Writers Note: I know this is sloppy but whatever it was fun to write and I'm not good at writing things that are short so deal with it.
I also know Helga is a bit out of character but because this is for the "Operation Ruthless Shipping Challenge" and I just wanted to have fun with this. Plus I'm very strict when it comes to shipping's so this is a stretch for me.
If you don't know what Operation Ruthless is, look it up!
Enjoy! ^_^
I couldn't believe what I was hearing; I stared at Iggy in front of me trying to decide if he was serious.
"I'll say this again, Helga I like you like you. Do you hear me, or do I need to shout it for the whole world to know?"
"No I heard you, I heard you the first time to. But uh, what? I mean this doesn't make any sense? I don't understand how you could like me like that? I mean I thought you did all that to tortured me and gain yourself some pride?"
You see it all started about month ago; I had just pushed Arnold down on the ground after taking a drink from the fountain. Away laughing I went and once out of sight around the lockers I pulled out my locker. Started to recite poetry like I always do when someone tapped me on the shoulder.
"Hey Helga what are you doing?"
It was Iggy. I practically jumped out of my clothes. I silently screamed, to anyone else it would look like I'm going to say something. In actuality I was letting all air in my system out I practically turned blue.
"Helga what's that you're holding?"
I looked down at my hands and realized my locket was completely exposed, I slowly turned back to Iggy and a smile just went across his face. We stared at each other for a second no movements were even made.
"Helga you like Arnold?"
"No."
"I don't think I believe you, let me see that." Iggy reached out his hand to grab the locket, before I could push him away from me and run. I tried to reach for it but Iggy turned his back on me.
"Helga you do like Arnold."
"Chimney, why would I like a Football head like him?"
"I don't know, but you do. Why else would you have a heart shaped locket with his picture inside?"
"I keep it so when he's not here I can hurt him, even when he's not here. I break it constantly and then I fix it. So I can do it all over again!" I stuttered every word that came out and each one had a different level of confidence being said.
"So why is it shaped like a heart?"
"Uh, well." There was a moment of silence between us. He continued to grin at me and I began to turn red.
"Okay, so what? Why does this even matter?"
"I don't know, I could ask you the same thing. Why does it matter Helga?"
"I doesn't matter, I don't care."
"It's okay if I tell him than?"
"What?"
Iggy stretched his neck past the corner of the hall to get Arnold in his eye range.
"Hey Arnold."
Arnold looked over at Iggy and began to walk to where Iggy was, I couldn't see if he was coming but I heard footsteps. "Oh my gosh, no!"
Arnold came around the corner and he looked better than five minutes ago. I froze up, I could only watch in horror what lay before me.
"What is it Iggy, hi Helga."
My throat closed up.
"Did you know that Helga…"
"No shut up!"
"Really…"
"Be quiet!"
"Truly…"
"Oh no here it comes!"
"Loves me, in fact she's head over heels?"
You know when in movies you almost hear something that sounds like the needle on a record player just scratched the record. Well that's all I heard and my own thoughts saying, "What the?"
Arnold stood there confused but had a smile grow on his face. But before I could respond with a bloodcurdling scream Iggy grabbed me, wiped me off of my feet. The only thing that kept me from falling was Iggy holding me under him. He came down to my face and kissed me hard. It wasn't like in the movies where they give you a passionate kiss, he pushed so hard on my face I thought my teeth would break. He held me for a good twenty seconds and then released me to stand.
The first thing I noticed after I stood on my own feet was Arnold smiling at me. Not only that though, we had somehow created a crowd. Some people were whispering, some were smiling and some were giggling. I felt like there was something on my face. The bell rang before I could protest everyone left smiling; I waited for everyone to leave before I could punch the daylights out of him. Once the hall was empty and it was just us, I grabbed him by his collar, wiped him against the lockers and got "The Five Avengers" out.
"You have got a few seconds to explain what the heck that was all about before I make sure you bleed like a dog."
"I was doing you a favor."
"What?" I shouted in protest.
Iggy managed to get his collar back, walked a few steps forward past mean and I turned to face him. "Lets be honest, I'm the coolest guy around right?"
I nodded.
"So hypothetically if we dated for a bit, like say, a month? It might make a certain someone jealous that you are dating a very cool guy."
"But what do you get out of this?"
"Helga why must there be anything in this for me?"
I gave him a look, I couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. He just shrugged and began to smile at me the same way he did before.
"What if I say no, that I don't want to do this and I punch your stomach so bad it would be in your throat?"
"Then I'll tell everyone in school you love Arnold."
I looked at Iggy as if he just grew a mole on his face, I couldn't believe it. He was going to blackmail to some reason even I don't know. I hated the idea of being forced into something but this was about me protecting my feelings and myself. I agreed and then headed off to class.
So there I was in a relationship with Iggy a guy who was blackmailing me, I didn't even know this guy. A first it was awkward because I would sit with him a lunch and neither would know what to say. Others would think that we were just shy but we knew better.
After two weeks I started having weird situations like Sid would bump into, apologize and run away. Stink would stutter every word while talking to me and Joey would blush every time we saw each other. To be honest I was confused and would give them weird looks, which would make them react worse.
I mentioned it to Iggy at lunch around that time and he frowned, didn't say anything and then spoke, "It's because now that you're with me, you became cool too. So now all the guys want you because I'm dating you."
I almost jumped out of my chair; my jaw dropped and was once again found lost without words. Iggy turned his frown upside down and began to eat his sandwich again. Our "relationship" was nothing more than a friendship and than it happened.
I remember it like yesterday… Well actually it was yesterday, I was walking in the halls with Iggy when I heard some voices around the corner I was just about to pass. It was Arnold and Lila.
"Arnold, I'm oh so ever sorry for what I put you through after I told you I didn't like you like you."
"Well it's okay Lila."
"No it's not, so I want to say that I'm sorry by asking you to be my date at the Valentines Day dance next week. Girls are supposed to ask the guy."
"But I thought you didn't like me that way?"
"Well I'm ever so certain Arnold that I changed my mind. I really do like you like you."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I actually convinced myself for a couple of seconds that wasn't happening. I believed it too, until I went around the corner and saw Arnold and Lila kissing. "NO!"
Iggy reached out his hand to put on shoulder but I pushed it away, ran in the direction I just came from. I went into the bathroom picked the stall that was the farthest away. Closed the door and locked it, made sure no one else was in there by checking for feet. I put down the hood of the toilet and sat down. At first I felt sick, like someone just ripped out my intestines. But then I felt like my throat was closing up and I had to cry. So I Helga G. Pataki cried, not soft sobs either but loud wails. No one came in thank God. I continued to cry for ten minutes ignoring the bell for class after the first minute.
After letting all my tears dry I wiped my face from the residue of salt off of my cheek. I came out and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked awful. My cheeks were blotchy and my eyes all puffy. I needed to make myself look sick more than sad. I messed up my pigtails so I could look like a crazy person. I moved my cheeks up and down so the redness so spread all over my face.
I left the stall and faked the whole "I'm sick" thing to the secretary. She frowned on my behalf and explained everything to Mr. Simmons for me over the intercom. I was glad Iggy or Phoebe didn't see me otherwise they would know I was faking it all. I couldn't handle looking at either of them right now, let alone talking about it.
So the next day here I am. I was eating my pastrami sandwich; Phoebe had joined me after she bought her lunch from the cafeteria. I was waiting to tell Iggy that we should break up due to this blackmailing plan not working anymore. He finally came in after twenty minutes of waiting; I was so restless waiting for him to show.
But before I could open my mouth he spouts all that on me…
"I'll say this again, Helga I like you like you. Do you hear me, or do I need to shout it for the whole world to know?"
"No I heard you, I heard you the first time to. But uh, what? I mean this doesn't make any sense? I don't understand how you could like me like that? I mean I thought you did all that to tortured me and gain yourself some pride?"
Iggy sat down next to me on the side Phoebe wasn't she was trying to keep herself distracted by something else. I could tell she felt slightly awkward right now.
"Helga I liked you from the beginning, before I started to blackmail you into dating me."
"What?"
"You're so hard to approach, you won't give anyone the time of day unless you approach them. I always kind of liked you but you didn't even look at me. In fact I was surprised you knew my name when I caught you reciting poetry to your locket of Arnold. I kinda always knew you liked him but I didn't know for sure until that day. So I guess that making you date me for a bit would've let us had sometime together like I always wanted. I'm sorry."
I stared at him for such a long minute trying to decide what to say. What was this guy's angle? Was he just trying to make a fool of me? I don't like him like that, do I? I mean I didn't think about it till now, but what? I thought he didn't like like me, that he was just trying to make fun of me. No that's not it he doesn't like me. How could he? He is just doing this to make fun of me, to hurt me. To ruin my reputation and make me look like an idiot in front of everyone. Nobody's looking but it doesn't matter, this is a prank.
"Is this your kind of joke?"
"What, no Helga this isn't a joke…"
"Yes it is! How dare you make up some sick joke that you like me? You're nothing but a jerk; you're not being funny. You're a loser, how could anyone like someone like you, you're a fake. You're selfish and arrogant no one would like someone like you ever let alone me."
Iggy didn't get angry, he didn't say anything for a few seconds and then angry grew on his face. He stood up slammed his chair into the table which made Phoebe and I jump. Phoebe and everyone else who wasn't looking our way was now staring at us.
"Helga! I truly do like why would you ever think I did this for fun? What about you? You insult everyone around you; you probably hurt Phoebe more than do well for her. I know you Helga, a lot more than you do. I know you're really a nice girl so why would do you do what you do? You know what never mind, I'm not hungry I'll see you guys later."
He left the room; everyone was still staring at me. I was in no way going to look at any of them, except Phoebe. I was unsure what she would be looking at me like. Instead of seeing anger, I saw disappointment, sadness and pity.
"I don't mean to hurt you Phoebe."
People stopped staring but the silence remained. Everyone was whispering or shaking their heads at me. Phoebe's facial expression changed to understand.
"I know, but sometimes you do hurt my feelings."
"But why don't you tell me?"
"Because I try to not let it get to me, but well sometimes it works. "
"I wish you told me before."
"Well I didn't think it would be a big deal or nothing could change."
"I'm sorry Phoebe's."
"Me too."
We hugged each other, which did not happen often, but when we do it really means something. Maybe I should be more affectionate. We stopped hugging and Phoebe smiled at me.
"Well are you going to go after him?"
"What?"
"Come on Helga, I know he's no Arnold but you like him too right?"
"You mean like him like him or just like him?"
"If you have to ask that question I think the answer would be the first one."
Phoebe was right, I liked liked him which made no sense to me. Maybe it was his friendship that made me like him the way I do? Maybe it's the fact he's been there for me everyday since he decided to blackmail me, and all he wanted to do is spend time with him. He's important to me now, I don't even write poetry any more or talk to my shrine. Maybe liking Arnold was unhealthy because I was living in a fancy world and it just made me safe. But Iggy makes me come back to reality; he's a good slap to the face, which I need. I need to go find him.
I stood up and ran out the door, I looked both directions and no one was there. I ran down the hall till I reached another hall he wasn't there either. I was about to turn away but I saw him through the window on the door. He was sitting right beside the door, only his shoulder was showing but it was he.
I ran down the hall and tried to avoid making sound so I wouldn't get in trouble for running. I banged on the door, which made him jump, but he turned around to look at me. It looked like he was crying. He rubbed his eyes as I walked out of the door. He opened his mouth to speak but I started to talk instead.
"Okay Okay, I know what you're thinking. Why are you here or maybe what do you want. But let me say something first, I'm sorry you're right. You didn't say it because you didn't want to embarrass me but I am fake. I hurt others and then I yelled at you for hurting me and it wasn't right for me to say something like that and assume the worse of you. You have been nothing but kind to me for the last couple of weeks and I just shot you down at your chance you wanted. So I'm asking you to forgive me and if you can, will you go to the dance with me?"
Iggy didn't say anything but the same smile I saw a month ago when he saw me with Arnolds picture grew on his face. He walked up to me, which made me nervous, he took my hand and kissed it. I started to feel the heat on my cheeks.
"Of course I will go with you, sweet cheeks."
He just gave me a nickname? I sighed in my own head. He grabbed the same hand he just kissed by his right hand and walked inside with me to go eat lunch.
