A/N: Sorry I haven't updated for a while, I've been busy with college work.
Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, and I hope it doesn't seem to OOC.
I'm sorry if it does. Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing my
fic; I am so grateful for all your kind words! :)
Arnold quickly caught up to the ominous Helga. She was headed for the park gates.
"Helga!" he pleaded, still not completely sure what he was doing. He really didn't like the idea of a round with Old Betsy, but his curious and compassionate nature wouldn't let him give up this time. Matching Helga's quickening stride, he braced himself for the worst.
"Just stay away from me!" she screamed, desperation rang clear in her voice. Arnold was shocked. Where had he heard that tone before? "It's all your fault anyway! You've caused enough damage!" There was genuine pain in her eyes.
"What? I don't understand. What did I-" Helga cut him off, ignoring his confusion. Her control was gone.
"You just HAD to care didn't you?! You just had to be so, so nice! You couldn't just leave me alone back then either, could you? No. You had to notice me!" she flung her arms around in despair, emphasizing her words. Arnold was completely lost now, and was beginning to worry about Helga's state of mind.
"What are you talking about Helga?" Not a good move. She stopped dead, narrowing her intense blue eyes like a wild animal, fists now clamped firmly to her sides.
"Don't you DARE pretend you don't know!" she hissed through her teeth. "Do you have any idea of the pain you've caused me?" She was scaring him now; he'd never witnessed such fury from her. "Six years! Six long years, and you're still as dense as you ever were! Why don't you get it?" she saw his fear and turned away from him, trying desperately to control herself. Deep breaths Helga, deep breaths.
"Helga," Arnold spoke softly. "What are you saying?"
There was a pause before Helga spoke. She managed sarcasm this time, but she knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long. Arnold knew it too.
She ignored his question. "And now you want to help me? That's hilarious Football Head! Hilarious!" she smirked coldly. "You, wanting to help solve MY problems!" she laughed callously, turning her back on the stunned boy and walking away. "Well good luck with that one bucko!"
"Helga wait! Why won't you let me help you?" He caught up to her again. She sighed, weary now. Why is he being so persistent?
"Because you can't help me! You have no idea! You can only make things worse."
"Well, why?"
"Why?!" she mocked, temper rising again. "Because you ARE the problem stupid! Now get lost!" her fists were clenched again. She could feel her control slipping away once more. "I don't need you! I don't need ANYBODY! I'm Helga G. Pataki, and Helga G. Pataki can take care of herself!" she affirmed, more to herself than Arnold.
"But I don't get it, how can I be the problem? I want to help you!"
"THAT'S WHY YOU ARE THE PROBLEM!" she yelled. "And I don't need your pity! You just stay the heck away from me!" her voice was cracking under the strain. She couldn't take much more of this pressure. She could feel tears threatening.
"Helga, please!" Arnold pleaded. She turned away from him, not wanting to show her grief.
"Just stay away from me! Stay away..." The dam had burst. Silent tears began to fall as she sank to the ground in defeat. Sitting on the grass, she wrapped her arms around her drawn up legs and buried her face in her knees, rocking softly to comfort herself. Arnold didn't know what to do. He was panicking; he'd never seen her act like this before, and the guilt he felt was immense.
He sat down beside her small form and rested a hand on her arm for reassurance, but she flinched as he did so.
"Helga," he coaxed gently, squeezing her arm. "Please don't cry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for whatever I've done to you. And I'm sorry for being too dense to figure it out."
She slowly looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from tears. But she couldn't hold his gaze. Looking at the ground in front of her, she spoke quietly.
"No Arnold, I should be the one apologising," she said sincerely. "It's not your fault. I'm such a fool." She wiped the tears from her stinging eyes. "Please Arnold, just leave me alone okay? Go, before I say something I'll regret."
"I'm not leaving Helga, you know that." Arnold smiled. "I care about you. Please, let me help you. I want to understand you, because I never have. Please don't shut me out again." She looked at his compassionate expression, remembering how much she loved that face. But her expression turned sorrowful.
"But you don't want to know. You didn't believe me when I told you, so how would it change anything if I said it again?" Helga fiddled with her hands. "So maybe I did get carried away back then, I should have kept my big mouth shut! But now I know what you think, and it brakes my heart."
"Helga, what do you mean? What are you talking about?" She felt weak under his gaze. And now she was lost for words.
"I, I..." Helga searched his face, desperate for an answer, but something uncontrollable took over. Without thinking, she lunged at him, planting her lips harshly upon his, pulling away just as quickly. Arnold's eyes bulged at the realisation of what had just happened. He was frozen with shock. "That's what I'm talking about you idiot! I'm in love with you! Do I have to spell it out?!" Arnold's eyes darted back and forth in confusion and then realisation.
"Helga, I-I" he stuttered. But the hurt on Helga's face returned.
"Just forget about it okay?! Just forget about the whole thing!" she got up and ran out of the park before Arnold could say anything. He was left shocked.
"Helga..."
Arnold quickly caught up to the ominous Helga. She was headed for the park gates.
"Helga!" he pleaded, still not completely sure what he was doing. He really didn't like the idea of a round with Old Betsy, but his curious and compassionate nature wouldn't let him give up this time. Matching Helga's quickening stride, he braced himself for the worst.
"Just stay away from me!" she screamed, desperation rang clear in her voice. Arnold was shocked. Where had he heard that tone before? "It's all your fault anyway! You've caused enough damage!" There was genuine pain in her eyes.
"What? I don't understand. What did I-" Helga cut him off, ignoring his confusion. Her control was gone.
"You just HAD to care didn't you?! You just had to be so, so nice! You couldn't just leave me alone back then either, could you? No. You had to notice me!" she flung her arms around in despair, emphasizing her words. Arnold was completely lost now, and was beginning to worry about Helga's state of mind.
"What are you talking about Helga?" Not a good move. She stopped dead, narrowing her intense blue eyes like a wild animal, fists now clamped firmly to her sides.
"Don't you DARE pretend you don't know!" she hissed through her teeth. "Do you have any idea of the pain you've caused me?" She was scaring him now; he'd never witnessed such fury from her. "Six years! Six long years, and you're still as dense as you ever were! Why don't you get it?" she saw his fear and turned away from him, trying desperately to control herself. Deep breaths Helga, deep breaths.
"Helga," Arnold spoke softly. "What are you saying?"
There was a pause before Helga spoke. She managed sarcasm this time, but she knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long. Arnold knew it too.
She ignored his question. "And now you want to help me? That's hilarious Football Head! Hilarious!" she smirked coldly. "You, wanting to help solve MY problems!" she laughed callously, turning her back on the stunned boy and walking away. "Well good luck with that one bucko!"
"Helga wait! Why won't you let me help you?" He caught up to her again. She sighed, weary now. Why is he being so persistent?
"Because you can't help me! You have no idea! You can only make things worse."
"Well, why?"
"Why?!" she mocked, temper rising again. "Because you ARE the problem stupid! Now get lost!" her fists were clenched again. She could feel her control slipping away once more. "I don't need you! I don't need ANYBODY! I'm Helga G. Pataki, and Helga G. Pataki can take care of herself!" she affirmed, more to herself than Arnold.
"But I don't get it, how can I be the problem? I want to help you!"
"THAT'S WHY YOU ARE THE PROBLEM!" she yelled. "And I don't need your pity! You just stay the heck away from me!" her voice was cracking under the strain. She couldn't take much more of this pressure. She could feel tears threatening.
"Helga, please!" Arnold pleaded. She turned away from him, not wanting to show her grief.
"Just stay away from me! Stay away..." The dam had burst. Silent tears began to fall as she sank to the ground in defeat. Sitting on the grass, she wrapped her arms around her drawn up legs and buried her face in her knees, rocking softly to comfort herself. Arnold didn't know what to do. He was panicking; he'd never seen her act like this before, and the guilt he felt was immense.
He sat down beside her small form and rested a hand on her arm for reassurance, but she flinched as he did so.
"Helga," he coaxed gently, squeezing her arm. "Please don't cry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for whatever I've done to you. And I'm sorry for being too dense to figure it out."
She slowly looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from tears. But she couldn't hold his gaze. Looking at the ground in front of her, she spoke quietly.
"No Arnold, I should be the one apologising," she said sincerely. "It's not your fault. I'm such a fool." She wiped the tears from her stinging eyes. "Please Arnold, just leave me alone okay? Go, before I say something I'll regret."
"I'm not leaving Helga, you know that." Arnold smiled. "I care about you. Please, let me help you. I want to understand you, because I never have. Please don't shut me out again." She looked at his compassionate expression, remembering how much she loved that face. But her expression turned sorrowful.
"But you don't want to know. You didn't believe me when I told you, so how would it change anything if I said it again?" Helga fiddled with her hands. "So maybe I did get carried away back then, I should have kept my big mouth shut! But now I know what you think, and it brakes my heart."
"Helga, what do you mean? What are you talking about?" She felt weak under his gaze. And now she was lost for words.
"I, I..." Helga searched his face, desperate for an answer, but something uncontrollable took over. Without thinking, she lunged at him, planting her lips harshly upon his, pulling away just as quickly. Arnold's eyes bulged at the realisation of what had just happened. He was frozen with shock. "That's what I'm talking about you idiot! I'm in love with you! Do I have to spell it out?!" Arnold's eyes darted back and forth in confusion and then realisation.
"Helga, I-I" he stuttered. But the hurt on Helga's face returned.
"Just forget about it okay?! Just forget about the whole thing!" she got up and ran out of the park before Arnold could say anything. He was left shocked.
"Helga..."