Ok here's Chapter 4! Sorry that it's been a little while, I've been away and stuff, so I haven't really been keeping my promise about having a lot more time once summer was here! So sorry 'bout that! And once again, thank you for all the nice reviews!
Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold! or any of its characters.
Chapter 4
**********
At 3:00 the bell rang and everyone rushed out of class, glad to see the end of the school day. Outside in front of the school, Arnold looked around for Helga but couldn't find her. He went around to the back, and then thought he saw a flash of pink behind a dumpster. He went to investigate.
Helga was holding out her locket, and whispering, "Oh Arnold, how I wish that today is the day I can tell you my secret! That I can finally bare my soul to you and be free of this torment-"
"Helga?"
Helga whipped around and found Arnold looking at her oddly.
"What are you doing back here?" he asked.
"Nothing Arnold, nothing at all," Helga said quickly.
"Um, okay," said Arnold, clearly still puzzled. "Well, are you ready to go?"
"Sure, football head. Now come on, let's go before we miss the bus!" she suddenly yelled.
They ran as fast as they could to the front of P.S. 118, only to find the bus pulling away.
"Oh great Arnoldo, now we've missed the bus. We're going to have to walk all the way home."
"Come on Helga, it's not that far."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Helga. "Well, let's go, if we want to be home before nightfall," she said harshly.
"Helga, you're acting like it's my fault. I wasn't the one lurking behind dumpsters, remember?"
"Hmph," was Helga's reply.
They walked for a few minutes in silence. Arnold kept glancing at Helga. She still looked angry, her fists clenched and her eyes set. Helga looked at him, and finally said, "What, Arnold? You keep looking at me."
"You just still seem kinda mad, Helga."
"Well I'm not mad, Arnold, so don't worry about me, okay?"
"Okay, Helga."
**********
They got to Helga's house and went inside. Suddenly Helga was acting very friendly towards him.
"So Arnold, make yourself at home," she said. She started going through the shelves of their kitchen. "Want something to eat? Here, have some pork rinds," she said, tossing them over her shoulder at him.
"Thanks," said Arnold, genuinely surprised. "Don't you want some, Helga?"
"Pork rinds?" she answered. "Noooo, no thank you. I don't do well with pork rinds."
"Okay," Arnold replied.
"So, you've yet to meet Big Bob...I think he's home early today, come on, we'll go find him."
They went into the TV room and found him sitting in a large chair, one hand in a huge bowl of potato chips. He was apparently watching a soap opera, because he was yelling "No! Don't kiss her! She's the evil twin!" at the television screen.
"Uh, Dad?" said Helga.
"Oh, hi Olga."
"It's Helga, Dad," Helga said with disgust.
"Of course it is. So what can I do for you?"
"This is Arnold, from school."
"Oh yeah, I remember you. Hey, his head is shaped just like that weird little mask you were wearing one night when we all thought you were nuts!"
"Dad!" Helga yelled. Arnold wasn't sure if she was mad about Mr. Pataki mentioning the mask or that he thought Helga was crazy.
"Okay, time to go," said Helga, pulling Arnold out of the room.
**********
They went back into the kitchen.
"Helga?"
"Yeah Arnold?"
"We're supposed to write a report for this too."
"Oh that's right, I forgot...okay do we each do half or something?"
"The paper says we're supposed to write about our experiences at each other's houses and how well we got along, if we learned anything about each other."
"Alright, that sounds easy enough."
Arnold hoped that Helga wouldn't write anything too horrible about him in her paper...but then again, if she had to hand it in, it couldn't be too bad.
Helga was thinking about what she should say in her paper about Arnold...they didn't have to show them to each other, did they?
"Helga?"
Helga saw Arnold looking at her curiously, and realized she hadn't said anything for quite some time. Fumbling, she said the first words that she could think of.
"Well, Arnoldo, I know just what I'm going to say about you-that you're a dumb football head full of nothing but lame-brained ideas!"
"Helga!" said Arnold suddenly, taking her by surprise. "Why do you always have to do that?"
"Arnold, I'm-I'm-" Helga started.
"Just forget it," said Arnold, walking towards her front door. "I'll see you later," he said, right before he shut the door behind him.
**********
Arnold didn't know why he had lost his cool like that. Usually he was able to just ignore Helga when she made that kind of comment. He didn't understand it-he would be so sure they were making some progress, that maybe she really was nice-and then she would go and insult him again. Maybe this had just been one time too many.
**********
Helga didn't know why she had said that. It was almost like a defense mechanism-the minute she got uncomfortable, she started spouting insults all over the place. No wonder Arnold had been so mad.
"Criminey!" She muttered to herself. "You're finally starting to get along with the guy, and you have to go and say something like that! I have to tell him I'm sorry!"
**********
Helga tried all day at school to get Arnold's attention to try and talk to him, but he kept avoiding her and saying, "Not now, Helga, I'm busy," whenever she tried to pull him away. Finally, Helga had had enough.
Just as Arnold was about to get on the bus home, he felt someone grab his wrist and drag him away. He turned and saw the back of Helga's blonde head, and found himself being pulled all the way to the back of the school.
Arnold could hear Rhonda complaining to Harold, saying "Honestly, Harold, if you're going to be my husband, I want you to wear some stylish clothes."
"Aww Rhonda, I don't wanna wear any goofy old suits, they're-" Harold stopped as he saw Helga and Arnold.
"Hey Ahrnooold!" Harold called out. "Is widdle baby Hewlga going to beat you up?"
Arnold certainly hoped not. Helga finally stopped at the playground and turned to face him. "Look, Arnold," she began.
"What, Helga, here to insult me more? Is that why you've been trying to get my attention all day?"
"No, football head," Helga said, her voice growing threateningly loud, "I've been trying all day to tell you that I'm sorry, okay?"
"What?" answered Arnold.
Helga lowered her voice. "I'm sorry, alright? It was mean to say that to you yesterday and just-really dumb, so I'm sorry, okay?"
"You're-sorry?" Arnold said in disbelief.
"Yeah," said Helga.
"It was-mean of you? And-dumb?" Arnold couldn't seem to comprehend that Helga was actually giving him a heartfelt apology.
"Criminey, Arnold, do I have to repeat myself?" Helga started getting louder once again.
"No, no-I mean-it's okay, Helga, I forgive you." Arnold said.
"Really?" Helga now seemed to be the one in slight disbelief.
"Sure." They walked out to the front of P.S. 118 together, and saw that the bus was gone. Arnold sighed.
"Well," he said, "since it looks like we've both missed the bus yet again, do you want to come over to my house?"
**********
Ok that's it for now. I've already written the end, so it looks like there should be just another chapter or two up in between. I could keep going with this chapter but I feel bad about taking so long to get this one out, so I'll just post this one up for now and try to have the next part up soon. So sorry that it took so long, hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold! or any of its characters.
Chapter 4
**********
At 3:00 the bell rang and everyone rushed out of class, glad to see the end of the school day. Outside in front of the school, Arnold looked around for Helga but couldn't find her. He went around to the back, and then thought he saw a flash of pink behind a dumpster. He went to investigate.
Helga was holding out her locket, and whispering, "Oh Arnold, how I wish that today is the day I can tell you my secret! That I can finally bare my soul to you and be free of this torment-"
"Helga?"
Helga whipped around and found Arnold looking at her oddly.
"What are you doing back here?" he asked.
"Nothing Arnold, nothing at all," Helga said quickly.
"Um, okay," said Arnold, clearly still puzzled. "Well, are you ready to go?"
"Sure, football head. Now come on, let's go before we miss the bus!" she suddenly yelled.
They ran as fast as they could to the front of P.S. 118, only to find the bus pulling away.
"Oh great Arnoldo, now we've missed the bus. We're going to have to walk all the way home."
"Come on Helga, it's not that far."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Helga. "Well, let's go, if we want to be home before nightfall," she said harshly.
"Helga, you're acting like it's my fault. I wasn't the one lurking behind dumpsters, remember?"
"Hmph," was Helga's reply.
They walked for a few minutes in silence. Arnold kept glancing at Helga. She still looked angry, her fists clenched and her eyes set. Helga looked at him, and finally said, "What, Arnold? You keep looking at me."
"You just still seem kinda mad, Helga."
"Well I'm not mad, Arnold, so don't worry about me, okay?"
"Okay, Helga."
**********
They got to Helga's house and went inside. Suddenly Helga was acting very friendly towards him.
"So Arnold, make yourself at home," she said. She started going through the shelves of their kitchen. "Want something to eat? Here, have some pork rinds," she said, tossing them over her shoulder at him.
"Thanks," said Arnold, genuinely surprised. "Don't you want some, Helga?"
"Pork rinds?" she answered. "Noooo, no thank you. I don't do well with pork rinds."
"Okay," Arnold replied.
"So, you've yet to meet Big Bob...I think he's home early today, come on, we'll go find him."
They went into the TV room and found him sitting in a large chair, one hand in a huge bowl of potato chips. He was apparently watching a soap opera, because he was yelling "No! Don't kiss her! She's the evil twin!" at the television screen.
"Uh, Dad?" said Helga.
"Oh, hi Olga."
"It's Helga, Dad," Helga said with disgust.
"Of course it is. So what can I do for you?"
"This is Arnold, from school."
"Oh yeah, I remember you. Hey, his head is shaped just like that weird little mask you were wearing one night when we all thought you were nuts!"
"Dad!" Helga yelled. Arnold wasn't sure if she was mad about Mr. Pataki mentioning the mask or that he thought Helga was crazy.
"Okay, time to go," said Helga, pulling Arnold out of the room.
**********
They went back into the kitchen.
"Helga?"
"Yeah Arnold?"
"We're supposed to write a report for this too."
"Oh that's right, I forgot...okay do we each do half or something?"
"The paper says we're supposed to write about our experiences at each other's houses and how well we got along, if we learned anything about each other."
"Alright, that sounds easy enough."
Arnold hoped that Helga wouldn't write anything too horrible about him in her paper...but then again, if she had to hand it in, it couldn't be too bad.
Helga was thinking about what she should say in her paper about Arnold...they didn't have to show them to each other, did they?
"Helga?"
Helga saw Arnold looking at her curiously, and realized she hadn't said anything for quite some time. Fumbling, she said the first words that she could think of.
"Well, Arnoldo, I know just what I'm going to say about you-that you're a dumb football head full of nothing but lame-brained ideas!"
"Helga!" said Arnold suddenly, taking her by surprise. "Why do you always have to do that?"
"Arnold, I'm-I'm-" Helga started.
"Just forget it," said Arnold, walking towards her front door. "I'll see you later," he said, right before he shut the door behind him.
**********
Arnold didn't know why he had lost his cool like that. Usually he was able to just ignore Helga when she made that kind of comment. He didn't understand it-he would be so sure they were making some progress, that maybe she really was nice-and then she would go and insult him again. Maybe this had just been one time too many.
**********
Helga didn't know why she had said that. It was almost like a defense mechanism-the minute she got uncomfortable, she started spouting insults all over the place. No wonder Arnold had been so mad.
"Criminey!" She muttered to herself. "You're finally starting to get along with the guy, and you have to go and say something like that! I have to tell him I'm sorry!"
**********
Helga tried all day at school to get Arnold's attention to try and talk to him, but he kept avoiding her and saying, "Not now, Helga, I'm busy," whenever she tried to pull him away. Finally, Helga had had enough.
Just as Arnold was about to get on the bus home, he felt someone grab his wrist and drag him away. He turned and saw the back of Helga's blonde head, and found himself being pulled all the way to the back of the school.
Arnold could hear Rhonda complaining to Harold, saying "Honestly, Harold, if you're going to be my husband, I want you to wear some stylish clothes."
"Aww Rhonda, I don't wanna wear any goofy old suits, they're-" Harold stopped as he saw Helga and Arnold.
"Hey Ahrnooold!" Harold called out. "Is widdle baby Hewlga going to beat you up?"
Arnold certainly hoped not. Helga finally stopped at the playground and turned to face him. "Look, Arnold," she began.
"What, Helga, here to insult me more? Is that why you've been trying to get my attention all day?"
"No, football head," Helga said, her voice growing threateningly loud, "I've been trying all day to tell you that I'm sorry, okay?"
"What?" answered Arnold.
Helga lowered her voice. "I'm sorry, alright? It was mean to say that to you yesterday and just-really dumb, so I'm sorry, okay?"
"You're-sorry?" Arnold said in disbelief.
"Yeah," said Helga.
"It was-mean of you? And-dumb?" Arnold couldn't seem to comprehend that Helga was actually giving him a heartfelt apology.
"Criminey, Arnold, do I have to repeat myself?" Helga started getting louder once again.
"No, no-I mean-it's okay, Helga, I forgive you." Arnold said.
"Really?" Helga now seemed to be the one in slight disbelief.
"Sure." They walked out to the front of P.S. 118 together, and saw that the bus was gone. Arnold sighed.
"Well," he said, "since it looks like we've both missed the bus yet again, do you want to come over to my house?"
**********
Ok that's it for now. I've already written the end, so it looks like there should be just another chapter or two up in between. I could keep going with this chapter but I feel bad about taking so long to get this one out, so I'll just post this one up for now and try to have the next part up soon. So sorry that it took so long, hope you enjoy!