Continuing on with the story in progress!
Gerald had listened intently to Phoebe's story, still trying to overcome the shock, but slowly starting to piece everything together from what Phoebe was saying. He couldn't believe it, yet the proof was in the pudding... well, the closet. Helga had a huge crush on his best friend Arnold, and cleverly hid it from everyone else. Part of his mind was telling him that there was no way, but the other half of his mind shown him a couple moments of Arnold and Helga bumping into each other with Helga looking slightly confused and... speaking in a slightly, feminine voice for a moment, how had he not noticed that?... and remembered the time when he and Arnold had that pink book and were looking up admirers from their grade. Sure, he and Arnold immediately laughed off the notion that Helga could have possibly wrote those poems in that book, but... maybe it wasn't as impossible as he thought.
"...and so you see, Helga told me to keep this a secret between her and myself. I done well for the past few months, but... as you can see by today... she is going to be majorly upset that I told you. That's why you can't tell Arnold or anybody else about any of this! He might be confused that his 'bully' harbored feelings for him." Phoebe concluded. "Now do you see why I'm nervous?"
It was at that moment, Phoebe had noticed the shocked, yet thinking look on Gerald's face. "Er, Gerald?"
"I... I'm still trying to process it, but the more I think about it, the more I... suppose it... makes sense." Gerald said. "Sure, Helga's always mean and terrible, but looking back, the only terrible thing Helga's ever done to Arnold was push him around a bit, insult him and she only ever does spitballs at Arnold. Nobody else. Just... just Arnold. It's pretty far-fetched, but... it makes sense."
Phoebe sighed. "That's why she wanted it secret, Gerald, she knew someone like you would react this way."
Gerald sighed as he turned to Phoebe. "Look, Phoebe, I promise, I won't tell Arnold what I saw today, that's for Helga to do herself when she's ready."
Phoebe sighed in relief. "Thank you, that's all I ask."
"But now the question is, where IS Helga anyway?" Gerald asked as he looked around.
Phoebe paused as she looked around in her room and looked down. "Hmmm... her bed looked like it hadn't been slept in since Saturday night..."
Gerald paused as he looked inside the closet with her shrine. "And if she was in her closet, she would have kicked us out by now."
Phoebe started to go downstairs as Gerald followed behind her. "You said you didn't find anything downstairs?"
Gerald shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing seems to have been touched."
"If Helga's not sick, and she's not at home... then where could she be?" Phoebe asked.
"Well... what did she do AFTER she gave you the wrestling tickets on Saturday?" Gerald asked Phoebe.
Phoebe paused as she wondered, "Hmmm... she DID see Arnold with Lila and Lulu. She assumed that Lila was attempting to cheat her out of Arnold by having his sister go with her on a tour."
Gerald laughed a bit as he said, "No, that didn't happen. Arnold did ask her out to the town, yes, but from what he told me, Lila said yes because her sister was there, and invited her along for a tour."
"Hmmm..." Phoebe paused. "How did that go with Arnold, by the way?"
"The weirdest thing when I met him this morning coming out of the boarding house. Lila's sister walked out to her car and it drove off, and when I came over, Arnold came out with this dopey grin on his face. I thought it was because he somehow succeeded in winning Lila's heart, but then it turned a complete 180. He told me that he found his soul-mate in Lila's sister, Lulu!"
"Really?" Phoebe said in shock as she frowned. "That sounds mightily suspicious, doesn't it?"
Gerald frowned. "You know what? I think it does. Arnold attempts to go out with Lila, then says he's in love with Lulu? What happened in between there?"
"Two mysteries..." Phoebe paused. "And only one has a lead. If we're going to find out what happened to Helga... we'll have to go to the source herself."
"Lila?" Gerald asked.
Phoebe nodded. "Precisely."
"You know, Arnold, it's nice to meet you for the first time." Mr. Sawyer smiled as he shook Arnold's hand.
"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine, sir." Arnold smiled as he looked up to the man in question. Lila and Lulu were sitting on the couch, watching this exchange with a smile.
"I understand that Lulu tells me you have a nice appetite." Mr. Sawyer said.
Arnold paused nervously as Arnold's shoulder angel was holding back his shoulder devil as he whispered, "Don't you dare tell him to say those dreaded words!"
"What? All he needs to do is say "I'm Arnold Shortman and I'm banging one of your daughters!"." The shoulder devil smirked... then paused. "Actually, you're right. That does sound wrong coming out of my mouth."
"At least that's one thing we can agree with." Arnold's shoulder angel rolled his eyes.
"Anyway, I need to run a quick errand. Girls, you're going to be okay on your own?" Mr. Sawyer asked, turning to his daughters.
"We'll be all right, daddy." Lila smiled.
"Besides, we won't be doing much." Lulu gave a nod.
"All right. You three have fun now." Mr. Sawyer smiled as he started to leave.
"Oh, I know two of us will!" Lulu giggled as Mr. Sawyer left. Lulu tapped the seat next to her as Arnold gave a smile. He immediately went to Lulu and sat next to her as she said, "Oh, hello, Arnold! My, don't you look radiant today!"
"Thank you, Lulu. You look pretty nice yourself." Arnold said as he held her hand. Lila giggled as she got up.
"I need to wash my face up, would you two ever so mind?" Lila asked.
"Of course not. Take your time." Lulu smiled as Lila giggled. She skipped over to the bathroom as she locked the door.
As soon as Lulu and Arnold were sure Lila was in the bathroom, Lulu and Arnold immediately grabbed each other and pulled their bodies forward as they started to kiss, initiating a make-out session.
"Oh, Lulu, you have no idea how much I've been suffering..." Arnold said as he started kissing down her neck.
"Oh, Arnold, you animal, I needed this after a long boring day..." Lulu smiled as she started to reach down and tickle his stomach.
Arnold giggled as he said, "L-Lulu, what are you doing?"
"Why, I'm certain I'm trying to tickle you, Arnold." Lulu smirked.
"I didn't say stop." Arnold smiled as he reached his hand out and started wigging them on Lulu's stomach, causing her to giggle. "Oh my, are you ticklish there, my red-haired beauty?"
"Oh yes, my blonde haired stud!" Lulu giggled as Arnold started to tickle down her thighs. "Oh my goodness, Arnold, you are something else!"
Click.
Arnold and Lulu, upon hearing the click, yelped as they immediately went back into a seating position, just in time for Lila to peek her head out. "Is everything okay in there, I heard giggling?"
"Oh, things are fine. Lulu was just telling me a small joke she heard in her country." Arnold lied.
Arnold's shoulder angel's mouth just dropped in utter shock as Arnold's shoulder devil was doing the humping motions in glee.
Lila paused as she said, "Well, could you tone down the laughing a bit? I need the perfect temperature of water to be right."
"All right, sorry sister." Lulu smiled as Lila shut the door and locked it again. Waiting to be sure that everything was fine, Lulu immediately grabbed Arnold into a hug as Arnold hugged her back and they resumed a very heated kiss.
After about a minute of kissing, they separated for air as Arnold said, "I don't think we should be doing this, Lila could hear us..."
"I'm quite aware of that." Lulu said as she kissed Arnold again. "But do you really care?"
Arnold paused. "Good point, Lulu. Man, where have you been all my life, Lulu?"
"In the same town where the cousin I've never met before is?" Lulu asked as she thought to herself.
"That's right..." Arnold said. "You know, I never considered visiting my cousin before, but if you're living in that town, I would be more than willing to make visits, if only to see you!"
"Aw, Arnold, you're a very sweet boy." Lulu giggled as she kissed his cheek. "We should totally spend a day together tomorrow!"
Arnold's eyes widened. "Uh... I don't know, Lulu. I do have school tomorrow."
"But I don't. I have school immunity due to visiting this place." Lulu said as she dug around and held up a card, her thumb blocking her last name as Arnold looked at it.
"If you are from another country, you do not have to attend school." Arnold said in shock. "That's a thing?"
Lulu gave a nod. "If you would like, I have another blank spare card with me. I can give it to you, you can write your name down, and skip a day of school entirely to spend the day with me!"
Arnold paused nervously as he said, "I don't know, Lulu, I feel like I would be lying. And besides, the last time I played hooky, I missed out on a carnival that happened to take place during school today."
"Oh, Arnold, it's not lying if you're just... stretching the truth a little, isn't it?" Lulu raised an eyebrow. "Besides, I miss you when you're not here. Do you miss me?"
Arnold paused, as if to think about it. His shoulder angel sat on Arnold's right shoulder, looking worried, "Don't do it, Arnold. You know what happened last time, you almost got caught in every scenario when you played hooky."
"Ah, but we don't HAVE to go through town. All we need is Lulu. I say take the card." Arnold's shoulder devil laughed.
Arnold paused as he looked at Lulu's smiling face. Arnold smiled as he took a deep breath, both his shoulder angel and devil waiting in anticipation.
That was when they heard a knock on the door.
What is going to happen? Will Arnold accept Lulu's offer, and what leads will Gerald and Phoebe find? Find out in the next chapter! We'll be right back!