Chapter 1: Fight Fire With Fire
I always knew you loved me Helga, I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable by saying anything.
Really Arnold?
You're so amazing! That kiss was amazing! I can't bare to part with you now!
Oh Arnold, I...CRIMITY!
Helga fell out of bed, slamming her head on the floor. After a night spent of tossing and turning with her pillow, dreaming she was holding her beloved, she awoke remembering it was the first day of school.
Going through her sad excuse for a closet to find a reasonably clean jumper for school, she thought to herself I wonder what this year will be like? Was Arnold serious when he kissed me? Was he truly returning my feelings?
After pondering this and preparing herself in what she considered to be an acceptably appearing way, she headed down the stairs of the beeper emporium. There Miriam was once again passed out on the counter, not that it was any surprise to Helga.
Upon entering what they now had to consider to be there kitchen area, Helga found her mother laying on top of her lunch box. After rolling her eyes, Helga began to shake her fiercely as she scowled "Mom...Mom...MIRIRAM!"
"Huh? Oh I'm awake honey." Miriam said, adjusting her glasses.
Placing her hands on her hips, Helga scoffed "I was trying to get to my lunch that I'm sure you did a lovely job of making as usual...not." Helga muttered to herself.
Why she bothered to bring her lunchbox to school was beyond her, when she knew most days she would be opening it to find nothing...nothing edible that is.
"Oh, umm here you go sweetie. I made it last night." Miriam said, while watching Helga snatch the box in disbelief.
"Pttss...we'll just see about that." she scoffed, making her way out the door.
Once Helga stepped outside of what she wasn't even sure she could consider to be home, she saw her best friend waiting for her. "Hey Pheebs."
"Good morning Helga. Ready for an exciting day of school?"
"It's the first day Pheebs. What could be exciting about it?" Helga scoffed, trying to keep up appearances. While part of her felt this way, her mind was filled with anticipation about how this first day would actually go with Arnold.
"Well, we will be learning new subjects, acquiring new material, discussing matters which…" the Asian girl went on before being harshly interrupted.
"Sheesh Phoebe! What about that is exciting? I mean, who in the right mind would..." Helga scowled before falling to the ground, having her own thoughts interrupted. "ARNOLD!"
Reaching out a hand for her, Arnold replied "Sorry Helga."
Helga hesitated to take his hand. Whipping her head back and forth between their friends, she wondered how awkward it would be to appear vulnerable in front of them. Whether or not she was okay with it, her old habits took over her.
"I mean, watch where you're going football head! Sheesh! Come on Pheebs." Helga insisted, while her best friend quickly followed behind.
The boys stood at the corner a moment, while Gerald simply shook his head at Helga's aggressive behavior. "Mm.. ! Arnold, why do you let her do that to you?"
Not caring to read to much into it, Arnold shrugged his shoulders "I don't know. It's just her way."
"Uh huh? I get being rude and aggressive is HER way. What I mean is, why does being polite and sensitive have to be YOUR way?" Gerald insisted on knowing.
"I'm not going to force her to change Gerald." Arnold sighed, crossing the street with his best friend.
"Really? Because that moment the two of you shared back in San Lorenzo begged to differ." Gerald replied, seeing his best friend begin to blush fiercely.
While the two boys were walking down the halls, Helga was standing by her locker. As she heard them approaching, she hid behind the corner of her door. Whenever she heard her beloved's voice approaching her, she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to listen in on it.
"I'm telling you man! If that girl really does feel something for you...let's pray that she doesn't...you can't let her push you around like this." Gerald insisted.
Helga couldn't help but glare at Gerald's harsh remark about her and his need to push along hers and Arnold's relationship. However, she was anxious to hear what Arnold had to say.
"She's just so hard to reach. I think she acts that way to cover up for her own insecurities. I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable by pushing her along." Arnold sighed, while standing by his locker, a few feet down from Helga's.
"So you're just going to let her continue messing with you?" Gerald concluded, while raising an eyebrow.
Closing his locker, heading down the hallways, Arnold replied "I guess for now."
"Whatever you say Arnold."
After seeing her beloved head off towards the soon to be starting class, Helga fell against her locker, sliding to the floor. Reaching down into her shirt for what she could only hope would someday be Arnold's true heart held close to her, she began to say her regretful sorrows out loud…
Oh Arnold! My beloved! Here it is the beginning of a new day for us, and already I have filled your mind with confusion of the drama that it will bring! Who am I to put you through such misery! Such agony which compares to what I have experienced day after day simply by not revealing my softer side to you! If only I could find the strength to show to you the feelings I've already told you! If only I…
As Helga sat there holding her gold treasure to her chest, reciting her loving words she wasn't sure she would ever be able to summon the strength to publicly reveal, she began to hear a familiar noise "Wheeze...wheeze...wheeze…"
Clenching her fists, she stood up to slam Brainy with her locker door which she had left open to hide behind. Although she hated the fact that he followed her. She needed someone to snap her out of her fantasies.
Once she made it to class, she saw her best friend had saved her a seat beside her. "Hello Helga. I wasn't expecting you to take so long at your locker, so I saved you a seat."
"Thanks Pheebs. I was just…" before Helga could come up with a legitimate excuse, Mr. Simmons walked in.
"Hello Class! I'm happy to once again be sharing another special year with you all." Mr. Simmons waved, while the students all rolled their eyes.
"Pttss...special? Special needs is what this guy should be teaching." Helga scoffed, leaning back in her seat with her arms crossed. Her frown quickly disappeared when she focused her eyes on the blonde boy in front of her. She soon found herself leaning her head against her hand on her desk, gazing at him with loving eyes. Thinking back to their last kiss in San Lorenzo, it took all she could not to swoon.
While this daydream of hers was taking place, another student couldn't help but take notice of her.
Arnold was sitting in his seat, listening to the boring History lecture Mr. Simmons was giving when he heard "Pttss...Pttss...Arnold."
After a minute or so, Arnold looked to his left to see Gerald handing him a note. Thankfully, Mr. Simmons was too wrapped up in what he considered to be his exciting History lecture, to take notice of this.
Arnold opened the note Gerald had passed him to read…
Man, Pataki has been staring at you like a lovesick puppy since the beginning of class!
After reading this, Arnold wondered how embarrassed she may be if he turned around to see her doing it. He hadn't felt any spitballs that morning. Maybe she was in a better mood. He then turned to see she was no longer staring at him, but doodling in her notebook.
While still facing Helga, Arnold glanced over at Gerald, wondering what he was talking about. He then leaned forward further to catch a glance at what Helga was drawing in her notebook.
As he was making this bold move, Helga noticed a football headed shadow forming across her page. She quickly jumped up to scream "ARNOLD!" forgetting they were in class.
The whole class then turned their attention to see Arnold turned around in his desk, facing Helga with her notebook held tight against her chest.
"Umm Arnold. Is there a reason you're facing that way in your desk?" Mr. Simmons asked politely.
"Yeah, I reckon the front of the classroom's that way." Stinky pointed in Mr. Simmons' direction, while the rest of the class laughed.
Arnold turned to sit down in his seat, as he replied "Oh sorry, I just uh...dropped my pencil."
"You dropped your pencil on Helga's desk? Oh please. That is the saddest excuse for flirting I have ever heard." Rhonda couldn't help but tease, while Helga clenched her fist.
"Who asked you Princess?!"
"Alright class, settle down. Let's get back to the lecture." Mr. Simmons insisted, while Arnold hoped not too big a deal would be made out of what had just happened.
Helga sat there in her desk, still holding her notebook tight, thinking to herself Crimity! What in the heck was he doing?! Did he see anything?!
After making it through the next few boring lectures, the bell at last rang for lunch. Helga met Phoebe in the cafeteria with what felt like a full lunchbox. She wasn't holding her breath until she saw it with her own two eyes however.
"Hello Helga. Were you speaking to Arnold about something during class?" Phoebe asked, not knowing the reason for the commotion being caused.
"No! I was just minding my own business when the football head decided to hover over me like Brainy does when I'm...uhhh…" Helga began yanking on her collar. Although she trusted Phoebe with her personal feelings, there were still some things she liked to keep private.
"I understand." Phoebe nodded, knowing how uncomfortable the topic made her friend.
After taking a moment to catch her breath, Helga opened her lunchbox to see it was full...but not with food.
"BEEPERS! Are you kidding me?! Is this what Bob plans on using for his storage space for whatever sorry excuse of inventory he has left...my possessions?! Crimity!" Helga scowled.
Normally she wouldn't care about such a poor parental act. After all, she had expected to be disappointed from the moment she grabbed her 'lunch' that morning. However, after listening to Arnold and Gerald's conversation about needing to 'fix her' along with being publicly exposed in class, she was a bit on edge.
After tossing a handful of beepers across the cafeteria to relinquish her anger, the students noticed a perfect shot at an unexpected target followed by an…"Ow! I'm Okay!"
Arnold and Gerald sat at a table with their sandwiches near where Eugene had been hit. When Arnold was about to get up to assist him, he looked in the other direction to see Helga with her arms crossed, hovering over the table.
"What are you staring at Arnold?" Gerald asked, while holding his sandwich.
"I was just wondering if I should go see if Helga's okay? I didn't mean to embarrass her in class." Arnold sighed.
"Forget what happened in class. Look at the commotion she just caused with that handful of outdated merchandise!" Gerald said wittingly.
"I just wish I could help her. I don't want to force her to tell me anything she doesn't want to." Arnold said sadly, before being interrupted.
"Then forget about her and eat. I think she's made it clear she's not going to open up to you unless you're willing to fight fire with fire my friend." Gerald insisted, while Arnold took these words into consideration.
Once lunch period ended, the kids all went back to class. Arnold watched Helga slowly drag her feet alongside Phoebe, with a look that read why do I even exist?
He was tempted to pull Helga aside and leave school early. That didn't seem like a very responsible thing to do however. Not to mention there was no telling what type of mixed feelings she was having for him at the moment.
The kids then took their seats in class and Arnold waited for Helga to show any form of attention towards him. A spitball, a rubber band, a kick in the heel, or if he was really lucky...a note. The last few hours went by however, and no such luck occured.
Before he could turn to ask if she was alright, Helga was already talking to Phoebe about meeting at the park after school.
"I notice today was rather tough for you Helga."
"Pttss...ya think?" she scoffed.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Phoebe asked, not wanting to push her best friend.
Helga shrugged her shoulders. It wasn't like she had never spoken to Phoebe about anything personal before. "Eh, I guess we can take a walk in the park if you want. Clear my head a bit."
"That sounds lovely. I'll meet you there." Phoebe said happily.
While Arnold was watching the girls exit the room, he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Ready to go buddy?"
"Actually Gerald, I was thinking about what you said."
"You mean how messed up Pataki is? Yeah, I can see how that would be hard to forget." Gerald said wittingly.
"No, I meant about how the only way to get her to open up to me would be not to let her walk all over me." Arnold reminded him.
"Who cares if she opens up to you? Just stop letting her walk all over you!" Gerald insisted, with his hands on his hips.
"Uhh right. Anyway, I think I'm going to go talk to her. I'll talk to you later." Arnold replied, heading out of the classroom.
"Later man."
As the two boys went their separate ways, Arnold saw Phoebe standing by her locker. Phoebe shut the door to see Arnold anxiously approaching her. "Oh my Arnold! Is everything alright?"
Rubbing his neck nervously, Arnold replied "Uhh actually Phoebe. I couldn't help but overhear you and Helga say you were going to the park."
Nodding politely at him, Phoebe said "Yes. We often do when she hasn't had the best day and needs to talk about things."
Although he was nervous about how things would turn out, Arnold saw this as the perfect opportunity to confront Helga about her feelings. "Oh, well do you think I could meet with her. You know...alone?"
Phoebe smiled at Arnold's modesty. She loved knowing he finally felt for Helga what she hoped he would her whole life. If only Helga could find the courage to accept the idea of it, and allow herself to show it.
"Certainly Arnold. We always meet by the fountain. It shouldn't be long before she arrives" she informed him. Phoebe would have explained it was because the last thing Helga wanted was to hang around her family any longer than she had to. That may have been too much personal information to pass out however.
"Great! Thanks again!" Arnold hurried off, hoping things would go well with Helga.
