Hello. Please enter Disclaimer. Thank you. Enjoy.
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Chapter 8- Fun with Blackmail
Helga ran out of the skool and on to the playground, mentally lecturing herself.
"You just mess up every chance you get with him, don't you?" She accused herself. "The guy was offering to start over! I fresh start! Isn't that what you always wanted? A chance to show Arnold that you're not just a bully in pink?"
"I know, I know!" Helga whispered. "I'm sorry! I just can't stop myself!"
"I know you can't. It's a habit! It's all just a huge habit! You gotta break that habit! NOW! Crimany! You love the guy! That sweet, cute, lovable, wonderful, beautiful, spectacular, smart, interesting, helpful—"
"ALRIGHT! All right already! I get the point!" Helga yelled, forgetting that she was standing in the middle of the playground. "I know! I said I was sorry! CRIMANY!" She froze. Slowly she glanced around. All the kids had stopped what they were doing to watch her yell at herself.
"Uhh... Hi..." Helga said quietly, she smiled embarrassedly, then hurried away, heading toward the skool again.
She slipped around the corner of the skool and leaned against a dumpster. When she was sure she was alone she reached into her shirt and pulled out the gold locket. She sighed sadly and stared at it a while.
"Arnold..." She whispered, running one finger downward over the picture of his face. "Could it be that we are truly meant to be together? The Fates have once again kept us close to each other, my love! My prayers, my wishes of the last few days have been answered... yet... instead of greeting you with open arms, like I so deeply long to do... I turn you away. Oh, Arnold! Why do I do this, my love? Why do I torment you so? I wish I could just tell you the truth! That I love you, Arnold! Love you!"
Helga hugged the locket to her chest, closed her eyes and raised her face to the sky. The sound of tiny, happy squeaks from right behind her made her open her eyes again. She scowled and threw up her right arm, nailing the kid in the face. She turned around and scowled down at the red-haired kid.
"Look, bucko, are you TRYING to take Brainy's place? Or is there some other reason that I'm not allowed to be alone that I don't know about?" Helga demanded.
"Wh-who's Br-Brainy?" The boy asked.
Helga was about to answer when something almost above her rang of vision caught her eye. Her heart skipped a beat and she suddenly felt sick as she realized they were feet. A pair of black boots. She held her breath as her eyes traveled up the legs, over the long red shirt and into the smirking green face of Zim.
Helga gasped and took a step backward, hitting the dumpster. The surprise for running into something caused her to lose her grip on the locket and it fell to the ground, Arnold side up. Zim stepped forward, the red-haired boy crawled out of his way and around the skool. Zim bent down and picked up the locket.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" He asked in interest. Helga stared at him in horror as he examined the picture. "So." Zim said after a moment, looking back up at Helga. "You 'love' this Arnold creature?"
She didn't answer.
Zim grinned, a plan forming. "He doesn't know this, does he?" He asked.
Again, Helga didn't answer.
"I wonder what would happen if someone were to slip this bit of information to him?"
Helga's eyes widened, then quickly morphed into a glare.
"He wouldn't believe you." She told him defensively. "He'd think you were nuts!" Zim just grinned and held up the locket.
"He will if I show him this." He replied. Fear flashed across Helga's face again but was gone the next moment.
"Anyone could've made that locket." She snapped angrily. "For all he knows YOU could've made it just to make me look crazy!"
"Not if I were to show it to the Arnold-thing right now." Zim said. "He just moved here yesterday. No one had time to make it. Except you, of course." He noticed the latch on the side of the locket and raised an eyebrow. "Hmm... What's this?"
Helga felt her face go pale as Zim began fiddling with the latch. On impulse, she made a desperate grab for it, but he quickly pulled it out of her reach. The clasp popped open and the locket swung open.
Helga felt paralyzed as Zim read over the inscription inside the golden heart, his grin widened.
"'Arnold my soul,'?" Zim chuckled, reading the lines aloud. Helga screamed and tried to grab the locket again, Zim turned quickly and Helga fell to the ground. She looked back up with wide eyes as he went on in a mocking tone.
"'You are always in my heart! Love, Helga G. Pataki.'!" Zim threw back his head and laughed, flipping the locket closed again. "Oh, yes, Hel-ga. I think I can convince this Arnold boy that you did, in fact, create this locket."
"What did I ever do to you?" Helga growled as she pushed herself back to her feet.
"Nothing." Zim answered. "I just think you could be useful to me."
"Useful?" Helga repeated, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms, scowling at the kid.
"Yes." He replied. "I will keep your pathetic little secret as long as YOU do some things for ME."
Helga's jaw dropped in surprise. "You're BLACKMAILING me?!" She screamed. She glared at Zim. "Listen up, bucko, here's a new deal for ya; you tell ANYONE about this and I'll introduce you to Ol' Betsy!" She made a fist and held it up threateningly inches from Zim's face. He glared back at her.
"NO! My fist! Obey MY FIST!" He demanded. He held up his fist in front of her face. So now they were stuck in a glare-match, both threatening to punch the other. Zim's glare changed into a smirk and he stepped back. "What am I doing? I highly doubt YOU could cause me any harm. And even if you did..." He held the locket up, slightly out of Helga's reach. "...That wouldn't make HIM forget."
Helga stared at the locket, suddenly feeling helpless. She was defeated, and she hated it... and Zim.
"Alright." She sighed. "What do you want me to do?" Zim's evil grin reappeared.
"Come to my house after skool today. Come alone." He told her. He turned and began to walk away. Then he stopped and turned back to her. "Oh, and I'll be keeping THIS for a while" he held up the locket. Helga caught a glance of Arnold's face before it disappeared into the pocket of Zim's black pants. He then continued out onto the playground, laughing.
Helga stayed where she was a while. Her eyes stuck on Zim's back, her mind still trying to process what had just happened.
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Okay, It's short. But if I put the next chapter with this one it would be way too long and people would get sick of reading half way through. Of course, I'm pretty sure people are already sick of this fic. Reply and let me know if you are or not. Just let me know you're reading it!! Thanks!
~HelgaGP
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Chapter 8- Fun with Blackmail
Helga ran out of the skool and on to the playground, mentally lecturing herself.
"You just mess up every chance you get with him, don't you?" She accused herself. "The guy was offering to start over! I fresh start! Isn't that what you always wanted? A chance to show Arnold that you're not just a bully in pink?"
"I know, I know!" Helga whispered. "I'm sorry! I just can't stop myself!"
"I know you can't. It's a habit! It's all just a huge habit! You gotta break that habit! NOW! Crimany! You love the guy! That sweet, cute, lovable, wonderful, beautiful, spectacular, smart, interesting, helpful—"
"ALRIGHT! All right already! I get the point!" Helga yelled, forgetting that she was standing in the middle of the playground. "I know! I said I was sorry! CRIMANY!" She froze. Slowly she glanced around. All the kids had stopped what they were doing to watch her yell at herself.
"Uhh... Hi..." Helga said quietly, she smiled embarrassedly, then hurried away, heading toward the skool again.
She slipped around the corner of the skool and leaned against a dumpster. When she was sure she was alone she reached into her shirt and pulled out the gold locket. She sighed sadly and stared at it a while.
"Arnold..." She whispered, running one finger downward over the picture of his face. "Could it be that we are truly meant to be together? The Fates have once again kept us close to each other, my love! My prayers, my wishes of the last few days have been answered... yet... instead of greeting you with open arms, like I so deeply long to do... I turn you away. Oh, Arnold! Why do I do this, my love? Why do I torment you so? I wish I could just tell you the truth! That I love you, Arnold! Love you!"
Helga hugged the locket to her chest, closed her eyes and raised her face to the sky. The sound of tiny, happy squeaks from right behind her made her open her eyes again. She scowled and threw up her right arm, nailing the kid in the face. She turned around and scowled down at the red-haired kid.
"Look, bucko, are you TRYING to take Brainy's place? Or is there some other reason that I'm not allowed to be alone that I don't know about?" Helga demanded.
"Wh-who's Br-Brainy?" The boy asked.
Helga was about to answer when something almost above her rang of vision caught her eye. Her heart skipped a beat and she suddenly felt sick as she realized they were feet. A pair of black boots. She held her breath as her eyes traveled up the legs, over the long red shirt and into the smirking green face of Zim.
Helga gasped and took a step backward, hitting the dumpster. The surprise for running into something caused her to lose her grip on the locket and it fell to the ground, Arnold side up. Zim stepped forward, the red-haired boy crawled out of his way and around the skool. Zim bent down and picked up the locket.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" He asked in interest. Helga stared at him in horror as he examined the picture. "So." Zim said after a moment, looking back up at Helga. "You 'love' this Arnold creature?"
She didn't answer.
Zim grinned, a plan forming. "He doesn't know this, does he?" He asked.
Again, Helga didn't answer.
"I wonder what would happen if someone were to slip this bit of information to him?"
Helga's eyes widened, then quickly morphed into a glare.
"He wouldn't believe you." She told him defensively. "He'd think you were nuts!" Zim just grinned and held up the locket.
"He will if I show him this." He replied. Fear flashed across Helga's face again but was gone the next moment.
"Anyone could've made that locket." She snapped angrily. "For all he knows YOU could've made it just to make me look crazy!"
"Not if I were to show it to the Arnold-thing right now." Zim said. "He just moved here yesterday. No one had time to make it. Except you, of course." He noticed the latch on the side of the locket and raised an eyebrow. "Hmm... What's this?"
Helga felt her face go pale as Zim began fiddling with the latch. On impulse, she made a desperate grab for it, but he quickly pulled it out of her reach. The clasp popped open and the locket swung open.
Helga felt paralyzed as Zim read over the inscription inside the golden heart, his grin widened.
"'Arnold my soul,'?" Zim chuckled, reading the lines aloud. Helga screamed and tried to grab the locket again, Zim turned quickly and Helga fell to the ground. She looked back up with wide eyes as he went on in a mocking tone.
"'You are always in my heart! Love, Helga G. Pataki.'!" Zim threw back his head and laughed, flipping the locket closed again. "Oh, yes, Hel-ga. I think I can convince this Arnold boy that you did, in fact, create this locket."
"What did I ever do to you?" Helga growled as she pushed herself back to her feet.
"Nothing." Zim answered. "I just think you could be useful to me."
"Useful?" Helga repeated, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms, scowling at the kid.
"Yes." He replied. "I will keep your pathetic little secret as long as YOU do some things for ME."
Helga's jaw dropped in surprise. "You're BLACKMAILING me?!" She screamed. She glared at Zim. "Listen up, bucko, here's a new deal for ya; you tell ANYONE about this and I'll introduce you to Ol' Betsy!" She made a fist and held it up threateningly inches from Zim's face. He glared back at her.
"NO! My fist! Obey MY FIST!" He demanded. He held up his fist in front of her face. So now they were stuck in a glare-match, both threatening to punch the other. Zim's glare changed into a smirk and he stepped back. "What am I doing? I highly doubt YOU could cause me any harm. And even if you did..." He held the locket up, slightly out of Helga's reach. "...That wouldn't make HIM forget."
Helga stared at the locket, suddenly feeling helpless. She was defeated, and she hated it... and Zim.
"Alright." She sighed. "What do you want me to do?" Zim's evil grin reappeared.
"Come to my house after skool today. Come alone." He told her. He turned and began to walk away. Then he stopped and turned back to her. "Oh, and I'll be keeping THIS for a while" he held up the locket. Helga caught a glance of Arnold's face before it disappeared into the pocket of Zim's black pants. He then continued out onto the playground, laughing.
Helga stayed where she was a while. Her eyes stuck on Zim's back, her mind still trying to process what had just happened.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Okay, It's short. But if I put the next chapter with this one it would be way too long and people would get sick of reading half way through. Of course, I'm pretty sure people are already sick of this fic. Reply and let me know if you are or not. Just let me know you're reading it!! Thanks!
~HelgaGP