A/N: This is short, simply because I couldn't come up with anything to make it longer.  Plus, I wanted to upload the next chapter separately.

Ack… Family!

By: ChickenGoddess

Notes, Lunch and Recess

Helga had strategically taken a seat at the back of the classroom with Phoebe sitting protectively beside her.  Seeing this, Arnold sat in front of Helga and Gerald beside him.  She was covered from every angle.  Lila, clueless as to the happenings around her, dragged Arnie to the opposite front end of the classroom, giggling and squealing with delight over her oh so special someone. The rest of the students filed into the remaining empty seats as Mr. Simmons walked into the room. 

Arnold felt something hit his shoulder.  He looked at the floor and saw a wad of crumpled paper.  He picked it up and opened the ball.  Inside was written a single word:

Thanks.

Arnold glanced over the paper, knowing it was from Helga.  Pulling out is pencil, he scribbled a reply and casually tossed it over his shoulder.  Helga aw the crumpled ball resting on her desk and unfolded it.  He had written a reply:

No problem.  I need to talk to you after school.  Meet me at the park, 4:00.  The wooden bench with all the carvings near the lake.

Helga studied the note, contemplating what on Earth he would want to meet her at the park for.  "Oh Arnold," she mentally swooned, "perhaps this will be my chance to convey the feelings that I have for so long and painfully harbored in the depths of my tortured soul… to say the words that burn my throat and be free of this burden… to confess my love and never take it back!"

Everything was fine… until lunch.  Helga had stood up with Phoebe in order to take a trip to the bathroom so Helga could tell Phoebe of the note Arnold had given her.  Before she was aware, something had grabbed her wrist.  She turned around and there stood Arnie, expressionless as usual.  Helga did everything in her power to silence the scream she felt in her throat.  The feel of his hand on her wrist made her skin crawl. 

"Hi." Arnie snorted.  "I love you."

"…You told me that… yesterday…" Helga replied nervously.  Arnie showed no sign of letting go.

"I want us to spend every waking moment together."

"Funny you bring that up…" Helga spattered nervously, scratching the back of her neck with her free hand.

"I like plain flavored gum.  And I like counting things.  I collect lint.  I have a lucky pile of dirt." Arnie explained, snorting after every sentence.

If these were Arnie's idea of pickup lines, he was doomed for his entire existence.  "That's great, Arnie… but the thing is… I'm not in love with you." She explained, still nervous and desperate to get away.

"I found this under Arnold's bed." He said, revealing the quarter-sized ball of gray-blue fuzz from his pocket.

Helga cringed.  This kid was thicker than his cousin.  "Arnie, I love someone else.  I don't love you like you love me…" She tried.

Phoebe had made her way to Arnold's table and had been trying to interrupt the conversation politely for a while.  When she noticed that Arnie wasn't backing off her best friend, she did something she'd only dreamed of doing.

"EXCUSE ME!" She shouted.

Everyone's head whipped around to face the petite Japanese girl standing before them. 

"Sorry… it's just… Arnold, you've got to help Helga!"

"What's wrong?" Arnold asked, too concerned for the comfort of the table, save Gerald who already knew the reason.

"Take a look!" Phoebe cried.

Arnold did, and saw poor Helga trying to tell Arnie to back off unsuccessfully. 

"I reckon Arnie's taken a liking to Helga." Stinky observed.

"Poor Helga…" Sid added.

Arnold walked over to where his dull as dirt cousin was still pursuing Helga.

"Arnie, what are you doing?" Arnold asked in a sigh.

"Professing my undying love for Helga." He replied with a snort.

"I don't think she feels the same way…" Arnold tried, coaxing his cousin off of Helga.

"I tried to tell him…" Helga said.

"So are you saying you don't love me?" He asked inflectionless.

Helga nodded in affirmation.

"Ok." He snorted and walked over to Lila.

"Sorry about that Helga…" Arnold said apologetically as he turned to face her, but realized that she had fainted.

Recess came, and Phoebe took Helga to the nurse's office.  Arnie and Lila again sat on the bench adjacent to the school building while Arnold, Gerald, Stinky, Sid and Harold at on the jungle gym.  Curley was apparently plotting what new and chaotic scheme he could pull once they got inside.  The rest of PS118's 4th grade students played elsewhere on the blacktop.

"Lila, I can't lie anymore.  I don't love you." Arnie said.

Lila was taken back.  "But we've had oh so much fun these past few days… I'm ever so certain that I don't know what you mean."

"I'm in love with Helga."

"But she doesn't like you, like you! I'm the one who likes you, likes you." Lila reminded.

"Ok." Arnie replied.

Lila smiled.