Author's Notes (A/N): Hey guys! It's me again! Thanks a lot for the reviews. And as you guys requested, here's the continuation of the fic. I could have updated this yesterday, but it was err, my birthday yesterday (May 4)! personal profile updated accordingly!) Now what do you guys think of this chapter?

Disclaimer: Of course, I still don't own HA. Too big! Too great! Can't have it! Except in my dreams, maybe!

- tst : )

Chapter 2: Becoming Alone

The following week, classes at PS118 continued Monday. This time I used spitballs for "target practice" but Arnold still doesn't know it was I who did that. When I caught a glimpse of his face, he doesn't seem to be his usual self today. Maybe because it was because of school, and Friday was still far away. I don't know.

"Have you heard the news about Arnold?" Phoebe asked me during lunch as we sat together at a table.

"Football-head?" I looking at him, who was at a different table eating lunch with Gerald, "What did he do now? Did he save someone from another fire? Did he walk another old lady down the street? Did he give another amazing advice to someone? Sigh! You know, Football-head? He's always like that."

"Yeah, we know that, Helga. But now, it was not what he did or anything."

"What is it then?" I asked, looking back at Phoebe.

"Well, it was what happened to his grandfather."

"Huh? What about Football-head's grandpa?" I wondered.

"Well, word got around that his grandfather got very sick over the weekend. Arnold and his grandmother immediately took him to a nearby hospital. They thought that he would be… gone."

"Really, Phoebe?"

"Yeah, Helga. Then, the doctor ruled that he was not gone, but very sick indeed. The doctor then mentioned that Arnold's grandfather had some sort of a rare disease that would require a series of special therapeutic operations, which can only be performed at a remote hospital, many, many states away from ours."

"My goodness!" I took a deep breath, fearing the worst, "Arnold would then be away, huh?"

"No, not really, Helga."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, since Arnold still has school, they agreed that he still has to stay home and study for now. His grandmother would sleep and stay at that faraway hospital attending to his grandfather's everyday needs as necessary. Arnold mentioned that his grandparents would be away for about three weeks."

So that's why Arnold's got all so weird-like today. His grandpa was sick. I then found out that Arnold's grandparents were leaving that same Monday night. Pretty quick, huh? Also, I also heard that all of the other boarders in their boarding house would have to go to other boarding houses in the city temporarily while Arnold's grandpa and grandma were away. Hey! No one's going to manage the place, you know? Arnold has school, so he couldn't handle that. He would have to handle all the rooms, clean all the windows, check the fire escape ladder often to see if it's working, and all that.

In other words, Arnold will be alone in his family's boarding house.

So brave… sigh!

I'm sure this is probably nothing to Arnold. Besides, my parents, Miriam and Bob, only care about my only sibling and older sister, Olga. I'm living with Miriam and Bob. Olga is living by herself working and studying somewhere else at a different city that I don't care to know about.

It's always the same ol' script that I play when I come home from PS118.

"Come here, Olga!"

"It's Helga, Bob!" I corrected as I approached him.

"Yeah, right. Helga! Listen, I have something to do for you."

"Yeah, Bob?" I call my dad by his first name.

"Well, I want you to buy these on the list for the groceries."

After I grabbing the list quickly, I mocked, "Okay, Bob!"

"Okay, later Olga!" he said. I cringed upon hearing my sister's name again.

"That's HELGA!" I finally shouted as I opened the door and hurried out of the house.

I didn't really like being called that way. I hate it! I just HATE it! But that's what I get for having a highly admired sister with so many trophies. As for me, I'm just a no-good-award-less girl just struggling to get them to at least call my name right! Just for once, I want them to get that right! It's so unfair! I mean, at least I call their names correctly, right?

As for Arnold, he could surely take care of himself while his grandparents are away. Not to mention, he would just smile over it. That's his nature.

Besides, I have enough troubles of my own. Having to put up with my parents is one.

Next day, in PS118, I saw Arnold with Gerald during recess together at a bench. Being the "spy girl" that I am, I listened to them from a corner, but they wouldn't see me, of course.

"Hello, Arnold! Sorry to hear about your grandpa, man."

"It's okay, Gerald," he smiled after they made their secret handshake, "Besides, it will just take a few weeks."

"How will you guys keep in touch, man?"

"By mail. The place's kind of remote. I mean, there are no phones there."

"Oh, I see," Gerald nodded, and he then changed the subject, "Well Arnold, are you ready for the test on Friday?"

"Not yet, Gerald," he flashed his trademark smile, "But I'm sure, Phoebe would get an A+ even if she took the test today!"

"Ha, ha. That's a good one, Arnold," Gerald laughed as he gave his best friend a hit on the shoulder.

See? What did I tell you? My beloved does it again! He smiles, as if nothing happened. Nothing could possibly stop his string of happiness now.

That is… until the next day.

Of course I saw him the next day at school. He was talking to someone at that time.

But I saw whom he was talking with, fires started to flare up in me. This is to the point that I clenched both of my fists just trying to keep myself cool. Okay, calm down, Helga! Calm down.

But how could I calm down? It's so hard to. Why, you ask? It's because when I saw him, I saw the one whom he was with. I hate to say this but it was… ugh… Lila.

"I told you, Arnold," she smirked, while walking, "I know you really 'like me, like me.' I ever so like you, Arnold… but I don't really 'like you, like you.' Oh you ever so understand, don't you, Arnold?"

"But… but…" he protested, keeping up with her and with her pace.

Ah, yes! I haven't told you about Lila.

Yes. I wish I were Lila.

You see, Arnold likes Lila a lot. I mean a heck of a lot. I mean a really HECK of a lot! But not me! Nope! Not me!

Fortunately, "Miss Ever-so" Lila doesn't really like Arnold so I still have a chance.

I then saw Arnold feeling a bit down after that. Expected. He already asked Lila for the millionth time whether she likes him or not.

Oh boy! The odds are still in my favor! Thank goodness for that!

One of the things that Arnold definitely showed his greatness was when we 4th graders won over the older, meaner, and tougher, 5th graders, sometime ago… in football!

Football… you know? Where you tackle people and stuff? That's the one!

Now, Wednesday, two days after Arnold's grandparents were gone, two days before the test, they wanted to even up the score. They challenged us again.

Before, when we started playing them before, we're like scared cats. But after we won that last game, we became like fearless tigers. We agreed to match up with them again. Besides, we have "Mr. Football-Head Coach" himself.

Arnold is really something. He's really a great coach!

In basketball, baseball, and in other sports, he would always inspire and lead us to victory. For some surprising reason, he never seems to lose at all. Anyone who followed his advice won too.

During the game later that afternoon, the 5th graders were leading but we weren't far behind. As in the last game, we were able to catch up, little by little. Eventually we were able to tie the game up because of Arnold's… well, "loopy" plays. In the last game, I used the "loopy" word to mock him then because I couldn't believe that we could beat them then. He proved me wrong, yet again, by making us do his "loopy" yet creative plays that made us win the last game.

Sigh!

Then it was almost the end of the game and the gang huddled up together.

"Okay, you guys!" he said to us, "We have the ball, but we have time for one more play. If we get this, we'll win. We all know the last play we did in beating them before. We'll do it again but this time, Gerald scores on the right field, okay?"

"You said it, Football-head!" I enthusiastically said to my beloved. Everybody agreed then.

It was a smart plan. Like last time, we kept tossing and passing the football around. Even if the 5th graders were bigger and stronger, they just couldn't get the ball. Then, Arnold got the ball again and he threw as hard as he can as he gave out the long pass to Gerald on the right field. It was a long one. It was up… up… in the air over almost everyone. Gerald sprinted to catch it. Then, the ball started to move downwards. It's now falling… falling…closer to where Gerald was. Yahoo! This was the same way as to how we won before.

See! I told you Arnold would lead us to victory again and…

Oh no! The football was caught by one of the 5th graders! They got the football! We had to get the ball back from them. They ran to the other side of the field. We tried to stop them, but we couldn't. They finally managed to score their touchdown and it was game over.

Well, okay. Forget what I said about Arnold being a great coach.

"Nice going, Football-head!" I mocked. To myself though, I really felt sympathy for him.

After that, we all just walked home and started studying for Friday's test.

As the gang passed Arnold's boarding house, Arnold parted ways with us and said goodbye. I caught a glimpse of him bowing down and rubbing his eyes as he opened the door and he entered the boarding house.

Author's Notes: Surprise twist, huh? Well, there's more… a lot more. I have to tell you that at this point, believe it or not, Arnold is vulnerable… very vulnerable. In what way? Well, you'll understand as the next chapter(s) unfold. What do you guys think so far?

- tst : )