I am sooooo sorry I took so long to post this. I actually have a lot of homework ALL the time now becuase I'm taking like 14 units. So time is a luxury right now. I'll try to post up as much as I can, but I'm definately almost done with this story. I'm estimating around chapter 15 or 16 it will end. So, I'll do as much as I can. Especially since I had to drop a class yesterday cuz the teacher and the people were pissing me off to no end. Now I have a bit more free time. Hence the posting of the new chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Toying With You

"Helga! Wait up!"

Helga had her hands in her pockets walking back home. She turned slowly to see who had called out her name.

"Oh, it's you," Helga hissed, "I thought I made myself clear Brainy!"

Brainy tried to catch his breath as he looked at her sorrowfully. "Just let me expla—, "

"NO!" Helga turned on her heel and continued to walk home. Brainy followed behind from a safe distance. He didn't want to be knocked out by her before setting this problem. She growled at him and shook her fist for him to go away, but he was persistent. As they reached her house, Brainy took in a deep breath as she unlocked her door.

"You know, you may not believe me but I do love you," Brainy began, but Helga already opened the door and stepped inside, "you're just afraid." She stopped and turned to look at him from the corner of her eye as she held the door knob.

"…Afraid?" Helga repeated sarcastically. Brainy held his gaze on her without responding. Helga walked back and looked at him. "I am not afraid," Helga began as she slowly walked down her steps, "I am not afraid to tell you: Hell no! I don't love you back! And I am not afraid to kick your ass and make sure everyone sees it!"

"Then why didn't you right then and there?" Brainy snapped back. Helga looked as if she had been defeated and stared down at him as she hesitated to go inside.

Why didn't I kick his ass?

She looked up at him with eyes that pitied him and proceeded to go inside without a word. Brainy sighed as he looked down, then stuffed his hands in his pockets, and walked away. Helga ran upstairs to her room and slammed the door. She let out an anguished cry and fell forward on her bed. She reached for her pillow while her face was still buried in her bed, and placed the pillow over her head. She muffled a scream that could be faintly heard from her room. She began to sob through her pillows for several moments. Helga couldn't stop crying and she wondered why.

That prick! If he just wants to be friends, then why'd he kiss me back? Aaaaggghhh! Stupid Football Head!

"Helga! There's a friend on the phone for you!" Miriam called from outside the door. Helga lifted her head with an angry scowl across her face; tears staining her cheeks.

"Who!" Helga yelled.

"Uh….his name was Arthur or—,"

"Arnold?"

"Yes! I think that's it! Well, he's on the phone for you," Miriam said as her voice faded from the door as she walked away. Helga immediately reached her arm over to her dresser, picked up the phone and put it to her ear.

"Helga?" the voice asked.

"Arnold? What are you calling me for?" Helga snapped.

"It's Arnie," he replied calmly. Helga gave a loud grunt and relaxed her hand that gripped tightly on her phone.

"Why the hell are you calling my house?" Helga asked with an annoyed tone.

"Well, I wanted Arnold to ask you but, he said he couldn't do it," Arnie said and began to mutter something sarcastically under his breath.

"What?" Helga hissed.

"Nothing, I just wanted to know if you would like to go out somewhere tomorrow night," Arnie asked.

"Criminy! I already told you no! What's it gonna take for you to get a clue?" Helga yelled as she punched her pillow into her bed.

"I just thought maybe you'd change your mind by now," Arnie explained and snorted.

Helga gave a disgusted grunt and hung up the phone. She leaned her forehead against the palm of her hand and sighed. Helga suddenly looked as if she had found something unusual.

It sounded like Arnie said: "I knew he wouldn't be able to prove it."

"You said what?" Gerald asked with a high pitched voice. Arnold frowned at his reaction as he leaned back in his couch and rested his head. Arnold was talking to Gerald on the phone soon after telling Arnie he couldn't ask Helga to go out with his cousin.

"I said: we should just be friends…," Arnold replied through half lidded eyes as his hands pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I heard what you said, I just can't believe you actually said it," Gerald said and gave a slight chuckle.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do Gerald."

"Man, neither do I," Gerald began, "Do you really want to just be friends with Helga?"

"Of course not," Arnold answered almost immediately.

"Then why'd you say it?"

"I…I just—I mean, Arnie put me in a really tough spot and wanted me to ask her to go on a date with him, and I just felt so guilty for kissing her right after he had asked me that, and I—I just—,"

"Alright, let me stop you right there," Gerald interrupted, "Arnie asked you to tell Helga to go on a date with him?"

"Yeah…," Arnold answered. Gerald sighed in annoyance and cleared his throat.

"Okay, that was your first mistake," Gerald began, "You're just giving Arnie power over you man!"

"What? No I'm not," Arnold said as he squint his eyes.

"Yes! You are!" Gerald continued, "Arnie wants to break you so he can move in on your territory! When a guy asks you to do that, it's because they know you have feelings for them! Arnie knows Helga's still in love with you, and he's trying to turn her against you."

"But—,"Arnold mumbled.

"But, what?" Gerald mocked.

"I mean, well—it's just," Arnold gulped, "Arnie isn't that—clever."

"Trust me Arnold, you'd be surprised what competition can do to a man," Gerald said. Arnold took a moment to let it sink in and suddenly rose up from his seat.

"Wait, so you're saying that Arnie actually knows what he's doing?" Arnold stated.

"Yes!" Gerald shouted.

"Well, let's say that is true, I can't just immediately assume and tell Arnie to back off!" Arnold said with an annoyed tone.

"Come on, Arnold! He obviously knows what he's doing! Why else would he have you ask Helga instead of doin' it himself?" Gerald reprimanded.

"Maybe he's just scared of being rejected or something," Arnold replied, not believing it himself.

"Think about it, man," Gerald took in a deep breath, "Arnie couldn't possibly be afraid of asking Helga to go out with him, especially after confessing his love for her in the fourth grade, and the boy doesn't hesitate when he sees something he wants, you know, like gum." Arnold sighed and got up from his seat.

"Maybe I should talk to him first…," Arnold said with uncertainty.

"No! That'll only make him believe that you already know what he's doing and go in for the kill!" Gerald exclaimed.

"The kill?" Arnold asked.

"What I mean is: he'll stop beating around the bush and go after her since his game is over," Gerald continued.

"Beating around the bush? You mean—,"

"Toying with you," Gerald finished.

Arnold looked over his shoulder to his door realizing it was slightly opened. He walked over to close it and lowered his tone of voice. "Arnie's toying with me?"

"Only one way to find out for sure," Gerald said with a challenged tone.

Arnie stood outside the boarding house, staring intently at the pigeons eating the crumbs he provided. The door swung open behind him with a smiling Arnold, and he looked up at him with uninterested eyes.

"Hey, I have really good news for you," Arnold said as he closed the door behind him. Arnie raised his brow slightly. "It's about Helga," Arnold continued. At this point, Arnie's eyes widened with interest and he stayed silent to hear more.

"I felt really bad about not doing that small favor for you, so I called her up and told her to go on a date with you," Arnold explained.

"And?" Arnie said with some excitement.

"She said yes," Arnold lowered his eyelids with a smirk.

"How did you convince her?" Arnie asked as he lowered his gaze with suspicion.

"I asked her to do it for me," Arnold replied slyly. Arnie's expression turned sour. "Well, I wanted to make sure she'd say yes, so you can be happy," Arnold's explanation did not help Arnie's reaction. He stood up and turned to go inside. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be happier,"

"What time does she want to go?" Arnie asked.

Arnold smiled, "Eight o' clock sharp, tomorrow night."

Arnie took one long hard stare at his cousin and turned to go inside, leaving Arnold to smile contently to himself.