Well, hello hello hello!

And look at that Chapter 9 already? It's surprising to me as well. Considering it only took 10 days to finish this one compared to three weeks. Heh whoops.

But... these next couple stories may be the last ones for a while. Considering that my summer is just about to end in two weeks. D:

So I have plenty of ideas that I want to write, but no time to write them. But hopefully, I can get them out there to you guys soon!

As for Chapter 9, this song is a song no one and I mean NO ONE has probably heard of. Considering it's one of my hidden finds of songs. I can't even find a clip on YouTube to listen to it!
Or anywhere believe it or not.

But if you have Rhapsody or Napster or any other music listening site, look it up. It's Magic Carpet Ride (Take a Ride on My Magic Carpet) by MDO. And yes, it's off a Disney album, don't judge me you.

Oh yeah, and the normal disclaimers. All that stuff. Whatever, Craig Bartlett for characters, song isn't mine.

Now go enjoy Chapter 9!


"Hello, Shortman. Just getting home? How bout some raspberry pie? Your grandma made it."

"Yea, Grandpa, it's been a long day. I think I'm just gonna go upstairs."

"Suit yourself." He took another bite of his pie as Arnold ascended the stairs and collapsed on his bed with a long sigh.

Arnold sat up at the stars in the night sky as he saw a weird flash of color above him.

Climbing the steps up to the roof, he saw what looked like a rug sitting on the rooftop. A festive shade of purple with tints of green, yellow and pink throughout the patterns. As he reached over to touch the golden and frayed edges of the carpet, it bounced to life, knocking him backwards. The carpet soared up into the air and formed circles over his head as he followed it with his eyes. It jerked to a stop and floated safely to the ground behind a water heater that was swallowed in shadows. He hesitated but decided to cross the rooftop towards the carpet.

Footstep after footstep made his heart leap into his throat as he heard the crickets of the night along with someone's slow but steady breathing from somewhere around the area. That's what scared him the most. The idea that someone else was up here with him. As he looked behind the water heater, he noticed the carpet softly resting behind it. He reached over and grabbed one end of the carpet while he noticed another hand grabbing the other end. He paused, but didn't want to let go of it. He slowly looked up as noticed a pair of ice blue eyes staring back at him. He felt a slight edge of paranoia running around his brain, but for some reason, he couldn't pull his gaze away. The figure stepped out of the shadows as Arnold let go of the carpet and stood in a daze.

She was the most beautiful person that she had ever seen in his life. Blonde hair rolling past her shoulders, dressed like Princess Jasmine in one of the Disney movies that he had watched as a kid. The thing that couldn't tear him away was her eyes. They seemed to be hypnotizing him, enticing him to move closer to her. Those eyes seemed so familiar too. He shook himself back into reality as the girl whispered a hello. His heart skipped too many beats.

"You must be wondering how I got up here."

"I…I guess I'm a little…curious…"

She moved closer to him and grinned. Her smile was intoxicating. He felt himself blushing a vivid shade of red as she took two steps closer and he attempted to take one step back.

"You don't wanna go for a ride, do you?" She nodded her head to the carpet.

"I…I…I guess that…"

Before he had time to finish the sentence, she whistled softly as she jumped up on the carpet as it flew towards her. She offered her hand as she hovered above the ground. Arnold glimpsed at his bedroom window and then again to the girl extending her hand. She smiled softly and Arnold felt chills racing up his spine. He looked down at his own hand and raised it to hers. She pulled him up quickly as they raced down the street. Arnold lost his balance as he tightened her grip on her hand. She laughed.

"Scared?"

"N-n-no…"

"Mhmm. I'm sure."

I feel so strange
'Cause she's looking right through me
a feeling I cannot explain
She's put a spell on me
There's no reality

She laughed again. A full, beautiful laugh. He felt himself laughing slightly too. For a few minutes, Arnold watched the city of Hillwood from his newly found view and stared in awe of its beauty. He was surprised that this place that he had grown up in had been so much more different from a whole new point of view. He stared back up at the stars and felt the wind at his back. He turned his attention back over to the girl riding next to him, who had seemed to be watching his expressions curiously.

"Have you had a lot of people riding with you?"

"Never have. Just you."

Arnold felt a smile forming back on his lips that he knew wasn't going to leave anytime soon. As he turned back to her quickly, he noticed the small smile also on her face as she turned to look forwards. He felt his heart flutter and sigh. Every emotion that a guy should be feeling when he was falling in love, falling in love with an interesting girl like her. Interesting, beautiful…hauntingly beautiful. Falling in love at first sight. Now that's something he didn't usually believe in... but he was willing to make an exception…just this once. Falling head over heels, he played with the idea in his head, falling for…wait…just what was her name?

"I…never asked…."

"Never asked for what?"

Arnold blushed.

"Your name."

She smiled.

"Hope. My name is Hope."

"Hope."

Only the sound of her name

A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.

"I'm…"

"Arnold... I know already."

He grinned.

"Oh, well then…good…I guess."

She laughed.

"Ever the charmer, huh?"

"You have no idea."

She's in control of me
I'm lost in fantasy
Floating in black velvet skies

A violent shade of red emerged across Arnold's cheeks as she giggled and pull gently on the edge of the carpet, speeding it up faster. A rush went over him, not just from the confusing feelings that he was currently having for the mysterious Hope, but also due to the winds rushing over his face and body as they traveled through the night sky. It certainly didn't seem like reality to him as he kept attempting to pinch himself. Nothing; not even a single reaction. He grinned. His reality was something too grand to even dream of anyway.

She's supernatural
Freaky dimensional
Haunting the rooms of my mind

The only thing that seemed to be crossing his mind was Hope. The way the light of the moon seemed to be reflecting on her hair, making it seem a lot brighter than it did on his rooftop. Or maybe it was the war the wind was flowing that was making her seem like a complete angel. Well, an angel on a magic carpet. Did angels even have magic carpets? All Arnold knew is that she was something else entirely. And he didn't seem to care. When the carpet suddenly came to a stop back on his rooftop, he felt himself almost falling of the edge as she grabbed a hold of his hand again, sending electrical surges throughout his body. He looked into her eyes. He knew exactly what it was that he liked best about Hope tonight. It was the way the stars seemed to make her eyes twinkle, even the tinest bit, so that it looked like her eyes could belong in the sky as well.

He descended from the carpet and stood beside her.

"Did you like it? The ride?"

"It was amazing. You're amazing."

She smiled softly.

"You're pretty amazing yourself, Arnold."

She leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips. It was like everything in him was about to melt to the ground below.

From the first kiss I knew it was over

From the first day I knew I was born to be her lover

"Goodbye Arnold."

She let go of his hand and jumped back onto the carpet.

"Wait! Will I ever see you again?"

She smiled.

"Of course you will. I'm always around. You might not realize it at first. I like to keep myself hidden. But you'll know it's me, just by looking into my eyes."

"What do you mean?"

"You tell me." She grinned.

"Hope, I… I just want to stay… stay here, maybe go with you…see the world…together."

"Arnold…I'm…not real. I'm not real Arnold. You're dreaming."

"Dreaming? I can't be dreaming…"

"Goodbye Arnold."

"Hope! Wait! I can't be dreaming! I just can't!"

I never knew that love would make me tremble
I never thought my heart could ever take this much

Arnold woke up with a start as he fell out of bed and onto the unforgiving floor. He looked around him as the bright natural light flooded his room. He sighed. So it really was a dream. Hope wasn't real. He had fallen in love with a dream. But what exactly was this dream telling him to do? He changed his clothes and walked down the two sets of stairs and out the front door. Gerald was standing outside with his baseball glove in hand.

"Hey Arnold you look dazed man, you okay?"

"Yea, I'm alright."

"Whatever you say."

As they walked down the street, Gerald was talking about Phoebe, his girlfriend and Arnold just wanted to see if he could even get himself to daydream about Hope, but nothing. She would never appear. He frowned. Just exactly where did she go? He felt his heart actually hurting, all over this stupid dream and this stupid girl. He grumbled to himself as they approached Gerald Field where the rest of the neighborhood teens were gathered for their Saturday game of baseball.

"Hey, where's Helga?"

"Yea, she's usually the first one here."

Arnold took himself out of his daydreams to notice that the blond haired girl wasn't present. He was actually kind of glad that she wasn't here yet, her yelling at him didn't really help much for his daydreams and he wanted to intensely focus on them. He watched out of the corner of his eye as a blonde ran down the street towards them.

"Sorry I'm late, let's get going."

After several hours, the game ended and only Arnold and Helga were remaining at Gerald Field. Arnold leaned against the brick wall as he watched Helga still pitching to an empty home plate. He tried to focus his thoughts back on Hope. Her hair, her smile, her laugh, her eyes. Everything about her, it just wasn't flooding back into his head.

"Hey Football Head!"

Arnold looked up to see Helga running over to him.

"What are you, off in La La Land again? I asked you for my ball back 5 times!"

"Oh, sorry…"

He looked up into her eyes as she leaned over him. For a moment, he thought he saw Helga's eyes twinkle slightly.

And then everything came back.

'Cause she said

Take a ride on my magic carpet
Nothing' in this world can stop it

"You don't wanna go for a ride, do you?"

"I…I …I guess that…"

Flying' high as we rise above it
All 'til morning

"Hope. My name is Hope."

"Hope. I'm…"

"Arnold…I know already."

"Oh…well… good I guess…"

"Ever the charmer huh?"

"You have no idea."

Hold me tight as we oogie-boogie
on my magic carpet ride

"Did you like it? The ride?"

"It was amazing. You're amazing."

"You're pretty amazing yourself, Arnold."

Flying high as you hang on to me
All through the night,

"Wait! Will I ever see you again?"

"Of course you will. I'm always around. You might not realize it at first. I like to keep myself hidden. But you'll know it's me, just by looking into my eyes."

"What does you mean?"

"You tell me."

Just by looking into my eyes.

"Hope?"

"Hope? What about Hope? Is there someone named Hope? You on some kind of crazy pills?"

"I'm fine, Helga. I'm a lot better actually."

"Uh…well, alright then."

"You walking home?"

"Was about to."

"You think I could join you?"

"Whatever floats your boat, Football Head."

Arnold walked beside Helga as he looked back up at her and thought he saw a small smile forming on her mouth.


Well then you finished! Hope you liked it.

Some notes while you are here:

If you couldn't figure it out, yes Hope is Helga. Just in Arnold's dream she acts differently, because Arnold believes that Helga has some good in her and that good is Hope. Arnold knows that there is a different side to Helga but he never thought he'd actually fall in love with it. So basically, Arnold fell in love with the real Helga and now realizes it. Talk about a subconscious huh?

One of the reasons I choose to named Dream Helga Hope is because their names mean almost the same thing. Helga means "holy, blessed and faithful" while Hope means "faith".

So I "hope" (heh, get it.) you enjoyed this chapter and hopefully I'll get a tenth up soon. But I need some help.
Below there is a list of songs and ideas that I had to go with them. When/if you decide to review, put your choice there. That's right I'm letting you choose the song for Chapter 10. A once in a lifetime opportunity. And don't worry if your favorite doesn't get picked, it will be done, just at a later period of time.
So here are your choices!

COLLIDE BY HOWIE DAY- A song fic written through the eyes of Arnold and Helga on their first day of meeting each other. That's right, it's preschool edition!

OBSESSED BY BOA- A song fic written through the eyes of Helga is coming to terms with her feelings for Arnold during a session of therapy with Dr. Bliss.

KILLING ME SOFTLY BY THE FUGEES - A song fic through the eyes of Helga as she meets Arnold who is singing in a coffee house. AU.

BETTER TOGETHER BY JACK JOHNSON- A cute little song fic about Gerald and Phoebe. It would be my first one? xD

HAVEN'T MET YOU YET BY MICHAEL BUBLE- A song fic through the eyes of Sid. CAUSE OMG SID.

LA LA BY THE CAB- A song fic set through the eyes of Rhonda...wait Rhonda now? as she pretty much lies her way throughout her relationship with Curly. INTENSE FEELINGS GALORE.

So there are your choices! I'm giving you reviewers until Saturday to make up your minds and choose. The winner will be typed and complete by hopefully Next Tuesday or Wednesday night.

Thanks for reading! :D