Disclaimer can be found on Chapter One.
The Cruise: Chapter Five
Helga and Arnold ran to the Coffee Garden, dressed in their finest. Helga in a long pink dress with her hair in a messy bun ("Dinner For Four" anyone?), and Arnold wore a dark black tuxedo with a stunning red tie.
"Hello sir, madam," a french waitor approached the two. "Can I direct you to a table?" he asked, extending an arm for Helga to link.
"Uh," Helga looked behind her and there was still no sign of Gerald and Phoebe.
"Actually we're waiting on two friends," Arnold explained. The waitor put his arm back to his side, freely, seeing Helga not taking it.
"Alright, but I will still have to ask you to follow me to a table," he said simply, walking ahead. Arnold and Helga followed.
"Here is your table," he extended an arm to point to the table. It was a special table with a bench on one side, and two chairs on the other. Helga and Arnold took a seat. They left the bench part for Gerald and Phoebe.
The waitor handed them and the bench seats four menus. "Enjoy," he said dully, walking away.
Helga and Arnold picked up the menu in unison, and began scanning it.
"Hey guys," a soft voice came from in front of them.
Helga put her menu down. "Hey Pheebs," she smiled with a wink. Phoebe blushed slightly, and looked down at the carpet shyly. She knew very well, what Helga meant by the wink. "Hair boy," she sneered at Gerald. Gerald rolled his eyes.
"Whatever, Helga."
"Hey Gerald!" Arnold smiled, as Gerald and Phoebe took a seat on the bench.
"Hey man," Gerald smiled, picking up his menu.
"I think I'll have the – " Gerald started, putting his menu down and turning to Arnold.
"Gerald, there's something I've been meaning to tell you…and its really important…" Phoebe started. Gerald looked at her.
His heart skipped a beat. "Really? Okay…you can tell me…"
Phoebe shyly looked at the table and then looked up at Gerald.
"Gerald…I…" she started. "I…I'm in…" Phoebe felt her cheeks grow warm as Gerald's heart began to beat faster, "love with you," she finished quietly, almost sounding ashamed. Gerald's eyes widened as he coloured.
"Phoebe…you…you are?" he asked, still stunned. Phoebe glanced at Helga who gave her a quick thumbs up. "Yeah," she said, with a bit of a smirk.
"Wow…I guess you should know that…" Gerald looked at Arnold and Arnold winked at him. Gerald smiled and looked confidently at Phoebe. "I, I love you too!"
"You do?" Phoebe said, tears brimming with tears as she hugged Gerald. Gerald returned the hug. "Yes, I do," he smiled warmly, enjoying the hug.
Arnold and Helga watched the new sweet couple with smiles.
"They're perfect for each other," Arnold smiled warmly at them hugging, a blush creeping on his cheeks. The scene was a lot like after Arnold had saved the neighbourhood, and Helga and himself were watching Murray the bus driver, and his girlfriend hug and kiss.
Helga nodded. "Yeah," she said with a warm smile, stealing a glance at Arnold.
"Arnold," Helga said softly, nervously rubbing her arm.
"Yes, Helga?" Arnold turned to her as Phoebe and Gerald let go of each other.
"I…I have something to tell you…" she started nervously, not making eye contact.
"Okay Helga," Arnold said softly, his face brimming with kindness.
"Remember all of that crazy stuff I said at the top of the Future Tech Industries building?" this earned confused glances from Phoebe and Gerald.
"Yeah," Arnold nodded, blushing slightly at the remembrance of the kiss.
Helga looked up. "Well Arnold…I…"
"You…" Arnold prompted, moving his head closer to hers.
"Can I take your order?" the waitor interrupted, standing directly in between Helga and Arnold. Arnold's eyes went half-closed in frustration, and Helga growled, "Argh!"
Later…in the room…
Helga and Arnold lay down in their beds, in their pyjamas. It was around 10:30 and neither of them could get to sleep.
Helga tossed and turned. "Argh!" she groaned.
"You're still awake?" a voice came from the side of the room.
'Arnold's still awake?' Helga thought. "Yeah. I can't get to sleep," she said in frustration, turning again. She looked up at the ceiling.
"Helga," he began. "Yeah?" she answered from the other side of the room.
"Today, at the Coffee Garden…what were you going to say?" he asked curiously.
"At the Coffee Garden?" she asked nervously. "Oh…nothing…nothing at all! Heh heh…" she kicked her blankets off; she was starting to sweat.
"Helga," he said firmly.
'You can do this, Helga ol' girl! Just tell him a lie…make it up…quick!' Helga's mind panicked.
"I was just going to tell you…that…that…" she thought quickly, and her mind scrambled a million different thoughts, "that I…sug…gest the steak!" she lied slowly.
Arnold's eyes half closed. "What does suggesting the steak, have to do with the top of the Future Tech Industries building?" he asked her curiously, cornering her.
"Future Tech Industries?" Helga echoed nervously. "I…I never said anything about that…"
"Yes you did," Arnold argued.
"No I didn't!" Helga retorted stubbornly.
"Yes you did, I'm sure of it!" Arnold said, equally as stubborn.
"No I didn't! I would know what I said, since I said it, and I didn't say that!" Helga was yelling now. "And why would you be paying so much attention to what I was saying? It's not like you're going to read into it, or anything!"
"Okay, fine, lets just forget it," Arnold tried desperately to change subjects.
"So…"
"So…" Arnold echoed. A cricket chirping was heard.
"Phoebe and Geraldo make a pretty cute couple," Helga said shyly.
"Yeah," Arnold said with a chuckle. "It took them a while to admit it, but I think it was really worth it. Now they don't have to worry so much anymore, and they can live their lives together in happiness."
"Yeah I guess…" Helga started, raising a brow, "but its not like they're getting married or anything!"
"Who knows?" Arnold smiled over at her. "It could end up that way!"
Helga raised her brow again. "I doubt it," she said flatly. "That has as much as a possibility of you and I getting married," she said, trying to add a lot of sarcasm to hide her swoon, which was just waiting to be released.
"You and I?" Arnold seemed to think about it. "Who knows? We're only nine! People change. We could end up being married," he said thoughtfully.
Helga was relieved it was dark so she could hide her growing blush. 'He actually said we might end up being married! Oh what a joyful day that would be,' Helga's mind swooned, as a dreamy look appeared on Helga's face.
"I doubt it," she repeated, flatly, shaking the dreamy expression off. "Why would I marry a football-head, when there's a million other people to choose from?"
"I'm just saying it could happen," Arnold tried to reason. "And what do you mean 'a million other people to choose from'? Do you secretly have someone in mind?" Arnold asked, eyes half open and an amused smirk danced on his face.
"Who me?" Helga asked nervously. "No…no way!" she forced a laugh. It was a lot like the scene earlier, when Arnold had asked her if she loved anyone. Almost a direct replay.
"Anyway Helga, I'm getting tired so I'll see you in the morning, okay?" Arnold said softly, turning on his side to fall asleep.
"Okay, 'night football-head," Helga said almost dreamily, but Arnold was too tired to notice.
The next morning…
Knock- Knock- Knock!
Arnold reached for his watch, somewhere on the side table. He searched around for it, with his hand, sleepily. He grabbed it, and rubbed his eyes. "It's 7:30 in the morning," he said with a yawn. "What would someone be doing at our door, this early?" he stumbled to the door sleepily.
He yawned as he opened it. "Gerald? Phoebe?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "What's up?" he said.
They stood at the door, hand in hand.
"We just came over to say thanks again for last night…you know, helping us confess," Gerald winked, "And breakfast is in an hour."
"Okay," Arnold said, fully awake now. "Come in," he offered. They walked in, and he closed the door behind them.
"I better wake up Helga," he said. Gerald and Phoebe went and sat on Arnold's unmade, messy bed.
"Helga," Arnold said softly. She had a soft, dreamy expression on her face. Arnold smiled warmly at it.
"Helga," he placed his hands on her shoulder and shook her gently. "Helga wake up…"
Meanwhile, in Helga's dream…
"Oh Arnold, I love you too!" Helga cried, running towards him. They embraced in a tight loving hug, before Arnold turned to her.
They kissed.
"Oh, Arnold!" she said lovingly.
"Helga," Arnold called in reality.
Reality greeted her coldly.
"Oh Arno-" her eyes snapped to attention, as she woke up. Arnold was hovering over her, and Gerald and Phoebe were across the room, looking at her. They were all looking at her sceptically.
"Are…no…" she fumbled nervously, "Are no…meals…delivered to the rooms? I'm starving, and its already 7:30!" she snapped.
Gerald and Arnold exchanged glances of 'Oh brother,' and Phoebe just blinked, adjusting her glasses intelligently. "Actually Helga, you just woke up and you can't possibly be hungry – "
Helga interrupted her. "Phoebe, Phoebe! Let's not get bogged down with technicalities!" she insisted. "I know when I'm hungry," she hissed impatiently, standing up and pushing Phoebe to the door.
"Breakfast, anyone?" she said, continuing to push Phoebe and herself out the door.
"Yeah, sure, after you're dressed," Gerald said with a smug smirk. Helga squinted at him threateningly.
Arnold smirked shyly. "We'll get dressed, and meet you two down there," he suggested.
Gerald joined Phoebe at the door. "Okay, see you guys at the Coffee Garden in half an hour!" Gerald called, closing the door behind Phoebe and himself.
**
Authors Note: Wow, thanks for the reviews, guys! I got ten more reviews in less than an hour! Obviously you're enjoying this! ^_^ Please keep reviewing, and suggestions as to what should happen next are MORE than welcome! I have major writers block…yet again (it's a curse, I tell ya!) so I need some ideas for Chapter Six. Keep in mind everything that's happened, and I'm not a huge fan of Soap Opera type fics, so I'm not going to make this a drama. Any ideas you may have are more than welcome, though. I'll take all of them into consideration. ^_^
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~ Satokasu Suki
