On Saturday, Arnold layed his head on his pillow, while he looked up to the ceiling. He closed his eyes and dreamed about his sat up and took a look at the photo of he put the photo away. His eyes wandered around the room until his Grandpa came in.
"Hey Shortman. You've been awfully quiet in here. I just came to check on ya."
"I'm fine Grandpa." He smiled.
"Hmm...I was just in the attic, looking for things that were...unusual. I did find some stuff, but then my eyes landed on something that topped any strange things I've came across in there. I thought that you should see it for yourself Arnold." He holds out a red jewelry box in his hands.
"What is it?"
Arnold's Grandpa sat down next to him on his bed.
"Here Shortman."
Arnold reluctantly takes the box from him and opens it slowly. He gasps.
"Oh...my...god..."
HXAHXAHXAHXAHXAHXAHXAHXAHXAHXAHXAHXAHXAHXA
Well...Arnold fainted.
"Shortman! Pookie call an ambulance! Arnold's not breathing!"
"What!? I'm on it!"
She races to phone and dials 911.
"Hello?! Yes, my grandson just fainted and I need an ambulance STAT! Arnold, age 10. He has a football shaped head. He fainted in his room all of a sudden and he's not breathing! We are located at the Sunset Arms boarding house in Hillwood. Get here in 5 minutes please!"
The police rush Arnold to the hospital 5 minutes later. Soon, Grandpa tells Arnold's friends that they can come see him at the hospital.
"Will Arnold be alright?" said Gerald.
"I sure hope so!" said Grandpa.
"What happened to Arnold anyway?" Phoebe said.
"Well...he'll tell one of you on his own. I'm sure he'd want to anyway."
Stinky looked down "Poor Arnold. I reckon I've never seen him stop breathing out of nowhere."
Sid-"Yeah, I hope he's doing alright."
Helga was looking down at her feet. She sighed and turned her head slightly.
Rhonda-"Helga? Are you okay?"
Helga shrugged and responded softly. "I dunno. I just...feel like I can picture-"
Grandpa flinched.
She continued."Myself as the reason he fainted. It's stupid."
Rhonda-"I may not show it much but...I understand what you're going through."
Helga gave her a half smile in return and looked at the nurse when she opened the door.
"Good news, Arnold's okay!"
Eugene-"Well gosh! That's great to hear!"
Gerald wiped his forehead. "Thank god."
His family and friends cheered, all except Helga for some apparent reason.
Until the nurse cleared her throat.
"Sorry to interrupt the moment, but before the young man leaves, he'd like to see someone."
Gerald jumped up."Okay I'm going!"
He walked towards the door, but the nurse stopped him.
"No, not you son."
"Her." She pointed.
The class moved all at once to see that the person was
Helga.
"M-Me?" She stuttered.
The nurse nodded her head.
Phoebe smiled at Helga and whispered to her. "If you care about Arnold like you said, show him that you care. Now's your chance. I believe in you."
Helga gulped and nodded. She slowly turned the knob and walked in, while she shut the door quietly behind her.
Arnold was laying in the hospital bed with his eyes closed.
She sat down beside him and slightly tapped on his shoulder.
He flinched and woke up. "Who's there?"
Helga blushed as his eyes adjusted. "H-Helga? Is that you?"
She responded quietly. "Yeah. You wanted to see me?"
"Yeah." He sat up.
"...I...heard you fainted..." She looked away from him.
"Uh huh..." He blushed.
"...Well...good thing...you're y' know...o-okay..."
" So...you were worried about me?..." He looked at her.
Helga nodded slowly then raised a part of her brow. "Why? Does it... bother you?"
"No."
"Okay, just checking."
"Helga?"
"Yes Arnold?"
"When I fainted it-"
"It was me! I knew it, and I knew it all along!" She looked away while putting her hands to her face.
"You...didn't let me finish..."
"But I know I did it!"
"I just found an image."
"But I put you in the clinic."
"Really, who's the witness?"
"Just say that I did this."
"It wasn't just you..."
He takes the red jewelry box out of his pocket.
"Oh don't you dare propose. Hmph!" she said while crossing her arms.
"What?! No!" He said while blushing madly at her and frowning.
"Just open the box Helga." He shoved it at her.
"Rude much?" She mumbled.
Then Helga gently opened the jewelry box to her surprise.
It was one of the most memorable moments of her life.
Arnold looked to Helga who was shocked.
Inside the box, lay a picture of Arnold and Helga hugging with the brightest smiles upon their faces.
(Sigh) "Helga...it was because of both of us in that picture we took."
"...Arnold..." Her voice cracked.
"You...found this?"
"Grandpa said he came across it while he was looking for stuff in the attic. He said he'd never came upon anything stranger than this. It might sound a little mean...but to be honest...I found it strange as well. I mean...we never really got along as friends and out of nowhere, I find this picture of me and...you...*gulps* "...us...hugging. I stopped myself from breathing because when I saw this..." His hand brushes against Helga's. His heart started to beat as loud as hers. They stare at each other. "I felt...I felt..." His eyes started to narrow. Arnold gently puts his hand into Helga's. "Helga, I need a way to explain. You always made my ankle sprain. But it's nothing to how you strain. All the feelings that you maintain. It's not crazy to call you sane. Helga , that's your name. Yes I know that it's kinda strange. I never knew the image had still remained. Quit looking at the window pane, look me in the eyes and see my mind's a blank. You already know that I'm dense, so Helga G. Pataki, does it make any sense? To wanna blink, but don't wanna stay? Helga G. Pataki doesn't walk away. You're Helga, and I'm Arnold. You may drive me marbles, but still you sparkle."
Helga looked at him. "Enough's enough, you drive me crazy-
CRASH
Helga glared "I swear that I will choke you if I see you BRAINY."
"Give it rest."
"It's fine, he just left."
"But could you just let-"
"Don't hold your breath."
(Sigh) "Nyet."
...
Helga looks over to Arnold. "Arnold."
"What?" He looked at her.
Helga smirks. "You're such a romantic."
"What? Uh, you must be mistakened I-"
Helga lifts up her hand slowly. "Why have you let me hold on to your hand this entire time?"
*Imagine woooh background noise here*
He looks at their hands together. His heart starts racing madly when he stares into her eyes again.
"I...don't...know."
"Wait...a second-YOU didn't slap my hand away yet."
"Yeah, so? What's your point?" She shrugged.
"Do you...y'know...like it?" He grimaced
"I mean it's okay, I DON'T mind doing it."
"Okay then."
Arnold's head filled with all sorts of thoughts. Helga never really asked what he was thinking before, so she tried it.
"Hey Arnoldo, what are you thinking about?"
"Eh...you'd probably laugh in my face and call me a kid or something."
"Arnold, are you kidding? I'm still holding your hand and I'm trying to be myself right now. I wouldn't laugh." She smiled slightly to where he could notice.
"Well...it's about my parents...I wish I could see them again." He looked down depressed.
"Arnold?"
"You know how you said that your Grandpa found that picture of me and you in the attic?"
"Er...Yah" He said with a confused look on his face.
"And he said that he was searching for things that were UNUSUAL?"
"Uh-huh?"
"Wanna go search?"
"I don't get-"
"I wanna help you get more clues to where your parents could be."
"Helga! You'd do that? Just for me?"
"Arnold I care about you. I saved you from that evil 'Summer' chick that used you. I was there after Lila broke up with you. I saved us from drowning in that greenhouse. I let my dad give you credit for the float you made in the parade. I spent three whole hours, rummaging through garbage, at the dump! Trying to find your special blue hat. And to top it all off, I helped you and Gerald SAVE the neighborhood. Arnold, I don't do these things for just ANYONE. I did it because I lo- I...I mean care about you very deeply. You were the only guy I've ever met to see me as well...a good person. I'm helping you because..."
She puts her free hand on his shoulder. "You are the one person besides Phoebe and Gerald that means the most to me. What I'm trying to say is..."
She whispers softly. "You're a good friend Arnold. I like you..."
Arnold's jaw slightly opened. "You..."
He hugs her (while crying...a LITTLE. :0 )
"Helga, I'm so sorry about what I said at the beach! I don't want you to ride that wave-"
"Arnold..." *She sighs and pets his hair.* "I have to."
"I was actually going to say...alone."
"You mean...you want to do this with me?"
"I'm a bold kid. That's what I do."
She chuckles slightly. "Heh heh. So I've been told..."
"So... what do ya say?"
She hesitates for a moment then smiles wide.
"Deal."
Arnold uses his free hand to shake hers.
"Arnold." She looks up while smiling.
"What?"
"You know...you didn't have to use a free hand just to shake mine."
"Huh?"
"You could've just shook the hand of mine that you were already holding."
(Sigh) "Criminy." Arnold said while doing a face palm with his free hand.
Helga's eyes opened wide.
"Hey! That's MY line!"
"Too bad bucko." said Arnold.
"Whatever you say Arnold."
"Touche..." Arnold said with a mischievous smile.
"So, when are you leaving?"
He smiled. "Now."
"Psh...wow Arnoldo. Feeling better already?" she joked.
"Well why wouldn't I be?" He smiled.
Arnold whispered in her ear. "Since...y'know, we'll be alone...in my room...all night long..."
"Oh no, no, no, don't get any funny ideas in that weird shaped head of yours."
Arnold smirked and pulled her by her collar up close to him. "Serves you right for thinking that I was trying to propose to you in the first place."
He let go of her, realizing how hurt she looked. He then smiled normally. "Hey...to be honest, I wasn't lying about being happy that I'd get to spend the day with you. I really want to."
She gave him a smile in return. "Well, in that case...alright."
Arnold got dressed in his red plaid shirt and light blue ripped jeans.
He spit in his hand. "Truce?"
"Ew, WHY?" she grimaced.
"What's wrong with it?"
"It's DISGUSTING."
"Right and...so are you, but I'm not complaining." He shrugged with his eyes closed, while crossing his arms and smiling.
WACK!
Arnold got wacked in the head by a pillow.
"Hey! Watch it blondie!"
WACK! WACK! WACK!
Arnold wacked Helga with several pillows.
She rose up slowly.
She clinched a pillow in her hand and scowled playfully.
"You're...DEAD."
Helga threw the pillow at him while he quickly ran out the hospital room he was in.
Everybody's faces brightened. "AR-"
"Yeah! Hi! I missed you too but I can't talk right now because were all gonna die!"
"Arnold you're in horror movie!? I can't believe it!" said Eugene and Rhonda.
"Who said anything about a movie!? I was talking about HELGA!" He points to the door.
The door jerked open in a flash. Helga stood there while breathing heavily and squeezing a pillow in her hand.
"ARNOLLLLDD! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" She shouted.
"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" said Harold.
They all started getting into their parents cars and leaving.
Grandpa drove off in the car, with Grandma.
"Grandpa you forgot me and Gerald!"
"Sorry! Ride your bike home! We're outta here!" He sped away.
"See ya on the other side man!" Gerald rides away on his bike.
Somebody jumps on Arnold.
"GAH!" He falls in the river.
SPLASH!
Of course...Helga did.
And she was darn proud of it.
Next Chapter Some sparks fly between these two. :p
