REQUESTED BY NINA
Chapter 1: Puberty
It was the beginning of their sixth grade year. Arnold and Helga had spent the summer discussing matters pertaining to their special moment in San Lorenzo. After finally coming clean about her feelings (in a much calmer way), Arnold was given time to process his.
He didn't just kiss the girl who saved his parents because he was grateful. She was loyal, brave, smart, passionate, and when she wanted to be...giving.
P.S.118 Hallway
"You ready for our football game against Wolfgang in a few days buddy?" Gerald asked his always optimistic friend.
"Yeah. As long as we stick to the plays we've been practicing, we can't lose."
Classroom
While the boys were heading towards the class, discussing the upcoming event, the girls were in their seats discussing another matter.
"Are you looking forward to the lecture Helga?"
Turning towards her friend with an unamused expression, Helga replied "This guy's not going to be teaching us anything we couldn't look up ourselves. Why not just give us the day off to buy a PG-13 rated movie?"
Although the young Asian girl didn't appreciate the harsh remark, she understood her friend's reaction. Helga was already ahead of several of their classmates as far as being emotionally developed went. While Helga did a substantial job of hiding it, her passion and extreme feelings for any interests she may possess may even be considered overwhelming thanks to a certain someone…
"Hey Helga."
The blonde girl turned to face forward in her desk, where her boyfriend was now sitting in front of her.
A smile formed on her face, knowing if anything was capable of exposing any overwhelming feelings she possessed, she was looking right at it.
"Hey football head, how's it going?"
Arnold placed a hand on hers that was sitting on her desk. The tough girl felt him beginning to rub it as she listened to him say "I was just talking to Gerald about the game. I'm really looking forward to it."
Before Helga could reply, the class turned to hear Mr. Simmons walking in with a guest.
"Good morning class! This is Mr. Johnson who will be giving you a very special lecture on puberty and all the exciting things you experience during it!" the vehemented teacher explained.
"Puberty? What in the heck is that?" Stinky interrupted.
Happy to fill in the blanks for her uncertain friend, Phoebe described "What Mr. Simmons is referring to is the period during which adolescents such as ourselves reach sexual maturity and become fully capable of reproduction."
"Why would we care about a dumb thing like that?" Harold asked, being content with how he was.
"Oh please! What makes you think anyone in here would be intelligent enough to notice such a thing taking place in their lives?" Rhonda rebuttaled, feeling with her excessive knowledge of fashion (and other feminine techniques), she was well ahead of the group.
"Class, please settle down. Mr. Johnson is ready to begin." Mr. Simmons motioned for his friend to step forward.
While Mr. Simmons took a seat at his desk, the guest speaker stepped forward to say "Hello everyone. I have here two sheets to explain the changes boys and girls go through at this point in their lives; one for the girls, one for the boys."
Each student took the appropriate sheet handed to them by the teacher, as he walked through the room. Some appeared to be intrigued by it, while others didn't see the purpose of the lecture.
Helga casually grabbed her sheet of information without bothering to make eye contact with the substitute. As she leaned her head in her hand, she tossed the paper aside and began doodling in her notebook. A soft sigh released from her, while she occasionally glanced up to see her beloved sitting quietly in front of her.
"Now that everyone has the appropriate information in front of them, I'll begin with a brief lecture about the changes boys are expected to experience at this time in their lives." Mr. Johnson began, while the boys began to pay him more attention.
"At this age, you can expect to feel emotions such as…"
Anxiety
Self-consciousness
Irritability
Tiredness
Anger
Sadness
Arnold reviewed the page, already having a good idea of which of his friends did and did not possess each trait listed. None of it seemed to stand out to him as far as his personality went however.
"This isn't for a test is it? If it is, do we have time to study?" Sid asked anxiously, while Gerald shook his head at the nervous boy.
"I think we know which trait his system's chosen to get a jump start on."
The class began to erupt with laughter, as the new teacher interrupted "Rest assured, this is simply to prepare you for any upcoming changes you may or may not have already experienced."
After explaining what Mr. Johnson felt was a vivid enough description of every trait listed, he moved onto the girl's list.
"Now that the boy's have a clearer understanding of what to expect to see soon, we can review the girl's list."
"It sounds just oh too perfect!" Lila exclaimed, sitting up straight in her desk.
While Phoebe as well was smiling, eager to learn more about what could soon expect to see changing about herself, Helga hadn't changed her position. There the blonde girl continued to sit slouched in her desk, drawing pictures of her football headed lovegod.
"While boys do tend to develop emotional changes during puberty, girls tend to experience more extreme ones…"
The way you think changes
You express yourself better
You feel incredibly emotional
You cry a lot
You feel more feminine
You feel unsure of yourself
While all but one girl sat paying attention to the lecture, a student immediately raised her hand to ask "I'm sorry, but this says we'll be crying a lot?"
Mr. Johnson nodded his head at the red-headed girl and replied "It's a normal part of hormones for even the simplest things to make you cry. Don't be afraid to have a heart to heart talk with a parent to calm yourself down."
Lila set the paper aside, not feeling any better after hearing the teacher's advice. "Gosh. That sounds just ever so sad!"
Once again feeling sure of herself, Phoebe explained "I believe it's merely a part of a person's sexual development in which hormones are said to influence the behavior or mood one maybe experiencing."
After the intelligent girl finished her description of the trait, another classmate had a question pertaining to what may change about herself. "Excuse me sir!"
Mr. Johnson then directed his attention to the girl in the flowered t-shirt. "Yes ma'am?"
"It says we'll be feeling incredibly emotional. Does that mean we'll be incredibly excited about helping other people?" Sheena asked with a smile on her face.
Shaking his head, the substitute explained "The opposite I'm afraid. Although you won't be angry all the time, you should prepare yourself to become irritated by things you wouldn't normally expect. A friend could invite you to do something with them, when all you really want at that moment is to be left alone."
"Oh I couldn't imagine anything like that happening!" Sheena said worriedly, setting the sheet down on her desk.
Smiling at her nervousness, the teacher replied "Don't worry. All these traits are perfectly normal."
"I find this lecture pointless for some of us." Rhonda said, sitting back in her desk with her arms crossed.
"Why is that?" Mr. Johnson was curious to know.
"Well for one thing, this sheet claims the way we think will be changing. Why would I care to change anything about my attitude anymore than I would my appearance?" the wealthy girl had to know.
"Just because you develop new interests doesn't mean you'll lose interest in what you currently do. Your mind is simply expanding and allowing you to think like an adult." the educator assured his student.
After listening to her friend's disapproval of the list, Nadine raised her hand to point out something she found to be highly unlikely.
"Yes ma'am?" Mr. Johnson asked, looking in Nadine's direction.
"This says we'll be feeling more feminine. If our current interests aren't going to change, do you really think we'll start to care about things like makeup and nice clothes?"
Rhonda rolled her eyes at her friend's senseless question, as they listened to the teacher explain "Not all girls become obsessed (or even interested) with those things. It is possible to participate in activities such as sports, while still caring about your appearance however."
The girls began taking in this information, while Arnold sat in his desk, thinking about how this pertained to Helga. They were on the verge of starting junior high, and never had she mentioned taking an interest in these things. She didn't dress up, cry, or share her sensitive side with anyone. If she had a problem, she kept it to herself.
Mr. Johnson was finishing his lecture, during which time Helga continued to ignore what had been going on in class. Ever since the day she laid eyes on the blonde boy in front of her, crazy emotions had been developing. What could he teach her that she hadn't already experienced?
"The last thing you can expect is how much more comfortable you are becoming expressing your feelings to other people. Although this doesn't mean you won't still feel a bit self-conscious during the process, you're willing to open up to others."
Arnold sat, actually excited about what that could mean for him and Helga. It was hard enough for the two of them revealing (as well as realizing) how they felt about one another. If the teacher was accurate about these emotional changes, things would be going much more smoothly for the two of them.
Cafeteria
Arnold stood in the lunch line with his best friend, wondering what his opinion of the lecture was. Gerald wasn't one to over-react. If any of those emotions did happen to occur, it would definitely be interesting to see.
"It's no big deal man. It's not like one of us has never had a bad day before." Gerald said, not wanting to over-react about the information.
"I guess. I can't really picture Helga wanting to dress up though." Arnold said, grabbing her a tapioca.
Table
"What did you think of the lecture?" Phoebe asked her uninterested friend.
Being the tough person she was, Helga shrugged her shoulders and scoffed "Pttss...kind of hard to say when I didn't bother listening to it."
Before being given a chance to respond, Phoebe looked to see their boyfriends returning to the table.
"Here you go Helga." Arnold said, pushing the tray towards his girlfriend.
"Thanks football head."
Phoebe took notice of the loving look in her friend's eyes as she watched her take the tapioca off his tray. With the dreamy smile on her best friend's face, Phoebe could see how easily Arnold brought out Helga's sensitive side. It was just a matter of getting her to express it.
"So does everyone know to meet for practice after school? I don't think we can practice with just four people." Gerald pointed out.
Looking away from his girlfriend, Arnold replied "I emailed everyone…CRASH!"
The gang then turned their heads to see their clumsy classmate had slipped on a soda can and slid across the cafeteria floor into a trash can. "OW! I'm okay!"
"Criminy! We'll never win with that joker!" Helga scowled, pushing her dessert aside.
Being the optimistic person that he was, Arnold replied "At least he's always happy. Bad things are always happening to him, but he still has a smile on his face."
Shrugging his shoulders at his girlfriend's comment, Arnold listened to his best friend say "She does have a point man. A smile isn't equal to a touchdown."
Classroom
Once lunch had ended, the pre-teens were back in their seats, listening to their homeroom teacher joyfully ask about the lecture they had been given that morning. "Wasn't that exciting boys and girls?!"
"I reckon it wasn't too strange. I don't feel any different yet." Stinky felt the need to point out.
While Helga normally would shake her head at her classmate's ignorance, she now had another topic on her mind to distract herself from class.
Previous night
Helga's Porch
"Thanks for going to the movies with me Helga."
"Sure thing football head. Nice job not wetting your pants when the evil twins made an appearance." the pigtailed girl nudged her friend's shoulder.
Smiling at her wittiness, Arnold took her hand in his and said "You know, it's almost been three months since our trip to San Lorenzo."
Blushing at his comment, Helga tugged at her collar and said "Uh yeah...time's really flown by."
"We'll have to think of something special to do to celebrate." Arnold insisted, watching her with his emerald eyes that shimmered in the night sky.
"Sure, sounds good." Helga gulped, as she felt herself being pulled in for a short but sweet kiss.
Classroom
School at last ended, and the first thing on everyone's mind when the bell came was…
"Alright you guys. Let's get to practice!" Arnold insisted.
"Right behind you buddy." Gerald said, stepping out of his seat.
While Arnold stood waiting for his girlfriend, Phoebe noticed the perturbed facial expression she happened to be wearing.
"If it's alright with you Arnold, we'd like to meet you on the field."
Shrugging his shoulders at the request, Arnold replied "Okay. See you guys there."
After watching their friends walk away, Phoebe turned to Helga and chirped "If I may ask, is there anything bothering you Helga?"
Gerald Field
"Defensive line? That's the most dangerous position there is!" Sid exclaimed, already imagining the worst that could happen.
"Sid, this is football. Every position is dangerous." Gerald pointed out.
"Stinky, you can be a receiver again." Arnold suggested, wanting to stick to their original plays.
"Okie dokie then." the country boy replied, happy to be following orders.
Walk
"I think it's lovely Arnold seems so enthusiastic about how well your relationship is moving along." Phoebe said after listening to Helga's story.
Sighing at her friend's opinion, the tomboyish girl replied "I don't know what to do for him Pheebs. He wants to do something special, but I can't think of anything."
Watching her friend kick a nearby can, Phoebe suggested "Perhaps you could simply invite him over for dinner. Show him how much your relationship means, while not having to put a substantial amount of work into the gesture."
Helga cocked her brow at the suggestion with an absurd look. "Invite him over to my house? Pheebs, are you insane?! What the heck makes you think forcing him to have dinner with Bob and Miriam would in any way show my appreciation for him?"
Gerald Field
"Uhhh! I just got a smudge on my new caprini flats!" Rhonda whined, looking at the mark on her shoes.
While Gerald shook his head at what he was sorry to have to call part of their team, Arnold heard "Suck it up Princess!"
Phoebe walked over to join her boyfriend on the field, as Helga walked over to take the ball from hers. "Hey Helga. We were just running some old plays."
"Let me guess. That razzle dazzle statue of liberty mumbo jumbo of yours. Pttss...that's brilliant Einstein!"
"Minus those protein shakes of yours Pataki." Gerald added, receiving a glare from the flustered girl.
As Helga was about to take over as quarterback, the gang heard "Well, well, well...if it isn't the wussy sixth graders. You guys ready for a beating?!"
The pre-teens turned to see their rival Wolfgang standing before them, anxious to cream them in a game of football.
"Haha yeah! They're going to get a real beating." Edmund annoyingly added.
"Shut up you idiot!" Wolfgang demanded, shoving his friend aside.
Helga stood with the ball in one hand with her other hand on her hip. Glaring at the taunting older boys, she warned them "Just get ready to get your butts kicked!"
"Hahaha right. Like I'm supposed to be afraid of you and that football headed dork. Do you use his head to practice with?"
Arnold sighed at the remark, while Helga began clenching her fists ruthlessly. Not appreciating the harsh comment made towards her beloved, she pointed a finger at the older boy and scowled "If you EVER make fun of him like that again, you'll be experiencing a different kind of football!"
"Pttss...whatever. See ya at the game." Wolfgang laughed, walking away from the field with his annoyingly clingy friend.
Helga stood gritting her teeth in frustration as Arnold's eyes widened at what he had just heard. Did she actually just defend him, in front of everyone, and sound proud of it? He wasn't going to press his luck by pointing it out in front of everyone, but he couldn't help but feel perhaps Mr. Johnson's lecture was accurate. They had reached the age where girls such as her would become more open with their emotions.
Two Hours Later
"I'm tired and hungry and I just wanna eat!" Harold whined, having had enough of the game.
"Alright, let's call it quits." Arnold said, feeling worn out as well.
The group began heading home in different directions, covered in dirt and sweat. The last two remaining on the field were Arnold and Helga. Just when she was about to head home, she felt her hand being picked up.
"Hey Helga?"
"Yeah?" she asked, cocking her brow at his hesitant expression.
"I just wanted to say thanks." the oblong headed boy blushed, while rubbing his neck.
"Thanks for what?"
"For what you said to Wolfgang." Arnold reminded her, not being able to refrain from saying anything.
"Oh. Uhh don't mention it." she gulped nervously, while feeling him start to rub her hand.
Seeing the skittish look in her eyes also reminded him that while girls eventually become more upfront with their feelings, that doesn't mean they're still completely comfortable doing it.
Arnold placed a hand on her cheek, waiting for her to face him. As he watched her turn to look at him, he said softly "I would never want anyone saying anything bad about you. I can't promise I'd be as good of a defensive lineman as you though."
Helga swooned at the touch of his hand and the appreciation he showed for her. Staring into each other's eyes, it wasn't long before their sweet lips met. Helga stood there with her face held in her beloved's hands, not finding anything strange about her behavior.
Arnold stood stroking her cheek as he listened to a lingering moan escape her. Hearing this as he breathed gently against her reminded him of how sensitive she actually was. Hopefully, she would continue to expose her strong emotions without any regrets.