Feeling Ill

The sun shone through Arnold's window to wake him up. He thought everything had been a dream. Well part of it a dream and part a nightmare. He opened his eyes to see a face with an unnatural glow to it, and blonde hair tumbling around it peering at him.

"ARHHH!" he screamed hurling himself into a sitting posistion. "Good morning Arnold" her soft voice whispered.

"Helga?" he whispered back. Her face pulled away and she sat looking at him. She nodded. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. She was still there.

Her hair had changed slightly. It was piled on her head in ringlets and cascading down her back. Her dress was a light, almost white, pink and she seemed to glow. "I thought I dreamed you," he said. She smiled.

"That's okay" she said. She seemed awkward, like she didn't know what to do.

"I'll skip school today and we'll look you up today if you like" he suggested getting up. He looked at her. "Um I kinda need to change" he said.

"I know. But I cant leave the room. I've tried" she told him. She turned her back on him. He quickly got dressed and looked at her again. Something about her was different, other than her being dead. She had a peacful but sad feel about her.

"Okay. I just need to make myself look ill" he said. He stood there thinking of a way. Helga walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. Immediatly a nausiating feeling came over him, he started getting hot and clod all at the same time and a headach starting. "I think this should do it" he muttered.

"Quickly then, get into bed" Helga hissed. "Your aunt is coming".

Arnold sat on the bed and put his head in his hands. "What are you doing?!" Helga cried.

"Making it look like I gave it an effort" he said. The door opened and his aunt came walking in. Rise and shine the day has dawned and all id-" she stopped singing when she saw Arnold. "Whats wrong?" she asked sounding like she was about to get hysterical.

"I don't feel well" he said and finally fell on his back. And he wasn't lying. He watched Helga walk right in front of his aunt. He closed his eyes waiting for the "Why is there a girl in your room?" question. But it didn't come. His aunt didn't seem to see Helga. She turned and smiled at him.

"Maybe I should call a doctor" she said and rushed out of his room. Helga looked at him questionaly.

"My mother was the calm laid back of the two. She's a worry-wort. You cut your finger on paper and she's afraid your going to get some disease or something. And thats over a papercut! Surprising her imagination compared to Arnie's non-exsistant imagination. I'd swear that, if his features weren't similar, he was adopted!" he cried at the ceiling. Helga sat next to him and took his hand. He looked at it. "I thought I couldn't touch you" he said. Helga shrugged. She had thought the same thing.

"Maybe it was the shock of seeing me or something" she said quietly. She loved the feel of heat radiating from his body. She could practically feel the life running through him. And she hated him for it! She looked at him. Well she probably got herself into this state. She may as well accept that. She sighed and laid down next to him. "Your so warm. Its the only warmth I can feel" she whispered and then started to cry. She didn't like being dead. Sure there were times when she had wished she was but she hadn't meant it.

"At the moment your coolness is really soothing" he whispered back. "So you don't know what happened?" he asked. He felt her shake her head. "Well we're just going to have to find out. I could e-mail Gerald" he said. Panic streaked through her body. NO! He couldn't mention this to him. She couldn't understand her reaction but she didn't want Gerald knowing.

"Cant you just like look it up on the web or something. Or e-mail someone else. Not Gerald though. I don't know why but I don't think it would be a good idea" she explained. He looked at her. "Web?"

"Okay. I'll e-mail Phoebe and ask her" a sense of great betrayal shot through her. She shook her head again. "Well who Helga?" he asked exsasperated. "Rhonda?" he asked. Nothing. Helga nodded. Why not? That girl knew everything, or at least liked to think she did. "Okay I'll email her" he said and calmed down.

"It's probably just a tummy-bug or something" his aunt said coming into his room. He stiffened. Then remembered that his aunt couldn't see Helga and relaxed. She walked over and put her arm through Helga to touch his forehead. "Bed, sleep and plenty of fluids he said. Your staying home" she declared. And turned to leave. "I'll bring you up some breakfast" she said leaving.

"Okay. Thats out of the way" Helga said getting up. She walked over to the computer and turned it on. It worked. She smiled. Well at least she could do simple things. feeling bouyed by this new discovery she went back to Arnold and touched his stomach. The sick feeling went away. His headache also dissappered. "Feeling better?" she cooed. He nodded. "I'll leave you feeling hot in case she tests you again" she told him. Her hair brushed his face. He let out a little choked laugh. It felt like someone had run a feather down his face and tickled him there. "What's so funny my football head?" she asked softly into his ear.

"Your hair tickles" he told her brushing it away from his face. He was suddenly a little frightened.

"Sorry" Helga said pulling back from him.

"For tickling me?" he asked

"No. For making you feel fightened" she said.

He looked at her. She felt that?

"Yes. I can also hear you thoughts. I cant control it" she quickly explained. "It just seems to be happening"

he wasn't sure he liked the fact that she could feel and hear and think exactly what he was. It kind of spooked him.

"I'll work on it" she promised.

"Here we go! Orange and cinnamon toast" his aunt cried coming back into the room. He almost gagged.

"Thanks" he said in his best I'm-sick voice. She nodded and left him without noticing his computer was on. Well lets get to searching for you" he said getting up after a few minutes.

(A/N: I don't intend to make this a romance. But who knows? I already have the finish for this story! I hope you enjoyed itJ R&R please or I wont continue!)