Chapter one, here we go! I'm trying to write this all at once, I know I hate it when I find a fic and it's not done, so I'm trying not to do that to you. Smooches.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hey! Arnold.
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"Dear Arnold,
It's me, Cecile. Not that Cecile, the other one. It's been a pretty long time, n'est pas? I'm sorry I never wrote to you sooner, I was too scared and too unsure of how to proceed, that I just... never did. I know you've probably forgotten about me, but I could never forget you, you were so sweet that day, and no one has ever treated me so well. What you saw was the real me, the me I wish I could just show you, but I can't. I'm too scared of what might happen, but I still want you to 'know' the real me, even if the real name isn't attached.
I love writing, it's one of the only ways I really feel like I'm coherent. When I try to speak, I get nervous about what people will think, and then I second guess myself, and then everything I tried to say is ruined. But when I write, I can erase the wrong word, and take time to say what I think without worrying about what someone else will say about it.
What about you? Is there something that you do that sets your heart on fire? Please take your response to "Gerald Field," and put it under the pitcher's mound. Please don't try to find out who I am.
- "Cecile"
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Hey Gerald,
I hope you're having a good time at your grandparents' house, I know it's been a while since you saw them, so I'm glad you're getting to see them now. At least you're missing school for this, right?
Something weird and... kind of cool happened. Remember 'Cecile'? Not my pen-pal, the other girl who I ended up taking out on Valentine's day. (What ever happened to you and the real Cecile anyway? You never did tell me...
Anyway, she wrote me a letter It was a little weird at first, but the more I read it, the more I'm intrigued. As soon as I saw the first sentence, all the memories came back. She told me all this stuff about herself. You know, from anyone else, it would be kind of creepy, but something about it was just. Sweet. I'm gonna see where this goes, I might even end up with a girlfriend out of all of this.
Phoebe's doing well, she's still stuck to Helga like a chick to its mother. How does she put up with her? I'd go crazy if I had to follow Helga around all day... Curly had another meltdown, I swear – that kid needs medication. Did anyone tell you about Rhonda and Harold? That was the shortest lived romance I've ever heard of. I guess she was hallucinating when she said yes to him. Eugene is in the hospital again. Slipped on the mystery meat and broke his forearm. I'll see you when you get back, man.
Arnold
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Dear Cecile,
I'm so happy you contacted me. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you, it's actually the opposite really! I always wondered what happened to you, and where you went after we had dinner. It may sound cheesy, but I still have that sandal you left behind.
I want to see the real you too, I wish you weren't so scared of me finding out who you are. I had a really great time with you, and I hope we can do that again some day.
I'm not that great at writing, when it comes to writing fiction or poetry and stuff like that, I get tongue-tied whether I'm speaking or writing (Would that be 'finger-tied'?) What I'm really good at is figuring things out. Whether it's people's problems or puzzles, I always find myself in the middle of them, helping people figure them out. I guess that sounds kind of weird, but that's what always seems to happen. Once, a couple of friends and I managed to stop a huge corporation from bulldozing our neighborhood. I guess I just really like helping people.
So I guess you're not actually from France, and didn't grow up either in Paris or on a farm, so... tell me about that! I guess you know I live in a boarding house – I live with my grandparents. My parents are doctors in San Lorenzo. For the longest time, I had no idea where they were, I always thought they were dead, but I finally got to meet them. I wanted to stay with them in South America, but... my home is here. Sometimes, I still think of becoming a doctor or a scientist so I can go stay with them. I guess that goes along with the 'helping people' thing. I guess if that never happens ( my grades aren't that great,) I could always be a teacher. I've got kind of a dorky teacher now. We had him in elementary school too, but he got transferred to the older grades. His inspirational speeches were more useful for the high school crowd, I guess.
I hope to hear from you soon.
-Arnold
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Arnold,
I'm glad you wrote me back. I was starting to worry that I had come on too strongly.
I had a teacher like that when I was younger too. He always talked about how 'special' everyone was, and every lesson plan had to do with making sure we all felt special. In hindsight, I guess that was pretty cool of him, but at the time all I wanted to do was shove my foot in his mouth. I guess that's not the nicest thing in the world, but I never wanted to share my feelings with my classmates. They hated me – I didn't want to give them any more reason than they needed to mock me.
I think it's pretty cool that you want to be a doctor. I'm sure one of my friends is destined for that path too. She's book-brilliant, and has had straight A's since pre-school. I'm pretty sure she was the first one of all of us to figure out the ' color inside the lines' thing. She's my best friend, reminds me of my sister, but much less annoying.
My family life isn't... great. My father runs a very successful business, and is high on his own trip about it. I barely see him and when I do, he doesn't recognize me. My mother is an alcoholic. It makes me mad. If she would just get her life together, she could really be successful. My dad just keeps her down, God forbid she's ever more successful than him. My sister is perfect. There are just no other words. She's won competitions, received trophies, perfect attendance, perfect grades. She's just... perfect. My parents idolize her. I don't even know why they had me. Sometimes I wonder if I was just an accident... At least your parents sound nice, even if they were gone for most of your life. At least you could dream about how great they are, rather than be disappointed by the truth... Enough of that though!
You saved your neighborhood? That's pretty cool, how did you do that? That sounds like a great thing to do. Sounds like you're some kind of hero.
-'Cecile'
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Dear Gerald,
I miss you terribly! I can't wait for you to come home. All these strange things have been happening. Eugene went two days without an accident, Rhonda kissed Harold, and Mr. Simmons actually yelled at the class today. We all had papers to turn in and no one did it. I hope you're keeping up with the schoolwork while you're with your grandparents. I've been sending you all the assignments so you wont get so far behind.
Even Helga has been different. I'm not sure what it is, but she's been... nicer lately. Rhonda ran into her, and Helga helped her stand up. Harold tripped over her leg, and Helga apologized. She's even toned down torturing Arnold. She still calls him 'Arnoldo' from time to time, but it's a lot more friendly than it used to be. I know you're not her biggest fan, but she's my best friend, and deep down she's a really good person. It looks like shes starting to let everyone else know it now too. I think this is a good thing. I can't wait for you to come back and see it for yourself.
I love you sweetheart, and I can't wait to see you again.
-Phoebe
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R&R
Smooches.