between the adults.

“Merely a flesh wound!” Gertie shouted before giving Arnold a salute. “You need skin tough as leather to win this war, Colonel. Better to rough em’ up now before the real danger begins.” She then turned around and marched back into the kitchen.

Arnold poured himself a glass of orange juice and took a sip, wondering if he should go looking for them or if maybe it was better to stay out of the way. He then noticed that Helga was nowhere in sight. “Has Helga come down for breakfast yet?”

“Oh, you mean the little blonde girl who’s always angry?” Oskar asked, as he poured more syrup on his stack. “No, Arnold. She hasn’t been downstairs.”

Mr. Hyunh forcefully grabbed the bottle of syrup from Oskar and placed it back down on the table. “And she won’t have any syrup for her pancakes! Leave some for other people, Oskar! Why are you always so stingy?”

The three began to bicker about each other’s selfishness but Arnold paid them no mind. He took a few bites of his food, another sip of his juice and then pushed himself out of his seat in route of his parents’ voices.

It became obvious after a moment that they were down in the basem*nt, as the door was still slightly ajar and their voices became louder. Arnold walked down the stairs and saw his mother applying ointment to his grandpa’s hand, as well as his father attempting to cut a bandage with his own bandaged fingers.

“Arnold!” Miles happily greeted his son. “Good morning! How does it feel to be twelve years old for a second day?”

Stella turned around and smiled at him, before grabbing the bandage from her husband and wrapping it around her father in laws hand.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Phil shouted as he attempted to snatch his hand away from the woman, who only gripped it tighter in response. “Are you trying to break my hand off or fix it?!”

“If you’d quit squirming, I wouldn’t have to.” She scolded, jerking his arm forward. “Did you have a good sleep, hunny?”

Arnold hesitated before walking down the last few steps of the basem*nt stairs. It always surprised him to see the dynamic between his elders, but at least it was amusing most of the time. “Sleep was good and I feel fine.” He answered both with a smile. Placing his hand at his side, Arnold could feel the tickets still in his right pocket. “I was wondering if you guys had any plans for today?”

“And… finished!” Stella said contently as she fastened the bandage on Phil’s hand. “I hope this teaches you boys to not do things you THINK you can do, and instead, calling someone who KNOWS what they’re doing.”

Phil examined his bandaged up hand and scowled at the woman. “I’ll have you know that I’ve fixed everything around here by myself since I knew how to hold a socket wrench! Nothing some common sense, tools and duct tape can’t fix!” He then turned to his son and pointed his good finger at him. “And this would have never happened if Miles had turned off the water like I said!”

“I did turn off the water!” Miles defended himself, angrily. “You just didn’t give it enough time!”

“Enough, you two…” Stella placed her hand on her forehead, then turned to Arnold. “I’m sorry, Arnold, could you repeat that?”

The young boy fumbled awkwardly in his place for a moment, feeling as though he shouldn’t have interfered in their affairs. “I was just wondering if maybe we could go out someplace today?” He asked shyly.

The two parents looked at one another, before smiling at their boy.

“Of course, we can go out today!” Stella walked over and gave the boy a big hug. “Where did you have in mind?”

Arnold took out the tickets and handed them to her. “Here.” He stated, waiting for his father to join them. “Helga gave them to me as my birthday present and I was hoping we could go.”

“Give me the boot, why dontcha!” Phil grumbled to them playfully before grinning and mushing down Arnold’s feathery hair. “Where ya going, Shortman?”

Stella looked them over, then handed them to Miles. “We wanted to go here right before Arnold started school, remember?”

“Oh yeah! We saw an advertisem*nt for this exact exhibit in the newspaper! I almost forgot!” Miles laughed and handed them both their own ticket. “Sure, we can go today!”

Arnold smiled at them both. “Alright. Thanks!”

“Just give me a few minutes to freshen up and put away this first aid kit, and then we’ll be on our way.” Said Stella with a wink, before placing the last of her medical tools back inside their box.

“Yeah.” Miles agreed as he looked at the palms of his dirty hands. “I better wash these as well.”

The two gathered up their things and left the basem*nt, leaving Arnold and his grandpa to watch them disappear.

“That was a pretty nice gift she got you, eh Arnold?” Phil smirked at his grandson. “I would’ve assumed she would have wanted to go, instead of your parents.”

Arnold looked down at his ticket. “Yeah… I thought the same thing.” He explained, sounding a little down. “But she said that I haven’t been spending enough time with them.” He then looked back up at the old man and gave him a proud smile. “I guess she’s just trying to look out for me.”

“Oh, women and their mysterious ways…” Phil chuckled before giving Arnold’s hair another tussle and going back to the water valve to turn it back on. “Hey Arnold, would ya do me a favor and hand me that wrench?”

To the left of him on the table, Arnold spotted a toolbox and ran towards it. “Is this the one you need?” Arnold asked, holding it up.

Phil took a quick look then waved him over. “That’s the one!”

Feeling a sense of importance, Arnold rushed over to the man and handed him his tool. He deeply missed this sort of bonding he always had with his grandpa. Now that his parents were home, they seemed to be the ones helping out around the boarding house, leaving Arnold to study up in his room. He understood why things had changed, however it left the boy feeling a little lacking.

Seeing a small crate, Arnold flipped it over and sat down to silently watch the man work.

“Something you wanna talk about, Shortman?” Phil asked as he turned his wrench delicately, as to not accidentally cause more damage to the already falling apart pipe.

It was almost like his grandpa always had a sixth sense for knowing when something was bothering him. Sometimes it was a blessing, and sometimes it was a curse but, in this situation, Arnold wasn’t really sure which one it was. “Sorta…” He confessed, feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing. Giving himself a few seconds to collect his thoughts, Arnold knew his grandpa probably had the answers he sought. “I’m just a little confused about something…”

“And that something… is…?” Phil pressed on, glancing over at his grandson. He could see the boy’s expression and knew it was going to be something important.

“When two people love each other, they want to be close, right?” Arnold started, feeling nervous and testing the waters with his question.

“Right…” Phil swallowed, hoping this conversation wasn’t headed in a direction he feared.

Arnold began to fidget with his fingers as he contemplated how to proceed to his next question. “Would… there ever be a situation where two people wanted to be close, even if they didn’t love each other?”

The innocent question caused Phil to flinch and accidentally bang his head on the pipe. “Consarn it!” He yelped in pain, rubbing the top of his head. “Aren’t you a little young to be worrying about stuff like this?” His voice was harsh from the pain. When he noticed his grandsons worried face, he forced a smile. “Oh… geez…” He said quietly before looking around and finding a box to sit on. When he sat down, he gave Arnold a serious, yet sympathetic look. “And you sure you wanna be asking an old man like me this, instead of your dad?”

“You’ve always helped me out when I was confused…” Arnold tilted his head, not understanding why his grandpa would ask something like that. “Why would that change now?”

Phil frowned and looked down. “Well… I suppose it wouldn’t.” Guilt came over the man as he thought over his feelings. Truthfully, this very topic was weighing heavily on his mind ever since Miles had given Arnold ‘the talk’ in his place. A man should always tell his son about the facts of life, however when Phil took Arnold in, all of those talks and experiences were his job, and to suddenly have to relinquish that job was hurting his old heart more than he wanted to admit. “I was just thinking… maybe you’d want someone younger to ask about… things like this, instead of an old foggy like me.” He lied, hiding his fears.

“The last time Dad and I tried to talk about… stuff like this, it really put a strain on him.” Arnold thought back and gave a small chuckle to his father’s obvious awkwardness. “It’s always been easier talking to you.”

Placing his old and wrinkled hand on the boy’s knee, Phil smiled. “I appreciate the compliment, Arnold but you know I won’t be around forever. Even if your dad gets uncomfortable having these sort of talks with you, he’ll eventually have to get over it, and so will you.” He noticed the boy’s face get grim, and patted his knee a few times before straightening back up and feigning confidence. “But since I’m still here, I suppose I can answer a few questions. Lay it on me, Arnold. Give me the whole story!”

Arnold nodded. “Why would two people who aren’t in love, want to get… physically close?” He asked plainly.

Unable to control his cringe, Phil faked a cough. “W-well… hmm… How can I explain this in a way you’d understand…” He then felt his stomach grumble and his hunger gave him an idea. “You ever have school lunch and then look over at someone else’s bagged lunch and think, man I would much rather have that?”

“I… guess?” Arnold co*cked his eyebrow, not sure where this example was going.

“It’s sort of like that. You like your lunch, but you’d rather have someone else’s. You don’t need it, but you want it because it tastes better!” Phil smiled, sure of himself. “It’s not always about being hungry, Shortman. Sometimes, you just really want that pudding cup because you know how good it tastes!”

“I think I get what you’re saying…” Arnold gave a small laugh but shook his head. “But I don’t really see how that answers my question.”

“Lust! Arnold.” Phil shouted out, throwing his hands on his old and boney knees. “That’s the answer you’re looking for!”

The sudden outburst caused Arnold to recoil. “Lust?”

“Yeah! When you have a strong desire for something you don’t really need!” The old man then reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “You know that old picture of Hedy Lamar I’m always carrying around?” He asked as he fumbled through the bill folds. When he finally found it, he held it out to his grandson. “Look Arnold, I love your grandma with all my heart, and I always will, but this is a whole lotta woman!” He then let out a full belly laugh, which followed with an awkward cough. “Do you see what I mean?”

Arnold took the picture of the old actress, back in her beautiful youth and stared at it, hoping maybe it would clear up some of the confusion. She was indeed beautiful in her own way, but staring at the picture didn’t make him feel anything.

“You don’t always eat when you’re hungry, right? Sometimes you want to eat just because you’re bored or because you know it tastes good.” The old man explained, snatching the picture back and placing it back in his wallet. “Doing… those types of things… falls under a similar category. Sometimes people will just wanna be close with someone, because they like the way it feels.”

The explanation was beginning to make a little bit more sense in the young boy’s mind, and he smiled. “So… some people just want to be close… in that way, just because it makes them feel good? And love doesn’t have to be involved?”

“Exactly!” Phil nodded. He stood back up and gingerly stretched his tired legs. “Did that clear it up?”

The young man nodded and stood up. “Thanks, Grandpa. I think I understand now.”

As Arnold turned to leave, Phil caught the boy by the wrist, causing him to turn around with a confused look.

“Don’t think you’re getting away from me that easily.” Phil said with a stern, yet kind face. “Sit back down, Arnold.” He said as he motioned toward the crate. As the boy sat down, Phil let go and gave a heavy sigh. “I need to know why you needed something like that cleared up. It would be very irresponsible of me to just let you leave without knowing the whole story and I know there is more to it than that…” He watched as his grandson gave him a nervous look, then averted the man’s gaze to his feet. “Are you doing something you shouldn’t be?” As he waited for Arnold to reply, the old man silently prayed. Oh… please don’t be doing anything bad! I’ve told your parents so many times to trust you… don’t give them reason not to now… Then we’d BOTH look bad! Please let it be some random street kid coming to you with boyhood problems that you’re trying to solve… and not your own.

Despite knowing his grandfather was a very understanding person, Arnold couldn’t help but feel guilty. “Well… We all went to the movies yesterday and we didn’t realize until midway into it that it wasn’t… family friendly.” He confessed, hoping he wouldn’t get any backlash from the accident.

“I see.” Phil nodded and smiled as the weight was lifted off his chest. “And I can only assume you saw some very… interesting scenes?”

“Yeah.” Arnold gave his elder a bashful look and scratched the side of his arm. “At first it didn’t bother me but then when I realized that the two people weren’t dating or anything, it just didn’t make sense anymore. Helga said that they were just pathetic and doing it to make each other feel better but…”

“People do a lot of crazy things for a lot of crazy reasons, Arnold.” Phil interrupted compassionately, knowing the boy was already uncomfortable admitting his wrong doing, and didn’t want him to have to explain something so simple further. “You won’t always understand why someone might do something you wouldn’t. All that matters is that you do what you think is right. Always remember that!”

“I will.” Arnold agreed, feeling thankful that his grandpa didn’t ask how they ended up watching an R rated film.

Phil looked the boy up and down, then cleared his voice. “You… uh, aren’t doing anything like you saw in that movie, are you?” He asked, even though he really didn’t want to know the answer. “I don’t want you to think I don’t trust your judgement… but you know, I gotta ask…” He watched Arnold open his mouth the speak, but interrupted him quickly, afraid of what the answer might be. “Holding hands and kissing is fine, Arnold but treading anything past that might get you into some trouble.” He then paused for a moment and thought about his words. “I know you’re a smart kid but always remember-“

“To follow my good instincts.” Arnold finished with a smile. “I know, Grandpa. You don’t have to worry.”

The two took in a moment of silence to read the other’s moods and behaviors before they both decided that the conversation had ended.

“You’re a good boy, Arnold.” Phil said with admiration as he stood up and patted his young grandson on the head. “You better go upstairs before your parents start thinking I roped you into helping me fix this piece of junk.” He finished, knocking on the old metal pipe with his knuckles.

The man watched as Arnold got up and headed up the stairs, and pride began to fill his heart. He knew he had no need to worry about his grandson’s decision making, however he also knew the trials and tribulations of growing into a man. Your mind may tell you one thing, your heart another, and your body can completely ignore all of that and decide to call the shots… and it was these instincts that he had to look out for.

“Thanks so much for the help today, Harold.” Mr. Green sighed in exhaustion, as he finished ringing up his customer. “Sunday mornings have been getting busier and busier lately.”

Harold looked up at the clock and noticed it had just become 2pm and he wiped the sweat that had been forming under his paper cap. “Oh, that’s not a problem.” Harold responded with a smile, taking off his dirty apron and throwing it in a bucket that was labeled “To Be Cleaned”. Over the last month or so, Harold had been working their nearly every Sunday morning, between 10am-2pm in order to help with the morning rush. “Why has it been so busy lately?” He asked as he slowly made his way around the counter to face the older man.

Looking over at his nearly empty display case, Marty Green shook his head. “A lot of meat processing plants have had to shut down due to not meeting code, so the grocery stores aren’t able to meet the customers’ demands. Bad for their business, but great for mine.”

“Meeting code?” Harold questioned. “What’s that mean?”

Mr. Green gave the boy an aggravated look before wiping down his counter. “Every business has a safety standard and cleanliness code. If you don’t meet up to regulations, you get shut down.” He then pointed to a plaque hanging on his wall. “See that sign there?” The boy walked up to it and gave it a read before the man continued. “Every time the health inspector comes, I always pass with flying colors. I would hate for one of my customers to wind up sick or in the hospital because my meat wasn’t being stored or handled properly. It’s why before we close shop, we always make sure to clean everything thoroughly, otherwise I could lose this place.”

“Ohhhh…” Harold said as he scratched his head. “Did the processing plant get shut down because it was dirty?”

“I don’t know, Harold!” Marty yelled. As much as he enjoyed Harold’s help and enthusiasm about the butcher shop, one of the things that never failed to get on his last nerve was the boy’s constant questions. “You better get going.” The moment he finished his sentence, a lightbulb went off in his head and he bent down to open the storage area underneath the display case. “Oh wait, but don’t forget your mothers order.”

“Oh, right!” Harold ran over and took the package of meat out of his mentor’s hand. “I wouldn’t want to forget this. Thanks, Mr. Green.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” The man waved his employee off before grabbing another rag to begin cleaning his scale. “Tell your parents I said hi.”

The bell of Green Meats rang loudly as Harold opened up the door and headed outside. Feelings of pride and accomplishment coursed through his veins and he couldn’t help but smile widely. Usually, he hated doing chores and cleaning and whatever adults told him, but when it came to helping out in the butcher shop, it was just different. He got to learn about food, which was probably one of his number one favorite things. He got to handle all sorts of different cuts of meats, as well as learn the suggested cook methods, if ever a customer should ask, and see their happy faces as he handed them their product. He even got praise from the old butcher from time to time, when Harold did an especially good job. It was a feeling different from when his parents praised him, and he always fought hard to stay on Mr. Green’s good side in hopes of maybe, when he was older, he would officially work there and maybe even take over the business. Harold was aware that Mr. Green was the last man in his family’s blood line that was likely to own the shop, unless a possible grandchild wanted to step in, but even that chance was hardly likely, as the butchers only child was a vegetarian and so was his family. Sad as this situation was for the owner, it gave Harold some hope, even if it was slim. His parents always tried to encourage him to look towards the future and to focus on the things he was good at, rather than the things that didn’t always work in his favor, and what this meant for Harold, was to continue to listen to his Rabi’s wise teachings and focus on the passions he had for working at that butcher’s shop.

The wind blew and caused Harold’s skin to prickle up with goosebumps, as he was still a bit moist with sweat from today’s hard work. Although it seemed cooler outside today than it did the day before, he knew he still better rush home before his mom’s order of ground beef got too warm and spoiled.

He walked a little ways before he started to hear a crowd of voices in his direction. Curiously, he walked towards it and noticed a bunch of kids huddled in the corner of the former vacant lot which was now called by his friends “Gerald Field”. It had been a while since him and his friends had been able to play a peaceful game of baseball or football there, since Ludwig and Wolfgang had taken it over completely, but every now and again, they somehow managed.

Getting a little bit closer, Harold managed to step on a stick, causing a loud crack and for the one of the heads in the crowd to look up and give a menacing glare in his direction.

“What are you looking at, Fat boy?” Ludwig yelled towards Harold, causing him to clutch the order a little harder.

The large and muscled boy’s statement caused more of the boys to look up and turn around, each with their own expressions of amusem*nt and frustration.

“N-Nothing!” Harold reassured him before slowly walking away.

The crowd opened up completely and allowed Wolfgang to walk through and up to Harold, blocking his way. “Whatcha got there?” He asked with a snarky expression before attempting to grab at the bundle of ground beef. Harold quickly avoided the boys grasp and curled himself around his prize, causing Wolfgang to scoff. “What’s wrong? I just wanted to look.”

Loud laughs came from the crowd of boys behind him, causing the bully to devilishly grin but Harold didn’t budge. “It’s just ground beef, Wolfgang.” Harold whined. “Just move so I can get it home to my mom before it goes bad.”

“Yeah, Wolfgang.” Edmond laughed from the mass. “You better let him go or his mommy will be mad.”

Harold’s face flushed with both embarrassment and anger but Wolfgang paid no mind. “Whatcha gonna do about it, Tubby?” He laughed as he pushed his finger into Harold’s big round nose. “It’s not like you’re gonna fight back. You’re just a wuss, just like all the other little elementary school kids.”

“Just let him go, Wolfgang.” Ludwig yelled from the snickering kids, causing them to quickly shut up. “We have more important things to do.”

Wolfgang gave Harold’s nose a quick flick before shrugging and heading back towards his friends, leaving Harold to watch him as he went, rubbing his nose with a frustrated scowl on his face.

Once the kids were all assembled again, they circled something once again and began to whisper to each other. The sight was an odd one for Harold to see, as normally they were either playing some game or torturing some kid out of their lunch money and he couldn’t help but feel a little curious. “Just… Just what are you guys doing, anyway?” He asked loudly, mustering up all the courage he could and standing taller.

“What’s it to you?” Ludwig replied, turning from the crowd, and crossing his arms. Although Harold had much more history with Wolfgang, Ludwig always seemed easier to talk to even if he knew he could still beat the crap out of him.

“Just ignore him.” Another 7^th grader said but Ludwig brushed him off.

“You got some guts, kid… or you’re just stupid.” With a small smirk, Ludwig walked over to Harold and looked him up and down, noticing that they were almost the same height. “How old are you, anyway? You seem a lot bigger than the other kid’s you’re always hanging around with.”

“Fifteen…” Mumbled Harold as he clutched the meat tightly, in case this boy wanted to try and steal it from him too.

The bully’s eyes grew wide and he took a step back. “Seriously?” He asked before letting out a small laugh. When he noticed Harold wasn’t retracting, Ludwig looked back at Wolfgang, who shrugged, and then back at Harold. “Then maybe you really are just stupid.”

“I’m not stupid!” Harold shouted in defense, causing a few adults to look out their windows. “I just started school really late!”

“Okay, okay!” Ludwig laughed as he placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Calm down, will ya? I was just joking with you.” When he noticed Harold’s huff, the boy smiled. “So, you’re fifteen, huh? Maybe you should join us…”

“What?” A kid cried.

“Are you serious?!” Yelled another.

Wolfgang gave his fellow bully an angry scowl as he watched Ludwig put his arm around Harold’s shoulders and guide him towards the vacant lot. “What are you doing? He can’t join us!”

“Hey! This is still my vacant lot and I say he can!” Ludwig stated harshly before smiling at Harold. “He’s my guest…”

Confused, Harold looked around and could see that no one really wanted him there. He could feel his insides churning and knew he had made a mistake asking questions when he had the opportunity to leave.

“Whatever…” Wolfgang huffed before turning back.

Once Harold got into the crowd, he noticed there was a stack of magazines on top of an old wooden box. Each kid grabbed one and began giggling and flipping through the pages. When he looked closer at the front covers of each one, he noticed they each had different pretty ladies, posing in some interesting positions. “What’s so special about these magazines?” He asked innocently, causing his companions to look over at him with a mix of expressions.

“See!” Wolfgang growled angrily, “Dude! He’s clueless!”

Ludwig gave Harold a sly smile and held out a magazine to him, which Harold grasped in his one free hand. “My old man got sent back to jail, so my mom was tossing out all of his stuff and I found a bunch of these.” He explained softly as he reached out and finally managed to take Harold’s package away. He watched Harold began to flip through the pages and enjoyed the boy’s surprised reaction to the content. “Pretty cool, huh?”

Unable to really process what was just handed to him, Harold continued to curiously flip through the magazine silently. Each page was different than the next but all had a similar theme of different woman being posed in suggestive positions, wearing very revealing clothing.

Once Ludwig had become content with curing Harold’s curiosity, he snatched the magazine away.

“Hey!” Harold cried out, attempting to grab it back but failing. “I wasn’t done!”

The group laughed as Ludwig continued to toy with him, pulling it in and out of Harold’s reach.

“Is this your first time seeing this stuff?” Edmond asked, somewhat astonished. “Are you like, sheltered or something?”

“His parents probably have child blocks on everything.” Wolfgang cruelly laughed, enjoying his friend’s amusing act.

Throwing the package of ground beef back at Harold, Ludwig handed the magazine over to another kid and placed his hands on his hips. “I think it’s time for this wussy fat kid to finally become a man…” He announced to the gang as he watched Harold pick up his package and scowl angrily at him. “You like what you saw, right? Well, there is plenty more where that came from and better.”

“You holding out on us?” asked a dark skinned boy with a weaselly looking face.

“Yeah.” Wolfgang shouted. “What the hell, Ludwig?”

Placing his finger to his lips, Ludwig shushed the crowd and looked back at Harold. “What do you say? Interested in seeing more?”

Flustered, Harold ignored the others and wiped off the grass from his package. He hated getting teased but it was even worse when it was coming from these kids. Still, he knew he wasn’t able to just ignore the leader in front of him and walk away unscathed. “And what if I do?” He asked shortly, attempting to seem big, causing the crowd to jeer once more.

“Then it’s about time you became a real man.” Ludwig replied with an adventurous smile. “Prove to me that you’re man enough to enjoy this… mature content and I’ll let you see the real stuff.”

The group of boys began to talk amongst each other in suspicion and curiosity, save for Wolfgang who was eyeing his companion with interest, knowing there must be something up his sleeve.

“What do you want me to do?” Harold asked, doing his best to ignore all the voices around him.

“Shut up!” Wolfgang shouted to the group, causing them to be silent once more. “I want to hear what he has to say!”

Ludwig smiled and nodded at Wolfgang before returning back to his prey. “Downtown in Smithington, right in front of the subway entrance to the D train, there is an old abandoned pet food mill that’s going to be demolished soon. My family used to own it so I know how to get inside.” He gave a small pause once he saw Harold shutter in fear. “Oh, I see you’ve heard of it. Well, by the end of this week, I’ll have hidden my stash somewhere in that building and if you can find it, you can have it, deal?”

The group began to whisper again, causing Harold’s nervousness to only grow.

“Dude…” Wolfgang quietly intervened. “Isn’t that the place where that guy got ground to death? It’s super haunted!”

“Yeah, well what better way to prove himself?” Ludwig replied carelessly.

“I heard some high school kids went in there and never came out…” whispered Edmond, with a shiver. “Not even I would go in there…”

Wolfgang punched the lanky boy in the arm. “That’s because you suck, Edmond.”

“So, what do you say, kid?” Ludwig asked Harold calmly, keeping his attention focused on him. “Do we have a deal?”

Harold didn’t have a brave bone in his body; this was known by everyone but he wanted so badly for people to look up and respect him. If he wasn’t being teased by this group of kids, then it was his own classmates making fun of him and it was about time all of that came to an end. Taking a large breath in to stable his mind, Harold nodded. “Okay. It’s a deal.” The crowd of boys cheered and patted him on the back, making him feel accepted but he kept his brave front and didn’t falter, even when Ludwig’s eyes lit up with malicious intent.

“See, Wolfgang?” Ludwig spoke with authority over the group, eyeing his friend. “I knew he had it in him.”

“Yeah, well let’s see if he comes through.” The large boy scoffed back, crossing his arms in defiance. “What’s his punishment if he wusses out?”

“Punishment?” Harold repeated, shocked and shaken as he looked between the two.

Tapping his lips in thought, Ludwig suddenly let out a loud laugh and nodded. “If you can’t pull this off, not only will you not get to see the treasure but I’ll hand over this magazine to your mom and tell her that you were…” His expression changed to that of an innocent boy with a quivering lip. “Tainting our innocent minds with your smut.”

With a face full of horror, Harold gasped. “H-hey! That’s not fair!” He shouted despite his voice being drowned out by the hysterical laughter of the boys that surrounded him.

“Then you better not chicken out then!” Ludwig said as he jabbed his finger painfully into Harold’s nose and looked him square in the eye. “You have until 6am next Sunday to find the stash. That’s the time my grandparents will be going there to look the place over and sign the final papers for its demolition and I’m going with them, so I’ll know if you found it or not.”

“What if I search for it but, but can’t find it?!” Harold panicked as he watched Ludwig snatch each magazine from its holder and place it back in the old crate.

Once he was done collecting them all, he roughly smashed the top of the crate back on, making sure the nails were held tightly in place, and picked it up, placing it over his broad shoulder. “Not my problem.” He shrugged thoughtlessly before waving to his crew to follow him.

Harold stood there, frozen in place as he watched the boys laugh and turn the corner until they were nowhere in sight. He knew that he shouldn’t have stuck his nose in their business but now it was too late. Wolfgang knew where he lived and he couldn’t bear the thought of his mother’s shame and despair if she knew he had been looking at such material, not to mention he would probably be grounded until he graduated high school. The thought caused Harold’s stomach to clench tightly, making him want to throw up but he held it in.

Quickly, he ran home and threw the meat in the refrigerator before running to his bedroom and quickly closing the door. He sat down on his bed and hugged his pillow tightly.

“What am I gonna do…?” He asked himself, holding back his tears. “I can’t go in that creepy place! I’ll probably disappear and die like those high school kids!” He began to rock back in forth, in an attempt to soothe himself. “And that place is huge! If something doesn’t kill me, I’ll probably get lost and die of starvation! They’ll knock the place down and my body will be hidden in the rubble… no one will find me. My parents will look for me for the rest of their lives and die of sadness and it will be all my fault!” He let the overflow of tears finally explode and they began to saturate his pillow. “All cuz I couldn’t keep my stupid mouth shut!”

He sobbed loudly until the sound of the Jolly Olly man’s musical tune came through his open window and filled his ears. Feeling his stomach grumble, he wiped his face with an old shirt and threw it to the ground, before running over to his window just to see how close it was. Children began to gather at the side walk, so he knew it had to be close.

Harold threw open his room door, dashed down the stairs and out into the street. The sight of the old ice cream truck made him forget about his tough problem and the boy gave a joyous smile as he joined all of the others who were eagerly awaiting the truck to stop.

As the large boy looked around at the group of smiling and cheering kids, suddenly an idea popped into his head. They said I had to find the stash by Sunday… but they never said I had to do it alone…

The truck stopped and Harold impatiently moved to the front of the line and thrusted some money at the Jolly Olly man. “Two Mr. Fudgey’s, please!”

The man sneered down at him, snatched the money, and threw the ice cream down at the boy. “Next!” He called out, causing the kids to push Harold out of the way and fight for who was next in line.

Harold unwrapped his ice cream and took a bite of his familiar frozen treat. The chocolatey goodness filled his mouth, causing him to close his eyes and reveled in its glory. It was almost as if this small stick of ice cream was telling him not to worry and that everything was gonna be okay.

Happiness filled the Sunset Arms, as Arnold and his parents finally returned from their outing, ranting, and raving about the good times that they all had.

Phil sat in his favorite chair and listened on as his grandson’s smile beamed brightly and his son held his wife close, as she finished her story. His heart swelled with joy as he looked upon his happy family. “Sounds like you had a good time, Shortman!” He said as he crossed his boney legs and placed his hands on his knee. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll take your grandma to see this show you all keep boasting about.”

“The lantern show was so beautiful… Gertrude would love it!” Stella sighed as she placed her hand on her heart, reminiscing. “The way the flowers glowed underneath the lanterns as they mimicked the moonlight, was absolutely breathtaking!”

“I just can’t believe that some flowers are able to bloom like that!” Said Arnold, as he looked up at his parents with surprise. “I mean, I know plants adapt to their surroundings and there are many different species but I always thought they needed just the sun. I never stopped to think that the moon’s glow was just borrowed sunlight!”

“It reflects the light from the sun.” Miles corrected as he ruffled his boy’s hair. “It doesn’t borrow it.”

“Right.” Arnold nodded, his cheeks becoming rosy with how much he had been smiling. He had imagined taking Helga there and seeing her reaction to all of those flowers glistening in the fake moonlight, as all those colorful lanterns bounced around on their suspensions. He never had imagined something so romantic could exist and knew he would have to one day share it with her. Looking over at the open doorway, Arnold remembered that he had yet to even see her today. “Did Helga ever come down for breakfast?”

Phil scratched his head. “Mmm… I’m pretty sure I heard her and Pookie in the kitchen earlier, but my conception of time has been warped for years now. Maybe it was an hour ago or maybe I imagined it? Who knows? But I’d start there if you’re looking for her.”

After giving both of his parents a quick, tight hug, Arnold left the room in search for his certain someone. He walked towards the kitchen and could hear his grandmother’s soft voice and stopped. Should he intrude? Were they having a private conversation? Deciding it might be safe if he announced his presence first, Arnold slowly walked up to the entrance. “Grandma? I’m home!” He shouted loudly before entering.

Once he walked in, the vision that Arnold saw, stunned him in place. Standing over a kitchen table, in a frilly pink apron was Helga, as she rolled out what looked like some sort of dough. Next to her, was an empty bowl, baking tray and a few cookie cutters with various shapes. The moment their eyes met, her face turned a dark red and she seemed just as stunned as he was.

“Welcome home!” Gertie called out as she quickly closed the oven door after placing a tray in. “Eleanor here, was just helping me bake some cookies!” The old woman walked behind the red faced girl and placed both of her firm hands on top of Helga’s shoulders. “Weren’t you, deary?”

Helga felt her heart stop and knew that if this old woman wasn’t holding her shoulders for support, her legs would have given out, causing her to stumble to the floor. The amount of embarrassment was off the charts and there was nothing she could do or say to get her out of this situation. “I… I…” She stammered but stopped when she noticed Arnold’s stunned face, slowly turning into a somewhat adoring smile. Although her embarrassment didn’t subside in the least, she somehow managed to at least snap back her focus to the task at hand, and began rolling her cookie dough once more.

The sight was too much for the boy to handle, and the butterflies in his stomach clustered up and flew out through his mouth as a small boyish giggle. Her bright red face turned into an angry scowl but instead of yelling at him, he watched as she grabbed a heart shaped cookie cutter and began to press it into the beige colored dough. Arnold felt a familiar warm feeling begin to wash through his body, making him feel calm and content in that moment. He wanted to give her a hug and let her know that he was happy she was baking cookies with his grandma, but also knew she wouldn’t react well to that type of affection while she was clearly embarrassed and flustered. “What kind of cookies are they?” He asked, watching as her movement halted again.

“Sugar cookies!” Gertie gloated as she gave the girls shoulders a quick squeeze before she patted her on the back and went to wiping off the flour that was dusted all over the counter. “Why, Eleanor stayed cooped up in her office for half the day so I figured it would be nice if we had a little girl time and did some baking together.”

As Helga pressed the heart shaped cutter into the soft dough, the woman’s recollections of the incident caused her hand to twitch and mess up her craft. “You mean you dragged me out of my bedroom and demanded I help you bake cookies…” She growled back, giving the old chuckling woman a sideways glance. “Then reminded me that if I didn’t, there was more than one way to skin a deer…”

Arnold’s smile grew wider as he watched Helga struggle to remain calm, knowing that she was probably fighting every cell in her body from flipping out. “My Grandma has… a way with words…”

“I felt terrible knowing how stressed our First Lady was last night…” Gertie continued, with a solemn face as she remembered the misunderstandings from the night before. She finished wiping up the counters than threw the dish rag into the sink, turned around and smiled. “And what better way to relieve some stress than to bake?”

“I can think of at least 100 ways…” Helga growled again, quickly patching the dough and continuing to angrily punch hearts into it.

Letting out another chuckle, the old woman walked over and placed her soft hands on Helga’s angry ones, causing them to stop. “Remember what I said about baking…” She then picked up Helga’s hand and softly pressed the cutter into the dough. “You bake with intentions.” Slowly, she continued the process until there was no more room left to cut. “If you handle every ingredient with love, mix with care and shape with caution…” She let go of Helga’s hand and smiled at her grandson. “Then your real feelings will always shine through. And besides, who wants to eat an angry cookie?”

Helga stared blankly into the cut dough and wished she was literally anywhere else. Was the old woman trying to embarrass her further? Wasn’t this enough torture as it was? She could feel the woman’s presence leave her side and saw her walk across the room towards Arnold.

“Why don’t you help her finish the rest?” She suggested with a wink before fully exiting the kitchen and leaving the two kids alone.

Arnold gulped as he could feel Helga’s hostility grow so thick throughout the room, that he felt it was near impossible to approach her safely. “I’m sorry…” He apologized sympathetically. “I know my grandma can be kinda much sometimes...” He watched as she picked up the raw heart shaped cookies and delicately placed them onto the baking sheet next to her. Once she was done filling it up, he gathered up his inner strength and headed over to the table. “Is this the last of the cookie dough?”

“What does it look like?” She hissed, flicking the empty bowl next to her, causing it to create a loud ping that echoed through the room.

Silence fell around them as they both really weren’t sure what to say.

Awkwardly, Arnold walked over to the oven and noticed that the timer his grandmother had set still had about 5 minutes before it would go off and they would pull out the baked cookies. He turned back to Helga and watched as she rolled the little bit of remaining dough in her hands and squished it like it was playdough. “Are you gonna make one more cookie?” He asked, hoping some sort of conversation might ease her stress.

Helga continued to roll the dough in her hands and noticed it was beginning to get mushy as the butter began to melt, leaving her fingers greasy. She recalled her boldness from the other night, and anxiety shot through her veins. This was the first time they had seen each other since then… what did he think of her now? Trying her best to push all the negative thoughts about how she might appear to him out of her head, Helga breathed deeply. Being agitated would only worsen things and she had already made the decision that she wouldn’t take her anger out on him anymore. Now, it was time to just face him.

“No more room left on the pan.” She informed casually before breaking off a piece of the remaining dough and popping it in her mouth. She hoped its sweet taste would calm her nerves, but instead, all it did was remind her more of how she enjoyed toying with him and kissing him that night, and she blushed again.

Noticing her demeanor shift a little, Arnold began to wonder if maybe he was doing the right thing with just using casual conversation as a way to bring her down. “What did you do while I was gone?” He asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down next to her.

Quickly, she turned away so he couldn’t see her flustered face. “Didn’t you hear your grandma, Football head?” She replied, her pitch a little higher than normal. Helga cleared her throat and damned herself for being so apparent. “I was in my room, enjoying my time alone, until she dragged me out to bake with her.”

Arnold tilted his head to try to see her better. “I’m just surprised you didn’t leave to do something fun.” He stated. “It was really nice out today. Perfect for throwing rocks at a dumpster, in the river or wherever else you usually like to throw them.”

“Y-yeah… Well, I can throw rocks any day I want!” She insisted hastily. “Sometimes I just want to have some peace and quiet, not that it’s very possible in this place…”

The timer behind them began to beep loudly, causing Helga to jump up and quickly turn it off. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she was grateful for the timer’s distraction from her thoughts. As she opened up the oven to pull out the cookies, their sweet smell wafted past her and filled the kitchen. It was a nice smell, a nostalgic one of Christmas time at her house when Olga would force her to bake cookies with her, very similarly to what Arnold’s grandma did, just with a lot more guilt tripping and sweetness rather than blatant threats. For a small second, Helga allowed her thoughts to wonder just what her sister was doing and if she had ever gotten her letter.

“They smell good.” Arnold’s voice rang from behind her, causing her focus back at the task at hand and grab the oven mitts.

“They’re cookies, of course they smell good.” She replied blandly as she grabbed the hot baking pan and plopped the tray on top of the oven.

Noticing that she had left the small bit of cookie dough on the table, Arnold grabbed it and popped the remainder of it into his mouth. It tasted exactly how his grandma’s sugar cookies always tasted, except just a little different. There was no obvious ingredient change but something told him that it was because it was made with different hands than what he was used to. This thought brought a smile to his lips once more and he looked over at Helga fondly. He had never seen her cook before and couldn’t help but think of how cute she looked in that apron, even if it was gaudy and atrocious. Something about it seemed to suit her.

“Here.” Arnold stood up and handed her the cookie sheet that was left forgotten about on the table.

Instinctively, she turned around to accept it from him but stopped the moment her mitted hands grasped the cold metal rim. He was staring at her with his half lidded gaze, the one that made her want to throw those stupid cookies to the side and engulf him in the passion that always threatened to overflow whenever he looked at her that way. Could he see how she felt? Had he realized yet how her knees would get weak whenever he looked her way? Did he have any idea of the thoughts that went through her head whenever they were close and alone? She knew he didn’t have a clue, but part of her wished he did. Part of her wished she could somehow just pass on her immense feelings that she was constantly holding back, and see exactly what he would do if he felt the way she did. Would he hold back and shy away from them, like she normally did? Or would he act on them like she did last night. Sure, she saw it as a game of cat and mouse but his flustered look during those sweet moments just looked so delicious to her that she wanted more, and it was a shame their immature experiences caused each other to fumble on what could have been something truly magical.

“Helga?” Arnold called out to her, wondering why she wasn’t actually taking the cookies from him. He could see her eyes were glazed over and she seemed like she was in a daze but he wasn’t really sure.

His voice bounced around in her head, whisking her off into a world she dreamed might actually become a possibility one day. Her holding him in her arms as she lovingly fed him cookies.

“Helga?” He tried again, this time with more fervor, hoping she would snap out of it. “Are you okay?”

His question finally shattered her delusion and caused her to jump. When she saw his look of confusion, she snatched away the cookies, quickly placed them in the oven and shut the door. Her once swept away heart was now back into the reality of Arnold standing next to her while she went off into la-la land and probably looked like a fool, not to mention the get-up she was wearing made her look like something that might come out of a 50’s sitcom. Just why couldn’t she pull herself together? “Yeah, I’m fine.” She finally said after she caught her bearings. “I was just feeling a little… lightheaded.”

“It is pretty hot in here…” Arnold noted since they were so close to the oven, and none of the windows were open. “Maybe you should sit down.” He walked over to a cabinet and opened it up to pull out a cup. “I’ll get you some water.”

Helga was charmed at how caring he was being despite how looney she was acting. Was he simply that dim or did he really know more than he led on, but purposely hid it so she wouldn’t feel worse? She considered her history with him and concluded it was definitely the former, and sat down to let him tend to her.

Once he brought the glass of water down in front of her, he smiled again, noticing she had finally calmed down. “I had a really great day with my parents.” He started as he sat back down in his chair. “The botanical gardens were a lot bigger than I had expected them to be. They had all sorts of controlled rooms that helped them grow to their natural environment. I learned a lot!”

“Leave it to you to enjoy something resembling a school field trip.” She snorted in response, but was still eager to hear more. “Do anything cool besides look at plants?”

Arnold thought back to the lantern show and his cheeks glowed a light pink. “There’s a place I’d really like to take you sometime…” He hesitated, feeling a little nervous. “I know gardens aren’t really your thing but there was this cool light show they had set up. I think you might like it.”

“And what in the world would give you that idea?” She smirked, awaiting his response, whatever it was.

He thought for a second, wondering which words would make the most sense until giving up and realizing the initial truth was the best. “Just seems like something you’d really like. Call it a hunch.” He finished with a wink, causing her to blush in turn and look away. He took this moment to embrace her embarrassed demeaner once again, but this time felt a lot more comfortable about it, now that the air had been cleared. “And you should bake more often.”

“And why’s that…?” She asked cautiously, slowly turning her gaze back to him. His whimsical boyish charm was never something she could ignore forever, and despite all of her embarrassment, there was just something about the way he was carrying himself in that moment that gave off a faint sense of confidence.

Arnold grinned. “Because, you look cute in an apron.”

Helga blinked a few times at his innocent yet bold statement, closed her eyes in an attempt to hold down her fierce frustrations, gritted her teeth when her attempts weren’t working and finally stood up and bashed her fist on the table when she heard Arnold giggle in spite of her internal struggles. She had no words, just simply glared at him until he rose from his seat and backed away in surrender. Part of her was filled with overwhelming joy over the compliment, but the other part felt he was just teasing her for the fun of it, which she just simply couldn’t have.

She slowly walked towards him, with an absurd but deadly grin on her face, causing Arnold to now fully regret poking the sleeping bear, yet still feel somewhat intrigued at her intentions. He knew she would never actually hurt him, yet her expression said the exact opposite. With a gulp, he decided to stand his ground and accept whatever it was he had coming to him.

Helga examined his new found confidence and determination the moment she stopped inches from him. Was he really challenging her right now? Calling her bluff? She could tell he was looking directly into her eyes and wasn’t hesitating at all, even though she could tell his heart was beating fast. Had their encounter last night somehow changed him? Her death glare turned into a snarky smirk, causing his confidence to falter a little in confusion, as she quickly flicked his tiny blue hat off the top of his head. “Stupid Football Head.”

At first, he immediately wanted to retrieve the item she had so carelessly flicked away, but when he saw her smirk turn into a smile, he couldn’t find the will the move at all. Something was beginning to change in her, something he couldn’t exactly point out. Similar to the way the cookie dough had tasted, there was just a hint of something special in something he was already used to, that made everything just feel right. Arnold smiled back and shrugged, causing her to roll her eyes and head back towards the oven to place the hot sugar cookies on the cooling rack. “You’re lucky you’re cute…” She grumbled in an angry tone, but secretly smiled in a girlishly way that he could never see.

“Whatever you say, Helga.” He sighed, crossing his arms, and enjoying every moment of their exchange.

Chapter 38

Chapter Text

The eyes of Harold Berman shot open many times that Sunday night, and well into the early Monday morning. Each time, he would snatch his alarm clock, whine when it wasn't the time he had wanted, slam it back down on his night stand and roll over in frustration. Needless to say, he did not get very good sleep that night, but despite that, the moment that alarm beeped for him to get ready for school, the bedroom floor was not prepared for him to leap up and out, shaking the house slightly.

"Finally!" He shouted as he dashed to get his clothes on.

It was unusual for him to be excited for school, however it wasn't exactly school he was excited for. In fact, he wasn't excited at all, but rather anxious to finally tell his friends about Wolfgang and Ludwig's dare. He deliberated what he would say to them, while he brushed his teeth. He went back and forth on the details he might share, while he wolfed down his breakfast. He even walked a little faster on his trip to the school, but not so fast as to give himself a belly cramp.

The moment P.S 118 was in his sights, the large boy heaved a sigh of relief and walked on up the steps. He waited in front of the open doors until he could see Sid and Stinky in the distance.

"Guys!" He yelled as he eagerly ran down the steps, waving his arms so that they would see him. "Guys!"

The two stopped and waited for him to approach, both looking very confused as it was very unusual for him to be in a rush at all.

"What's got you running like the devil is hot on your tail?" Asked Stinky, looking mildly amused.

"I need… You guys… To… Sleep over… This weekend…" He managed to get out between breaths. "It's important!"

"This weekend?" Sid looked between the two. "What's so special about this weekend?" The short, stringy haired kid then paused and looked skeptical. "You're not trying to get us to help you with the chores you have backed up like last time, are you? Because I'm definitely not falling for that again!" He began to shake his head from side to side and crossed his arms. "No way, no how! I don't care if you managed to get the new Zombie City 6 game! I am not helping you scrub your shower!"

"Shut up!" Harold bellowed out. "It doesn't have anything to do with chores! Honest!"

"You ain't trying to get us to come watch another one of them dang girly films with your mom again, are you?" Stinky frowned and looked uncomfortable. "I mean, I like your mom in all but I draw the line there. If I need tips on courting a lady, it won't be from some old movie."

Harold let out a loud whine and stomped his foot on the ground, his face turning red with frustration. "No, No! It has nothing to do with that and that only happened one time!" He insisted desperately, causing the two to give each other looks of doubt. "Look, I just need you guys to sleep over my house and help me find something! It's something very important and if I don't find it, my mom will kill me!"

"Have you tried cleaning your room?" Stinky asked, remembering how cluttered it was the last time he'd seen it.

"Maybe it's in your closet?" Suggested Sid. "Either way, I still don't see how we would need an entire weekend to help you look for it. Your house maybe bigger than mine, but it's not THAT big."

"It's not in my house!" Harold cried out, tugging on his shirt. "It's at… someotherplace!"

Stinky sighed and shook his head. "I'd like to help, Harold, but I promised my cousin Squeaky that I'd help her make something for some assigned school project."

"Yeah, and I just don't feel like it would be a good use of my time." Sid agreed, unsympathetically. "Sorry, Harold."

Harold began to panic as he watched his two friends begin to walk towards the school once more. "Wait!" He shouted as he ran after them. "This is really important and I promise to never ask you to help me with something ever again, if you just help me this one time!"

"Well, if it was so important in the first place, why did you lose it?" Sid asked, walking up the stairs and dodging a line of first graders.

"I didn't lose it!" Harold explained, doing his best not to give them the truth. "Someone else did and I just have to find it!"

"Why don't they find it?" Stinky raised an eyebrow as he tried to follow. "Did your mom lose her wedding ring or somethin and doesn't want your dad to find out?"

They all began to walk around the crowd hallway of fellow students, mingling and opening their lockers. Harold gripped his fists so hard that he felt like they might explode, and followed his friends to Sid's locker. "It's not my mom and it's not my dad!" He knew he was going to have to tell them a little bit, or they weren't going to comply, but the issue was, what would he tell them without fully spilling the beans? He watched as Sid opened his locker threw some things inside and then took a few things out. "Its…" He could feel a pool of sweat beginning to drop out from his hat. "It's… someone else's! They left it in some place for me to find it like… like a scavenger hunt! Yeah!" He felt confident with his answer and forced a smile.

"That's so stupid!" Sid laughed before attempting to shut his locker door. He stopped when he noticed it wasn't fully closed, then rammed his shoulder against it until he heard it click. "I mean, who would make a scavenger hunt just for you? And your birthday was a long time ago."

"It does seem like a pretty tall tale…" Stinky mentioned, scratching his head.

"I'm serious!" Harold pleaded, gripping Stinky's shirt and bringing him down to his level. "You guys are supposed to be my best friends! You gotta believe me!"

Stinky pried the boy's strong hands off his shirt, took a step back, and examined his shirt for any damage done. "I can't very well just tell my cousin that I can't help her now, on account a helping you with some wild goose chase!"

Harold's body began to shake with panic once he saw that they weren't buying it. "It's not a wild goose chase! And… and I know kinda where it's hidden, I just need help finding it!"

"Finding what?"

A familiar voice caused the boys to look over and notice Arnold standing there with his usual upbeat smile.

"Harold is trying to get us to waste our WHOLE weekend, looking for some made up THING, that someone who probably doesn't even EXIST, hid from him!" Sid explained with a roll of his eyes. "Please tell him how ridiculous he sounds, Arnold."

Arnold looked between the boys and could see how desperate Harold looked, and how skeptical the other two boys were of the story. "Someone took something of yours and hid it?" He asked calmly.

At first, Harold grew even more annoyed at the thought of another person joining in on this parade but then, a light flickered in his head when he realized who he was dealing with.Arnold always helps people! Why wouldn't he help me too? If he believes me, maybe Sid and Stinky will also! This is great!He thought happily to himself.

"Nah, it wasn't his, he said." Stinky continued to explain. "Someone hid something for him to find so he needs help finding it or his mom is gonna kill him, or something. He's just talking crazy, Arnold."

The hallway began to clear up as students started to make their way to their classes, making Harold a little more nervous on continuing this conversation, especially if he had to explain more about it. "It's not ridiculous and I'm not crazy." He insisted, with a much calmer demeanor than he was previously showing off. "I don't wanna talk about it anymore. I'll explain more about it at lunch, so you better sit with us, Arnold!"

Taken a little aback by how he was just thrown into this mess, Arnold could only agree as he was the one who overheard and butted in to their conversation. "Alright."

"What was that all about?" Helga's voice rang from behind him.

Without turning around to see her, Arnold simply shrugged. "Who knows?" He replied with a long, drawn out sigh. "But whatever it was, I just unwillingly got dragged into it."

"And this is why I tell you to stick your nose out of peoples business, Football head." Helga chuckled and walked in front of him. "But you justhadto ask, so now you get to pay the price."

Arnold watched her walk away and smiled. Although people had been telling him for years to keep his curiosity to himself, it was one thing Arnold always had trouble doing, especially if he knew one of his friends could be in trouble. He always believed in lending a hand whenever he could because it was the right thing to do, even if lending this hand pulled him into trouble as well. Silently, he hoped this wasn't going to be the outcome of whatever he was going to learn at lunch.

Mr. Simmons walked into his sixth grade classroom with his usual sunny personality and large smile. "Good morning Class!" He greeted his class, with open arms. "Or shall I say, Happy Monday!" He listened as most of the class groaned with discontent but this did not make his excitement falter at all.

Setting down his bag of supplies for today's lesson plan, the teacher began filing through papers with his fingers until he spotted the very thing he was looking for. "Ah hah!" He announced as he grabbed the small item and grasped it in his palm, hiding it from the rest of his class before turning around. "I can see that many of you must have stayed up too late or maybe haven't had a chance to eat breakfast yet." He explained as he examined their tired faces and sluggish appearances. "But I assure you that today's lesson will wake you right up!"

"I don't suppose you brought everyone a big box of joe...?" Asked Helga, as she supported the right side of her head with her hand and propped up elbow on the desk.

"No, I haven't brought coffee." He smiled down at the girl. "But I'll give you a hint! What do lack of sleep and lack of food have in common?"

"They both lack?" Stinky replied with a questioning look.

"While that may be true, that is not the answer I was looking for…" Mr. Simmons chuckled. "Let me rephrase the question, what do they both have in common in terms of how they make you feel?"

Lila raised her hand and waited politely for her teacher to signal to her. "They both make you feel tired."

"Ding, ding, ding!" Mr. Simmons sang happily. "That is correct! Now, can anyone tell me why?"

Phoebe raised her hand and stood up when called upon. "Without proper nutrition or rest, the body can't produce the necessary amount of energy that it needs throughout the day, thus making our brains feel foggy and our muscles tired."

"Perfect!" Mr. Simmons cheered. "That's exactly correct! Enough sleep and a balanced diet give our bodies the nutrients and time it needs in order to grow, heal, and function at tip top shape! We eat our meals throughout the day, and that food gets converted into energy, which our bodies use to move around and even stay alert. When we sleep, our bodies conserve whatever energy is left while our bodies perform a type of… maintenance, if you will. Major restorative functions in the body like muscle growth, tissue repair, protein synthesis, and growth hormones release happen mostly, or in some cases only, during sleep."

"I guess that makes sense." Rhonda commented as she looked at her nicely filed nails. "They don't call it 'beauty sleep', for no reason."

The teacher gave a nod to the girl's relevant connection. "Science has showed that without eating the right foods, drinking enough water, and getting enough sleep will cause the body to break down and damage itself slowly over time. As Rhonda has pointed out, this can result in once healthy looking hair, nails and skin to become dull and brittle." He then turned from her and motioned to the rest of the class. "A small cut on your hand may not heal as fast and leave a lasting scar, your immune system can become compromised leaving you susceptible to infections or illness…" He then pointed to the top of his head. "Even cognitive functions: the brain's mechanisms involved with thinking, reasoning, learning, and remembering can become damaged as a result of poor eating and sleeping habits."

Slowly, some of the students were beginning to perk up and become interested in this topic, leaving the man feeling grateful and lucky to be in this line of work. If there was one thing that he was most concerned about, it was what the state of the world could become without proper education given to every youth. People learn through trial and error and as he looked back to histories past: the greed, selfishness, hate, ignorance, and arrogance of man, he could only strive to help create a better future for the next generations. The heart that beat within Mr. Simmons yearned to shape and lead the future adults of tomorrow, teaching kindness, acceptance and understanding, helping them to make better choices than their predecessors, thus making the world a better place for everyone.

"A healthy body needs a healthy mind and that cannot happen without taking care of yourself." He explained as he walked over to a set of small plants that had just began to grow and sprout from the soil. "Much like how we discussed last week that flowers need sun, water and soil to grow and without those three things, they will shrivel up and die." He then motioned over for the class to join him, causing a few of them to get out of their seats. "I made sure to water them over the weekend. Come see the progress that your plants have made!"

"Oh wow!" Eugene cheered as he picked up his small seedling. "Look guys! Its growing!"

Mr. Simmons smiled as he silently humored the comparative idea of his lessons to the children, to that of the seed within their pots of dirt, slowly taking root and growing into something that could be beautiful one day.

"Hey, yeah!" Harold said as he grabbed his own plant. "That's pretty cool!"

After allowing a few moments for each student to take a look at the life they had helped bloom into this world, he ushered them back to their seats and stood at the front of the class once more.

"Now, although plants and animals are very different, they both need nutrients, water and a form of energy in order to live. Plants rely on the energy from sunlight to produce the nutrients they need, just as we eat nutrient rich foods to produce our own energy." He then revealed the object that he had hidden within his grasp and held it out for the students to see. "I'm sure you all know what this id…"

"It's a battery." Nadine called out preemptively. "But Mr. Simmons, what does that have to do with plants or food?"

"That's a wonderful question, Nadine!" He stated before turning back to his bag and pulling out enough for each student. "This is another form of energy! Batteries are devices that store chemical energy and makes it available in an electrical form." He explained as he handed them out. "We all use electricity today, and most of the time we rely on it without even thinking. From heating up our meals in a microwave, to turning on a light to see, watching television or even listening to music from your stereo!"

"It's pretty nifty to think that electricity can be stored in such a tiny object." Stinky mentioned as he turned the small cylindrical object over in his fingers.

"What you have in your hands is an C Battery but there are many different types and sizes. Some super small that power your wrist watch, and some large enough to power cars and even house generators!" Mr. Simmons then pulled out a few different common varieties and placed them on his desk. "Of course, I don't have any of the large ones to show you today but feel free to go home and ask your parents and I'm sure they'd be happy to show you!"

He gave the students some time to look over their specimen and talk amongst themselves before going from behind his desk, pulling out the rest of the equipment needed for their intended project and placing them neatly on top of his table: Aluminum foil, electrical tape, and small flashlight bulbs.

"Please pair yourselves into groups of four while I prepare and divide up the materials needed for each group to conduct their electrifying experiments!" Mr. Simmons announced to the class gleefully, before chuckling at his own pun and getting straight to work.

The classroom became loud with friends beckoning to each other and desks being rearranged to fit the new groups. Some of them highly anticipating the project, while others fooled around or managed to entertain themselves in other ways. The end result was as followed:

Group 1: Lila, Eugene, Brainy and Sheena.
Group 2: Curly, Harold, Stinky and Sid.
Group 3: Iggy, Rhonda, Lorenzo, and Nadine.
Group 4: Phoebe, Arnold, Helga, and Gerald.

It only took about 10 short minutes for Mr. Simmons to finish his preparations and hand each bag out to the groups. "I'm excited to see what some of you might take from this educational experience!" He walked to the chalk board and began to list the instructions in order. "Maybe this will inspire someone to become and engineer! Whether it be making technological advancements for future generations or inventing a new type rocket ship to take us to another galaxy, I'm sure whatever each of you may take from this assignment will be very special!"

Harold looked up at the clock and groaned. "The only thing I want to make is time to move faster…"

"I gotta admit…" Sid said as he picked up the package of materials and battery. "This is pretty cool."

"Give me that!" Shouted Curly as he swiped the items out of Sid's hand unexpectedly.

"Hey!" Sid protested. "What the heck, man?!"

Curly ignored him and began to take everything out of the bag methodically. "I wonder if I could use something like this to make a bomb…"

Stinky looked cautiously between the eccentric boy and Mr. Simmons, who seemed to be drawing a diagram on the board. "I don't think that's the type of advancement Mr. Simmons was hoping for, Curly."

"Who cares?" Harold whined as he grabbed the battery back. "Let's just hurry up and get this over with." He frowned and looked down at his stomach that was gurgling in frustration. "The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get to lunch."

"I don't know what you think you're gonna tell us at lunch that's gonna change our minds, Harold." Sid declared as he leaned back in his seat and balanced on the back legs. "It's obvious that you're just making up this story to help us find something YOU lost! Give it up!"

"I'm not making it up!" Harold growled angrily. "Now stop saying that or I'll pound you!"

"Yeah, Harold doesn't want to be hungry AND mad!" Curly joked before poking Harold's bulging stomach with the eraser end of his pencil. "Though, I think you've stored plenty of energy to get you through decades, let alone lunch time." He cackled.

Harold quickly turned and shoved Curly hard enough to make him stumble out of his chair, causing a loud screech from the chair and a gasp from those who witnessed it. Mr. Simmons turned around to see the commotion and was alarmed to find the boy on the floor.

"What happened?! Are you okay?" He asked Curly, rushing forward to help.

Placing a hand up towards the incoming teacher to halt him, Curly got back up to his feet and brushed himself off. He glared over at Harold, who seemed to ignore him, then turned back to the concerned adult. "I simply dropped my pencil and fell over while trying to reach it, is all." He lied with an odd levelheadedness about him. "I'm fine. Not a scratch on me."

"Well… if you're sure…" Mr. Simmons spoke nervously, casually looking over his student. "Just try to be more careful next time…"

Curly watched Mr. Simmons go back to his task at drawing the visual guide to their project, before sitting back down and making himself comfortable, causing the other 3 boys to look at him in confusion.

"Why didn't you rat me out?" Harold asked in bewilderment.

"Yeah…" Added Sid. "You could have easily gotten him sent to Principal Wartz office."

Curly cracked his knuckles before calmly folding his hands together on the table. "I'm interested in this story you're talking about." He explained, looking at each of them through his thick framed glasses. "Now speak up… it's not polite to keep an honest man waiting."

Letting out another groan of frustration, Harold let his body slide down the chair a little and sighed. Something that could have been simple and easy was now becoming complicated.

"Alright class!" Mr. Simmons called out to his students. "I have written everything up on the board to help step you through this process, along with picture examples. Please let me know if you have any questions!" He then looked up at the clock. "You have about thirty minutes to set up and complete your very own working circuit!"

"Actually, I have a question." Gerald called from his group, standing up. He held out his battery and pointed to each end. "Why does one side always have a plus and one side have a minus?"

"Nice catch, Gerald!" The teacher sang happily. "There is actually a very good reason as to why!" He then turned to his board and pointed to the picture example of the battery that was connected to the foil and bulb. "When you connect the battery to the wires and the bulb, chemical reactions start to happen. One of the reactions generates positive ions and electrons at the negative electrode where the positive ions flowintothe electrolyte." He explained while drawing lines to indicate the flow. "While the electrons flow around the outside circuit to the positive electrode, making the bulb light up on the way! There's also a separate chemical reaction happening at the positive electrode, where incoming electrons recombine with ions takenoutof the electrolyte, so completing the circuit! This is why when you're putting multiple batteries inside of an appliance, it matters which way the batteries are faced so that the flow can remain uninterrupted!"

Gerald stood there for a moment and blinked, trying to comprehend everything he had just heard before simply agreeing and sitting back down. He looked at his party members in confusion. "Did that man speak English? Because I have no idea what he just said."

"That makes two of us, Geraldo." Helga replied as she took the aluminum foil and rolled it into something that might resemble a wire.

"To put it simply, a conductive material…" Phoebe spoke as she grabbed the finished wire and held it up, "In our case aluminum foil, has to touch the negative end of the battery and the light bulb in order to begin the chemical reaction, however only using one side is not enough..." She then grabbed the rolled up foil that Helga had just finished and placed each at both ends of the battery. "We need to do the same on the positive end as well, since both negative and positive sides complement each other by giving what the other is lacking, in order for the chemical reaction to happen within the battery, giving us an electrical current that can flow from both sides to the light bulb. That energy then powers the bulb to light up."

Placing his hand on his forehead, Gerald silently gave up. "Yeah… sure. Makes sense."

"It's sort of like how Mr. Simmons compared us needing food and sleep in order to survive." Arnold chimed in, hoping to make things a little clearer. "If we only have food but no sleep, our bodies will never have time to rest and eventually burn all of our resources in order to keep our brain functioning until there is nothing left. If we have sleep but no food, our bodies will never be able to replenish the necessary nutrients that keep us functioning, resulting in our muscles and organs not working." He ripped off two pieces of electrical tape and handed it to Phoebe, giving her the go ahead to fully attach everything together. "However, if we have both, we'll live just fine!"

Helga let out a loud snort. "Yeah, we'll be just fine until we grow older and older and all those things shut down by themselves, doi!"

"Even batteries eventually run out of life, Helga." Arnold replied as he took the working circuit from Phoebe and handed it to her. "Just like it uses up everything it has to keep it going, so do we." He finished with a smile, watching her look down at the lit bulb.

"That's pretty deep, man." Gerald said as he placed his hand on his heart, feeling a little moved by the speech.

Phoebe smiled and nodded at Arnold, quietly approving of his decision to take something grim and make it hopeful.

Suddenly, everyone was interrupted by the small sound of glass breaking towards the corner of the room, causing them all to look over to see what had happened.

"Um… Mr. Simmons…" Eugene frowned as he shamefully held up his broken light bulb. "Do you have another bulb we can use? I sort of… dropped this one."

Mr. Simmons shook his head and let out a light sigh before going back to his bag and pulling out another bulb. "Don't worry, Eugene. What kind of teacher would I be if I didn't bring extra's in case an accident happened?"

"And an accident is always bound to happen, with Eugene around." Mentioned Rhonda, causing most of the class to laugh, and Eugene to blush with embarrassment before sitting back down.

Not wanting to let the disrespectful comment to go without positive reaction, Mr. Simmons handed the clumsy boy his light bulb and turned to address the rest of the class. "Accidents are a part of life, Rhonda. They teach us to be careful and to learn what went wrong so you can try and correct yourself in the future. No one is flawless and sometimes, having these flaws can make you special as well, after all, a flawless world would be colorless and boring!"

The trendsetter rolled her eyes and went back to tapping her groups project together. "Whatever."

Mr. Simmons disregarded her remark and looked up at the clock. "Time is closing in for you all to finish up! Make sure to tape everything nice and tight, that way your bulb can shine as bright as it can!"

Today's the day…Thought Mrs. Pataki as she looked over at the clock on her motel night stand, making her pulse beat rapidly throughout the entirety of her thin frame. What she had to do was so simple, yet her nerves were making it out to be incredibly difficult.

The day Bob Pataki had come home after speaking with Nick Vermicelli, had been a rough one. He barely spoke a word to her the rest of that night and just continued to keep his eyes glued to either the television, or his cell phone. Whenever Miriam would ask him something, he would grunt in response or become annoyed with how she wouldn't just leave him alone. Everyone needed their time and space, and after a while, she let it go. He never did tell her where he had gone, who he was expecting a call from or what his plans where, exactly, but she knew he would come around when he was comfortable.

Now was her time, though. Her interview for the tax preparation store had gone very well and they had decided that they would hire her on the spot… even if it wasn't for the position she had applied for.

"Unfortunately, Mrs. Pataki, as much as we would love to hire you as one of our team's advisors… you need to have up to date knowledge on everything tax related and your qualifications are a little back dated… However, we are needing a new secretary and with your past knowledge, I feel you could quickly point a customer to an advisor that would best fit them! What do you say?"

Miriam knew a job was a job and any sort of steady income was welcome, even if it was lower than what she was hoping. Without hesitation, she accepted their offer and as the sun hit her on the way out of the store, she could feel her heart lighten and a small burden lifted off her shoulders. This was something she had decided to do for herself and she had succeeded without needing anyone's help. It was a small reminder that shewasa capable human being, despite her short comings.

A few days had passed since her good news, then a week, and now today she would start her new job with her husband none the wiser. At first, she told herself that she would just wait until he was in a better mood, then after time continued to pass and his mood hadn't changed very much, she told herself that she would just wait for a perfect opportunity to bring it up… but that time never came, and now she was fidgeting nervously with her hands, while Bob lay there next to her watching some sort of reality show about teens.

What should she say? How should she say it? Should she just come straight out and tell him everything suddenly, or should she ease into it? These questions had picked at her brain since she had been officially hired and she wasn't any closer to answering them.

How would he react? Would he be angry with her deciding this on her own? Would he be happy for her? Would he… even care? These were the questions that caused her blood pressure to raise to the point of her body wanting to tremble under the amount of pressure.

Miriam got up and walked into the bathroom. She showered and groomed herself silently, taking care make herself as neat as possible. The night before, she had made sure to wash all of their clothes at one of the 24 hour laundry mats nearby, so that way she would be ready for today. She had even snuck a few of the things she had bought for herself within the clean clothes, that way Bob wouldn't notice the sudden wardrobe addition.

The clean clothes felt nice on her clean skin, and her fresh appearance even made her smile at the reflection in the mirror. With or without Bobs support, she would be going today and there was nothing he could really do about it, besides pitch a fit.

"B…?" She spoke confidently to him from the bathroom. Some sort of noise from him was all she got in response, and she took it. "I'll be gone for a while today..." No indication had been made that he had heard her, so Miriam stepped out of the bathroom in her typical clothes but with a few accessories included to make her feel a little more presentable. "Did you hear me?"

"Huh?" He asked as he scratched his leg, not taking his eyes off the hypnotic screen in front of him.

The lack of interest on his part was beginning to make her feel a little bit more confident in her decisions. "I said, I'll be out for a while today." She reiterated, louder than before. "I'll be back around 4pm."

The words he heard her speak didn't quite reach comprehendible until she spoke the time, to which he looked at his watch and then finally, up at her. He noticed her washed appearance and furrowed his brow. "Is there some sort of meeting I forgot about that I should be going to?" He asked in his gruff voice.

The question seemed pretty silly to her, so Miriam gave him a small smile. "Of course not, B. If there was, I would have told you." She explained as she walked towards the door, quickly picking up her new purse that he had failed to even notice was sitting on a chair.

"Then… where are you going?" Bob asked, becoming more alert and sitting straight up.

Her smile turning smug, Miriam placed her hands on her hips and peered at him from across the room. "I… have a job."

"Excuse me?" He asked, raising his eye brow, and wondering if he was actually hearing her correctly.

"You heard me." She stated. "I decided a while ago that I wanted to get a job, so I applied to one and got accepted."

Bob Pataki kicked off the bed sheets and planted his feet on the floor. "Hey, Hey, Hey!" He shouted in frustration. "Don't you think this is something you should have told me sooner?"

Miriam felt something spark inside of her, as she watched her husband move to his feet in surprise. It was a mix of self-pride with a hint of retribution, as he hadn't told her anything about his plans all week, regardless of how many times she asked him. He hadn't explained his sour mood, nor his obsession with staring at his phone, so why should she be expected to announce her decisions or actions? "Well… it seemed like you've had a lot on your mind lately and I didn't want to bother you about it." She spoke calmly, yet firmly. "And besides, I am a grown woman. I can get a job if I want to."

She watched as his eyes turned wide at her statement, so before he could say anything else, she opened up the door and brought herself half way out. "I'll be home around 4!" She declared again before shutting it, leaving the man inside bewildered.

This had been the first time since she took over for him temporarily at the beeper emporium, that she had done anything head strong like this, and it felt good. As Miriam got into the car and adjusted the mirrors to suit her needs, she could feel her husband's eyes on her through the window but didn't bother to acknowledge him until she pulled out; smiling and waving as she drove off, leaving him there to wonder what had just happened.

The bell for lunch rang loudly for all the students at P.S 118, and it only took a matter of seconds for the classroom doors to fly open, causing eager bodies to clutter the hallways as they heading towards the cafeteria. Arguably though, no student's urgency could be compared to that of Harold's.

He pushed and shoved anyone and everyone he could as he made his way to the lunch line. He made sure to get all of his favorite items first, before grabbing anything else and finding a good table to sit at. There, he would patiently wait for his friends to join him so he could finally explain his situation and hopefully get some of them to play along.

If I don't tell them the truth… they probably won't help me and I can't do this by myself! If I do tell them the truth, then they're probably gonna bug me about it!The boy thought as he stirred his mac n cheese. He could feel his brain begin to itch as the dilemma weight back and forth.Ugh! What do I do?!

Sounds of lunch trays hitting his table caused the frustrated boy to look up and see Sid and Stinky pulling up the chairs next to him.

Maybe if I just tell them the truth, it won't be so bad? They may even understand and think it's pretty cool that me and those guys hung out…The thought was compelling as it might make him seem more intimidating to know that he was casually hanging out with Wolfgang and Ludwig's crew.But if I tell them what they'll do to me if I DON'T do this… then they'll laugh at me and call me names!

It wasn't long before he saw Arnold come walking towards him with Gerald at his side.

"Maybe we should push two tables together…" Arnold mentioned as he thought out loud, seeing the lack of space.

It took Harold a moment to realize that Gerald was also joining them, and his mental debate grinded to a halt. "Hey!" He shouted as he watched the two friends begin to bring over a nearby table to join them. "Why is he here too?!"

Gerald gave Harold an odd look. "I didn't know helping you find something had to be a secret."

"I told him I was gonna be sitting with you guys today and Gerald asked if he could come along." Arnold collected the two chairs that had accompanied the table and set them down carefully. He could see that Harold was alarmed, and began to feel a little bad. "I thought maybe he could help too."

A loud screeching sound turned everyone's attention towards Curly, who had also brought his own chair over to their tables, but not as graciously. His head turned back and forth as he noticed everyone's attention was on him, but only sat down.

"And it seems like you also brought along someone else." Gerald's eyes lit up in amusem*nt as he saw the bluster in Harold's face at his remark. "But hey, I can leave if you want. I don'tneedto lend a hand, you know?"

"FINE!" Harold shouted as he let his fits collide with the top of the old table, causing all of their trays to rattle. "Whatever, it doesn't matter anyway. Everyone just sit down and shut up and I'll explain everything."

"You mean, lie again." Sid corrected, continuing his skeptical outlook.

"Sid…" Arnold's calm voice came through, "How about we just hear what he has to say first, okay?"

"We already did this morning so I don't know what else he has to say but…" Sid looked over at Harold who was still giving him a threatening look. "Sure, whatever." He leaned forward and propped his elbows on the table, before folding his arms nicely on top of each other. "Go ahead, Harold."

"Okay… here it goes…" With a heavy sigh, Harold knew he had no choice but to tell them the truth about the dare and how it had happened in the first place. That was the most important thing, if he was going to get them to help. The problem was, hiding the prize at the end of the hunt and the intention behind it. "I was leaving Mr. Greens shop the other day and was on my way home when I saw Wolfgang, Ludwig and all their friends huddled together and being weird so I went to see what they were doing. And…" His voice trailed off as he considered his next words carefully, as to not draw anymore unwanted ears his way. He leaned in closer and motioned for them all to do the same and waited until they did. "They had this box full of magazines of mostly naked ladies!" He whispered with surprise.

The topic suddenly grabbed the attention of Curly, who's eyes shot open wide. "Woah! Really?" He asked, now fully engaged in this conversation. "Like how many?"

"A lot." Harold clarified.