The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Chapter One: Rude Awakening
If you had asked Helga G. Pataki who was the most handsome boy in the school before November of 1998, she would have said Arnold Shortman. Well, she would have said, "I don't like any of these boozos!" Only to think of Arnold and blush.
To Helga, her 6th Grade plan was to doll herself for Arnold's affections appeared to have worked. She wore her hair down and wore a small bow in it on the right side. She tried to dress as stylish as Rhonda and Lila. Her attitude towards him in public never changed, but her treatment of Arnold outside of view of their classmates and her physical appearance did.
And ever since their 5th Grade year-end trip to San Lorenzo, they had spent more time around each other, but each avoided talking anything of their feelings for the other. Arnold was still heartbroken over coming to terms with the actual death of his parents. Phil and Gertie had held a funeral service for them, but Arnold didn't come out of the boarding house for the much of the summer.
Any chance she could be there for him, she was. At time he almost seemed unreachable, and she had no idea what to say or do. She never knew anyone that lost anyone before.
The two would often shoot glances from across the classroom and sit together in the school cafeteria. Arnold would hold Helga's books when they walked together in the hallway and walk her home from school. But when teased about their budding relationship, Arnold would blush but get outrageously angry and deny her through bellows of "She's not my girlfriend!"
Still though, she did think that Arnold was the most handsome guy in all of P.S. 118 … and then one day her world was forever changed.
"Children, I would like to introduce you to Derek."
Helga immediately shot up in her seat. She just gapped at the beautiful boy before her.
Derek was an olive-skinned, raven-haired, green-eyed, Greek-American boy. He was taller than most of boys in their sixth grade class and leveled off at around 5' 9". She had never seen such a beautiful boy in her entire life. Everything about him, radiated confidence and style.
When he sat down beside her, Helga smiled pleasantly at the boy who smiled back in return.
"Hi", Derek said, in a voice much deeper than any of the other boys.
"Hi", Helga responded, girlishly, waving with her left hand, and playing with her blonde hair with her right - much to the surprise of Arnold who was sitting behind to her.
"Huh?" Arnold who had been staring at Helga for the prior 15 minutes, grimaced in slight confusion.
Things only got worse for Arnold after that.
At lunch the two sat down together.
Brainy looked from Arnold to Helga and Derek, and just grinned. He knew that now Arnold and Helga were now "an item" – well as much as Arnold and Helga allowed themselves to be one anyhow.
Sure Brainy sometimes would feel slightly envious of Arnold. He always had been, even though he never showed any anger or malice towards the boy. But after observing how Arnold reacted when Lila dated Arnie, Brainy knew Arnold would probably lose his cool if Helga liked Derek as much as appeared she did.
"You're not sitting with Helga?"
"I can't. She's sitting with Derek", Arnold said, his voice cracking with the onset of puberty.
Gerald shock his head. "Hmmm. Hmmm. Hmmm."
Arnold paused, putting his fork back on his tray. "What?"
"Well, if I were you. I wouldn't let him steal my girlfriend."
"Gerald, we're not-"
Gerald put his left hand up as if he already knew what Arnold was going to say.
"And … Please. Gerald. Look at that guy", Arnold said grimacing. "Do you honestly think Helga would choose that guy over me – if she had feelings for me, which she does not!"
"Well if you keep acting like this she sure will", Gerald said shaking his head. Gerald never talked of seeing Arnold kissing Helga. Honestly, while image of his best friend and one of their enemies kissing had been traumatizing, he wasn't that all surprised. For two people that swore they disliked each other, Arnold and Helga had gotten extremely close in their fifth grade year and he'd often catch them smiling at each other or holding hands ever since.
By day number three, Arnold was less optimistic.
Gerald watched Arnold looking at Helga and Derek as he squeezed his sandwich in anger. "Why don't you just make Helga your girlfriend?"
"Huh?"
"We all know you guys like each other so I get don't get it."
"Gerald we don't like each other. At least not like that", Arnold, lied, denying Gerald's claims. "We're just friends."
"Whatever you say", Gerald rolled his eyes and leaned back as he played more songs on his Walkman. He had caught the two of them kissing, and he was pretty sure that that was enough to presume that something different was going on between them.
Arnold squinted and leaned in to see if he could hear any of what Derek and Helga were discussing to no avail.
"I love Grunge!"
"Me too. What's your favorite band?"
"Helga and Derek sitting in the tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G …", Harold, Sid and Stinky started singing. "First comes love, then comes marriage …"
"Would you guys knock it off", Derek glared. "And so what if we like each other? Who do you guys like? Guys?"
"Like", Helga thought, excitedly.
"Hey! I'm no fruit-cup", Harold stopped joking. "You say that again and I'm going to pound you!"
"Fruit-Cup", Derek taunted.
Harold stood up and took one swing at Derek. He missed, but Derek swung at Harold hitting his nose.
Arnold looked over to see what the fuss was about, only to see a bleeding Harold crying for his mother and a victorious Derek standing triumphtely.
Arnold watched Helga sit in awe of the taller boy, and sighed. He held his head low for the rest of the day.
Now all the things Arnold used to do for her in secret, Derek now did openly. Derek would hold her books and walk her home from school. Now Derek and Helga sat together at lunch and gazed lovingly at each other in class – even though they often sat right next to each other.
Now Arnold and his friends had a new bully. One that loved to mock the shape of his head, push or trip him in the hallways and often make hollow threats. It was as if "the old Helga Pataki" had become "the new Lila" and her suitor was now the "old Helga Pataki". Helga never made any outward attempts to stop Derek's bullying of Arnold and the other boys. Instead she'd sometimes just laugh along.
He was brushed off by his other crush Anabelle who also openly smiled at Derek when he walked with Helga in the hallway.
Derek was everything he wasn't. Tall. Dark. Handsome. Great at sports. And confident. All the girls loved him, including the girl that still outwardly taunted him but in private was so kind and loving towards him he often took her infatuation with him for granted.
On the school bus, all the other boys joked and played with Game Boys. Arnold was still staring at Helga and Derek. His eyes focused and glued on them. His hands formed into fists. A look of hatred on his face.
Suddenly Derek grabbed hold of Helga's face and pushed their lips together, to kiss her.
Arnold continued to clench his fists – his face reddening - but this time he felt something different. Tears formed in his eye-ducts.
A/N: This is a different take on Arnold/Helga and on what would need to be said in-series. It's not Anti-A/H, in the least. There will be alot of twists and turns. Just wait for more chapters. ;-)