Lila's eyes drifted slowly from Arnold to Gerald and finally to
Helga. Everyone's eyes lingered on Lila, wondering what she would say--
wondering why she had followed Phoebe. They made their way to the living
room and sat down. Clearing her throat nervously, she finally said, "You
probably all want to know what's going on and what part I played in Arnie's
plot." Helga gave her a "DUH!" look. "Well, let me start from the
beginning. You all know I like Arnie ever so much, right?"
"What's your point, Ms. Perfect?" Helga hissed angrily. For once, Arnold didn't tell Helga not to call Lila that. He was very curious as to the point as well. What struck Arnold the most odd was the fact that her saying she liked someone, and he wasn't jealous. That confused him quite a bit... He wasn't even aware Lila was talking again, he was so lost in thought.
"My point is," She began, feeling a little angry Arnold wasn't listening to her. "He is in love with Helga! I mean, what does Helga have that I don't? It was just ever so rude for him not to give me a second glance! Ever so rude indeed! Arnie began talking about Helga just ever so much and it was driving me mad!" Arnold looked up and began to listen to Lila. "So one day when he asked me who were closest to her, I naturally said 'Phoebe, Arnold and Gerald' and he frowned. Then I said 'You know, Arnie, Helga likes your cousin, just ever so much!'" Helga's eyes widened then narrowed dangerously. Arnold and Gerald both looked to Helga, whose cheeks flushed deep red. Phoebe simply looked down.
"You said what?" Arnold finally asked in a soft whisper. Helga put her hand over her eyes dramatically and sighed.
"She said I liked you 'just ever so much', Foot-Ball head! Jeez, get back on with the story." Helga added to change the subject. Arnold stared at her a moment then nodded to Lila.
"As I was saying before I was ever so rudely interrupted.... He began to question me on her friendships with you all. So I told him Phoebe and Helga were very close, Gerald and Helga usually ignored eachother, and Helga and Arnold were constantly at each other's throats. The very same day, only earlier in the day, Nadine and I got into a fight-- She said I wear a mask and I'm not who I appear to be. It made me ever so sad... So when Arnie asked me who Helga's worst to enemies were I was only happy to say eagerly 'Rhonda and Nadine!' That was when he told me his plan to get Helga. I was the one he had place the note to Nadine. I was the one who told him when Rhonda was home alone. And while he was attacking Rhonda, I was watching over Nadine. The girl was too predictable! I knew she'd go after Rhonda! What a fool!
"I had no idea what he planned for Phoebe. He said he was going after those closest to her and her worst enemies. I didn't think he'd rape Phoebe. Not even I expected that. The night he did it he came to me, bragging about how he'd forced Phoebe to submit to him. It was disgusting really. He's not told me who he's after next, but I don't want him to do it." She said with a faint frown. "I heard it was ever so disgusting how they found Nadine and Rhonda. I didn't see what he did to them. I just watched over Nadine to make sure she got where she had to go. I'll help you set a trap if you want. All we have to do is figure out who he's after next and use that person as bait!"
"Gerald." Phoebe whispered, her eyes down. The group turned their attention to Phoebe.
"What?" Gerald asked.
"He called me. He told me to watch out for you because he'd be after you next." She whispered, climbing over to Gerald and sitting beside him and cuddling against him. "I won't let anything happen to you, Gerald. I won't." They all exchanged glances. Finally, Arnold said:
"We have to go now. Gerald, come over to my house in an hour with some stuff. You can stay with me tonight. Helga, stay with Phoebe." Helga nodded.
"I'll be at your house in an hour and ten, Phoebs." Phoebe nodded to Helga as they all stood. "And Lila." Lila looked at Helga. "Stay away from our houses." Lila grinned mischievously.
"But of course, Helga. I'll stay ever so far away from all your houses." Helga nodded and Lila left. Phoebe and Gerald made their exit, Gerald telling Phoebe what he saw at Rhonda's house. Phoebe shook her head, closing her eyes.
Helga looked at Arnold then quickly away after seeing he was gazing at her. He shifted on the couch and patted the space right next to him after a pause. "Going to sit here? I think we should talk, Helga." Helga nodded and moved to sit down beside Arnold. There was an awkwardness between the two for five minutes until Arnold said, "Is it true?" Helga nodded slowly. "How long?"
"Since we were 3..." Arnold jumped to his feet, staring down at her.
"That long?" She nodded again. "How did you hide it so well? I thought you hated me! I thought you despised me so much, and that was why you were so mean to me." Helga closed her eyes and gave a bitter laugh to Arnold.
"I do have an A+ in Theater."
"But why haven't you told me before?"
"I didn't think you cared." Arnold sat down beside her.
"Then what you said on the top of the building-"
"Wasn't the heat of the moment. I wanted to tell you because I thought we were moving away. I couldn't leave you without letting you know first."
"I'm confused."
"It's not too hard for you to be confused, Arnoldo. You're quite dense." He laughed softly and took her hand in his and smiled faintly at her.
"I'm not confused about that! I'm confused about my feelings towards you. I really like you, Helga, and I never realized it before." Her blue eyes widened in shock.
"You mean you... as in ARNOLD... Like ME?" He just laughed and moved forward, pressing his lips to hers. She melted inside."
~*~*~*~
"Arnie?"
"Speaking." He said in a breathy whisper on the phone.
"It's Lila."
A pause.
"Do they believe you?"
"Yes. They're falling into our trap. It's only a matter of time."
"Good." He hung up the phone.
"What's your point, Ms. Perfect?" Helga hissed angrily. For once, Arnold didn't tell Helga not to call Lila that. He was very curious as to the point as well. What struck Arnold the most odd was the fact that her saying she liked someone, and he wasn't jealous. That confused him quite a bit... He wasn't even aware Lila was talking again, he was so lost in thought.
"My point is," She began, feeling a little angry Arnold wasn't listening to her. "He is in love with Helga! I mean, what does Helga have that I don't? It was just ever so rude for him not to give me a second glance! Ever so rude indeed! Arnie began talking about Helga just ever so much and it was driving me mad!" Arnold looked up and began to listen to Lila. "So one day when he asked me who were closest to her, I naturally said 'Phoebe, Arnold and Gerald' and he frowned. Then I said 'You know, Arnie, Helga likes your cousin, just ever so much!'" Helga's eyes widened then narrowed dangerously. Arnold and Gerald both looked to Helga, whose cheeks flushed deep red. Phoebe simply looked down.
"You said what?" Arnold finally asked in a soft whisper. Helga put her hand over her eyes dramatically and sighed.
"She said I liked you 'just ever so much', Foot-Ball head! Jeez, get back on with the story." Helga added to change the subject. Arnold stared at her a moment then nodded to Lila.
"As I was saying before I was ever so rudely interrupted.... He began to question me on her friendships with you all. So I told him Phoebe and Helga were very close, Gerald and Helga usually ignored eachother, and Helga and Arnold were constantly at each other's throats. The very same day, only earlier in the day, Nadine and I got into a fight-- She said I wear a mask and I'm not who I appear to be. It made me ever so sad... So when Arnie asked me who Helga's worst to enemies were I was only happy to say eagerly 'Rhonda and Nadine!' That was when he told me his plan to get Helga. I was the one he had place the note to Nadine. I was the one who told him when Rhonda was home alone. And while he was attacking Rhonda, I was watching over Nadine. The girl was too predictable! I knew she'd go after Rhonda! What a fool!
"I had no idea what he planned for Phoebe. He said he was going after those closest to her and her worst enemies. I didn't think he'd rape Phoebe. Not even I expected that. The night he did it he came to me, bragging about how he'd forced Phoebe to submit to him. It was disgusting really. He's not told me who he's after next, but I don't want him to do it." She said with a faint frown. "I heard it was ever so disgusting how they found Nadine and Rhonda. I didn't see what he did to them. I just watched over Nadine to make sure she got where she had to go. I'll help you set a trap if you want. All we have to do is figure out who he's after next and use that person as bait!"
"Gerald." Phoebe whispered, her eyes down. The group turned their attention to Phoebe.
"What?" Gerald asked.
"He called me. He told me to watch out for you because he'd be after you next." She whispered, climbing over to Gerald and sitting beside him and cuddling against him. "I won't let anything happen to you, Gerald. I won't." They all exchanged glances. Finally, Arnold said:
"We have to go now. Gerald, come over to my house in an hour with some stuff. You can stay with me tonight. Helga, stay with Phoebe." Helga nodded.
"I'll be at your house in an hour and ten, Phoebs." Phoebe nodded to Helga as they all stood. "And Lila." Lila looked at Helga. "Stay away from our houses." Lila grinned mischievously.
"But of course, Helga. I'll stay ever so far away from all your houses." Helga nodded and Lila left. Phoebe and Gerald made their exit, Gerald telling Phoebe what he saw at Rhonda's house. Phoebe shook her head, closing her eyes.
Helga looked at Arnold then quickly away after seeing he was gazing at her. He shifted on the couch and patted the space right next to him after a pause. "Going to sit here? I think we should talk, Helga." Helga nodded and moved to sit down beside Arnold. There was an awkwardness between the two for five minutes until Arnold said, "Is it true?" Helga nodded slowly. "How long?"
"Since we were 3..." Arnold jumped to his feet, staring down at her.
"That long?" She nodded again. "How did you hide it so well? I thought you hated me! I thought you despised me so much, and that was why you were so mean to me." Helga closed her eyes and gave a bitter laugh to Arnold.
"I do have an A+ in Theater."
"But why haven't you told me before?"
"I didn't think you cared." Arnold sat down beside her.
"Then what you said on the top of the building-"
"Wasn't the heat of the moment. I wanted to tell you because I thought we were moving away. I couldn't leave you without letting you know first."
"I'm confused."
"It's not too hard for you to be confused, Arnoldo. You're quite dense." He laughed softly and took her hand in his and smiled faintly at her.
"I'm not confused about that! I'm confused about my feelings towards you. I really like you, Helga, and I never realized it before." Her blue eyes widened in shock.
"You mean you... as in ARNOLD... Like ME?" He just laughed and moved forward, pressing his lips to hers. She melted inside."
~*~*~*~
"Arnie?"
"Speaking." He said in a breathy whisper on the phone.
"It's Lila."
A pause.
"Do they believe you?"
"Yes. They're falling into our trap. It's only a matter of time."
"Good." He hung up the phone.