His fingers were constantly moving. Line after line, he filled in the white word sheet at an unbelievable speed. He couldn't stop. Ideas were running through his memory at full speed and he knew he had to put them outside. It was two days before the deadline and that report would give him the highest score in literature and that would end the first year of college without any problem.

"Arnold." A voice called him. Without diverting his green eyes from the screen, he replied.

"Yes?"

"Remind me why you sent me here?" the voice questioned him and the disappointment in her was already remarkable.

"To help me with the report?!" he answered with another question.

"Yeah, but..." a long sigh interspersed with the sound of the 'click' of the keys. "...I don't think you need my help very much."

"Be patient, Helga. I'm almost done, and I need other pairs of eyes to confirm my report."

"You know my patience has its limits."

"I know, but please, I'll just ask you for a few more minutes."

Helga didn't answer back, just picking up a magazine that was next to her on the floor and opening it. She had to stop helping Arnold whenever he needed it. Besides, she had to go to her job she had arranged at the bookstore near the university.

"That's it. I'm done." Arnold said, getting up from the chair and diverting it to make way for Helga. "Would you do me a favor?" he stared at her and she got up from his bed and sat on the chair.

She came forward and began to read the report. Meanwhile, Arnold stood behind the chair with his arms supported. He leaned his chin on them and deviated a little to the side, so that he could also reread what he had written. After a good few minutes, Helga spoke.

"You have a good chance of passing literature." She looked at him sideways. "I didn't know you were so good." A sincere smile outlined on her lips and she blushed a little when she realized how close it was to his face.

"I have a good teacher." He smiled back at her and went astray, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Do you really think I can get through?"

"Yes." Helga agreed, turning the chair in front of him. "I'm sure you can, football head."

"Uff...I just need it to finish the first year well."

Helga smiled again and then consulted her wristwatch. It was 2:45 p.m.

"Oh no."

In one jump, she got out of the chair and went to another chair where she had her purse.

"Is it time?" Arnold asked her and the disappointment in his voice was notorious.

"Yes, if you like, after I'm off work, we can go somewhere for coffee." Helga would put her bag on her shoulder and look for her car keys.

"That sounds good. I'll confirm it later, okay?"

"No problem." She smiled again and left the room.

Arnold sighed and sat back in the chair in front of his computer.

Ten years have passed since they had traveled to San Lorenzo and Arnold have found their parents again. When they returned to Hillwood, things returned to normal for at least four years. Helga and Arnold did not resume a loving relationship, keeping only that magnificent kiss, but maintained a very strong friendship. Helga stopped tormenting her football head and the two were closer than ever. However, at the age of 14, his parents were called back to San Lorenzo to help with another disease that had awakened among the people of the Green Eyes. So, they traveled and once again left the poor boy to his grandparents. However, for the next six years, Arnold, on summer vacation, would always spend a month or two with his parents and help them, always returning to Hillwood to finish high school and go to university. As much as he enjoyed spending in the company of his parents, his home was always in Hillwood along with his friends and those he loved the most. During these ten years, friendships became strong. New bonds were created, and new passion was emerging.

Phoebe and Gerald took their time to admit their feelings for each other, ending up together for five years to the present. Helga dated Matt, a simple but popular boy for three years and Arnold and Lila for two years. However, a stronger love grew between them. No one couldn't say that Helga didn't like Matt in a certain way, but true love wasn't him. Just like Arnold. Although Lila filled his emotional part, in his heart the true love was not her. They ended up breaking up and getting closer and closer to each other. However, only friendship existed, for both were stubborn in saying how they really felt about each other.

The day was already advanced, and Helga had finished her shift. After putting her last books on the shelf, she said goodbye to her co-worker and went to the locker, where she opened it. From inside, she took out her suitcase and coat. She closed the locker again, locking it, and put on her coat. Then she opened the suitcase looking for the car keys and noticed that her mobile phone had the small light in the upper left corner, flashing. She took the small device and unlocked the screen. She had two messages from Arnold and one call from Phoebe.

She opened his messages first, reading them. Arnold indicated that he couldn't go drinking coffee with her, recombining for another day, saying he had other things to do and eventually apologizing. At another time, Helga would be furious, but at that moment she just replied, 'There's no problem'. After sending the message, she decided to contact Phoebe as she picked up her suitcase and got out of there towards her car. On the other side of her cell phone, a crying voice was the one who received her.

"What's going on?" the 'good night' and 'it's okay' were not necessary words.

"It's Gerald."

Helga rolled her eyes. For a couple of days now, Phoebe has been fighting with her boyfriend all the time. The reason was that he was insistent on having a deeper relationship with her, but because she was very conservative, she wanted to wait until she got to the wedding. However, Gerald received her pleasure in other ways, but Helga understood that he wanted more than just a preliminary or whatever they did there.

"Phoebe, as much as I love you, he's right. Don't you think it's about time you gave him what he really wants?" Helga opened the car door, threw her suitcase into the hanging place, and went in, closing the door behind her.

"A relationship isn't just sex," and she cried even more.

"Listen, he doesn't just want sex. He wants to feel you. He wants to make love to you. He wants you to be one. And, honestly, this waiting until the wedding is too much for this day and age." Helga rolled her eyes.

"But...the pain...the fear...I..."

"That's lost right away. Natural to feel your legs trembling, your heart beating hard and the pain will be part of it. Tears will certainly come to meet your eyes, but after a while that is lost, and you end up surrendering to pleasure and sensation." In a way, her first time comes to her memory. Deep down, she wanted to have lost her virginity to Arnold, but fate wanted that to be different. Besides, deep down, she liked Matt in her own way.

"I... don't know." At least the crying had calmed down.

"Invite him to dinner. Watch a romantic movie or something you both like and let things happen. Phoebe, it's the best thing that can happen to you and you still have the advantage of being with the person you really love."

"What about Arnold?"

"What about him?" Helga arched her confused eyebrows.

"He is your true love, but you lost yours to Matt."

"I don't regret that I did it with him and I even envy you for losing yours to the person you love. Anyway, things with me and Arnold are fine. I don't want to spoil it and I'll have my chance to say how I feel about him when the time is right. However, I think you should worry about yourself. If you need advice, I'm in. We can have lunch together and I can even help you with the dinner arrangements. What do you say?"

"Perfect. When are you free?"

"Tomorrow. I'll take classes in the morning and I have the afternoon off from work."

"I'll only have classes in the morning too. We agreed at the restaurant 'Pasta de Glamour'?"

"Of course.

"Thank you, Helga. Until morning."

"See you in the morning, Phoebe. Rest. Things will go well."

"Yes. I love you!"

"Me too." And they hung up.

Helga sighed. It was natural for something like this to happen and it hadn't been for lack of warning to Phoebe. Helga put her cell phone in the suitcase and started the car, heading home.

The next morning, at the university, the report was delivered. In two days' time, Arnold would know the results. And if what Helga had told him was true, then his grade would be good, and he would pass on the literature. During the break, Arnold went to his locker where he opened it. He put his books there and removed the others for the next classes. When he closed the door and put the lock on it, Gerald approached him.

"Good morning, my friend."

"Good morning."

"Can I keep you company for breakfast?"

"Yes, but..." Arnold looked over his friend's shoulder to find Phoebe next to him, but that's not what happened.

"It's not worth looking for." Gerald replied and let a disconcerting sigh slip away.

"Is something wrong?" Arnold asked strangely about Gerald's reaction.

"Yes, I'll talk to you while I fill my stomach, okay?"

Arnold nodded his head positively and the two of them headed for the cafeteria. They came in and went towards the bar. There, they chose what they wanted to eat and, after being served, they went to an empty table. Arnold grabbed his croissant and began to eat, while Gerald played with the spoon in his juice.

"Things are not going well." He spoke in a sigh.

"What's the problem this time?" Gerald faced him confused, where Arnold shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not messing with your life, but the other day I went out for coffee with Helga and Phoebe called her."

"Um...I see that you and Helga have been hanging out a lot lately. Is there anything you want to tell me about that I don't know about?" He smiled and could see a slight change in color on his friend's cheeks.

"No." Arnold managed to say without being embarrassed and went back to eating a little more of his croissant: "Anyway, it's not that I heard what they said, much less that Helga said anything to me, but I heard Phoebe crying on the other side."

Gerald sighed and stuffed his head.

"Literally that's what she's been doing almost every day, but..." he took a break and drank some of the juice. "...it's my fault."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing wrong. But it's...argh...how can I explain myself." Again, a pause and Arnold was already predicting what it might be. "It's just... we've been together for five years and..." the change in color on his cheeks was already starting to show, as well as the embarrassment in his expression and again the hand rubbing his head. "...we're just foreplay, that's all." Gerald turned his face and crossed his arms.

At such words, Arnold almost spit out the juice he had begun to drink and burst out laughing.

"It's not funny, you know." Gerald rebuked him.

"Well...is that...AHAHAHAHAHAH."

"Oh, I knew I shouldn't have told you anything."

"I'm sorry, but...ahah...it's your face not what you said in a certain way." Arnold wiped a tear that insisted on falling down his cheek from laughing so hard.

"Well, that's the reason for my bad mood and her crying."

"Listen..." Arnold closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. "I understand your part, but you have to see hers."

"Easy to say when it's not you in my situation."

"It took me two years to get some kind of... you know."

"Three less than me. Arnold, I love Phoebe, there's no doubt about that, but I want more than the damn foreplay and... you know what I mean." Gerald sighed for the thousandth time.

"I know, but you have to be patient. If you really love her, you must hold on. Besides, it's not like you don't have other ways to...be satisfied."

"Yeah, but..."

"Gerald, Helga's probably already said something to her and when you least expect it, you might be surprised." Arnold put one hand on his friend's shoulder and smiled at him. Gerald returned his smile and the two of them finished their breakfast with another topic of conversation.