*yawn* As usual, disclaimer's on Chapter 1 and 6. Okay? Okay.

The Cruise: Chapter Eight

"You wanted to meet me here, Helga?" Arnold asked at the front of the ship. It was late into the evening, and Helga had called Arnold to meet her at the front of the ship.

"Yeah," Helga nodded. She seemed uncomfortable, and Arnold noticed.

"Is something wrong, Helga?" Arnold asked.

Helga ignored his concern, and started talking. "Arnold, the reason I called you here…is…" she started uncomfortably, eyeing the ground. "All of that stuff I said on the FTI building was true. I do love you," she said softly, looking up from the ground to face him.

"Y-you do?" Arnold asked obliviously. Helga nodded, and turned away. "I know you don't feel the same way, and –" Helga was cut off by Arnold who was…kissing her?

Yes, he sure was kissing her. Helga flew higher than a bird, and a tingling sensation soared through her body, as she returned the kiss. They broke apart, and Helga opened her mouth to talk when Arnold signalled her to stop, by brushing a finger up to his lips.

"After some time to think," he started, a faint blush creeping up on him. "And after this whole cruise adventure…I love you too," he said with a cute smile. Helga smiled back warmly, as they kissed again.

"Arnold!?" Helga asked.

"Yes, Helga?" Arnold asked sweetly.

"Arnold!" Helga repeated.

"Hey Arnold!" Helga called loudly in reality, hovering over his bed.

"What?" Arnold sat up quickly. "It…it was all a dream?"

"Uh yeah," Helga said dully, with a hint of sarcasm. "Now get outta bed!" she ordered, towering over him. "We're having breakfast in 10 minutes!"

"10 minutes?" Arnold jumped, throwing the covers off of him. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

Helga laughed evilly. "You just looked so into your dream," she taunted, "who were you dreaming of? Liiiila?" she teased sarcastically.

Arnold shook his head and frowned. "No. Why would I be dreaming of Lila?" he got up and faced Helga.

"Well you had a dreamy expression on your face," she pointed at him as she towered over him.

Arnold faintly blushed. "Oh…" he turned away, as Helga cackled, turning away from Arnold and walking to her bed.

"Ha ha ha!" she laughed, as she made her bed.

"Besides," Arnold said. "I'm over Lila."

"Ha-" Helga stopped. "Y-you are?" she asked.

"Yeah," Arnold said with his hands on his hips.

"So who do you like now? Rhonda? Nadine? There's always a new victim each month," she said sarcastically.

"Actually, no one at the moment," Arnold said. 'Am I telling the truth? I still don't know how I feel about Helga…maybe I do like her, like her…' he stopped to look at her as if looking at her was the answer to his dilemma.

She felt her eyes on him, as she finished making her bed. "Why are you watching me?" she demanded angrily.

He looked away, and walked to the bathroom to get changed. "No reason…"

"Tell me!" she demanded, running to the bathroom and blocking the entrance so he couldn't get it unless he told her.

"I'm just trying to figure something out," he said simply, pushing her out of the way and walking into the bathroom. She watched him close the door, sceptically.

Later, at breakfast…

"So what do you think of this new restaurant?" Gerald yelled over the people talking and laughing.

"It's okay…I like the Coffee Garden better, though," Arnold yelled back. "It's too loud here!" he added in a yell.

"What?" Gerald yelled.

"I said it's too loud here!" Arnold yelled back.

"What?" Gerald repeated.

"It's TOO LOUD HERE!" Helga voiced for Arnold, as everything went silent.

"Heh heh…" Helga looked at everyone watching her. "What are you lookin' at?" she yelled at someone.

"Do you want a piece of me?" he challenged her from across the restaurant. Everyone in the restaurant watched the boy and Helga.

"I'm not afraid of you, bucko! Come over here so I can pound you!" she yelled. Arnold pulled her back, as she sat down.

"Helga, do you know what you're getting yourself into?" he asked her gently. "That guy could cream you!" he whispered loudly.

"I'd have to concur," Phoebe chimed in. "He could hurt you severely, Helga."

"Watch what you say, bucko!" she warned Arnold and ignored Phoebe, before glaring at the boy across the restaurant, and standing up. "I don't have time for you!" she yelled. "But this doesn't mean this is the end of this!"

The boy just nodded with a frown, and Helga and the boy sat back down. This was everyone else's signal to continue talking loudly and laughing. Everything went back to normal.

Later, in the football arena…

"Okay guys, listen up – I'm quarterback!" Helga yelled.

Gerald rolled his eyes. "What else is new?" he asked sarcastically.

"Hey!" Helga marched up to Gerald. "Put a sock in it, hair boy," she sneered, before stomping back to her position. "Everyone in position!" she called.

"Hut, hut, hut!"

After a victorious football game, and a nice lunch at the Coffee Garden, Arnold, Helga, Gerald and Phoebe were unsure of what to do next.

"We could always watch another play," Gerald suggested.

"Listen, Geraldo, there's no way we're watching another crummy play! The last one was so bad, I feel asleep, remember?" she yelled.

"Oh I rememeber," Gerald smirked slyly. "You fell asleep," he repeated, "…on Arnold." Gerald laughed, and Phoebe giggled, remembering the scene.

"Is that an invitation for Old Betsy to personally meet that tall stack of hair?" Helga threatened, shoving her fist in Gerald's face.

"Maybe it is!" Gerald countered angrily. "Do your worst!"

"You asked for it!" Helga yelled, charging towards Gerald angrily.

Arnold stepped between Helga and Gerald, and put his hand firmly on Helga's fist.

"That's enough, guys!" he said loudly, and they stopped.

"Fine," Gerald sneered, glaring at Helga. "But you haven't seen the best of me, yet!" Gerald yelled.

"Fine! And yeah, I'll see the best of you…NEVER! You don't have a good part," Helga hissed, turning away from Arnold and Gerald with her arms crossed.

Arnold and Phoebe exchanged worried glances. "I'll take Gerald, you take Phoebe," Arnold offered as Phoebe nodded. "Affirmative," she said, walking off to talk to Helga.

Helga was making her way back to her room when she heard Phoebe call her. "Helga!" she called. Helga just kept walking.

"Helga!" she was now walking beside her. "Didn't you hear me call you?" she asked.

"No," she lied firmly, as she pushed the elevator button, and it opened. She and Phoebe walked in.

"Helga, I want to talk to you about Gerald. He's really a great guy, once you get to know him!" Phoebe smiled.

"Fine, whatever," Helga put her hands on her hips. "I'm never gonna get to know Geraldo, and I don't want to!" she yelled.

"Helga," Phoebe said firmly. "You owe him an apology."

Helga frowned. "He owes me an apology," she said stubbornly.

Phoebe sighed. 'I hope Arnold is having better luck with Gerald,' she though as she turned back to an angry Helga.

Meanwhile…

"Gerald, you owe Helga an apology," Arnold said, while he sat on Gerald's bed.

"For what? What did I do?" he asked innocently, pacing back and forth.

"You were looking for trouble," Arnold said with a shake of his head. Gerald rolled his eyes, and Arnold sighed.

"Gerald, you just don't know her like I do. She isn't really a bad person. She's actually good inside, but she's too afraid to show it," Arnold realized what he was saying, and all of it was true. "And I think that's why I'm starting to like her like her…" he said quietly to himself.

"She's nice? Right, of course," Gerald reasoned, "and its raining fuzzy slippers," he added sarcastically. Arnold stood up and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I mean it, Gerald. She really is a good person, once you get to know her."

"And how would you know, Arnold?" he asked, as Arnold sat back down.

"Because I've seen little peeks at the real her, before. Like when we had to do that Biosquare project. Sure, she was mean and bossy, and had an awful attitude towards everything," Arnold began.

"Oh yeah…she seems really nice," Gerald said sarcastically.

Arnold sighed. "Let me finish," he said before starting up again. "Anyway, at the end of the project she actually smiled at me, and I smiled back, and it was then that I found out that she wasn't all that bad."

Gerald rolled his eyes, but Arnold ignored it and continued. "And then that other time when we were making the city-day parade float, and she got her dad to donate money for our materials," Arnold said, "and then I hugged her, and," Arnold stopped and blushed at the remembrance.

"Maybe that isn't the best example," he cleared his throat nervously as the blush faded. "There was always that time in the Romeo and Juliet play, when she was Juliet, and I was Romeo, and when she kissed me…" Arnold trailed off, blushing again from the remembrance, and picking a loose piece of fabric off of Gerald's pillow nervously.

Gerald noticed and smiled, as Arnold shook the blush off. "What I'm trying to say is…despite my attempts at proving she is nice, she actually is a nice person," he smiled warmly, and Gerald gave in.

"Okay, okay," he smiled back and they did their thumb wiggle. "But I still say you got it bad," he said slyly as Arnold's eyes went half-closed.

"Whatever, Gerald," he said with a frown, but then it turned to a smile and they both laughed, going to see Helga and Phoebe.

Phoebe had finally got to make Helga realize Gerald wasn't that bad, and when they met up an awkward silence passed.

"Sorry…Gerald," Helga said, regretting it, but knowing it was the right thing to do.

"I'm sorry too, Helga," he held out his hand and Helga shook it. Arnold stood beside Helga and smiled at her, as Phoebe and Gerald hugged.

"That was very nice of you," Arnold observed and Helga blinked.

"It was?" she asked obliviously before clearing her throat. "I-I mean, yeah, it was," she said with a smirk.

Arnold smiled shyly at her. "I'm proud of you," he said. 'Whoa…what am I saying? I'm proud of Helga? Gerald's right…I do have it bad!' he thought to himself before shaking his head.

Helga's eyes widened. Arnold had said some compliments to her in the past, but nothing like that before!

'Ooh Arnold!' she swooned to herself. 'Is today the day that you see me with loves eyes, as I see you? Ooh how I hope you feel the same way.'

Helga wore a dreamy expression, as her smile got all wavy and Arnold chuckled at it.

"Are you okay Helga?" he asked with a smile.

"Uh…ye-yeah," she shook off her swoon. "Since when do you care?" she snapped.

Arnold stopped. "Well…I was just wondering. You looked like you were daydreaming or something. Which you've been doing a lot on this cruise," he pointed out, "and you're always telling me to get my head out of the clouds?" he nudged her, and then chuckled.

Helga melted at the contact he was providing, but then snapped herself out of it. "Whatever, football-head," she mumbled.

**

Well…I'm outta things to say, to be honest. *everyone cheers* Uh yeah… *sweat drop* alrighty then….

All I can say is keep readin', reviewin', and enjoyin' and the next chapter will be up soon!

Satokasu Suki