Chapter 7: Pizza Anyone

The next morning, the two of them woke, not having any spare clothes to change into. Arnold looked at his phone, seeing he had received a text from Gerald.

"Hey buddy! What time are we going to Dino Land?"

Helga yawned, as she got up to put her clothes on, seeing they had slept in until 9:00.

Arnold looked over, thinking to himself, She's just as beautiful getting out of bed as she is getting into it.

"So, Gerald just texted, wanting to know what time we're meeting them at Dino Land. We're supposed to be checked out of here in an hour. I guess if we hurry, we can meet them there at 10:00." he suggested.

"Sounds good. It's not like we have any spare clothes to waste our time changing into." she pointed out.

"Pheeps texted me asking for a ride. I guess she and Geraldo don't feel like walking." she added.

Arnold sat on the bed, putting his shoes on as he said, "Okay, we'll stop by her place after we check out."

While he watched her grab her things, he thought about everything she had said to him in bed last night.

"Well, let's go. I may have my free pass for the park, but there's no telling how long you three will have to wait." she said sarcastically.

As the two of them walked down the stairs, they ran into a familiar face on the way out. "Dino Spumoni? What are you doing on this side of town?" Arnold asked.

"Well my partner Don and I pass out our card to restaurants, hotels, and any other places that may need a performer. The karaoke bar next door apparently isn't doing too good, so they called and asked us to perform over there; just to get ratings up." Dino explained.

"Sounds like it'll be great!" Arnold said supportively.

"Yeah, we'll see. You two should stop by my place, and listen to the new music we put together." Dino suggested.

"Well, we're actually on our way to see some friends right now. Maybe tomorrow night?" Arnold asked.

"Sure! You remember where I love don't ya?" he asked.

"Yep, see you tomorrow!" Arnold said excitedly.

Helga looked back after Dino walked away and asked, "Isn't that the goof you got to play at our school dance?"

"Oh come on! You know you liked him." Arnold insisted.

"Uhhh… after he had that depressive mental breakdown on stage, he started to lighten up a bit." she admitted.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed as they checked out, and headed for the car.

After getting in, Helga looked at the instructions on her phone and said, "So I figure the quickest way to Pheeb's house from here would be to take Vine St… which you just passed. Hey, where ARE we going?" she asked.

"I was thinking about what you said last night, when we were discussing your pajamas." he answered.

"What about them?" she asked, as she lifted her eyebrow.

"As funny as they were, I found it to be a little sad that your parents cared more about Olga's feelings than yours." he continued.

"You're just now thinking that?" she questioned.

He pulled up in front of 'Harry's Big and Tall Shoppe' as Helge looked at him confused and asked, "What are we doing here?"

"I wanted to buy you some new clothes. You'll have some nice new pajamas, AND you won't have to wear what you're wearing right now to the amusement park." he pointed out.

Helga looked at him, trying not to blush as she said, "That really isn't necessary. Besides, I'm sure they're waiting for us."

"I texted Gerald, and told him we'd be an hour later than expected. That way, you've got time to grab something and change." he said, trying not to give her an excuse to say no.

She rolled her eyes at him and said, "Fine, whatever floats your boat!"

"That floats my boat just fine." he said sarcastically as he grabbed her hand to hold walking into the store. "Look, there's a white sweater with pink roses on it." Arnold pointed out.

Helga looked at it wishing she could wear it, without looking like a 'girly girl.' "You're right! Why don't you wear it Arnoldo!" she snarled.

"Oh come on. You know you love pink. Besides, it would match your ribbon. Just try it on… for me?" he said, hoping to convince her.

She looked into his sweet eyes, seeing how much it meant to him, until finally she said, "Oh fine, if it'll shut you up."

Arnold's eyes lit up with anticipation as he took her hand and said, "Great! Before you do, let's go find you some new jeans."

"What's wrong with the ones I have?" she wondered.

"Those can't be your only pair, can they?" he asked in disbelief. When he saw her look away without a response, he rolled his eyes and said, "Come on, I think the Blue Jeans are over here."

Anxious to get out of there, she picked up the first pair she saw and said, "here's a decent pair. Let's go!"

"Don't you want to look around? They have more than one color. Here are some pink ones to match your sweater!" he grabbed them anxiously, hoping to get her to show some sensitivity.

She stood there having a hard time giving into her reputation, while having an even harder time ignoring the pleading look for her effort to open up to him in his eyes. "Oh fine, give them here. Are we done yet? I'm sure they're getting impatient with us?"

"We still need to get your pajamas. That is, unless you're happy with your one piece?" he teased her.

"Watch it Arnoldo! I threw that thing away years ago!" she exclaimed.

"Look, a purple nightgown!" he said happily.

"I told you, I have one of those, genius!" she reminded him.

"This one's made out of silk though." he pointed out.

She sighed as she took it to the dressing room, watching him follow her. "I guess you're not going to let me come in with you?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Not unless you're a girl too." she responded.

"Okay, but it's not like I haven't already seen you naked?" he said, trying not to laugh.

She began to blush, as she pulled him in; hoping no one else had heard what he said.

He sat behind her as she faced the mirror, pulling off her top. "You look beautiful from the back, maybe you could just go like that." he said being as sincere as he was sarcastic.

"You know, I don't have to wear your stupid sweater." she reminded him.

He sat there quietly, with a smile on his face, as he waited for her to put it on. While pulling it over her head, she immediately fell in love with the softness of the cotton material. She loved the way the size perfectly fitted the shape of her body, as opposed to most of the baggy clothes she owned.

"Can I see how it looks?" Arnold asked.

"Keep your old pants on, while I put my new ones on!" she said, standing there nervously as he sat there with anticipation.

She slipped on her pink jeans, loving that despite the fact they screamed 'girly girl' they weren't worn out like her other pair. This new pair made her feel as though someone cared about her, and didn't imply she wasn't worth noticing, as the statement made by her old pair did.

"So, can I see now?" he asked, hoping not to make her too mad.

She turned around, having a hard time looking directly at him. While she loved how the clothes made her feel, she didn't love the person they made her out to be.

"You look amazing! Do you want to try on your nightgown?" he asked, seeing a whole new side of her.

"Nah, it doesn't matter how well that fits me. No one else will be seeing me in it." she pointed out.

"I don't know about that…" he winked at her, as she pushed him, almost knocking him out of his chair.

After she changed out of the clothes, the two headed back to the register. On their way up there, Arnold saw the jewelry section out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, look at this!"

"Now what, football head?" she asked.

"It's a hair clip with a pink butterfly." he said excitedly.

"If you get it, don't let it steal your hat." she said sarcastically.

"Why don't you wear it? You'll need to put your hair up at the park today anyway." he argued.

She wanted so badly for him to drop the sensitivity act, but couldn't stop kicking herself for not putting as much effort into the relationship as he was. As she watched him hold it up to her, waiting patiently for her to take it, she finally said, "Alright, but if I look stupid, I'm kicking your butt!"

"You could never look stupid Helga!" he said, holding her hand on the way up to the register.

As they placed her things on the counter, she reached for her purse. "Let me take care of this. It was my idea to come here, after all." he said, as he placed his hand on top of her's.

She blushed, trying not to look up at the cashier. "So many young ladies buy this hair clip! It will go great with these clothes!" the cashier said.

Helga rolled her eyes as she saw Arnold smiling at her, knowing he was thinking to himself I told you it was a good idea!

After they were finished checking out, Arnold said to Helga, "Why don't you go to the restroom and change into your new clothes?"

"Maybe you should. You're the one who seems to be in love with them." she said sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes at her as he took her hand and lead her over there. "Don't worry, I won't bother you this time."

As she went into change, she thought about what her day at the park would be like. She wouldn't be just another person in the crowd. If she saw anyone there from school, eyes would immediately be drawn to her. It would be like Rhonda's party all over again. Only this time, she had Arnold to worry about letting down.

When she left the restroom, Arnold looked her over. He saw her standing there in her pink jeans. Glowing in her white and pink rose filled sweater with her hair pulled back in the clip he knew she would be sure to pull off.

He took her hand, not knowing what to say, as she stood there thinking to herself, Why is he just staring at me?

Finally, she broke the silence and said, "Well, let's go. By now, they have to be wondering what happened to us."

Arnold walked her to the car and opened the door for her to get in. When he came back around to his side, he saw her sitting there going through her purse. When a moment had gone by, and he still hadn't started the car, she turned to him and said, "Okay, what could you possibly be waiting for?"

He kissed her passionately, making her forget about her insecurity, until finally he said, "I was just thinking about how hard today is going to be."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I'm going to be at an amusement park, with the most beautiful girl in the world, and not be able to make out with her." he said winking at her.

She began to blush, remembering what she looked like, as she said, "Okay, let's get going!"

After starting the car, he noticed her twiddling her thumbs. He knew how uncomfortable she was dressed like that, and began to feel a bit guilty. When they came to a red light, he took her hand in his and said, "You look beautiful, and everyone else is going to think so too!"

Not knowing what to say, she smiled at him, not letting go of his hand. The two of them began to pull up at Phoebe's house when they saw Gerald and Phoebe already waiting outside for them.

"Man, those two must be just as anxious as you are today?" Helga said.

When Arnold pulled over, Gerald and Phoebe stepped into the back seat.

"Hey Arnold! What's up my friend?!" Gerald asked, not noticing Helga.

"Not much. Helga and I just went shopping, since we didn't have any spare clothes this morning." Arnold explained.

Phoebe then looked over to see Helga's new look. "Oh my Helga! You look lovely today!"

Helga began to sweat, as she noticed the awkward silence that existed between Phoebe's and Gerald's response. As Helga began to speak up, "Thanks Phee…" Arnold interrupted by saying, "So, I thought that after we got our tickets, we could head over to the rides. Then maybe stop for some lunch afterwards. We never ate any breakfast."

"Sounds delightful!" Phoebe replied, as Helga remained quiet, continuing to feel Gerald's eyes glaring in disbelief at her appearance.

When they finally made it to the park, Helga had never been so happy to step out of the car. She began to race for the park as Arnold grabbed her hand to wait up for them. "Wait for us!"

"Oh sorry." she said, rubbing the back of her neck. As Gerald and Phoebe stepped out of the car, Phoebe stood beside Helga, while Gerald said, "Uhh, Arnold.. Can I talk to you a moment buddy?"

"I love your new ensemble Helga! You must really be opening up to Arnold!" she assumed.

"Uhh… yeah, I guess you could put it that way." Helga said, yanking at the collar on her sweater, as she watched Gerald take Arnold away.

"So what's going on buddy?" Gerald asked Arnold anxiously.

"What are you talking about?" Arnold asked, knowing Gerald would be a little curious at Helga's new appearance.

"I mean, you spend the night at a hotel with this girl, then come back the next day having her look like Lila II." Gerald said in disbelief.

"Gerald, you're the one who said I'd be taking plenty of steps with her. That's what I'm doing. I'm helping her see there's nothing wrong with showing the world she has a sensitive side." he explained.

"There's not?" Gerald said sarcastically.

"You know, you're not being very supportive. Which is exactly why she's afraid to open up around people." Arnold explained.

"Alright! I'm sorry man." he said, finding the whole situation a bit precarious.

The two walked back over to the girls as Arnold took Helga's hand in his and Gerald took Phoebe's hand in his. Phoebe smiled at Helga, knowing despite how hard it was for her to show it, how happy she must be on the inside.

As they made it to the entrance Helga pulled out her free pass. Gerald looked at her and asked, "Where did you get that?" Helga sighed and said, "One of the few good things that came out of being Johnny Stitches' It Girl when we were in fourth grade."

"Mm.. . I still can't believe he didn't like my disco look!" Gerald said shaking his head.

After the rest of them bought their passes, Arnold lead Helga over to the nearest roller coaster. Helga looked around, waiting for someone they knew to point out her outfit. As the day went on, She began to feel more comfortable in it.

"We are going to get a couple of sodas, we'll be right back." Gerald said, as he and Phoebe left Helga and Arnold sitting on a bench near the food stand.

"So, are you having a good day?" Arnold asked, as he noticed Helga looking around anxiously.

"Oh yeah, it's been great!" she said nervously.

Arnold put his arm around her as she laid her head against him. Just as they got comfortable, they heard, "Hey Aaarrnold! Whose your new girlfriend!"

They turned around to see Harold, Stinky, and Sid. "Helga, is that you? Boy howdy!" sid shouted.

"Whilikers! I don't think I've ever seen her all dolled up like that before!" Stinky added on.

As Helga buried her face in her hands, Arnold was about to get up when Harold, Stinky, and Sid heard from behind, "Watch it there big boy! No one talks to my main man Arnold's girl like that!" Gerald said.

"Come on Gerald, look at her! Have you EVER seen Helga like that before?!" Sid protested.

"If you three don't get out of here right now, I'll tell the Jolly Olly man to start handing out low fat Mr. Fudgey's every time he passes by your houses" Gerald threatened as the three of them ran away.

Phoebe took Helga to the restroom as Gerald sat down beside Arnold. "Thanks for helping out, Gerald."

"No problem buddy. I'm sorry for giving you a hard time earlier." he apologized.

"That's okay, I understand it's hard to look past the way things were between us all in grade school. According to those three, some things may never change about people." Arnold pointed out.

"Which is bad news for bar mitzvah boy!" Gerald said sarcastically.

"Tell me about it! I followed him all over town that day, before we made it to the Synagogue." Arnold explained.

"What'd you do that for?" Gerald asked, yet not surprised.

"He was going to skip his bar mitzvah." Arnold began

"So you just had to save the day." Gerald interrupted.

"Of course. He wanted to rent a boat at the Pier from Paddle Paul's, and start a new life on Elk Island." Arnold continued.

"And you cared because?" he said sarcastically.

"I made him realize the time he spent with his Rabi wasn't a waste. In the short time it took him to get to the pier, he demonstrated righteousness, charity and prayer." Arnold said.

"By switching bodies with you?" he continued in disbelief.

"By giving up a popsicle, reuniting a lost boy with his mom, and standing up to a teenager with prayer." Arnold argued.

"And yet… that's the type of loser those 'helpful' choices turned him into? Good to know" Gerald said, as he glared at Arnold, not knowing who to feel more sympathy for.

The two of them sipped their sodas as they waited for Helga and Phoebe to return.

"I don't know if I can do this Phoebe?!" Helga said sadly, looking at herself in the mirror.

"What are you talking about Helga?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"I know Arnold wants more than anything for me to open up to him; to not be afraid to show my sensitive side. Not just to him, but to the rest of the world. How can I do that though, if THAT, what we all just witnessed, is going to be the result of it?! If that is what I have to worry about every time I walk out my front door, looking like what is considered to be a GIRL. I get criticized for being a girl who doesn't act like one. I get criticized for being a girl who does try to act like one. What am I supposed to do?! Even if I do want to open up more, my reputation is all people know me for! No one's ever going to forget the way I was when we were kids!" she exclaimed, not knowing what to do.

Phoebe placed a hand on Helga's shoulder, understanding the pain she was going through. "Perhaps a good analogy would be taking a shower."

Helga turned to look at her, as she grabbed some paper towels to blow her nose with. "How does that relate to this situation?"

"Most people who take showers like the water to be as warm as possible. However, it takes the water awhile to warm up to their preferred temperature." Phoebe began to explain.

"Pttss.. Tell me about it." Helga snarled.

"If they're not willing to wait, they have no choice but to jump in, and be thrashed with cold water." she finished.

"What's your point?" Helga asked.

"My point is, it's going to take awhile to reach the destination you're hoping to reach in your relationship. If you're just willing to give it a chance however, you may be surprised at how things turn out." Phoebe pointed out, as Helga blew her nose, thinking about her point.

"There will be a few cold splashes along the way; like what just happened out there. It'll all be worth it in the end however." Phoebe smiled as Helga hugged her.

As they exited the restroom, they saw Gerald and Arnold still talking on the bench. Arnold immediately walked over to Helga when he saw them coming out.

"Are you alright?!" he asked, holding her hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry I ran off like that." she said, feeling ashamed of the fact that she still couldn't defend her sensitive side.

"I'm just glad you're okay." Arnold said, as he kissed her. Helga blushed, thinking about how many people in the park must be looking at them, while still trying to keep in mind what Phoebe had said to her.

"Gerald and I were thinking we could all go to 'Antonio's Pizza' for dinner?" Arnold said while holding Helga's hand, hoping anything he suggested would make her feel better.

"Sure, I'm getting pretty hungry." she admitted, while smiling at him.

"Come on, let's get out of here." he said, as he wrapped his arm around her, leading them out of the park. Gerald and Phoebe followed them from behind, holding each other's hands. "That was a sweet thing you did for Helga" Phoebe said to Gerald.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, pretending not to know.

"The way you stood up to the other boys for her. She's a tough girl on the outside, but sensitive on the inside. Which is why letting people see that about herself is so uncomfortable for her. She's going to need all the support she can get until she is finally able to stand up for her sensitive side on her own." Phoebe explained as Gerald rolled his eyes and said, "Man oh man, this is not going to be fun."

Arnold opened the car door for Helga, giving her a short kiss as she got in. Gerald and Phoebe walked up behind them, as Helga immediately scooted inside. "So, Antonio's Pizza? I don't believe I've ever been there before?" Phoebe said as they got in.

"It's not far from the boarding house. I took Pigeon Man there, the day I tried getting him to see leaving his rooftop wouldn't be so bad." Arnold explained.

"Let me guess, you ordered ten pizzas to go, to bring back for the birds?" Helga said sarcastically, as Phoebe tried not to laugh.

"No, but we probably should have. When the two of us returned to his rooftop, we found someone had gone up there and torn down all the cages. His birds were gone; everything was a mess!" he explained.

"Who'd want to waste their time with a bunch of moronic pigeons?" Helga asked.

"Actually Helga, humans have had all sorts of relationships with pigeons over the years from military, domestication, to religion." Phoebe countered.

"Look, we're here!" Gerald said excitedly as Arnold pulled into the parking lot. As Arnold and Gerald stepped out of the car, Helga got out on Phoebe's side. Phoebe watched Helga standing nervously for a moment, watching all the other people already at the restaurant. She looked over at Helga and said, "Just think of this as an opportunity to practice not only your sensitivity, but your patience with the destination of your relationship."

Helga smiled down at her as she took a deep breath. Arnold then came over to take Helga's hand and asked, "Ready?"

Helga gave him a nervous smile as she responded, "Of course, let's go."

Gerald walked beside Phoebe, looking at Arnold and Helga as he shook his head and said, "Mm..mm..mm this is definitely going to take some getting used to."

"You don't really find it to be that strange, do you?" Phoebe asked.

"The girl who glued feathers to his butt is now the girl who can't keep her hands off it?" he said sarcastically, as she continued to smile at Helga.

The four of them made it into the restaurant as they heard the hostess say, "Welcome, how many of there are you?"

Arnold answered, "Four," as Helga noticed all the other girls that were dressed up in the restaurant. Some were wearing skirts and high heels, while others were wearing dresses and jewelry. She glanced down at herself and wondered, Was she considered to be underdressed now, or did she have nothing to worry about?

As the hostess sat them at the table, they were given the menus to look at. "Your waitress will be with you shortly!"

No sooner had the menu been handed to him, Gerald said, "I'm going to get me one of these, Extra Jalapeno Supreme Pizzas!"

Helga raised her eyebrow at him as she said, "You sure your anti-tonsil filled throat can handle something like that Geraldo?"

Gerald gave her a glare as he asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You could barely handle the solo you were given in our school presentation of 'On Moonlight Bay' after you had them taken out. Is your throat going to be anymore forgiving about those jalapenos?" she snarled.

"Whatever you say Helga." he said, rolling his eyes at her.

"When Gerald and I went to have that checked out at Metro Tonsils, his doctor said it wasn't the first time one of his patients took awhile to recover from the surgery." Arnold pointed out.

"What say we make this interesting. I order one too. First one to finish (or even at all) buys lunch at school for the next week!" she challenged

As Phoebe gave her a look, implying she wasn't being too sensitive, the waitress walked up to ask, "What can I get you folks tonight?"

Arnold looked at the menu and said, "I think I'll just have this pepperoni calzone and a yahoo soda please."

"And for you darlin'" looking over at Phoebe.

"A slice of cheese pizza and a glass of water would be fine, thank you." she said sweetly.

"What can I get for you tonight?" the waitress said, looking over at Gerald. Gerald looked over at Helga glaring at him, with a look that implied, are you in or out? He then turned to the waitress and proudly said, "She and I both are going to have our own Extra Jalapeno Supreme Pizzas with a couple of yahoo sodas!"

Arnold rolled his eyes in disbelief that Gerald had accepted the challenge.

"You two must be hungry! Well, I'll have that out as soon as possible!" she said, walking away from the table.

Trying to change the mood, Arnold said to Gerald. "Helga and I ran into Dino Spumoni on our way out of the hotel this morning."

"What was he doing at a hotel?" Gerald asked curiously.

"Apparently, he and Don are passing out their cards to clubs and hotels to keep their business moving. He invited us over to his place tomorrow night if you and Phoebe are interested in coming?" Arnold asked.

"That would be delightful!" Phoebe jumped in.

As Helga waited anxiously for the pizza, she felt a hand on her should. She assumed it was Arnold, until she noticed both his hands laying on the table. She turned around to see Matt standing there with a smile on his face.

"Matt! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.

Arnold looked at him, with his heart pounding as he heard Matt respond, "Just hanging out with some friends. You look really nice tonight!"

Helga blushed as she looked at Arnold out of the corner of her eye, not knowing quite how to respond. "Umm, thanks. I guess I'll see you at school."

Matt began to rub her back as he said, "I can't wait to hear your next poem." winking at her.

He turned to walk away, as Helga began to shake. While Phoebe noticed the tension forming in Helga's body, Gerald noticed the anger in Arnold's eyes. Arnold scooted close enough to Helga to wrap his arm around her, and set his other hand on her's, not caring who saw them. As she sat there feeling embarrassed, Arnold whispered to her, "I told you he likes you."

Helga scooted away from Arnold as she said, "It doesn't matter; I don't like him."

Arnold sighed at her remark and said, "That doesn't mean he won't try to 'make' you like him."

Helga glared at his remark and responded, "Are you saying you're worried I can't defend myself? Because that contradicts a bit with your desire for me to be more sensitive!"

"It wouldn't if you had the confidence to be who you are no matter what other people thought of you. You're a strong person on the inside. You don't have to let acting sensitive turn you into a weak person." he explained.

She looked down at the table, feeling the harsh judgement of all the eyes around her. As the waitress was approaching with their food, she suddenly had no appetite.

"Here y'all go! Enjoy!" The waitress said, as she placed the food in front of them.

Gerald looked at his plate with anticipation, as Helga looked at hers, knowing unless he had an asthma attack, she wouldn't be winning the bet.

"Well, may the best eater win!" Gerald said, not caring to see her facial expression.

"I'll be back; I have to use the restroom." Helga said to Arnold.

"Okay, but you better hurry, because I'm not stopping!" Gerald warned her.

"Do you think she's alright?" Arnold asked Phoebe, as he watched Helga walk away.

"I'll go find out for you." Phoebe got up, without thinking twice.

As Helga walked towards the restroom, Matt's table was right outside. He stopped her on the way in and asked, "So, what would you say to hanging out some time?"

Helga sighed at his question and said, "Thanks but I can't." As she entered the restroom, she heard Phoebe following right behind.

"Are you okay Helga?" Phoebe asked.

"I guess Geraldo's finishing up his pizza out there?" Helga asked, looking down at the ground.

"Don't worry, he can barely finish a pint of ice cream!" Phoebe assured her, trying not to laugh.

"I guess I blew it again. Even if I am finally able to make myself okay with this act if public, that doesn't mean I'm ever going to enjoy it. How am I supposed to be confident about something I don't enjoy? That's like supporting something you don't believe in!" Helga argued.

"You just have to ask yourself which means more to you? Relationships are all about sacrifices, and if Arnold really means that much to you, you're going to have to give into the idea of being confident about showing your sensitive side. Say not just to yourself, but the next person who gives you grief about your new image, 'I'm Helga G. Pataki, and I can look however I want whenever I want!' Save your bad girl attitude for when someone tells you not to be who you want to be. Don't let it completely stop you from being who you want to be."

Helga smiled not just at Phoebe's advice, but at the fact that her friend knew so much about her.

"Come on, let's get back to the table. If I'm lucky, tall hair boy might have choked on his pizza." Helga said, as she lead Phoebe out of the restroom.

They made it back to the table as Arnold pulled out Helga's chair for her. He kissed her on the cheek and said to her, "I'm really sorry. I just got jealous. I hope you can forgive me."

She gave him a sweet, sensitive look as she said, "If you help me eat this pizza, I will."

Arnold rolled his eyes as Gerald said, "Hey! That's no fair!"

"Umm you got a fifteen minute head start Geraldo! I'd say that's more than fair!" Helga countered.

"In my defense Helga, I am a little full from this calzone." Arnold said.

"That's okay, I don't have to forgive you." she said, as Arnold began to pick up a slice of pizza.

"Now would be a great time for you to say 'Here, let me help you with that Gerald!'" he turned and said to Phoebe.

"Well, I prefer not to pile toppings on my pizza. It makes the cheese less enjoyable." she countered.

Gerald sighed as Phoebe sat there watching the two pizzas being devoured until finally, Gerald was down to three slices, and Arnold and Helga were each finishing up their last slice.

"Well, here it is, the winning bite!" she exclaimed.

"Fine! I give! I'll buy lunch next week… but it's not going to be pizza!" Gerald said, making it clear to them all.

"Sounds good to me. I'll wave for the check.", said Arnold.

As they waited for the waitress to return, Phoebe mentioned, "I heard there's a Black Sox game at Quigley Stadium tomorrow evening. Perhaps we could all go?"

Arnold nodded in agreement at the idea while saying, "Sounds great, we can go after we stop by Dino's place to check out his music!"

Gerald sat there with a bloated stomach as Phoebe rubbed his back. "How about we all go out for some ice cream? We never did get a chance to grab some at Dino Land." Phoebe suggested.

"If I take one more bite of ANYTHING, I'm blowing chunks!" Gerald insisted.

"Yeah, besides, my family's probably wondering where I've been." Arnold said regretfully, knowing it would mean saying goodbye to Helga soon.

"Here's the check darlin'. Y'all have a good night!" the waitress said, waving goodbye to them.

Looking at Gerald's nauseous face, Arnold sympathetically placed the money on the table to cover everyone's dinner, knowing Gerald would be taking care of everyone's lunch next week.

Phoebe kept her arm around Gerald's back, guiding him out to the car. As the two of them headed for the car, Arnold and Helga followed behind. Arnold squeezed Helga's hand tightly when he noticed them passing Matt and his friends. Helga felt him speeding up as they walked past the other teens. "What are you so worried about? I would never leave you for him!" She said, looking at Arnold filled with disappointment.

"If I mean that much to you, why is it so hard to show it?" he asked, hoping not to start anything.

Helga looked down at the ground, thinking about Phoebe's advice Say to yourself, 'I'm Helga G. Pataki, and I can look however I want whenever I want!'

The two of them made it to the car to see Gerald hunched over against it, "So, are you going to unlock it anytime soon?" he asked.

As they got in the car, Gerald slid into the back, laying against the backseat, as Phoebe massaged his stomach. Helga slid into the front seat next to Arnold. "We'll drop you off first Gerald. I can tell you're about to burst." Arnold said.

Helga couldn't help but feel a bit guilty after challenging him to eat as much as he did. Of course, that guilt couldn't compare to the amount of guilt she felt for not being able to show the confidence in her relationship with Arnold in front of Matt, as well as other people.

As they pulled up at Gerald's he wasn't sure he'd be able to make it out of the car. "Let me help you inside Gerald." Phoebe insisted.

Helga watched Phoebe happily walk him up to his porch and into his house. She began to think about the way Phoebe never thought twice about who might be watching, let alone judging, her relationship with Gerald. Helga then took Arnold's hand as he waited for Phoebe to return, and said, "I'm sorry Arnold. I love you!"

Arnold's eyes widened as he heard her say this. Before he could respond, Phoebe returned to the car. "Gerald should be fine. He just needs an anti-acid and a good night's rest."

"Yeah, those jalapenos should cause more damage to his throat than his stomach." Helga said sarcastically, as Arnold paid no attention to their conversation. He anxiously drove to Phoebe's house, ready to finish hearing what Helga had to say.

As they pulled into the driveway, Phoebe grabbed her purse and asked, "So, we're seeing Dino Spumoni tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I told him we'd stop by at some point. I guess it all depends on how soon Gerald is feeling better." Arnold sighed.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine. See you tomorrow!" Phoebe said, as she exited the car.

"Well, I guess my house is the next stop." Helga said, trying to break the silence between her and Arnold. As he continued to remain silent, Helga looked at the floor of the car, thinking to herself Why did I say that? He probably thinks I just did it to get him off my back about the sensitivity crap.

She grew anxious as they continued to ride in silence. "So, I've really enjoyed the past week with you." she said, as her body began to tremble. She started to rub her left arm profusely, not even caring she hadn't received a response from him.

When she was finally able to make herself take her eyes off the floor, she looked up and said, "What are we doing at your place? Aren't you goin…" before she could finish, he began kissing her. As he wrapped his tongue around hers and his arms around her back, she thought to herself Which one does mean more to me, keeping Arnold's heart, or keeping my reputation in tact?

When he set her lips free, he kept his face close to hers and asked, "Are you ashamed of me?"

Her eyes lit up as she pushed him off and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Tears pour from your face when attention is drawn to the fact that we are together. Yet, you don't want to leave me?" he contemplated.

She squeezed his hand tighter than she ever had before as she looked into his eyes and said, "I'm ashamed of myself! If I hadn't spent my life building up this reputation, the idea of showing my sensitive side to people wouldn't be so petrifying to me. Had I just spent my life learning to shake off criticism as you do, I wouldn't be caught in this conundrum!"

He rubbed her hand as he said, "Come on, let's go inside."

"Don't you need to take me home?" she asked, as she watched him exit the car.

"You can sleep in my room with me. I'll go downstairs for a moment just to let everyone know I'm home. We can climb up the fire escape." Arnold said confidently.

"Alright, just let me make a phone call." she said, as she pulled out her phone to call Olga.

After a few rings, a squeaky voice picked up…

"Hello!"

"Hey Olga. Listen, I'm sleepin' over with Pheebs again."

"Oh goody! A sleepover!"

"Yeah, whatever. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sleep well baby sister!"

"Uh huh"

After her undesired conversation with her older sister, Helga grabbed her things and left the car. As she and Arnold climbed up the fire escape, she caught Arnold stopping to stare at her.

"What are you looking at football head?"

"I was just thinking about the last time I saw you on my fire escape." he began.

"You mean when I slept walked over here thanks to Bob's stupid snack food and Miriam's wreckless driving. I thought we covered that story already?" she pointed out.

"Yeah, but back then you were wearing goofy pajamas with your hair in pigtails. Now you're dressed in a fashionable outfit with your hair pulled back. When we were kids, I never expected to fall in love with you." he explained.

She understood his point, while at the same time, began to hurt. She thought about how anti-feminine she was thought out to be as a kid; the last girl a guy would want to be with. Perhaps that was why she couldn't give into her sensitive side. It just wasn't the type of person she enjoyed being.

"Well, life's full of surprises football head." she said as she smiled and continued to climb. Making it to the last step, she slipped, falling backward onto Arnold. He was able to catch her, before she plummeted down the staircase. As she sat there on top of him, she turned to look back before standing up. Helga looked into Arnold's eyes, thinking about all the times he had been there to help her…

When she fell out of the school window during the flood

When he took her to the April Fools dance

When he walked her home after giving her amnesia

When he told her he liked her comedy act

When he convinced Patty not to beat her up

"Thank you." she whispered to him. As he smiled at her, he said with relief, "I'm just glad you're not hurt." She continued to look into his eyes and said, "Not just for catching me, but for all the times in life you've helped me. I was never nice to you, but that didn't stop you from being there for me when you saw I was in trouble." she admitted, looking ashamed. Arnold motioned he was ready to stand up, as she moved, he helped her up, and said to her reassuringly, "I will always be here to catch you."

She hugged him tight as he grabbed her things and said, "Let's get you inside, before Matt bothers you again," he winked.

As they climbed through his window, they set her things down beside his bed. She got out the new nightgown Arnold had insisted she buy. Although she would never admit it to him, she was happy to have something comfortable to wear to bed that night.

"I'm going downstairs for a few minutes while you change, just to let my parents know I'm home. Be right back!" he assured her.

She smiled as he left, thinking to herself...

Oh Arnold! When will I give into my foolish ways, and treat you with the love and care you manage to show for me every day? When will I at last admit to myself your happiness means more to me than any other person's? If only you could see the torture it brings upon my soul, witnessing the pain you feel being seen as second to my never ending scorching. Continue to use your strong wisdom and judgment of my true soul to look past the pain my outer ways may cause you. Your faith is as strong as my love is for you.

When Arnold made it downstairs, he saw Stella washing dishes in the kitchen, while Miles and Phil were playing cards at the table.

"Where have you been, son?" Miles asked curiously.

Not wanting them to know about the hotel, Arnold came up with the quickest excuse he could think of. "Well, I spent the afternoon with Gerald. Then when we decided it would be fun to spend all day Saturday with some of our friends, I figured it would make things easier just to spend the night over there. He already had some of my clothes I had left from the last time I slept over, so there was no reason for me to come home."

They looked at him suspiciously, until finally Phil spoke up, "So, was your girlfriend at the park with you?" he asked while winking.

After hearing this, Stella turned around, wondering if Arnold had been with Helga the entire time. "Not last night, but there is something I have to tell you." they all looked at him, as Arnold began to feel guilty about holding back his honesty.

"I brought her home with me tonight. Her parents don't treat her well, and I just felt bad about taking her back home." he said, hoping they would feel guilty enough to look past the fact that the two of them were sleeping in the same room.

"What do you mean they don't treat her well?" Stella asked.

"The kid's been angry her entire life! They probably just don't feed her enough." Phil said, butting in.

Arnold rolled his eyes at the response, as he answered, "Her mom is an alcoholic, and her dad is too caught up with work to pay her any attention. They never ask her about school, buy her new clothes, or even get her name right! They've neglected Helga her entire life, because all they care about is her older sister, Olga."

Arnold's parents looked at him with sympathy in their eyes as they responded, "Okay, she can stay when she needs to. Just no funny business; you two also make sure to get your school work done!"

"Thanks!" he yelled, as he ran back upstairs.

"Don't you guys want something to eat?" Stella asked.

"We just ate some pizza with Gerald and Phoebe. We won't be hungry the rest of the night." he assured them.

"Boy goes out for pizza, and doesn't bring any back for his family? What the heck kind of grandson does that?" Phil asked.

Arnold raced back to his room to find Helga sitting on her bed in her purple nightgown. It had a short sleeved, 'v' neck collar, was practically see through, and went down to her knees. She had forgotten she was still wearing her hair in the clip he had bought for her earlier. He couldn't take his eyes off how beautiful she looked sitting their in it, going through her homework.

Finally, she noticed him staring at her, as she asked, "What's with the frozen look?" Choking on his words, he answered, "I was just looking at you in that gown, thinking about how I always thought pink was your color. After seeing you in that though, I'm not sure what to think?"

She looked down, trying not to let him see her smile, as he walked over to sit beside her. "Did you get a lot of homework?" he asked.

"Nah. My poetry teacher is really the only one who ever assigns anything. I think the rest of the teachers just like putting people to sleep with their boring lectures. Then half the time, they just assign chapters for us to read, because they don't even feel like doing that!" she said, rolling her eyes in disbelief. "What about you?"

"That's sort of how my classes are. My calculus teacher is the only one who comes down hard on us. I think I may have a few questions to answer. I'll have to double check my syllabus." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Helga began putting her books away, as she noticed Arnold grabbing some to help her.

"You don't have to do that?" she said, feeling vulnerable. He rolled his eyes at her and said, I really wish you would start letting people do things for you. I mean, I'm putting your books away, with no one else around. I'm not carrying you to class in front of all our friends. Even if I was, I think you made me do that, the day you PRETENDED to have amnesia!" he glared at her, while still smiling.

She began to blush, wishing she hadn't come clean about everything. Then finally responded, "Hey, it's your own fault for not watching the direction you were hitting that baseball in! You deserved to be messed with!"

He began to move closer to her, continuing to smile, as a nervous look formed on her face. Eventually, she had no choice but to lay down, as he was practically on top of her, "Whatever you say Helga."

As the two of them laid there looking into each other's eyes, she continued to be amazed at his patience with her attitude, and irritated with her inability to control it. Their lips then met, as he gave her what started as a soft sweet kiss, but turned into a long passionate one. They couldn't let go of each other, as he wrapped his tongue around hers, pulling her in as tight as possible. He slipped his arms underneath her nightshirt, wanting to pull it off, but not being able to take his mouth off hers.

When they were finally out of breath, he sat her up for a moment to take off her gown. Putting his head against hers, keeping his hands on her breasts, as they continued to sit up, he said, "I'll continue having patience with you. It's not my job to change you. I really wish you would let your confidence show through your sensitive side however." he whispered.

Pulling her head off his, she gave him an offended look as she said, "Hey, am I not letting you do whatever you'd like to me right here and now? Is that not a good enough sign of "proud weakness" for you. What a stupid oxymoron!" she snarked.

He laughed as he got up and said, "Good point." She watched him walk over to her backpack to grab something.

"Why are you going through my things?" she asked, until she saw him sitting back down on the bed with her ribbon.

"Oh no! She said. I'll behave, I promise." she smiled.

"I don't think you will." he said, as he grabbed her arms and tied them behind her just tight enough for her to stay put.

She rolled her eyes at him, as she sat there tied up, wearing nothing but her pink underwear, with her locket hanging from her neck. He looked at her and said, "You don't like letting people think you're a weak person. When they see you dress feminine, you allow them to let you know you feel that way about yourself. Don't let them do that! Dress how you want. Act how you want. Then when people give you grief about it, stand up and say to them, 'my life is none of your business.'"

When she couldn't make herself look at him, he turned her face toward his and began to kiss her. He laid her down with his tongue wrapped around hers, holding her breast tight.

"I guess this would be more fun if I was undressed too" he said, as they both laughed.

Helga laid there practically naked, looking at the stars through his ceiling. A whole new feeling took over her. Every time they did that she thought to herself, Arnold's right. Why do I let people know that they bother me? If I'm really as tough as I act, changing my appearance shouldn't change my attitude.

Arnold came back over, completely undressed, with a condom in his hand. "Now's your chance to prove being vulnerable won't affect your level of confidence." he said, smiling at her.

"I think we've done this once already; what more can I prove to you?" she said, as she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, then it's just for fun." he said as he threw himself on top of her, kissing her passionately, feeling her breasts, as he rubbed her nipples. Wrapping his tongue around hers, he began to rub his body against hers harder, feeling her locket against his chest. When he finally took his lips off hers, he whispered in her ear, "Are you ready?"

She smiled as she smirked at him and asked, "Do I have a choice?"

He rolled his eyes as he slipped off her underwear, still panting from the excitement. As he took her legs to spread them, her heart began to pound. Partly because she knew what was coming; partly because, his parents knew she was there. Before she could finish her thoughts, she felt his member slide far into her. As she was about to gasp from a bit of pain, he bent over to kiss her. Leaning down to kiss her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pressing as tight as he possibly could. As he rubbed himself in and out of her quick and hard, he reached behind her back to hold her hands. She was locked with him in every position, having never felt so close to him. Even after falling out of breath, they couldn't let go of each other. They laid there with their lips on each other's, his member inside of hers, and his arms behind her back with their fingers laced.

Is this feeling worth losing, all because of my foolish pride? He can't continue being this patient with me forever! She thought to herself.

She took her lips off his slowly and said to him, "Please forgive me!"

He looked at her, knowing what she must be talking about, but to make her feel better, asked "For what?"

"I've been thinking, and it's not just that I can't change. It might be that I don't 'want' to change. I told you I'm not like the other girls. I don't enjoy the types of things they do. Standing up to other people who make fun of me for acting sensitive would mean having to defend something I don't really care about. It's soul crushing however, because the one thing that is worth defending is my love for you! Hopefully, that helps you understand why I..."

As she continued explaining, while trying not to cry, she was cut off by a long, passionate kiss. Arnold pressed himself against her as hard as he could, until finally he said to her.

"Okay, I'm starting to see how this is unfair."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I'm trying to work as hard as I can on you, but at the same time, I don't want to let go of your hands." he said, trying to laugh quietly.

Helga smiled as she gave him the, I told you so, look. He unleashed his hands from hers, as he began to sit up. Keeping his member inside her, he knelt back looking at her, thinking about what she had said. "Be however you want. I'd just appreciate it if you didn't act ashamed to be seen with me in front of others, whether you are or not.

When Arnold saw Helga struggling to sit up, he pulled her up close to him. They were resting heads against one another when she finally said, "You're the last person I would ever be ashamed to be seen with."

As he looked into her eyes, he untied her. She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss that she hoped was hard enough to imply how deep her feelings were for him. He pulled her head in, returning those feelings. The two sat there pressing their lips together intensely, until they finally felt the exhaustion from the day was upon them.

Arnold said to her, "Let's get some sleep. Would you like to wear your ribbon to bed?" he winked at her, as she nearly shoved him off the bed. The two crawled under the covers together, sleeping naked, side by side. Arnold with his arm wrapped around Helga, as she rested her head on his chest. The two fell asleep with a sigh of relief.

Arnold feeling relieved every time Helga showed she was continuing to feel more comfortable opening up to him. Helga feeling relieved seeing Arnold's patience with her conflicted decision as to whether or not she should change her behavior.