Disclaimer: Nick and Craig Bartlott own Hey Arnold!

Post FTI, after The Jungle Movie and after The Patakis!

Hey Arnold: Geraldine

Chapter X: Awkward

"Arnold!, Arnold!, Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Earth to Football Head what's wrong, I just asked a little question?!" Helga told Arnold who had his head in the clouds so to speak of. She had just asked who's the person he's having a crush on and he stands here like a deer caught in the headlights. So something was definet not right, something has to be going on, Helga now was sure of it. On the other side Arnold was really spacing out and daydreaming since the question about who he has a crush on left Helga's mouth. Right then he realised that all things he imagined, good and bad have just been inside his dreamy head, that he still hasn't answered her jet and that it must have been at least more then five minutes till now. Was it embarrassing, sure it was, was it getting more awkward the longer he hasn't answer, hell yeah!

But to be honest Arnold-o didn't know how to response correctly, he had imagined a few outcomes of possible answers by now, but since he didn't know how Helga felt, he was pretty sure he didn't want to ruin the rest of whatever was left between them just by making a wrong move now.

"It's complicated!" the football headed boy just blurred out. Sure it wasn't the best thing to say, but he didn't lie or made thinks worth by that statement, of that Arnold was sure right now. At least he hoped so, since he wasn't really sure of anything at all in the moment, but he always hoped for the best and looked at the bright side for himself and anyone else. Wasn't that what she loved in him at the first place, wasn't that what was bounding them since they were three.

"So what Hair Boy? Love is never easy but that's no reason to avoid the question, unlike your embarrassed to tell me it's Gerlad-O!" Helga told him in a typically sarcastic and nearly rude behavior. Knowing the Hellgirl better by now Arnold was sure she didn't meant to insult him with that remark.

"I … it's not always easy to talk about, not everyone can be you, telling people right in the face what they really think out of them, even if it's mean!" Arnold finally avowed. He meant it as a compliment, as the one thing in live he was not always capable of, but that was necessary to if you truly wanted to fit in the world, and be there for yourself and others at really all possible times. Sure you haven't had to be so nasty like Helga most of the time, when you do so, but a little more honest people in the world would clearly be better for everyone. That was one of the sad thinks Arnold had learned by now, sometimes people lied to avoid harm from their beloved ones, sometimes they did the wrong thing, totally knowing what they were doing, cause the heart doesn't always follow the brain and vice versa. Was that bad? Maybe, but maybe that just depends on the outcome of some actions. Sure you should stop before anyone gets hurt, or you force anybody to do something he doesn't want to do, but others than that hasn't Helga proven him wrong so many times. Hadn't the most buildings of the old neighborhood been abandoned the last years? Sure the old buildings ware nice and had their own kind of spirit that made Hillwood special in it's own special way, but Helga once said that things aren't always just black and white when they talked about it as a couple. A lot of friends had to move to other parts of the city, cause business hadn't been great in this old part of town scene then and a lot of buildings where empty now. Shops closed and families lost their long time homes by that and had to move on, on the long term consequences FTi wouldn't been bad for all.

Sometimes he had to admit he was to focused on one side, blind on the other and by that misses something important like he did a few times now in his live. Helga on the other side had always been able to see that other side, while she herself has not often been able to see Arnold's perspective at the first time. Like God and the Devil, like the sun and a black hole, they sometimes seem to be opponent forces. But would there be good if there wasn't bad. Couldn't overdoing good turning into bad as much as seeing bad could lead people to work against it to make things better? So was it really bad that Helga was the Hellgirl, that she was the Devil to his Angel, that she was a opposite force? Wasn't the world a balance of good and evil, wasn't the decision to decide between both forces what made live worth it, what made soul and ethics so important. Wasn't it that by deciding to follow the good or bad side in us, by really have free will that we were humans after all, that we had the chance to thing about our actions and their consequences before we did something wrong the greatest gift of all?

"What bullshit are you talking about Hair you love someone he loves you back, or he doesn't love you back, it's quit simple if you ask me!" hissed Helga and Arnold was sure that she was mad as hops by the tone of her voice and the look he could see from the side view on her face. Was it him she was still mad about, was it what he said and talked about, a combination of both, or had it really nothing to do with anything of it.

Yeah life wasn't easy as a teenager and hormones didn't do you a favor either, whenever he med her Again Arnold had these butterflies, but not like when they first dated. It felt not the same, more intense, new, was truly something other, since he came back from San Lorenzo. Not the he hadn't thought about her all day and night back then in south America, but it was different to see her and talk to her directly again, not just as a imagine in his day- or night dreams.

Maybe because she was the fire that could burn him, maybe she was wild, bossy, angry, a bully and little devil sometimes, but she also was the fire to his motor, a motivation, the dark side that fulfilled his side, the yin to his yang. These dark clouds that could cover his lightning happiness to take him back to earth, to reality when he needed it most sometimes.

A old song from Dino Spumoni, I'm Nuttin' Without You, seamed to fit perfect for the thoughts Arnold just was having about his on and off relationship with his once arch nemesis, his once lover, his one and only one personal Hellgirl:

"Without Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel wouldn't show,

And there ain't no romance in a solo Romeo;

Without Sacajawea, Clark would still be in Duluth;

Without you with me baby, I'm nuttin' — that's the truth!

Without Tweedledum, Tweedledee ain't worth a thing;

Without Quasimodo, that big bell wouldn't ring;

Without Dr. Watson, Sherlock wouldn't have a clue;

Without you with me baby, I'm nuttin' — no, nuttin' —

I'm nuttin' without you!

Yeah!"

Was that was his grandpa always talked about love was all about? That your most lucky in life when you find a partner, that completes all the parts you don't have and you complete him in the exact same way, like two parts ow one unice soul, parted by accident and just completed, when reunited?

Was all of this just crazy talk, or was his own mind getting to a deeper point, Arnold asked himself, cause right now he had now idea what would be best to say, to deal with the whole situation without ruining his chances with Helga forever- at least so he thinks. On the other hand, he and Helga G. Pataki were talking right now, as if nothing really happened, like bag in the old times and that created one of these awkward and scary moments only he and Helga could have Arnold thought.

"But what if the person you like doesn't like you beck, what if she rejects you!" and while Arnold said this he and Helga both seem to realise how familiar these thoughts and words where for them both, by the look and blushing in their eyes. Finally it was Helge, who looked away a little shyly to break the silence.

"Well you'll never know if you never tell her bucko!" with that Helga rolled her eyes in annoyment, how could one single Boy be so dense all by himself all the time she wondered. Arnold had his mouth opened, hesitated to response for a few seconds.

"H … Helga … i!" the football headed boy began as he stared right in Helga's face, while their eyes met.

"A … Arnold!" was a nearly as intelligent answer from the Hellgirl, their detention was over and right now the teacher would send them home any minute. Both teens tried to think of good words now, nearly looking more concentrate than ever before in class.

"… do you want to come to my party?" was the best Arnold could come up with at this very moment.

"Sure … I mean whatever floats your boat Arnold-O!" Helga winked, as she grabbed her back to leave school as soon as possible to meet up with Phoebe. She was in such a hurry, that she didn't even see how brightly Arnold smiled at her statement.