Helga's Letters

Part Nine: Helga of Geraldfield

The ice cream parlor was packed with kids the next afternoon. It was a particularly hot day and everyone was in the mood for a chocolate fudge Sunday. Everyone that is---except for Arnold.

"C'mon man," Gerald pleaded, "eat up."

"No thanks Gerald," Arnold pushed his desert away, "I'm not in the mood."

"Oh! Can I have it?" Harold begged.

"Sure." Arnold replied listlessly.

"Man Arnold! You have got to stop beating yourself up of getting dumped."

"I know Gerald…it's just going to take time." Arnold agreed.

The bell on the door sounded and Arnold's worst nightmare walked through the door. It was Rex…with Helga!

"Aw man!" Gerald slapped himself.

Helga noticed Arnold staring miserably at them and wound her arm tightly around Rex. "Oh Rex, it's just so sweet of you to offer to buy me ice cream and all. And you haven't even said a word about my combative personality." She hoped this little guilt trip was working on Arnold.

"Why attempt to change perfection?" Rex responded with a dashing grin.

"He's so fake." Arnold jeered.

"Careful man," Gerald muttered, "your fangs are showin'."

Helga and Rex sat at the table directly across from Arnold and his friends. This was something that Rex did on purpose. Even Helga had her limits when tormenting someone, Oh man, this guy's gonna send Arnold right over the edge.

Arnold was actually clawing at the table, "Whoa," Sid whispered to Harold, "he's finally lost it."

"Huh?" Harold asked between mouth fulls of ice cream.

"Calm down Arnold, just re-lax." Gerald advised coolly.

"I can't Gerald, Rex is just using Helga to get to me. It's not right!" Arnold slammed his fist down on the table causing the other customers to turn around and stare. Great, he groaned, I'm acting more like my grandpa everyday.

Helga turned back to her Sunday. "This is perfect! Arnold's going out of his mind!"

"I agree." Rex muttered, "Everything's going according to plan."

She gave him a look of utter confusion, "What plan?" How could he know about my plan?

"Oh…um…my plan to make him see how foolish he is for ever letting a gem like you escape him my dear. I feel so fortunate to have found you. Arnold shall see that his loss is my gain." Rex was becoming an excellent liar.

"Yeah, whatever." Helga shrugged, Close one!

Rex took her hand, "So Helga, perhaps you'd like to come on a stroll about town with me tomorrow evening?"

"Can't," she stated indifferently, "I've got practice."

"Violin?"

"No--baseball--doi!!"

"Oh, well perhaps I could come and watch. Then we could go for a walk afterwards?"

"Suit yourself Money Bags." Helga grunted.

******

Practice was underway at Geraldfield with Helga assigning positions to all the other fourth graders.

"Rhonda, you're first base. Sid, you take centerfield. Stinky's on third and that means Phoebs gets fourth. Harold's catcher and Gerald's in the outfield. I'll be pitching so that just leaves Arnold. Looks like you're playing shortstop again Short Man."

"But Helga!" Harold complained, "I HATE that stupid catcher's uniform. It makes me all sweaty!"

"Aw pipe down ya big wuss!" she snapped.

"Helga, that's not very nice." Arnold scolded.

Helga scowled at him, "Not another do-goody lecture from you Hair Boy!"

Arnold fell silent.

"Alright people," Helga announced, "let's play ball!"

Arnold was on his way to second base when he looked up and saw a certain snooty no good rich kid step onto the field. "What's he doing here?" Arnold demanded.

Helga, who seemed pleased by Arnold's annoyance, replied smugly, "Oh Rex? He just came to watch me practice. You got a problem with that?"

"Yeah I've got a problem with that!" Arnold spun around, surprising Helga with his bluntness, she'd never seen this side to Arnold before. "He's just using you Helga, can't you see that?!"

Helga was shocked, "Are you calling me blind Football Head?"

"I say Arnold, you seem to be a bit beastly this evening. Perhaps you should've stayed at home?" Rex smirked.

Arnold was reaching his boiling point. "Rex! I don't know what you're up to but leave Helga out of it!"

I'm afraid Helga's a key part of it…Rex's inner voice mused. "Honestly now old chap, you don't think I'd ever use Helga to my advantage. You're terribly jealous you know. Perhaps you're just the sort who doesn't miss a good thing 'til it's gone?"

It was a good thing that Arnold wasn't up at bat or Rex would've gotten a Louisville Slugger to the face.

"REX!" Arnold sprang at his childhood foe.

The other fourth graders rushed to pull the two boys apart.

"C'mon man!" Gerald said, tugging at Arnold, "Let go of him!"

"Vagabond!"

"Creep!"

"Prude!"

"Four eyes!"

"What language!" Rhonda gasped.

"Little help here?" Sid looked at Helga. She was speechless, this was something that she could've never seen coming. It just wasn't like Arnold to go off on people.

"Hey Football Head!" she put her hands on her hips and glared at him, "I thought you were always going around telling us NOT to resort to violence?!"

"Well I'm making an exception!" Arnold growled as the two boys rolled around the playground exchanging blows and insults.

"Stay away from my girlfriend!" Arnold ordered.

"Your girlfriend? HA! She's obviously MY girlfriend now!" Rex countered.

"She'll find out what you're up to. You'll slip up Rex, you always do!" Arnold shouted.

"That's enough!" Helga yelled, grabbing each boy by his collar she slung them onto opposite sides of the field.

"Now they're in for it." Sid muttered.

"I can't believe you two blockheads!" she lectured loudly, waving her arms. "Don't you think I can choose my own boyfriend if I want to? Heck, I could probably do a lot better than the two of you if I wanted!"

"Is she talkin' about me?" Stinky whispered.

"Criminey! Look Arnold, if you want me back then just tell me why. You don't have to go wrestling with Rex all of the field!"

Arnold wiped some of the blood out from under his nose and looked up at Helga, "He's using you Helga."

"That doesn't explain why you're so jealous." Just say it Arnold! she was inwardly pleading, For both of us.

Arnold stared down at the grass.

A few minutes passed without him saying a word. "Fine." Helga gave Rex a hand up. "Then I guess there really is no hope of us getting back together. So stop harassing Rex."

"Where are you two going?" Gerald asked.

"For a walk." Helga groaned.

Phoebe stared after her friend as Gerald helped Arnold to his feet. "Man Arnold," Harold shouted, "if Rex had jumped me like that---I would've pounded him!"

"I know," Arnold sighed.

"Not very gallant are you?" Rhonda folded her arms.

"What do you mean?" Arnold questioned.

"Helga was practically begging you to say something to her. To tell her how you truly felt. And you just sat there!" Rhonda explained, "Face it Arnold, she's given you countless opportunities to confess and you've blown them all."

"Yeah well, it's not that easy Rhonda!" Arnold snapped, "I don't even know if she feels the same way!"

"You'll never know unless you try." Phoebe spoke softly, "I know Helga better than anyone else in the whole city…she's got a good heart, even if she doesn't always show it."

Arnold sighed and stared at Phoebe, she was making a lot of sense. "Thanks Phoebe," he smiled, "I guess I'd better hurry and catch up with her huh?"

"That would be wise," Phoebe nodded, "And gallant."

Rhonda approved, "Very gallant."

"Okay." Arnold turned and headed off.

"So how'd you know that Helga wouldn't turn him down?" Gerald asked Phoebe.

"Oh, just a little thing called Ice Cream." Phoebe smiled.

Gerald looked at the others and shrugged, "Oh well, back to the game."

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*I'm getting so close to the ending I can taste it! And it taste like---Ice Cream? LOL. Hope you're enjoying this story. Read and review! And thanks for all your comments! I did use one from a certain reviewer, puppiescute G, thanks a lot for that! I think I'll sum this up in one or two more chapters. Gotta go! Bye everyone!*