Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.
Hypno-Love
Chapter 12: One Confusing Night
After Helga left, Arnold walked back to the cabin, touching his cheek in shock after he was sure that she was gone.
Okay, this isn't the first time Helga kissed him...and without his permission too he might add but...it's weird, when she gently kissed him on the cheek and smiled like that..it felt...not terrible but still...a little...
"Weird...'Arnold thought as he tried not to think much about it as he walked inside the cabin.
His grandfather spotted him and smiled.
"Hey short-man, how was your day?...'His grandfather asked as he looked away from a magazine that he was reading.
"It was alright, grandpa...'Arnold said, actually not sugar coating it, though he still remained vague.
"Do anything interesting?...'His grandfather asked with interest.
"Um..nothing in particular...just walked on the board walk, won a few prizes, rode a few rides...that's all...'Arnold said to his grandpa, giving a censored version of the story he prepared, though his grandpa still had that interested look on his face.
But why?
"Did Helga have a good time too?..."His grandpa asked.
"Yeah, she said she-..."Arnold stopped when he finally realized what his grandpa asked him and it was too late.
"HA! Got you..."Phil said with a victorious chuckle and Arnold looked surprised.
"How did you know?..." Arnold asked.
"I didn't...you just told me...'Phil said with a laugh and Arnold folded his arms in annoyance.
"So, mind telling your old grandpa how your date went?...'Phil asked and Arnold blushed hard and looked annoyed.
"It was NOT a date, grandpa! We were just hanging out is all!...'Arnold insisted and his grandfather just laughed.
"For 8 hours straight huh...and from the way she kissed you on the cheek, it seemed that you both did more than just hanging out..."His grandpa laughed and Arnold's jaw dropped.
"You saw that?!...'Arnold exclaimed in horror while his grandfather just kept laughing.
"You can't keep anything from this wily old coot, Arnold...you should know that by now...but congratulations, she looked like she had a great time with you...'Phil said with a laughed.
All the while, Arnold was getting frazzled by embarrassment and anger over this whole thing.
"GRANDPA! Helga and I don't like each other that way! She's just not herself lately and she didn't mean-..."Arnold covered his mouth after he said that but it was too late.
The damage was done, his grandpa heard him and now had a confused look on his face.
'What are you talking about Arnold?...'Phil asked and Arnold sighed, realizing that he let the cat out of the bag, but at least it's his grandfather.
Arnold then spent the next five minutes explaining the story of Helga's sudden hypnotism and her strange attitude around him. When he was done, his grandpa rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression on his face as he hummed it over.
"Hmm...looks like you got yourself in quite a pickle, short-man..."Phil said and Arnold sighed.
"That's putting it lightly...grandpa, can you promise not to tell anyone...The hypnotist is coming tomorrow and I don't think Helga would be pleased if anyone knew about her...condition..."Arnold said, still a little embarrassed here.
"Don't worry short-man, your secret's safe with me...'Phil said and Arnold felt a little more reassured.
"But can you explain to me how exactly Helga got hypnotized into acting like she has the hots for you?...'Phil asked and Arnold sighed.
"I don't know...I think she might have been looking a little too closely to the show and...I don't...somehow got hypnotized by something the guy said...I don't know...'Arnold said.
"So, the hypnotist made someone act like they are in love?..."Phil asked.
"No, I don't remember him doing an act like that...but he must have said something, why else would she suddenly start acting like that around me and only me?..." Arnold said and Phil suddenly had a smirk on his face.
One that Arnold doesn't trust...not one bit...
"Short-man, are you sure that just maybe...just maybe...Helga might actually mean what she says and does around you?...'Phil asked and Arnold's eyes widen.
"What are you talking about? Didn't you just hear what I said, she's under hypnosis...'Arnold said.
"I know but I am telling you that I remember hearing some place that a person under hypnotism can't make someone do something they wouldn't actually do on their own free will...'Phil said and Arnold looked surprised, before shaking his head.
"Grandpa, Helga is not actually in love with me and I am sure you are mistaken..."Arnold said with a serious expression, while his grandpa had a smirk on his face.
"You never know short-man, woman are a riddle...sometimes they can be hot or cold, loving or hating...it's pretty hard to keep up with them but they always keep a man on their own toes..."Phil said with a light chuckle.
Arnold heard this and groaned.
"I'm going to bed..."Arnold said as he walked away, having had enough of this.
"Yeah, better get rest up for your hot date tomorrow, short-man...'Phil called, causing Arnold to turn read again at his teasing.
"It's NOT a date! Good night, grandpa!...'Arnold shouted before running to his room and locking the door, desperate to get away from his grandfather's teasing of his not relationship with his personal tormentor.
In Arnold's room
Arnold got dressed in his pajamas, still waiting for the redness in his cheeks die down, before grumbling.
"Grandpa is wrong...Helga doesn't actually feel that way about me...she's just under hypnosis...'Arnold muttered as he laid on his bed, trying to get rid of the memory of his grandpa's word...
He knows he is wrong...but why can't he stop thinking about them? Why do they make him remember of a certain night on a roof top a few months ago.
"No...Don;t go there...Helga and I are just friends..she was just caught in the moment back then and right now, she is under hypnosis...she doesn't mean what she is saying or doing...'Arnold said, actually managing to calm himself with his reasoning.
Or at least he did...until a new thought popped in his head and wouldn't go away...
"But what if...hypothetically speaking...she did mean it..." Arnold thought and he couldn't block it out.
Sure, while he and Helga didn't always have the most stable relationship and he has lost his patience with her several times, he has never actually disliked her, he did consider him a friend and did like hanging out with her during the few times times that she was nice of him. Helga is okay...but he never really considered him as girlfriend material for obvious reasons...but...
Okay, Helga has a lot of flaws, he is not going to sugarcoat it, but she does have her good traits. She is really strong and while she won't admit it, he knows that she cares about their friends, like Phoebe for example. He also know that she doesn't have it so easy with how her parents are always giving her sister so much attention and putting a lot of expectations on her, so he knows that she can get under a lot of stress but she is also really smart and can be pretty funny when her attempts at humor weren't aimed to belittling him. He could remember having laughed at some of her jokes at times and during the times she put away her pride to help him out, he found that they actually worked well together, like when they managed to find the egg that they lost, or how they saved Mighty Pete from her dad or how they managed to get Gerald Field back after the adults hijacked it and also other moments during the course of their lives. He also knew that she can also be pretty selfless when she tries to be, like when she helped him save the neighborhood over getting rich off of the whole deal.
So yeah, he does like and care about her as a friend...but as a girlfriend...he's not sure.
And that's what confuses him the most right now...
"Why am I thinking about this? She doesn't mean what she says...she doesn't...'Arnold thought as he tried to get himself to fall asleep. He is going to need his energy for tomorrow when they deal with the hypnotist.
After several minutes of tossing and turning, the young football headed lad finally managed to get to sleep...unaware of what dreams he will be having this evening.
DREAM Sequence
Arnold suddenly found himself on a boat on the middle of Lake Hillwood, looking at it's beauty up close. He also noticed that right next to him on the boat is Helga, who looked happy to be here.
"Such a beautiful lake, isn't it Arnold?...'Helga said, smiling so serenely right now.
Arnold smiled back and nodded.
"Yeah, it really is beautiful..."Arnold said as Helga kept smiling.
"I'm glad we decided to do this instead of just watching it from the boardwalk..."Helga said.
"I am, too...'Arnold agreed.
"Even if it means one wrong move and we'll be swimming back to shore, but it's a risk worth taking..."Helga said as she laughed lightly.
Arnold actually laughed, feeling pretty natural about this whole thing, no matter how unusual the entire thing is.
"Look, the sun is starting to set...'Helga pointed out and Arnold blinked.
Wasn't it clear as day a few moments ago?
He didn't say anything but saw the sun beginning to set on the lake and being here on the boat, it looked even more beautiful. He then turned to Helga who is still smiling as she looked at the sunset and then turned to him, with that same exact smile on her face, now being directed at him...
It actually made Arnold smile too for some reason..
"Hey Arnold...'Helga said, her voice now in a light tone that made Arnold smiled even more, despite himself.
"Yes, Helga?...'Arnold asked, wondering what's on her mind.
"Hey Arnold..."Helga repeated.
"Yeah?...'Arnold asked in confusion when suddenly Helga's sweet expression suddenly changed and what came out of her mouth was this...
HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD!HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD!HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD!HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD!HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD!HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD!HEY ARNOLD!
End of Dream Sequence
Back in reality
Arnold suddenly jolted awake and then saw that his potato alarm clock, which he had brought on the trip, had woke him up. The football headed boy realized that it was now 7:30 in the morning and turned it off. After that, he stretched his arms and yawned.
"Man, what a strange dream...'Arnold muttered as he shook it off.
It was odd but maybe it wasn't. He did spent a lot of time with Helga yesterday around the lake, so maybe a dream of a boat ride wasn't that strange, given the circumstances. They also hadn't done anything that strange either, just talk...though he did wonder what Helga in his dream was going to tell him before his alarm clock woke him up.
"Eh...it was just a dream..it doesn't mean anything...'Arnold said before he decided to get dress.
Once he finished, his grandfather knocked on the door.
"Morning short-man...oh, I see that you're already up and dressed...'Phil said to his grandpa...
"Good morning grandpa..."Arnold said to his grandfather.
"Breakfast is on the table and don't worry, it's fried eggs, not anything like your grandma's kitchen disasters...'Phil said to his grandson.
"I HEARD THAT!...'Grandma's voice could suddenly be heard, making Phil flinch.
"Good! Take a hint, woman!..."Phil shouted back before turning to his grandson.
"I'll be down in a minute grandpa..."Arnold said to his grandfather who left.
The football headed boy, despite himself, looked out his window and got a view of Helga's cabin, remembering that today is Monday, the day the hypnotist will arrive and that tonight, she will be back to normal.
"Tonight...'Arnold thought before heading downstairs...
Downstairs
At the breakfast table
Arnold joined his grandparents at the breakfast table and saw the lack of anyone else. The boarders had already ate and left to do their own thing.
'Sleep well, Kimba?...'Gertie asked her grandson and Arnold paused as he ate his friend egg.
"Sure...'He shrugged before continuing to eat.
"You better hurry up and finish eating short-man, your little "friend" will be here soon to pick you up...'Phil said as he wiggled his eyebrows and Arnold blushed and groaned.
"Grandpa! I already told you last night, there is nothing between me and Helga, so let it go..."Arnold said in annoyance and Phil smirked.
"No one said there was, short-man...I just said she was your "friend"...'Phil chuckled and Arnold rolled his eyes, before quickly finishing his breakfast and then going outside.
Once he was gone, Phil chuckled none stop.
"He really can be so dense..."Phil chuckled and Gertie heard him.
"Just like you were at his age..."Gertie pointed out and Phil crossed his arms
"Hey, I knew you were nuts about me back then...'Phil said.
"Only after I had to yell it to your face when we were teenagers, so give the boy a break...'Gertie said, remembering the events better, despite her flighty mind.
"Anyway general, our orders for today's mission is to guard the perimeter for any invading ships..."Gertie said, putting a naval get up and Phil sighed.
"Sure Pookie, I'll get right on it..."Phil muttered sarcastically as he watched is kooky wife continued to act out her navy fantasy.
Outside
Arnold went outside, trying to forget about his grandpa's teasing ad wait for Helga to arrive so they can do something together to pass the time.
"Grandpa is wrong...I know he is...'Arnold thought, repeating it over and over again in his mind.
Soon enough Helga arrived and to Arnold's surprise, he noticed that she looked a little different.
"Hey Arnold..."Helga said with that flirtatious smile of hers.
"Hey Helga...you look...different...'Arnold said as he looked her over.
Her hair is now in a low ponytail, still held together by her pink bow and she is wearing a white jacket over her pink dress. It's simple, nothing major but tt actually looks kind of nice on her...
"Sweet of you to notice...'Helga said with a blush and a giggle, which right now is becoming less freaky and almost...cute...
'So Arnold, ready to go?...'Helga asked, still smiling so nicely at him.
Arnold responded with a small smile of his own and a nod.
No matter how you slice it, the hypnotist won't be here until tonight and this will probably the last time he can hang around Helga without her acting mean to him. So maybe it wouldn't be so bad enjoying these last few hours hanging out with her and her being nice to him...
It's not that wrong and like he thought last night, he can't keep her locked up in her cabin on guard..
"Yeah, I'm ready...'Arnold said and Helga giggled before she took his hand and the soon blonde kids soon left to go enjoy the day together...
At least, until the Hypnotist arrives tonight...
-To be continued-
Next time on Hypno-Love
Together at Lake Hillwood
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:
Invader Johnny:You were right on the nail on that one ;)
The J.A.M. a.k.a. Numbuh i: Yeah but knowing Helga, she'd use any excuse just to snuggle close to her Football Head.
zarethacosta2001: Looks like it's heading in that direction...
Isabelle: Thank you :)
:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)