As Time Goes By

As Time Goes By

Alright! I did it! Whoo hoo! I finally got another chapter posted. I hope you guys enjoy it and PLEASE R&R.

Disclaimer: Hey Arnold! Is not my property and I am not staked out at Nick studios in Burbank trying to sneak in…I am simply…."admiring" ;-) ::::::::gets dragged away by security guards::::::::

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~As Time Goes By~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 9: Woman needs man and man must have his mate. That no one can deny.

Helga got to the bottom floor and ran out of the apartment and threw open the door to be hit by the same crisp and bitter air. Holding her red shawl together she hailed a checkered taxi. She got in and the taxi sped off.

Back at the party, Phoebe managed as much as possible to get the party back in order, at least for her guests that weren't familiar with the previous two that made the scene.

The old group was sitting in a group, trying to make sense of the large scene.

"Gee golly." Stinky said crinkling up his nose, he looked in pain. Apparently his brain was on over-drive.

"Well…that was the last thing I expected." Nadine chimed in, trying to fill in the silence.

"Well, it would explain her harsh treating of Arnold." Rhonda said. She looked at everyone searching for answers, "Did anyone here suspect…? Harold?"

"No way! She went to the 7th dance with me! …And didn't talk to me unless Arnold was around…wait a minute…"

"Stinky?"

"Gawsh no. I thought she liked me, on account of the whole paid boyfriend thing we did a while ago. But alas, her heart belonged to another." Nadine looked jealously at Stinky, "But now I have you darling…?" Stinky laughed nervously. He pulled at his collar.

"Sheena?"

"Well, she did get me to quit the school play, twice, Romeo and Juliet and Bugsy Malone. I didn't even think she'd appreciate the sensitivity of those characters. And the leading man was Arn… I think I get it. But at the time, no. I had no idea."

"Sid?"

"Nope."

"Peapod Kid?"

"I have to say a definite no."

"Eugene?"

"Not at all."

"Lorenzo?"

"Not a clue."

"Joey?"

"Hell no!"

"Patty?"

"Not really."

"Nadine?"

Nadine shook her head.

"Lila?"

"Yes."

The whole group gasped, "YES!?!" Rhonda yelled shocked. Lila looked awkwardly at a throw pillow.

"Well…I shouldn't be saying this, but I guess everyone knows now. I gave her my part in Romeo and Juliet because she admitted to having a crush on Arnold." The men chimed in and explained how they had just found out Helga had admitted later on to having a small crush on Arnold, but he assumed she had gotten over it.

"But I never thought for a second that she was in LOVE with him."

Gerald had taken a very shaken Arnold back into the previous men's quarters. Which was now in shambles.

Gerald motioned at the couch,

"You better sit down man." Gerald bit his lip in concern for his friend. "I'll get you a glass of water." Arnold sat motionless.

Gerald went over to the nearby bar and prepared a glass of water. He handed Arnold the crystal glass. Arnold took a sip and just held the glass and stared into it, as if it would answer him.

"So Arnold…well…what are you thinking?" Gerald asked, trying to help as much as he could, but he was bewildered himself.

Arnold looked sadly at Gerald, he was bitterly confused.

"Thinking? I'm numb…I don't know what to think." He replied.

Gerald scratched his head, "Well try not to think, just talk."

Arnold took a sip of the drink and slumped into the couch. "Where should I start?"

They were both silent for a few minutes.

"Did you ever feel anything unusual for her?"

Arnold took a sigh and just stared into space.

"Many times." Gerald was surprised by this.

"Wow…well when was the first time?"

Arnold went into deep thought and conversation.

"I don't know really. Since I was little I always had a bit of a soft side for her. I mean, she had the life that was all I ever wanted. Yet, I didn't realize how far off I was. She always lashed out at me, I never knew why…but she hid such a vulnerable and beautiful side. When I was younger, it fascinated me. Someone that from all appearances seemed to be in the 'fourth grader world' to have the blackest heart out of all of the school kids. Yet, she in reality was capable of many acts of compassion, for whatever motivations. And surviving in her family is an amazing feat in itself."

Gerald raised an eyebrow, "How do you know so much about Helga?"

"I guess since she was so mean to me, I got to know her better. Part choice, part intuition. I mean, just look at all the hints she gave at us, almost as if she was screaming that she was a good person, just with problems. She wasn't just a bully, she was very artistic. Her performance in Romeo and Juliet was beautiful and her transformation was incredible. She even tackled a more sensitive and demure character in Bugsy Malone…"

"What about my question?"

Arnold sighed, "It's hard… I was confused about my feelings when I was younger. I had this nagging feeling…I questioned my motivations for wanting to know her better."

"Arnold my man, you're not answering." Gerald was getting impatient.

"I guess the first was at the dinner that Helga invited us to in 4th grade. She went to all of that trouble to get out of paying, due to the mix up. Yet, she gave it up and we washed dishes together."

Gerald laughed, "Ah yes, I remember it well…"

"She was complaining, and I told her I thought that she did a really nice thing, I sprayed her with a bit of water at her and winked at her. She was smiling, but she hid it. She did look pretty cute in the dishwasher outfit." Arnold laughed.

"Hey when did you turn into Cassanova?" Gerald asked teasingly. Arnold laughed.

"I was flirting wasn't I?"

Gerald smacked him with a throw pillow. "You can't even get your own feelings through that thick…that thick…football-headed skull!"

They both went silent with the reminder of what just happened.

"Well…was there anything else?"

"There is a lot…that dance we shared at the 8th grade dance. I still don't know where my date had gone. I couldn't figure out why she'd want to dance…and with me anyway."

"Well now you know…"

"Yes, I guess I do." Arnold said softly. "I had a dream once…you know the time I was supposed to visit Arnie. I went to visit, and everything seemed to be reversed. All of the groups personalities and features were switched. Yet, not everything was reversed. The version of Lila was flirting with me unrelentingly. Yet, she wouldn't leave her boyfriend, Arnie. I lost interest in her constant persistence anyway. I realized that this wasn't the opposite of Lila, it was her. It was her manipulative nature exaggerated. There was another interesting character as well. It was Helga, only her name was Hilda. In the dream I ran into her reciting poetry on the sidewalk, while looking at the moon."

"Reciting poetry?" Gerald cut in, "That's a side I haven't seen."

"Oh I have." Arnold continued, "I was always at Mr. Simmons school poetry nights, one time Helga tried to disguise herself in a trench coat and hat, just like the one we used to see her wearing on the way to the medical building. I didn't know it was her, but she recited some beautiful poetry. I remember one of her poems.

I protect myself from my under-bearing family.
I protect myself from the other kids.
I protect myself from everything I can.
Just not this.

It's hard to describe the tie that binds my tongue.
I try not to
But I know I will eventually let go.

What is it?
That makes it so hard?
That makes me drawn to you?
I guess it's because no matter what,
you truly care
And even though sometimes I don't want you to be,
You're always there.

I'm not ready yet,
But I will be and I'm waiting for that day

Because I can't Protect myself from this.

She tried to run out afterwards, but I had to congratulate the author. She tried to run out. But I got to the door first, she ran so fast her hat fell off Helga saw me and pushed me out of the way. Anyway, as far as the dream goes. I ran into the dream Helga and I immediately was smitten. She was everything I thought that Helga was on the inside. Kind, thoughtful, insightful, creative…everything. Except for the part about her being goofy for Arnie."

Gerald smiled, "Man, I need to learn this guy's secret. Well…we can talk about the past forever but what is most important is, what happened tonight?"

The group continued on the interrogation. Rhonda continued, brushing her raven-black hair casually, not expecting an answer.

"Brainy?"

"Uh…yes." The group gasped, yet again.

"You…how…did…?" Stinky asked. Brainy sat his drink down, "Well…I used to be in love with her."

"You what?" The group said in unison.

"Uh…yea. I used to follow her everywhere she went, and when she wasn't around the group, she would go aside and take out a heart-shaped locket with a picture of Arnold in it and recite poetry to it."

"And you didn't try to get him out of the picture?" Lorenzo asked.

Brainy shook his head, "You can't change these things…I know…"

Sid chimed in, "Did she still this after she told Arnold about her crush…and supposedly got over it?"

"She never stopped, she didn't even let up…Poor dense Arnold…" The group laughed.

"Tonight?" Arnold repeated, "I don't even know…"

Gerald slyly smiled, "You seemed to be pretty smitten. You ruined my carpet."

Arnold laughed. "She shocked me. She really is beautiful…" Arnold said trying to hide his embarrassment. His cheeks were beet red.

Gerald got up to find a bowl of chips, "Yea but what about the whole balcony scene. You two were talking for at least two or three hours."

"Aw, we were just catching up."

Gerald rasied an eyebrow,

"Sorry, that's more than catching up."

Arnold sat up defensively, "Well you know, we talked about so many things, art, movies, theater, television, politics, everything. She really is fascinating."

"What about this near-kiss I've heard so much about?" Gerald asked, sitting down with a bowl of pretzels.

Arnold nervously scratched his head, "It…I…we..."

Gerald looked disapprovingly at his friend, "Cut the crap, just tell me what happened."

"W-w-well…Everyone was looking at us oddly, and Harold was mocking us. Helga said, 'Jeeze why does everyone seem to think we're in some sort of romantic entanglement?…'"

"And you said…?" Gerald said, trying to get Arnold to continue.

"'What's so wrong with that?' Y-y-you know, I was trying to build her self-esteem up." Gerald rolled his eyes at his naive friend, "Then she said 'What are you saying?' I started to explain…and…and…we were..."

"About to kiss." Gerald finished his sentence. The room went silent with realization.

"Gosh, this was the same thing that happened Grandpa and Grandma…" Gerald gave his friend a hug.

"I'm really sorry about that man." Gerald teared up a bit.

"It's okay." Arnold replied softly, "Grandpa hit 93 and it was inevitable. Cancer gets everyone by then. Grandma really couldn't live without him. She went just a few weeks after him. It was very peaceful though, they weren't in pain." He wiped a tear away, "Grandpa's last piece of advice was for me to never eat raspberries and find someone like Grandma, and never let her get away."

Gerald looked up at his friend, "So don't."

The group continued, "Phoebe?" Nadine asked

"I plead the fith." She replied, trying to escape the group. Rhonda took her arm, "Not so fast."

"You knew too?"

Phoebe looked torn, "Well, she never said anything until after the 'confession.' But yes, I always knew. It is not that inconceivable. It was fairly obvious. Arnold certainly 'played the game' as well, so to speak."

The group started talking even more, all agreeing that this was obvious. Sheena was heard above the others, "Well I think they were meant for each other."

This was one thing the group could agree on.

"Gerald, I don't think I-I-I…" Gerald grabbed his arms,

"Arnold. Get a hold of yourself, Helga's turned you into a stuttering idiot." Arnold just sighed.

"Maybe you're right. I…I just want to be there for her like no one else is. But what if she won't…"

"Then she won't, but never give up. Remember what Grandpa told you." Gerald reassured his friend.

Arnold finally knew the words to put to his feelings, his eyes grew wide in realization.

"I really …Gerald I really think I…"

"I know." Gerald looked knowingly at Arnold.

"You did? Then why did we bother talking so long? You could have just told me that!" Arnold was a bit hysterical.

"Well," Gerald said, taking his friends shoulder and walking towards the door. "Well you see, if we hadn't talked so long, you would have to be at the airport for 2 hours, and we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

Arnold looked confused, he was.

"The airport?"

Gerald walked him out the door, into the next room where the heated discussion suddenly stopped. Gerald took Arnold's jacket off the rack and handed it to him. Arnold still couldn't figure it out.

"Now, the next plane for Los Angeles is in two hours. So you have an hour to get there and the usual hour to wait…"Arnold finally understood, he gave Gerald a huge hug. The others were listening in and stood up and started to clap with approval.

"Hey, Arnold. Save it for Helga okay?" Arnold laughed. "Now Romeo, get off your ass and go get Juliet." The room roared with approval as he ran out the door.