Chapter 2: The List

"Helga, may I ask what your answer to number four was?" Phoebe questioned, while seeing her best friend continue to write anxiously in her notebook.

"Helga? Helga? Helga!" Phoebe at last shouted, seeing her best friend nervously lift her head from her notebook.

"Huh? Oh sorry Pheebs."

"Are you okay Helga? You seem a bit apprehensive." Phoebe took notice of.

"Apprehensive? What do you mean? There's nothing wrong? Don't be stupid!" Helga replied nervously, tossing her notebook aside.

"Forgive me for offending you. You just seem a bit, on edge." Phoebe couldn't help but push the matter.

Rolling her eyes, Helga scowled "Fine! If you MUST know, I'm working on a list of ways to act sensitive for my date with Arnold Friday night! Sheesh!"

Setting the notebook aside, Helga crossed her arms and looked away as her best friend picked up the list.

Sensitive Gestures

Make fun of people besides him

Let him pay for dinner

Don't shoot spitballs at him

Phoebe looked at Helga's list and said "Although I can see you're trying to put a substantial amount of effort into this, perhaps I could give you a bit of advice."

"Pttss...like what?." Helga smirked.

"Being sensitive is about being considerate of another person's feelings. Although I can see you're trying to be less aggressive towards Arnold, you're not doing it in the most polite way." Phoebe pointed out, while Helga glared.

"Crimity Pheebs! I'm not sensitive, and he knows that! How am I supposed to act all mushy and caring when I couldn't care less about that crap?!" Helga scowled, standing up with her arms in the air.

"Perhaps I could give you a list of suggestions…" Phoebe began to write.

Later that evening, Arnold was preparing himself for bed. After setting his alarm clock and turning out his remote controlled lights, he laid his head down against his pillow. Before falling asleep, he laid there wondering to himself how easy it would be to ask Helga out the next day.

While Arnold was resting his head peacefully, Helga was sitting up in bed, staring anxiously at the list of suggestion her friend had given her earlier.

Sensitive Gestures

Polite manners

No insulting nicknames

Take an interest in what he has to say

Offer to get him something if he needs it

Accept help if he offers

Show appreciation for him

After setting the list aside, Helga laid in bed squinting her eyes shut tightly, tossing and turning under the covers…

Can I really do this? How badly will this go? I just want him to accept me for who I am while not having to worry about my negative side pushing him away from me…

An hour or so later, Helga had drifted off, although not quite so peacefully. Roaming the streets to a certain someone's house in her purple nightgown, she made it to the boarding house like a walking zombie.

Not thinking twice about the outcome of her actions, she opened the front door to the building. Even the loud stampede of animals racing past her wasn't enough to snap her out of her trance.

In her sleepy mind, she was going through the list of things she had reviewed before trying to peacefully get some rest. The first thing on it...BE POLITE

Although it wasn't a good thing for Helga to have been there at all, it would have been even worse if she didn't know where each room in the house lead to.

A few moments later, having gotten what she needed. She headed up to her beloved's room to find HIM resting peacefully. That is, until he heard the cracks of his bedroom door being opened and a set of footsteps heading his way.

"What's going on?" Arnold asked as he sat up in bed with his girlfriend hovering over him.

"HELGA!" he screamed unintentionally, forgetting for a moment everyone else in the house was still sleeping.

"Oh Arnold." she muttered, completely unaware of her actions.

"Helga, what are you doing here?" he asked anxiously.

"I brought you some water." she said softly, holding out the glass she had gotten from the kitchen.

Arnold sat and stared at her in bewilderment. Is this a dream?! After rubbing his eyes harshly to see she was still standing in front of him, he took the glass and said "Uhh thanks."

"You're welcome." she mumbled, turning around to leave.

Arnold continued to sit in bed, lifting his eyebrows in bewilderment Was I just dreaming? Did That really happen? Should I follow her home?