Chapter 3

"And it was her Gerald!"

Arnold and Gerald had been sitting in study hall that Monday morning talking about the party, now Arnold was telling his story on how he had been reunited with Cecile. Gerald had been listening attentively as always, since he was the only person that knew about her. "Man you have got to be kidding me. What happened next?"

"Well we hung out and talked, and then..."

"Then what man?" Gerald asked after Arnold drifted silent.

"I asked her if I could kiss her."

"Oh man you didn't!? That's my boy right there. How was it?"

Arnold sighed. "I was about to, when she left."

"She just left?"

"Her phone went off and she ran out the door."

"That sucks. Well did she give you any info?"

"Nothing. But she dropped this," Arnold quickly pulled out the piece of paper Cecile had dropped. He had it stashed in his wallet for safekeeping.

" is this a phone number?" Gerald inspected it carefully.

"No, I checked, but it's not a real area code. I don't know what it could be."

"Well at least you know she goes to school here."

"Yeah, but so do thousands of other girls."

"Well come on man, what do you know about her."

"She's incredible. She loves poetry, and sports. She has a rough family life, but she tries to be a better person."

Gerald rolled his eyes. "I mean, what do you know physically about her?"

"Well she's blonde."

"Well that narrows it down to half the girls in school."

"She was wearing a costume, I couldn't tell anything else."

"Well Arnold, you've got to wait till she comes to you. That's all I gotta say."

As the bell rang the rest of the class began to take their seats. Arnold noticed Helga Pataki taking her seat in front of him. "Hey Helga." She turned to see Arnold, and rolled her eyes. "I was waiting to see you at my party, why didn't you go?"

"Oh please Arnoldo, do you actually think I would be caught dead at your party? Please. I had better things to do like eat a worm."

Helga turned back without another word.

"Why do you still try Arnold?" Gerald asked him in a disappointed voice. "That girl hates you."

"I just have to Gerald, I'm determined to get Helga to like me."

"Yeah, when pigs fly."

"You never know Gerald."

That afternoon Helga rushed to the store to start her shift. Usually she and Stephen McGowan where there at four, but he was not in today. It was obvious that Bob had fired him, now Alec Wayland was there to take over his shift. She went to her locker and stuffed her school bag in and took her cellphone out. She was off to check the chart to see what position she was working today, but instead was called into her father's office.

"Hi Dad."

"Hey Little Lady," Bob said. "I need that pass code on my desk pronto, I forgo the dang code and I can't find the manual."

Helga checked her pocket to see if she had the piece of paper. Bob had a special password for the security system that both locked and opened all the doors. So far there was nothing in her pocket, it might had been in her bag. When she went to check her satchel there was nothing there.

"I think I must had dropped it."

"DROPPED IT?!" Bob yelled. "Helga do you know what could happen if someone found that code?"

"Bob please, no one would know what a random number means. Look I know it by heart, I'll just say it to you."

"You better, I don't want no new installation for my security system."

Helga sighed. "It's one, zero, zero, zero, two, two, five, six, nine. Happy?"

"Watch your mouth there."

"Whatever Bob, I need to get to my shift."

There were a coupled of people in the store already being attended by Alec, so Helga just chilled behind the sales desk upfront. She was upset with herself today, not only had she lost the password, but she had been a jerk to Arnold again. The night she came back from the party she was amazed at her composure, and swore she would tell Arnold it was her.

"How was it Cinderella?" Patty asked her once she walked in the door.

"Amazing. We talked all night, and he even tried to kiss me."

"That's great Helga, so you guys are like a couple now?"

"Not quite."

The three girls looked at her with worry. "What ever do you mean?" Lila asked.

"Well, I kinda didn't tell him it was me."

"HELGA!" They yelled.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't tell him. He was just so into me, and if he found it was Helga Pataki talking to him he would be disgusted."

Patty looked so disappointed in Helga that even Helga felt ashamed of herself. She couldn't even look her in the eyes. "Helga I gave you that dress for a reason. You promised me you would tell him."

"I tried Patty! I swear to God I tried! But he started talking about me and I just couldn't tell him."

"Whatever did he say?" Lila asked.

"He said he doesn't know how he feels about Helga Pataki, but he's thought about her."

"And that wasn't a good time to tell him you're Helga Pataki?" Patty sounded much more angry now.

"You just don't understand Patty."

"You're right, I don't understand."

Helga wished she could go back and tell him, but it was too late now. Now in the store the people Alec had attended were gone. He came over to her, since she was the only one in the store with him.

"It took me forever to get that lady to buy a phone. You better take the next people."

Helga shrugged, she hates people. There was nothing worse than faking a smile and trying to sell someone a phone plan. "Whatever. How was the stomach flu?"

"Just great actually. You know throwing up is actually really relaxing."

"Yeah? no wonder models do that so much."

The bell rang just then and the two of them turned to see who was in the store. It was Arnold and Gerald. "You're turn Helga." But before Alec knew it, Helga was hiding behind the counter.

"Please take these people Alec, please. I can't let them see me, I'll do anything."

Alec rolled his eyes and turned to the boys. Helga listened as he talked to them. "Welcome to Big Bob's Cellphone Emporium, how may I help you?"

"Hey,"Arnold's voice said, "I bought this charger a bit ago, but it's for the wrong phone. Is Helga around?"

Helga winced, the last thing she wanted was to talk to Arnold.

Alec quickly looked down, but Helga shook her head. "Ugh, she not really available right now."

"I thought she had a shift right now. Are you sure she's not in?"

Alec looked down again, and again Helga said no. "I'm sure, need me to help you with that?"

"Nah, I'll just come back when she's in."

"Have a nice day."

"Thanks."

Helga waited until she heard the bell again to come out. Arnold was gone, but now she had some explaining to do with Alec.

"What the hell was that?" He asked.

"Please don't ask."

"Oh, I'm asking alright. What is up with you and that guy?"

Helga exhaled. "Nothing, I just didn't want to talk to him."

"What happened? Ex boyfriend or something?"

"Since when do I have to explain anything to you Wayland?"

"Since you made me do that Pataki."

Before Helga knew it she was telling him everything that happened that night with Arnold. Helga wasn't too afraid when telling Alec, he didn't go to her high school, so he didn't even know Arnold. It was actually kind of nice letting all of that stuff go. At the same time, Helga couldn't help but feel even more insane as she told her story.

"You are so insane," Alec told her as she finished her story.

"I know okay."

"No you don't. That dude it obviously mad for you and you're keeping yourself away from him."

Helga frowned. "Who's side are you on Alec?"

"I'm the unbiased coworker."

"Look Alec, it told you my story, now help me out. What should I do?"

"Tell him the truth." Helga frowned again. "I'm being serious, you need to tell him it's you."

"What? I should just go up to him and be like, 'hey football-head, remember that girl you thought was Cecile? Well guess what it's me. Let's make out."

"Okay, maybe not like that, but you have to tell him."

"How?"

"I don't know, I guess you can just have him alone with you, and just talk."

Helga smiled, she didn't know how she'd do it yet, but Alec Wayland had just convinced her to try. "Thanks Alec, for listening."

"No problem." He smiled back at her and turned to go back to his counter. He quickly turned back and yelled, "Arnold's coming!"

Frantically Helga dropped to the floor to hide, only to be stopped by Alec's laughter. "Very funny."

"That's why I'm laughing."

That night Helga sat in her room wondering more and more about what Alec had told her. She knew she would tell Arnold now, how she would do it was still a mystery. She couldn't just go up and tell him, right? She had to do something special, something that would help him fall even more for her. Helga took out one of her pink notebooks and scribbled down a couple of ideas for how to tell him. Most of them were stupid, but she had to start somewhere.

Arnold and Gerald sat in Arnold's room eating a peperoni pizza and surfing the internet. There was never anything to do on there, but somehow they were always brainwashed into looking at the computer.

"I got an idea man!" Gerald exclaimed out of no where.

Arnold looked at him confused as always. "What do you mean?"

"Why don't you put a post on facebook."

"You're joking. Tell me you're joking."

Gerald shook his head. "Nah man. Look, just make a facebook event and invite all the girls you can, and ask if any of them are your Cinderella."

"That is the stupidest plan I have ever heard. I sound desperate."

"Aren't you?"

Arnold thought for a minute about that. He was desperate. He knew people would laugh at him for posting the event, but he just had to find Cecile. "Maybe I am, but are you sure this will work?"

"Of course. You can make it an open event so people can add all the girls they know."

"Alright. Make it."

Gerald cracked his fingers and began to work. He wrote down, "FIND CINDERELLA" as the event name and began inviting girls. "Were you at Arnold's party? Are you his Cinderella? If you're reading this Cecile, make sure to let us know. And save."

Arnold slapped Gerald behind his head. "What the hell, Gerald!"

"What?"

"You're not suppose to mention Cecile's name, that was suppose to be the test!"

"Oh sorry."

Arnold went back to his bed and laid there silently. "And now we wait."