Part Sixteen: Two Kids In Love
Totally unaware of the dangers awaiting them in the stars above, Arnold and Helga both began the next day with a couple of stacks of pancakes Grandma Gertie prepared for breakfast.
Gertie watched both of them from the nearby kitchen area, smiling. She watched as both of them sat across from each other, smiling. Every now and again one of them would look up and briefly admire the way the other ate their food, then look away quickly when the other almost noticed. She couldfeel the way both of them felt for each other, the way she did during the lightsaber practice, and despite the fact that both of them were trying hard not to let it show, their best efforts wouldn't have fooled anyone observant. Young people often try to hide their feelings and ultimately end up wearing them right on their sleeves.
"Grandma, could you bring us some butter, please?" Arnold asked kindly.
Gertie nodded, but before she could pick it up, the butter tray lifted up off the table and slowly moved to the table and sat itself down next to Arnold's plate.
Arnold looked up at Helga, who was smiling slightly to herself.
"Showoff," Arnold said, smiling and giving Helga a mock stern look.
Then both of them began to giggle slightly. Gertie smiled at the warmth she felt between them.
Later that same morning, Arnold took Helga out on his speeder bike to the nearby oasis area where there was a small creek to practice balancing on the stones using The Force.
They both stood opposite each other in the wide, waist high creek, on two large stones, their eyes closed focusing on the energy around them.
Arnold stood there, with his eyes closed, concentrating on the life energy of everything around him, and Helga's in particular. He didn't see Helga open one of her eyes and smirk wickedly as an idea come to her. She moved her hand slightly and a small stream of water shot out of the stream and hit Arnold in the face, he almost lost his balance. He opened his eyes wide in annoyance and looked up to see Helga standing there, balancing on the stone, her eyes closed looking the picture of innocence...that was till a small, amused smirk crossed her face. Arnold retaliated by doing the same, only creating a larger stream which almost completely soaked Helga's outfit. Helga almost fell and looked at him, drenched and annoyed now. Arnold smiled back with the same amused smirk.
Not to be outdone at her own game, Helga used the Force to actually create a small wave which knocked Arnold offthe rock and face-first into the creek.
Helga stood on her rock, laughing at Arnold's little spill.
"Having a nice little swim, football-head?" She called laughing.
Her laughter stopped when she noticed that Arnold, instead of standing up, was face down in the water, small air bubbles coming up next to him, then stopping.
"Arnold?!" Helga called, nervous and worried. She jumped into the water and quickly stood next to him, turning him over. "Please be okay," she whistered. When she turned him over, Arnold grabbed her arm and pulled her down into the water with him, laughing. Now both of them were completely soaked.
Both of them splashed around in the water, their clothes and hair wet, laughing and playing together in te water, having the best time either of them could remember in their young lives.
After their little swim, both of them sat on the shore on a large boulder, eating lunch. Their clothes and hair were drying but still sticking to their bodies. The suns were shining brightly overhead. Both of them talked about various things in their lives.
One topic of particular interest Helga couldn't help asking about came up.
"So Arnold, tell me, was their ever anyone in particular you really, really liked? Anyone important?"
Arnold looked at her, blushing slightly at the question and smiled. "Well, there was this one girl named Ruth."
"Really," Helga asked interested, and slightly concerned. "Tell me about her, what was she like?"
Arnold sat back and looked like he was thinking a second and said, "Well, she was very tall, delicate, and attractive..." He smiled to himself slightly as he looked at the look on Helga's face and continued..."she had this really shiny auburn hair that cascaded over her ears and onto her milky-white shoulders, soft brown eyes like stars in the heavens, and her body..."
"Okay, I get the idea," Helga said, a bit too quickly, looking away slighly.
Arnold smiled to himself in amusement.
Helga could see that he was teasing her and tried to give him a stern look but a smile appeared instead.
"So, whatever happened to her?" She asked, again curious.
Arnold sighed tired and said, "Well, I guess I learned that beauty was only skin deep. It turned out that she was just a pretty face, but she was a conceited snob who thought I was jsut some weird kid."
"Well, I guess she just never took the time to notice what a special person you were, football-head." Helga said, smiling. Her eyes twinkled when she looked at him.
Arnold sighed, "Helga, I wish you wouldn't call me..." (he looked up suddenly, surprised) "...wait, y-you thing I'm special?" He blushed slightly.
Helga blushed too just then, "I mean, um, of course you are, Arnold." She sighed lovingly and looked at him, "You're the kindest, most sensitive person I've ever known. Anyone who wouldn't like you or can't see that is just dumb."
Arnold smiled at her, "You know something, Helga, I..."
"Yes, Arnold..." Helga looked at him with that same dreamy expression, her eyes twinkling more.
"I think you're absolutely right," Arnold said.
Helga blinked, her face fell. Arnold laughed out loud at her delayed reaction and fell back on the boulder, clutching his sides in laughter. He loved to tease her, somehow, seeing her mad now made her look kind-of cute, he thought as he laughed.
"Why you stuck-up...half-witted...football-headed...scruffy-looking....nerf-herder!" Helga said, totally annoyed at being teased like that.
Arnold sat up again and looked at her in mock surprise, "Who's 'scruffy-looking'?"
They looked at each other a moment, then began to laugh together out loud. They laughed so hard that they had to hold onto one another to keep from falling over. They were holding each other close, laughing onto each other's shoulders before both of them stopped, realizing that they were now very close indeed.
Both of them were embracing, looking deeply into each other's eyes, seeing in them only happiness and warmth for the other. Then they closed their eyes, leaned forward, and kissed.
Finally!
Neither of them really applied much pressure, but the kiss lasted a few long moments, and held more meaning than a thousand spoken words could have expressed between them. In that inatant, both of them knew that their destiny's would be together, no matter what would happen from that point on.
To Be Continued...
What will happen between these two star-crossed lovers? Stay tuned -D.R.
Totally unaware of the dangers awaiting them in the stars above, Arnold and Helga both began the next day with a couple of stacks of pancakes Grandma Gertie prepared for breakfast.
Gertie watched both of them from the nearby kitchen area, smiling. She watched as both of them sat across from each other, smiling. Every now and again one of them would look up and briefly admire the way the other ate their food, then look away quickly when the other almost noticed. She couldfeel the way both of them felt for each other, the way she did during the lightsaber practice, and despite the fact that both of them were trying hard not to let it show, their best efforts wouldn't have fooled anyone observant. Young people often try to hide their feelings and ultimately end up wearing them right on their sleeves.
"Grandma, could you bring us some butter, please?" Arnold asked kindly.
Gertie nodded, but before she could pick it up, the butter tray lifted up off the table and slowly moved to the table and sat itself down next to Arnold's plate.
Arnold looked up at Helga, who was smiling slightly to herself.
"Showoff," Arnold said, smiling and giving Helga a mock stern look.
Then both of them began to giggle slightly. Gertie smiled at the warmth she felt between them.
Later that same morning, Arnold took Helga out on his speeder bike to the nearby oasis area where there was a small creek to practice balancing on the stones using The Force.
They both stood opposite each other in the wide, waist high creek, on two large stones, their eyes closed focusing on the energy around them.
Arnold stood there, with his eyes closed, concentrating on the life energy of everything around him, and Helga's in particular. He didn't see Helga open one of her eyes and smirk wickedly as an idea come to her. She moved her hand slightly and a small stream of water shot out of the stream and hit Arnold in the face, he almost lost his balance. He opened his eyes wide in annoyance and looked up to see Helga standing there, balancing on the stone, her eyes closed looking the picture of innocence...that was till a small, amused smirk crossed her face. Arnold retaliated by doing the same, only creating a larger stream which almost completely soaked Helga's outfit. Helga almost fell and looked at him, drenched and annoyed now. Arnold smiled back with the same amused smirk.
Not to be outdone at her own game, Helga used the Force to actually create a small wave which knocked Arnold offthe rock and face-first into the creek.
Helga stood on her rock, laughing at Arnold's little spill.
"Having a nice little swim, football-head?" She called laughing.
Her laughter stopped when she noticed that Arnold, instead of standing up, was face down in the water, small air bubbles coming up next to him, then stopping.
"Arnold?!" Helga called, nervous and worried. She jumped into the water and quickly stood next to him, turning him over. "Please be okay," she whistered. When she turned him over, Arnold grabbed her arm and pulled her down into the water with him, laughing. Now both of them were completely soaked.
Both of them splashed around in the water, their clothes and hair wet, laughing and playing together in te water, having the best time either of them could remember in their young lives.
After their little swim, both of them sat on the shore on a large boulder, eating lunch. Their clothes and hair were drying but still sticking to their bodies. The suns were shining brightly overhead. Both of them talked about various things in their lives.
One topic of particular interest Helga couldn't help asking about came up.
"So Arnold, tell me, was their ever anyone in particular you really, really liked? Anyone important?"
Arnold looked at her, blushing slightly at the question and smiled. "Well, there was this one girl named Ruth."
"Really," Helga asked interested, and slightly concerned. "Tell me about her, what was she like?"
Arnold sat back and looked like he was thinking a second and said, "Well, she was very tall, delicate, and attractive..." He smiled to himself slightly as he looked at the look on Helga's face and continued..."she had this really shiny auburn hair that cascaded over her ears and onto her milky-white shoulders, soft brown eyes like stars in the heavens, and her body..."
"Okay, I get the idea," Helga said, a bit too quickly, looking away slighly.
Arnold smiled to himself in amusement.
Helga could see that he was teasing her and tried to give him a stern look but a smile appeared instead.
"So, whatever happened to her?" She asked, again curious.
Arnold sighed tired and said, "Well, I guess I learned that beauty was only skin deep. It turned out that she was just a pretty face, but she was a conceited snob who thought I was jsut some weird kid."
"Well, I guess she just never took the time to notice what a special person you were, football-head." Helga said, smiling. Her eyes twinkled when she looked at him.
Arnold sighed, "Helga, I wish you wouldn't call me..." (he looked up suddenly, surprised) "...wait, y-you thing I'm special?" He blushed slightly.
Helga blushed too just then, "I mean, um, of course you are, Arnold." She sighed lovingly and looked at him, "You're the kindest, most sensitive person I've ever known. Anyone who wouldn't like you or can't see that is just dumb."
Arnold smiled at her, "You know something, Helga, I..."
"Yes, Arnold..." Helga looked at him with that same dreamy expression, her eyes twinkling more.
"I think you're absolutely right," Arnold said.
Helga blinked, her face fell. Arnold laughed out loud at her delayed reaction and fell back on the boulder, clutching his sides in laughter. He loved to tease her, somehow, seeing her mad now made her look kind-of cute, he thought as he laughed.
"Why you stuck-up...half-witted...football-headed...scruffy-looking....nerf-herder!" Helga said, totally annoyed at being teased like that.
Arnold sat up again and looked at her in mock surprise, "Who's 'scruffy-looking'?"
They looked at each other a moment, then began to laugh together out loud. They laughed so hard that they had to hold onto one another to keep from falling over. They were holding each other close, laughing onto each other's shoulders before both of them stopped, realizing that they were now very close indeed.
Both of them were embracing, looking deeply into each other's eyes, seeing in them only happiness and warmth for the other. Then they closed their eyes, leaned forward, and kissed.
Finally!
Neither of them really applied much pressure, but the kiss lasted a few long moments, and held more meaning than a thousand spoken words could have expressed between them. In that inatant, both of them knew that their destiny's would be together, no matter what would happen from that point on.
To Be Continued...
What will happen between these two star-crossed lovers? Stay tuned -D.R.