The music continued as we danced.
What a perfect night.
Or so I thought.
The next day, I went to school with the biggest smile on my face. I jumped on the bus, and I bet everyone was quite confused when I slapped Sid on the back and said...
"Hey, buddy, how's it going? Nice hat! New?"
Sid looked confused, but pleased.
"Thanks, Helga..."
When we got to school, I walked inside and just... smiled.
"Hey, Rhonda! Looking good! Stinky! Snazzy outfit! Peapod Kid! LOVE the hair!"
And it continued like this!
Until I got to my locker.
I opened it, and when I looked inside, I saw, laying on top of my books, a little note, folded neatly into a square.
I read the note.
Oh, crap. I knew it was bad just by the look of those cut out magazine letters.
-----
'SuP hElGa.
I kNoW yOuR sEcReT aNd BlOnD bOy'S ToO.
iF yOu DoN't Do WhAt I sAy, ThE sEcReT's OuT...
cYa At 202.
-----
WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON? BLACKMAIL? DEAR GOSH...
What am I going to do?
202... I'd better go.
I walk down the hallway, but it seems dark now. The windows blacken, and it starts to rain.
I reach the locker... no one's there. So I open it, and I see an envelope.
Inside is a picture... of us... at the dance... without my mask! And a note.
-----
'SuP hElGa?
20 BaR's Of ChOcOlAtE iN tHiS lOcKeR.
i HaVe ThE nEgAtIvEs.
-----
I stood there with anger rising the temperature of my blood. Chocolate? No questions now. How could he? How could Chocolate Boy do this? I decided to handle this MY way.
"WHERE ARE THOSE NEGATIVES? Tell me, you little brat!"
I was holding Chocolate Boy by the collar in the alleyway by the movie theatre. My fist was raised and so was my temper.
"I swear! I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Come on! Tell me, or Ol' Betsy and the 5 Avengers are gonna have a party on your face!"
"I don't know! Why would I?"
I started to lunge, and then a hand stopped my arm.
Phoebe. She was standing by me, but I guess she couldn't take it anymore. Yes, I told her about us! She's my best friend... why not?
"Helga! I just realized! Why would Chocolate Boy bother? He's off chocolate! Remember? Arnold cured him!"
How could I be so stupid. Of course. I let him go.
"Sorry, Chocolate Boy. I guess I jumped to conclusions."
He brushed himself off.
"That's ok, I guess. But what were you worried so much about?"
I gave him some of the details. His eyes widened.
"20 bars? I think I know why it was chocolate."
"WHAT? Spill it!"
"Big Gino, he's investing in chocolate lately. He's telling me that it's gonna be the new fad. P.S. 118's currency."
Phoebe squeaked.
"Big Gino? Helga, may I suggest we forget this?"
I stared at her.
"You nuts? I can't, otherwise people are gonna find out about me and... ice cream!"
Chocolate Boy was probably really lost at this point.
I continued, "Phoebe. At all costs, I will prevent this from happening. I do not care."
And I left the alleyway in search of Big Gino.
---
Newspaper clippings scattered a desk. He stared intensely with his deep eyes of light blue.
---
As I approached the door to his hideout, Phoebe tried talking me into stopping.
"Helga! Maybe we shouldn't! I mean, why don't we tell Arnold first? He'll take care of it!"
"I can't, Phoebe! I can't drag him into this! It'll only make it worse if the blackmailer finds out!"
"Fine. Do whatever you want."
I bust open the door, and there sat Big Gino at his desk, like the criminal mastermind he is. I marched right up to him, leaned over, grabbed his tie, and pulled his worthless face near.
"Word is you're into chocolate."
"Word is you have a problem with it, Pataki."
I let go of his tie.
"You thought you'd get away with it, huh?"
"Yeah, I thought I would."
I started pacing.
"So, you admit it?"
"Yeah. So what? It's good chocolate."
I slammed my hands on his desk and stared into his brown eyes.
"YOU THINK BLACKMAILING INNOCENT PEOPLE IS WORTH IT?"
He looked confused.
"What are you talking about, Pataki?"
"This!" I flung the notes onto his desk. He picked them up and looked them over.
"Pataki, I mean, Helga. I didn't have anything to do with this."
"Prove it!"
One of his cronies appeared out of the shadows behind him. With a camera. He tapped Gino on the shoulder. He turned around and started screaming.
"GET IT AWAY FROM ME! GET IT AWAY!!!"
He took the camera, and flung it against the wall, breaking it. He straightened up.
"I have selaphobia."
Phoebe jumped in.
"Fear of flashes?"
"Yeah, I avoid cameras... because of the flash..."
He shuddered.
"Well, what were talking about before?"
"My crew and I are making chocolate bars. Good money."
"Counterfeit chocolate? Weird..."
"Well, are you done here?"
"Yeah. Sorry, Gino."
I started to leave.
"Wait, Helga!"
I turned around.
"I think I might be able to help you."
What a perfect night.
Or so I thought.
The next day, I went to school with the biggest smile on my face. I jumped on the bus, and I bet everyone was quite confused when I slapped Sid on the back and said...
"Hey, buddy, how's it going? Nice hat! New?"
Sid looked confused, but pleased.
"Thanks, Helga..."
When we got to school, I walked inside and just... smiled.
"Hey, Rhonda! Looking good! Stinky! Snazzy outfit! Peapod Kid! LOVE the hair!"
And it continued like this!
Until I got to my locker.
I opened it, and when I looked inside, I saw, laying on top of my books, a little note, folded neatly into a square.
I read the note.
Oh, crap. I knew it was bad just by the look of those cut out magazine letters.
-----
'SuP hElGa.
I kNoW yOuR sEcReT aNd BlOnD bOy'S ToO.
iF yOu DoN't Do WhAt I sAy, ThE sEcReT's OuT...
cYa At 202.
-----
WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON? BLACKMAIL? DEAR GOSH...
What am I going to do?
202... I'd better go.
I walk down the hallway, but it seems dark now. The windows blacken, and it starts to rain.
I reach the locker... no one's there. So I open it, and I see an envelope.
Inside is a picture... of us... at the dance... without my mask! And a note.
-----
'SuP hElGa?
20 BaR's Of ChOcOlAtE iN tHiS lOcKeR.
i HaVe ThE nEgAtIvEs.
-----
I stood there with anger rising the temperature of my blood. Chocolate? No questions now. How could he? How could Chocolate Boy do this? I decided to handle this MY way.
"WHERE ARE THOSE NEGATIVES? Tell me, you little brat!"
I was holding Chocolate Boy by the collar in the alleyway by the movie theatre. My fist was raised and so was my temper.
"I swear! I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Come on! Tell me, or Ol' Betsy and the 5 Avengers are gonna have a party on your face!"
"I don't know! Why would I?"
I started to lunge, and then a hand stopped my arm.
Phoebe. She was standing by me, but I guess she couldn't take it anymore. Yes, I told her about us! She's my best friend... why not?
"Helga! I just realized! Why would Chocolate Boy bother? He's off chocolate! Remember? Arnold cured him!"
How could I be so stupid. Of course. I let him go.
"Sorry, Chocolate Boy. I guess I jumped to conclusions."
He brushed himself off.
"That's ok, I guess. But what were you worried so much about?"
I gave him some of the details. His eyes widened.
"20 bars? I think I know why it was chocolate."
"WHAT? Spill it!"
"Big Gino, he's investing in chocolate lately. He's telling me that it's gonna be the new fad. P.S. 118's currency."
Phoebe squeaked.
"Big Gino? Helga, may I suggest we forget this?"
I stared at her.
"You nuts? I can't, otherwise people are gonna find out about me and... ice cream!"
Chocolate Boy was probably really lost at this point.
I continued, "Phoebe. At all costs, I will prevent this from happening. I do not care."
And I left the alleyway in search of Big Gino.
---
Newspaper clippings scattered a desk. He stared intensely with his deep eyes of light blue.
---
As I approached the door to his hideout, Phoebe tried talking me into stopping.
"Helga! Maybe we shouldn't! I mean, why don't we tell Arnold first? He'll take care of it!"
"I can't, Phoebe! I can't drag him into this! It'll only make it worse if the blackmailer finds out!"
"Fine. Do whatever you want."
I bust open the door, and there sat Big Gino at his desk, like the criminal mastermind he is. I marched right up to him, leaned over, grabbed his tie, and pulled his worthless face near.
"Word is you're into chocolate."
"Word is you have a problem with it, Pataki."
I let go of his tie.
"You thought you'd get away with it, huh?"
"Yeah, I thought I would."
I started pacing.
"So, you admit it?"
"Yeah. So what? It's good chocolate."
I slammed my hands on his desk and stared into his brown eyes.
"YOU THINK BLACKMAILING INNOCENT PEOPLE IS WORTH IT?"
He looked confused.
"What are you talking about, Pataki?"
"This!" I flung the notes onto his desk. He picked them up and looked them over.
"Pataki, I mean, Helga. I didn't have anything to do with this."
"Prove it!"
One of his cronies appeared out of the shadows behind him. With a camera. He tapped Gino on the shoulder. He turned around and started screaming.
"GET IT AWAY FROM ME! GET IT AWAY!!!"
He took the camera, and flung it against the wall, breaking it. He straightened up.
"I have selaphobia."
Phoebe jumped in.
"Fear of flashes?"
"Yeah, I avoid cameras... because of the flash..."
He shuddered.
"Well, what were talking about before?"
"My crew and I are making chocolate bars. Good money."
"Counterfeit chocolate? Weird..."
"Well, are you done here?"
"Yeah. Sorry, Gino."
I started to leave.
"Wait, Helga!"
I turned around.
"I think I might be able to help you."