A.N: I'm sooooo sorry it took so much time to update! You have no idea how fucked up my comp is, otherwise I would have updated sooner. I also had a lot to do for school. For those who like my fic, don't worry I'm not stopping rewriting it, I really intend to finish it! I would like to thank all of you who reviewed, it's really what keeps me going, otherwise I would have stopped rewriting this fiction a long time ago.

I also rewrote chap1 and I might review other, because when I reread them I'm ashamed of how bad they are. Please take the time to read the rewritten chapters; they're much better.

Anyway, here is a brand new chapter. Enjoy.

Chap .7: Not so calm

It was nearly the end of the day and the last class was sports. Helga had never minded sports, even though in France, she was taught girls were not supposed to like it much. It had really surprised her at first, since in her childhood she was accustomed to play all kind of different sports with her friends. She had had to change her ways and become a "real" girl to be accepted… but why think about the past? Thing were what they were now, and there was nothing she could do about it.

So there she was, waiting on a bench in the school's gym with the girls.

"What are we doing in sports anyway?" she asked Phoebe

"I'm not sure" her friend answered, "we're starting something new today. I think it's Kung Fu or something."

"No, self defense."

The two friends turned around, facing Arnold, Gerald and all the others guys.

"What are you doing here?" asked Helga, "I thought they didn't mixed the guys and the girls for sports."

"They don't. But today is an exception. Your teacher asked us to help her with the class." said Arnold

Right after he finished his sentence, the sports teacher Miss Lynch walked in.

"I know, I know," she said "you girls are probably all wandering what your male friends are doing here. Well, as you might already know, we're going to start a self-defense course, and I asked them to come and play the part of your aggressors, so you can train on living people. Ok, well, all of you girls pair up with somebody."

Helga looked around. Lila was with Arnold, Phoebe with Gerald, Rhonda with a football player she didn't know…..

"Want me to be your partner?"

"Absolutely not" was what she wanted to say. Harold being her partner was not a really pleasurable perspective. But Helga couldn't say no. She wanted to make a good impression and people to like her. "No" for an answer was not an option at this point.

"Sure Harold! Wow, thanks you have no idea what it means to me!" she said with a great, fake smile.

Luckily, he was Harold, and he had proven in many occasions that he was completely incapable of making the difference between a true smile and a fake one.

"Everyone have a partner? Good! Here is what we're going to do first. You guys grab the girls by the waist and you girls try to see how you can escape them, ok? Oh and boys? Don't turn this in an occasion to do anything improper if you see what I mean?"

The guys laughed. Shooting a glance at Harold, Helga noticed him smiling in a perverted way. Why was she not surprised? She should have refused to pair up with him. She started to feel real uneasy about the fact that this guy was going to touch her.

"Ready Helga?" he asked still smiling

"Hum….." she said laughing nervously," hum…you know what? I didn't get what I had to do….I think we better skip this exercise. "

Harold raised his eyebrow.

"But it's really easy! You just have to let me grab you by the waist!" he said walking closer to her.

She backed up instantly. Miss Lynch seemed to have noticed her behavior and she walked up to them.

"What's your problem Pataki? Why aren't you doing what I asked you to do?"

."Well….you see Miss Lynch…I really don't think I need to take this course…"

"Oh. Think you're to good for this don't you? Think your way above us all!"

"No, not at all!" tried to explain Helga who couldn't believe what she was earring.

The teacher probably thought she was one of these rich snobs. But Helga wasn't like that.

"Well then" said Miss Lynch "why don't you and Harold make a little presentation for the rest of us? You're going to do this exercise in front of the class!"

Helga sighed. Why was this happening to her? She couldn't remember doing anything particularly mean these days.

The howl group gathered around them, waiting. Helga saw Phoebe looking at her in a sorry way.

"Start"

Harold got closer to her. Helga was shivering. He grabbed her and pulled her tightly to his body, squeezing her against him. She could feel his breath in her neck, and his hand moving closer to her breasts; why wasn't Lynch doing anything? Then suddenly Helga's mind want blank. Forgetting, who she was or where she was, she violently threw her elbow in Harold's stomach, then her fist in his face with all her strength. She heard Harold whine and she felt him letting go. When she turned around she saw he was lying on the floor like a big lump.

"Oops!" she said "sorry!"

She faced the rest of the class and they were all looking at her with their mouth opened, even Miss Lynch.

"How….how did you…." The teacher finally said.

Helga shrugged her shoulders nervously.

"I took Karate classes with a professional for five years. I'm a black belt now."

"Well Pataki, I think I speak for everyone when I say that you're full of surprises. I head about your "accomplishments" in poetry class this morning, you teacher was practically crying of joy."

At this point Harold spoke.

"I think she broke my nose" he whined.

Helga was now feeling really uncomfortable. This was way too much attention for one day.

"Can I go to the bathroom?" She asked.

After her teacher agreed, she ran to the lockers room and stayed there until the end of the class.

"That was so cool what you did!" said Sheena when the other girls were done.

"I guess!" muttered Helga

She quickly changed and ran out of the lockers room. She just wanted to be alone rite now.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

But as she walked down the street she heard a voice calling her.

"Hey, wait up!"

It was Arnold.

"What do you want?" she asked bitterly when he reached her.

He looked at her, seeming a little surprised by her sudden attitude.

"Is something wrong?" he asked

She sighted

"If you really need to know football head, well then yes! Something is definitely wrong! It's only my second week of school, and I already made a fool out of myself twice, by saying weird stuff about a stupid poem and by beating up a guy."

"Ok…"said Arnold carefully, "the poem thing was really cool and Harold got what he deserved! You're like the school's hero now! Everyone is proud of you! I think it's a pretty good start you know."

Helga laughed a little, feeling slightly better. This guy really had a gift.

"Hey, I made you laugh, see? It can't be that bad!"

She smiled at him.

"Thanks Arnold."

"Anytime."

He looked at his watch.

"I have an hour to spend before basketball practice. Got some time to loose?"

"I do if you're willing to buy me something to eat. Beating up Harold made me hungry."

He agreed and they walked together to an ice cream place close to the school, talking and joking all the way. Arnold laughed as Helga started shockingly at her cup of strawberry ice-cream.

"It's HUGE!" she said

"It's a small size!"

"I forgot how everything is served in big portion here! In France this would be the biggest size!"

It was Arnold's turn to be shocked. He ended up eating his ice cream and Helga's, who practically didn't touch her food.

"So who is your biology partner?" asked Helga

Arnold made a slight face.

"Brainy!"

"Oh! That weird guy? How can I express my compassion?" she asked

"He's not that bad!"

"He used to like me in 4th grade!"

Arnold frowned.

"Well, you're right! He's totally weird!"

Helga kicked him from under the table.

"Please don't beat me up!" Arnold pleaded jokingly

"Very funny!"

Arnold looked at his watch again.

"I'm going to have to go soon. Do you want to come and see me practice?"

Helga smiled teasingly.

"You're kidding? Why would a bore myself doing that. I say a girl must truly love a guy to come and see him play basketball."

"Well Lila does it. Like all the other cheerleaders." he said

"She's a cheerleader? Why does that not surprise me?" said Helga sarcastically

Arnold was taken aback by her comment.

"What do you mean? Do you have anything against cheerleaders?"

Helga shrugged.

"Well no, but it's just that they look a bit stupid, don't you think?"

She got up and started waving imaginary pom-poms while smiling widely.

He laughed.

"It's not like that, cheerleading is a real sport! And you look like a cheerleader yourself you know?"

Helga made a face.

"Why? Because I'm blond and I wear miniskirts?"

Arnold noticed he had hurt her. He should not have said that. What an idiot.

"No…"

"You know Arnold, you have no idea how much pressure girls are under today. To be accepted, you have to look hot. Otherwise you don't make friends, you become a reject and everybody makes fun of you behind your back." Helga said feeling her temper rising.

Helga's voice was trembling. She turned around, leaving, but Arnold caught her up.

"That's no true!"

"Of course it is, but how would you know? You're a guy!" she said angrily

"People are not that superficial you know!"

"Say that to your friends!"

"Fine, if you're so sure of yourself, why don't you give me a valuable argument?"

She looked at him straight in the eyes, seeming furious now.

"You want a valuable argument? When I left this place, everybody hated me and kept on wishing I would disappear…"

"That's not…"

"Oh come on, Arnold be honest with yourself! Even you wanted me to go away, I heard you that day when you were doing your magic show! The point is, I'm back and everybody's pretending to have missed me, because now I look like a fake Barbie!"

She stopped in the middle of the street and put her face in her hands. Arnold, a bit uneasy, put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't cry." he said softly

She looked at him.

"I don't cry!"

It was true, she was not. But she looked so miserable and tired, Arnold could not stand it. Her beautiful face was just not meant to express any kind of sadness. He pulled her in his arms and hugged her.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, people said these things because of the way you use to act around them and not because of your appearance? And that maybe if they are nice to you now it's because your are nice to them?" he whispered

She looked at him and said nothing. Then she buried her face in his neck. While holding her, Arnold could not believe how much he had gotten to know this girl in only one hour.

Ok, did you like it? Did you hate it? Please let me know