Bleeding Hearts
Part Two: Believing in Magic
At school the day passed slowly and Helga sat in the back row agonizing over Arnold. He didn't show any signs of change after what had passed between them last week. It was killing Helga! Checking to make sure no one was looking she pulled the case out of her book bag and started reading the instructions silently to herself.
To fall in love the task is one of ease
Take two sprigs of baby's breath and summer breeze.
Mix with water from a wishing well
Add a drop of witch hazel.
Hold the potion close to thy heart
Speak the incantation then pull apart.
Deposit this in thy lover's drink
In two days time they'll disclose what their heart doth think.
Examining the contents of the case Helga found that all the ingredients were there. Now all that was left was to mix them.
"And now on to a very special lesson in geometry!" Mr. Simmons announced.
"Well," she muttered to herself, "looks like I've got time to kill."
Helga began mixing the potion in a tiny vile that came with the kit. To her surprise the liquid started glowing and bubbling as she swirled it around beneath her desk. No one else seemed to notice though.
Another slip of paper was hidden beneath the baby's breath so Helga took it out and whispered the incantation written across it.
"Timeless trick for telling heart's secrets,
Unweathered way of learning love.
I beseech you now aide me in my quest,
And loosen the lips of my true love."
The incantation itself sounded just crazy enough to work so Helga shrugged and held the vile all the closer to her heart. Something odd tingled in her chest and she pulled the vile away.
"Guess that means it worked." she said softly. "Now to put it in Arnold's drink."
******
"Hey Arnold my man!" Gerald shouted from across the cafeteria as he motioned for Arnold to come and have a seat next to him.
Stinky, who was also sitting at the table, slapped Arnold on the back as he sat down. "Wow Arnold, it sure is something to be sittin' here with the two brave fellas that went and saved the whole neighborhood."
"Aw c'mon Stinky," Arnold blushed, "we're still the same guys. We just did the right thing. All this fame for saving the neighborhood really hasn't changed us at all. Right Gerald?"
Gerald was admiring his reflection in the back of a spoon. "Now is this my good side, or this?" he wondered to himself.
"Uh…Gerald?"
"Don't want to be seen on TV in a bad angle if I run into a reporter." he continued.
"Gerald." Arnold was losing patience.
"I mean, there are camera crews around ever corner." Gerald was caught up in the excitement.
"GERALD!"
"What?!" Gerald nearly jumped out of his seat.
Arnold just sighed and got up, "I'm gonna go see if there are anymore tapioca puddings left."
"I think I'll come too," Stinky answered enthusiastically, "they might have lemon pudding too. Gosh almighty I sure do love lemon pudding."
"We know." Gerald and Arnold answered.
Helga was watching from behind a cart of dirty lunch trays as the three boys got up from their table and headed back over to the lunch line.
"Finally!" she whispered harshly, "I thought those bozos would never leave!"
Sneaking quietly over to their table Helga noticed that Arnold's milk carton was open.
"Perfect!" she grinned mischievously, "okay spell do your thing."
After emptying the contents of the vile into the carton of milk she beat a hasty retreat back over to the cart.
Watching anxiously she saw Arnold and the others return to their table and Arnold take a sip out of his carton. His face twisted slightly, as if the milk had gone bad. But after a few seconds he shrugged and continued eating. By the end of the lunch period he had polished off the last of his milk.
"Yes!" Helga exclaimed happily, "Now at last my love I shall bewitch you into confessing your deepest, darkest, truest, most passionate feelings towards me!"
Shallow breathing emanated from behind her. A sour expression crossed her face and she grabbed a filthy plate off the cart. Without turning around she sent it flying SMACK into Brainy's face.
******
Walking down the hallway out to the double doors after school that day Arnold suddenly doubled over in pain.
Gerald stopped dead in his tracks and bent down next to his hunched over friend, "Arnold man, what's wrong?!"
"I-I'm okay Gerald, it's just…my stomach." Arnold choked out.
"Are you sure man? Maybe we should see if the nurse is still here?" Gerald offered.
"No," Arnold was able to sit upright again, "it was probably just something I ate. If I can survive my grandma's cooking, I think I can survive this," he joked.
"You're a bold kid Arnold," Gerald laughed, "but I'd suggest laying off the cafeteria food for a while. There's no telling what they put in that stuff!"
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*Well, the spell's been cast so what do you think? Review and let me know. There's plenty more suspense where all this has come from…^_~*