Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.
A Broken Heart
Chapter 68: What's wrong with Arnold?
Previously
"Arnold's probably just still pouty that I ignored his advice, is all. He's just being a busybody, not just to me but for the whole town. Besides, for all I know, he's probably just has a lot on his mind and his weird attitude has nothing to do with me or Drake..." Helga thought.
She was probably over exaggerating the situation anyway. I mean, just because she noticed Arnold looking at them a few times or Drake being a little distracted, it doesn't mean that it is anything major and it is less likely that they are connected.
She is overreacting and nothing is going on with either boy.
Right?
Meanwhile
While Helga was walking to school with Drake, a certain football headed boy was on the school bus today, along with a certain concern best friend who was once again sitting next to his girlfriend.
It's Arnold, who only had one thing in his mind. The same thing that has been plaguing him for days.
Helga and Drake.
The very thought of them together made him frown.
Hard.
During the bus ride, Gerald noticed how uncharacteristically quiet Arnold was. He has been quiet for a while lately, he wasn't engaging in much conversation with anyone, even with him.. Even more out of character is how he seemed rather agitated when someone tried to talk with him.
It's really unlike him.
Gerald wasn't the only one who noticed either.
"You okay, Arnold?..." Eugene approached.
Arnold said nothing, he just sent him a small nod, but he still had a rather unfriendly look on his face, before ignoring him.
This didn't satisfy their friends, especially Gerald.
"Arnold..."Gerald thought, feeling worried for him.
Arnold continued having this attitude during the entire bus ride and even when they got to school.
Harold even attempted to go back to his old level of bullying by threatening. Just to see what was really up.
"Hey, Arnold! You better tell everyone what's wrong!..."Harold said as he waved his fist.
"Nothing is wrong, Harold..."Arnold muttered before he walked past him to go to his seat.
Harold didn't believe him and was rather saddened.
"That... didn't work?..."He said out loud.
The rest of their classmates were rather unnerved by this whole thing, but none more than Gerald Johanssen, Arnold's best friend and the only one who knew him well enough to know that whatever is causing this sudden, unusual behavior has to be something big.
"What's wrong with you man?..."Gerald thought.
Suddenly, two more students joined the class.
Drake and Helga, walking in hand and hand. Gerald noticed that.
He also noticed that Arnold flinched when they walked in...and his eyes narrowed, his expression getting worse.
He REALLY noticed that.
He also noticed that Arnold turned around to flat out stare at the two, that look still on his face. He also noticed that for a brief moment, when Helga was busy getting something from her backpack, Drake sent a similar look to him.
Suddenly, Gerald started to connect things and when he did, his eyes widen in shock.
"Oh no!..."He thought, having a hunch what his friend's REAL problem is.
Later
Class had let out and everyone was now placing or retrieving items from their lockers.
As Arnold walked around the hallways of PS 118, he felt more determined than ever to put a stop to Helga's and Drake's charade of a relationship.
"Relationship? Ha! That's a laugh! It's completely fake. Drake is just using her..."Arnold thought, his mind still over the last few days.
Every time Drake saw him, he would put his arm around Helga or hiss her hand or whisper something into her ear, just to get on his nerves. And that's before and after he sends him that smug look of his.
It made Arnold's blood boil every time he sees it.
"That jerk!..."Arnold thought, recalling how smug and possessive he acts about Helga.
It was just another example of how utterly rotten he is and that Helga is too blind to see it.
With his backpack on hand, he had the camera inside it, ready to film Drake at his most worst.
"Helga just needs proof that Drake is using her. Once I film him, she'll want to break up with him...." He thought.
"Hey Arnold. How's it going?..." Gerald said as he approached him and asked, startling him.
"Oh, hey Gerald..." Arnold responded, trying to act normal.
"Where's Phoebe? I thought you were hanging out with her..."The Football headed boy asked.
"I was. She's with Helga right now...which is fine because, you and I need to have a talk..."Gerald said with a serious look on his face.
"About what?..."Arnold asked, clueless.
"About the way you have been behaving lately..." Gerald said.
Arnold blinked while his friend sighed.
"Look man, I'm getting worried about you. You have been very moody, you hardly hang out with your friends anymore. Whenever someone talks to you , your focus on something else entirely, so much so that you've been ignoring everyone else...Gerald said.
"What? No, I'm not..."Arnold denied.
"Yes, you have! Don't deny it. Seriously, just what's gotten into you, man?..."Gerald asked.
"It's nothing Gerald. I have been a little under the weather, that's all..." Arnold tried to explain himself.
"A little under the weather, huh?..." Gerald rhetorically asked him, his arms crossed now.
"As in, a little under the weather due to Helga dating Drake now?..."The tall hair boy said, while Arnold reacted in a very "subtle" way.
"What?! No!..." Arnold countered.
Gerald rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Then why were you glaring daggers at them during class?..."Gerald asked and Arnold flinched.
"I..I was not..."Arnold denied.
He is lying. Gerald knew it and it made him even more worried. Arnold seldom ever lies, especially to him.
"Arnold, stop playing around! It's no secret that you haven't very happy at all with Helga dating Drake. Everyone knows that you got something against them..."Gerald said.
"What do you mean everyone knows?..." Arnold asked confusingly and worryingly.
"You seriously cannot be that dense, man!..." Gerald exclaimed surprisingly.
"You haven't really been hiding your contempt for their relationship from anyone. Everyone you hear them or if they pass by, you give them this evil stare that everyone who is around noticed. It's really creepy! So much that even Phoebe has noticed this..."Gerald said.
"She does?..." Arnold asked, to which Gerald just nodded.
"She asked me yesterday if there was something up with you and I couldn't answer her..."Gerald said.
"So come on now, spill it. What's this deal you have against Helga and Drake?..." Gerald asked.
"I told you, Gerald. I don't have anything against them..." Arnold said firmly.
"Arnold, I saw the way you looked at them, it's like you aren't happy that she is dating Drake..."Gerald said and Arnold almost violently flinched at that accusation.
"I am not! I could care less!..."Arnold said stubbornly now.
Deep down, he was feeling very guilty and wondered whether or not he should just tell the truth right now.
"Maybe I should tell him. I know I can always count on him, but Voz said that it's best to no one is involved in this....." Arnold thought.
"Gerald..." Arnold began to say.
Gerald hoped it would be the truth. However, Arnold suddenly looked like a strange thought came to his mind, shook his head and took a deep sigh, before turning to face him.
"I'm not keeping any secrets from you." He finally said, but sternly. "I don't hate Helga and Drake's relationship and nothing is bugging me, okay?..."The Football headed boy said, with a slight edge in his voice.
Gerald just gave a disappointed sigh and with a frown, but also sad look. He knew that whatever is bugging Arnold, he's not going to talk about it.
"Fine..." He said before turning around.
"If you need to talk to me about anything...you know where to find me..."He said before walking away.
Sighing in relief that Gerald relented in his questioning, Arnold turned around and walked the opposite direction, readying himself for the task at hand.
Unknown to him, Gerald look back to him and shook his head.
"What's wrong with you, Arnold?..."Gerald thought, not buying anything he said for a second.
He just knew that whatever is bothering Arnold, he's not willing to talk.
At least not right now.
With Arnold
Arnold HATED lying to his best friend and he HATED keeping secrets from him.
He really wanted to talk to him about his situation. Heck, Gerald could probably help him get some proof but Voz was emphatic when he said not to tell anyone. He made him promise not to and Arnold was stuck.
He didn't have to like it though.
"Please understand Gerald, I am just trying to do the right thing..."Arnold thought as he walked away from his best friend.
"Maybe if I call Voz again tonight, maybe I can get him to consider...'Arnold thought.
It was worth a shot.
Until then though, he has to try and get that proof when and if he can.
Meanwhile
With Gerald
Gerald met up with Phoebe, who noticed the expression on her boyfriend's face.
"Is something wrong, Gerald?..." Phoebe asked.
"It's Arnold..." Gerald said.
"What did he say?..."Phoebe asked, having also noticed Arnold's peculiar behavior lately.
She asked yesterday but Gerald couldn't answer.
Today he has one, just not one that satisfied either of them.
"It's what he's NOT saying... Man! I can't believe he's not telling me..."Gerald said, frustrated with Arnold's refusal to say what has been bothering him.
"Well..." Phoebe started theorizing. "When did he start acting out of character?..."Phoebe asked.
Like her boyfriend, she has also been worried about Arnold. He has been behaving rather erratic lately, barely talking to anyone, almost always having a frowning face when he walked by, almost like...Helga.
Gerald sighed as he knew that Arnold's weird antics had something to do with Helga and Drake, but he doesn't know what.
Or he at least hoped it wasn't what he was suspecting deep down.
"When Drake happened..."Gerald said.
Phoebe heard this and frowned, not liking this development but she was also thinking.
"Hmm... yes. Now that I think about it, Drake's presence is where it all began. He's usually friendly with others but Drake being a delinquent shouldn't be enough, He has forgiven others for worse in the past..."Phoebe said, before turning to her boyfriend.
"Although... there's one matter. I should at least examine before I jump to conclusions..."Phoebe said.
She has had her suspicious for a while. She has seen the way Arnold had looked at Drake, especially when he was around Helga. She had a theory, but she really hoped that for once, she is wrong.
She also can't tell Helga just on the off chance that she IS wrong. Her dear, poor friend has dealt with enough stress involving that Football Headed boy. She can't go telling her unless she was absolutely sure.
"We should keep an eye on him..."Phoebe said.
"Spy on Arnold? I don't know Phoebe. I don't wanna invade his privacy even if it comes to that..." Gerald said apprehensively.
"I know... but I've worried for how uncharacteristic he's being..." She said.
"Perhaps seeing if anything he does it out of the ordinary would hint to the answer..."She suggested.
"I really hope I'm wrong about my theory..." Phoebe said.
"Why's that?..." Gerald asked.
Phoebe knew that if her theory is true, then the one person Arnold would hurt the most, Helga, would lose her newfound happiness.
She can't let that happen.
"Let's just say... the end result would be very... intolerable..."Phoebe said as she sent what looked like a glare in the direction of the Football Headed boy.
Gerald rose a brow, but sighed in defeat.
"So, what? We go check on him during lunch..."Gerald suggested and Phoebe shook her head.
"Unfortunately, Principal Wartz said that he'd wish to speak to me at that time, something about my grades again but you can still check on him and later during free period, I can help you..."Phoebe said to her boyfriend, who sighed.
"Alright... but only because Arnold might need me whether he knows it or not..."Gerald said, desperate at this point.
This whole thing has gone on long enough.
Later
Lunchtime...
Gerald met up with Arnold at their usual table. Neither were talking much though, their last conversation was still in their mind.
As usual, Gerald saw that Arnold was not talking to him or anyone else. He just said, looking towards to Helga and Drake, looking worse than the time his cousin Arnie had dated Lila.
Much, much worse.
Gerald noticed that Drake whispered something into Helga's ear, causing her to laugh. He also noticed that Arnold was gripping his spork until it snapped in two, not that he seemed to notice.
It was alarming Gerald to say the least.
"It's worse than I thought..."Gerald thought, but he knew that his friend wasn't in the mood to talk about his problem.
When Helga and Drake got up and left, Arnold also got up.
"Where are you going?..." Gerald asked, trying to sound his question genuine, even if he already knew what the answer was.
"I'm just going to go to my locker and get something..." Arnold said and continued walking.
Gerald knew that Arnold was lying again. It seems that he was developing a habit of it.
He didn't like it, not one bit.
"Okay, this is getting old..."He thought to himself.
Gerald, with a determined look, began to follow Arnold.
As expected, Arnold didn't go to his locker. Worse, he kept going side to side of the hallway, almost as if he was trying to hide himself and not be seen. He went outside, went around the building to where the soccer field was, hide behind the building wall and watched.
Gerald couldn't really see who Arnold was watching, although had a strong hunch on who it was.
"Please let him not be doing what I think he is doing?..."Gerald thought as he was getting more and more concerned with Arnold's unusual behaviour.
He soon saw two people on the soccer field, playing the game and Arnold's eyes were on them specifically, confirming Gerald's theory.
He then began to walk towards his best friend, determined to find out what is wrong with him, one way or the other.
With Arnold
Arnold meanwhile, was watching Helga and Drake, who were playing soccer with their soccer teammates. It seems that they scheduled a little practice in between lunch.
"There they are.."Arnold thought as he positioned himself, trying to keep out of their sight.
This is perfect. Drake didn't see him follow them outside, he made sure of that. Now was the best time to try and get his proof.
Then, Helga went somewhere with Peapod Kid and Katarina, leaving Drake alone. Realizing that now was his chance to film something, Arnold was just about to turn and reach for his backpack when all of a sudden-
"Arnold!..." Gerald called out to him as he approached.
"Ah! Gerald! You scared me!..." Arnold exclaimed startlingly.
"Arnold, what are you doing?..." Gerald directly asked him.
"I was just getting some air..." Arnold said.
Gerald rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
"Then why did you tell me you were going to your locker?..."Gerald sarcastically asked and Arnold started sweating a bit.
"I did...and...and now I'm here getting some fresh air. " Arnold said in slight agitation.
"Out here?..."Gerald asked and Arnold hastily nodded, while Gerald raised a brow.
"Where Helga and Drake are?..."He asked as he pointed in their direction.
Arnold sweated even more now and gulped, before he nodded.
"Uh-huh..."Arnold said and Gerald went from mad and exasperated, to tired and incredulous.
He sighed as he looked down, disappointed, before he turned to his best friend, being totally serious right now. He grabbed Arnold by the arm, finally getting his real attention.
"Hey man. Don't do this, especially to me..."Gerald said, practically begging right now.
"Gerald...Please let me go..."Arnold tried to remain calm.
He didn't talk loudly, not wanting to get Drake's attention and blow his cover. Gerald noticed and was getting sick of this.
"Just tell me what's wrong..."Gerald pleased.
"Nothing... is...wrong." Arnold said with a notably irritated tone in his voice.
Gerald got mad again.
"Stop lying to me! Seriously man, what's wrong?" Gerald asked.
"I..I'm not-..."Arnold said but Gerald interrupted him.
"Arnold, I'm not dumb! Ever since Helga began hanging out with the Drake guy, you have been acting crazy! Every time they enter a room or you hear them or just see them together, you get this evil look in your eye...it's freaking me out!..."Gerald exclaimed.
He has seen the way his best friend looked at them and quite frankly, it was worrying him.
Arnold just shook his head, clearly in denial.
"Gerald, you got this all wrong!..." Arnold frantically tried to explain himself.
"I haven't been glaring at Helga and Drake. Okay yes, I have a lot of things on my mind, but it's got nothing to do with them..."Arnold lied again.
"You are lying to me again...Come on man, just tell me, you're really scaring me here!...'Gerald said, still not letting go.
"Why are you keeping secrets from me...again..." Gerald said with a frown.
Arnold flinched as he knew what Gerald is referring to. It was from one moment that he was not proud of.
"We're best friends. You know you can tell me anything and apart when you didn't tell me about your little arrangement with LaSombra to find your parents, you've never kept any secrets from me. So, don't start now. I can help you..."Gerald said, practically begging at this point.
"I...I...I..."Arnold stuttered as he went back and forth in his mind.
He felt so conflicted. He hates lying to Gerald but he can't stop. He has no choice here. Before he could tell him that he can't, Gerald's disapproving look made him feel even guiltier.
He sighed.
"Maybe I should just stop with the secret. I trust Gerald and I know that he wouldn't say anything...maybe I can convince Voz later..."Arnold thought.
"I'll tell you later... I just don't feel like saying right now..."Arnold said.
"Why?..."Gerald asked.
"That's part of the reason I can't... please, just let me say it when I feel ready..."Arnold said, meaning it.
Gerald shook his head and sighed.
"Fine..."
He let go and Arnold continued walking away.
Arnold looked over his shoulder and felt disgusted with himself.
I'm sorry, Gerald. I just can't tell you now..."He whispered to himself as he left, no longer in the mood to spy on his enemy right now.
Gerald, who didn't see this, shook his head in disappointment.
Suddenly, the bell rang and everyone was heading back inside for class. Gerald sighed as he re-entered the school building as where, still worried about his best friend and what his problem with Helga and Drake is doing to him.
"Arnold... what am I gonna do with you? I know you're hurting...why can't you just tell me now? If you are going to tell me, that is..." He said to himself as he headed back to class.
-To be continued-
Next time on A Broken Heart
My Girl
A/N: Special thanks to Anonymous Latino, NeoMark and Beconfuzzled Writer for their help. You guys are the best ;)
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewer:
Madi Anivar:We shall see how things turn out.
Invader Johnny: Yep, very ironic.
EugeArg: How's this?
DeepVoice'06: No fight yet, but how's this?
Guest: I am glad that you are enjoying it. I won't give any spoilers but we still have a few chapters to go from here.
:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)
