Valentine's Day II:
My Hair Is Down
How is everybody, now, good, okay. Glad you all liked my last installment. Oh, and Brainy hits himself sometimes because⦠well, why not just check out a fine story I like about Brainy entitled "The Brainy Saga". It's one of my favorites and if Nftnat is out there somewhere, I know good things take time, but PLEASE MAKE A NEW CHAPTER! Okay, now that a word from our sponsor is over with, let's get it on. Thanks Eve. Here's your idea, as a little introduction to the, um, bigger part. By the way, Bunny Girl went away. I'm about to cry, I am, I am. Okay, not really, but her stories are really cool and she hasn't finished them. I will never know how Helga and Arnold switch back. And I was in that story, too. Cryness. Anyway, now that I'm done weeping (not really), let's go!
I don't claim ownership to anything that isn't legally mine.
"Please, Helga, please, please, please go to the mall with me, I'd really appreciate it, just do this one thing for me, I really need your help, please-please-please-pleaseā¦"
"Okay! Calm your jets Phoebe; I'll go to the mall with you! Man, don't worry. I have to go to the mall anyway." Helga rolled her eyes and gripped her backpack as she made her way through the hallway.
Phoebe grinned gleefully, but then blinked and tried to compose herself. "Thank you, Helga," she said, less hysterically. "Your assistance is much esteemed."
Helga sighed and shook her head. "Come on, Phoebe, I know that you want to buy an outfit for the dance that your going to with Gerald."
She gasped and placed a hand over her mouth. "How did you find out?" she whispered.
"It's no secret that you two have had a thing since, like, forever!" explained Helga. "However, how it could be Gerald is still a mystery to me. He thinks he's just so cool and junk." She pushed the doors open and stepped out into the sunlight, Phoebe following.
"Well," said Phoebe, nervously, "he's not that conceited. He seems rather loyal, outgoing, smart, funny, and he is... kind of... cool." She looked at Helga, who lifted an eyebrow. "Besides, it's not like it's a date or anything. We just decided to go. anyway, I already asked my parents if I could go."
"With Gerald?" asked Helga. It was really weird that her best friend liked her crush's best friend. It makes a square, really. She didn't have a problem with it, it's just that she really didn't like Gerald at all.
"No, to the mall. Do you need to call your parents? We could use the office phone." She pointed behind her to the school's entrance doors.
"No, let's just go," said Helga.
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"What do you think about this, Helga?" asked Phoebe, holding up a shocking red, glittery, small gown in Dullard's. "I think it's my size, and it would go with that red necklace we bought in Shaire's."
Helga bent over her side of the aisle to look at the dress. She shrugged and said, "Uh, it's okay."
Phoebe sighed, and took it off the hangar. "Come on, Helga," she complained. "I asked you to come to help me shop, okay?"
"Okay," moaned Helga. She took another look at it and said, "I think it'll go good with the necklace and that red hairpiece that you've got." She really didn't want to be at the mall with Phoebe, since she was shopping for her Cecile act, but it was as good of a time as any. "Uh, Pheebs? What would you think as a good outfit for me to wear? I might decide to go to that dance." She picked at a maroon gown that was too big on her. "Alone, of course."
Phoebe carried the red gown to the dressing rooms and walked inside. "Certainly, just let me sample this on."
Phoebe walked out and did a little twirl for Helga. It raised up a little at the ends as she did so, and the breast of the dress shimmered. (I know that they're fifth graders! That's why I said 'of the dress'.) Helga smiled in approval. "I like it. Buy it and help me find a cheap one. I only have forty dollars.
Twenty minutes later, Helga was in front of a wall-length mirror, slumping in her light red, shoulder sleeved dress with a dark pink collar. Phoebe was trying to find an accessory that would match.
"When the heck did you become such a fashion expert?" Helga asked impatiently.
Phoebe shrugged. "That slumber party around a year ago--remember the one at Rhonda home?--it prodded the feminine side of me, I suppose," she explained.
Helga looked herself over, placing herself in this dress at Chew Paris. She smiled and nodded. "I like it.
!@#$%^&*()_+{}:"?
The next day, in the cafeteria, Rhonda, Nadine, Lila, Jenna, Phoebe, and Helga were walking to their seats, talking once again about the mysterious Cecile. "I still can't believe that Arnold isn't telling us who it is!" exclaimed Rhonda. She reached the table, set down her tray, but stayed standing (as did everyone else).
"It is possible that he doesn't even know, Rhonda."
"Lila, he has to."
"But it wouldn't be romantic if he knew before Valentine's Day," explained Nadine, smiling at the thought of it.
"Yes," said Jenna. "It unt vould. Valentine's Day is not as big of a deal in Germany as it is here in Hillvood."
Rhonda rolled her eyes and huffed. "Whatever," she said, "but that means that whoever this mystery girl is, she is definitely at our school. How else could she have known that Arnold was looking for her so desperately and pathetically?"
Closing and Opening her eyes, Helga tried to stay calm without putting up an obvious effort. "You know, Rhonda," she mocked, "I read this book once, and it said that those who smite in other's lives would be slashed by their own. It's talking about those who gossip too much." She crossed her arms and smirked at the princess.
"He practically asked for it by announcing to the entire campus that he liked-liked this girl," Rhonda protested. She lowered the pad of paper she almost always carried now and walked up to Helga. She got directly in her face, smiled, and said sneakily, "I think that you know something about this whole thing, don't you? Why else do you keep covering for him?"
Helga's heart was beating faster and faster, but she kept a straight face. She narrowed her eyes threateningly. "I'm not covering for him," she said in a loud whisper. "I'm trying to get you to shut your trap. And get. Out. Of. My. Face."
Rhonda lifted her chin and stared down at Helga. She seemed satisfied for the time being and stepped back from Helga.
The tension lasted for a few seconds until Phoebe sat and said, "So what are you all doing at the dance? Are you being accompanied by anyone?"
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Arnold was surrounded by Gerald, Sid, Stinky, and Eugene on the jungle gym during recess. He hung his head and lifted it again, clearly wanting out of the center.
"Come on, Arnold, are you sure she didn't tell you her name?" asked Sid eagerly.
"No, Sid," he replied almost robotically. "I think I would remember, no offense."
"I think Arnold gosh darn lucky to have a real date to on the holiday except just a dance partner," said Stinky. "Even though Miss Lila so kindly agreed to go with me."
Arnold let go of the railing and jumped from the jungle gym. He looked up at Stinky and said, "You know, that doesn't even bother me anymore, Stinky. It's weird, but two weeks ago I would still probably be following Lila around, but now I couldn't care less about whether or not she likes me. It's kind of like what happened with Ruth."
Gerald looked down and smiled. "Good for you, Arnold," he said. "Just never, ever speak the name Ruth again, okay? She was a worse case than Lila."
Arnold smiled and let out a small laugh. "I guess you're right, Gerald." Gerald jumped from his perch and held out his thumb. Arnold returned the gesture and they performed their secret "handshake".
After their shake, Gerald whispered so that only Arnold could hear, "i need to talk to you about what Helga did yesterday."
"We're not supposed to-"
"I know, but if you don't tell, I won't," said Gerald.
Arnold looked up at his three other friends. "Later, guys," he said.
"Bye, Arnold! Good luck on Saturday!" cried Eugene as the two walked away. He waved, but letting go of the jungle gym caused him to loose his balance and he fell over the side.
"Eugene!" exclaimed Sid, looking over the side.
"I'm okay!"
Of to the side of the playground, in their usual spot, Gerald looked across the corner of the building. Seeing that no one was there, he started talking to Arnold. "Listen, I want to know exactly why Helga gave you fifty dollars yesterday and made you promise to kiss this girl that she doesn't even know?" he asked, very quickly.
Arnold pressed his lips together and said, "I've been thinking about that, too, Gerald." He thought for a moment about the issue. "Maybe she knows Cecile!"
"Yeah," said Gerald. "Or she could just want to make fun of you for it on Sunday," he added.
"Not helping," said Arnold. "I really don't want to think about it right now, Gerald. I mean, I already know that I kinda like this girl-"
"Kinda like?" repeated Gerald. "Kinda or really?"
Arnold shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "I only spent one night with her, but I really think that I like her. I'm just not entirely sure yet." He smiled innocently.
Gerald's mouth dropped. "You mean that you're making everyone else think that you all ready like her like her, but you just think that you might?" he asked angrily. He threw his hands in the air. "What if she's a freak?"
"She's not!" insisted Arnold. "I know that much. Why do you think I want to meet her again? I may daydream too much, but I'm not stupid."
"I know!" said Gerald. "You're one of the smartest people I know. Which is why I want to know why the heck did you crack a deal with Helga g. Pataki?"
"It's not that big of a deal, Gerald," he replied. "I got fifty bucks and I get to kiss a girl I like. Where's the bad?"
"Somewhere," Gerald exclaimed. He held out his arms and bent forward in a position that said who-cares-it-is-important-either-way.
Arnold sighed. "Look. One and a half more days and I'm going to be on a date with a girl I really like. I don't really care about Helga right now."
Gerald stayed in his position for a moment. Finally, he straightened out and exhaled. "Fine, Arnold. I give in, man. I guess you do have suave to not worry about it, though you are really dense for it."
Arnold lifted a brow. "Dense? I've never had anyone call me that before."
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And I don't have to pretend to be French anymore! Helga thought. All I have to do is get dressed and go. I don't have to learn French this time... thank the gods! She took her new dress out of the closet and placed in front of her, looking in the mirror. She smiled. She could barely wait another day. Not like she didn't have to wait any longer than that.
There you go, people! I hope you all liked this short and sweet chapter. Go check out the new edition of Time to Switch! If you haven't, then don't worry. It's not a Helga/Arnold switch. That's too common for me, don't you know? Watch out for the new Through the Compact Disc, too, okay, ya'll?
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