A/N:
Hello, everyone! I hope you're all doing well and having a lovely winter. Again, I just want to thank all of you for your patience with me regarding updates. I've been working on a lot of projects lately and trying to start establishing some sort of career with my original writing, and it's been a lot of work. But of course, fan fiction (and this fandom) will always be a personal love of mine, and I appreciate everyone who sticks with my stories even if some of them do take a while before they're finished. * Hugs *
I hope you'll all enjoy this latest update to April 2nd. And please review whenever you can! Also, for those of you who have me on author alert, your inbox is about to be shortly flooded with notifications of stories I'm posting in other fandoms along with this one. If you have an interest in any of those fandoms, I would of course love for you to check out any of these new stories you have time to look at and to give me feedback. If, however, you prefer just straight HA! from me, I understand entirely and thank you for your patience regarding both my updates to this story and, as I said, this instance of inbox flooding.
I know I'm posting a lot right now. This is a one time thing, though I will attempt to provide updates on a much more regular basis from now on. This much writing and editing lately has been my way of dealing with an unfortunate experience I had over the holidays. My dog (and best friend) Biscuit passed away suddenly. The writing, and knowing that through writing I might give all of you something to enjoy even in the littlest way, has helped a lot. So thank you again for dealing with the inbox flooding as a consequence of the best means of coping with bad situations that I know of.
All right then, here we go, the next installment of April 2nd!
April 2nd:
Chapter 7:
Keeping Secrets, Telling Lies
By now, another week had passed, and Helga was having her own issues with the 'Arnold' situation, meaning she had just enough on her plate between exploring her own now-almost-requited feelings of love, and keeping up the act of hating (or at least 'not particularly liking') Arnold at school, and plotting secret outings for the two of them after school, and keeping up with her homework, and finding time for various activities with Phoebe and her friends that she really didn't have the available perspective to realize that Arnold might not be as happy with the state of their relationship as he was desperately pretending to be. Besides, she was used to him being about as honest as the day was long—why suspect he was lying to her, and especially about something as seemingly important to both of them as this?
Helga was sitting with Phoebe right now on this Saturday afternoon on of the City Lake docs throwing rocks into the water and gazing out at the small waves with a look of concentration.
She hadn't spoken for a little while—just nodded or sighed in reply to attempts at conversation from her best friend. And Phoebe, not having much more time that she could spend out here this afternoon, knew she needed to prompt her best friend to opening up a little if she wanted to be able to provide her with any assistance before their time together was over. "Helga, pardon my asking but, is something bothering you?" Phoebe finally questioned outright, reaching up and adjusting her glasses as she looked to her friend.
"Is it that obvious?" Helga asked a touch dryly, tossing another rock into the water. She blinked, glancing at her friend. "Sorry, Phoebe, I didn't mean for that to sound sarcastic—I'm just a little tired. I meant it more like…is it 'that obvious' in a general sense to everyone we know that something's bothering me, or have I still been doing a good job of acting like my usual, unsuspicious peeved self at school?"
Phoebe blinked. "Oh, I'm…I'm sure you've been doing an excellent job of behaving normally at school and around our friends, Helga. It's just right now I notice you've been very quiet and you seem to be rather lost in thought. Is something about Arnold bothering you?" Phoebe lowered her voice a little.
"Yeah." Helga nodded, at this point not even flinching anymore whenever Phoebe would bring up the topic of her beloved. "It's just…" she sighed and rubbed her temple, "Crimeny I'm going to sound so ungrateful. I mean," she scoffed and smiled at the ridiculousness of her situation, "Arnold likes me…heck, he more than likes me—he's downright smitten with me! And I should be over the moon about that, and I am! Really! It's just…" Her hands were dramatically up in the air, and she let them drop now and rested back a little on her arms on the doc, "It's just all not working out how I always dreamed it would, I guess."
"How so, Helga?" Phoebe prompted further, gazing at her friend with curious interest.
Helga crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I knew it would never be as perfect as in my fantasies—real life never should be that flawless. But I at least thought having a near-intimate relationship with Arnold would be enjoyable, relaxing, peaceful even. But it's so stressful trying to keep my secret still from everyone else and trying to find time with Arnold and just…wondering where we're supposed to go from here." She sighed, glancing at her friend. "I'm not completely without foresight, Phoebe. I know we can't keep ducking everyone we know and playing 'I hate you' in public forever—that's ludicrous. I'm honestly even starting to feel stupid already still doing it. Something's going to give, and I don't know what or when or how, I just know that there's this big looming change ready to pounce on my life." She shook her head, looking down to the water again. "It's going to be so much work trying to keep up with the changes when they start to happen, even more work than it's been now trying to keep those changes from happening in the first place. But all I really want to do is to be able to let all of that stressful stuff go and just savor the parts of being close to Arnold that are really, really good. He talks to me a lot more now, sometimes I make him blush, he's so much fun and such a sweetheart and so cool about everything, and he doesn't think I'm crazy, just pleasantly quirky. We really have a good time together." She smiled so warmly. "I just…" her smile faded, "I just wish I hadn't made it so that things have to be so complicated. It was embarrassing enough telling him about my love for him—it'll be mortifying for both of us springing that love on everyone we know." She sighed deeply, gazing out to the view of the lake in melancholy thought again. "For Pete's sake, I just want to be able to date a boy without the world exploding like any normal preteen girl can."
"Helga," Phoebe frowned and moved closer to her friend, "I'm sorry you've been so preoccupied about this. I know it's always been a worry of yours, how our friends would react to finding out about your feelings." She smiled a little. "But please keep in mind that Arnold, the person about whose reaction you worried most of all, found out, and although he was surprised he was also very understanding and compassionate. And Gerald has found out as well, and even though he may not exactly understand your attraction to his friend, he sees no reason to mock it. And of course I will continue to support you no matter what happens, Helga." She smiled to herself and considered. "Helga, in the past maybe our friends really would have reacted badly to finding out your secret, but…we're all getting older. Perhaps everyone is mature enough now to accept your new relationship with Arnold without any childish or inconsiderate behavior as a reaction."
Helga smiled at her friend's attempt at consolation. But she had to sigh too. " 'Mature'? Our friends? Well, so far this year individual members of that supposedly now worldly group have done everything from chase urban legend ghosts through a graveyard to holing-up in the principal's office with all the dodge balls to hunting down Stinky as a vampire to dating Curly all because of some wacky mix-up about a coat…but here's hoping, right?" She laughed and smiled more. "Even if they do still just start pointing and jeering and chanting 'Helga and Arnold sitting in a tree' once they find out though…it means a lot to me having you and Arnold and even Gerald willing to back me up. Thanks, Phoebe." She looked to her friend's eyes.
Phoebe smiled back at her. "Of course, Helga."
Helga glanced out to the water, seeming content for a moment, but then she let out another deep sigh. "Of course, even if, by some miracle, our entire social network finds out about my love for Arnold and his deep liking of me and they do accept it and everything works out just fine…I've still got another big problem hanging over me." She shrugged, looking more down into the water, holding her arms more closely over her chest. "Arnold likes me, he even likes me likes me in a way…but I still have no idea if he'll ever be able to love me. And if he can't love me, once he realizes it, I have no idea where I relationship will go from there."
Phoebe frowned again. "But, Helga, it's entirely possible that Arnold could love you too one day…even if that day takes a while to come. And I really do think you should focus on enjoying your time with him now, like you said you wanted to do, rather than on worrying even more about the future."
Helga tried to smile a little and gave small laugh. "You're probably right. But it's just, well…even if things worked out perfectly and Arnold did stumble across the conclusion sometime in the next couple of weeks or months that he loves me or could love me…well, I haven't looked at the exact numbers, but I'm pretty sure elementary school relationships don't have the best statistics for success over the long haul." She blushed just slightly, looking toward her friend but down, her voice quieting. "I know it sounds stupid and insane, Phoebe, but I love him. I want to be with him—I want him in my life—forever. Maybe it was a mistake telling him my true feelings this soon. At least if I had waited another five or ten years, there would have been a better chance that he and I…I…" She sighed. A single laugh left her, and she shook her head. Her eyes came up. "Listen to me, look at me, I'm ten-years-old, and I'm worried about making sure the boy I love marries me one day and we stay that way. I don't know if I'm insane or just a horrible walking cliché about everything wrong with women today thanks to princess fairytale movies and covers of tabloids where no one can shut up about who's dating whom." She half grinned and looked off into the sunset.
Phoebe frowned more. "Helga, I don't think you're being fair to yourself. Loving Arnold is important to you, so of course it's a dominant theme of your thoughts. It doesn't make you insane or mean you've absorbed too many social presumptions about what the primary concerns of women should be." She glanced forward at the water. "I know we've never spoken much about your feelings directly until now, but you've clearly always cared for Arnold in a sincere and passionate way that…that I admire very much, Helga. I think, even among adults, it's rare to encounter such deep and selfless feeling these days. Just because you're a girl, it doesn't mean you should feel ashamed that romantic love is part of who you are. It's not like your whole life is about Arnold—you just want him as a part of the independent life you already have." She glanced up at her friend and added softly, "And for what it's worth, Helga…I only hope that I have the chance to love somebody someday as deeply as you love Arnold here and now."
Helga looked back at her friend, her blue eyes a little wide. "I…" a light blushing came to her features again. "Oh Phoebe you don't have to…to say all that." She blinked and looked down and then glanced back up hesitantly again. "You really feel that way?"
Phoebe blushed a little herself and smiled softly, nodding. "Yes, Helga. I think it would feel very nice to be connected to someone as deeply as that, and if that person felt the same way about me, well…then I can understand why, wanting that, you might dream about Arnold to the point of sleepwalking about him or compose all of those poems about him or worry about him very frequently. That experience of loving and potentially being loved would just be so inspiring and fascinating, who could help it." She smiled more and shrugged.
Helga was quiet for a moment. Then she smiled so warmly. "Phoebe, I know I do not say this enough—and by 'enough' I mean at all thanks to my cover of emotional aloofness—but you are the best sidekick and assistant and crazy scheme partner and friend anyone could ever ask for." She suddenly came forward and gave her friend a quick, tight hug. Then she pulled back with a grin, her hands on Phoebe's shoulders, and added, "And hey you just make sure if you ever do get involved like that with a guy that he's good enough for you, though I don't know how you'll do it considering how incredible you are and how full of jokers this crazy world is that we live in." She chuckled.
Phoebe laughed warmly. "Oh Helga, thank you." She gave her friend a small hug in return and then pulled back.
Helga sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "And hey, you know, there's always a chance I'm just getting a little carried away about this whole thing and all of its consequences—I do tend to do that from time to time. I mean…maybe I'm just getting freaked out because being close with Arnold is finally a real thing for me, so any difficulties about it are getting blown out of proportion a little." She shrugged, smiling a little. "So it's not all peaches and cream—it would be boring if there weren't challenges, right? And who wants a prince charming and a fairytale ending if she can get the real deal instead, reservations, hesitations, disagreements and all?" A determined look came to her features and tone now. "You're right—I'm an independent woman with my own life, and Arnold's got his own life, and trying to insert each other into each other's worlds is just going to take a little getting used to. And if it doesn't work out, I…I'll be okay. But for now I'm just going to try and focus on the present. And it'll probably help everything once I come clean to everyone and just let my secret go." She glanced at her friend, rolling her eyes to the side and smiling more. "However, as 'part 2' of Helga's confession isn't about to happen just this moment, want to blow this place and maybe grab some ice cream from the Jollie Ollie man or take a walk through the park?"
Phoebe smiled but glanced down shyly. "Oh, I'd love to, Helga, but actually I'm afraid I have to go now. I have some plans."
"Plans?" Helga raised part of her brow.
Phoebe nodded. "Yes. Gerald's taking me to the arcade. I promised to show him algorithms I've been studying for how to beat the new Crazy Bus 3 game they just installed."
Helga's smile picked up a little on one side. Then she sighed and put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Aw, get out of here, you crazy kid. It's nice that at least one of us gets to have a normal elementary school relationship instead of being an emotional basketcase. Besides, I've got some more deep thinking to do about all of this. I might even give Football Head a ring and see what's up with him."
Phoebe smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Helga." She stood up. "Gerald and I won't be too long. If you'd like to talk more, please feel free to call me after dinner."
Helga nodded, standing up as well. "Sure thing, Phoebe. Oh, but hey," she pointed at her, smiling more, "You've explained to tall hair boy that if he hurts you in any way, Arnold's best friend or not, I'll kill him, right?"
Phoebe's smile went up on one side and she nodded. "Of course, Helga. We had that discussion right after the April Fool's Dance."
Helga grinned and winked at her. "Smart woman, Phoebe." Then she shook her head in amusement and started heading down the doc back up to the pier with Phoebe following alongside her. "Oh and hey as long as you're seeing tall hair boy, in case Football Head hasn't gotten around to it yet, tell him I know he knows, and he's earning major points in my book by not blabbing my secret to anyone who'll listen or calling me up to mock me on a regular basis…and he's earned the most points of all by keeping Football Head calm and collected during this little emotional rollercoaster he's been on with me." She laughed to herself.
Phoebe nodded, laughing a little too. "I'll let him know, Helga."
As they made it past the pier and to the sidewalk, the two girls turned to face each other.
"Have a good night, Phoebe… and cream Gerald a few times at the arcade before you give him any cheat codes." Helga grinned. "After successfully piloting that bus downtown last month, he needs to get knocked down a few pegs, I'm guessing."
Phoebe smiled. "I'll do my best to demonstrate my skills, Helga. Have a good afternoon. I'm sure everything will work out for the best with you and Arnold."
"Thanks, Phoebe. And I'm sure everything will work out for you and tall hair boy too." Helga's grin picked up a little on one side.
The girls gave each other a quick wave and then departed on their separate ways.
As Helga walked on, she kicked a stray stone every few feet and thought to herself some more. 'Well, there's one perfectly bright spot in all of this mess I've gotten myself into—Arnold seems happy, with me and with our relationship. At least he doesn't have to be a basketcase.' She frowned a little. 'I'm sure that'll change though once everyone finds out about us—being mocked by everyone you know on a regular basis for a good while can put a damper on anyone's smooth sailing through life and sunny optimism, even Arnold's. I just hope our relationship is strong enough by then that we can both get through it.' She sighed but then tried to smile. She spoke out loud a little now to help encourage herself further. "Oh come on, Helga old girl, think positive and live in the present just like you said you would. In fact, why don't you head over to Football Head's house and offer to take him out for ice cream, your treat. He'd like that. And sure, it's a little public, but it's pretty late in the day, most of our friends probably have plans, and if anyone does see us, well…well, I owe Football Head for that surprise party of mine there last month. So, if anyone asks, maybe I'll be taking him for ice cream from time to time while he's in my good graces to make up for it. Simple as that. And if they don't buy it, who cares—I'm Helga G. Pataki, I'll just threaten them into leaving us alone." With a new spring in her step, Helga turned her walking in the direction of the boarding house, for the first time really feeling like she could master her fear about the potential discovery by the world of her intimate love for Arnold.
"Gerald…I've decided something. I'm going to ask Helga to the end of the year dance we're having next month."
Arnold, sitting on his couch in his room and with a phone pressed to his ear, listened first to silence from his best friend on the other end of the line and then to Gerald's somewhat wary-sounding (to say the least) response to this new information.
Arnold nodded. "I know, I know, it might be awkward. We'll be in front of everyone, people might start suspecting something, and after everything with the April Fools Dance…." He blushed a little. "I know it might be better if Helga and I laid low a bit about school functions…but I just…I want to go to the dance, and I don't want to go alone, and if I have to pick someone to take I want it to be her. Just as friends, close friends…." He blushed a little. Gerald replied some more. "What I mean is," Arnold went on, "I don't want her to feel pressured. We can just show up together, talk a little bit during the night, maybe have a dance or two, and then I'll walk her home. I don't want her to see this as some kind of declaration of anyone's feelings or our feelings about each other. She's just the girl I'm closest with, and I want her to go with me."
Gerald replied once again, and Arnold listened and just sighed. "I-I know, I know…. Soon I'm really going to have to be clearer about my feelings. It's just complicated. I like the way things are now between us but…I know something's going to have to change eventually. We'll have to have a talk soon…more of a serious one than the ones we've been having lately." He gazed up at his skylight ceiling. Yes, during their 'dates' they shared, they joked, they made a fun memory or two, but the last time they had talked seriously had actually been that night/morning after the April Fools Dance. 'I wonder if that's a sign that this next dance coming up is going to involve a lot of serious talking for us.' "Huh?" Gerald had started talking again, and Arnold came back to paying attention. "Oh, okay, Gerald, no problem. You're…meeting Phoebe?" Arnold smiled in an all-knowing kind of way. "Well, have fun. Yeah, see you. Bye." Arnold hung up the phone.
For a moment he closed his eyes in his room, pressed a button on his remote, and just sat on his couch in the quiet broken only by the light sounds of some jazz coming from his speakers. He let his thoughts play out. 'She's in love with me. It's not fair to just keep acting like we have a crush on each other. It's like I'm not quite giving her an answer about her confession. And I want to give her an answer, I do…but…' Even if he said yes—even if he found it in himself to find himself in love with her, there was still the issue of 'going public.' And in the event that he didn't find it in himself to find himself in love with her, then… Arnold let out a breath and opened his eyes, a frown on his features. "Then I need to stay away from her. If I can't return her feelings eventually, then it's not fair of me to keep hanging around her and getting close and getting her hopes up. I know what that feels like." His look grew stony, and he tried not to think of the crumpled picture of Lila possibly still tucked away in the back of a drawer by his computer. "I'll give myself until the dance to figure out things better if Helga will," he promised himself now. "Then after that, once summer starts, we'll have a serious talk no matter what."
Suddenly a faint tapping sounded on his window.
Arnold blinked and looked over to where the skylight met the fire escape. A smile washed over his features at the sight of a familiar blond young lady with pigtails giving him a small smile and a little wave.
Arnold pressed the button on his remote to turn off his music and stood up. He went over to his bed, then climbed the wall to open the window and greet her. "Hi, Helga. What's up?"
"Aw, nothing much, Football Head." Helga grinned back at him. "Just wanted to see if you were up for some ice cream. My treat. Slausens?"
Arnold blinked. "Really? Um…sure!" He started to climb out on to the fire escape with her. "What's the occasion?"
Helga shrugged. "No occasion. I'm just in a good mood and felt like sharing it with my favorite fella." She gave him a little nudge with her elbow as he came to stand beside her, her smile warm and her eyes a little hazed.
Arnold smiled more and blushed a little. "Oh, well, sure, Helga. That sounds great." He raised an eyebrow. "Is…Is nobody we know at Slausens right now for some reason?"
Helga shrugged, starting to descend the fire escape to the street below. "Who knows? I just want to go with you. And if we see someone, well…we don't really owe anyone an explanation. And it's not like I'm going to be reciting poetry to you while you pucker your lips to kiss me while we're waiting for our sundaes. We've done a good enough job of laying low since the insanity of the April Fools dance, and we did already sort of come off as getting along during my birthday party last month…and you're not a completely annoying little goodie two shoes wet blanket." She smirked, glancing up toward him. "So I think people will believe that I'd grace you with my presence on occasion."
Arnold sighed and shook his head, heading down after her now.
"Besides," Helga went on with a shrug as she finally landed on the ground below, "our best friends are off on a date together—we can't help if the only person we could find to hang out with in the meantime was each other."
Arnold landed on the ground too now and just shook his head with a grin. "Whatever you say, Helga." He gestured forward out of the alley with a smile. "Ladies first."
Helga crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes but did proceed forward ahead of him. "You just love saying that because it makes me blush every single time." And sure enough she was blushing distinctly as she made her way out to the sidewalk.
Arnold followed after her. "No, I love saying it because you're a lady, and I think you deserve to get treated like one." He smiled more. "The blushing's just a nice bonus."
"Oh ha ha." She smirked and laughed, and he laughed too.
"So, you know about Gerald and Phoebe's date too?" Arnold asked, glancing at her.
"Yeah," Helga nodded. "She's completely gone for him. Those two wacky kids. Although they do sound kind of cute together, I'll give them that. And I'm sure they're a lot more normal about everything than you and I are." She glanced at him with a grin. "Strictly hand-holding, cute looks, and warm giggles between those two. Not a dramatic confession or social-upheaval worthy secret to be found." She chuckled.
Arnold just smiled warmly. "I'm just glad they're having fun getting close, Helga. They sound happy together."
"Hmm," Helga shook her head, still smiling, "Now if all of our classmates felt as accepting and mature as you do, you and I would be going public in a heartbeat." She sighed. "In a perfect world, I guess…."
"I don't know, Helga." Arnold smiled and shrugged. "This world as it is might be more perfect that you think."
"Optimist." She scoffed and smirked at him with a grin.
"Realist," he replied, smiling more and giving her a look.
Helga just sighed and shook her head, trying not to laugh. "We are the strangest pair of people who ever came together, Football Head."
Arnold simply shrugged, trying not to laugh himself. "Maybe…but I'm glad we came together anyway."
Helga sighed deeply and tried not to swoon or anything as she replied, "Yeah, and all thanks to you saving this rickety old neighborhood." She glanced up at the buildings and looked around at the scenery—everything now returned to normal from the Sheck incident over a month ago. "I'm glad I helped you and it all worked out. If you'd had to move and I'd had to move…I don't know what I would have done with myself. Not at all."
Arnold glanced at her curiously, and blinked at the touch of pain in her features despite the smile she was still trying to keep up. He considered, looking out to the neighborhood too. "You would have been okay. You're the strongest, bravest person I know. But if you'd needed me, I'd have found a way to help you, no matter how far apart we were." Arnold smiled a little to see Helga blushing now and looking down with a small smile of her own.
She sighed softly. "I know. I don't think we could escape each other even if we tried—or at least I don't think I could escape you. Not that I'd want to. You've always been there for me…. That means more to me than I can say." And then Helga reached over and took his hand.
Arnold's whole countenance perked considerably. "I don't think I could escape you either, Helga…and you're welcome." He gave her hand the lightest squeeze back, savoring not only the feeling of touching in this sweet yet tender way, but savoring as well the knowledge that she had just given him this action in a potentially public setting without any pretense or expressing any fear.
The pair continued onward to Slausens.
"So then…" Arnold laughed a little to himself, swallowing a bite of his sundae, "So then all of us finally decided to go down into the basement to find the ghost of four-eyed Jack once and for all."
Helga finished a sip of her milkshake. "Oh this I would have loved to have seen—you six dolts with flashlights, pajamas, and teddy bears running around the boarding house chasing ghosts." Helga rolled her eyes. "Do you guys seriously not see how lost you are without me? It's the ghost bride thing all over again. And this is why I insist on being included in your misadventures." She nodded proudly.
Arnold smiled a little more and raised an eyebrow. "But, Helga…you caused the misadventure during the ghost bride hunt, remember?"
She just waved him off though, finishing another sip of her shake. "Eh, beside the point. And I had every right anyway considering how you all treated me. 'Oh, let's not invite Helga, the strongest and smartest one of us all, just because she's a girl.' Yeah, great plan. Curly would have gotten you all in the end even if I hadn't." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, keep going—what happened with four-eyed Jack?"
Arnold shook his head with a smile, finishing another bite of his sundae. "Well, we got downstairs, and we heard strange sounds and saw strange lights…and then a door opened…" Helga seemed so rapt with interest now, Arnold almost felt bad about the disappointing ending he would have to tell her. "And then it turned out that all the strange stuff we'd been noticing was just a bunch of coincidences and that all the stuff in the basement was just my Grandpa using his private bathroom down there." Arnold considered, raising an eyebrow. "Although after that night we never could find those four-eyed Jack glasses again…." He shrugged off the thought though, and then went back to his ice cream with a smile.
Helga just laughed heartily. "Wow, you guys are so corny!" She shook her head. "Next time, if want to hear a good scary story but want to avoid the bungling nighttime escapades, invite me to your sleepover, Football Head."
A corner of Arnold's mouth went up in a funny little way. "I think I'd be more comfortable if you only slept over when it was just you and me."
"Oh ha, ha, very funny." Helga blushed a little and rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant…." She took another sip of her shake.
"I mean," Arnold went on, however, smiling more and blushing, unable to help himself, "when the two of us fall asleep holding each other, that might freak some of the guys out a little."
Helga just sighed and tried not to smile too much. "You know, you have just gotten so cheeky ever since my confession. It's such a turn off, Arnold." She crossed her arms over her chest and grinned at him, leaning back in her booth a little.
Arnold tried not to blush too much more as he smiled back at her. "You just don't like the fact that now that we talk so much, sometimes I'm a little funnier than you are."
Helga blinked and scoffed. "Ha! Funnier than me?" She gestured to herself with her hand. "Oh please!" She waved him off. "You make like two clever comments over the course of a couple of weeks and suddenly you think you're the witty one in this relationship?" She grinned. "Well, I've got news for you, buster—now that I don't have to spend half of my words on barraging you with insults, the humor is only going to keep pouring out of me…that is, when the poetry and doting words of affection aren't." She went back to her shake.
Arnold laughed warmly. "I have to admit, you are a lot funnier to me now that you're not threatening me most of the time, Helga." He leaned his head on his hand, resting his elbow on the table, and played with his sundae spoon. "You know…this is really nice…just being here together, talking, eating ice cream. Thanks for inviting me, Helga. I'm having a great time. I wish we could do this more." He took another bite.
Helga finished another sip of her shake and smiled warmly at him but then looked down a little. "You and me both, brother." She looked to the window. "I'm working on being okay with my impending humiliation. You need to know though that, at least right after it happens, you're going to be dealing with one emotional basketcase of a Helga G. Pataki." She sighed, looking back to him. "I shudder to even think of her."
Arnold let out a deep sigh (very indicative of someone practicing a great degree of patience at the moment.) "Helga, other people finding out that we like each other doesn't have to be humiliating." He smiled, trying so hard to be sympathetic, but at the same time he was also trying not to roll his eyes. 'Really, it's not like she's the first girl in the world ever to like a boy.' He reached out and put his hand over hers on the table. "You'd just be letting people see that you have strong, good feelings for me. And am I really the worst boy to have those feelings about?"
Helga smiled a little, savoring his touch. "You wouldn't be if I hadn't always made such a big deal about 'hating' you. You're a great guy, my beloved Arnold. Its just the irony of me being the one who's nuts about you is going to be too delicious for everyone, I'm afraid."
"Maybe you should give our friends a little more credit, Helga," Arnold offered in reply, letting some optimism come to his smile. "I think they'd surprise you—like I said, maybe the world's a little more 'perfect' already than you realize. And we're all growing up a lot. I think they could handle something like this in a calm, mature manner."
Helga chuckled softly. "Phoebe tried to sell me the same argument." She gave him a bit of a dry look and had every intention of shutting down his little image of perfection regarding their friends just as she had expressed her doubts on the theory to Phoebe. But then Helga stopped herself. 'He doesn't need me busting his optimism bubble every single time this comes up. And I suppose there's a one in a million chance at least that he and Phoebe right.' She sighed and smiled. "And I sincerely hope you and Phoebe are right, Arnold. I really do. Because I really wouldn't mind getting to be close to you all of the time no matter who we're around." She gave his hand a firm squeeze. "I mean, as long as you'd want me around. I don't want to smother you or anything." She chuckled and glanced down, blushing a little.
Arnold smiled more, his eyes going just a little half lidded. "You don't. I promise. You've been a lot less 'intense' than you were during your confession, and it's been nice for letting me get used to things. I appreciate it. And besides, I like you a lot, Helga. Even if you were smothering me a little…I doubt I'd mind much." He chuckled softly.
Helga's smile brightened. "Great. I-I mean, good…." She cleared her throat, trying to seem casual. "You know, just checking." She shrugged, blushing even more.
Arnold laughed a little again. "Whatever you say, Helga." 'She's really, really cute when she's shy.' He had more than gotten over the uncertainty and newness of thinking of her as cute by now. "Hey Helga, do you want to do something after this?"
Helga blinked and her smile picked up on one side. "Wow, you really do like time with me, don't you, Football Head? What did you want to do?"
Arnold shrugged and sighed, smiling a little more. "Well, we've already spent a lot of time in public, which has been nice. But we could just go somewhere private now so that you feel most comfortable. Your house or my house."
Helga looked at him in a touch of awe. 'He's really willing to be private right now all for me.' "I'd appreciate that, Arnold…the privacy…thanks. And the boarding house is always one of my favorite places, so…" But Helga paused before going on, and she considered. A thought was occurring to her…a thought about how to sort of show some good faith herself regarding the publicity of their relationship in exchange for Arnold's show of good faith by encouraging her and offering some time alone. "Or…you know…we could go to my house." She couldn't help a sort of deep sigh escaping her. " Bob and Miriam are home. You could meet them a little more officially, if you wanted."
Arnold blinked. "Really?"
Helga shrugged, taking her hand from his and crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah…but briefly. I don't want this to turn into a whole big emotional thing. I really don't like those unless they're about my love for you." She tried to smile again.
"It doesn't have to turn into anything too big, Helga," Arnold assured with a smile. "I promise." One of those warm, comforting half lidded looks came to his features.
Helga smiled back at him but couldn't help sighing and looking down as well. "Yeah, well…we'll see." She slipped out of her booth and waved him to follow her. "Come on, Football Head, we're burning day light. And because I don't feel like 'dashing' into this too eagerly, or at least not without as many minutes of mental prep as possible, we can walk together up the street to my house instead of running, but no accidental hand holding or special looks between us or accidentally falling into each other for a kiss, okay, good friend?" She stood by the door, holding it open, a hand on her hip and a half grin on her face as she waited for him.
Arnold slipped out of the booth and followed after her with a nod. "Sure, Helga. Whatever you say." He glanced outside and in the direction they were headed—Helga's house wasn't exactly around the corner to say the least. "Wow, you…you really must be feeling very confident today. It's right in the middle of the afternoon, and we'll have to walk for at least fifteen minutes to get all the way to your house." He raised an eyebrow and smiled in pleasant surprise as he walked past her outside.
Helga shrugged. "Just trying to take some more baby steps toward not being a paranoid basketcase about our newfound closeness." She came out after him, letting the door shut behind them. "And anyway, as you said, our friends are getting older now which is not only increasing the likelihood that they're becoming mature but is also inevitably making them less stupid—it used to be the more I pushed you away the less anyone thought I liked now, but now we're entering the stage of life where if I protest too much, it's obvious I'm crazy for you. I've gotta walk a fine line, play my cards very carefully, Arnold. It's a full time job." She grinned just a touch smugly, her head held high, and started to head up the street.
Arnold laughed a little and followed after her. "You've really thought about all of this a lot, haven't you, Helga? It's so…um…well…" He considered.
She sighed a little, giving him a dry look with a half grin. "Obsessive? Odd? Kind of creepy? Yeah, I know, I've just tried to kind of accept all of that about me though." She shrugged.
"No, it's…passionate…and kind of sweet…and kind of brilliant too. And I like that side of you." Arnold looked down with a touch of shyness, his grin growing.
Helga blushed a little, looking down and smiling too. "Oh…shut up." She gave him a little nudge.
His grin picked up a little on one side. "Make me." He nudged her just a little back.
Helga blinked and then smiled more. "Shut up, or I will." She gave him a harder nudge in return.
Arnold blinked now and smiled more too. "I don't think you will." He gave her a very slightly harder nudge back.
"Don't tempt me." And then Helga gave him another even harder nudge back…which, alas, was a bit too hard as it knocked Arnold off of the sidewalk and down to the ground.
Helga was instantly at his side. "Arnold, are you okay?"
He blinked a few times and then stood with her help, dusting himself off. "Yeah, yeah…" he blushed a little, "I forget how strong you are sometimes. Sorry. Thanks for helping me up." He smiled appreciatively at her.
Helga smiled in happy relief. "Don't mention it."
Then there was suddenly a moment where Helga was holding Arnold's arm and looking down at him with wide eyes and he was looking up at her with a smile…and they were close and both reminded of that walk they had taken the morning after FTi when Helga had pulled a daydreaming Arnold away from a man hole, and for a moment, until being interrupted, they had almost gotten caught up in a passionate kiss.
Both Arnold and Helga blushed distinctly. Then Helga made herself swallow and move away from him, heading forward, arms behind her back. "C-Come on, um…let's get to my house some time tonight, all right? Heh, besides, I thought we agreed, no passionate moments during this little jaunt, Football Head." Smiling and blushing despite her words, she plowed onward.
Arnold instantly followed after her, nodding. "Right, sure, Helga. Whatever you say." He looked a little flustered as well…and he was smiling quite a bit too. 'I never knew it was possible to have moments like that with another person. I mean, there were times when I felt like being close to Lila or Ruth, maybe even like trying to kiss them. But nothing like what happens sometimes with Helga…with the blushing and the pounding heart and wanting it more than anything else and feeling like I practically can't help myself.' He blushed more. 'I really need to figure out my feelings for her soon. We can't keep going with moments like that too much if things might not end up working out.' He proceeded to follow along beside Helga silently as they continued toward her house, his thoughts a little weighed down for the moment.
Helga continued on pretty silently too, her own thoughts bearing their own weight. 'For Pete's sake, he is the most attractive man in the world. I can't stand it. I just want to take him in my arms and…' She let out a deep breath. 'Focus. You're acting ridiculous. I know you want to express your love to him, Helga old girl, but take a pill or something and show a little self-control. And don't just bombard him with kisses when he's not even sure what he feels about you, and definitely not in public when you're not even sure yet if you're going to be having an official, public-worthy relationship. Just…take some time and relax about what everyone might say about you, and about how things are going to turn out, and about loving him—about everything. It's the only thing that's going to get you through.'
The two continued walking onward toward Helga's house.
Arnold and Helga had been on the top step of Helga's stoop for five minutes now. Helga had her hand on the door handle but she still hadn't opened the door, and a touch of anxiety was present in her features.
"Helga, I really don't need this much preparation. I'm just saying hi to your parents," Arnold assured with a smile, just trying to help. The awkwardness from before had subsided for now, and they could both speak freely to each other again. He raised an eyebrow and added, "Besides, I'm still not sure what you're trying to get at about them—why are you so worried about all of us spending time together?"
Helga let out a deep breath and closed her eyes. "They're just very…hands off, especially when they're not in public. Come on, you've seen them, Arnold—I don't exactly come from the Cleavers, let's just leave it at that."
Arnold frowned a little. "No one's family is perfect, Helga."
"Yeah," she rolled her eyes to the side. "But mine's really, really, really imperfect. Just…okay, you know what, let's just do it." And then she instantly opened the door, grabbed Arnold's arm, pulled them both inside and shut the door tight behind them.
Neither Bob nor Miriam approached them right away of course. From the sound of the television in the living room and a blender going off in the kitchen though, Helga had a pretty good idea of where each of them might be.
She sighed deeply and released Arnold for the moment, moving toward the kitchen. She cleared her throat and called out, "Miriam! I need you in the living room—now, please!"
The blender stopped running. "Hmm?" came Miriam's voice from the kitchen. "What was that?"
"The living room. Now. Please," Helga repeated as levelly as she could, though her scowl deepened. "Just bring your smoothie and do this for me, it'll take two minutes! Crimeny!"
"Oh…okay!" Miriam called back in kind of a dazed voice.
Helga sighed deeply and turned around, putting a hand to her forehead. She looked down and shook her head, mumbling to herself. "I'm surrounded." Then she raised her head and went for Arnold, grabbing his arm by his sweater again. "Come on, Football Head…"
A wide-eyed and very curious looking Arnold just allowed himself to be led along with a nod. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but he could feel some of Helga's unease starting to rub off on him.
"Bob!"
Arnold was snapped out of his thoughts by the harsh sound of Helga addressing her father.
Big Bob Pataki, lying on his side on a pillow on the couch while watching TV and sipping something from an aluminum can, just sighed. "Yeah?" he replied, never actually looking at his daughter.
"I have to talk to you about something, Bob," Helga replied with that same forced levelness she had used to address her mother.
Bob just sipped his drink some more and scowled a little. "Aw, Ol…Helga, come on, I threw out my back again, and I'm at least trying to make the rest of the day productive by making sure those guys at the network don't screw me over about my new beeper commercial. It's supposed to air three times before 6 p.m., or at least that's what I paid for, but I haven't seen it once!" He sighed again and now finally did glance to her. "Hey, speaking of my back, you wouldn't want to handle a conference call later tonight for me with some guys from Dallas, would you? I'm going to need at least twelve stress free hours to let this knot loosen up." He cringed a little and rubbed his side.
Helga just sighed and rolled her eyes. She spoke very calmly though, all things considered, as she replied. "No, Bob, afraid I can't do that. I'm a little busy this evening. You'll have to just put them off until tomorrow or something."
"What's going on?" Miriam came in now, a full smoothie glass in one hand. Though she still sounded a little vacant, at least she smiled at the sight of her daughter. "Oh Helga, there you are." She came forward, trying not to stumble. "And who's your friend?" she added with a glance in Arnold's direction.
"Oh for the love of humanity, people!" Bob sighed deeply, rubbing his temple. "I am trying to listen to the TV for my beeper commercial, not to mention it's the final round of the wheel!"
Helga took a very deep breath and addressed her mother first. "Miriam, this is Arnold, Arnold, this is Miriam. You've met before of course, but I just wanted to pop in and let you two say hi in person. Ever since the Sheck thing, Arnold and I have been spending a lot of time together." She did her best to plaster a smile on her face, though it was forced to say the least, and a touch of her scowl remained as well.
Miriam's dazed smile grew, and she looked down at Arnold. "Oh, right…you're the little boy who helped set up Helga's surprise birthday party at the ice cream parlor. Well, it's nice to see you, Arnold." She swayed just a little on her feet, but quickly righted herself and took another sip of her smoothie.
"Oh, um…" Arnold swallowed and did his best to smile up at her, giving a small wave. "It's nice to see you too, Mrs. Pataki."
"Oh yeah, the birthday party…so you're what, eleven now, twelve?" Bob asked his daughter, half glancing away from the TV for a moment.
Helga just sighed deeply. "Ten. Bob." Then she turned around, grabbing Arnold's sleeve again to pull him along toward the couch. "Bob, Arnold, Arnold, Bob," she quickly introduced. "I know, I know, you're busy and you don't feel the best. So just say hi, and we'll zip upstairs, and I promise you won't hear a peep out of us for the rest of the day."
Bob glanced at Arnold with his same gruff look for a moment, but then he blinked a few times. "Oh yeah…you didn't just do the birthday party, you also stopped Scheck from taking over the neighborhood, didn't you? Erm…thanks, kid. That whole deal could have cost me a bundle if that wacko hadn't been put away." Then suddenly the show ended again and the commercials came back on. "Eh, now, both you kids, go upstairs, I've gotta check on these commercials." He looked past them to the television, scowling again. "Stupid advertisers. Hey Miriam, get me another cold one from the kitchen, okay?" he called out.
Miriam nodded. "You got it, B." She smiled at Arnold once more. "It was very nice to meet you, um…um…"
"Arnold…" Helga filled in for her, turning to her mother again and bringing a hand to her temple.
Miriam's eyes brightened. "Oh, right, yes, Arnold." She gave both kids another wave and then turned to head back to the kitchen, sipping her smoothie again.
About ten seconds later, Helga had Arnold rushed up to her room and her door shut behind them. She then laid down on her back on her bed, letting her legs hang off of the edge. Closing her eyes, she let out a deep sigh.
Arnold was sitting across the room at her desk chair, just waiting patiently for her to speak. He wasn't sure what to say himself, or at least where to begin. He wanted to be reassuring and comforting to her, and of course there was his ever-present compulsion to be polite. Yet, he also didn't want to seem insincere or too put off by the experience they had just had—like he was just sweeping the 'awkwardness' of the whole situation under the rug or like he pitied her. But then again he just couldn't be too blunt about it, no matter how close they had gotten. So, finally, he had just decided to wait patiently until she was ready to say something about her parents herself—that strategy had worked regarding her confession, after all, so why not now?
Helga took one final deep breath. And then she opened her eyes and did choose to say something, though it was something Arnold hadn't anticipated. "So…aren't you going to say anything?"
Arnold blinked. "Uh…." He swallowed. Then he took a deep breath of his own. "Like what?" His tone was very sincere and careful.
Helga scowled a little bit and sat up. "I don't know, some cliché 'there, there, Helga, your parents are a nightmare but somehow that funnel cloud has a silver lining' line or some such sappy nonsense. I get it, my parents suck, you can say something sugar-coated to that effect, and then we can move on."
Arnold stood up and walked over to her. "Helga," he sat down beside her on the bed, "It…they're not…." He sighed. "They're not very affectionate…but they tried a little in their own way. But I think I understand now why you felt weird about personally introducing us."
Helga sat up completely and shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest. "You really caught them on a good day during my birthday party—Bob's business was saved, the two of them were too busy fixing things up about the neighborhood to get bogged down with their own selfish stuff, and, again, it was my birthday so they actually threw me a bone of sincere attention for once."
Arnold frowned a little. "I'm sorry that they're not as close to you as you'd like them to be, Helga. If it would make you happy, I wish they would be."
Helga still looked down but her scowl did soften a little. "Thanks, Arnold…" left her softly. She smiled a little. "Hey, honestly, you know, that didn't turn out quite as horribly as I thought it would. And at least it's over now, right?" She shifted a little closer to him, resting her shoulder lightly alongside his.
Arnold smiled just a little more. "Actually, I…I know this might sound a little selfish, but I'm just really happy to know now why you seemed uncomfortable about introducing us."
Helga raised part of her brow, her smile picking up a little on one side in curiosity. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Arnold looked down sheepishly, "I was worried that maybe you were embarrassed of me or something, and that's why you didn't want me talking to your parents."
Helga blinked, pulling away from him a little to look at him. "Embarrassed of you—why in the world would you think that?"
"Oh, um, well…" Arnold shrugged, glancing away, "I don't know…I guess I just figured that maybe you felt awkward about mentioning to your parents that you have a close friend who's a boy, especially when we're still not even sure what's going to end up happening between us. Like you were embarrassed of your feelings for me. That's all." He rubbed his arm.
Helga looked at him curiously, but then she smiled. "Arnold, I am far more embarrassed about my parents than I ever could be embarrassed about you. Heck, I'm far more embarrassed about myself half the time than I could ever be embarrassed about you." She sighed. "But embarrassed about you yourself? Never." Her smile warmed.
A pretty warm smile came to Arnold's face too. "Thanks, Helga." He considered for a moment and then went on. "Um, you know, it's almost dinnertime—you could come back to the boarding house with me now and we could spend some time together and then you could eat with my family." He blushed a little and shrugged. "It'll be the whole extended family though, of course, so there might be a little teasing, but I promise it won't be too bad. Everyone's really nice deep down."
Helga smiled appreciatively but shook her head. "Thanks, Football Head. And I really would like to make the acquaintance of the full household soon, but to tell you the truth, I could actually just use a nap and some time alone to think for the rest of the day." She yawned, stretching up with one arm. "Orchestrating our relationship has been taking a lot out of me. I'm exhausted. And it's only going to get worse the longer I keep things up."
A small sigh left Arnold, and he wanted to frown at her comment about continuing to 'keep up' orchestrating their relationship for much longer, as though she might really want to move beyond lying to everyone but still had no immediate intentions of doing so. Instead though, he managed to keep up his smile as he stood up from Helga's bed now. "Sure, Helga." He hesitated for just a moment but then made himself ask before he left. "Helga, would you…meet me at the park tomorrow after dinner? There's something I want to ask you about, and I'd like to do it there." The sheepishness returned to his smile.
Helga raised an eyebrow, trying to look far more curiously amused than she actually felt. "And…should I be worried about what this something is?"
Arnold's gaze warmed. "It's a good thing…. At least, I'm hoping you'll think it's a good thing I promise." He looked into her eyes.
And of course that gaze of his just about melted her inside. Helga nodded, smiling softly back at him. "Well, then, sure, Football Head. I'll meet you there."
"Thanks, Helga." Arnold gave her a little wave as he headed across her room. "Bye for now."
Helga gave him a little wave back. "Bye, Football Head."
Arnold closed her bedroom door behind him.
As soon as he left, despite his reassuring words, a look of concern came to Helga's features. "Ask me…ask me…what the heck could he have to ask me? Helga, I have to 'tell you' something—that would make more sense. I have to 'tell you' this relationship has some bugs in it but with my optimism and your stubbornness I know we can make it work, I have to 'tell you' that I just can't see myself falling in love with you so let's just be good acquaintances and call it a day, I have to 'tell you' that I can't live without giving my heart to you for a second longer, my darling." She was up and pacing now. "Fine, yeah, 'I have something to tell you' has a lot of viable possibilities. But 'I have something to ask you'…?" She raised part of her brow. "What in the world could he mean by that?" She threw herself down on her bed once more and let out a deep sigh of mild frustration. "Confusing little Football Head, always making things complicated." She brought a hand to her temple, her scowl softening. "Or maybe I just make things more complicated, or us together is what does it. Whatever it is, I really do need a good nap." She pushed herself back on her bed and lay on her side, closing her eyes. "I just hope I really will think it's good, whatever he's going to ask me," she mumbled to herself before drifting off quickly into a deep sleep.
Arnold smiled as he walked down the street away from Helga's house. "She said she wasn't embarrassed about me when it came to her parents," he mumbled to himself happily. "So maybe that means I'm just…getting a little carried away thinking she doesn't want to be friends with me in front of everyone because she's embarrassed of me. Maybe I've just been letting myself get too nervous and playing it all up in my head." He smiled more to himself. "Gerald does say I have a tendency to worry too much about girls…and he's right. Even if Helga isn't ready to 'go public', it doesn't necessarily mean it's because she has a problem with something about me." Arnold looked forward—Vine Street was in sight. "I'm sure if I just ask her about going to that last dance for the year, she'll be happy and say yes as long as it's just as friends. And then we can go from there." He nodded to himself and then proceeded toward his stoop, very content with this plan of action.
He was so content actually that he didn't notice the five fourth grade guys currently waiting around upon that stoop until he was all but on top of them.
"There he is, finally!" Sid stood up with a grin. "Arnold, it feels like you've disappeared lately. Come on, we need a sixth for touch football in the park against the fifth graders—what do you say?"
"Yeah, we were just about to give up on you!" Harold announced with a nod.
"I reckon we could use some of those fancy plays you always come up with," Stinky chimed in with a smile, and beside him Eugene and Curly nodded.
Arnold smiled a little sheepishly and shrugged. "Oh, hey guys. Sure, I'll come with you. And, uh…yeah, sorry, I guess I've just been a little distracted lately." This was the part he hated most—the 'sort of lying to his friends but not really' part of his and Helga's secret relationship. He just took a deep breath and hoped it would pass quickly and that they could get on to their football game.
"Well, I'm just glad we caught you now," Eugene added brightly. "You have been awfully busy lately. I wasn't sure if we'd be able to find you."
"Yeah," Curly added, "You've been around even less than I am when I'm trying to lay low from the cops and those guys in white suits my mom keeps bringing by the house for me." He raised an eyebrow. "You're not on the run from the law for all that technically illegal stuff you did when you were trying to save the neighborhood, are you?"
Arnold blinked, raising an eyebrow at this question. "What do you mean?"
Curly sighed and started counting on his fingers. "Well, first of all—"
"Hey, can we stop talking and get to the football game so that we can get to the Jollie Ollie man afterwards and then dinner? I'm starving!" Harold announced, coming to the center of the boys.
"Yeah," Sid nodded and hopped down from the stoop to the sidewalk. "Come on, let's at least get walking to the park. We can talk along the way."
All of the guys nodded in agreement and the party started to head down the street.
"Actually, Arnold," Stinky suddenly added, scratching his head, "Gerald's been pretty darn scarce too come to think of it, so we just figured you two fellas were off hanging out together. But when we called Gerald before to come play football with us, he said he wasn't free all afternoon and he didn't say nothing about you, Arnold."
The guys nodded.
"Yeah," Sid glanced at Arnold, "So what have you really been up to lately—you know, putting aside the crazy Curly theory." He grinned and rolled his eyes.
Arnold shrugged a little again. "Just thinking a lot, that's all. I really haven't been going anywhere too much, mostly just enjoying my time in the boarding house…." And all of that was true, in a way: he didn't consider his outings with Helga to be too excessive, and he was enjoying his time in the boarding house…and having Helga in the boarding house with him, and all of the special and sweet and very nice moments which that private time together might entail.
"What are you talking about, Arnold? You must be going out sometimes. I've seen you walk by my house from my window almost every day after school and several times on the weekends now," a curious Eugene suddenly interrupted brightly. All of the guys blinked and looked at him with eyebrows raised for a moment, but Eugene just smiled and shrugged. "What? Don't you guys remember how I severely sprained my leg during the Blockapalooza Two party when I tried to sing my song about saving our neighborhood, and I told you the doctor said I didn't have to cast it this time but I did have to put it into traction every day after school and on weekends too for a couple of hours until summer to help it heal and as a precaution against doing anything to make it worse?" The guys (save Arnold) all just sighed and rolled their eyes at Eugene. "Anyway," Eugene went on, "I've had my leg set up and my chair by the window each day to look at the sun and admire the neighborhood, and that's when I've seen Arnold walking by."
Arnold's eyes went the tiniest bit wide. At Helga's request he had sort of been taking a roundabout way to her house here and there, and come to think of it that way did pass right by Eugene's. Oh, his honest little heart just hoped no one would ask.
"Hey, so what gives, Arnold?" Sid grinned. "Where have you been off to?"
"Yeah, what's going on?" Harold asked, scowling a little. "I don't want anymore surprises—all that 'saving the neighborhood' stuff before seven in the morning last month really took a lot out of me. My nerves can't handle another big surprise like that."
"Oh, um," Arnold grinned and shrugged, "It's got nothing to do with saving the neighborhood or anything again. I-I just like being out and taking walks now. Like I said, I'm not really going anywhere in particular, I just…like seeing the neighborhood first hand now that it's really safe, you know? Everything that happened has been making me think a lot, and walking around here helps." He held his breath.
The other guys all were quiet for a second, taking in this reply. But then they all (thankfully) smiled to each other in clear acceptance of Arnold's explanation.
"I reckon that make sense," Stinky then added. "I certainly do appreciate this here neighborhood a heap of a lot more now that we almost lost it." The guys all nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I still can't believe you pulled that off, Arnold—saving the neighborhood," Sid added. "That was so boss. Like when that bus flipped over and no one knew what would happen, and then you came out and then Gerald came out…and then Helga came out…." He had been describing the scene with enthusiasm, but when he said that final name it was like he had hit a sour chord. He blinked. "Hey, speaking of which, what was she doing with you guys anyway?"
The guys all nodded, vocalizing similar curiosities.
Arnold blushed now. He couldn't help it, though he did hate himself for it. "Oh, that's a…that's a really, really, really long story." He shrugged.
"We've got time." Sid shrugged. "It's a long walk to the park, and the fifth graders'll probably want to spend at least fifteen minutes making fun of us before we even start the game anyway."
"Yeah, and besides, hearing a story might make me forget how hungry I am," Harold added, putting his hands to his stomach and feeling it rumble.
"Yeah, let's hear it—I bet it's a crazy story!" Curly chimed in with a grin.
"A darn good yarn!" Stinky added.
"Please Arnold," Eugene asked nicely.
"Arnold, you're blushing." Sid grinned and gave him a look. "It really must be a good story. Probably involves that Bridget girl who helped you and Gerald play the Sheck tape, huh? So spill."
Now, Arnold was an intelligent kid. So naturally he had known for quite some time that the topic of 'how did Helga end up on that bus with you anyway' might get brought up by their peers at some point. Thus, he had also been carefully considering how to respond to that question for a while now. And though he worried, to an extent, about whether he should have run it by Helga, he did have an intended reply in mind—one actually quite close to the truth (though not the full truth necessarily).
Arnold sighed. 'I might as well go with that. If I make up anything on the spot, they'll know. And I don't really want to make up anything anyway. This'll be fine.' He smiled at his friends, and thankfully felt his blushing starting to subside at the very notion of being able to tell most of the truth (and he felt grateful for Sid's mention of a certain pretty underground spy, which was indeed an excellent potential excuse for his blushing). "Well, Bridget did help, Sid. But actually, Helga's the whole reason Gerald and I managed to save the neighborhood anyway. She helped us get the tape showing Sheck burning the tomato document by spying on him and by sneaking into his building and looking for clues."
The eyes of all the boys went wide.
"Really?"
"Helga?"
"Garsh?"
"Aww, how nice of her!"
"Wow, and I thought I was the only one with spy and recon training."
Sid just rolled his eyes at Curly's comment and went back to Arnold. "Helga actually helped you and Gerald save the neighborhood!?" He almost grinned in amusement. "But why?"
Arnold smiled a little more. "Maybe she's not as bad as most people think. And, um…I think it helped her Dad too—it turns out Sheck was trying to take his business just like he was trying to take all of our homes. So that was part of it. But mostly I just think she saw how much we all cared about the neighborhood, and she realized that she cared too. None of us wanted to see our neighborhood destroyed, so why should Helga feel any different?" He shrugged, smiling warmly.
The other guys all just looked at each other curiously for a moment…and then burst into hearty laughter.
"Helga…caring!?"
"That madame fortress mommy doesn't get all sappy like that, Arnold!"
"I reckon it'd be a miracle if she cared about anything that much!"
"I don't know, guys—I guess it doesn't sound too much like her, but it is kind of sweet if you think about it."
"That sounds so crazy…that it actually makes sense." Curly's eyes went wide, and he gazed forward as though lost in a silent trance.
Arnold just sighed, not letting their comments get to him. "Guys, come on, Helga's a little rough around the edges, but she's still a person. She's not bad, she's just…a girl who's a little misunderstood. But can care about things—trust me. And in the end she did the right thing and helped Gerald and me save the neighborhood, and I think that's what matters most."
The laughter died down, but then Sid raised an eyebrow. "Did you just call Helga a girl?" He grinned widely.
Arnold felt a blush threatening to come but barely managed to keep it at bay. He sighed. "Guys, not this again…" He shrugged. "Why wouldn't I call her a girl? She is one."
Sid just sighed and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Arnold, we've gotta start introducing you to some more women." His eyes lit up. "Like that Bridget chick—she was pretty fine." He removed his hand, and pointed at Arnold and winked, clicking his tongue. "Tell me you at least got her number or something."
Arnold cleared his throat, blushing a little and looking down, trying not to smile. "Sid, come on, she was old—she was like…twenty-five!"
Sid just waved him off with a grin. "Eh, in fifteen years, we'll be twenty-five and she'll be forty, and then who's got the upper hand, huh?" He grinned smugly to himself.
Arnold just rolled his eyes. "I still think I'd prefer someone a little closer to our own age."
"Like Miss Lila, Arnold?" Stinky suggested innocently with a warm smile.
Arnold's smile (and blush) grew slightly. He shook his head. "No, not Lila anymore. I'm kind of over that. Just, you know…someone to talk to would be nice."
"Ah, don't worry, Arnold," Harold waved him off. "You'll find someone else. I mean, you saved the neighborhood—that probably impressed like every girl in the school."
"Yeah, I reckon they'll be lining up to go courting with you, Arnold," Stinky assured. "You'll probably be able to get a date for the end of the year dance easy as pie."
"Yeah, and you won't have to get dragged to the dance by Helga pretending to be blind," Curly chimed in, crossing his arms over his chest. "Even I thought that was cuckoo."
Arnold swallowed and smiled a lot and blushed a lot (and was glad to have this new topic of generally discussing girls as another excuse for this reaction). "Well, um…you never know," he settled on shyly in response. Then, before any further questioning or comments could ensue, he cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Um, guys? Please don't mention to Helga or anyone else about her helping out so much with saving the neighborhood. I think it would annoy her. You know her—she just kind of likes to go about her business without being bothered. And also she made me promise not to let it get around too much, or she might pound me." He tried not to actually laugh at the idea of the threat.
The guys all nodded and replied in the affirmative.
"No problem," Sid added with a grin. "Hey, if she wants to risk her neck for all of us, more power to her."
All of the guys nodded and agreed to this as well.
And Arnold just tried very hard not to get lost in a dreamy smile. 'They don't even know how much power she has. Lila was just nice and Bridget might have been, um…interesting to meet, but she's still a grown up. But Helga's the most powerful and passionate and the coolest woman there is.' He gave a warm mental at the idea. And then he tried not to let his heart pound at the realization that he had just thought of Helga as a woman yet again in his life.
They all reached the park now, and Arnold just tried to focus on football and his friends for the rest of the afternoon until dinnertime.
And most importantly he tried to avoid the looming topic of how the heck he was going to successfully pull off this dance invitation and the dance itself considering not only the expectations of their friends but the simultaneously secretive and highly passionate nature of the 'woman' he had come to care for as well.
"Hey Phoebe?" Gerald said to the girl seated in front of him at the game console as he stood behind her and watched with interest while she played the latest Crazy Bus video game at the arcade. Indeed, his attention was quite rapt as he tilted when she tilted because the bus was turning, cringed when she cringed because the bus had hit something, and smiled when she smiled because the bus had achieved its goal.
"Yes, Gerald?" Phoebe replied, not taking her eyes off the screen and focusing very carefully on the game before her.
Gerald bit his lip as he watched the game progress into a more difficult segment of the level Phoebe as currently trying to beat. "So, since I know about Helga's secret thing for Arnold and since I know about Arnold's new thing for Helga, and since both of them know that I know, and since you know all about that stuff too, do you think it's okay for us to bring up what's going on between them to each other sometimes now?"
Phoebe moved the joystick and pressed a few buttons as she took a moment to consider, then nodded. "I think that would be acceptable, Gerald. As long as we do not betray any intimate secrets about our friends to each other, talking about something we both clearly already know about shouldn't be a problem."
"Oh, good. And yeah, I think that makes sense." Gerald nodded. Then he blinked. "Oh, look out for that man hole!"
Phoebe's eyes narrowed at the screen, but then she gave the joystick a quick flick and smiled brightly as some electronic music sounded from the game. "Yes! I've beaten another level! Just two more to go." She went back to pressing buttons as the game resumed now. "I'm sorry, Gerald," she added over her shoulder. "Is there something specific regarding Arnold and Helga that's been on your mind?"
Gerald nodded again. "I'm just wondering how likely you think it is that things'll work out for them. I'm kind of worried. Arnold's been acting a little weird lately. I mean, even weirder than he usually can get around girls." His eyes remained on the screen, watching Phoebe's skills closely.
"Helga has been acting a little strangely too," Phoebe added with a nod. "I think they are just getting used to their new relationship. But as for that relationship working out…" her gaze softened a little, though she still played at the game with expertise, "I honestly can't say if it will or won't. I would like it to—I think they go very well together and make each other happy. But the intensity of the relationship they are bound to have may be too much for them to handle right now in their lives, which may indeed lead to them breaking off their new intimacy." She raised an eyebrow at the screen. "If I double back, there should be a second life token on that sidewalk at the start, right?"
"You got it, babe," Gerald assured with a nod and a little more of a smile at her strategy. The smile fell though as he went back to both focusing on the game and talking about his best friend. "Yeah, why do they have to be so intense anyway?" He raised an eyebrow. "Can't they just…spend time together? Do they have to go in for all this 'love stuff'? I mean, wouldn't they just be happier as two people who are thinking about being more than friends than as two people who are hopelessly gone for each other?"
Phoebe couldn't help herself—and what she was about to say was a logical point to make. "So you're saying they might be happier if they were more like you and I are together, Gerald?"
"Yeah, like—" Gerald's eyes went a little wide and he took a step back from the video game. "Um…yeah, I mean…you know," he blushed, "they might be happier if they were more…normal. Why can't they just be normal about this?" He cleared his throat, put a smile on his face, and stepped back over to make himself look at video game again, though his attention was more focused on the video game's player now to say the least.
Phoebe did her best not to smile too much and just let out a small sigh as she kept playing. "It's simple, Gerald. They can't be 'normal' together, because they aren't 'normal', at least not about this. They experience an intense and intoxicating potential romantic attraction when together that neither one of them can avoid for too long. Besides which, I think they enjoy being this intense with one another." A touch of concern came to her features. "Though I do agree, all of these extremes unfortunately lessen the likelihood of their relationship working out. They may end up going too quickly and find themselves just simply wanting to forget the whole matter." She frowned, still doing her best to play though. "If that does happen, I do not know about Arnold, but Helga will require a great deal of comfort from me."
Gerald nodded, concern in his features too. His voice lowered a little. "Trust me—Arnold might not be the one in love, but he'll be a wreck. He just really likes spending time with Helga—if things got so bad that they went beyond calling the potential romance quits to ending the friendship, I don't know what that would do to him. But I don't think it would be pretty." He sighed, then suddenly blinked and pointed at the screen. "If you go down that alley, it's a shortcut to the finish line for the last level."
Phoebe nodded and followed his direction. "I suppose all we can do is offer them our support and guidance," she added, coming back to their conversation.
"Yeah, I think you're right," Gerald added with a nod. Then he glanced down at Phoebe, completely forgetting about the game for a moment, and swallowed. "Um…Phoebe?"
"Oh, the final level!" Phoebe smiled at the screen as some electronic music played again. Then she cleared her throat and nodded. "Yes, Gerald?"
Gerald smiled a little, hoping he didn't sound like too much of a goof. "Since our relationship's simpler, do you think it has a better chance of working out?"
Phoebe's eyes went a little wide and her hand slipped on the joystick for a moment.
Gerald instantly blinked. "Ooo, careful, babe, or you'll fall off the bridge—here." Without even thinking about it, he reached forward and took her hand, gently guiding her back to holding the joystick and helping her straighten out the path of the video game bus.
Gerald realized what he was doing about two seconds later and then quickly removed his hand from atop Phoebe's, though he couldn't help smiling a little dreamily to himself now.
Phoebe had a small, special smile on her lips too. "I, um…I think it's difficult to make a comparison regarding our relationships, Gerald," she managed, trying to get back to their topic of conversation.
"Hmm?" Gerald asked, clearly still a little distracted for the moment.
Phoebe smiled more and did her best not to giggle. "I said, I think it's difficult to make a comparison regarding our relationship and Arnold and Helga's, Gerald." She focused in on the game again and went on. "But, for what it's worth, I'm certain you and I will be fine. We seem very happy with each other this way. Do you agree?" She blushed slightly, her smile warm.
"Oh, yeah," Gerald nodded, just watching her play with a big grin and letting out a content sigh. "Definitely, babe."
Phoebe laughed softly. "I concur as well, Gerald." She sighed, her attention going back to the game. "And as for Arnold and Helga, they may very well surprise us, Gerald. I think at the very least they will emerge from this new closeness of theirs as an unshakeable set of friends. And at most, well…we'll end up with a lovely couple to double date with." Phoebe smiled and suddenly the game lit up and more music played. She removed her hand from the joystick. "I do believe I've won, Gerald." She used the button to enter her initials into the game. "And I do believe I've gotten one of the new highest scores…even higher than yours actually." She glanced over her shoulder at him with an almost playful smile.
Gerald smiled playfully back at her. "Hey, not for long. It's my turn now. You're going down, babe." As Phoebe slipped out of the seat, he slipped into it.
Phoebe just laughed at his comment. "We'll see, Gerald. Good luck."
"Trust me, babe, I won't need it." He winked at her over his shoulder, a slightly smug grin coming to his face as he slipped the quarter into the slot and pressed the start button. "After all, if you remember, I did almost single-handedly, and very coolly I might add, drive an entire city bus clear across town and over an open drawbridge all to crash it in the ideal location on Vine Street and exactly on time to save the neighborhood."
"Um, Gerald? While you've been talking to me, level one started and your bus just crashed," Phoebe remarked, pointing back at the screen and trying not to giggle.
Gerald instantly blinked and turned around. "Aw, man!" He reached into his pocket and put in another quarter. "Heh…" he smiled sheepishly, "Okay, okay, for real this time—let's do this." And then the game began, and he became just as absorbed in playing as Phoebe had been.
Phoebe smiled and watched him play for a few moments. Then she sighed softly. "Gerald? Do you really think Arnold's feelings for Helga are strong…in a romantic sense?"
Gerald considered as he breezed through the first level. "I think they're stronger in a friendship sense. But…there's something pretty big there in a romantic sense too. All I know is, Arnold's a good guy, Phoebe. He won't let her get hurt no matter what. That boy cares about everybody."
Phoebe's smile warmed. "I know. That's why I've always been glad that if Helga had to choose anyone to care so deeply for, it was him. She needs someone who won't let her get hurt."
Gerald raised an eyebrow at the unusual comment and momentarily glanced back at Phoebe.
"Gerald, you just hit a stop sign."
Gerald blinked and turned his eyes right back to the game. "Oh, uh…yeah, yeah, I see it now, heh."
Phoebe smiled warmly. Her voice lowered a little. "Don't worry, Gerald. Things may have changed a little because of what happened with Future Tech Industries, but everything will work out sufficiently in the end as long as we do our best, just like how saving the neighborhood worked out for you and Arnold and Helga because you tried so hard and cared so much."
Gerald smiled a little to himself. "You know, I think you're right, Phoebe." He sighed. "Let's just hope nothing too crazy or awkward happens for us to deal with before things finally work out though, right?"
"Er…yes, let's hope," Phoebe agreed but with a less-than-encouraging smile. She was glad his distraction with the game kept Gerald from noticing the slight note of hesitation in her voice. Frankly, she just didn't have the heart to tell him that when a situation involved Helga's love for Arnold, almost certainly something crazy and awkward was bound to come up. Instead she just crossed her fingers, hoped that now that Arnold knew everything, the worst was truly behind her friend, and focused on the relaxing rhythm of watching Gerald play and just enjoying spending an afternoon with her friend who felt like a little more than a friend in a very small but special way.
A/N:
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you again for reading, and please do review if you get the chance, it always makes me happy to hear from you guys! I will be trying to post updates more regularly as I said, but I do have some other in progress stories that are a priority along with this one. Also, all of this writing has taken a bit out of me, and it's my birthday this week too, so I think I might take a total rest from things just for a little while before I start working on the next updates. But expect this story to be done before the summer starts, and I hope you all like how it ends. Once it's finished, I'll be starting that final longterm HA! fic I mentioned. It will be an adaptation of The Jungle Movie, something I've been planning out and taking notes on and making outlines about for years now. I'm looking forward to starting it, and I hope you all enjoy where I take things.
Happy Reading!
~Azure129 aka Jenna
