A/N: Thanks for hanging on with me as I write my first fan fiction. It means so much to me! In this section, Arnold sees Helga for the first time since the fight they had on her porch. This story is far from over, so keep reading! I don't want to be annoying, but if you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to leave a review! Your words inspire me to continue and change my piece, so it always help! Thanks again and enjoy!

"Arnold! Thank goodness I found you." Arnold peeked around his maroon locker to find an anxious Lila Sawyer approaching him from down the hallway.

'Not now…' Arnold Shortman sighed after the sight of his date for homecoming appeared before him. He was still attempting to find a way to apologize and explain his actions and behavior to Helga, and Lila wasn't allowing it to be any easier by visiting his locker during passing period.

"Hi, Arnold." Lila giggled, knocking her knuckles against Arnold's locker door, who still was hiding behind the barrier.

He finally locked the locker door to now confront the cheery redhead herself, who was patiently waiting for a greeting by stroking her left braid through her fingers.

Arnold strained a smile. "What's up, Lila?"

Lila tapped her green sneakers together before providing him with his answer. "I'm ever so sure I need to discuss homecoming attire with you, silly!" She grinned once more after adjusting her green sweater to match the sneakers.

"Oh, right. What color is your dress?" Arnold asked, now leaning his entire built body against the lockers and into Lila's personal space.

"Okay, so my dress is a kelly green. I doubt you know what that it is, so I provided a fabric for you…"

As Lila reached behind to pull the available fabrics of her homecoming dress out of her green knapsack, Arnold turned his attention to the traffic of the high school hallway and all the travelers.

Among them, now rounding the corner of the hallway, was she.

Helga G. Pataki.

She was wearing a long sleeve white t-shirt, complete with her traditional shade of pink scarf. It was wrapped in a beautiful bundle along her narrow neck. Her outfit was finished with a pair of blue jeans and pink flats to match the scarf.

The blonde hair that she usually straightened was now a collection of curls that rested softly among her back. They bounced as she strolled, and she threw her head back, laughing as Phoebe had mentioned something to her.

She looked stunning.

Arnold's green eyes, widened and with wonder, watched her pause in the path of the hallway to gossip with Phoebe and Gerald.

Despite her breathtaking beauty, he couldn't remove his gaze from the pink ribbon tied upon the tumbles of blonde, bodacious hair.

It was the pink ribbon he had given to her yesterday.

'What is she trying to say?' Arnold could only ask in amazement as he questioned her motives for sporting the ribbon.

"Arnold! Are you even paying attention?" Lila hissed, her green eyes narrowing at her date, who clearly was not interested in conversing about clothing.

"What did you say?" Arnold shook his football shaped head, attempting to empty his mind from the image of Helga, and met the glare of one livid Lila Sawyer.

"I was trying to explain what my dress looked like!" She pouted, gripping the fabrics in her hands even tighter than before.

"I'm sorry, Lila. Please tell me again."

"Fine. So my dress is kelly green…" Lila once again started her speech of her evening attire for Saturday evening.

Just as Arnold eyed the hallway for the second time, hoping to discover Helga, he met her blue eyes as she was wandering down the hallway with Phoebe on the way to her next class.

Her blue eyes were bursting, the oceans inside them swaying back and forth with massive waves in a sudden storm.

It only took a moment of analyzing of her stare for Arnold to decipher the truth.

He had hurt Helga.

She still loved him.

Phoebe now appeared to realize that Helga was establishing eye contact with Arnold, and slid her arm between her to link limbs.

The action pulled Helga back to reality, and the waves of her irises finally stirred to a silent sway. Helga directed her devotion back to Phoebe, as she whispered a message next to Helga's ear.

"Told you he'd notice."

Helga struggled to smile as the two best friends continued their journey to their next class, leaving Arnold dazing in his daydreams once more.

Arnold, still decoding the details of his exchange with Helga, returned his time to Lila, who now handed him the fabric she'd been holding.

"This is the color you need to match." She assured him, grinning as he held the fabric up in the light to have the chance to observe it closer.

"Okay, Lila." Arnold nodded, slipping the material into his back jean pocket. The bell rang in a warning that class would start soon.

"I'll call you tonight to discuss more details. This homecoming will be ever so perfect!" Lila clapped her hands in approval of Arnold's accepting actions, while he rolled his eyes at her imitation of her perfect personality.

"Oh, and Arnold?"

Arnold inhaled and opened his green eyes to look into Lila's one last time.

"I'm oh too certain no one else knows about that oh so special edition of the school newspaper except you and I, correct?" Lila placed her hands on her hips, as she swayed her red in a sassy fashion.

"Right." Arnold murmured, stressing to retreat her returned glare into his eyes.

"Excellent. I'll see you later, Arnold." She winked to spin on her slippers, and saunter down the hallway in the opposite direction.

Arnold, his hand above his heart on his chest, tried to slow down his breathing and heart rate when Lila finally disappeared around the corner of the hallway.

That was close.

Too close.

What was he going to do now?