Disclaimer on first chapter!

A/N: I had a little inspiration last night. * A little * So hopefully this chapter will be pretty good. I'm uploading the first two chapters at the same time so I don't end up ditching on my story all together. Well, have a nice day, and read my story…

Marshmallows and Irony

Chapter Two: Discoveries

It was the day after Arnold's camp out, and all he could think about was Helga. He laid on his bed, just thinking. How could he kiss her? How could he make her except him? This situation some how went beyond just a dare. Helga wasn't just some average girl who would except anyone's affections, however fake they might be, she wanted more than that; he could tell. He finally decided he would ask her to hang out at his house, and let things progress from there. The phone suddenly rang, while Arnold was amidst thought. He didn't answer it, but heard his grandpa yell from downstairs.

"Arnold! It's for you!" Grandpa yelled. "It's Gerald!"

Arnold picked up the receiver in his room which was placed right beside his bed. He knew what this call was about.

"Hey Gerald," said Arnold, a little bored sounding.

"Hey Arnold," Gerald responded. "So, what's your plan of action?"

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon, man, you know what I mean. The dare. Helga. You have to kiss her. Remember, Romeo?"

"Gerald, do I really have to do this?"

"Of course you do! You were dared, and in some states that's legally binding."

"So all I have to do is…"

"One kiss. Just one kiss. Our cameras will be watching."

"Cameras? C'mon, Gerald… why?"

"Well you will never really finish the dare until we see you finish the dare. So the cameras stay."

"Fine, Gerald. I'll talk to you later then."

"Wait a minute, Arnold. You have to do it by Sunday, which gives you a whole week for it to happen."

"Right. Well, see you, Gerald. Later."

"Okay, bye man."

Arnold hung up the phone and just laid on his bed, staring at the sky. He stayed that way for maybe thirty minutes, until he decided that he had to call Helga… now. He had to get a good start on things. So he picked up the receiver and dialed her number; the phone began to ring.

"Hello?" It was Helga who answered.

"Hey. Hi! Um, I mean Hello." Arnold said, failing at his attempted casualness.

"Arnold? Is that you, Football Head?"

"Yeah, it's me, Helga. Hi."

"Right. Well, what do you want, Arnoldo?"

"Oh, nothing… I just wanted to call you."

"Really…"

"Yeah, to see if you wanted to… um… hang out! Uh, At my place. Yeah, to hang out at my place!"

"Today?"

"Yeah, today."

"Well, I don't know, Football Head, I am pretty busy. But I guess I could check my schedule. Just a minute."

"Okay."

Helga took the phone from her ear and covered the receiver with her hand. She grabbed her ever existent Arnold locket from her shirt and danced around in the hallway.

"Oh Arnold!" she gasped. "I have waited so long for you to ask me for friendship, to ask me to come over, to ask me to hang out with you. And now you are. Oh how long I have desired this moment, this moment when we will finally spend free time together. And now my wish has come true! Oh, Arnold! My love!"

All this time that Helga had been talking to herself, she was also wrapping herself up in the telephone cord, and suddenly toppled over onto the ground. Arnold heard the crash through the phone. (Luckily, he didn't hear Helga speaking previous to the crash.)

"Helga? Helga, are you there? Are you okay?" asked a concerned Arnold.

A dazed and happy Helga finally realized she had fallen on the floor in the midst of her Arnold day dream. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Sounds great. Is three o'clock okay?"

"Yeah, perfect. See you then."

Arnold hung up, satisfied that she had accepted, and Helga just kept her ear by the phone, savoring the last bit of Arnold's voice that still lingered in the receiver. What a loon… She looked up at the clock and noticed that it was already 2:30.

"Shit! I've got to get ready!" she exclaimed. She raced up the stairs to take a shower. She then blow dried her hair and dressed in her usual outfit: pink, pink, pink. But after Arnold, Gerald, and she had saved the neighborhood and such, she had long since decided to always wear her hair down and not in pigtails. Because like Rhonda had told her before, 'Pigtails wear sooo campy.' She ran downstairs now, at 2:55, and grabbed her skateboard to ride over to Arnold's. She wasn't very good, however, and frequently got snagged on cracks on the sidewalk.

Arnold waited anxiously for her arrival. What would he say? What would they talk about? Where would the kiss come in? He thought it was best just to see how things would turn out by themselves. Maybe he would ask her out on a date. After all, he did have a whole week to complete the dare.

Arnold heard the doorbell ring and raced downstairs. But apparently, he didn't run fast enough because his grandpa got there before him. Grandpa answered the door with Arnold standing behind him. Helga stood outside the threshold on Arnold's stoop.

"Hi, I'm here to see Arnold." she said politely, for a change.

"Oh, sorry, we don't want to buy cookies now." Grandpa started. "Another Camp Fire Lass already stopped-"

Arnold butted in, "No Grandpa, she's not a Camp Fire Lass." Then he led Helga through the door and up the stairs to his room. Grandpa just stood there for a moment, a little befuddled.

As they walked through the hallway towards Arnold's stairs, Arnold started to talk to Helga, apologizing for his crazy Grandpa. Helga heard none of this, she was just simply delighted that she was in Arnold's house with Arnold. Not sneaking in, not unwelcome, but a guest. In Arnold's house, no, Arnold's room. This was the single greatest moment in her life so far. She couldn't believe what was actually happening.

"Y'know what I mean?" asked Arnold.

"Huh?" Helga came back to reality. She hadn't even heard what he was asking.

"Crazy, embarrassing parents." he repeated. "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"Yeah, sure. Me too."

'What's up with her?' Arnold thought. 'I wonder why she's so spaced out.'

He pulled down his stairs and they walked up them, into his post-industrial bat cave, bachelor pad.

"Whoa, cool room." Helga said. "I love the ceiling. It's awesome, Footba- I mean, Arnold."

"Thanks, Helga. I love to look at the stars at night from my bed. Do you ever look at the stars, Helga?"

"Well, sure, they're there… I mean, you can't miss them. But they're just stupid stars." 'I love to look up at the moon and stars. Helga thought. Why am I still shutting myself off from Arnold?'

'Why can't she be herself?' Arnold wondered. 'Why is she still shutting herself off from me?'

Helga sat down on Arnold's bed, Arnold sat beside her. She just looked around his room in a silent awe. She then looked over to Arnold and their eyes met then; the whole world stopped. Arnold felt like kissing her right there, right then. But he knew he couldn't. It wouldn't be right. But maybe, just maybe, he could… Maybe he should… Maybe he would… He leaned in a little bit and then…

"So you're having a staring contest, are you?" Grandpa came busting through the door carrying a tray with milk and cookies on it. "I brought you kids a snack, just in case you were hungry."

"Thanks Grandpa." said Arnold reluctantly, but thankfully. The moment had been wrecked, it would probably never come again that afternoon. He wondered what Helga was thinking then.

'OhmyGod! He was almost kissed me! He was going to, I swear he was!' Helga thought. She was utterly shocked, but tried to remain cool. 'Stupid Arnold's grandpa! He came at precisely the wrong moment!'

They had their milk and cookies, and Helga laid down on Arnold's bed. But both of them just sat in silence. They were still thinking about the kiss that almost happened back there, both of them wondering what it would've been like. Even Arnold secretly wished that he had kissed Helga, that he had felt her lips against his, and that that kiss might've unlocked some hidden love that he may harbor for Helga. It wasn't about the dare anymore, he wanted to get to know her better for real. He wanted to discover the side of her that only her best friend could possibly see.

"I better go, Football Head." Helga said. She felt very uncomfortable at this point.

"No, Helga, stay. Please." Arnold said, he almost sounded like he was begging. 'Why am I doing this?' Arnold asked himself. 'What's wrong with me?'

"Why?" she asked.

"What do you mean 'Why'?"

"Look, Arnold, I think we both know what happened on your bed. Or, more to the point, didn't happen." After she said this, Helga just looked at Arnold, there was a distant pain in her eyes. Arnold gazed back, there was comfort in his.

"Do you remember when you told me you loved me?" Arnold asked, still gazing.

"What do you mean, Arnoldo?" Helga turned her back, she was practically crying.

"You know, on Future Tech's roof top. When the neighborhood was going to be demolished by that Scheck guy?" (Yes, I corrected it. I AM a cheese ball.)

"Yeah, I didn't know if you still remembered." She bit her bottom lip.

"Of course I do. How dense do you think I am?"

'I'm not going to answer that.' Helga thought.

"You don't have to answer that." Arnold said, embarrassed. He walked over to Helga and wiped a few tears away. "Let's get you a tissue."

The afternoon went on as such. They both shared embarrassing childhood memories and secrets, they began to confide in each other. It was now seven and Helga said she had to get home. They stood on his stoop together, but Arnold had to stall her just a little bit longer…

"So, listen, Helga… I had a pretty nice time today. Y'know, just talking to you and stuff." said Arnold, he now started to get the chills that Helga had always gotten around him.

"Yeah, me too, Arnold. I guess you can be pretty okay, for a football head that is, of course." Helga still had to keep slightly mean. She didn't want to ruin her rep.

"And, well, I was wondering… Do you think you'd want to maybe, um…"

"Go out with you sometime?" Helga hoped that was what he was about to say, or else she had just looked like a total ass.

Arnold laughed slightly, part of his nervousness had vanished. "Yeah, that's it. Thanks, I didn't know if it would come out right." Arnold looked for her response, but all he saw was a subtle smile on Helga's sweet, sensible face. He knew that now was the time to try that kiss again, without a doubt.

Helga saw the love in his eyes, the love that she had so long waited to see in them. Their feelings were now mutual, and she melted under his lips. They held each other close, never wanting that one, sweet kiss to end. Arnold knew that he wouldn't have wanted to pick anyone else out of that yearbook for the dare. Not even Lila. How lucky he was to pick the right girl so ironically.

'I can't believe this is happening!' Helga thought, absolutely excited. She was completely ecstatic at this moment. 'With Arnold in my arms, I have all I've ever wanted.'

'Why am I kissing Helga? This cannot be happening.' Arnold thought. Although it was hard for him to admit it to himself, he was almost possibly more excited than Helga. 'Wow, she is a good kisser. What is this? The third or fourth time we've kissed? And this time, it's actually for real, for love. Am I in love with her? Could I possibly be in love with Helga G. Patacki?'

They finally let go of the kiss, both of them breathless. They still held each other tight, gazing into each other's eyes.

"Wow." Arnold said, smiling very widely. "So is that a 'Yes'?"

"No, Arnold, it's a no. I just shared probably the most excellent kiss of my life with you for nothing. Of course it's a yes, Football Head!" Helga couldn't help but smile just as wide as Arnold.

Arnold stroked Helga's cheek with his hand. It was so perfect, so smooth. She had the most beautiful skin he had ever seen. He felt her hair with the other; it was silky, smooth, and flawless as well. To Helga's surprise, he kissed her again, possibly more passionately than before. Helga gave in to him and kissed back. It was a slow, sloppy kiss, fueled by lust, but strengthened by love. They broke apart once more and just stood there again, staring at each other, wondering what had just happened today.

"Whoa, now this is getting a little too crazy for me, Arnold." Helga said. The confusion was getting the best of her.

"I feel the same way, Helga, I mean one week we're barely talking to each other, and the next…" Arnold trailed off.

"What? And the next… what?"

"I think," Arnold said with a slightly unsure certainty. "I love you."

A/N: Oh no! *GASP!* What will happen next? Hope you liked the second chapter! Review if you want to! Read on!