"Okay. Where is the football head? He still hasn't submitted his column for this issue yet." Helga asked Lila, who was finishing putting together the newspaper with the rest of the staff at the meeting after school.
"Helga, he's at baseball practice, and he told me that he would bring the column here after. I'm oh too certain that he'll be here soon." Lila assured, placing the horoscopes next to the school events calendar.
"So let me get this straight. I have to wait around for the football head to finish his baseball practice so he can give me his column piece that he could have given me earlier today?"
"It will be okay, Helga. He probably just forgot. I'm ever so sure he is on his way right now." 'Oh, Arnold. Please be on your way…' Lila thought to herself as she continued to arrange the pieces over the newspaper layout.
"No. I need it right now. I want to finish this, and I want to go home." Helga stated firmly. "I'm going to find him right now. Baseball practice or not, he's a part of this staff and he will submit his article on time like everyone else!"
Helga set her iPad down on a desk, turned, and strode out of the classroom. 'Who does Arnold think he is? Making me wait around for his column piece when I have a busy schedule! His article is late, and he is going to…'
SLAM.
Helga ran into someone, and toppled ungracefully down on top of him or her. The person reacted by wrapping his or her arms around her, hoping to catch her before they both hit the ground, but it was too late. She landed right onto their chest, and quickly caught herself by her hands meeting the ground.
Now leaning over them, Helga slowly opened her eyes to greet the victim. "Watch where you're going! Can't you see I'm in a hurry?"
"In a hurry to find me?" The familiar voice smirked, and Helga was soon aware that the person she just clumsily fell upon was no one other than Arnold.
"Arnold!" 'Oh, shit.' "I mean, where have you been, football head? I've been waiting for you to turn in your column piece, which I must add, is late!"
Arnold smiled and softly laughed. "Sorry, Helga. I know this is late, but I came in late this morning, and I couldn't find you at lunch. So, I left baseball practice early so I could turn this into you." His green eyes glanced over to his gym bag.
"Well, that's no excuse for making me wait around, Arnoldo. I have a life, you know. I just can't stay here forever because you have failed to come to the meeting and turn in your piece!"
Arnold's arms around Helga's waist loosened as he sighed. "I understand, Helga. I'm really sorry. I shouldn't keep making excuses. I keep letting you and the staff down, and that's not fair to all of you."
Helga's anger diminished as she listened to him explain. She slowly breathed in and out, and tried to see Arnold's side of things; it was a technique she learned in her anger management class.
"It's okay, Arnold. As long as you have your article, it's all good."
"Um, Helga?" Arnold's eyes started to wander, and his body shifted under hers.
"Yes?"
"You do realize you've been laying on me in a school hallway while we've been having this conversation, right?"
"Uh… yes?"
"Then can you please get off of me?" he smiled.
"Oh!" Helga pushed herself off of Arnold and slowly pulled herself back onto her feet. She held out a hand for Arnold to take, and helped him up as well.
"Thanks, Helga." He winked at her. "But honestly," he said as he reached down for his gym bag. "That's still no excuse for me skipping meetings for baseball and not turning in my piece until the last minute. I made a commitment to the paper, and I'm not fulfilling it."
Helga watched as Arnold unzipped his gym bag and dug around, looking for something. He pulled out a blue folder.
"Arnold, you're right." Helga agreed. "You should be more dedicated to the paper. Attending the meetings, writing the pieces, turning them in on time… But you have other commitments too and I should be more lenient on you. Plus, you did tell me you were having an off day, and I can understand that, trust me."
He opened the folder, reached for a piece of paper, and held it out to Helga.
Helga's hand brushed against Arnold's as she took the article from him. They both locked eyes for a second, and Arnold's cheeks flushed a rosy pink shade. 'Whoa…' Arnold thought. Helga shivered as her face burned as well, but she looked down to avoid his stare. 'Did that just happen?' Helga questioned to herself.
"Wow, Helga. I ran up into the school as fast as I could, expecting to be yelled at, and now you're telling me I'm right? Are you sure you're feeling alright?" He chuckled.
Helga giggled as well. "I'm fine, Arnoldo. Just don't let it happen again. And show up to a meeting every once in a while, would you?"
Arnold grinned. "I guess I can miss one practice a month to be at the meetings. It won't happen again. Boss."
"Good. Well, I have a newspaper to put together for the printers tomorrow. I'll see you around, Football Head." Helga spun around to head back down the hallway, but a hand grabbed her arm.
"Helga?" Arnold gave her that look again, one of those Arnold meaningful stares.
"Yes, Arnold?" She faced him.
"See you." He winked once more, and slowly released her arm. Before leaving, Arnold adjusted the strap of his gym bag on his shoulder, and gently passed her and started walking down the hallway.
Helga shook her head as she watched Arnold approach the staircase at the end of the hallway. 'What am I going to do with that football head?'
After that collision, Helga's head and body were a little sore, so she slowly sauntered back to the classroom. As she neared the end of the hallway, she saw Lila waiting for her.
"How's Arnold?" She snickered.
"Shut up. Let's get back to work. We got a hell of a lot of work to do." Helga shoved past Lila, and Lila continued to giggle to herself.
'It's so obvious they're into each other… I have to bring this up to the girls. They'll definitely want to hear this…'
