Beady: No excuse. I'm just evil, that's all. (And don't put your guard down yet; mongooses are tricksy little beasts.) But thanks for the tip about the settings. I had no idea that option even existed.
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Helga smiled, cringing inwardly as she did so. To be perfectly honest, she would have preferred having a root canal while riding a subway over seeing him like this. Or getting mauled by rabid hamsters. (Or maybe even getting mauled in a subway by rabid hamsters with root canals.) She felt like punching him in the nose. She felt like throwing rocks--but she wasn't about to let him know that. "That's great. I should have guessed," she said to the man at her side. Ugh. Just when her fears had started to subside...he had to show up. He knew all too well how she felt about him--correction, used to feel. And he'd never, never let her live it down--not since that horrible day. How she wanted to despise him...and yet, she still couldn't bring herself to do so.
"Oui--no surprise there. But you....what brings you out by yourself tonight, cheri? I did not think you were the type to get all mooney-eyed over sappy movies." He smirked. "Then again--I never know what you will get mooney-eyed over."
She winced...fortunately, those acting lessons paid off, and it wasn't noticeable. "Don't call me 'cheri'," she said stiffly. "I think it's about time we put all that behind us, don't you?" Another polite smile crossed her face. "Besides...you know perfectly well I'm not the type to get 'mooney-eyed', and furthermore I'm not here by myself. I'm with a friend."
He raised an eyebrow, then crossed his arms with a chuckle. "Well! C'est bon.....But where might this 'friend' of yours be hiding? You must introduce us."
"He's....over there, waiting for me." She pointed toward the crowd of moviegoers some distance away. "I was just on my way back when you stopped me. He must be getting worried, so I ought to go..." The last thing she wanted to do now was introduce the two of them. If that happened, somehow she didn't think any amount of explaining would cover up the hole she would be digging herself into. That hole was deep enough already without dragging Arnold into it.
"Then...I insist I accompany you. I would love to meet this 'friend' of yours...especially since, judging from your anxiety and the way you are blushing, it would appear he is much more than just that..." He laughed, seeing how much the teasing bothered her. "Someone has finally won you over--non? And to think, you always tried to act so heartless and tough...."
What?! So, he actually had the nerve to imagine.....? Great. The hole was about to get bigger.
She ignored his last comment. "I wasn't blushing. But yes...I guess you could call him my...my--er--boyfriend..."
(Liar, liar, pants on fire!) scolded her conscience.
Hey--I didn't lie. I merely...improved the truth. He is a boy, after all...and he IS a friend.
(Yeah, well, he won't be if he finds out what you said...)
I'll worry about that when it happens. Right now, it can't hurt anything.
"Lucky guy. I should warn him." He smiled again. That same half-lidded, lopsided grin she hadn't forgotten either time.
Maybe, with a little quick thinking, she could still get away without being rude. Maybe she could still save face and avoid any awkward situations...
Too late for 'maybe's she realized, when out of the corner of one eye, she caught sight of the bushy-haired figure headed towards them. (That blockhead! she thought. The one time I wish he'd stay away from me, heeeeere he comes. I just had to open my big mouth and lie. How do I get out of this now?)
Then, an idea popped into her head. A crazy, reckless idea, but she was desperate. And maybe, once he was out of the picture, Arnold would forgive her sometime in the next twenty years.
(Arnold's going to be mad if you toy with his feelings like this.)
Heck, I'd hate me for this too--but it should stall him enough for me to get rid of this guy for good. This way, there's only one person to deal with.
And it's better than letting HIM get to me again...
Arnold approached the water fountains where they were standing. Somehow her dark-haired companion looked vaguely familiar, although he knew they had never met. As he walked closer...it struck him that the man reminded him of the actor in his daydream.....whose face had disturbingly resembled the one he saw in his mirror.
That didn't matter, though, since it was probably his imagination again and as soon as he got the chance he would talk to her alone.
But how would she react? Considering everything they'd ever been through together, wasn't this a little ironic?
And what if she didn't feel the same way at all? Feelings changed, after all.
People changed.
Well...he still ought to say something. He could live down the rejection if it came. He had done so before.
Maybe I'm making too big a deal out of this. Just act natural.
Now he was fairly close to the spot. He smiled, trying to appear as easygoing as possible, and opened his mouth to speak.
"Uh.....Hey, Hel--GAAAHMMmmph?!!?..."
The 'ga' came out all shocked and muffled like that, because at that exact moment she turned and ran to him with a joyful "Arnold!!!", threw her arms around his neck, and...
...suddenly some long-forgotten moments from childhood flashed across his memory.
--"Cut! Young lady...I said 'Cut.' Do you hear me? CUT!"
--"Come here, ya' big lug!..."
--"You think I WANTED to do that? Yuck!!"
Hold it...I'm not enjoying this--am I?
AM I?!
It lasted barely a second or two before he pushed her away, his eyes bulging with surprise. Sure, Helga had never been what you'd call predictable--but..that? "If you don't mind telling me..." he managed to sputter, struggling to control his voice, "...WHAT was THAT all about?!"
"Listen," she whispered anxiously, "...I'm sorry...but for once in your do-goody, honest-to-a-fault, squeaky-clean life...please, just PLAY ALONG..."
Whatever game this was, he didn't want to be a part of it. But something in her tone convinced him--at least for the time being--not to say anything. "Fine," he whispered back. "I just have one question."
He nodded toward the other man, watching the scene from a few feet away with a slightly amused expression on his face.
"Who's this?"
