Hello, everyone!

I've decided to make two updates in one day (the other being my 'Longest Monday' story, feel free to check that out *wink wink *nudge nudge) since it's been awhile I've updated. I'm very happy with the reception this has gotten so far:) I really hope you guys will continue to read and enjoy it because this is going to be a pretty in depth story with a lot of moving parts and whole lot of growth in the relationship between Arnold and Helga. So I hope this latest chapter is to everyone's liking.

Let's see what we have for reviews.

Yali Page- I think you're about to get an answer in this chapter;)

Wicked Intentions- Thank you! I think this story might surprise you in a couple of respects

Ajay435- Anyone dealing with what Arnold has for the entirety of his school days would be a little suspicious as to why their tormentor suddenly ceased the torment haha. This is sort of the foot in the door for their relationship to grow. And these incidents will only serve to make him think back just a bit more...

Starfiction123- Thank you, very much! I'm very glad you like it. I hope you'll keep reading:)

Call Me Nettie- Helga is most certainly trying to do things a little different. Gerald certainly isn't believing it right away.

Ezza- It's funny how nerve racked she gets whenever she DOES try to be nice haha.

DeepVoice06- Always love seeing your name on the review list! Helga is definitely going through a lot and you're going to see more of that in upcoming chapters. I definitely think Mr. Frank is the more appropriate teacher for them to have as well. I could never see Gerald picking on Helga, but let's just say he could be a bit over protective. He's not a Mr. positive like Arnold is lol.

The Rhombus- Gerald and Arnold have a very good dynamic friendship where they compliment one another even if they don't always agree. Helga is a creature of habit with her bullying, as we all know it's a front for how she really feels, especially about one person in particular. The reason she's trying to reform is because of Arnold and it remains to be seen whether she can keep it up.

Laylion4869- You don't have to wait any longer!:)

That concludes answering reviews! Please leave more, as I love responding to you guys!

On with the story!

Chapter 6. Gerald's Suspicions

However, during the next few weeks, the trend did continue. Helga was not 'kind' in the purest sense of the word, but she was not trying to make his life hell on earth, either. She still called him her assortment of names- 'football head', 'Arnoldo', 'hair boy', etc. But the whole of her behavior was not hostile. In fact, it was quite contrary.

*Flashback

"You take it, Arnold."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm ever so positive."

The blond boy took the last remaining bowl of tapioca pudding and added it to his tray.

"Thanks, Lila."

"No problem, Arnold."

The pretty girl gave him a friendly smile before walking off to sit at a table with her respective group of friends.

Arnold couldn't but still feel a pang of sadness when looking at Lila. Her soft red hair (which she had recently let down), her pretty, green dress, the doe eyes…he had to remind himself that ship had sailed a long time ago. The last time he had attempted to win her affections had not gone well. That failure, along with that of his lost parents had been enough to send him on an emotional tailspin that he had barely climbed his way out of. There were moments where he wasn't sure those dark days had passed…

Gerald interrupted his spiraling thought process just in the nick of time, as he motioned for Arnold to grab a table with him. He was privately thankful.

"Last bowl of tapioca," he observed. "You know, my grandfather eats that stuff on the regular."

"Funny. My grandpa hates it," Arnold chuckled, trying to keep his good humor.

"That proves two things," Gerald said. "One: your grandparents are 82 going on 25. Two: you're a geezer trapped in a sixth grader's body."

"I've been called an old soul once or twice."

"Just don't start forgetting things and yearn for the good ole days, brotha."

The banter continued among the two as they walked towards a table that contained their usual assortment of friends- Harold, Stinky, Sid, Eugene, etc.

As they turned the corner, Arnold couldn't help but take one more glance back at Lila, trying to imagine what it would be like to hold her hand, to take in her radiant glow, to kiss those soft lips…

"Arnold, look out!"

Gerald had tried to warn him, but by the time he realized that he had walked straight into a wet floor sign, it was too late. He slipped at least two feet in the air, his lunch tray slipping out of his hands, while simultaneously landing hard on his backside. He cowered, hoping that none of his meal would hit him. He was almost fortunate. The tapioca bowl landed directly on his face.

Immediately the lunch room broke out into laughter, with hollering and finger pointing all directed his way. He couldn't help but turn a tiny bit red from the embarrassment. After all, this sort of thing happened more often to someone like Eugene, not him.

Gerald was one of the few that did not laugh. He merely shook his head and moved to help his buddy up. But someone else got there first.

"Slipped on a wet floor sign, eh?" came an abrasive feminine voice.

Arnold looked up to see Helga Pataki standing over him, hands on her hips, a smirk playing around her mouth, but otherwise not reveling in his misfortune.

"Guess I wasn't watching where I was going."

"That's just like you football head, always got your noggin stuck in the clouds."

Then she did something unexpected which surprised the crowd and Arnold himself. She offered a hand to help him up.

For a split second, the blond boy merely stared at her before accepting Helga's help and was pulled to his feet.

"Thanks, Helga," he said, aware that several pairs of eyes were on them both.

"Don't mention it," she replied gruffly, and she pulled out a few napkins. "By the way, you got a little tapioca…well, everywhere."

Arnold took the napkins and began to wipe off his face and parts of his shirt. It was then, Gerald came up next to him.

"You good, man?"

"He slipped and fell. He didn't lose an arm, Geraldo," Helga sassed.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Arnold reassured his best friend. He looked back towards the blonde girl, who again had a similar look to the one he noticed about a week back at the water fountain. She looked visibly nervous, and her eyes carried a tremendous amount of emotion.

"Well…uh, anyway don't be late to baseball practice today, okay hair boy? And criminy, watch where you're going next time."

And she hurried away back to her table, where she was sitting with Phoebe.

"I'll do my best, Helga," Arnold said with a smile, as the rest of the school's attention went back to their meals.

"We should probably clean this up," said Gerald.

"Yeah, I'll get a mop."

As he went to the janitor's closet in the hall, he couldn't help but take another glance back in the lunchroom. Only this time, it was towards the girl in the pink bow, and the one in the green dress, forgotten in the recesses of his mind.

*End Flashback

That was the biggest incident that had stuck out in his mind, but there were others too. They weren't all as eventful as spilling tapioca pudding on himself, some were as simple as picking up a dropped pencil or making a trade at lunch. It was also what she didn't do that surprised him as well. Along with the lack of spitballs, there was no attempted tripping on the bus, no ketchup packets in his seat, or any kind of physical intimidation. The names were still there, however, they were used in more of a joking, teasing manner rather than the usual outright anger and hostility.

These subtle changes (some weren't so subtle), were not lost on Arnold. He wondered what could have caused Helga to soften her demeanor towards him, and the only thing he could think of was the conversation they had had on the anniversary of his parents' disappearance. Was one heart to heart enough to totally change a person? The optimist in him said 'yes', of course. That Helga, despite her flaws, was still a human being with feelings and capable of turning a new leaf, even if that leaf was still rough around the edges. On the other hand, part of his mind echoed Gerald; that appearances could be deceiving, and that Helga could revert to her old ways at any time.

She went out of her way to help me. And she's only gotten better since then. Why question it?

Arnold tapped his pencil as he phased in and out of listening to Mr. Frank's last lecture before the bell rang. He couldn't will himself to pay attention, as he had too much within his mind. For he could not help but question. He could not avoid pondering Helga Pataki.

He supposed it had something to do with the nature of the girl itself; loud, fiery, gritty, passionate, and sometimes outright obnoxious. He supposed it was a direct contrast to his own patterns of behavior; calm, sensible, idealistic, and optimistic. Always they seemed to be on the opposite ends of a situation and rarely did they ever get along. For the majority of his life, she had just bugged him to no end, the teasing and hijinks practically endless.

In the midst of the pain he had struggled to endure, he had felt no inclination to question the status quo of his daily routine. Helga Pataki hated him, and he did not have the energy or effort to care as to why. The last few weeks had altered that reality. For the first time in a long while, he felt life within his body. And it hadn't been because of his grandparents or Gerald, though he cared for them deeply. It had been because a blonde girl with a pink bow and a mean scowl went out of her way to try and lift his spirits.

Helga G. Pataki

*Rinnngggggg

The bell rang, interrupting his long, internal dialogue about Helga. It was Friday, and that meant they were free to do as they pleased for the weekend. This particular night he and the guys were planning on seeing 'Speed Demon: Hell on Wheels', which was the perfect combination of horror and action he needed for an occasion like this.

He walked out into the hallway, quickly spotting Gerald and Sid, who were conversing amongst themselves.

"Hey, guys," he said approaching them. "You ready for tonight?"

"Boy howdy, you bet!" Sid said excitedly. "I've been waiting to see this for months. Although, I can't believe they raised the movie tickets again! Four dollars and sixty-nine cents, can you believe it?"

"Sid, cool out," said Gerald, rolling his eyes. "We have enough between the five of us to pay for it. It's the movie that counts."

"Definitely," Arnold agreed. "What time did we say tonight?"

"Movie is at eight."

"Awesome, I'm just going to put some of the books I don't need this weekend in my locker. I'll meet you guys outside."

"Word. I actually have to go to the bathroom real quick. Wait for us Sid."

"Okay, fine."

Beatle boots clicked down the hallway as Sid muttered something about 'being too slow'.

"That dude takes himself way too seriously," Gerald muttered. "Anyway, I'll see you outside."

They did their trademark handshake and went their separate paths, as Arnold made his way to his locker to put away his math and science books.

He had just unlocked his combination, when he heard a voice from his right side.

"Heya, football head, how's it going?"

He smiled as he put away his academic materials.

"Can't complain, Helga. It's Friday after all."

The blonde girl's locker was only a few spots from his, so Arnold wasn't completely surprised he ran into her.

"Ah, the usual optimism," she said drolly. "Can't say I share it. Big Bob's idea of a fun weekend is sorting the various stocks of beepers he has left in stock. Guess who has to take a hard count of everything we still have?"

"Sounds like a blast," Arnold joked.

"It's about as interesting as watching paint dry."

Arnold laughed as an awkward silence fell between them, unsure of what else to say. Getting used to this new version of Helga, if that's what one wanted to call it, took some getting used to.

Helga seemed to sense that as well, as oddly enough, she began to blush, quickly slamming her locker shut.

"Yeah…well…I guess I'll see ya around, football head."

Arnold watched curiously as she began to walk off in the other direction, a strange feeling stirring within him.

"Hey, Helga. Do you want to come see 'Speed Demon' with me and the guys tonight?"

He didn't really know what had made him ask. The question sort of just blurted out of him without warning.

The blonde girl appraised him with an eye most would not to be on the receiving end of. However, her suspicion must have subsided as she responded in the affirmative.

"Well as much as I love helping my blowhard dad, I'd say that sounds pretty swell. What the heck. I'll join you."

"Awesome," Arnold said with a smile. "Movie starts at eight."

"Just as long as it ain't too expensive. I'm not exactly made of money right now, you know," she said, crossing her arms.

"If you need me to help pay your way, I'd be happy to."

Arnold was fully aware of the Pataki's precarious financial situation, but he knew he had to tread carefully around the subject. Helga was never one to admit anything was wrong openly, even if it was practically written all over face. The last thing anyone wanted to do was push the wrong buttons.

Thankfully, she didn't seem too offended.

"Save it, bucko. I don't need anyone's charity. I can pay my own way, got it?"

Arnold could only internally sigh at the continuing contradictory enigma of Helga Pataki, but he had to take what he could get. His better instincts took control as he calmly deflected the jab.

"No worries, Helga. We'll see you at eight, okay?"

He shut his locker, having done what he needed to do and was just thinking of what he and Gerald could do to pass the time after school…

"Arnold…thank you."

He turned to see the blonde girl was looking at him with that same passionate look, blue eyes glistening under the lights of the hallway. Arnold still hadn't quite figured out what that meant yet…by the same token he felt happy and even peaceful every time the gaze matched his own.

"You're welcome, Helga. See you tonight."

As he walked off towards the school exit, he couldn't help but feel a little lighter at the prospect of Helga joining them at the movies. He would, of course, have to explain the situation to the guys but she had hung out with them plenty of times before. It wouldn't be difficult.

He didn't notice Gerald observing them from behind the lockers as he passed.

Helga's heart continued to pound thunderously as she walked home, her knees struggling to work properly, the familiar butterflies dancing in the pit of her stomach.

Ever since the day she had met her beloved, not an instance went by when she didn't get that way around him. Lovesick day after day; her feelings so powerful she had had built an entire shrine devoted to the god that was Arnold Shortman.

What was the solution to such feelings? To cover any kind of affection she might have for him by being scorchingly mean. It had been the perfect alibi for nine years of her life. Now it was being tested.

When she had softened up enough to convince Arnold to tell her about his problems, she had vowed to become the person he would desire to go to in a time of need. The days of being a psychotic freak had to come to an end. If her love was in trouble, she was willing to sacrifice that in order to see him happy. But that also brought its own consequences. Toning down her general nastiness may have made Arnold happier or at the very least, easing the burden he faced each day, but it left her in a very precarious position.

Each moment interacting with Arnold had become its own internal battle for Helga. A kind of Thermopylae where the three hundred soldiers of her self-control had to hold back the Persian tide of her usual defense mechanisms. In other words, the temptation, rather her heightened fear pushing her to act cruel, was almost overwhelming. She still kept using her usual derisive nicknames to keep up appearances and for good reason. Because being nicer to Arnold did nothing to assuage the anxiety, the intense anger, and the nightmare of one more person she cared about not giving a damn. To be left out in the rain with no one to care or bother to acknowledge she even existed…

A cold shiver ran down her spine.

I don't think he or anyone else, suspects anything…at least not the truth, she mused to herself. But I've had too many close calls. I know he saw me blush when he asked me to that movie.

She stopped in front of the movie theater, which proudly boasted in colorful letters its showing of 'Speed Demon' which she would be seeing later tonight with Arnold, Gerald, and the rest of the morons they hung out with.

Swallowing uncomfortably, she resumed her pace, wishing Phoebe were here with her to listen to her endless emotional tirades. They normally walked together after school, but today she had had a dentist appointment at two-thirty, and thus was able to leave class early. It was only then Helga realized just how alone she truly felt.

She looked around, ducked into a back alleyway, and pulled out the locket she had hidden inside her dress pocket for all these years.

"Oh, Arnold," she whispered softly into the shadows of the tall brick buildings that loomed overhead. "I said two years ago I wanted to become the person you could turn to when the melancholy of losing your parents became too much for you to bear on your own. And so, I've helped ease the suffering of your heart. Yet mine remains wrapped in the black trappings of fear and insecurity."

She ran her finger down the glass that held the picture of her beloved.

"There's no doubt you've noticed that I'm not acting like such a bully to you. But when will you scratch further than just the surface? When will you notice that my affection for you extends far beyond that of just of a tenuous friendship? How can I show my true feelings when I don't how you feel in return?"

A small voice in the back of her head answered almost immediately.

How can he know when you won't take a risk? You're doing the right thing by ceasing to torment him day after day. Now you need to be open and show him that you're a good person underneath it all. That you genuinely love him and want to be with him.

She sighed as she stuck the locket back in her pocket. It was a good first step that she had to continue to build on. Yes, the bullying had stopped. It was time to try and go further.

But how?

It was then she felt an unexpected tap on her shoulder that caused her to scream aloud and jump straight in the air.

"GAH!"

"Whoa, chill out, Helga. It's only me."

She turned and saw Gerald standing there, hands raised, indicating he was not a threat. He certainly did not want to be on the receiving end of a fist.

"Criminy, Geraldo! Give me a heads up next time before you sneak up on me like that, you tall haired creep!"

"I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't trying to scare you."

He's certainly good at diffusing tense situations, I'll give him that much, Helga thought, the adrenaline in her body subsiding. Anyone else might have gotten a black eye.

"So, the heck are you doing here?" she asked, now genuinely wondering what he wanted. "Why aren't you with football head?"

"I'm meeting him at his house later. A better question is, what exactly are you doing with him?"

Helga's heart skipped a beat, but she feigned ignorance.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me, Helga," Gerald said, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "I overheard you guys talking at the end of the day. For some reason, you got him to invite you to our movie night."

"Yeah, so what? It's a free country, tall hair boy. If Arnold wanted to invite me, then what's it to you?"

But the black boy was having none of it. Helga's usual hostile behavior wasn't going to deter him this time around. He didn't know the reason for her change in attitude, but it couldn't be anything good.

"You think I haven't noticed the whole 'nice' act the past few weeks? When the girl who used to make life miserable for my best friend suddenly decides to get all chummy with him, it's my business to find out why."

Helga couldn't help but feel a tiny bit insulted. She didn't deny how bad she had been for all these years, but why should her restraint in bullying him bring about suspicion?

"Are you kidding me, right now?" she replied incredulously. "I finally start to back off the stupid football head, and now I'm getting read the riot act?"

"Can you blame me?" Gerald countered. "You're never nice to anyone, especially to Arnold. Suddenly, it's all good between you two? I know you, Helga and you're not fooling me. So don't even think about trying to mess with him in any way or…"

"Or what?!" Helga spat furiously, her temper getting the better of her. "Do you really think that low of me that I would purposefully try and be nice to Arnold, just to try and hurt him?!"

Gerald gave the blonde girl a hard stare, one which she reciprocated. Perhaps she wasn't lying, and she really was attempting to turn over a new leaf. But he had seen too many incidents in the past- spews of insults, tripping him on the bus, gluing feathers to his butt- to give her the benefit of the doubt. He wasn't going to let his best friend get hurt, not if he could help it.

"You've never given me any reason to believe otherwise," he said at last.

Helga's next words were not yelled or screamed, rather they were quiet and carried a deadly inflection.

"Screw you, Gerald. Screw all of you."

And she stomped past him back onto the main sidewalk, but not before adding, "And for the record, I don't know what Phoebe sees in you."

Gerald could only watch, as Helga walked down the street and out of sight. Scratching his head, he wondered if he had gone too far in practically accusing her of trying to stab Arnold in the back. She was a lot of things, but not diabolical or heartless.

Then again, what choice did he have? Between Arnold's struggles to overcome the loss of his parents and getting through sixth grade, he didn't need girl problems either. Least of all with Helga G. Pataki.

"I don't think I'll ever understand what makes that girl tick," he said to himself as he went in the opposite direction. He just hoped her showing up at the movie tonight wouldn't throw a monkey wrench into the evening.

"It's 7:50, where is she?"

"Arnold, relax man."

Arnold and Gerald were in the lobby, giant buckets of popcorn ready and sodas in hand. Harold, Stinky, and Sid had already gone inside the doors, but Arnold had decided to wait for Helga as he deemed it the gentlemanly thing to do.

He checked his watch again.

"Arnold, I'm sure she got caught up with something. Maybe she decided she didn't want to go."

"Gerald, she loves these kinds of movies as much as we do. She wouldn't miss out on 'Speed Demon.'"

"Whatever you say, my man. But if you ask me, I'm kind of indifferent. Less popcorn to share."

Arnold couldn't help but notice his best friend's eyes didn't quite meet his when he said that, but he didn't dwell on it further.

"Come on man, the movie is about to start."

"You go ahead, I'm going to wait a few more minutes. It's just previews."

Gerald shrugged, ate a few pieces of popcorn and headed inside the movie screening, leaving Arnold alone in the lobby.

She seemed relatively keen on coming tonight, he pondered to himself. I'm sure any moment she'll come bursting through the doors, telling me to haul ass before all the good seats are taken.

But it didn't happen. Minute after minute passed by and Helga was nowhere to be found. Finally, he realized that if he would miss the opening part of the movie if he waited any longer. Reluctantly, he left the lobby and into the theater hall.

Arnold watched the movie that night, and it was every bit as scary and action packed as he had hoped it would be. But he could never shake the small concern in the back of his head about Helga and what exactly had prevented her from showing up.

Well then...what happened to our favorite blonde with the pink bow? I think we all would like to know. Let's hope Gerald's meddling doesn't cause more problems.

Another update will be in the next couple weeks!

~The Wasp