A/A**(Sniff) I am so touched with how everyone encourages this story line!
Reviews like the ones I receive from y'all are what keep me updating every
day...that and a lot of free time with these early nights! Thanks again for
all the nice comments and suggestions. The plot thickens...On with the
show!
Chapter 4 So Close To the Truth
" Thanks for the soda, Rhonda," Helga shut her locker with conviction, flashing a rare, lopsided smile in Rhonda's direction. " Lunch didn't taste so hot, so I appreciate the sustenance of good ol' caffeine-laden Yahoo,"
"It's the least I could do, considering your help with the Curly situation," Rhonda gushed in appreciation. " He really did seem to understand that I want to be friends. He says he can be patient," Rhonda rolled her eyes at her last sentence, but she smiled nonetheless.
" No problem," Helga hiked her backpack further up on her shoulder, heading down the hall with Phoebe following nervously. She kept glancing up at Helga, jotting in her notebook the entire time.
Through some sort of cataclysmic turn of events, Helga seems to have taken on Arnold's personality traits and general outlook on life, whereas, presumably, Arnold should also have taken on Helga's personality and views. If Helga knows she still loves Arnold, then a part of her remains herself. But that must mean that Arnold-
"..Is coming this way," Helga muttered, her face suddenly white. " This should be fun," she whispered nervously.
" Helga, I have to talk to you," Arnold panted, clearly out of breath from his marathon run to catch up with her.
" What is it?" Helga asked cautiously, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Arnold wavered. Man, she looked beautiful, her hair shining in the early afternoon light as it poured in through the large floor to ceiling windows that lined the sixth grade halls. She seemed to be outlined in gold, glowing and floating just inches above the gray tile floors. Helga...
Arnold smacked his forehead. What was he doing? If his assumptions were correct, then Helga and he had switched personalities, and she didn't seem to have a clue! This was his chance, to see what it was about her that made her so unbearable, to finally discover if there was any merit behind that roof top confession 2 years prior to this. Living a day with her moodiness, outlooks and suspicions could resolve many of his own conflicted feelings towards her.
" What were you going to say, Arnold?" Helga blinked her luminous blue eyes, practically causing Arnold to swoon right there. He recovered quickly, however.
" I was just going to say, to uh, stay out of my way today, pinky, I'm not in the mood for you," Arnold glared, his eyes cold as stone.
" Uh, Whatever you say, Arnold, " Helga lowered her eyelids, looking vaguely irritated at his rudeness. " C'mon Pheebs, class in 5 minutes," Helga stalked past him, minus the usual swagger.
Phoebe eyed Arnold with great interest, jotted a last minute thought in her notebook, and followed faithfully.
" Phew! That was close!" Arnold ducked behind the tall wastebasket next to Helga's locker. He watched intently as the three girls disappeared around the corner.
Man, Rhonda looked as shocked as Helga did when he let her have it. Okay, first things first. Since I all of the sudden just worship the ground she walks on, does that mean I really do love her? Or is it just because I kind of like her in my reality and my feelings are intensified from her strong will? Arnold rubbed his throbbing temples, gathering his books and his thoughts as he did so.
One thing was for sure, Gerald would never believe this, nor did he think he wanted to explain to him that he'd been looking at Helga a lot more lately than usual, even before this.
He pulled the makeshift locket out and gazed into the eyes of his beloved. " I'll figure out what makes you tick, my love, even if this beautiful dream comes to an end and I return to my true persona. My sphinx, my angel..."
The harsh wheezing was so close, he could feel the perpetrator's breath on his neck. Involuntarily, his hand flew up in a backwards closed fist, popping him square in the nose in one quick reflex.
" One thing's for sure, I know why she socks him all the time," Arnold muttered, leaving Brainy in a crumpled heap as he headed for class.
Classes ended for the day, and Helga gathered her books, waiting patiently for Phoebe to return from the library. So many people had come to her for advice today! It was flattering at first, but as the day drug on, it got to be quite annoying. She normally would never be the one anybody went to for advice, so the sudden popularity was unnerving.
She glanced up and caught sight of Arnold, and for possibly the first time in her young life, she was instantly filled with dread. " Here he comes again, the walking pessimist," Helga bit her lip. Arnold was usually the picture of optimism! Why was he suddenly so crass with her, so angry? And half the excuses he came up with for talking to her didn't make any sense. Well, at least she wasn't going crazy to the point of distraction today. No, on the contrary, she felt more confident than ever before in her life, but somehow, empty too.
Arnold climbed on to the bus quickly, making sure to sit behind Helga's usual seat. He crouched low, waiting for Gerald to join him. Try as he might, he could not just pretend to be Arnold, he had all these insecurities that would not be quelled.
" Is this seat taken?" Lila paused, standing with one foot linked around the opposite ankle.
" Seat? Uh, yeah. Sorry, Gerald's coming any minute," Arnold glanced at her momentarily, then faced forward again.
" Oh, I see. I just thought since Barnie was absent today and all, and we had an EVER so ugly disagreement last night, that I might sit with an old friend," Lila pouted, batting her red lashes for emphasis. "
" Yeah, well move it along, toots. That ship has sailed," Arnold mouthed back, the words instantly shocking him as they fell from his lips.
" You don't have to be so confrontational, Arnold, a simple yes or no would suffice," Lila sniffed, her green eyes narrowed in anger. She tilted her chin high in the air and marched towards the back, sitting with Stinky Peterson.
Cripes! Now Lila irritated him? Well, she DID seem really shallow and assuming just then. Imagine, the real me would have jumped at the chance to sit with Ms. Perfect-crap, there I go again! I'm sure Helga doesn't dislike her this much. Then again....
Arnold's memory jumped to the time in fourth grade that Helga had dressed up as Lila for one of Rhonda's random masquerade parties. Was that all to get his attention? Okay, now I"M assuming things. Really, Helga, in love with me?
The scene atop the Fti building replayed instantly. Helga, clad in a black trench coat, fedora, and stilts. Helga, trying to avoid his questions..Helga, giving him the best kiss of his entire life as she confessed her undying love for him...
" ..And me, denying that she ever felt that way," Arnold whispered to himself, realization dawning on him like a huge spotlight, "...Or that I loved her in return."
***Well there's a shortie for you! I have the ending and some of the last few chapters thought out, I just have to get my transition chapters outlined! It might be a few days this time before I update again! Thanks for all the love and support, I look forward to reading your stories tonite as well!
Chapter 4 So Close To the Truth
" Thanks for the soda, Rhonda," Helga shut her locker with conviction, flashing a rare, lopsided smile in Rhonda's direction. " Lunch didn't taste so hot, so I appreciate the sustenance of good ol' caffeine-laden Yahoo,"
"It's the least I could do, considering your help with the Curly situation," Rhonda gushed in appreciation. " He really did seem to understand that I want to be friends. He says he can be patient," Rhonda rolled her eyes at her last sentence, but she smiled nonetheless.
" No problem," Helga hiked her backpack further up on her shoulder, heading down the hall with Phoebe following nervously. She kept glancing up at Helga, jotting in her notebook the entire time.
Through some sort of cataclysmic turn of events, Helga seems to have taken on Arnold's personality traits and general outlook on life, whereas, presumably, Arnold should also have taken on Helga's personality and views. If Helga knows she still loves Arnold, then a part of her remains herself. But that must mean that Arnold-
"..Is coming this way," Helga muttered, her face suddenly white. " This should be fun," she whispered nervously.
" Helga, I have to talk to you," Arnold panted, clearly out of breath from his marathon run to catch up with her.
" What is it?" Helga asked cautiously, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Arnold wavered. Man, she looked beautiful, her hair shining in the early afternoon light as it poured in through the large floor to ceiling windows that lined the sixth grade halls. She seemed to be outlined in gold, glowing and floating just inches above the gray tile floors. Helga...
Arnold smacked his forehead. What was he doing? If his assumptions were correct, then Helga and he had switched personalities, and she didn't seem to have a clue! This was his chance, to see what it was about her that made her so unbearable, to finally discover if there was any merit behind that roof top confession 2 years prior to this. Living a day with her moodiness, outlooks and suspicions could resolve many of his own conflicted feelings towards her.
" What were you going to say, Arnold?" Helga blinked her luminous blue eyes, practically causing Arnold to swoon right there. He recovered quickly, however.
" I was just going to say, to uh, stay out of my way today, pinky, I'm not in the mood for you," Arnold glared, his eyes cold as stone.
" Uh, Whatever you say, Arnold, " Helga lowered her eyelids, looking vaguely irritated at his rudeness. " C'mon Pheebs, class in 5 minutes," Helga stalked past him, minus the usual swagger.
Phoebe eyed Arnold with great interest, jotted a last minute thought in her notebook, and followed faithfully.
" Phew! That was close!" Arnold ducked behind the tall wastebasket next to Helga's locker. He watched intently as the three girls disappeared around the corner.
Man, Rhonda looked as shocked as Helga did when he let her have it. Okay, first things first. Since I all of the sudden just worship the ground she walks on, does that mean I really do love her? Or is it just because I kind of like her in my reality and my feelings are intensified from her strong will? Arnold rubbed his throbbing temples, gathering his books and his thoughts as he did so.
One thing was for sure, Gerald would never believe this, nor did he think he wanted to explain to him that he'd been looking at Helga a lot more lately than usual, even before this.
He pulled the makeshift locket out and gazed into the eyes of his beloved. " I'll figure out what makes you tick, my love, even if this beautiful dream comes to an end and I return to my true persona. My sphinx, my angel..."
The harsh wheezing was so close, he could feel the perpetrator's breath on his neck. Involuntarily, his hand flew up in a backwards closed fist, popping him square in the nose in one quick reflex.
" One thing's for sure, I know why she socks him all the time," Arnold muttered, leaving Brainy in a crumpled heap as he headed for class.
Classes ended for the day, and Helga gathered her books, waiting patiently for Phoebe to return from the library. So many people had come to her for advice today! It was flattering at first, but as the day drug on, it got to be quite annoying. She normally would never be the one anybody went to for advice, so the sudden popularity was unnerving.
She glanced up and caught sight of Arnold, and for possibly the first time in her young life, she was instantly filled with dread. " Here he comes again, the walking pessimist," Helga bit her lip. Arnold was usually the picture of optimism! Why was he suddenly so crass with her, so angry? And half the excuses he came up with for talking to her didn't make any sense. Well, at least she wasn't going crazy to the point of distraction today. No, on the contrary, she felt more confident than ever before in her life, but somehow, empty too.
Arnold climbed on to the bus quickly, making sure to sit behind Helga's usual seat. He crouched low, waiting for Gerald to join him. Try as he might, he could not just pretend to be Arnold, he had all these insecurities that would not be quelled.
" Is this seat taken?" Lila paused, standing with one foot linked around the opposite ankle.
" Seat? Uh, yeah. Sorry, Gerald's coming any minute," Arnold glanced at her momentarily, then faced forward again.
" Oh, I see. I just thought since Barnie was absent today and all, and we had an EVER so ugly disagreement last night, that I might sit with an old friend," Lila pouted, batting her red lashes for emphasis. "
" Yeah, well move it along, toots. That ship has sailed," Arnold mouthed back, the words instantly shocking him as they fell from his lips.
" You don't have to be so confrontational, Arnold, a simple yes or no would suffice," Lila sniffed, her green eyes narrowed in anger. She tilted her chin high in the air and marched towards the back, sitting with Stinky Peterson.
Cripes! Now Lila irritated him? Well, she DID seem really shallow and assuming just then. Imagine, the real me would have jumped at the chance to sit with Ms. Perfect-crap, there I go again! I'm sure Helga doesn't dislike her this much. Then again....
Arnold's memory jumped to the time in fourth grade that Helga had dressed up as Lila for one of Rhonda's random masquerade parties. Was that all to get his attention? Okay, now I"M assuming things. Really, Helga, in love with me?
The scene atop the Fti building replayed instantly. Helga, clad in a black trench coat, fedora, and stilts. Helga, trying to avoid his questions..Helga, giving him the best kiss of his entire life as she confessed her undying love for him...
" ..And me, denying that she ever felt that way," Arnold whispered to himself, realization dawning on him like a huge spotlight, "...Or that I loved her in return."
***Well there's a shortie for you! I have the ending and some of the last few chapters thought out, I just have to get my transition chapters outlined! It might be a few days this time before I update again! Thanks for all the love and support, I look forward to reading your stories tonite as well!
