Author's Note: Okay! Here we go again! Of course, I don't own HA! And I also don't own Sweet Child O' Mine (Guns 'N' Roses does!). I'm not so sure about this chapter, but eh… why bother doubting it? Judge for yourself! Have fun!
Chapter Three: Her Favorite Dream
Helga closed her eyes at a wonderful realization—Arnold had wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. And was truly breathtaking and heart-stopping was that he was actually kissing her back.
How long had she been waiting for this simple moment? The years of following him, hoping that his perspective might shift, just a little, in her favor. And then, there were the middle school years, when she had actually stepped into the role of close friend. If she was down, he would hug her far too softly. If he was down, he'd rest his head against her shoulder. And being subjected to that level of closeness had been torture; she almost missed her old status as 'that annoying girl'. But then, he had left her, and she could only sit on the Sunset Arm's rooftop, wishing that she could see the stars.
Of course, none of that mattered now. His grip on her had tightened and she was kissing him desperately. When they finally broke apart, Helga could feel a tingling sensation humming over her lips, far less metaphorically than she thought possible.
And finally, she remembered where she was. Dozens of eyes were deadlocked on her and Arnold. Chances were, not one person had blinked during the entire scene. How many surprises could this girl toss at them in one day?
"What are all gaping at?" Stupid question, very stupid question. Why did she even bother to ask it? She needed to elaborate. "It's how tribes say 'welcome back' in San Lorenzo, right, Footballhead?"
No response. Someone in the crowd chuckled.
"Right?"
"Y-….No." He grabbed Helga's wrist and stared out over the crowd. "I missed her. Is that a crime?" His eyes fell back on the girl in pink. "I'm not going to run away again."
Helga felt the blood rush hotly to her cheeks. Yeesh, Arnold, she thought. What a moron, making me stand here on display! It's embarrassing; it's humiliating; it's…it's wonderful standing next to you, my love.
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Helga sat across from Arnold, watching silently as people shot questions at him. There were so many things she wanted to ask but… Was it even possible that he was there? It took an impossible measure of restraint to keep herself from grabbing for him—anything to keep him from disappearing again.
"Helga?" When she didn't respond, Arnold reached across the table, lightly nudging her shoulder.
"Hmn? No—I…" Wait… What? What was she saying no to? She bit down on her lip.
"Meet me in the third parking bay after school…. Okay?"
Helga could only nod. This was too amazing—too unbelievably, perfectly amazing.
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A ceiling fan whirled slowly, circulating the air of the large (but somehow, still extremely stuffy) room.
"Is it true?" a wide-eyed brunette whispered, tapping Helga's shoulder frantically.
"What?" Helga hissed back, turning in her seat.
"That some guy flew from the middle of the jungle just to see you!?"
"No! Well, I guess… NO! Not just to see me… I mean… Well…" Get it together, Helga! You don't need to answer these questions. You're making yourself look like an idiot! "Whether or not 'some guy' thinks enough of me to fly from 'the middle of the jungle' to be with me is none of your business. This is study hall; why don't you study something?" With a curt nod and a strange sense of accomplishment, Helga turned away.
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The wind swept warmly through the parking lot that afternoon. Cars droned by, lulling Helga back into her thoughts. The entire day had been bubbling with chatter over Arnold's return. Of course, no conversation over the subject would have been complete without mentioning the happenings in the lunch room. And while there had been the expected 'he could do much better' comments (and shockingly enough, even 'she could do much better' ones), the vast majority found the entire situation endearing. Lovers, separated for years, come to terms with their emotions only find themselves unable to reach eachother. The entire story was worthy of a romance novel, in the eyes of most of Hillwood High's Junior class.
Where he had been, what he had been doing, why he had suddenly appeared in Hillwood High's cafeteria late that May morning—those questions were easily pushed off to the side. There was a future to think of; and there was the bright side that a certain golden-haired boy had always looked to.
"Hey! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
Helga opened her eyes, staring dreamily ahead. Arnold practically glowed under the bright afternoon light. Snap out of it, her thoughts hissed at her. You have your whole life to stare at him. Your whole… Oh GOD! Our wedding! What will our wedding song be?! Ugh! Just… Stop it already, Helga! You have to stay out of your head! What is with you today!? Okay… the love of your life thing, but still!
By the time Helga managed to calm her mind, Arnold was standing beside her, tying a bandana over her eyes. "I don't want you to see the surprise." He placed a hand on her back and led her to a car.
"Oh boy, you're kidnapping me, aren't you, Arnoldo?"
"You know how long it's been since anyone's called me 'Arnoldo', 'Footballhead', 'Hair Boy', 'Head Boy', or any of those names? Too long." He opened the car door, helping Helga to her seat.
"You are kidnapping me!" she gasped, feigning terror. The girl snickered under her breath as the door closed.
Arnold got into the driver's seat beside her and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Would you care? Wouldn't you run away with me?" His tone was playfully suave, but there was something else there—something Helga couldn't quite pinpoint.
Regardless, Helga found herself holding back laughter. "Yeah. Anywhere." But… that was true, wasn't it? After all, it felt so natural, being with him.
"Then don't worry about it."
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The road blurred beneath her as the car whisked past trees and houses, and finally, past familiarity.
"Helga! No peeking," said Arnold through a smirk. "You'll ruin the surprise."
"Fine, fine." Helga rolled her eyes and pushed the bandana back down her forehead. "There. I'm blind as a bat. Happy?"
"Yup."
"So, what's with the forced blindness and secrecy? And come to think of it… how did you manage to set up a date… in advance?"
"Oh, Helga… I'm a man of mystery. You know that, right?"
"T-heh. Oh brother." Helga crossed her arms, shaking her head.
"It's somewhere I just happened to come across before coming home. You'll see."
With that, Arnold flicked on the radio, effectively ending the conversation as music flooded the vehicle.
'She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that special place
And if I'd stare too long
I'd probably break down and cry
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After just over two hours of driving, the car came to a stop. Arnold got out first, opening the passenger's side door for Helga.
The world was strangely quiet and there was gravel underfoot. Arnold was behind Helga, gently leading her along. At one point, he shoved her head down and pushed her forward sharply. Something metal and jagged tore at Helga's arm.
"Mn!"
"Sorry," muttered the boy. And he continued on.
Finally, there was a recognizable sound—water.
"Okay. Take off the blindfold."
Helga pulled the bandana off and found herself at the edge of an old sidewalk, which led dead-on into a lake. Water lapped up against the cement. She rolled her shoulders back and glanced over to Arnold.
"Now… turn around," he said, nodding reassuringly.
And she did. High in the treetops, leaves, silver in the sunlight, shivered with a passing breeze. And below that, nearly lost in a tangle of trees and bushes, stood the remains of a ferris wheel.
"What… Where are we?" whispered Helga.
"Lullaby Lake Amusement Park. My dad used to come here with Grandpa, but it was closed down twenty-some years ago."
This was strange, to say the least, being taken to some defunct amusement park by a "long-lost" love. "So it's not just somewhere you 'came across'?"
"No… I've never actually been in here… I just wondered about it, I guess." He turned to face Helga, staring straight into her eyes. No, staring wasn't quite the right word. He was searching for something.
"Hey-hey-hey! You're weirding me out here!" Helga reeled back, gasping as her foot hit water. "Eu-ugh!"
Arnold laughed good-naturedly, holding out his hand in an apologetic gesture. "I guess it's just weird being, you know, not in the jungle. C'mon… Let's walk around and see what's left of the place."
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There were ticket booths and train tracks, partially hidden in the sand. Every so often, Arnold would stop to pick up a dusty admittance ticket, or to tell a story about a certain ride. And as they walked, Helga learned bits and pieces of Arnold's South American life, and why he was back. His parents were still there; they were busy, but they figured that he would be missing his hometown. Things were calm in the village and it was possible that they would all move back to Hillwood by the end of the year. But not yet; as he said, his parents still had loose ends to tie up.
And he had a cellphone, proof that he couldn't fade away again.
Helga came to a stop on a roller coaster's loading station. She peered out over the tracks. "Think that thing'd collapse if someone walked on it?"
Arnold shrugged and stepped forward, taking a step onto the coaster. He stomped down. "Seems stable." He walked off and gestured for Helga to start the 'journey'. "Ladies first."
"Of course… the lady has to be the first to step on the rotten board or the protruding nail," sneered Helga.
"Or the first to be caught should she trip."
Helga wrinkled up her nose in response. She could catch herself, thank you very much. However, Arnold was being Arnold, and how many chances does a girl get to climb on a roller coaster, high above the ground? Not many. After a moment's consideration, she nodded and walked onto the tracks.
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They sat quietly on the coaster's turnaround, with the ground dizzyingly far beneath them. The sky had exploded into a vivid sunset, painting the park in warm golds and pinks. From atop the structure, Lullaby Lake could be seen, glowing placidly in the distance.
"Why didn't you ever write to me?" Arnold's question sent a chill straight through the otherwise warm atmosphere.
"I-I….I couldn't."
"You couldn't?" He sounded hurt. Oh dear god, he actually sounded hurt.
"I just couldn't, okay! I wrote them out and I couldn't!" With that, Helga's voice broke, shattering into tears as hugged Arnold tightly, hiding her face in his chest. "You disappeared! You didn't tell anyone! I called your grandparents… all your friends… none of them knew…" Once more, the fear that Arnold would simply cease to be overtook Helga and the sobs convulsed through her. "Why did you… you… You left me. You were everything that was hopeful and worthwhile in that stupid town and then, you were gone!" With that, Helga found herself unable to speak. The sound of her voice was too pathetic for her to tolerate.
Arnold laid a hand on her head, but said nothing. He stared straight ahead, unshed tears glimmering in his eyes
Whoot! Hm… So why did I put them in an abandoned amusement park? Well, I couldn't think of anyplace better! Restaurants, regular parks—no, no, no! But I happened to visit a defunct amusement park a while back, and for some reason, the thought entered my mind that it would make an awesome place for a first date (I'm strange. I know! xD) Helga sure was in her head a lot in this chapter, huh? Hehe.