Hey Arnold Quote of the Chapter:

Arnold: So far we know our suspect is female, lives in the tri-state area, and is somewhere in between the ages of eight and… eighty seven…

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Chapter 6 - For The Love Of A Woman

The darkness in the street seems to stretch on forever, into every corner of the alley. Even with the aid of one lonely lightpole on one corner, it was still not enough to ward off the night.

Though he knew he shouldn't have been out without a flashlight, he had forgotten it, thinking it wouldn't matter. All he needed to get was some microwave popcorn for his much anticipated 'Dogs' musical on TV. He happily skipped home from the store, the popcorn in the white plastic bag that was held in his chest.

He never knew what hit him. All he remembered was that a figure slammed into him and falling to the rough cement, in pain.

~~~~~

Cecile calmly turns the dial on her locker. With ease, she unlatches it and opens the door. While picking up the necessary books for her next class, she glances at the mirror that was hanging in the back.

Helga's face reflects back at her, holding up a thumbs-up sign for good luck.

Cecile smiles back, then nods her appreciation.

"Ahem." she looks over to see Arnold leaning on the lockers to her right. "Um, hey Cecile."

A kind, yet shy and nervous smile tugs at her lips, "Bonjour Arnold. How are you this morning."

"I'm doing fine." He rubs the back of his neck anxiously, "Actually, no. I'm not. I'm really confused."

Cecile looks down at her feet, knowing what he was talking about. "About yesterday."

He slightly nods, "Yeah, about yesterday." He lets out a deep sigh, "Cecile, I'm sorry if I startled you, it's just that… well…" he struggles, not really sure about the words he needs.

"Just what?" her big cerulean eyes drift up to look into his emerald green eyes, questioningly.

"It's just that I really like you Cecile. And I really wanted to show you that I care about you." he bites the corner of his lip, then looks down at the tiles, which suddenly became interesting to look at. "I'm really sorry Cecile."

Cecile looks at him for several moments. She knew he was serious about this, but why did he insist on doing so? It wasn't his fault, yet he made it seem like he was the one that scared her away. With a sigh, she smiles amusingly. Men. She reaches out and gently lifts his chin, making him look her in the eye. "Arnold, do not apologize for something you did not do. I was the one that ran. You did nothing."

She lowers her hand, though it still feels like the softness of her skin never left it's spot. He can't tear his eyes from hers. They're hypnotic, and yet, so familiar. Like the feeling of coming home, a home where he knew he belonged. A question tugs at his heart, "Then why did you leave so quickly?" The question came automatically.

Now Cecile looks down at the floor, almost in shame, "Because I'm scared." She shakes her head, "I'm scared that I will have to leave again. I don't want to leave you again Arnold. It hurt me too much to do it a second time. Because… I care about you too."

Arnold is shocked. Cecile cares about him too. He unconsciously raises his hand to her cheek and strokes it with the back, not really thinking about what he did. Cecile raises her eyes to his in surprise by his bold move, "Do you want to stay?" he asks.

"More than anything."

He smiles his famous halfway grin, "Then stay."

A beautiful smile spreads on her lips, her eyes fill with a happiness that seem to make her eyes sparkle. "I will stay."

His eyes seem to travel to her full lips. A soft rose pink color. They look perfect. How he wishes that he could kiss those lips. How he wishes he could kiss her. To feel the tenderness of her lips on his. Without realizing it, he starts leaning in, her image becoming closer with each passing second. His eyes drift close as they became nose to nose. A wish of his was about to come true.

BAM!

Arnold and Cecile both flinch at the sound. A fist landed right between them on the metal lockers. The fist belongs to no other than Curly Gamelthorp.

"What the heck were you doing Arnold?!"

"I, uh—"

"I'll tell you what you were doing! You were making a move on my girl!"

"Curly, what are you tal—" Arnold jumps out of the way of Curly's fist, just missing him my millimeters.

"How could you do this Arnold?! How could you?!" he screams. By now a crowd has gathered around the scene that's opening before them, curious and engrossed.

"Curly there has been some misunderstanding!" Arnold holds his hands up in front of him to show that he isn't threatening Curly.

"Yeah there's been some misunderstanding! How could I have ever been friends with you?!" he takes another swing at Arnold but misses when Arnold ducks from the punch.

"Curly, please don't do this! I don't want someone to get hurt!"

"The only one of us that's gonna get hurt is you!" Curly growls, "I'm gonna send you home in a body cast!"

Cecile runs in-between the two boys, "Curly stop! Don't do this!"

"How could you do this to me Cecile?! Didn't our love mean anything?!" Curly cries, on the verge of tears.

"Curly, I'm sorry, but I'm not in love with you."

"What?"

"Look, you're a nice guy, Curly, but I'm not interested in you in that way."

"But, but, but…" he stammers, not believing his ears. "But I thought…"

"I'm sorry Thaddeus. You didn't know that I didn't like you in that way." She gives him an apologetic look, "I'm so sorry." She walks over to him and gives him a hug, which he gladly accepts.

The crowd looks on in amazement. She had calmed Curly Gamelthorp in just minutes. No one has ever done that when Curly went crazy like he just did.

Cecile loosens the hug and steps back from Curly, both smiling to each other with a new respect.

"Come on. Break it up people. There's nothing to see here." Says a voice moving into crowd. Arnold looks over and sees Gerald and Phoebe making their way to them.

The kids grumble about not seeing a fight and they eventually move away. Curly waves goodbye at Cecile and goes to his own locker further down the hall.

"What was that all about?" asks Gerald, his eyebrow raised in question and his hands on his hips.

"What?"

"That! The mob of kids! A mob of kids don't happen for just no reason!"

"Oh that. Curly wanted to put me in a body cast." answers Arnold.

"This is unusual behavior for even Curly. What was his reason behind this action?" asks Phoebe.

Cecile closes her locker and joins the group of friends as they start walking to Mr. Simmons' classroom. "He thinks he's my boyfriend and Arnold was right next to me when he saw us."

Phoebe pushes her glasses further up her nose, "Ah. Now I see. Curly thought it was his obligational duty to protect what he thought was rightfully his. That seems like a perfectly understandable misinterpretation."

"Huh?" asks Gerald, not understanding what Phoebe said.

"Basically because he thought I was his girlfriend, he wanted to protect me from other guys, like Arnold." explains Cecile.

"A characteristic in all males, I'm afraid." says Phoebe, grinning.

Gerald grins widely, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Arnold shakes his head in amusement at Phoebe and Gerald as they enter their class. Almost instantly he hears a low murmur of talk among his classmates. A frown covers his face as he sits in his chair, Cecile sits behind him as usual.

Rhonda turns over to them from a few chairs over. "Did you guys hear?"

"About what? The Arnold's near death experience with Curly posing as the Grim Reaper?" asks Gerald.

"What? No! Not that!" What happened in the hall was already old news by now, "About Eugene."

Arnold's stomach seems to drop at Eugene's name. "Did something happen to him?"

Rhonda nods in to confirm what he thought was right, "I'd say something happen to him. He was run over!"

Arnold's mouth drops in shock. "Eugene was run over by a car?!"

"Not a car, a person."

Gerald raises an eyebrow, "Eugene was run over by a person?"

"Yeah, and I heard he was in the hospital."

"Have you heard of how's he doing?" asks Phoebe.

Rhonda shrugs her shoulders, "No one's heard anything. No one even knows who ran him over."

Just then Eugene walks into the class, whistling happily to himself. Everyone stares at him, wondering what he was doing here.

"Eugene? Are you alright?" asks Arnold.

"Why, I'm fine Arnold! Never better!" he sits down in his seat and turns around to face the class.

"You did get run over, right?" questions Gerald.

"Yeah, I did."

"Well? What happened?" asks Herald.

"First I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. It was really loud and really fast. Then the doctors looked at me and they said that I'm in perfect condition and nothing's wrong with me, that I was just scared. But they wanted to keep me in overnight, just in case. But that's not the weirdest part."

"What is the weirdest part?" asks Sid.

"When I woke up this morning, I found this!" Eugene holds up a white, clean looking paper. A check. Everyone gathers around it to see how much it was worth. In neat letters, the numbers spell out $187.63. Phoebe frowns at the figure.

Stinky whistles his approval. "That's a sure perdy penny you've got there Eugene."

"Who is it from? Do you think it's from the person that ran into you?" asks Arnold.

"The only letters I can read in the signature are B and P. And everything else is typed."

Gerald raises an eyebrow, "Typed?"

"Whoever gave Eugene this check must not want to be found." says Arnold, slightly disappointed they didn't have any more proof to find the culprit.

"Well, it doesn't really matter. I wasn't hurt, so no harm done!" he smiles happily.

"Yes, that is the important part. That you were not hurt." agrees Cecile, also smiling.

Gerald shakes his head at Eugene's once-in-a-lifetime luck. He notices Phoebe is still frowning. "Hey Phoebe. What's wrong?"

Phoebe shakes her head, "It could be nothing. I just found something odd, that's all."

"What's odd?"

"Well…" Phoebe bites the corner of her lip, thinking, "It's just that the sum of money is rather strange."

"Strange how?"

"If my calculations are correct, $187.63 is equal to £100[1] exactly."

Gerald frowns, "What, does that mean whoever ran into Eugene is English?"

"I don't know what it means." she says hesitantly.

Gerald's eyes widen. Phoebe doesn't know? Is that possible?

Mr. Simmons walks into the classroom and places his briefcase on his desk, right as the tardy bell rings. Phoebe's mind shifts gears to concentrate on the first subject of the day, even though in the back of her mind lingers the oddity of Eugene's check.

~~~~~

Arnold stares out the bus window in contentment, despite a slight headache he has. A strange look is on his face and a goofy smile to match it. Gerald raises an eyebrow at his best friend's strange behavior. He's seen him like this before. It must be a girl, no doubt about it.

"Are you thinking about Cecile again?" he shakes his head in disbelief. "Man, you're pathetic, you know that?"

Arnold doesn't raise his head that's leaning on his hand, "Hmm?" Not really listening.

"Arnold?"

He doesn't look up at Gerald, "What?"

"What is the matter with you man?!"

"Nothing is the matter. Everything's perfect."

Gerald raises an eyebrow, "'Perfect'?"

"Yeah, perfect." a silence follows, but not for long.

"Okay, spill it."

Arnold finally looks up at him, "Huh?"

"Spill it. Something happened today that you haven't told me about, man. 'Cuz you're not usually this spaced out."

Arnold's smile reappears and gives into Gerald, "Okay, I'll tell you. But don't make a big deal about it, alright?"

"Alright."

"I almost kissed Cecile today."

If Gerald had been drinking something, he would have sprayed it everywhere right then. "You WHAT?!"

A few of the other passengers turn and stare at him when he raised his voice. Gerald blushes and tries to ignore them, "You almost kissed Cecile?!"

Arnold nods, "Yeah, that's why Curly wanted to punch my lights out today before class. He saw us about to kiss."

Gerald shakes his head in amazement, "Mmm mmm mmm. You're one bold kid Arnold, one bold kid. You're lucky she saved you from getting your butt kicked."

"Yeah, lucky." He lets out a long, heartfelt sigh, "I'm really looking forward to tonight."

"Yeah, I heard that this movie was pretty good."

"And it'll be better because Cecile will be with us too."

Gerald shakes his head, smiling, "This is a pretty serious crush you have Arnold my man."

Arnold's eyes suddenly become serious, "Gerald… I think…" he fades off.

Gerald raises an eyebrow, "You think what?"

"I think it's more than a crush this time." he looks his best friend in the eye. "I think… I love her."

[1] One hundred English pounds