CHAPTER 6
HELGA'S POV
"-love to go with you to the dance," Arnold said, and then was swept up by Lila. She hugged him and didn't let go.
"Oh Arnold, I'm so happy. Let's tell everyone. Helga should know," said Lila. She is so pathetic.
I don't know how to explain how I felt right then, but it wasn't sadness. I get sad, but this wasn't the time for self-pity. in fact, I think self-pity is ridiculous. Why would you want to feel sorry for yourself when you can do something about it? Anyways, I was feeling anger bubbling inside of me. Not anger at Arnold, or even Lila. Anger at myself. Why couldn't I have told Arnold that I liked him? Or at least asked him to the dance. I got rid of the stupid penpal system because I felt Arnold should know who liked him, but I was too chicken to even tell him. If I could just- no that wouldn't be right. Well, if I thought that was bad, I should have been prepared for what happened next.
Lila, after hugging Arnold for a second, went over and kissed him! She kissed him! How could she do that?! This wasn't little truth-or-dare kiss-on-th-cheek, this was a real kiss. I felt the adrenaline pumping into my veins like a title wave. I don't care if it's not right, I am going to go over and give her a taste of my fist, and her head the taste of the cement brick. I was about to get out of my hiding spot when:
Arnold pushed her away! What he said I will never forget.
"You didn't let me finish, Lila. I said that I would love to go with you to the dance, but there is someone else that I like. I am willing to share with you the information, if you keep it a secret."
"But," I think Lila is going to cry. "I thought, I thought-"
"Had to happen sooner or later," I said to myself. Arnold started to laugh.
"What's that?" He asked.
"What's what?" Lila replied, confused, like normal.
"Nothing," said Arnold. "So. Do you promise not to tell or what?"
This was the moment! The moment of truth!
"Sure, I'll keep your secret ever so special, Arnold." God, this girl has watched too many reruns of Mr. Rogers neighborhood.
"Okay. I like," he took a few deep breaths. "I. . . I. . . I like. . . um. . ."
"Who Arnold? I am ever so interested," Lila looked as though revenge was plastered in big, red letters on her face. It was soooo obvious!!!
"Well," he composed himself again. "I like Helga."
I was so mixed with emotions I can't tell you how much happiness I felt right then. Arnold, like me! He likes me, he really likes me! No more picking petals off of flowers, no more going on Internet sites with tests to see if he likes you on it, and no more hiding my feelings! He. Likes. ME!
"Helga," Lila hissed the word like it was a curse word. "How could you possibly like that. . . that. . . idiotic excuse for a girl?!"
"Goodbye, Lila. I was hoping you would accept my design. But, I guess not." Arnold said.
"But," Lila grabbed his shirt. "That was nice, you ever so know. Kissing. I would like to do it again."
"Uh-huh. Well, lets never, EVER do it again," he said, and stalked off, and left horror-faced Lila and Love-struck me.
~~~**~~~**~~~
I spent the rest of that day online, chatting with friends, and the normal stuff. I didn't bother to do my homework, it just wasn't the most important thing anymore. I slept well, and got up with no trouble. But, trouble was about to come.
"Hey, Pheebs," I called to Phoebe while walking to school. "What's up?"
"Well," she said. "I fear sirro nimbus clouds. But, the day looks like it will only have a 10% chance of rain!"
I buried my face in my hands.
"Phoebe, Phoebe. Not what-is-over-your-head up. More like what-are- your-ups-and-downs-in-your-life-now-that-you-and-Gerald-are-together what's up."
Her face grew a darker red then I even thought possible. I started to laugh, then stopped myself.
"So," she said, changing the subject. "How is your presentation going? Gerald, Arnold and my proje-"
She was cut short. Lila came up behind me and grabbed my hair back.
"Come to steal Arnold away from me?" She asked. "Well, let me just tell you your NOT getting away with it."
She twisted harder, and the pain was incredible! Okay, you have probably gotten your knee skinned before. Multiply that pain times a thousand. And that was about half of it. I think Lila works out, or something.
All I said to myself is, don't cry, don't scream, don't cry, don't scream. Don't give her anything to work with.
"You think you can scare me by pulling my hair back in a ponytail? You might as well be a hair dresser and doing that, because it ain't hurting."
By sheer luck, Arnold came by right at that moment.
"What are you doing, Lila?!" He screamed. Arnold never screams. Never.
"Oh, just putting her hair back into a ponytail," she said. Wayyyy too non-chalant. Wayyyy too obvious. But the real question is would Arnold get it?
"Is that so?" He asked, rather harshly, too. "Then where is the ponytail holder, hmmm? And why does it look like your about to tear her hair out?"
"Arnold, you don't understand. I kept your secret. I did ever so well! Just give me a chance. Please!"
"I've given you enough chances. I appreciate your keeping my secret, but please let her hair down."
Lila, rather reluctantly, let my hair down, and the pain stopped. We walked the rest of the way to school silently, and then walked in the door. Phoebe left me to go to her locker, and I was all alone. Alone. I undid my combination, and opened my locker to find-
"Geez!" I said under my breath. Flour, the cooking stuff, flew out from my locker, onto me and my books. I saw a note, covered in white flour. It read:
Helga,
I thought you might like nice, green jello, but that was ever so messy. Go ahead, turn me in if you like. Just remember that YOU couldn't handle little-sweet Lila.
-Lila
I laughed. This was the best she could do? A little flower that will come out in the locker room's showers? A little flour that could be brushed off of my clothes was the best she could do? A threat letter that tells me she's afraid of getting dirty?
I was early, so I went to the locker room, and luckily we have swimming so I had my bathing suit, and took a shower to get the flour out of my hair. I brushed off my clothes and walked in A2 (homeroom) just in time for the second bell. I looked at Lila's face, that was twisted in utter disgust.
This was going to be the best day of my life.
HELGA'S POV
"-love to go with you to the dance," Arnold said, and then was swept up by Lila. She hugged him and didn't let go.
"Oh Arnold, I'm so happy. Let's tell everyone. Helga should know," said Lila. She is so pathetic.
I don't know how to explain how I felt right then, but it wasn't sadness. I get sad, but this wasn't the time for self-pity. in fact, I think self-pity is ridiculous. Why would you want to feel sorry for yourself when you can do something about it? Anyways, I was feeling anger bubbling inside of me. Not anger at Arnold, or even Lila. Anger at myself. Why couldn't I have told Arnold that I liked him? Or at least asked him to the dance. I got rid of the stupid penpal system because I felt Arnold should know who liked him, but I was too chicken to even tell him. If I could just- no that wouldn't be right. Well, if I thought that was bad, I should have been prepared for what happened next.
Lila, after hugging Arnold for a second, went over and kissed him! She kissed him! How could she do that?! This wasn't little truth-or-dare kiss-on-th-cheek, this was a real kiss. I felt the adrenaline pumping into my veins like a title wave. I don't care if it's not right, I am going to go over and give her a taste of my fist, and her head the taste of the cement brick. I was about to get out of my hiding spot when:
Arnold pushed her away! What he said I will never forget.
"You didn't let me finish, Lila. I said that I would love to go with you to the dance, but there is someone else that I like. I am willing to share with you the information, if you keep it a secret."
"But," I think Lila is going to cry. "I thought, I thought-"
"Had to happen sooner or later," I said to myself. Arnold started to laugh.
"What's that?" He asked.
"What's what?" Lila replied, confused, like normal.
"Nothing," said Arnold. "So. Do you promise not to tell or what?"
This was the moment! The moment of truth!
"Sure, I'll keep your secret ever so special, Arnold." God, this girl has watched too many reruns of Mr. Rogers neighborhood.
"Okay. I like," he took a few deep breaths. "I. . . I. . . I like. . . um. . ."
"Who Arnold? I am ever so interested," Lila looked as though revenge was plastered in big, red letters on her face. It was soooo obvious!!!
"Well," he composed himself again. "I like Helga."
I was so mixed with emotions I can't tell you how much happiness I felt right then. Arnold, like me! He likes me, he really likes me! No more picking petals off of flowers, no more going on Internet sites with tests to see if he likes you on it, and no more hiding my feelings! He. Likes. ME!
"Helga," Lila hissed the word like it was a curse word. "How could you possibly like that. . . that. . . idiotic excuse for a girl?!"
"Goodbye, Lila. I was hoping you would accept my design. But, I guess not." Arnold said.
"But," Lila grabbed his shirt. "That was nice, you ever so know. Kissing. I would like to do it again."
"Uh-huh. Well, lets never, EVER do it again," he said, and stalked off, and left horror-faced Lila and Love-struck me.
~~~**~~~**~~~
I spent the rest of that day online, chatting with friends, and the normal stuff. I didn't bother to do my homework, it just wasn't the most important thing anymore. I slept well, and got up with no trouble. But, trouble was about to come.
"Hey, Pheebs," I called to Phoebe while walking to school. "What's up?"
"Well," she said. "I fear sirro nimbus clouds. But, the day looks like it will only have a 10% chance of rain!"
I buried my face in my hands.
"Phoebe, Phoebe. Not what-is-over-your-head up. More like what-are- your-ups-and-downs-in-your-life-now-that-you-and-Gerald-are-together what's up."
Her face grew a darker red then I even thought possible. I started to laugh, then stopped myself.
"So," she said, changing the subject. "How is your presentation going? Gerald, Arnold and my proje-"
She was cut short. Lila came up behind me and grabbed my hair back.
"Come to steal Arnold away from me?" She asked. "Well, let me just tell you your NOT getting away with it."
She twisted harder, and the pain was incredible! Okay, you have probably gotten your knee skinned before. Multiply that pain times a thousand. And that was about half of it. I think Lila works out, or something.
All I said to myself is, don't cry, don't scream, don't cry, don't scream. Don't give her anything to work with.
"You think you can scare me by pulling my hair back in a ponytail? You might as well be a hair dresser and doing that, because it ain't hurting."
By sheer luck, Arnold came by right at that moment.
"What are you doing, Lila?!" He screamed. Arnold never screams. Never.
"Oh, just putting her hair back into a ponytail," she said. Wayyyy too non-chalant. Wayyyy too obvious. But the real question is would Arnold get it?
"Is that so?" He asked, rather harshly, too. "Then where is the ponytail holder, hmmm? And why does it look like your about to tear her hair out?"
"Arnold, you don't understand. I kept your secret. I did ever so well! Just give me a chance. Please!"
"I've given you enough chances. I appreciate your keeping my secret, but please let her hair down."
Lila, rather reluctantly, let my hair down, and the pain stopped. We walked the rest of the way to school silently, and then walked in the door. Phoebe left me to go to her locker, and I was all alone. Alone. I undid my combination, and opened my locker to find-
"Geez!" I said under my breath. Flour, the cooking stuff, flew out from my locker, onto me and my books. I saw a note, covered in white flour. It read:
Helga,
I thought you might like nice, green jello, but that was ever so messy. Go ahead, turn me in if you like. Just remember that YOU couldn't handle little-sweet Lila.
-Lila
I laughed. This was the best she could do? A little flower that will come out in the locker room's showers? A little flour that could be brushed off of my clothes was the best she could do? A threat letter that tells me she's afraid of getting dirty?
I was early, so I went to the locker room, and luckily we have swimming so I had my bathing suit, and took a shower to get the flour out of my hair. I brushed off my clothes and walked in A2 (homeroom) just in time for the second bell. I looked at Lila's face, that was twisted in utter disgust.
This was going to be the best day of my life.