Bleeding Hearts

Part Four: Phantom Lover

Arnold spent the rest of the day glancing around the classroom, hoping to lock eyes with the girl of his dreams. The girl who's identity evaded him, even though he knew her every detail.

It was a strange feeling, his thoughts kept returning to the conversation he'd had with Helga. The one where she'd confessed her love to him in the heat of the moment atop Future Tech Industries. Was she really just caught up in all the excitement? Or did her words hold real meaning? It just didn't make sense. If she really loved him, why all the torture? Why all the name calling, the spit ball blowing, the prank pulling…

Helga was slumped back in her desk twirling her pencil around in her fingers. She wished Arnold would get a clue. That spell was taking forever to run its coarse. How long was it supposed to take again?

She started wriggling her foot and accidentally banged it against the leg of her desk. She shouted in pain and started muttering obscurities to herself…hey, it hurts when you bang your foot!

This, naturally, got everyone's attention. Great, she slumped down further in her chair.

"Uh Helga," Mr. Simmons called, "is there something wrong?"

Mind your own business you sappy throw pillow. "I'm fine."

"Good," Mr. Simmons was about to assign another short story for the class to read but the recess bell rang and soon the desks were empty.

Arnold, who was usually the last to leave, had darted out into the hall ahead of everyone. Mr. Simmons scratched his head and peered out the window, something strange was definitely going on here.

******

Gerald found Arnold leaning over one of the outdoor water fountains.

"Hey Arnold, is something up with you today?"

"Huh?" Arnold finished drinking and turned to Gerald.

"During class you were shifting around in your seat like Harold after drinking twelve cartons of chocolate milk, and you were sweating like Eugene in a fireworks factory the whole time Mr. Simmons was up there reading that poem." Gerald answered.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about Gerald." Arnold started walking off. He couldn't keep his eyes from wandering over the playground.

Gerald followed his friend's gaze. It fell on almost every girl in the fourth grade class. "What are you doing man?"

"Just looking around, I'm trying to find someone." Arnold replied absently.

"Who?"

"I don't know."

Gerald sighed and headed off, "This is too weird for me, later."

"See ya." Arnold had made up his mind. He'd just go around the playground and strike up a conversation with each girl. His heart was sure to flutter like it had the night before when he started talking to the right one. It wasn't much of a plan, but hey, he was only nine.

He decided to start with one of the least obvious people, "Hey Phoebe, what'cha doing?"

"Oh hello Arnold," Phoebe greeted him, "I'm just waiting for Helga. She's got ball monitor duty this week."

"Okay," nope, he wasn't getting any vibes from Phoebe, not that he'd really expected to. "See ya later."

He went from girl to girl. Which meant sitting through a lecture by Rhonda on fashion. Listening to Sheena go on forever about her latest scab. And enduring Lila's 'ever so' speech about how she only liked him.

What a stupid plan. Arnold was ready to give up, the bell was about to ring anyway, when he turned and collided with-

"Helga!"

"Why don't you watch where I'm going Football Head?!" she shouted rubbing her back.

"Sorry Helga," he apologized, "I'm not myself today."

"You're not normal any day." Helga scoffed.

There it was again, that funny little tingling feeling in his chest. What was causing it? He'd been out on the play ground hanging around every girl the whole time and this hadn't happened once until---Helga!

"What are you staring at bucko?" she demanded.

H-Helga's the one I love? Arnold gulped, B-but, this isn't fair!

"Earth to Hair Boy!" Helga waved her hand in front of his face, "Calling Arnoldo!"

Arnold snapped out of his thoughts, "I can't believe it."

"Believe what?" Arnold was acting weirder than usual, was it the spell?

His green eyes never left her, "I-I…"

"Spit it out!" she scowled.

"Helga I-"

RRIIIINNGGG!!!!!

STUPID BELL! Helga's mind shrieked, Couldn't it have waited just a few more seconds?!

"I guess you have to collect the balls now huh?" Arnold asked, his voice trailing off.

"That's right Einstein now get out of my way!" no way was she dropping her guard again before Arnold told her how he felt.

Helga started jerking balls away from passing students and stuffing them into the bag. Pretty soon she and Arnold were the only two fourth graders left on the playground.

Gathering up all his nerve Arnold reached out and tapped Helga on the shoulder.

"What?!" she spun around furiously.

Arnold took a step back, it felt like Nadine's butterfly collection had gotten loose in his stomach. "Helga, I-I wrote that poem Mr. Simmons read today in class."

"So?"

"So…I wrote it because I've got this crush on a girl."

Helga didn't flinch.

"She's in our class…" Arnold hinted.

She cocked her eyebrow at him. "What are you getting at?"

"Helga," had it been this hard for her to say? "the girl I wrote about, I know who she is now. Helga G. Pataki, I love you."

The words echoed in her ears. The sweet melodious words that she'd dreamed of hearing from Arnold since her first day of preschool. I love you. Those three little words held so much power. It was amazing the way they transformed even the coldest heart into a warm and fragile entity.

"Arnold," now the walls were coming down all over again, all she could do was hope that history wouldn't repeat itself, "I-"

"I know it sounds weird." Arnold interjected.

Weird?! Helga thought, that was putting it a little harshly. Unexpected maybe, but 'weird'?

"I mean, I never pictured myself liking you like this. But I do." Arnold shrugged. He was killing the romance. If there was even any left to harm.

"Arnold I don't think-"

"I mean, I never expected to think of you as anything more than…well…maybe a friend." he continued, digging himself in deeper.

Helga was starting to see a downside to this whole confession spell.

"But here I am, telling you I love you." Arnold started to laugh, "Pretty crazy huh?"

Her eyes narrowed, Maybe he's just a jerk?

"And why's that Arnold?" she questioned, "I mean, am I not your type? Guess I'd need braids and freckles. I'd have to go around telling lame barnyard jokes and saying 'ever so' or 'oh so much' every other sentence! You know what you are Arnold? You're just a--a--big dumb jerk! And I hate you!"

Her last four words stung Arnold like an arrow through the heart. He couldn't help himself, thanks to that spell his deepest feelings were exposed. Emotions that frankly, he just wasn't ready to feel. He had the passion, just not the maturity to deal with it.

Helga slung the bag over her shoulder and stomped off through the double doors. Arnold was left standing there, broken hearted, helpless to stop her as he watched her walk out of his life.

The whole thing could have been a scene in a movie. Because just like in the movies, after a tragic moment has taken place…it started to rain.

Arnold's only comfort, the rain hid his tears.

Magic is something that's already found in love, casting spells only seems to complicate things. We learn valuable lessons throughout our lives, sadly enough, this lesson was something Helga and Arnold would discover at a young age. An age when love's bonds, can be all too easily broken.

________________________________________________________________________

*What will become of Arnold and Helga now? Is their relationship lost forever? Find out the answers in the next chapter…but be sure to review for this one first. ^_~ *