Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.
They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.
Title: "Alter ego"
In the last chapter: After the misunderstanding Saturday night, Arnold was determined to fix the confusion between himself and Helga. To his unhappiness though, Helga wasn't very keen on talking to him and she was hard to get ahold of.
Luka, without knowing what had happened, sprung to the opportunity and once more tried to tell Helga about his feelings. Once again, she rejected him, but didn't get far enough away before he kissed her, which resulted in a punch from the feisty girl.
Arnold finally gave Helga a note where had had explained what he had meant Saturday night and after reading it, Helga was on cloud nine even though both she and Arnold knew Gerald had tampered with the note in order to spice things up.
Author's 1st note: So, you may notice that the 'layout' of this chapter is different from the rest. Basically, I've been told by more than one reviewer that a grammar rule is to change the paragraph whenever someone new is talking – that's how I understood it at least. I've been told that before, but must admit I've been stubborn about following that rule since I think it looks weird. I don't like short paragraphs; to me it looks kind of lazy, but I'm caving in now. If it's a rule, it's a rule and I guess I have to follow them :P So, yeah, I'm hoping this looks more "right".
[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]
Chapter 9: "He is nowhere, but always there"
What the hell is wrong with me? Helga wondered as she hid near the fence in front of the school. This is not how I imagined I would react on this day… Not that I seriously expected Arnold to pick me up on a white stallion and we would ride off into the sunset and forget all logic about how sunset don't appear at 8 o'clock in the morning.
The shaky blonde stepped to the side and looked towards the school. "God, I'm pathetic." She declared before feeling a hand on her shoulder and jumping ten feet into the air.
"Did I surprise you?" Arnold asked with a knowing grin while the embarrassed blonde scowled at him. Him and his killer smirk. She thought with a sigh. "Are you hiding or something?" he asked with lopsided grin.
Helga frowned at him until she saw the shade in his eyes. Then she quirked an eyebrow. "What makes you think that I'm hiding?"
"I don't know. Maybe because you're standing glued against the wall behind the school? That usually does the trick if you wanna hide." Arnold said as he leaned closer. Helga automatically stepped back even though she knew he wasn't trying anything but tease her right then; there was something more playful in his eyes rather than seductive.
She frowned at him. "Obviously I'm not doing a very good job. You found me so easily." She observed with a huff.
"That's only because I was looking for you." Arnold admitted and smirked. "I'm sure you fooled everyone else."
Looking for me? Helga thought before her cheeks turned slightly red. Wait. That reminds me; where does yesterday leave me and Arnold…? We're not exactly dating, are we? But I like him and he likes me and we know that so… so what? Ugh, when you're child you just ask and get a straight answer. Growing up means things get complicated.
The thought filled girl was pulled out of her reverie when she felt her cheek being pinched. Her eyes widened and she stared into the cocky grin of Arnold.
"What's with that worried face?" he asked as he kept pulling on her cheek.
"Lemme go!" Helga ordered before slapping his hand away. What's he so happy-go-lucky-happy about? She wondered as she crossed her arms.
Arnold just kept grinning as he wrapped his arm around hers. "Come on, we'll be late if we don't hurry." He pointed out and pulled her along.
"H-Hey!" Helga complained, but found herself following the happy boy anyway. He's Dark Arnold right now, so why do I feel like Pink Arnold is more appropriate? She wondered as she saw his flushed cheeks, his wide grin making it even more apparent.
"Arnold!" Helga scolded and pulled her arm back. Arnold almost stumbled, but managed to keep his balance to turn and look at her. She looked at him in disbelief. "We can't just stroll casually in there, you know."
Arnold blinked in confusion. "Why not? We go to school there, don't we?" he asked.
Helga sighed at the boy's stupidity. "I mean we can't just stroll in there arm-in-arm." She pointed out and wiggled her arm for good measure.
Arnold looked down at their linked arms and shrugged before letting go of her. "Why not?"
"Were we not in the same class yesterday?"
"We've been in the same class every year since preschool, Helga."
"I know that!" Helga shouted in frustration. "I mean, didn't you notice our classmates' reaction to the fact that you simply passed me a note? I was basically chased away from my own desk; it was a friggin' rampage! What's gonna happen when we come to school together like this?"
The shade in Arnold's eyes seemed to fade as he scratched his neck. "Oh, sorry. I didn't think about what others might think." He admitted.
"Well, that's just who you are, Arnold-o and that's a good thing… most of the time." Helga said with a smile, bumped her shoulder against his before she walked towards the school. Arnold stood back and watched Helga as she bounced a little on her feet, clearly in a good mood. A smile spread on his face before he followed her inside, making sure to keep his appropriate distance.
Helga couldn't help but let her eyes travel over her shoulder and in Arnold's direction. She knew he was following her and not just because they had classes together. She shook her head good-heartedly before she opened the door and stepped into her classroom. The usual sound of chatter died down instantly and Helga was met with curious stares from her peers. She felt the weight of the door disappear from her hand when Arnold stepped inside too.
"I think we just entered the twilight zone, Arnold-o." Helga stated.
I guess Helga was right. I honestly thought she was being paranoid… Arnold thought and mentally apologized to Helga before he followed her towards their seats. The blondes barely sat down before the boys and girls started questioning them. While Arnold tried listening to every question and somewhat answer, Helga simply ignored them though she got angrier and angrier with each stupid questioned that drawled from their petty mouths.
"Shut up! Do you guys feed on other people's drama or something? Why am I so interesting all of a sudden?" Helga asked with her eyebrows knitted together in frustration.
"Helga, are you and Arnold dating now?" Sheena asked.
"Are you ever so much in love?" Lila asked.
"You two also went to the dance together. Did something happen between you?" Nadine asked.
"Shut up!"
Everyone turned to look at the blonde in shock, but not the blonde they had assumed those words had come from. "Arnold…" some of the boys muttered in shock as they watched the seething boy. Arnold growled at them, looking in Helga's direction. She gulped at the sight of his eyes, but was in fact relieved to have him explode before she did.
"Are you all lacking your usual fix of gossip or is it really so shocking that Helga and I aren't playing cat and mouse anymore?" Arnold asked and Helga couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at his choice of words. I think it's more like the tables have turned. She observed in her mind with little displeasure at the reminder.
"But, Arnold, you have to admit that this came out of nowhere!" Rhonda insisted.
Arnold shot her a seething stare before he stood up to face her. "It's not out of nowhere… If any of you had enough time to get your heads out of your asses and see beyond your own noses, you would have noticed I've liked Helga for years!" he yelled in frustration, unsure why he was saying the things he was saying. He wasn't sure where this sudden anger came from. Maybe a part of him really was tired of having to solve everything for everyone else without anyone caring about he felt or taking the time to even ask.
"For years?!" they all shouted in shock and looked questioningly at Helga, who was fighting violently against the blush that was threatening to spread on her cheeks. For years?! She screamed inside her own head, but shook her head at the others.
"D-Don't look at me; this is the first I've heard of years!" she said, waving her hands in slight panic.
The vultures in front of Helga seemed ready to throw a hissy fit before the sound of the door opening again stopped them. The sight of Luka with plaster on his nose caused the girls to gasp loudly, all except for Helga whose eyebrows simply knitted together in semi-surprise. Huh. I've still got it. She observed before the girls ran to Luka, all asking him if he was all right and if this would affect his modeling.
"It's going to be all right, girls. I explained the situation to my agent and luckily, the doctor said it shouldn't take too long to heal." Luka explained with a small smile, which disappeared when he felt the ache from his nose travel to his jaw.
"You poor thing." Rhonda said as she caressed his cheek before shooting Helga a hateful stare. "Look what you've done! You can't punch a model in the face; that's just not right."
Helga crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair until she could rest her knee against her desk. "I've never been one to give special treatment. Model, handy-man or hunchbacked bell-ringer; I will punch your lights out if you push me far enough." She retorted.
Rhonda growled. "He can sue you, you know." She pointed out, but all Helga did was quirk an eyebrow. Rhonda looked at Luka. "I think you should."
Luka snickered and shook his head. "I have a feeling it's a lose-lose situation for me if I do that." He said.
"Why?" Rhonda asked in confusion.
"Because, princess, if Luka is going to sue me he has to explain why I punched him to begin with." Helga said with a smug smile. "Somehow, I don't think a rumor about him forcing himself on a girl would benefit his modeling career."
"No one would believe that Luka Mikos had to force himself on a girl!" Nadine insisted in disbelief, but Helga could see that a part of her was enjoying seeing Rhonda so pissed.
"Ooh, the scandal. I can read the headlines already." Helga said sarcastically. "Local girl from Hillwood punches Greek model after he tries to kiss her; Is she insane?"
"We can all vouch for your insanity, Helga." Gerald said with a chuckle and Helga couldn't help but snicker as well, despite the glares they both got from the girls.
"You two think this is funny?!" Rhonda shouted, but Luka put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.
"It's ok, Rhonda. I'm just gonna take Arnold's advice and stay away from Helga." Luka said before heading towards his seat.
Helga quirked an eyebrow in Arnold's direction and he blushed a bit at the reminder. "Arnold's words rather than my fist is what convinced you to stay outta my sight?" she asked.
Luka groaned. "Not, but I figured saying it was Arnold and not a girl who hit me would make me less embarrassed." He admitted.
Helga blinked a couple of times before she rolled her eyes. "Poor, arrogant jerk…" she muttered under her breath, noticing that she hadn't whispered low enough for Rhonda not to hear. "I am so sick of your attitude - - "
Rhonda's rant was stopped before it could start when the teacher entered the classroom. Wanting to avoid a scene like yesterday, Rhonda decided to jog to her seat without another word. On her way though, she kicked at Helga's desk only to stumble when Helga stretched her leg out in front of her feet.
"You're a million years too early to try and outsmart me, princess." Helga said in a sing-song voice before Rhonda sat down with a growl.
Helga leaned back in her chair, sighing in relief once the first class was over. "Wish to join me outside, Helga?" Phoebe asked with her usual cheerful smile.
Helga smiled back. "Naw, Phoebs. I think I'll stay inside right now. I need some peace to think." She answered. Phoebe nodded at her before she headed outside, waving at the exhausted blonde before disappearing out of sight.
Helga waited patiently until everyone was gone before she stretched her arms high above her head. "Sorry for lying, Phoebe. Truthfully, I just don't want to deal with our classmates right now." She said aloud, though no one was there to hear it before letting her chin fall to her desk. What a day… and it's not even done yet.
"Tally-ho, Helga." A chirpy voice said and Helga flinched at the sound. I swear, Lila's voice could break a freaking vase. She decided before turning her head to look at the redhead.
"Around here the word is hello, country bumpkin. You've been dating Stinky for too long; you're going back to your old ways." Helga said before letting her chin rest in her palm.
"Oh, I'm ever so sorry, Helga." Lila said, not seeing how Helga flinched at her words once more. "I was hoping I could perhaps ask you for a favor though?"
"A favor?" Helga repeated in surprise. She and Lila weren't exactly friends though Helga didn't hate the girl with a burning passion anymore. Arnold had liked the girl when they were children, but once he had given up on her, Helga's hatred had slowly faded away along with Arnold's interest. Hating someone would require an emotional commitment after all and Lila wasn't that important to Helga anymore.
Lila nodded solemnly. "Something ever so terrible has happened." She said.
"Your puppy died?"
"Oh, stop it, silly. You know I'm allergic to dogs even if I still find them ever so adorable."
Helga rolled her eyes. "Right… So, what could possibly be wrong in your cotton candy world?"
"You see, I promised the art class I am participating in to find a model for today's class. I had found one, but she just texted me and cancelled because she's gotten sick. Now I don't know what to do! The other art students will be ever so disappointed if I turn up without a model."
"Cool story. Now what does it have to do with me?"
"Well, Helga… I was hoping perhaps I could persuade you to model for us after school?" Lila asked sweetly, her fingers tangled pleadingly.
Helga's eyes almost fell out of their eye sockets before she stood up, slamming her palms unto the desk in the process. "Are you insane?!"
"Oh, Helga, you would be absolutely perfect!"
"I fail to see how! Ask Luka; he's already a model. Broken nose or not, he'll be better at it than me."
"The theme for this month is the female body, Helga. I will ask Luka next month when we are focusing on the male body. We have been painting many nude models before and we need some different body types to truly capture the beauty of each shape - - "
"Excuse me; nude?! Ok, skirt, any chance you may have had of convincing me just flew out the window. Ask one of the others! How about Rhonda? She'd love the attention." Helga suggested, feeling goose bumps travel all over her skin at the mere thought of posing naked.
"Rhonda already modeled for us. She volunteered, in fact."
"Why aren't I shaking with shock?"
"Oh, Helga, I have always adored your sass ever so much." Lila said with a small giggle.
Helga shot her a slanted look. "Surely you're kidding? Flatter will get you nowhere. I'm not posing nude in front of some strangers. Besides, aren't there some boys in our class who takes art lessons too? Granted, because they figured it'd be an easy A."
"Well, yes, but - - "
"I'm out!" Helga declared before she walked towards the door, cursing Lila's name for having ruined her plans about some quiet time.
"No, wait. Helga, please. You're not going to be fully nude; we're not drawing porn! See." Lila begged. Helga sighed before she turned around and frowned at the sight of Lila with a sort of white shawl made of chiffon. The redhead threw it over her shoulder and tied it loosely around her waist. "Look, you will be covered in this. It will be very tasteful, I swear and if you're really uncomfortable, I have a pair of skin-colored panties you can wear. You'll be doing different poses of your own choice, so you won't be forced to do anything vulgar."
Helga observed the girl wrapped in the soft-looking fabric in front of her and sighed. "That sounds fine, but I'm not a girl who usually do other people favors without expecting something in return, so you got anything to offer?" she asked with a smirk.
"Well, you'll get paid."
"Money isn't an issue in my life, Lila, my dad just landed a huge deal last month. You gotta offer something else." Helga retorted.
Lila hummed thoughtfully before she smiled knowingly. "You know… Arnold's in the art class." She pointed out and saw how Helga's face changed at the information. That's right. He is. The blonde remembered and bit on her lower lip.
"Imagine his face when he sees you like this." Lila said and waved the shawl around temptingly.
Helga snickered in surprise. "You're surprisingly cunning, Lila. In another life, maybe you and I would have been friends." She said with a smirk.
Lila bounced happily. "Is that a yes?" she asked hopefully.
Well… it would be fun to get a little revenge on Arnold for what he has put me through last week… Helga thought and then sighed in surrender. "Let me wear the skin-colored panties and we have a deal." She said and cringed as the read jumped around happily. Why did I agree to this…?
Why did I agree to this?! Helga thought as she looked at herself in the mirror. She was currently wearing nothing but a pair of cream-colored panties, which were almost invisible on the taut skin around her hips and thighs. Helga usually wore boyshorts so these were much smaller than she was used to and she couldn't help but turn her body around to look at her backside. Lila could have mentioned they were Tanga…
A knock on the door caused Helga to jump and put her arms over her naked chest immediately. "L-Lila?" she asked unsurely. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this…"
"Try and see yourself with the shawl on first." Lila requested before the door opened and she offered the shawl. Helga almost smiled at how thoughtful Lila was being by not forcing her way inside. That was one of the few traits she and Helga's big sister Olga didn't have in common despite how similar they were. Olga wouldn't have cared about Helga's feelings in this situation and just insisted that she was her cute little sister and shouldn't be so insecure.
Helga sighed before grabbing the shawl from Lila's hand. She looked at herself in the mirror as she flipped it over her shoulder and tried to tie it casually around her waist like Lila had done earlier, but it ended up looking like a Toga.
"I can't do this properly." Helga admitted.
"May I come in?" Lila asked.
"I guess you have to."
Lila walked inside with a smile on her face. "Helga, I understand you may find this uncomfortable, but the theme this month is the female body. If you cover yourself up to this extent, there's no point. We need to be able to see your shape." She said kindly and adjusted the shawl on Helga's body.
"Easy for you to say. N-Not only am I supposed to pose almost nude, but the boys I've known since I was three years old are gonna be there, including the boy I've recently started… whatever it is we're doing with is going to be among them."
"And that is your incentive."
"Excuse me?"
"Arnold won't be able to keep his hands off you once he sees your beautiful, athletic body." Lila said, but Helga snorted. "I am ever so serious, Helga. You are not curvaceous like Rhonda or small and petite like Phoebe, but you have a healthy, athletic, hourglass figure that most girls would kill for."
Helga stared at hers and Lila's reflection in the mirror. The shawl was now hanging elegantly over Helga's right shoulder, covering the right half of her torso, leaving her left breast and her bow tattoo out in the open. The shawl was twisted around her hip so that they covered a bit down her thighs and nothing indecent was showing.
"Thank… Thank you, Lila." Helga stuttered shyly, surprised to hear a genuine and well-thought compliment.
"Don't thank me. I merely say it as I see it." Lila said with a smile. "So… are you ready?"
Helga took a deep breath and pulled the shawl over her breast, making sure it could stay covered for as long as she could get away with it. "A-As ready as I'll ever be." She answered before following Lila out of the small room. Helga looked around in the hallway, expecting someone to walk by any second.
"Don't worry, Helga. School is over for everyone else but the people in art class and they are all in the classroom." Lila pointed out and Helga cursed for being so obvious.
"So… remind me again how many people are in the art class?" Helga asked a little nervously, fidgeting with the shawl around her body.
"Most of them are girls, I'm the only one from our class though." Lila answered.
That's something… Helga thought. "And the few that are boys?"
"Well, from our class there's Arnold, Curly, Eugene and Harold. Then there are a few other boys from other classes."
"So… Curly got to see Rhonda in the nude? I bet she didn't know he was taking that class."
Lila giggled. "No, she wasn't aware… It was… entertaining to watch when she realized she had to strip in front of Curly." She admitted.
Helga chuckled. "Whoa, Lila. When did you learn how to get gleeful?" she asked teasingly.
"I guess I've just gotten older. Rhonda isn't exactly the kindest person in the world, but even she has her good sides. The same you have your good sides too, Helga." Lila insisted.
"Don't compare me to Rhonda, it's not a compliment, I already told you that flattery will get you nowhere, Lila. I already said yes to doing this thing, so let's just get this over with." Helga hissed.
Lila shrugged obediently and opened the door into the classroom. "Good afternoon, everybody! Listen, the girl I had asked to model for us today had to cancel, but a girl from my own class was kind enough to volunteer as a substitute."
Volunteer?! Helga repeated in her mind as she followed Lila into the classroom. More like she somehow managed to trick me. What was I thinking?! Revenge over Arnold or not, this can't possibly be worth it.
The sound of a pencil, or perhaps more likely a paintbrush, falling to the ground caught Helga's ears and she looked towards it. She choked on absolutely nothing when she saw Arnold sitting on a chair with a sketchbook on his lap. His eyes were glued on her and his hand was still hovering as if he thought the paintbrush was still there, which Helga just realized was actually a pencil despite her former assumptions.
"Oh, Helga. How nice of you to volunteer." Eugene said with his usual dorky smile. "We would have been in quite the predicament if we didn't have a model today."
"Thanks, Eugene… Uh, where's the teacher?" Helga wondered.
"Oh, our teacher usually only shows up to give instructions. If we already know what to do, she trusts us to teach ourselves. That's also why it was my turn to find a model." Lila answered.
Helga nodded, unsure of what else to do. Lila nudged her elbow against her arm though and Helga figured she should introduce herself; she was a stranger to some people in the room after all. "Uh, I'm Helga Pataki. I… don't know what else to say."
A few girls chuckled kindly at Helga's awkwardness and simply waved at her.
"No way! Madam Fortress Mommy is gonna be our nude model today?!" Harold asked before he started laughing hysterically.
Helga growled before she went to his seat and grabbed his shirt in her fist. "Want me to do to you what I did to Luka yesterday?!" she threatened. Harold instantly shook his head violently and she let go of him, ignoring his snide comment when she did.
"Where do you want me, Lila?" Helga asked, ignoring the few snickers from the boys her question had brought on.
"Right on the small stage." Lila answered and Helga noticed that there was indeed what one might call a short stage in the middle of the room. She wasn't sure what was under the white tablecloth, but she figured it could hold her weight if it had held Rhonda's weight. Helga stepped on it and waited for some sort of instruction that never came.
"Drawing takes one hour per set. The model will change her pose every fifteen minutes." Lila said almost uncharacteristically professionally and Helga blinked. An hour?! Well, I guess they need time to draw… She reminded herself, watching as Lila tapped on her phone, probably preparing the alarm while the art students prepared themselves to draw.
"You ready, Helga? You can choose whatever pose you're most comfortable with." Lila said and Helga couldn't help but think that the pose she'd be most comfortable with was being outside the door.
"Uh… I-I don't know, um - - "
"Oh, perhaps you'd like me to get you started?" Lila asked and put her phone down next to her own chair. Helga nodded as Lila approached her. The redhead whispered a suggestion in the blonde's ear and Helga frowned a bit. Well, I guess that's an ok way to begin. She thought and lay down on the stage. She posed in a fetal position and looked at Lila for confirmation that she had done it right. The redhead crouched next to her and removed some of the chiffon from her skin, leaving only her waist covered. Helga instantly threw and arm over her breasts, but didn't change her position besides that.
"Could you rest your other arm over the rest of your body, Helga?" Lila asked and the embarrassed blonde did as told. Calm down. Helga ordered herself and took a couple of deep breaths before closing her eyes. I'm home alone. There's no one here. It's only me…
"Ok, everybody. Begin." Lila said before tapping on her phone and the sound of pencils scribbling furiously on paper echoed in the room. Arnold gulped as he looked at the blank paper in his sketchbook. How did Lila manage to convince Helga to do this…? He wondered, not complained, and lifted his head to look at the blonde. She really is beautiful… He thought with a smile and started to outline her shape.
Arnold wasn't particularly art interested, but in comparison to some other classes he could have taken, he figured art class would be more laid back and he could kick back and relax towards the end of the school day. When the teacher had announced that the theme this month was the female body, he had almost considered resigning from the class. He had been extremely uncomfortable with the first pair of models, especially when he had to draw Rhonda. He felt dirty while doing it and he had somehow felt like he betrayed Helga, even though they hadn't made any progress back then.
Arnold had never expected to see Helga walk through that door. Had she known he was in the art class? Maybe she hadn't… but was that a good or a bad thing whether she had known already? Arnold looked up at Helga again. She looked a bit tense and she was clearly taking some deep breaths in order to relax. She seems uncomfortable… so why did she agree to this? He wondered and looked back into his sketchbook. I don't think it was for the money; Helga isn't really like that anymore… So why…?
The sound of a loud beeping pulled Arnold out of his thoughts and he shook his head in confusion. Fifteen minutes, already?! He thought and looked into his sketchbook. He hadn't done much except for outlining Helga's body and her hair. He blushed a little at the sight before turning the paper over to a blank one.
"Would you mind changing your pose, Helga?" Lila asked kindly.
Helga sat up, doing her best to stay covered even as she stretched. "Uh…" she mumbled and tried figuring out how to pose, but all things considered; her mind was turning into one big mess.
"Oh, can I request something?" one of the girls asked with a smile. Helga wasn't sure whether the girl really just wanted to request a pose or if she was trying to help her, but she nodded anyhow. The girl stood up from her seat and stepped in front of Helga, covering her as she guided her into a new position. By the time the girl was done, Helga had her arms twisted behind her back, her hair cascading over her arms. She was sitting on her knees and the chiffon covered her waist and her right breast.
"Is that ok?" the girl whispered. Helga smiled as she nodded. So she really did try to help me. She thought thankfully and whispered a thank you to the girl. The girl simply smiled back before moving away, thereby removing her body as a screen to Helga. The abrasive blonde had to force herself not to scowl when she heard one of the boys whistle. Focus on Arnold! She told herself, thinking that he out of all the boys at least he wouldn't be looking at her with lewd eyes. Well, except for Eugene, but he was as gay as they got, so he didn't count.
When Helga looked at Arnold, their eyes met and the blonde boy instantly looked into his sketchbook. Helga couldn't help but cock her head to the side curiously. Interesting. I had somehow expected Dark Arnold to come out, but this is regular shy Arnold… She thought, unsure whether she was relieved or disappointed.
Once Lila had declared that they were ready to start, Arnold's pencil started scribbling furiously on the paper. Focus on the drawing, focus on the drawing… He told himself, but felt his eyes already traveling up to look at Helga. This is not how I imagined seeing her naked for the first time… Well, not truly naked, but… He thought and his eyes caught sight of Helga's creamy breast. Get your mind out of the gutter! He scolded himself and attempted to draw again. Helga didn't come here just to feed my dirty thoughts!
As soon as Arnold has insisted on that, he stopped drawing. Wait… He thought and looked up at Helga whom he noticed was still looking at him. Could she… be doing this on purpose…? Did she come here to tease me…? He wondered and as if she could read his mind, she blinked at him. He flinched, feeling his entire body react to the small gesture. He put his sketchbook down flat on his lap, attempting to hide his reaction to the world. She might be doing this on purpose. She's always bullied me and this is just a new tactic, isn't it?
Arnold could feel Helga's eyes on him. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise and he jolted at the knowing look the cocky blonde suddenly shot him. Well, well… it was worth coming here after all. She thought. Poor Football Head. Now you know what you've been doing to me lately.
The beeping echoed again and Lila declared that Helga should change her pose.
One of the girls were about to suggest something, but Helga waved it off. "No, thank you. I think I'm more relaxed now." She admitted. She let her hair fall down her back and placed her palms on the soles of her feet. The chiffon fell a little down on her shoulder, uncovering her other breast. She could hear a few gulps in the room, probably from the boys she figured. She winked at Arnold once more and she could see that he finally realized why she was doing this. Serves you right. She thought before sticking her tongue out at him.
Arnold almost groaned before Lila declared they could begin drawing again. It's revenge, I know it. I guess I can't blame her; Dark Arnold has been messing with her a lot lately… He thought as he turned the page and started to outline her shape. He took a deep breath before he looked at her again, watching how she was curling her back elegantly like a cat. He gulped and felt that his pencil was moving on its own even though his eyes were still glued on Helga.
Uh… perhaps I hadn't thought this through. Helga thought as she felt a familiar warmth spread in her body and a tingling sensation between her thighs. Arnold is, after all, looking at my almost naked body right now – why didn't I think about myself reacting?!
Helga almost sighed in relief when Lila said it was time to change into her last position. Time was really flying by and yet Helga felt as if she had been there for hours.
"Uh, can I request a pose?" Arnold asked, moving his hand into the air as he spoke. Helga quirked an eyebrow at his eagerness and shrugged.
He stood up from his seat and sat down on his knees next to her. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" he asked as he touched the chiffon on her thighs, moving it down to cover her up a bit more.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Helga lied with a shrug. Arnold shot her a glance that told her he didn't believe her one bit. He didn't say another word though as he put his hand on her hip and guided her to lie down even with her legs still bend. He knew she was flexible enough to handle this pose since no pain showed on her face. Damn it. He thought with reddened cheeks, tightened his grip on her flesh for a moment before standing up and moving back to his seat.
Interesting choice. Helga thought as she moved her arms up, attempting a casual but seductive pose. It seemed to work because the boys she wasn't familiar with all moved their sketchbooks down to their laps like Arnold had earlier.
The only ones who seemed unaffected were the girls, Curly and Eugene. Even Harold was coughing unnaturally from time to time, definitely in an inner battle with himself whether he really would admit that he found Madam Fortress Mommy attractive despite their battles over the years.
Helga didn't care about all the others though. Her eyes were fixed on Arnold and she knew he was looking at her even though he was pretending he wasn't. Helga arched her back a little more, purely due to the fact she was getting a little uncomfortable, but the reaction she got from the boys was priceless. Some gulped, some even moaned a little bit and others shut their eyes in order to control themselves.
Helga could hear some of the girls whispering about how disgusting the boys were for seeing a naked female and then only be able to think about sex. Helga almost snickered. Innocent and naïve. She thought gleefully about the girls. Wait until you hear that the theme for next month is the male body; let's see if you can still think only about art then.
"Thank you for doing this for us, Helga." Lila said just before her phone beeped again.
The blonde sat up, moving the chiffon over her breasts to cover up. "You're welcome, Lila. It was…" she said and looked in Arnold's direction as she tied the fabric around her torso and waist. "Surprisingly fun."
Arnold almost growled at Helga's comment, but he was too focused on watching her as she stood up from the stage and stretched once more. She may have been completely covered up when she did that, but her stretching still earned a few gulps from the boys around her.
"See you tomorrow." Helga said casually and waved before she walked out of the room.
Arnold sighed in almost relief before he skimmed through his drawings. His whole body relaxed and tensed at the same time at each image of Helga in his sketchbook. He barely heard Lila when she suggested taking a ten minute break and yet he was the first one to leave the room. He walked through the hallway and towards the room he knew the models dressed and redressed. He knew his eyes were burning, but his common sense failed to stop him from opening the door into where he knew Helga was.
Helga had already pulled her jeans up to her hips and her bra was on, but she hadn't buttoned up the shirt yet so when Arnold burst in, he could see her pink bra, which was innocent compared to what he had seen earlier and yet his eyes started at her breasts in the reflection.
"Arnold!" Helga shrieked in surprise before she wrapped her shirt around her body, not bothering to attempt buttoning it while he was in the room. "What are you doing?"
Arnold looked into Helga's eyes through the mirror. She had slightly flushed cheeks, obviously surprised to see him there. He stepped closer and she tensed.
"A-Arnold, what are you…" Helga started, but didn't finish her sentence before Arnold wrapped his arms around her, hugging her with his face burrowed in her hair. She stared at her own reflection of being embraced like that by a boy, and Arnold for that matter. It was a strange image, but not unwelcome.
"Please don't… do that again." Arnold begged in a muffled voice, but Helga could hear him.
"Do what…?"
"I don't… I don't want others to see you like that… I want to be the only one." Arnold admitted almost shyly and Helga felt her cheeks flare up. Cute! She squeaked inside her mind, feeling her heart speed up to a hundred miles the hour. "Please, promise?" Arnold asked and Helga nodded, but remember that he couldn't see her.
"Y-Yeah, sure. No problem. I-I only did it because Lila practically begged anyway…" Helga answered and Arnold let go of her.
"Thank you." The blonde boy said gratefully before kissing the blonde girl's neck and then leaving her alone. Helga almost fell to her knees, but forced herself to stay standing up. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy… I can handle aggressive Arnold better than this cute and pleading one. I swear, if he asked me to kill someone in that voice, I'd probably do it. She thought and put her hand over the spot Arnold had kissed. I guess we're both changing, Arnold.
Author's 2nd note: Be happy! I wrote this as quickly as I could after getting home from Norway. I'm going to my Dad's to celebrate Christmas today so there really won't be anymore chapters for a while. I should be able to get the next chapter uploaded before the new year, but I can't say when so… Yep :3 Happy holidays and happy New Year's! :D
