Hey, guys, gotta make this a little short. No time to respond to reviews today because I'm actually at work. But I did want to provide you with another update.

This chapter will deal with the aftermath of the lunchroom incident coming full circle, or karma depending on which way you look at it.

Though things are a little dark at the moment, I promise they get better. We all know these two are destined to be together. But the question remains, what will it take to get there?

Anyway, I'll respond to reviews next update.

I hope you guys enjoy!:)

Chapter 15. Dreaming With A Broken Heart

It was only a couple of days after the incident in the cafeteria that Helga really began to understand the consequences of her actions. Her classmates were either mocking or spurning her completely, she stopped being invited to certain gatherings after school, and though Phoebe still sat and talked with her at lunch, her attitude had noticeably cooled.

But the one she had underestimated above all, was Arnold.

It became clear that this was not one of their usual fights, where one (usually Helga) would snap or insult the other, become passive aggressive and then go back to normal. No, it seemed that Arnold had every intention of ignoring her, pretending as though her existence was little more than a corporeal ghost, unworthy of being acknowledged or spoken to. This tactic hadn't bothered her at first, the boy commonly turned the other cheek in the face of those who would do him wrong. However, there were a couple of key differences.

For one, Arnold only turned that cheek when she was brazenly insulting and mean. Since ceasing that behavior, he had welcomed her presence, but now the line was crossed and there was no going coming back from that. This was beyond taking the high road, it was a complete and total repulsion of Helga Pataki from the day to day life of Arnold Shortman. When she figured that out, her shock turned to unease to fury.

She had done everything she could to catch his attention- cornering him in the hallway, distracting him when he was up to bat at baseball, attempting to speak to him about last night's TV episode of 'The Abdicator'- nothing worked. As a last resort, she considered going back to her old habits of spitballs, pranks, and rude comments. But as desperate as she was for him to speak with him, the part of her that clinged to the moral compass in her heart prevented her from doing so.

Worst of all, was Gerald. He wasn't speaking to her either, but he would mutter underneath his breath after witnessing one of her latest methods of getting Arnold's attention, shaking his head disgustedly.

It was all Helga could do to not pound him into the dirt right then and there. The only thing preventing her from doing so was the fact that Phoebe would certainly never speak to her again if she harmed her boyfriend. And so, she just took it, fists clenched, teeth gnashing, but unable to do anything otherwise.

"You brought this on yourself, Helga," Phoebe told her at lunchtime as the two sat alone. Helga watched Arnold sit with his usual companions, his face neutral.

"Okay, fine, I screwed up. Are ya happy now, Pheebs? Do you like making me feel bad about myself?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Helga. I'm merely pointing out to you this isn't your typical case of ridiculing Arnold. You broke his heart. Did you really expect things to go back to normal as they usually do?"

It was all Helga could do to not slam her fists on the table and scream with agony.

"Look, I feel terrible! Will you please stop treating me like some heartless wench. You know I'm not that bad."

For the first time in days, sympathy appeared in her best friend's eyes.

"Helga, of course I know that. But you don't seem to get that Arnold doesn't. He doesn't have any idea how long you've pined after him, how much you care. In his mind, someone who reciprocates those kinds of feelings doesn't make him look like a fool in front of the whole school."

The blonde girl chucked her half eaten sandwich in the trash in frustration, her appetite ruined anyhow.

"Fine, so what do I do? I've tried to talk to him. I've tried to confront him and say I'm sorry. But he won't listen, he won't even acknowledge I'm there!"

Sympathy turned to sadness as Phoebe didn't mince words.

"What did you expect? For him to forget what happened and act like everything's fine in his life?"

"No! But maybe…just…" she huffed in anger, lamenting her situation more than ever before. "I'm going to talk to him. I will follow him all the way back to the boarding house in which he lives, but I WILL get him to talk. Even if it kills me."

"Helga, I'm not sure that's such a good idea. You'll likely make things worse."

But Helga wasn't listening, not really anyway. The only thing that mattered in this case was that she receive some sort of vindication from her beloved, because the alternative was worse than she could ever imagine.

The prospect of the only person who had ever bothered to recognize her existence cutting her off, was something far more frightening than any nightmare.

For better or worse, she had no other choice but to get him to talk.

Helga set her plan into motion as soon as the last bell rang, drowning out the rest of Mr. Frank's monotonous lecture.

Setting her movements carefully, she waited until Arnold had exited the classroom, trailing him the hallways, all the while keeping her distance so he wouldn't notice the fact that she was essentially tracking (stalking) him.

She made her way down the steps, hiding behind the trash cans when he turned to talk to Gerald and Stinky.

"Heya, Arnold. Ya coming to practice today?" Stinky asked, a bat slung over his shoulders.

"Of course. I'll be around in an hour. My grandpa needs me to walk Abner first."

"Remind me again how you ended up adopting a pig?" Gerald said, raising an eyebrow. "You know that's probably a health violation to have one."

"Since when have my grandparents ever cared about health code violations?"

"Touche," Gerald shrugged. "Anyway, swing by whenever you're done."

"Will do."

The conversation ended, and Helga resumed her stealth tracking. She had to catch him when he was completely alone with no one else around or else the plan would be all for naught. As such, her patience ran for about four blocks before she was convinced no other prying eyes would interfere or gossip about the confrontation later on.

I have to time this perfectly. Steady, Helga old girl.

Just as he neared the old boarding house, she made her move.

"Arnold! Hey, Arnold!"

Due to the out of nowhere calling of his name and the muffled tone, he actually turned to see who it was that desired an audience. But when he saw that is was Helga running up to greet him, he frowned and began his ascent up the steps.

"Arnold! Hey! I'm talking to you! ARNOLD!"

The boy's shoulders shifted into an upward cringe as Helga's voice rocked his ear drums.

"Oh, good. I finally got your attention, football head. Well that's just great because I need to tell you something."

She was smiling, but it carried a great amount of nervousness. Well aware that Arnold was upset with her, there was no way of knowing just how deep that anger ran.

"Actually, there's something I need to tell you, Helga," he said evenly.

"Well I'm glad it's mutual. What's going on in that oblong shaped head of yours?" she tried to joke.

But the blond boy wasn't having any of it. Not today. It wasn't until he turned around that Helga realized just how furious he was.

"Get out of my life. Forever."

Helga gulped as quiet fury blazed in her beloved's normally soft, green eyes.

"Wha-what do you mean?"

"Did I stutter? I told you to get out of my life and stop bothering me, once and for all."

She would have preferred it if he had yelled. Somehow, the scolding in his normally calm, kindly voice felt unnatural. Like a scolding from kindly aunt or grandfather…that is if she had one.

"But you don't understand!" she protested.

"No, Helga, for once in my life, I do understand. All these years I've spent trying to figure you out, attempting to reason with your constant outbursts, justifying the way you treat everyone, holding over some hope that beneath it all was a good person."

The blond boy cringed every so slightly, but his gaze remained steely and unyielding.

"You know the worst thing about it? It wasn't that you humiliated me again, Helga. It was the belief that you liked me as much as I liked you."

"Arnold, please," Helga said, begging now, tears brimming in her eyes. "It's not what you think-"

"It doesn't matter," he replied coldly. "Whatever your motivations, whether there's a good person in you or not, it's irrelevant. I don't care anymore. I'm done playing this runaround with you. Goodbye."

He attempted to go back inside the boarding house and again Helga tried to prevent him doing so. The closer he got to the knob, the more her chances slipped away into oblivion. She had to mend his heart before her own became broken as well.

Alas, it was too late.

"Arnold, wait!"

"Read my lips, Helga," Arnold said, blocking her from going up the stairs any further, the upward providing a height advantage he had never enjoyed previously. "I don't want anything to do with you anymore. I don't want to talk to you at school or anywhere else again."

He opened the door before turning back for one last arrow to the heart.

"And never come back here again."

The door slammed shut, leaving Helga in a numbing daze. She stood stock still for a minute or so before something happened that had not occurred since she was five.

Helga began to cry, and then she began to run. Faster than was possible for a girl her age, it didn't matter. The world became a blur, not paying attention to the Jolly Olly Man's Ice Cream Truck, Mrs. Vitelli's hello, or even stoop kid's wanton threats. None of it mattered, because she officially didn't matter anymore to the one person she cared about above most.

Racing into her home and up into her room, Helga slumped down in front of her door clutching her locket tightly than ever before, knowing that the person in the frame was lost forever.

Arnold, my love. I'm so sorry…

The tears would not dry for hours.

In the evening haze, Hillwood housed two broken hearts.

Yeah...pretty sad to write. I didn't have Arnold yell because I felt that a cold rejection suited the scene better. He's capable of anger, but I think the wreckage of his own feelings has numbed him as it has with both of our favorite blondes now.

Next update with be in June. They are going to be much more frequent this summer!

Rock on!

~The Wasp

(P.S. Yes I did use the title of the John Mayer song. Felt appropriate)