Chapter Two

"I have got to see the baseball game!" someone exclaimed. "They have Mickey Kaline!" He had a red 33 shirt and tall, brown hair.

"Yeah, but how are we going to get the money?" the other one asked. This one had wide, tall, spiky yellow hair, a weird-shaped head, and was wearing a kilt.

"Helga, what are you doing sitting next to that trash can?" the second one asked.

"None o' your business, Football Head! Can't a kid sit on the sidewalk without being interrogated? Yeesh! What a couple of losers."

"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You don't look so good. Come on, Gerald. We should probably be headed home. My grandma's cooking lunch about now."

"Your grandma?" He scrunched his face in disgust. "I think I'll just go home for lunch...but thanks for the invite."

As the two started to walk away, Helga mumbled, "Arnold...wait."

Concerned, he glanced back and asked, "Yeah?"

"I have something to tell you."

Puzzled, he said, "Okay..."

"My parents were...um...going to move, and for reasons I can't explain...let's just say, I...uh...ran off, and then I got lost, and..." Instead of going into detail, she shortened her story. "Anyway, I'm waiting for my parents to come and find me so they can take me to our new house, and I'm all alone...and...that's why I'm sitting here."

"No idea what she just said," Gerald muttered to himself.

"You were going to move?" Arnold said, shocked.

"Yeah...what's your point?" she huffed.

"No more insults," Gerald pointed out, and Helga raised an eyebrow at him. "No more shaking fists...no more throwing tapioca pudding on Arnold's shirt...no more marching around like the boss of the school...no more-"

Jumping to her feet, she shouted, "Why don't you shut up before I turn you into tapioca pudding, Tall Hair Boy!"

Gerald crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"I might be able to get my grandpa to rent you a room for a few nights in the boarding house," Arnold offered.

"Really?" She backed off of Gerald and smiled appreciatively. "Okay, I guess. Thanks."

Gerald's eyes widened in confusion. "But Arnold-look at your opportunity! No Helga... Why? I can't believe you just said that!" he squealed.

"Well we can't just leave her on the streets. What kind of awful person would do that?"

"Me," Gerald muttered. "You're a bold kid, Arnold," he spoke up as the two rounded the street corner.

"Oh, Arnold," Helga told her locket lovingly. "How I'm touched by your good will toward others. Even after I insult you and threaten your best friend, you still care when I'm in need. Oh. How I love your kind heart, your will to do the right thing for even those who don't deserve it. You always offer help, and put others ahead of yourself. And even the moments that I sneer at you, you still give me your most winning smile." She sighed and clutched her locket thankfully. "This is my chance! This is the moment I've been waiting for. The opportunity to finally be kind to you...to show you my affection. I can finally give to you what all these years you've given to me. And then and only then will you realize that I'm worth your time, and that you pine for me. I can finally make your little heart flutter when you look at me. Oh, Arnold, yes, the time has come!"

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Helga heard raspy breathing, and Brainy's head popped out of the trash can. Angered, she clenched a fist and smacked him hard in the nose.

Approximately ten minutes had gone by when Helga caught sight of Arnold heading toward her, no longer with Gerald. "My grandpa said it would be okay if you stayed in the room next to mine." Then he lowered his eyebrows at her and said firmly, "And you'd better not call me a single name. I'm being really nice to you, and I'm not particularly sure about this. You'd better be the sweetest you've ever been, and don't make the other boarders mad."

"Whatever, Football Head. Let's just get this over with. Because when my parents come to pick me up, I'm gonna be really happy I never have to see you EVER again."

"And I don't feel any differently toward you," Arnold shot back.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!"

Arnold and Helga trotted to Arnold's boarding house in their typical argumentative mood, and it wasn't exactly the romantic day Helga had been planning...