A/N: Well, the next to the last chapter is now up. *Grins like a mad woman* I can't believe it. I'm just THIS close to finally finishing one of my stupid chapter stories. It's a freakin' dream come true! :D *Hallelujah chorus comes in and starts singing*

Also, you'll all be happy to know that I got some great advice from a friend on the whole 'replying to reviews' thing, and I've got everything figured out now. ^^ ...Well, anyway, let's get on with the show! :D ...Oh, what? You thought I was going to just tell you what my new system is? No, sorry. But rest assured, plenty of you will be hearing from me MUCH more often. ^_^ :D

And also, a thanks to my wonderful reviewer The J.A.M. a.k.a. Numbuh i for some inspiration for this chapter... He/She made some pretty... well, poignant points... XD ;)

Enjoy the chapter, everybody! :D :D :D

Disclaimer: Okay, at this point, I'm not even going to bother with this anymore. You all know that I don't own this show. NO ONE who bothers with writing fiction for this show actually OWNS it! NO ONE! When has ANYONE on here said ANYTHING even remotely close to "Yes, I own it"? HUH?

Brainy's Confession

Chapter 6

Since that first encounter with Arnold at recess after their fight in the halls at lunch, Helga had been doing everything in her power to shove the fact that she was in a relationship with Brainy in Arnold's face. She made sure to walk past him in the halls with her hand firmly held onto by Brainy's, she made sure to laugh as loudly as possible at anything that came out of Brainy's mouth (Whether it was funny or not), made sure to always have a big goofy look on her face (Unless she ended up meeting eyes with Arnold, of course. Then she'd just look bored and uninterested), and she made sure to not give even a lick of attention to Arnold.

The truth of the matter was that she was hurt. She was hurt by everything that was going on. And she was confused. She knew without a doubt that she loved Arnold, but Arnold just didn't seem to want to deal with her feelings (Or his own). She didn't understand why, and didn't have much time to dwell on it since Brainy was always by her side, smiling all dreamily at her. That was another thing. She really liked Brainy, but the problem with that was... He was in love with her, but she... she wasn't sure HOW to feel about him. She knew she liked him, but it was more in a warm, friendly way than anything. And trying to talk to Arnold about that had only increased her problems further by adding in an entirely new factor to the problem.

Arnold had feelings for her. Whether they were a crush, love, or just him being confused, she didn't know. But they were there, whatever they were, and they were something she had to think about. If it was just a crush, then that would mean that she had the option of either trying to turn his crush into real love, or just running away and giving up on it (Since the heart ache along the way may just be too painful for her). If it was love, well... then they could just kiss and live happily ever after, and that would be the end. If he was just confused and actually didn't feel ANYTHING for her, then she always had Brainy to fall back on. But the problem with all this was that... he didn't know. He wouldn't tell her. She didn't know if he had a crush, love, or nothing. And THAT made her angry. Of all the scenarios she'd come up with for what would happen after her confession, THIS was NOT one of them. Since when was Arnold confused about ANYTHING? She knew it took him a little while to figure out that he'd come to have a crush on Lila, but that had only taken ONE night. THIS was taking FOREVER. She was so tired of hoping and feeling anxious around him and that feeling of not knowing what was to come. She just wanted to get whatever the heck was going to happen OVER WITH. She didn't care if he said he loved her or not, as long as whatever he had to say just came out already before she just keeled over from all the uncertainty suddenly clouding her life.

Life had been so simple before. She'd just love Arnold from afar, claim to hate him when he got too close, and that was it. Now that Arnold's feelings had come into the picture, along with Brainy's too, she just didn't know what she was going to do. She liked Brainy, but Brainy loved her, she loved Arnold, Arnold had 'feelings' for her but apparently had commitment issues...

When was it just going to end already?

Brainy had gone off to the bathroom at some point at the last recess of the day, leaving Helga to herself. She took the time to finally deal with her feelings in a more... 'constructive' way...

Helga angrily hit the rock against the picnic table she was sitting at, over and over. With each hit she'd grunt or growl, and with each grunt and growl she'd hit the table with more force and ferocity. She was just so mad! It was her defense mechanism, she supposed. Every time she felt even the tiniest bit sad, she'd quickly convert that sadness into anger. It was the only way she knew to survive, her only way she knew to protect herself. And so, she hit the table harder and harder, ignoring any attention she might be drawing to herself. "Stupid table! Stupid people! Stupid feelings! Stupid... stupid... STUPIDNESS!" She yelled out, finally managing to break the rock she was hitting the table against into two pieces. She glared at her now broken rock, growling, "Stupid rock."

Phoebe looked over at her tentatively, having been sitting next to her for the last while now whilst Helga had been raging. "Are you done?" She asked calmly in a soft voice, much like a therapist might, having been used to Helga having these little fits of anger whenever something that annoyed her went on.

Helga let out one last angry breath, settling back into her seat. She looked over at Phoebe then with a calm, even almost bored look. "Yeah, I'm done."

Phoebe nodded, a small smile coming to her face now. "Good. So, are you ready to tell me what it is that's causing you such distress, Helga?"

Helga looked at her for a moment, looking like she was just about to give in, before she suddenly scowled and stubbornly crossed her arms across her chest, turning away from her. "No."

Phoebe smiled, nodding her head. "Okay, Helga." She picked up the book she'd brought with her by her side, and opened it up in front of her, though she wasn't actually reading the pages. No, instead, she continued to have that small, knowing smile on her face whilst she stared into her book, pretending to read. 'Three... two... one...'

"Okay, fine, I'll TELL YOU! Yeesh! Stop begging, PHEEBS!" Helga finally burst out dramatically, her eyes shifting all over to make sure no one was listening in. Once concluding they were fully alone, Helga looked to her somewhat tentatively. "Well, ya know how I told Ar-uh... Ice Cream that I kind of... liked it?" Her eyes shifted around for another moment, almost expecting someone to just pop out of nowhere and go, 'AH-HA!'

Phoebe blinked a moment, before simply nodding in response to her question, her book long forgotten and sitting at her side again.

"Well, you know the story behind San Lorenzo, Pheebs. I opened up, we became closer, he actually seemed to care, bla, bla, bla. But ever since we've been back, he's been avoiding me like I have cooties or something. For a while I thought that he was trying to send me some kind of message or something. But before I could think about it anymore, that thing with Brainy in the cafeteria happened, and all heck broke loose. And now, I'm even more confused, Pheebs. I was confused about whether or not I liked Brainy in that way, and I still loved him so that just added to my confusion about what to do, so I very stupidly went to him for advice. I still don't completely understand what happened back there, but Arnold somehow switched everything around in his answer or something and it made me think he didn't like me, in a way. And since he hadn't just flat out rejected me yet, hearing him say the words out loud just drove me over the edge and I ran out. After that, followed some big confusing conversation, where Arnold suddenly, completely OUT OF NOWHERE, starts admitting that he's jealous of Brainy and has some kind of feelings for me. I mean, here I thought with all his weird behavior lately that he just didn't like me and was freaked out that I liked him, but apparently he's been secretly liking me ever since we got back from San Lorenzo. How nuts is that? Well, I asked him 'what kinds of feelings,' and he said that he didn't know. DIDN'T know! I mean, what the heck? Stupid Football Head. Well, I told him that when he figured it out, that I'd be with Brainy. And right before I left, he grabbed my hand real quick to keep me from going and said 'no.' I asked him what he wanted, but after a second he just let me go and said bye. Ugh. And now I don't know what to do, Pheebs. I'm so tired of having to deal with all these complicated feelings and emotions and all this junk. I mean, I've got Brainy on one end offering me his undying love, but on the other end I've got Arnold running around like a chicken with his head cut off. He's been acting so weird lately, Pheebs. Why can't he just tell me if he loves me or not so I can know whether to be crushed or elated. What's so difficult about figuring out whether or not you love someone? It was never hard for me. I don't know if I can handle having to deal with all this now, either. I'd always thought that after I told him, everything would just happen right then and there. That I'd either be walking out bawling or showing off my new wedding ring. I thought it would be simple. But it hasn't been. Not at all. In fact, he's just made my life even more complicated, and I don't know what to do anymore. I just want him to be honest with me, is that too much to ask, and from ARNOLD no less?"

Phoebe was surprised to hear Helga share so much with her. Usually, she'd be very vague on the details and only talk to her in code. And even though she had STARTED out the conversation in code, she'd forgotten all about it almost instantly after she got started with talking. Phoebe knew that this entire situation must really be bothering Helga if it was enough to get her to share absolutely everything with her... and in plain English, no less.

Under Phoebe's surprise, though, was a layer of sadness for her friend. No matter what anyone said, they were best friends, and she hated to see her friend look so helpless...

Phoebe took a moment to analyze every aspect in her head of her friend's dilemma, going over every possible detail of what she should say back, like a computer. Within seconds, Phoebe had her answer, and she really hated what her head had come up with... Trying to soften the blow first, though, Phoebe began, "Well, I'm very sorry that all of this has confused you so indefinitely, Helga..."

Helga stared at her intently, clearly hanging off of her every word, still with that touch of sadness and confusion in her gaze. All of this only made Phoebe frown further as she continued.

"And you're correct, it is wrong of Arnold to be leading you on like he is, giving you hope when there may not even be any... That isn't very... nice of him. And he shouldn't be sending mixed signals to you like he is... But Helga," Phoebe nearly winced at what she was about to say, "how can you expect him to be completely openly honest with you when you haven't been with him for nearly our entire lives?"

"Huh?" Helga raised one side of her eyebrow at her friend, having not expected THIS kind of response from her friend at ALL.

Phoebe sighed, clearing her throat quick as she tried to elaborate, "Well, Helga, for our entire lives you've been telling him that you hate him, when it is clear that that has not been the case. And when you finally do get up the confidence to finally confess, you take it back immediately after-"

"HEY, he offered!" Helga defended, a hint of a defensive scowl coloring her face.

"That may be, Helga, but you... 'took the bait,' so to speak. You gave him and yourself an out, and, in effect, you very well may have confused him. How is he supposed to know if you love him truly or if you really did temporarily lose your mind in the heat of the moment? It is a rather perplexing situation, Helga." Phoebe blinked, putting the hand that had been gesticulating amidst all this down.

Helga sat there now, a completely stumped look on her face and her unibrow as straight as straight could be... "So you really think he doesn't know I love him...? But that's crazy, Pheebs, he-"

"No, no, Helga," Phoebe interrupted as respectively as she could, "I have no doubt that he does indeed know at this point, but I'm just saying that, well... You've been throwing rather confusing situations at him for a long time now, and here you are sitting before me, telling me of how you're angry at HIM for throwing a confusing situation at YOU now. Do you see what I mean?"

Helga blinked, some understanding now coming to her eyes, though it was clear by her expression that she was still a little confused by why her friend chose to point all this out right now when all she'd asked for was a little understanding as to why her beloved was acting like such an enigma. "Well, what do you say I should do about that? Confess to him AGAIN and plant a big kiss on him?"

"Well, actually..." Phoebe began, looking away a moment. "It might serve well to get everything with how you're feeling out in the open officially if you want him to do the same."

Helga looked down a moment at that, a contemplative look clouding her face. But before she could think anymore about that or reply back to her best friend, the sound of a distinctive wheezing came up on her from behind. Helga blinked out of her thoughts, turning around to come face to face with Brainy, looking at her with a small smile on his wheezing lips.

"Brainy!" Helga couldn't help but yell as a reflex, sitting a bit farther back away from him. 'Darn, that was something I wanted to talk to Phoebe about, too... What am I going to do with Sir Wheeze-a-lot?' Helga thought, turning around to see Phoebe standing from the table and giving her a short wave before walking off, obviously not wanting to 'intrude.' Helga sighed, looking back into the face of her 'boyfriend' and thinking of how much she wished he was Arnold...

Arnold sat across the playground on the monkey bars, it being the end of the day now and him just waiting for his parents to come pick him up, one leg propped up right along with him on his perch and his head resting on his hand that was propping up his head on his knee. A very deeply thoughtful look was on his face, pretty much thinking about the exact same thing that had been on his mind ever since the FTi incident, and ESPECIALLY since that whole jungle incident when this entire dilemma with his feelings had really started... He glanced up nearly involuntarily in the direction he knew Helga was, and nearly choked on air when he saw Brainy sitting with her now, the two of them chatting pleasantly... though Helga did look a bit more tired than normal... he figured that was probably his fault, Arnold thought, with a small sting through his heart. His stomach was twisting rather sickeningly at seeing the two of them looking so content talking to each other, but for the life of him he just couldn't tear his eyes away...

The sound of a car horn shocked him out of his intent staring at Helga and her stalker, and Arnold snapped around to see his dad just happily sitting at the driver's wheel of the packard on the street, still obviously getting a kick out of picking his son up from school (Considering all the years he'd missed out on doing so). Despite everything, Arnold couldn't help the excited grin that blossomed on his face at the sight of his dad, and he quickly jumped down from the top of the monkey bars and sprinted over to him, also likewise still getting a kick out of being picked up from school by his dad...

Now at the car window that was rolled down and revealing his dad at the wheel, Arnold grinned and said yet again happily (He just couldn't get enough of it), "Hey, Dad!"

Miles grinned right back at him, the same smile reflecting off of both of their faces. "Hey there, son. Hop in."

A/N: Yes, I just HAD to do it... XD Arnold is going to be getting some fatherly advice in the next chapter... ;) Yup, no more 'Never eat raspberries' advice for him! *Giggles* That is going to be SOOOO fun to write. I've never really had to write anything for Miles before, but I just KNOW that it's going to be FUN as HECK! *Dances* And yepperooni, this fic is almost done. Next chapter involves Arnold getting his advice, Helga and Arnold finally having their long-overdue run in and talk with each other, and Brainy and Helga having a pretty interesting chat, too... ;) What will happen? Who'll end up with who? Well, just stay tuned! This story is STILL going! *Stamps feet spiritedly*

Now, if you'd pretty please with double chocolate fudge on top... *Flutters eyelashes as adorably as possibly*

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