A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone. In this chapter what you see in bold letters is Arnold's thoughts screaming at him.

"Oh Arnold!" Mrs Vitello smiled at the bouquet he was creating at the present moment. So many thought it was just a simple thing you could arrange, but not many possessed the gift to show the flowers off in a way that made you forget that it was plucked from a bush.

Turning his attention to his boss, Arnold smiled at her. "Yes, Mrs Vitello?" He asked eagerly even as his attention was slightly diverted to the flowers in her hand already in a vase. "Do those also need to be delivered?"

A coy smile showed on her face. "You could say that." With that she handed it to him. "Those are for you."

Red roses for him? Lifting the card up to read, Arnold scoffed. Why couldn't they be from Helga? Thanking Mrs Vitello, Arnold decided to finish off the bouquet he was working on so he can set to work with deliveries.

Ending up at the door of his admirer, Arnold almost rolled his eyes at how Ruth was dressed. Earlier at school she was a lot more demure in appearance. Now she looked ready to head to a club with all the skin she was showing off for him.

"I see you got my flowers." Moving her hand forward, Ruth brought him closer to press herself against him. "So are you interested in going on a date with me?"

Pulling away from her, Arnold had to reject her. "I'm sorry, but I'm still not interested. I'd rather tell you in person than over the phone or at school."

Frowning, Ruth looked at him up and down. "I know I'm not as smart as that other girl, but couldn't you at least give me a chance? I find myself really attracted to you and I hoped that gift would of helped. Could you please give me at least one date to see? If you still don't feel the same than I'll drop it."

It was probably the most nicer way of asking him out. He thought about Helga knowing how his feelings are very strong for her. He thought about her having a boyfriend and stuff. Thinking about the proposition he felt like he was about to shoot himself in the foot. "If I still don't feel the same after the date than you'll stop?"

"I will. I swear." Ruth meant it. She wanted a chance with him.

"I'm free Saturday if that is fine with you."

Bursting with a huge grin, Ruth hugged him. "That's fine. We can have dinner together."

Arnold hoped that this didn't bite him in the rear.

XX

"So he like is finally going out with you? OMG Ruth!"

Helga wished that she wasn't in the bathroom at the same time as they were in there. She groaned as silently as possible once she recognized their voices as she was in the stall, so now she was stuck in there.

Ruth adjusted her breasts in her bra to make sure they were still perfect. "I know and all I had to do was send him flowers."

"What?!" Her friends chimed out at once.

The blonde snapped her gum before she questioned her. "Why did you do that?"

Checking her profile out, Ruth didn't want to make a big deal out of this. "Because all my other ways weren't working on him so I thought to do it that way." Adjusting her purse properly on her shoulder she than flipped her hair. "So this Saturday, Arnold and I are going out. After that date he'll be hooked."

Feeling a pain in her chest, Helga lost her breath for a little while. She swore she blacked out and the last thing you want to do is pass out in a bathroom. Hearing them finally leave, Helga left the stall slowly unable to think clearly.

XX

Finishing her class assignment plus her homework assignment for Algebra, Helga sat there doing homework for another class. It was all in hopes of wanting to distract herself from Arnold going on a date with Ruth. She had no idea why he didn't mention it to her when she'll find out anyhow.

Guilt overwhelmed him as to him asking if Ruth was free this weekend. He didn't mention it to Helga at all, only to Gerald. The way his best friend laid in on him by such a simple look had Arnold feeling sick to his stomach.

Glancing at her phone to see a message from Phoebe confirming that she can sit next to her on the bus, Helga felt thankful even when the bell rang. She did just a brief humming sounds to Arnold asking her questions as she wandered out the classroom with him behind her.

"Oh Arnold!" Ruth's voice felt like fingers running down a chalkboard right now to her.

Pausing just long enough to let her catch up to him, Arnold smiled politely to her. "Yes, Ruth?"

"Will six be great for Saturday?"

Arnold watched as her eyelashes fluttered at him. "That's a good time." His eyes wandered over to Helga as she was next to the exit leaving with Phoebe in tow. "I need to get going to work."

Coming closer to him, Ruth kissed him on the cheek. "French all right with you?"

In truth it wasn't. He associated it with the fake Cecile. Helga really. "Actually I had some bad reaction to that so I would like to say no to it."

Nodding her head, Ruth understood. "Italian it is." Hearing her name being beckoned by her friends, Ruth waved at them. "Have a good day at work."

Arnold smiled but it was a fake one as he bid her good bye. Quickly he had to run out of there to catch the bus so he wouldn't be late. When he got out there he was grateful that Gerald had them hold up the bus, but unhappy that he wasn't sitting beside Helga.

"I think Helga knows I have a date with Ruth." Arnold whispered after they sat down. "Ruth came up to me after class to confirm the time."

Gerald rolled his eyes at him. "Look I know that Helga has a guy, but he is in Japan. You know how simple life will be for you when you finally tell her how you feel?"

Arnold knew that Gerald was becoming bored at this. It was the same way when he continued to talk about Phoebe before they finally got together. He knew not to give him hell on it since he was placing Gerald in the same position. "She is also still recovering."

"I understand that, but she will think about that for a long time." Gerald pointed out. "It is a cruddy thing to deal with, but it is the truth. The thing that won't be around for all your life is her. She won't be single forever. She will marry someone one day. Will you hate yourself that you never told her how you feel?"

He had a point. A huge strong one. Arnold fought the urge to turn his head around to look at her. "I don't want that."

"I know you don't. So tell her how you feel." Gerald sighed. He was thankful that he had a chance to tell Phoebe how he finally felt about her.

In the back of the bus, Helga had been listening to Phoebe. She felt terrible even if she mentioned something about Arnold going on a date with Ruth. Will she be a horrible person? Yes she would be. Helga is in love with her cousin, but the plain truth was she was also in love with Arnold. Something she didn't want to be any longer given the fact that if they entered a relationship, and it ended, it would be uncomfortable between them.

Phoebe quieted up. "Ruth is bragging about her date with Arnold. She was discussing how her hair will look and her make-up choices." She had a feeling this was the reason why Helga was very urgent in wanting to talk to her. She sighed. "She is planning on bringing him to her house after. She was talking about using protection and asking her friends which is the best type."

Helga began coughing so loud that the entire bus turned around to look for the source. Feeling herself about to gag from the strength of the cough, Helga was grateful when Phoebe gave her some water to drink.

That's what was upsetting her. "Helga it's fine if you are upset about that. You've loved him longer than Kyoyo."

Helga had tears in her eyes from that cough. Turning her head towards her put together friend, Helga felt bad. "I love them just the same and I feel like a big heel feeling this way. Arnold is allowed to date who he wants to date. I have no right to say no to it or to hate him for it. Right now I don't get why he didn't tell me."

Phoebe smiled in nothing but pure understanding. She understood why Arnold didn't tell her since he also loves her. "Do you see a future with Kyoyo also?"

"Yes." Helga leaned back against her seat. "Ruth is pretty vacant in her brain, but if I have to compare her with Lila, I like her much better than that fake nobody."

She had to admit to that personal growth in Helga to accept Ruth. "It might just be only one date so I wouldn't worry about it."

Helga nodded her head as she tried to think about other things. Even when Arnold finally got off the bus so he can work, she looked down at her knees as the bus continued to roll along after she caught him looking up towards her. She didn't give the impression she saw him so when it came to her stop, Helga left the bus to do her own job by transcribing Stella's notes.

Arriving home Arnold trudged upstairs feeling the weight on him from today. As he arrived on the second floor he saw Helga leaving the bathroom with just her robe on. He paused where he was unable to get the image out of his head. Hearing the door close he felt it was safe enough for him to head to his room. The things he wanted to do once he was up there was mostly just to remove his clothes and crash.

Reaching his room, Arnold brought down the stairs to the attic before ascending them. He felt like he had bricks attached to his legs with each step he took. Felt his body practically going to the ground till he was actually met with the wooden steps. His body retaliated when he tried to get up so he gave in by curling his arm under his head to use as a pillow.

Helga left her room to cock her head at Arnold passed out on his stairs. One half of her lips went up as she shook her head to head to his parents room. Knocking on the door, Helga only had to point to the stairs for Miles to understand before he went to his son to pick him up like it was no big deal. Well it shouldn't be seeing how his dad had a nice build on him.

Following him upstairs, Helga took his backpack that was strewn on the steps still to place inside. Smiling at his father taking his son's shoes off, Helga felt that was an endearing scene before she parted. So many years where Arnold wished for his parents had her wondering if he thought of scenarios like that. She remembered when they got home how they would be outside tossing the ball back and forth. Remembered catching them both in the park as they played basketball or play football together. Each time she saw Arnold she witnessed his boyhood dreams coming true.

Reaching her bedroom, Helga shut the door and plopped on her bed. Her memories of her family were mostly unhappy. She knew that Arnold experienced that once in a while, but he was always widely loved.

Her eyes went half lidded as she thought of so many things in her head. This family welcomed her with open arms while her own tossed her out like garbage. Was her own family blind to what she was really, or did they know something that others haven't seen themselves? Are the Shortman's blind themselves to love someone they think she is or do they know better? She wasn't sure.

Whatever the case may be she often found herself very lonely in her thoughts.

Arnold felt he slept for a thousand years when he woke up in the morning. The flower shop was unusually busy yesterday so he was doing more running around than actually standing still. He didn't remember if he ate or even went to the bathroom. As it was he didn't remember how he managed to get into his bed.

He woke up grabbing his stuff to quickly take a shower. When he finished he went up to his room to dress and do a homework assignment quickly before stuffing it into his backpack before heading downstairs to eat breakfast.

As he ate breakfast, Arnold watched after Helga got into the kitchen to just make toast for herself. He focused on her backside as she kept her back to him. Nothing he was complaining about except that he hadn't really spoken to her yesterday.

"Morning." He chirped at her happily as possible.

Helga just grunted at him as she took her toast to butter it and place cinnamon on it. She stood over the sink eating while staring out the window obviously in deep thought.

Arnold knew she wasn't a morning person so he continued to speak. "Do you know how I managed to get into my bed last night?"

"Yeah." She took a few more bites of her toast before continuing. "I got your dad and he helped you into bed."

"Thanks."

Helga grunted as she finished up. Grabbing her water she took a swig of it before spitting it out into the sink. Grabbing a couple of aspirin for her headache and swallowing that she turned to face him. "Well good luck on your date with Ruth." With that she left the kitchen to grab her stuff to head to the bus stop.

Arnold quickly wolfed down his cereal so he can place his bowl in the sink to rush out to follow her. How did she find out? Grabbing his backpack he rushed out of the building to stand beside her at the stop. "I wanted to tell you."

Helga kept her eyes ahead. "Why do you sound so guilty? You have wanted her for a long time and now she wants you. You get what you desire the most." She shrugged hoping that sounded as natural as it felt. "I wish you luck there."

Who he wanted was standing right next to him right now! Arnold opened his mouth to respond to her. "I stopped desiring her back in fourth grade, Helga. What I'm doing is just quieting her up so she can stop bothering me."

Unconvinced, Helga was grateful for the bus to show up right now. "Uh huh. If you don't mind I'm going to sit by myself so I can get some shut eye. I didn't get that much sleep last night." Getting on the bus the second the door opened up, Helga smiled at Phoebe before sitting all the way in the back. Waving hi to Brainy, Helga crossed her arms over her chest to close her eyes.

Sitting down in front of Phoebe and Gerald, Arnold felt terrible. "I'm such an idiot."

Gerald turned his head towards his girlfriend. "Guess she found out."

"Undoubtedly." Phoebe agreed as she heard Arnold groaning away. "I'll talk to her later about it."

Nodding his head, Gerald lifted her hand up to give it a gentle kiss. He knew Arnold will be talking to him also later.

As for Arnold he was still hiding his head in his hands when he smelled freesia wafting into his nostrils. Feeling the gentle pressure of the bench seat shifting he looked up to see Lila smiling away at him. He didn't need this headache as he stood up to move away from her. He didn't care if he appeared rude as he wandered back to sit behind Gerald and Phoebe instead.

Lila pouted the moment he left. She really wished that he would come back to her. Sure she really didn't love him, but he did have that reputation that would of helped have others like her again.

XX

When they arrived at school, Helga just wandered away from the others intent on writing in her journal before class started. Of course she got to see Wolfgang harassing a girl in the hallway. Her mouth downturned slightly to one side as she witnessed it before a jock came up to interrupt them. At least the girl was spared a few more moments with Mr Flowbee.

Going to her first period class she had the honor of him harassing her instead. Helga sighed at him as he launched into his same predatory demeanor. She didn't say a word to him. She didn't look away as she waited for any chance. When he reached out to touch her hair, Helga kicked him hard in the groin.

"Still not interested." Was all she had to say as she went past him inside her classroom.

Ludwig smirked at her as he watched her come in. "I like your style."

"Ah but violence is never the answer." She told him as she sat down.

"True, but you did shut him up temporarily." Ludwig turned his expression from pride to concern. "Whatever you do, don't walk home after school. I know he'll be waiting for you in an alleyway."

"I wasn't planning on walking home today." Taking her journal out she began to write in it.

Some time during the day Arnold managed to corner Helga. "Are you mad at me?"

"No. I'm mostly tired from lack of sleep, Arnold." At least she was partially honest with him. "Also why didn't you tell me about Ruth? Do you think I would be mad at you?"

"I guess I didn't want to be teased about it. I really am doing this hoping that she won't continue to keep trying anymore." Sighing he hated himself as he leaned against the wall. Why can't he just tell her truthfully how he feels about her? He knew why, he was afraid of rejection. "I want someone I can't wait to see every day. I want someone I can always talk to."

A smile finally made its way onto her face as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You will get that." Helga understood why he was doing it. "Any girl will be lucky to have you bucko."

"Thanks Helga."

Pulling her hand away, Helga shrugged. "Yeah well don't get use to it." Sticking her tongue out she moved away from him. "I'm hungry. I stupidly had toast this morning."

He followed her like an obedient dog. He felt like he was visibly wagging his tongue at her from behind while they wandered into the cafeteria. No one mattered but her. Was he floating behind her now? It didn't feel like his feet were touching the ground.

Meanwhile at the table, Gerald and Phoebe watched their friends pass by them. Helga was obviously unaware of the love sick expression on Arnold's face right now. They both looked to the other to wonder if it was safe for them to speak right now.

"I feel like a horrible cousin. While I want her and Kyoyo to be together to the point of marriage one day. I also want her to be with Arnold, but we know how long it will take him to finally confess." Phoebe was the first to verbalize her thoughts.

"I know that. You are stuck in a position that leaves you about as uncomfortable as Helga." Seeing how Phoebe had a questioning look on her face, Gerald chuckled lightly. "I've been noticing little things lately between them both. I notice they flirt together. Actually even their verbal sparing is like them flirting." Tapping his chin, Gerald checked to make sure they were still safe to speak. "Helga was also pulling that classic thing you do when you like someone in grade school. You make fun of that one kid the most because you have a crush on them."

Phoebe embraced him. "Oh finally I'm happy to be able to talk to someone else about this. This has been driving me insane for a long time."

"I can imagine. Right now Arnold has been driving me insane." Seeing the denial couple walking towards them, Gerald had to say this quickly. "Thing is since I drove him insane with how much I talked about you, I think this is payback for all those years."

Giggling, Phoebe kissed him on the cheek.

Arnold was none too surprised at finding himself at the expensive Italian restaurant. His date had to be as sultry as possible being helped out of the vehicle. The way that Ruth made sure to swish her hips from side to side to grab his attention had him wondering if she tried this hard with other guys.

Being shown in to a window seat, Arnold almost passed out at the prices on the menu. Perhaps a salad will be on the menu for tonight for himself. The waiter flirted naturally to Ruth while she ate it all up. As they ordered their meal he was greeted with her flirtatious lashes.

"Do you like the shade of nail polish I have on?" Ruth had been purposely posing her hands in such a way that he knew what she was trying to accomplish.

Looking at the red polish that matched the dress with the very low cleavage, Arnold smiled politely at her. "Yes."

Making a show of flipping her hair back, Ruth smiled seductively. "And my dress?"

Low cleavage and a very high slit on her left leg had him wondering if she will catch a cold. "It's nice." He already complimented her when he picked her up at her house.

"You should feel how soft my hair is. I bet you'll love touching it later."

Arnold had no clue why she was trying so hard with him. "I'm sure." He needed a distraction. "Are you planning on going to college after school?"

Laughing a very fake airy laugh, Ruth brought her hand forward to touch his own. "I'm going to be a model after school. Why should I do that when I'll have more important things to do? Models serve a very important function in this world."

"And what is that?"

"We make the world beautiful. If we aren't in it than the world will die out." Ruth laughed once more as her finger danced against his skin.

Arnold's eyes went to her manicured hand. 'She is still into herself,' He thought to himself in disgust.

Staring at the time, Helga kicked her pillow off her bed almost violently. It was drifting by slowly in a painful way. She pictured Arnold all over Ruth by now. She imagined him marrying her one day and having stupid children with Ruth. She knew that Ruth's brain cells will destroy any that Arnold had in his head.

Getting up she thought to go up on the roof. Maybe the night air will feel good against her skin. As she got up there she hated herself for these insane feelings she always managed to conjure up.

"Oh what is this that I constantly rot inside my own mind?" Her eyes almost danced towards the moon that was showing more brightly in the sky. "While I love another off in a faraway land, I try to extinguish that in which is here."

Her movements changed as if she was dancing. Dancing towards his skylight. There was truly no light in there, but a lamp she knew he kept on. "Am I that of a horrible person for feeling this way for two beings? Two wonderful people whom I can still accept their flaws when they seem to accept my many."

She really prayed she was alone up there as she kept up her soliloquy. "No, nay I shouldn't." Helga studied his dimly lit bedroom from above. "Even if you did feel the way I felt for you, what happens when it does not work? Will we fall victim of uncomfortableness? Will we hate to the point it is almost poison?"

Helga thought of Kyoyo and how it made her smile. "My dear Kyoyo. The other light in my life. The one so far and how I long to be so near. Those sweet kisses that I miss so much. Late nights of us embracing. Oh how I love thee too."

Moving away from his skylight, Helga moved back towards the stairs to make her way back down. She wanted to see Kyoyo's face. Needed that voice in her head.

Stepping into her room she flipped her laptop open and decided to change into something of a date attire. She called him as she set the computer up so she can stand there to let him see what she was wearing. When his face popped on with that smile beaming, Helga knew he loved the clothes she put on.

"You busy? I thought of having an impromptu date with you."

Kyoyo laughed happily at seeing his girlfriend in that peach dress he loved her in when she visited here. "You are so beautiful."

She blushed as she placed some romantic music on. "Love you too."

YOU ARE BORED!

The pounding thought kept repeating in his head over and over again. Arnold didn't wish to be rude to her, but at the same time he wanted to be.

WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!

He cursed more in his own thoughts than him speaking them out loud. Arnold fought the urge to roll his eyes. Fought the urge to give her something that he knew Helga would be clever enough in saying.

You're dense. That is your problem.

While that thought didn't scream at him, it sounded like it did as he actually stepped past her threshold into her house. Did he honestly believe she'll improve in the next second of this date?

Once again you are giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Why is it because she's pretty?

No it was because he didn't want to be rude as he sat on the couch to watch her put on some music. It was music he didn't care for, but it was obvious she did as she swayed her hips around.

"Oh isn't she the best? I listen to her always." Ruth brought her arms up in the air to show off her body more. "She is inspirational."

Auto-tuned music where the woman is squeaking at him in a repeated chorus. The woman was singing romantically about meeting a random guy at a mall and bringing him home to have sex with. Of course the chorus was her mostly turning him away and her saying she wanted him back in her bed. To him that wasn't romantic, that was just someone wanting a sexually related disease.

Ruth kept her attention to him as she ran her hands down the length of her body slowly. She wanted him to focus on her most important body parts. She wanted him as hooked as her many admirers. "I'll be right back." She walked off slowly hoping he'll watch everything as she did.

Arnold sighed and died at the same time. He needed to be rude for once. While he can practically verbalize anything to Helga, he couldn't do it to another person. It frustrated him, but he knew that Helga could drag so much out of him.

Except when you want to tell her that you love her.

He cringed at that screaming thought before seeing Ruth walking out with just her underwear on. Arnold's eyes widened and Ruth thought she snagged him.

The laptop was turned off while she sat there looking at her dress strewn on the floor. It felt strange how her body felt after she did that. Helga wanted to wait, but she jumped ship. She wanted to share in that when they were together.

Standing up she looked at herself in the mirror. While she wasn't completely naked, Helga felt naked as she looked down to her cotton underwear.

"I should of waited." She whispered sadly. Disappointment washed over her like waves.

Ruth was surprisingly understanding to his rejection. As she sat beside him in her black lace underwear. "You are in love with that blonde friend of yours." She blurted out. "I should of seen it, but I'm not known for my observational skills."

Arnold won't deny it. "Yes and I know she is with someone, but I can't help how I feel." It was hard to look at Ruth when she was wearing hardly anything. "I don't want you to tell anyone."

"Because you aren't ready to tell her yourself." Ruth smiled at him. "She's lucky than. All I wanted was your devotion to me and not that one thing."

"So you won't tell anyone? She found out we were going on a date from you and your friends."

Ruth blushed. "I'll tell them that we'll be friends. That's it." Smiling at him she stood up to remove her bra. "Sorry but I'm not ashamed of my body. Also I swear I won't tell her that you love her."

The only one he wanted to remember naked was Helga. Arnold thanked her before she disappeared into her bedroom. Standing up as she reemerged he told her he'll call it a night. At least Ruth was grown up about his rejection.

When he arrived home, Arnold smiled at Helga as he got in as she was making her way upstairs. The way she was high up on the stairs he wanted to recite from their Romeo and Juliet play.

"So how was it?" Helga inquired politely enough.

"Boring date and thankfully I will never get to repeat that again." Arnold grinned at her as he ascended the steps to match the step she was on. "Wanna watch a movie in my room? Ladies choice." He offered.

Helga nodded her head. "Prepare to scream like a little girl because I have something that will make you cringe." Running upstairs she went to get the one movie she knew he would not love readily.

Arnold stared after her feeling as if Cupid struck him one more time with his arrow.