Perhaps it was a dream, she thought. Perhaps if she pinched herself, she would wake up. But she didn't want to wake up. She wanted to stay in this dream world where everyone would leave her alone.
This question she had been asking herself, 'Is this for real or not?'
Helga hoped she would stay in this dream world with the football head she secretly loved since the first time they'd met. Now Helga was saying in her dream, "Football head, mind if I say something?"
Arnold looked at her and answered, "Yes, you may, Helga. I'm listening."
She saw that Arnold really was listening, and that something that Arnold always been like this with other people. That's one of the things she liked about Arnold, and has never told him.
"Have you ever imagined having a wife?"
"What makes you ask such a question like that?"
"I don't know," Helga answered.
"I don't think about it too often. I've been talking about this a lot with Gerald," Arnold told her.
"This doesn't have anything to do with Tall hair boy. I'm talking about somebody else."
"And who exactly is that person?"
"Who am I talking with right now?"
Now Arnold had the answer to Helga's question.
"Why me?"
Helga shrugged her shoulders.
"Maybe you're the one I wanted to ask you than any of our friends, and Phoebe counts."
"Are you thinking that this sounds like a dream?"
"To me it does, football head. I've often thought about being somebody's wife."
"Why don't you talk about this with your mother? Maybe she might have a few stories to share with you. I talk about this with Grandpa a few times, but not lately."
"I don't care what your grandfather told you. Miriam wouldn't tell me anything, even if means by asking her that question. And I'm not going to Big Bob about it either. He doesn't care about me."
"I'm sure that he does, Helga. All he needs to do is show it to you."
"Fat chance! What kind of dream do you have right now that you don't have?"
"I do have a few, but am not going to share it with you."
"All right, if that's your dream, football head, you don't need to tell me."
Helga's dream went on for a while longer and then she still didn't want it to end. What kind of dream world is this talking to Arnold about something like this? No way is Helga going to share it. Nobody needs to know about this family conversation with Arnold in a dream. Her father might be thinking none of it would make sense on talking about marriage with a classmate that's a football head.
Good thing she's keeping it to herself.
