Mid drive to the festival, the weather shifted to less muggy with a nice lukewarm breeze. So that Arnold could give the air conditioner a rest. He delighted at the view of Helga's hair flowing freely. Even if the sight made it difficult to focus on the road.

Once the foursome arrived at the festival, they made their way through the crowds to enjoy the various musicians and singers who took the stage. Arnold and Helga were holding hands the entire time, he convinced her to dance with him multiple times in spite of her reluctance because of the style of music.

Arnold at some point spotted a record store. Searching inside, he was astonished to see such great music on sale for cheaper prices than they would be in a department or online store.

Helga skimmed through the bag of records he bought. "Hmm, jazz is cool, not my favorite. Thank God, you're not into Justin Beiber...or something."

Arnold with a pretend pout and took his bag. "Helga, it hurts my feelings you thought so little of my musical taste."

"Well, your taste in other areas was lacking so much that I figured..." Trailing off jokingly giving him a knowing look.

His lip curled up. "Point made," but then he elbowed her. "Hey, look who's talking... " He said teasingly. "Wolfgang..."

Helga shut her eyes, snickered. "You got me there."

He quieted for a second. "Seriously, why did you date him?"

She shrugged. "I'm not proud of it, but to get out of the house. I knew how to handle Wolf. I had plenty of practice at home. Besides ..." She lightheartedly put on her scowl. "The nice guys thought I was too scary."

Arnold looked her over affectionately. "I didn't. Confusing, but not scary. I knew you were a caring person."

"Yeah, well..." She looked away bashfully. "You've always been the exception, in a lot of ways." Meeting his gaze, she saw a very happy Arnold and rolled her eyes lightheartedly. "K, enough of this." She put her arm around his shoulder and spotted her friends at a distance. "C'mon, let's go throw rocks at Geraldo and Pheebs trying to make out in that corner over there." Arnold chuckled and let her tug him along with her.

Following the highs of dating Arnold and having a pretty decent job, were followed by, of course, some low of her home life; now that Levi went back home. Helga missed him staying at her house because, for one thing, she enjoyed having a younger relative around, he felt more like a little brother than a cousin. But also, Bob reverted to focusing his negative attention on Helga.

Her arms folded, she paced back and forth in the living room getting rid up with the sound of her father's voice.

"I can't believe you'd want to date a boy like him, Olga!"

"Why not? He's the best person I know and I love him."

Bob cackled maniacally and threw his large head back. "What do you know about love? What are you thirteen?"

Helga huffed and folded her arms. "Add four to that number Bob and I know more about love than you."

"Hey, you control that lip of yours. Now if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have that cushy job of yours and you'd be sitting around just as worthless as your mother. Why can't you be a good, decent kid like your sister or your cousin Levi? I've heard about that Arthur kid. Not only is he an orphan that lives with his lunatic family, but I heard he's quitting the football team right before his senior year. Who does that? An idiot, that's who!"

Helga felt angrier at his words toward Arnold than the insults toward her. She's used to his insults and her self-confidence has reached a level that his words just bounced off her. "Arnold is not an orphan. His parents have been back in Hillwood. But even if they were, that doesn't give you the right to call him that!"

"You stop backtalking and listen! He's no good for the Pataki family to be associated with." She could see gobs of spit flying out his big mouth, but thankfully none landed on her. Disgusted, she grabbed her purse; which was hanging on the coat rack and opened the door. "Whatever girl, leave! You're a dark cloud and a pain in my side anyway." He went to slouch down in his chair.

The door shut behind her and she sat down on the steps. She felt her phone vibrate and saw she received a message from Arnold asking her to come by the boarding house. He offered her a ride, but she'd rather take the walk to calm down.

Arnold stepped out onto his stoop and looked to the left to see his girlfriend a few steps away. He took in her appearance, her natural beauty took his breath away, he admired how she made band tee-shirts and cut-off jeans look good.

Arnold loved her in that dress with her hair and makeup done, but it didn't compare to seeing her like this, maybe because she seemed more content dressed this way and that made her more beautiful to him.

Helga moved in towards him, loving the sight of his usual upturned lips and genial demeanor.

Reaching out his arms, to hug her, but she lightly jabbed him in the gut, dipping under his arm to go in. Chuckling, he followed her inside. "Hi, Pataki."

"Hey, Shortman." She responded with humor in her voice while backing up towards the steps to his room.

Catching up to her, he slid past her to open the door. "Thanks for coming by."

They went inside his room and Helga was reading a text message she received from her father and her tension rose.

He regarded her with concern. "Are you okay?"

She sank down on his couch and shrugged, tossing her phone aside with nonchalance. "Nothing new, the same old bullheadedness."

He observed her for a second and then pulled her up into a hug. Arnold didn't know, of course, what he said this time, but he'd overheard Bob barking out demands or insults at her while they were on the phone or when he would walk her to the door after dates. "You know you're great, right?" He asked in between kissing her. "Don't listen to what he says, it's all the result of his issues within himself."

Feeling the tension in her so he started eagerly planting dot-like kisses on her face until she playfully pushed him away. "Doi, I know. He just gets on my nerves."

Arnold tucked his hands in his pockets looking at her. "Would you tell me if it were more than that?"

Helga nodded when she realized what he meant. "Yeah, I'm not sad or anything." She tapped his nose. "Really, Arnold, I'm fine. I don't even pay attention to the stuff he says about me anymore." She peeked over at his messy desk full of CD cases and raised a brow at him. "What were you doing before I got here?"

"Oh... um working on something... let me straighten up a bit." He dashed over to his desk.

She went to browse through his bookshelf, skimming through a random mystery book, she found a folded-up paper and opened it up.

"Arnold's dream jobs." Helga started while reading and Arnold turned around, looking at her curiously. "1. Archeologist, 2. Psychologist, 3. Record store owner?" Helga paused and looked at him. "Not to shoot down your dreams, but record stores have practically gone extinct."

"I wrote that ages ago." He squinted. "Where did you find it?"

"Wedged in a book," Her eyes fell to finish reading. "4. Veterinarian, 5. Basketball coach. Hmm, I could picture you in any of these jobs." Folding it back up and putting it in the book, she smiled at him. "At least you always had goals."

Arnold walked over next to her. "That's because I was always daydreaming. I spent a lot of time thinking about what was up ahead ..." He started rubbing his hands together. "I guess as a way of distracting myself from the things that were bothering me at the time." His half-lidded eyes raked over her and his hand came to her waist and gently pulled her over to his desk. "I have something I want you to listen to, something I put together."

She looked up at him as he put the earplugs on her. "Is this what you were working on?"

Nodding, he clicked play.

She heard a few seconds of various songs; which all had romantic or uplifting messages, mainly soft rock and folk, the type of music she preferred.

Once it was over, she smiled sweetly. "That was so boss."

Her uninhibited smile made him melt. "I...I." He paused, getting flustered. "Those song lyrics made me think of you. And... I made it because I want you to listen to it ... and be reminded of how much I... care about you."

Helga stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She giggled at the tickling sensation of his fingers tracing the tattooed area on her stomach. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He looked at where his hands were. "Hey... um, what made you get this tattoo?"

She looked down and raised her shirt a little to reveal it. "It represents harmony. I use to find myself drawing it and randomly one day I walked into a shop and got it done. 'Cause it inspired me to, uh seek balance and let in the good."

His eyes were fixed on the tattoo. "Interesting, I never looked at the symbol that way."

"Um... also it describes how I see love and relationships." She glanced up at his skylight as if recalling a memory. "One time, I briefly dated this guy Chris. Everyone on my team kept saying we would be good together because we're nearly the exact same person. They were right about the similarities and we ended up butting heads. There was no electricity or passion, it was a headache and a bore of a relationship." She looked down stroking her fingers faintly over the tat. "I guess in a way it helped me to never give up on the guy I always knew was my yang." Helga bit down her lip, looking at him half-lids but feeling the tiniest bit embarrassed at her admission.

Arnold appeared thoughtful and then looked at her with his signature smile full of warmth. Out of nowhere, he tugged her closer to giving her an intense kiss that caught her off-guard, in a good way.

"This place is so cheesy," She peeked over to see the smallest smirk on his face. "Literally, no wonder you like it." She teased. Both standing in the entrance, looking out at the scene ahead. "I haven't been to the cheese festival since ..." Trailing off, she couldn't remember the last time.

Arnold faintly brushed up against her, he had a hunch she was feeling a little jaded. "I know you haven't."

She took a step to the side to look at him. "You know?"

He gave her a modest shrug. "I always noticed when you weren't around."

That earned him a tiny eye roll. "Oh, because nobody was hurling insults, making your ears bleed."

He laughed and squeezed his lids shut. "I suppose that was part of it. But further, no one was around to keep me on my toes..." He stepped back, taking in the rare appearance of a shy, quiet Helga. "You're so cute." He whispered and kissed her forehead. "Let's go have fun."

For some reason, everything kept going wrong, every single step of their way during their festival. The thing that happened that really caught his attention and made him suspicious was losing his tickets.

When Arnold went to pay to play a game with her, he reached into pockets they his tickets had vanished. "What the hell? I put my tickets right in my pocket this makes no sense."

Helga shrugged. "Are you sure you don't have a hole in your pocket?"

He reached in and pulled the fabric upward. "See, no holes, no way tickets just jumped out, someone must have stolen them."

"Probably a bratty kid." She noticed the irritation and disappointment in him. "No biggie, ya girl got tickets."

"Yeah, okay," He mumbled grumpily as they went to a booth.

Next, the stuffed animal he won for her, suddenly went missing, and at one point while on a ride, it started to move faster than normal; which Helga thought was funny even if she had to rush off to the bathroom.

Arnold was standing near the women's restroom waiting for her when he spotted someone peeking behind a statue clearing looking at him.

He made a detour in order to catch who this mystery person was stalking them. He was a little stunned at who the culprit was. "Lila?!" She jumped back nearly bumping her head against the metal statue. "What are you doing?" He said in an accusatory tone.

Folding her hands in front of her she smiled sweetly. "Um, I'm enjoying the cheese festival like everyone else, silly."

He took a few steps back. "Cut the innocent act. It was you that's been following Helga and I around this whole time trying to sabotage our date."

"I'm ever so certain you have me mistaken."

"Save it, I even thought I caught a glimpse of you behind us a few times, but I figured it was just a coincidence. But, you can knock off your little childish plan because isn't going to work."

She dropped her sickeningly sweet expression. "Alright, maybe I have been, but I'm only following her example and getting my revenge."

"Revenge?"

She stuck her nose in the air arrogantly. "Yeah, it's not like I want you back or anything. I hate Helga."

Arnold squinted and frowned deeper. "What reason could you possibly have to hate Helga?"

"For one, Helga followed you and I around while we were trying to enjoy the cheese festival together. She was the reason everything went wrong and I nearly drowned."

Arnold held his forehead. "Okay, what I remember about that day with is you being a whiny brat who strung me along for your own pleasure. As far as Helga, even if she did that, she was nine not nearly eighteen like you."

Lila continued as if she hadn't heard a word he said. "And then when we started high school, she was the reason eventually everyone turned on me. She was always going around telling people I wasn't as innocent as I seemed."

He shrugged. "Well, it's not as if she was lying. I wish I had listened to her."

Lila snarled, narrowing her eyes on him. "You're always taking up for her why? You always did, you always forgive her when she made it her life mission to humiliate you. You always excused her meanness. Why?"

His tone and expression softened as he thought of her. "Because I know and always knew deep down she didn't mean it. She's a good person who has done lots of kind things for me and others. She was scared back then because the people who were supposed to love her ignored her and made her feel less than. So she hid the softer side of herself ... to keep anyone else from hurting her." He sighed, his glare returning. "Whereas you always seemed nice on the surface and I thought you were this sweet person, who even if I never dated I thought could at least be a good friend, but you're the one who can't be trusted and to be honest," He paused. "I wouldn't be upset at all if I never saw your face or heard your shrilling voice again."

He went off to find Helga.

"False alarm." She said casually regarding her feelings of motion sickness. Noticing the less than Arnold-like expression, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Arnold sucked his teeth. "Lila, she's been following us around this whole time because she said she's trying to get revenge against you."

"You've got to be kidding me." She shook his head. "Maybe we should go?"

Arnold sighed, "I guess," and crossed his arms. "I can't believe she's ruined things."

She waved a hand and snorted. "Pfft, her amateur tricks... I just rather not see you upset. We can have a good time anywhere." Helga cozied up close to him.

He couldn't fight off the broad smile resulting from her touch. "Yeah, you're right." He mumbled.

Poking him in the chest smothering a laugh. "The sooner you accept I'm always right, the smoother life will be for you, bucko."

While heading towards the parking lot area, Helga spotted Lila ducking behind a pole and decided to confront her. "Lila, what's your deal, why are you still following us around?"

Lila moved from her hiding place and strutted up to the couple. "I'm only leading by your example." In a tone of false innocence. "You did the same thing, remember? I know you had been trying to steal him from me the whole time we were together."

"That's horseshit and you know it. I never came near you and Arnold when you were dating. The only time Arnold and I even spoke was during class periods. I left you two alone and had my own life."

"Whatever, even as kids you were always around trying to sabotage our good time. Then you graduated to ruining my reputation. You couldn't stand that I not only had the affection of the boy you pathetically crushed on but I was popular and everyone loved me. You couldn't handle it. Yes, I found out it was you who would go around warning everyone about me."

"Not that I care about this petty shit, but when I became a star player on the lacrosse team, I gained popularity in my own right. So why the hell would I jealous of yours? Sure, I warned a few people, but they didn't listen to me." her eyes landed on Arnold for a second, even though she like to tease him. She's still hoping that didn't make him feel guilty. "It took them to actually see you doing manipulative things. Like backstabbing Rhonda so that you could get her position on the cheerleading squad, for example, for them to see the light. I suppose you think that was my fault too huh? And as far as me sabotaging things when we were kids, I was a jealous little girl with a big crush. I've matured since then."

Lila with a smug grin scanned over Helga and saw Arnold was holding on to her hand. "And now look at you, you have him wrapped around your finger. This was your plan, wasn't it?"

Helga glanced at Arnold, who looked just as confused as she felt. "Lila, is this how you want to spend your summer vacation? Following around Helga and me; who want nothing to do with you?" She seemed to ignore his question with her attention steadily on Helga.

She shook her head. "Don't you have James, he's the reason you broke up with Arnold so why do you seem so bothered that we're together?"

"Because you don't deserve him!"

"You don't get to decide-"

She placed a hand to his face. "Arnold this is between us." Narrowing her eyes back at Helga, she stepped up to Helga with her hands on her hips. "You might have everyone else fooled, but not me. You can shave off that unibrow you sported for years, but you're still the same ugly, pathetic, worthless, bully you were when we were children. You deserve to be with your equal, Wolfgang. You're such a horrible bitch!"

Arnold gritted his teeth and glared violently at her. "Wait a minute, Lila-"

He felt Helga snatched away. "Arnold..." She said firmly and regarded Lila with nonchalance. "Trying to grow balls?" She got closer to Lila and noted how the girl's tough facade faltered. "FYI, everything you've said, I've heard a million times, if you really want to hurt me you better come harder than that."

"Oh, I-

"I'm not done." She lowered the hand she put up to her face. "You want desperately to go back to the old days when you were adored and I was disregarded. Sorry toots that's not happening. Because unlike you, I've learned how to treat people. But if you keep going about using people and then tossing them aside when they're no longer satisfying you. You'll find yourself literally alone and you'll have only yourself to blame." Helga glanced at her hands, which were balled up, she guessed she did that subconsciously. "I could have cracked your face." Seeing Lila gulp made her smirk. "That would be too easy because you can't fight worth shit. So I'm sparing you." She rolled her eyes and getting bored with this girl and this conversation feeling her patience running thin. "Screw it ..." She spat out with greater irritation. "You know what? You do whatever you want with your time, just fuck off, get a life and stay out of mine." Folding her arms, she turned her back to the redhead.

"Lila," Arnold started once he was sure Helga was done. "Whatever you say or do isn't going to make a difference because I know the real Helga and I know the real you. She is who I choose to be with. The whole time I was with you, I was always drawn to Helga. And I think that always made you angry. Not because you wanted me, but because you simply wanted to win. I'm sorry that you're so jealous, hate filled and selfish that even though you don't want to be with me, you don't want me to be happy. I know you're not stupid enough to believe that Helga is this horrible person, everyone has wised up to that including you. You just want me to sit around begging for your affection and be available to rescue you whenever a guy you think is the one, breaks your heart. Like I stupidly did in the past, but that time is over, so stop wasting your time and move the hell on because I have." Pure reproach and repugnance seeped through his pores at her. Her ego seemed to crumble as she stomped off in defeat.

Helga glanced at Arnold, who was gazing down and she was about to step towards the car but he entwined their hands. "Hold on. There's one more thing we need to do before we leave."

Arnold pointed to the sign ahead and craned his neck to glance at Helga. "C'mon. let's get on."

"You wanna go in the tunnel of love?" Helga felt her irritation melt away and the little girl in her started doing cartwheels.

"Yeah, I never had a good time on it. I was always with the wrong person..." First frowning, then he started laughing. "I remember once I ended up with my grandmother... how that happened, I still don't know, but it's funny to think about now."

Helga laughed too but nudged him. "Aye, at least your grandmother is cool. It's better than ending up on the boat with someone's hot breath steaming into your neck."

He squinted one his eyes at her. "Brainy?"

Helga started to laugh. "Yep, good old Brainy."

Arnold laughed at what she said, but also at himself for that scant moment, he felt jealous of Brainy when he saw the two of them talking at Sid's party. He smiled. "So how about we make up for the awkward memories and create some new ones."

She nodded.

Politely, he helped her get on and they sat down and immediately snuggled. The tunnel had changed so that rowing wasn't necessary and it was slightly longer. "Helga..." He whispered.

"Hmm?"

"There is something I've been wanting to tell you ... since that night up on my rooftop after the meeting with my coach."

"Uh-huh, and what's that?"

She heard him take a deep breath. "That I love you."

Her body shot up to look at him, her eyes stretched open wider and Arnold had to smother a laugh at her nearly cross-eyed expression. Helga swallowed and collected her thoughts somewhat while positioning herself so that she was across from him. "Y...You do?"

He lowered in to kiss her hand and his semi fervent gaze was on her. "Yes."

Helga felt herself nearly getting lost in a reverie, but she snapped herself out of it. "You've felt this way since that night?"

"Yeah, when we were up on that rooftop. I experienced something different with you. Something I hadn't ever felt with any other girl I was interested in, much deeper than a crush." He chuckled softly. "I talked to my dad after you left and he bluntly told me I was in love." He bit his bottom lip and thought for a second. "I didn't want to spring those feelings on you, especially while I was still processing everything myself and I didn't want to scare you off..."

That reminded her of FTi.

"But I couldn't deny it. How could I not feel that way about you? You are so intelligent, complex and beautiful. You make me look at the world clearer and help me come to tough conclusions. You're fun and make me feel excited about what's to come." He swallowed and looked at the water beneath them. "I wanted to tell you, especially after seeing you work hard, pushing through in spite of your unsatisfying home life and dealing my ex., you still manage to be a ray of sunshine in my life. And you don't even ask for much, even though you deserve everything your heart desires." He took a beat. "So yeah, I know this is corny but it felt right, to come here on this ride and tell you I love the person you are and I've fallen in love with you."

He heard her breath hitch and a split second later her fingers came to grab him by the collar of his shirt, she pulled him into a passion filled kiss. Deepening the motions of her lips with just a touch of tongue, that didn't break until the boat came to a stop. Reluctantly, she removed her lips from his and ascended out of the boat, helping up a dazed Arnold.

Helga looked at him with the soft gaze that always made forget reality. "Mind dropping by my place?"

He frowned slightly, snapping out of the haze he'd fallen into, that wasn't the response he expected after what he confessed, but he complied.

When she unlocked her door to let them in she noticed the worry on his features. "Bob is out, mom's asleep, but this shouldn't take long, I wanna show you something."

Once they were in her room, she took out a pink and purple small diary. She flipped through it, ignoring her trepidation and handed it over to him.

On her bed, he reads a few pages as she sat at her desk browsing on the internet.

"Helga, this is." He sits up straight looking at her, his mouth slightly open. "I always knew you were a great writer, but this is beyond my expectations."

Turning her attention to him with relief, "You like them?"

"Like?" He beamed. "I love them, you're so talented."

She nodded with a delicate smile. "Well, when you have a charming, occasionally oblivious football head as inspiration, you kinda can't go wrong."

His eyebrows raised and he peeked over both his shoulders and pointed at himself. "You're telling me these poems are all about me?"

Helga covered her mouth to suppress a giggle. "Some of them are about other topics... but most of them, yes. The... love poems ..."

He ran his fingers through his head and paused, looking at her. "That's, uh... Hmmm ... wow, Helga, I don't know what to say." His mind went back to FTi, and even further to the day, he found a book of poetry on the bus. "So those love poems are about me..." He stared at her, blinking like he was waiting for her to say something.

Helga rolled her eyes, blushing. "I suppose you want to hear me say it, huh?"

With a warm smile, he stretched his arms out. "C'mere." She sat down next to him and he scooped her up in his arms and whispered in her ear, "I wouldn't mind..."

Finally, she relaxed and nuzzled her head into his neck, smiling, she whispered back. "I love you too."

Thanks for stopping by and for the reviews;)