"The Love Docter" By Anne Anime (AnneAnime@aol.com) and Cecile (CarmHelga@aol.com).
Walking outside Helga saw Arnold running up, obviously he thought he'd be late for his appointment. "Hi Helga!"
"Hi Arnold"
"Helga? Are you all right? You look like you've been crying"
"I'm fine, really" stated Helga, who wished she had stayed inside a little longer so her eyes wouldn't have been so red.
"Ok Helga, just don't cry anymore, I don't like seeing you cry," Arnold said, then he blushed and started up the stairs,
"Well I better be getting in, I'm late"
"I don't think Dr. Bliss will mind too much, bye Arnold"
"Bye Helga" and they parted ways.
"Sorry I'm late Dr. Bliss, the boarders were fighting again."
"That's okay Arnold, so what's been happening in your world lately?"
"A bunch of weird things, a whole bunch of weird things."
"Like what Arnold?" Arnold pulled up his sweater sleeve to reveal the bracelet, he untied it and handed it to Dr. Bliss.
"Helga said you told her to make this for me."
"Oh yes the bracelet, I did tell Helga something about that. And I see you kept it."
"Yeah I don't know why, I feel all mixed up inside."
"Well perhaps you are beginning to see the real Helga."
"You know, I think that's it. She has a horrible life, almost no friends, and her family hates her. If anyone has a right to be bossy and mean, it's her."
"Oh really? Then do you understand that she doesn't mean to be that way?"
"Yeah this whole time she was mean to me, I don't think she really, truly, deep down meant it...." Arnold stopped and realized what he was saying.
"Continue Arnold.."
"Maybe all these years, Helga's.....liked me..." Dr. Bliss smiled.
Arnold took the bracelet and cradled it in his hands.
"I think I need to talk to Helga."
"Then why don't you Arnold?"
"Because, I don't want to sound like an idiot."
"Arnold, you need to talk to her."
"I know, but I wish I had you there to help me."
"Well perhaps I can arrange that."
"What do you mean Dr. Bliss?"
"Well it is quite normal to have group sessions Arnold, and perhaps Helga will agree to have a group session with you."
"I hope so, maybe with you here I can get the nerve to talk to her."
The next day at school, Arnold and Helga were walking up the hall to their lockers when suddenly Principal Wartz's voice came on the PA system.
"Helen Pataki and Arnold.. uh.. Arnold. Please report to the main office immediately, Thank you, that is all" said the voice.
"Huh? Arnold do you know what he's talking about?" whispered Helga, in a panic.
"Dr. Bliss wants us to schedule a group session, that must be why he's calling us down" consoled Arnold, who started in the other direction, towards the Principal's office, Helga following.
When Helga and Arnold went out to recess a few minutes later, they were practically mobbed.
"What did you two do?" asked Sheena.
"Did you get in a fight?" Rhonda stated snootily. Neither of them knew what to do, people seemed more interested in them than in playing.
They really couldn't hear any of the questions until they heard Harold ask, "Did you two get caught making out?"
"NO!" they both yelled at the same time, turning the exact same shade of red.
"Look at them blushing! That must be it!" said Sid.
"Garsh, only in the 4th grade too" Stinky thought aloud.
"I believe it's highly unlikely that is it. There must be some rational explanation that the pair were called to have a talk with the Principal." stated Phoebe, matter of factly.
"Ooooooohhhh, Arnold and Helga sittin' in a tree..." started Harold, and most of the other kids joined him in singing the most embarrassing song you can hear as a kid.
Helga turned, grabbed Harold by the collar, and pinned him against a wall.
"Don't you ever bother my Arnold, ever again!" All the kids gasped at Helga's use of the word 'my'.
Helga turned bright red, almost like a sunburn and ran off into the school. Phoebe decided to follow her. Helga ran into the bathroom and slumped down in the corner crying. Phoebe came in.
"Helga? Are you okay?"
"No I'm not doi! I just made the biggest mistake in my whole life!" Helga said sobbing.
"Helga you are acting irrational, and making hasty assumptions. You need to analyze the situation before you began to ramble mindlessly about how hopeless everything is."
"I guess you are right Pheebs, I mean I just let it slip that I love Arnold, and now the whole school knows, I mean what's so bad about that. And Arnold will probably never talk to me for the rest of my life! And you say it's not hopeless, well it is Pheebs, it's over, my life is over."
"Helga if I observed correctly the party you speak of didn't seem to mind."
"Arnold didn't mind!?!?"
"Well if my interpretation of his facial expressions was correct, he blushed then smiled, like he didn't mind."
"Arnold did that?!? Oh how sweet, the little angel, my love has not yet spurned me!"
"Come on Helga, you have to face the music sooner or later."
"I don't like music, but you are right. I can't spend the rest of my life hiding." Phoebe helped her up, and Helga washed her face off before returning to the 'cruel world' that waited for her.
Meanwhile, Arnold was standing in the middle of a circle of kids, who were all silent, and staring at him. He wished that someone would save him, because he was glued to the spot by everyone's eyes. All of a sudden, his wish came true, Gerald had dragged him way from the crowd and into the school.
"What exactly was that?"
"That was a mob of kids making fun of me"
"No! The part where Helga called you hers and you liked it!"
"Well.. uh...." struggled Arnold, blushing.
"I mean, I knew you liked her, but I wish you would have told me, instead of me having to assume. And now you get caught kissing her on school grounds!"
"That's not what we where called down to the office for!"
"What then?"
"We were scheduling a group session with Dr. Bliss"
"Huh? What for?"
"I... I need to talk to Helga about some things... but I don't have the nerve to talk to her by myself"
"Ok then man, sorry for jumping to conclusions, I should have known that you'd never do that."
"It's okay Gerald"
Just then Helga and Phoebe turned the corner, Helga still crying and Phoebe trying to calm her down. Arnold ran right over.
"Helga are you okay?"
"I think so Arnold" Helga said trying to remain calm.
"Helga are you sure you're shaking pretty badly?" And indeed Helga was shaking, she was very nervous.
"I think I just need to..um....sit down." Helga said sitting on the floor.
Arnold sat down right next to her. "Helga if there's anything you need to talk about I'm willing to listen."
"No I'm okay Arnold, just a little weak that's all."
"Helga you can't tell me that them teasing us like that didn't bother you."
"Okay so it did, there are you happy." Helga said burying her face in her hands and scooting a little farther away from Arnold. Arnold put his hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay Helga, you can tell me." Phoebe nudged Gerald to leave with her. Helga sat there silently. She was still shaking pretty bad and she was trying to hide her crying from Arnold.
"Helga, please don't shut me out."
"I'm sorry Arnold, I just can't find the words to say what I want to say."
"I understand Helga, that's okay."
The bell rang and all the kids came in from recess, Arnold helped Helga up and decided to take her to the nurse. Then they ran into Harold, Stinky and Sid.
"Hey Arnold, where were you all recess, having a little fun with your girlfriend?" Harold said making kissy faces.
Helga went red, then plucked up her courage. "Okay pink boy that's it! You have insulted him for the last time. Now you are gonna pay!" Helga said about to punch Harold, Arnold grabbed her wrist.
"Helga don't!" Helga wriggled her wrist, trying to get it loose from Arnold.
Helga got her hand free right as the bracelet fell to the ground. Helga went wide eyed and froze.
Arnold turned bright red as he stooped to pick it up.
"Arnold, isn't that the bracelet you had before?" Sid asked.
"Um..I guess so."
"Yeah Sid that's the one Helga done gave him." Stinky replied.
Arnold dropped the bracelet and ran down the hall. Helga, who was watching this whole thing in shock, picked up the bracelet from the floor and ran the way Arnold had went, leaving the snickering boys behind.
"Arnold..." she said when she found him, "Y-you dropped this" handing him the bracelet.
"Thanks, but I need to find something to do with it other than wear it as a bracelet, or I should tie it tighter."
"You could always just leave it in your room, it's not like I would care"
"I couldn't do that, I want to wear it, it's just..."
"I know exactly what you mean... why can't they just understand we're friends? Sometimes I feel like punching them is the only way to knock sense into their boney heads"
"Yeah I think everyone feels that way sometimes, but you have to try and not to"
"I will try" she said, then thought, "For you I'll do anything"
"Here help me tie it back on so it won't fall off this time!"
"Ok, then we get back to class, right football head?" she asked.
"Yup, then back to class"
They headed back into class where Harold and some others started snickering and pointing at them. Arnold took Helga's hand and gave it a squeeze,
"Just ignore them Helga."
Then they went to their seats. Mr. Simmons came in. "Good afternoon class!" The class groaned.
"Okay we have a very interesting film on the war of 1812, isn't that thrilling?" As the film played, Arnold kept tugging his sweater sleeve down for fear someone would see the bracelet. Helga was staring at Arnold with a dreamy look in her eyes.
Gerald leaned over to Arnold. "Hey man, what's the prob with your sweater?"
"Huh? Oh nothing, nothing at all."
"Sure man, whatever you say." Then a loud crash was heard, as Helga turned towards Rhonda.
"Get a life you fashion nut!"
"Hrmph, how dare you insult me!" Arnold got up and went back to stop the two.
"Helga, Rhonda, don't please." Arnold said separating the two.
"Fine stand up for her, see if I care" Rhonda said turning the other way.
"Arnold that was very special of you, but would you please return to your seat now." Mr. Simmons said stopping the film.
After class Arnold went over to Helga.
"Helga what did Rhonda say to you earlier?"
"It was nothing Arnold, nothing at all."
"Helga you can tell me."
"She was just bothering me about you that's all."
"Like what Helga?"
"It really doesn't matter... I... know it wasn't true." Helga said while getting on the bus.
"Okay, if you don't want to tell me, I don't mind..." said Arnold, who wasn't exactly telling the truth. Both of them went to sit with their best friends, and that was that.
"Bye Helga," Arnold said getting off,
"See you tonight."
"Yeah, Arnold, see you there"
Arnold got off the bus and continued to his house, still tugging on his sleeve. "Hey short man, what's the matter?"
"Nothing Grandpa... I have to go to Dr. Bliss' office tonight, okay?"
"Why's that? The Doc figure you have more problems than we thought you did?"
Arnold rolled his eyes at this, "No, It's a group session with Helga"
"Oh! Your little girlfriend?"
"Grandpa!!"
"Gotta be going, short man, Grandma is making chili, run while you can!" he said, slipping out the front door. Arnold shook his head and went upstairs.
Arnold laid down on his bed, and started to fall asleep.
***
"Arnold, Arnold......."
"Huh? Helga is that you?"
"Yes it is Arnold" Helga came sauntering in wearing a long pink dress with sequins. Arnold looked around, they seemed to be in a night club of some sort.
"Don't worry about them Arnold, who cares what they say about us." Helga said in a sultry voice as she sat next to Arnold.
"Helga what are you talking about?"
"Oh Arnold, I love you, you love me, why does their petty opinions bother you."
"You like me?"
"Of course I do silly." Helga said taking his hand.
"And you like me."
"Helga how did you know that....."
"Because you told me, and I told you. All that matters now Arnold is us."
"But I thought you didn't like being teased."
"Oh I can bear the pain for you my darling."
Helga said about to kiss him.
***
Arnold snapped awake to the sound of his Grandma calling him for dinner.
"That was one weird dream" he mumbled before trudging downstairs for dinner.
Then the phone rang.
"Hello?" "Arnold, it's me Helga..."
"Helga!?! What the..." Arnold said with the dream in the back of his head.
"Cool your jets football head, I was just calling to see if you wanted to walk with me to the session tonight."
"Yeah I guess so Helga."
"Arnold are you okay, you sound terrified of me or something?"
"No I've just had a weird day that's all Helga."
"Whatever Arnold, I'll see you then."
"Okay Helga."
Walking outside Helga saw Arnold running up, obviously he thought he'd be late for his appointment. "Hi Helga!"
"Hi Arnold"
"Helga? Are you all right? You look like you've been crying"
"I'm fine, really" stated Helga, who wished she had stayed inside a little longer so her eyes wouldn't have been so red.
"Ok Helga, just don't cry anymore, I don't like seeing you cry," Arnold said, then he blushed and started up the stairs,
"Well I better be getting in, I'm late"
"I don't think Dr. Bliss will mind too much, bye Arnold"
"Bye Helga" and they parted ways.
"Sorry I'm late Dr. Bliss, the boarders were fighting again."
"That's okay Arnold, so what's been happening in your world lately?"
"A bunch of weird things, a whole bunch of weird things."
"Like what Arnold?" Arnold pulled up his sweater sleeve to reveal the bracelet, he untied it and handed it to Dr. Bliss.
"Helga said you told her to make this for me."
"Oh yes the bracelet, I did tell Helga something about that. And I see you kept it."
"Yeah I don't know why, I feel all mixed up inside."
"Well perhaps you are beginning to see the real Helga."
"You know, I think that's it. She has a horrible life, almost no friends, and her family hates her. If anyone has a right to be bossy and mean, it's her."
"Oh really? Then do you understand that she doesn't mean to be that way?"
"Yeah this whole time she was mean to me, I don't think she really, truly, deep down meant it...." Arnold stopped and realized what he was saying.
"Continue Arnold.."
"Maybe all these years, Helga's.....liked me..." Dr. Bliss smiled.
Arnold took the bracelet and cradled it in his hands.
"I think I need to talk to Helga."
"Then why don't you Arnold?"
"Because, I don't want to sound like an idiot."
"Arnold, you need to talk to her."
"I know, but I wish I had you there to help me."
"Well perhaps I can arrange that."
"What do you mean Dr. Bliss?"
"Well it is quite normal to have group sessions Arnold, and perhaps Helga will agree to have a group session with you."
"I hope so, maybe with you here I can get the nerve to talk to her."
The next day at school, Arnold and Helga were walking up the hall to their lockers when suddenly Principal Wartz's voice came on the PA system.
"Helen Pataki and Arnold.. uh.. Arnold. Please report to the main office immediately, Thank you, that is all" said the voice.
"Huh? Arnold do you know what he's talking about?" whispered Helga, in a panic.
"Dr. Bliss wants us to schedule a group session, that must be why he's calling us down" consoled Arnold, who started in the other direction, towards the Principal's office, Helga following.
When Helga and Arnold went out to recess a few minutes later, they were practically mobbed.
"What did you two do?" asked Sheena.
"Did you get in a fight?" Rhonda stated snootily. Neither of them knew what to do, people seemed more interested in them than in playing.
They really couldn't hear any of the questions until they heard Harold ask, "Did you two get caught making out?"
"NO!" they both yelled at the same time, turning the exact same shade of red.
"Look at them blushing! That must be it!" said Sid.
"Garsh, only in the 4th grade too" Stinky thought aloud.
"I believe it's highly unlikely that is it. There must be some rational explanation that the pair were called to have a talk with the Principal." stated Phoebe, matter of factly.
"Ooooooohhhh, Arnold and Helga sittin' in a tree..." started Harold, and most of the other kids joined him in singing the most embarrassing song you can hear as a kid.
Helga turned, grabbed Harold by the collar, and pinned him against a wall.
"Don't you ever bother my Arnold, ever again!" All the kids gasped at Helga's use of the word 'my'.
Helga turned bright red, almost like a sunburn and ran off into the school. Phoebe decided to follow her. Helga ran into the bathroom and slumped down in the corner crying. Phoebe came in.
"Helga? Are you okay?"
"No I'm not doi! I just made the biggest mistake in my whole life!" Helga said sobbing.
"Helga you are acting irrational, and making hasty assumptions. You need to analyze the situation before you began to ramble mindlessly about how hopeless everything is."
"I guess you are right Pheebs, I mean I just let it slip that I love Arnold, and now the whole school knows, I mean what's so bad about that. And Arnold will probably never talk to me for the rest of my life! And you say it's not hopeless, well it is Pheebs, it's over, my life is over."
"Helga if I observed correctly the party you speak of didn't seem to mind."
"Arnold didn't mind!?!?"
"Well if my interpretation of his facial expressions was correct, he blushed then smiled, like he didn't mind."
"Arnold did that?!? Oh how sweet, the little angel, my love has not yet spurned me!"
"Come on Helga, you have to face the music sooner or later."
"I don't like music, but you are right. I can't spend the rest of my life hiding." Phoebe helped her up, and Helga washed her face off before returning to the 'cruel world' that waited for her.
Meanwhile, Arnold was standing in the middle of a circle of kids, who were all silent, and staring at him. He wished that someone would save him, because he was glued to the spot by everyone's eyes. All of a sudden, his wish came true, Gerald had dragged him way from the crowd and into the school.
"What exactly was that?"
"That was a mob of kids making fun of me"
"No! The part where Helga called you hers and you liked it!"
"Well.. uh...." struggled Arnold, blushing.
"I mean, I knew you liked her, but I wish you would have told me, instead of me having to assume. And now you get caught kissing her on school grounds!"
"That's not what we where called down to the office for!"
"What then?"
"We were scheduling a group session with Dr. Bliss"
"Huh? What for?"
"I... I need to talk to Helga about some things... but I don't have the nerve to talk to her by myself"
"Ok then man, sorry for jumping to conclusions, I should have known that you'd never do that."
"It's okay Gerald"
Just then Helga and Phoebe turned the corner, Helga still crying and Phoebe trying to calm her down. Arnold ran right over.
"Helga are you okay?"
"I think so Arnold" Helga said trying to remain calm.
"Helga are you sure you're shaking pretty badly?" And indeed Helga was shaking, she was very nervous.
"I think I just need to..um....sit down." Helga said sitting on the floor.
Arnold sat down right next to her. "Helga if there's anything you need to talk about I'm willing to listen."
"No I'm okay Arnold, just a little weak that's all."
"Helga you can't tell me that them teasing us like that didn't bother you."
"Okay so it did, there are you happy." Helga said burying her face in her hands and scooting a little farther away from Arnold. Arnold put his hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay Helga, you can tell me." Phoebe nudged Gerald to leave with her. Helga sat there silently. She was still shaking pretty bad and she was trying to hide her crying from Arnold.
"Helga, please don't shut me out."
"I'm sorry Arnold, I just can't find the words to say what I want to say."
"I understand Helga, that's okay."
The bell rang and all the kids came in from recess, Arnold helped Helga up and decided to take her to the nurse. Then they ran into Harold, Stinky and Sid.
"Hey Arnold, where were you all recess, having a little fun with your girlfriend?" Harold said making kissy faces.
Helga went red, then plucked up her courage. "Okay pink boy that's it! You have insulted him for the last time. Now you are gonna pay!" Helga said about to punch Harold, Arnold grabbed her wrist.
"Helga don't!" Helga wriggled her wrist, trying to get it loose from Arnold.
Helga got her hand free right as the bracelet fell to the ground. Helga went wide eyed and froze.
Arnold turned bright red as he stooped to pick it up.
"Arnold, isn't that the bracelet you had before?" Sid asked.
"Um..I guess so."
"Yeah Sid that's the one Helga done gave him." Stinky replied.
Arnold dropped the bracelet and ran down the hall. Helga, who was watching this whole thing in shock, picked up the bracelet from the floor and ran the way Arnold had went, leaving the snickering boys behind.
"Arnold..." she said when she found him, "Y-you dropped this" handing him the bracelet.
"Thanks, but I need to find something to do with it other than wear it as a bracelet, or I should tie it tighter."
"You could always just leave it in your room, it's not like I would care"
"I couldn't do that, I want to wear it, it's just..."
"I know exactly what you mean... why can't they just understand we're friends? Sometimes I feel like punching them is the only way to knock sense into their boney heads"
"Yeah I think everyone feels that way sometimes, but you have to try and not to"
"I will try" she said, then thought, "For you I'll do anything"
"Here help me tie it back on so it won't fall off this time!"
"Ok, then we get back to class, right football head?" she asked.
"Yup, then back to class"
They headed back into class where Harold and some others started snickering and pointing at them. Arnold took Helga's hand and gave it a squeeze,
"Just ignore them Helga."
Then they went to their seats. Mr. Simmons came in. "Good afternoon class!" The class groaned.
"Okay we have a very interesting film on the war of 1812, isn't that thrilling?" As the film played, Arnold kept tugging his sweater sleeve down for fear someone would see the bracelet. Helga was staring at Arnold with a dreamy look in her eyes.
Gerald leaned over to Arnold. "Hey man, what's the prob with your sweater?"
"Huh? Oh nothing, nothing at all."
"Sure man, whatever you say." Then a loud crash was heard, as Helga turned towards Rhonda.
"Get a life you fashion nut!"
"Hrmph, how dare you insult me!" Arnold got up and went back to stop the two.
"Helga, Rhonda, don't please." Arnold said separating the two.
"Fine stand up for her, see if I care" Rhonda said turning the other way.
"Arnold that was very special of you, but would you please return to your seat now." Mr. Simmons said stopping the film.
After class Arnold went over to Helga.
"Helga what did Rhonda say to you earlier?"
"It was nothing Arnold, nothing at all."
"Helga you can tell me."
"She was just bothering me about you that's all."
"Like what Helga?"
"It really doesn't matter... I... know it wasn't true." Helga said while getting on the bus.
"Okay, if you don't want to tell me, I don't mind..." said Arnold, who wasn't exactly telling the truth. Both of them went to sit with their best friends, and that was that.
"Bye Helga," Arnold said getting off,
"See you tonight."
"Yeah, Arnold, see you there"
Arnold got off the bus and continued to his house, still tugging on his sleeve. "Hey short man, what's the matter?"
"Nothing Grandpa... I have to go to Dr. Bliss' office tonight, okay?"
"Why's that? The Doc figure you have more problems than we thought you did?"
Arnold rolled his eyes at this, "No, It's a group session with Helga"
"Oh! Your little girlfriend?"
"Grandpa!!"
"Gotta be going, short man, Grandma is making chili, run while you can!" he said, slipping out the front door. Arnold shook his head and went upstairs.
Arnold laid down on his bed, and started to fall asleep.
***
"Arnold, Arnold......."
"Huh? Helga is that you?"
"Yes it is Arnold" Helga came sauntering in wearing a long pink dress with sequins. Arnold looked around, they seemed to be in a night club of some sort.
"Don't worry about them Arnold, who cares what they say about us." Helga said in a sultry voice as she sat next to Arnold.
"Helga what are you talking about?"
"Oh Arnold, I love you, you love me, why does their petty opinions bother you."
"You like me?"
"Of course I do silly." Helga said taking his hand.
"And you like me."
"Helga how did you know that....."
"Because you told me, and I told you. All that matters now Arnold is us."
"But I thought you didn't like being teased."
"Oh I can bear the pain for you my darling."
Helga said about to kiss him.
***
Arnold snapped awake to the sound of his Grandma calling him for dinner.
"That was one weird dream" he mumbled before trudging downstairs for dinner.
Then the phone rang.
"Hello?" "Arnold, it's me Helga..."
"Helga!?! What the..." Arnold said with the dream in the back of his head.
"Cool your jets football head, I was just calling to see if you wanted to walk with me to the session tonight."
"Yeah I guess so Helga."
"Arnold are you okay, you sound terrified of me or something?"
"No I've just had a weird day that's all Helga."
"Whatever Arnold, I'll see you then."
"Okay Helga."