Hello, everyone.

Another chapter is here for your enjoyment. When we last left off, Arnold and Helga were having a rather heartfelt conversation. Will it be enough to snap Arnold out of his funk? And how will Helga behave moving forward? The answers will come soon enough ;)

Now to respond to reviewers.

Ajay435- Helga has always had the ability to be more open and actually show a different side, but it takes something pretty big to bring it out, especially when it comes to Arnold. This is the first step for her so to speak.

Kryten- Thank you. I very much agree. Some chapters are more difficult than others.

Call Me Nettie- Thank you! Helga has always cared for Arnold, it's just about showing it, which she rarely does. This is a situation where no one and nothing is going to help Helga become nicer, she has to do it on her own. Bob is a stubborn jackass, but I can see a scenario in which even he faces reality.

Guest- Haha, we're not quite there yet. I think Arnold was a little shell shocked after having that dream in 'Arnold visits Arnie.'

The Rhombus/Guest- I wanted to highlight in particular the struggles Helga faces at home, as it plays a big part in why she acts the way she does. It's only because Arnold is acting so OOC that she would bother to drop her usual mask, but then again she has to have the true desire to do so. As for whether not it will be lasting...well, I think you're about to find out.

Yali Page- Thank you very much! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Wicked Intentions- Thank you! I always do my best to keep my fanfics in character and true to a hypothetical scenario in the show.

Ezza- Helga/Arnold is one of my favorite pairings of all time so I share your sentiments.

This has gone really well so far in terms of positive feedback and reviews. I really hope it continues that way. Thank you to all who have read and reviewed. It means a lot. Keep sending me feedback! An author can never have too much!

Now for the story!

Chapter 5. Observations

The following day, Arnold found that he had retained his recently uplifted spirits from the previous afternoon. There was an extra spring in his step as he went through his morning routine. By the time he was out the door to walk with Gerald to school he was practically whistling.

It didn't take long for his best friend to notice.

"Someone's in a good mood today," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Am I? Yeah, I guess you're right," Arnold laughed.

"Well it's nice to see you happy for a change, buddy. Did you get all 'that' figured out?"

Gerald wasn't always the best with these types of deep, emotional discussions. It's not that disliked them, but often he found himself to be inadequate at offering any sort of profound insight. He was much more skilled in dealing with matters of street or classmate disputes. Of course, he would do anything for his best friend, but either way, he was happy, and even a bit relieved to see him upbeat.

"Truth is, this whole thing with my parents still hurts. It will for awhile and it may never leave me completely. But it's better to try and enjoy life as best I can. I admit, I've been inside my own head too much lately."

"Now that's the bold kid I know," Gerald said putting his arm around his friend in a gesture of support. "Did you figure all this out on your own or did you have a sudden epiphany sitting on the john or something?"

"I had some help, actually."

"Oh, yeah? From who?"

"Helga."

Gerald did a double take as his expression rapidly changed to one of disbelief.

"Come again?"

"I know it sounds far fetched…" Arnold said sheepishly, starting to rub his hand on the back of his neck.

"That's an understatement," Gerald muttered.

"She walked by while I was outside on the steps feeling sorry for myself. At first she just insulted me like usual, but then she sat down and really tried to listen to me. In the end, we had a long conversation and she gave me some really solid advice."

"Am I in the twilight zone or something?" Gerald asked with a hint of sarcasm. "Helga gave YOU advice? Helga-G-Pataki?" he emphasized.

"Like I said, I wasn't really expecting it either. But it really put some things in perspective for me."

His best friend shook his head, adjusting the straps on his bookbag as they rounded the corner to P.S. 118.

"Alright, Arnold. I'm prepared to take your word for it. But let's just say she helped you out. Then what? We're going to walk through those doors today and she'll be right back where she usually is: behind your desk, firing ten spitballs per hour at the back of your head."

Arnold considered this for a second. It was a classic of instance of his own inner optimism versus Gerald's pragmatic but slightly more cynical nature. Sure, Helga had made nice this time around, but in the past, those moments were usually followed by the daily cycle of torment all over again. He wanted to believe that one day the blonde girl would finally break that habit completely, but of course, that had been the case since he was three years old…

"I see your point," he admitted. "But who knows? Maybe she's changing."

"I feel you, my man," Gerald said as they approached the steps of the school they had gone to their entire lives, blocking out the chatter from the rest of the students they passed by. "But don't get your hopes up."

"Perhaps today will be different."

Gerald laughed in a good natured way, recognizing Arnold's propensity for looking on the bright side was in full force.

"I've never really understood that kind of optimism. But today, I'm not gonna give you a hard time about it. Above everything else, I'm just glad you're feeling better."

Arnold grinned in response. "Thanks, Gerald."

And they did their long time handshake, signifying their commitment to each other's backs without fail.

The bell rang, signaling that class was about to begin, at the risk of detention with Principal Wartz if they were late.

Here goes nothing, Arnold mused to himself as he walked into Mr. Frank's class and sat at his desk. Truth be told, he was more than a bit anxious at how Helga would react to his presence. Even in the rare times where they were amicable with each other, it didn't take long for her to do what she did best, namely fire her spitballs and make his life as difficult as possible.

So, when Helga did finally show up, it didn't come as a surprise when she appeared just as mean and temperamental as ever.

"Miss Pataki, I do believe you're late," Mr. Frank said dryly as she walked in the door.

"Oh, yeah? Try getting to school on time when your dad makes you sort beepers all morning." And she slammed an excused absence note on the teacher's desk without so much as a flinch and stomped over to her desk.

"Uh, yes, I see," Mr. Frank said, adjusting his glasses. "Well this note is certainly valid. As such, you will not serve detention. Please open your book to-"

"Section three, page twenty-eight in Algebra. Yeah, yeah, I know."

Well perhaps I spoke too soon, Arnold thought. He mentally prepared for the usual assortment of spitballs and rubber bands that usually came his way. He just hoped she would avoid using gum. It had taken quite a bit of rinsing for his grandma to get it all out of his hair the previous day, all while she had been dressed as Mary Queen of Scots.

Mr. Frank began his droning and the school day was on. Five minutes passed, then ten, then thirty. All the while, Arnold braced himself for the inevitable. But it never came. Deeply puzzled, he decided to turn around briefly just to see what Helga was up to.

Taking a quick glance, he saw her sitting at her desk. She wasn't giving Mr. Frank much attention, but that was nothing new. However, there was also no straw, no pile of wet and sticky projectiles, no hint that she had any intention of doing anything except doodle in her notebook.

He turned back around, completely mystified.

Is she not going to do anything to me today? Or is this just another trick she's pulling?

Arnold rarely thought ill of anyone, not even in his worst moments. But Helga could be considered the exception to the rule at times. There was just no telling what she would do or what kind of mood she would be in. If she was in a bad one, it was usually a bad sign.

But she's in a bad mood, now he countered to himself. And yet, nothing.

He couldn't help but feel a significant amount of anxiety. It wasn't as if the prospect of spitballs was that daunting. The sudden change in Helga's behavior was enough to make him suspicious.

Come on, he mentally chastised himself. Don't get so worked about it. I'm sure there's a logical explanation.

He allowed himself to relax as the day went on and Mr. Frank went from topic to topic. By the time lunch rolled around, he made it through an entire morning without a single projectile hitting the back of his head.

"What exactly did you two talk about yesterday?" Gerald asked him in amazement as they headed down the hall towards the lunch room.

"Just, life I guess," Arnold said feeling a tad distracted.

"Life. Uh-huh. Well, whatever it was, it got Helga to stop picking on you for an entire morning."

"Who knows?" the blond boy shrugged. "It was just nice to have a morning without serving as target practice."

"Just you watch. She'll return to her old ways before you can say 'hoochie mama.'"

"Well, let's just see how the day goes."

He stepped to the side for a moment to get a drink at the fountain, only to see that Helga was in the line ahead of him.

Oh, happy joy, he thought anxiously.

As she finished her turn, she saw him standing behind her and offered for him to go next.

"Have a drink, football head."

"Uh, thanks, Helga."

Though his instincts told him not to, he bent down and began to quench his thirst. His stomach churned slightly as he waited for Helga to stick her finger on the nozzle and spray water all over his front…

It never happened. Arnold finished his drink and looked at Helga. Her expression was quite odd; her body was quite tense, as if she were physically trying to prevent herself from doing something. Her jaw was clenched, practically cemented shut, and her hands were locked firmly at her side. But what struck him most were her eyes. The crystal blue orbs were…indescribable. Full of passion and emotion that he had never witnessed or noticed in her before.

How much about Helga have I missed?

The moment was brief, however, as Helga's voice brought him back to reality.

"What the heck are you lookin at, Arnoldo?"

Clearing his head, he responded quickly so not to arouse her temper further.

"Nothing, Helga. I just thought…"

"What? That I was going to spray water in your face?"

"Uh, yeah?"

He could see her shifting her eyes back and forth rather rapidly, as if unsure what to say.

"Well…I..I'm..in a good mood today. Yeah, I'm just cutting ya a break for once. Just don't say I never did you any favors, hair boy."

And she walked off in a hurried manner, leaving Arnold and Gerald even more perplexed than they already had been.

"Okay, seriously. What did you two talk about yesterday?"

"Gerald…"

"You can't blame me for being skeptical," the African American boy said with a shrug. "This is Helga Pataki we're talking about here."

"I know. She looked pretty upset this morning too. But maybe she really is trying to be nicer."

"Whatever you say, Arnold," Gerald said as they resumed their walking towards the lunch room. "I'm glad your optimism is back, but don't let it get your hopes up too high with that girl."

Arnold didn't say anything. That Helga had cased to torture him for half a day was something in itself. He just hoped it was a trend that would continue.

Well, looks like things got a little more puzzling...and intriguing? What could be the reason for Helga's sudden cessation of open hostilities? Is it just a one day thing? Why am I asking you all these questions...I'm the author I know what's going to happen xD

Find out soon! Next update will be this month!

~The Wasp