A/n I am sooooooo sorry that I haven't replied for a while, ive been so busy with school and stuff. Plus ive been working really hard on my other story 'Fallen Star' on fictionpress. But anyway who cares? On with this chapter! ^^

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED! *Hugs* WEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! ^-^

Chapter 5: Underneath the Skin

Arnold swung back slowly and on the swing, a slow but eerie screech that seemed to calm his aching soul. His eyes blinked watching some old leaves fly past his nose, a tear escaping from his eye. He sat with his arms crossed and bent forward staring aimlessly at the frost covered floor. He still could not take it in, he did not believe it, and he would not believe it! They where lying! He sighed, another tear running down his face, witch he brushed away angrily. His sandy hair flopped around in the wind messy, as he had not bothered to brush it, nothing mattered anymore. "Argh."He mumbled and grasped his own head in his hands. Clenching his hair as if he wanted to rip it from his head.

"Grandpa."

A warm wet nose prodded itself against his leg, and Arnold looked up in surmised. A large panting golden retriever, staring at him longingly with huge chocolate eyes, yelping as it licked his frozen face, taking hold of Arnold's hat at the same time.

"HEY!" he yelled, standing up and shaking a gloved fist at the dog, which ran off barking at the top of its voice. "That's my hat!" he grunted softly, rubbing his eyes as he sprinted after the dog.

Frowning at the icy wind Helga clenched her coat around her mumbling about how it was probably warm in New Zealand. She felt awful, was she betraying her beloved Arnold when he needed her the most, was it wrong of her to walk away? She stopped, frowning to herself, "what if some other girl called round for him just after me, and he started to love her?" She thought frantically, "then he won't love me!" she shouted, ignoring the looks from the people around her as she yelled. A loud beeping brought her back to earth, As Helga run quickly out of the way from a speeding car.

The atmosphere was one of those, 'happy and sad' ones, the kind where you do not know how you feel, the kind when you can only rely on one thing; your heart. Helga realised that, this was her moment of truth, the moment where she was needed, even though most of the time she felt as if she was like a ghost to the world. And even if her affection was somehow rejected, her feelings for him would not changed, yes she would be hurt, but wounds like that heal, with time.

She swallowed slowly, her bottom lip shaking with even the thought of him, the thought of maybe showing him the way she felt. Gazing airily over to the gates to the park which where left swung open, and creaked eerily in the quite night air. She stepped through, slowly at first until her mocha eyes glanced around her through the trees and frost-covered flowers, wondering which way she would turn.

She stumbled suddenly, the feeling of something soft and fuzzy crashing itself into the back of her legs, throwing her to the ground. She turned, glaring at the warm fuzzy expression of the dog, which barked at her.

"What are."? She started, glancing over to the dark blue hat, which lay softly on the white smothered ground. Slowly she crawled towards it, brushing off the access snow holding the hat in her warm hands. "This hat." she mumbled frowning, "it kind of look's like. Arnold's." Helga flinched suddenly at he sound of footsteps behind her turning and standing suddenly in surprise, at the blond boy with the cornflower hair standing before her. She stood there, gazing at him a smile almost flicking on her face, before realising what she was doing. Arnold looked at the long black coat and blond hair tied low with a bow. He thought for a moment and moved his dry lips. "Helga?"

Helga stopped, he had seen her? he had said her name?. She looked from at the boy, staring at his now red eyes, which she could tell he had been crying. "Hello Arnold" she said almost choking as she said his name. Feeling she would burst if he did not stop looking at her with a tear streaked face. He looked down, staring at the floor. Helga stepped towards him, watching him, -what should I say. What should I say? -She thought. As she handed him his hat.

"You ok?"

-No No No! - She thought -don't talk about that! - Kicking herself and screwing her face up in rage. "I mea-"

Arnold looked up at her," as well as I can be I guess." He sighed, sitting himself down on a nearby bench, running a hand through his sandy hair.

Helga stared, "I'm sorry, I mean.i."

"Do you want to sit?"

Helga blushed slightly sitting down next to him, shuffling slightly in the awkward silence. She looked at him, shocked as she saw a tear escape his eye watching it run down his cheek and splash onto the wood. How it pained her, how all she wanted to do there and then to throw her arms around him. Quickly she reached into her pocket, pulling out a hank chief and handing it to him. Arnold took it slowly watching her as he wiped his eyes,

"Sorry" he said quietly, "I didn't mean too..."

Helga turned round to him sharply, "you have nothing to be sorry about!" and frowned and looked at the floor, "I should be sorry, I'm sorry for being myself..."

Arnold watched her, blinking and rising an eyebrow at the sudden display of emotion, "being you?"

Helga sighed, "it's nothing..." she looked up at Arnold,"im sorry... I'm not making anything better, shall I go?"

"No. Don't I want someone to talk too" he sighed, "I don't know how I'm going to cope with out him...he was like a dad to me. And now..."

". You'll have lots of people to help you, you're Grandma, your friends..."

"I feel so alone though" He paused," like im in a crowed room, but alone at the same time"

Helga rested a hand on his shoulder," you're not alone, you have...me" Blue eyes Blinked and stared, staring to see if her to see if this was some kind of joke, but Her eyes where filled with truth. "You?" he said staring at her. Helga nodded,

"And you will always have me, like it or not" Arnold stared at Helga, silent for a moment as he watched her mumble her olive skin glowing with the night air. This was not the Helga G. Patakii he knew, but then again he had never actually really talked to her, person to person. She glanced up at him a faint crimson coming to her cheeks as she felt his gaze and looked away biting her lip until it bled. Maybe there was more to Helga than he thought; maybe there was something more, someone nice, and something that meant something. Beneath her skin...She smirked,

"Sorry I'm a gherkin when it comes to expressing myself."

Arnold smiled, there was Helga's own language again.he laughed rising an eyebrow he stood up.

". Hey Helga, you want to. Have some hot chocolate at my house?" Arnold said, reaching A hand out to her to pull her up from the bench," that's only if you wan-"

"Of course I would!" Helga cried jumping upwards and clasping her hands together before stopping and smiled weakly, realising she nearly let the cat-out-of-the-bag, ". I-i love hot chocolate.."

Arnold smiled and walked ahead to the entrance, -maybe there was hope for Helga yet. -He thought. Helga smiled staring at the blonde-haired person, "and that's not the only thing I love."

"Eh?" Arnold said turning round looking at her. Helga stood up quickly surprised that the blonde-haired person was listening.

"Oh nothing!" she added hurrily, giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder, "let's go hatface boy." Arnold gave a amused frown at her, adjusting the baseball hat on his head a small lop sided grin Appearing on his face as he watched girl with the long bangs walk ahead of him.

"Whatever you say Helga, whatever you say."

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Please Read+Repliy!

~Kia