Chapter Two: What Can We Do?

Slausens

"What are we supposed to do Gerald?" Arnold asked nervously, still not having taken his hand off his girlfriend's.

"Calm down man. Like Pataki said, we don't have to go to that thing." Gerald reminded him, although still disappointed about not being paired up with Phoebe.

"But, what if…" Although she wasn't normally one to interrupt, even Phoebe was beginning to feel the nervousness about the situation was unnecessary.

"I believe our friend's are right Arnold. Whether or not we choose to attend, no one actually intends on forming a relationship with the person they were paired up with."

"Pttss...ya got that right!" Helga scoffed, looking over at her said to be husband.

The waitress then appeared with their orders. As Helga's large triple chocolate shake was placed in front of her, she turned to her boyfriend and said "Alright, I'm going to have to ask for my hand back now, Romeo."

"Oh umm sorry Helga." he blushed, having just now realized how long he had been holding it for.

Still not having calmed down, Arnold couldn't help but ask "What exactly did the invitation mean when it said we'd be meeting for 'marriage practice' tomorrow?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Gerald replied "You know that girl likes to drag out her ideas as much as possible. She's probably looking for a way to brag about her results."

"All the more reason to stay the heck away." Helga insisted, leaning back in her seat with her sweet treat.

It was bad enough Arnold wasn't paired with his girlfriend. He didn't like the idea of having to practice being married to someone else...and to Rhonda nonetheless!

Hoping to take everyone's attention off the marriage predictor, Helga asked "So assuming we do decide to humor ourselves by showing up at that thing, do you two lovebirds know what you'll be wearing?"

"I'm afraid we haven't made up our minds yet. Are you and Arnold aware of what you'll be wearing?" Phoebe admitted, looking over at her boyfriend.

Shrugging her shoulders as she neared the end of her shake, Helga scoffed "I'm shocked Princess didn't have an outfit predictor for all of us."

"Tell me about it. Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to go. All this marriage talk hasn't changed the fact that I've still got homework to do." Gerald pointed out.

Boarding House

"Sorry about this afternoon Helga." Arnold sighed, as they were approaching his front porch.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, cocking her brow in confusion.

"I know how much Rhonda gets on your nerves. Now she's trying to make us all spend the weekend pretending we're in love with people we don't actually have feelings for."

"Yeah well that's Princess for you. If she knows of a way to make someone miserable, she won't hesitate to do it." Helga reminded him, as the two entered the boarding house.

They were nearing the kitchen when Arnold heard his grandpa call out "That you shortman?"

The two of them entered the kitchen to see Phil sitting with his newspaper. "Hey grandpa."

"Hey shortman! How was school?"

"Not bad. We got an invitation to a dinner party this weekend." Arnold blushed, not wanting to reveal all the details.

"Ooohhh a party! If you need help deciding what to wear, just ask your grandma. You know she's got all kinds of crazy outfits!" Phil reminded him.

"Uhhh thanks grandpa." Arnold replied, quickly turning around to take his girlfriend upstairs.

"Crazy outfits?" she couldn't help but ask. She knew his family was eccentric, but had never been given all the details.

"Uhhh she likes to dress up every now and then when she cooks and cleans. I guess just to make it more fun for herself." he explained, hoping she wouldn't judge him too harshly for it.

"Don't expect that from me when we get married." she scoffed, not having meant to say that out loud.

A warm smile came to Arnold's face, seeing more and more that day Rhonda's game had no influence on his girlfriend whatsoever.

Rhonda's House

"I am so excited about this! Tomorrow, I'll have everyone over to practice with the partner they were paired up with. Then Sunday, we'll have the actual dinner that was prepared for everyone." Rhonda said anxiously to her best friend.

"By the way Rhonda, what did you mean when you said 'practice' on your invite?" Nadine couldn't help but wonder.

"What do you think I meant?" Rhonda smirked, surprised her friend had to ask.

After watching Nadine shrug her shoulders Rhonda went on to explain "Nadine, married couples (who are nowhere as rich as my family) cook and clean together. Seeing as how I don't see any of our classmates worthy of growing up to afford someone to take care of those things for them, it would do them well to learn a thing or two about them."

"Uh huh? And are you planning to teach them yourself?"

"Don't be ridiculous! My family's butler will be showing them simple dishes to prepare. Then they of course won't be allowed to leave until they've cleaned up the messes they've made (just like a real married couple).

Arnold's Room

Sitting on his bed, still embarrassed by what she had said, Helga stared at her hands folded in her lap.

"So, you really could see us getting married one day?" he winked, taking a seat beside his nervous girlfriend.

Rolling her eyes at what she considered to be a senseless question, Helga said "What do you think hairboy?"

Placing a hand on her face, he began stroking her cheek with his thumb as he said "You never did answer my question earlier."

"Uhh...what question?" she hesitated, as her eyes began to widen.

Wrapping his other arm around her shoulder, he leaned closer to say "How you knew what I said about Rhonda's marriage predictor."

Although his eyes hadn't left hers, he could sense her trembling in his arms.

Helga let out a nervous gulp as he began to rub her shoulder, waiting for a response.

"Oh right…" she stuttered as her boyfriend felt the nervousness taking place from her shaking shoulders beneath his arm.

"So, how did you know?" Arnold smiled, resting his head against hers. Helga shut her eyes, not wanting to reveal the information until she felt him nuzzling his cheek against her own. A nervous chill was sent through her body, still not wanting to say anything.

"Uhhh…."

"Yes?" he asked anxiously, lacing his fingers with hers, as she sat there breathing heavily against him.

"I was kind of listening in on your conversation with her." Helga stuttered, as she watched the eagerness her boyfriend felt for knowing this information.

Arnold let out a small laugh, already knowing that had to have been the answer. She had confessed to stalking him several times before. What other excuse could there have been?

As he ran his fingers through her silky blonde hair that passed out the sweet scent of vanilla, he nuzzled his nose against his sweet girlfriend's and softly said "Yeah, I kind of figured."

Avon Theater

"Are you guys going to the practice tomorrow? I'm not even sure of what it is?" Sid asked his friends, as they stood outside the theater together, waiting to see the new Evil Twin movie.

"I reckon so. On account of I won't know what to do at the actual party if I don't go to the practice." Stinky pointed out.

"What about you Harold?"

"What are we even doing there? What kind of stupid party makes you practice?" Harold said angrily.

"Beats me." Sid said, shrugging his shoulders.

Arnold's Room

Although he was happy to have gotten that out of her, Arnold could see the uncomfortable look in his girlfriend's eyes. "Are you okay Helga?"

"Yeah, like you said, it's not like you didn't already suspect it." she sighed, lifting her head at the thought of him actually not having figured it out by now.

Rubbing her shoulder, he leaned in close to whisper in her ear "I wish you would have said something."

Helga couldn't help but roll her eyes, remembering how disgusted he was with his results that day.

"I think it's a good thing I didn't. If I'm remembering correctly, you weren't too thrilled to see I was your wife." she scoffed.

"I don't think her predictor was broken" he winked, hearing her gulp heavily. She was just as blindsighted to his true feelings for her as he had been to hers for him all those years.

The two of them sat there, each wondering if the other wanted to go through with Rhonda's plans for the weekend.

Arnold gazed into what he knew was his true partner's sapphire eyes, leaning in to meet her sweet lips. If anything was a perfect match, it was the way their lips came together to send a thrilling sensation throughout their bodies every time they met.

As Helga let out a content sigh, knowing she never had to worry about someone stealing her beloved from her, she felt him parting his lips just enough to say "Something else happened to me that night…"

Rhonda's House

"I really don't think this is a good idea Rhonda. It's bad enough you've matched everyone up with people they don't care to attend the party with. Why would they want to spend the weekend doing chores?" Nadine protested, seeing her best friend standing with her hands on her hips.

"Nadine, why bother being married if you don't know what your partner is capable of doing for you? You wouldn't marry someone just for fun, if you weren't sure you'd be getting something good out of it." Rhonda smirked.

Arnold's Room

Arnold could feel his girlfriend's lips beginning to quiver at the sound of these words. Not because she didn't know what it was, but because he once again didn't know she was already aware of the information.

After the only response from her seemed to be more tension building up, Arnold placed a hand behind her head to pull her closer. As he began nibbling on her lips, he could feel the goosebumps forming on her skin.

While he began rubbing her hand with his thumb, he felt a deep breath release from her nose. When their lips at last parted, without thinking, Helga sighed "I know."

Phoebe's Room

"Thanks for helping me with my homework babe." Gerald said, knowing he could always count on his girlfriend for that.

"Why certainly Gerald." Phoebe smiled until noticing the disappointing look on her boyfriend's face.

"Is anything wrong? You seem a bit perturbed." Phoebe couldn't help but point out.

"I was just thinking about the party. I haven't made up my mind about going. I guess I won't have to since Pataki's obviously not wild about the idea. It would still be nice to go with you." Gerald said, wrapping his arm around Phoebe.

"Don't worry Gerald. As I said, this in no way pertains to our actual feelings for each other."

Arnold's Room

Having let her tongue slip once again, Helga could feel her face turning red. If only she knew how deep his feelings for her truly were.

There she sat wide-eyed, trying to breathe steadily, as she felt her boyfriend place his hand on her thigh. It was amazing having her beloved act out the feelings she had been longing for. What if it wasn't all it seemed to be however? She would be humiliated if she jumped to the conclusion he loved her; that she could share anything with him.

Leaning his head against hers to nuzzle their cheeks once again, he whispered in her ear "What do you think it was?"

Helga felt her heart begin to pound as she felt her boyfriend's hand moving up her thigh. As comfortable as Arnold appeared to be with her, he still hadn't said he loved her. How could she believe anything she told him wouldn't change his feelings for her at that point.

"Uhhh…."

"Yes?" he asked anxiously, pressing their noses together. It was possible he already knew the answer, he just wanted to hear it from her. He had done more than enough to show how comfortable he was opening up to her during their relationship. It was her turn to return the favor.

Butterflies began forming in her stomach at the idea of revealing the information as she felt her beloved's hand moving further up her dress. How could she risk losing whatever state his feelings for her were currently in, if there was no guarantee they were as strong as hers?

"I..I.."

A smile remained on Arnold as he continued to press his anxious yet content face against his girlfriend's. He was too comfortable to feel guilty about any nervousness his need for an answer maybe causing her.

Having finally felt his warm hand reach the top of her leg, Helga felt him start to massage her trembling skin. The touch of his warm hand stroking her along with his sweet face nuzzling against her own began opening up the urge for her to reveal his much needed information.

"I was kind of listening to you tell Geraldo about your dream on the bus the next morning." she said nervously.

Phoebe's Room

"I suppose we could at some point see if Arnold and Helga would like to go shopping for new dinner outfits. Assuming they're planning on attending the party." Phoebe pointed out, as her boyfriend was grabbing his things.

"I don't see Pataki going through with it, but I guess that sounds good. Night babe." Gerald said, leaning over to give his girlfriend a short but sweet kiss. "See you at Rhonda's I guess."

"I'm looking forward to it." she nodded. Although it would have been nice to have her boyfriend as her partner, knowing he would be there with her was enough to make her happy.

Arnold's Room

Helga was shaking fiercely at the idea of just having revealed that information. It wasn't a big deal telling Arnold another piece of information about stalking him. He had learned plenty about it by that point in their relationship. The idea of him asking what her dream that night maybe about was just embarrassing however.

As he watched his girlfriend begin to shake harder, he held a hand to her face and said "Did you have a dream about me?"

Criminy! Why did he have to ask that?!

"I don't think that's worth mentioning." she said nervously, feeling him pick up her hands to lace their fingers with. As he leaned his forehead against hers, he whispered "I do."

Gerald's House

Gerald walked inside still disappointed to have not been paired up with his girlfriend, yet looking forward to the idea of shopping for it with her. Not to mention already being in too strong a relationship to have to worry about something as dumb as a party coming between them.

As he passed by the kitchen, he heard "Gerald, why are you home so late?"

"Sorry dad. I was doing my homework with Phoebe."

"It was your turn to do the dishes. Since Jamie O did them, you can clean up and take out the garbage. Also, make sure to turn out the lights in here when you're finished. We need to stop wasting electricity." Mr. Johannson demanded, walking past his son.

Gerald took a look at the full garbage can, along with the family items that had been scattered all over the room. Shaking his head, he thought to himself Man! Is this what it's like to be married?

Arnold's Room

Arnold looked into his girlfriend's sapphire eyes as he leaned closer to rest his nose against hers. He moved close enough to the point where he was laying on top of her, pinning her back with their fingers still laced.

Rubbing his cheek against hers with a smile that hadn't left his face, he said "So, are you going to answer me?"

As she watched her beloved moving up and down against her heavily breathing chest, she said "Uhhh wouldn't you rather tell me about yours?"

Turning his face to look into her nervous eyes, he rested his nose against hers and said "You said you already listened to what my dream was about."

Clearing her throat as she felt him rubbing his thumbs along her hands, she replied "I don't remember any of it."

Feeling her squeeze his hands tightly at the touch of him stroking hers, he took notice of her heavy breathing not having calmed since he began digging for information on the subject.

Gently pressing his lips against hers, he rested them there to whisper "I don't think that's true."

Helga's lips once again began to quiver as she felt her beloved running his tongue alongside them.

She could sense this was his way of hoping to get a response out of her. She knew he was aware of the rare times she could be put in a vulnerable state. When she was, it wasn't hard to get the truth out of her.

After a moment or so of feeling her boyfriend swipe his tongue across her lips, Helga couldn't take the torture of keeping the information bottled up any longer. It was as though she was reliving repressing her unrequited love for Arnold.

Sensing she was trying to speak, Arnold slowly removed his lips to ask "Well?"

Rather than speaking, Helga nervously stared at the warm smile on her beloved's face, asking herself how harshly he would judge her after hearing her dream…

This is so humiliating! Isn't it enough I'm allowing him just to put me in this vulnerable position?

After still not receiving a response, Arnold bent down to give her a soft kiss on the lips, thinking about the comforting position that had helped her open up to him before.

That being said, he unlaced their fingers, resting his sweet lips against her trembling ones. Helga's breathing began to steady until she felt her beloved's hands sliding up her shirt sleeves.

Arnold soon heard a content moan release from his girlfriend, as he wrapped his arms around her bareback, pressing their chests tightly together.

Tilting his head to the side, Arnold began playing with her tongue, anxious to get an answer out of her. While enjoying the moment, he didn't understand what there was for her to be so hesitant about. They were obviously close. What did she feel he would judge her for?

Shivers began racing through Helga's body as she felt her boyfriend running his soft hands along her smooth bareback.

Helga became lost in her thoughts until she felt her boyfriend slowly pulling away from her."

Rhonda's House

"What exactly is the point of this being a dinner party if we're just going to practice cooking and cleaning?" Nadine pointed out, seeing her best friend shake her head.

"I said we're celebrating Sunday! Tomorrow we're testing the accuracy of the predictor by having everyone practice with their partners." Rhonda explained, hoping to make herself clear.

Arnold's Room

Watching him hover above her with his signature look, Helga asked "What is it?"

"I'm still waiting for you to tell me what your dream was about." he smiled, moving his hands along her bareback. Chills ran through her each time he moved his hands alongside her skin.

Arnold continued watching the still look on his girlfriend's face until he bent down to nuzzle his cheek against hers. Rubbing their soft skin together, he whispered close to her ear "Please…"

Knowing he wasn't going to stop, Helga began to breathe heavily as she opened her mouth to give her answer.

"If I tell you, you better not make fun of me." she scoffed.

Sitting up straight to pull off his sweater, a wide grin formed on Arnold's face as he began unbuttoning his shirt, eager to hear the information he was about to be given.

"Wouldn't 'dream' of it." he winked, as he layed back down on his girlfriend, kissing her neck impatiently.

"Well, I was president in my dream." she began, seeing her boyfriend lift his head with a wide grin on his face.

"That sounds like you." he replied, running a finger across her lips.

Rolling her eyes at his reaction, she went on to explain "Yeah well, then I dreamt you were captured." Helga blushed, not wanting to make eye contact with her boyfriend.

Turning her face towards his, Arnold said with an intrigued look "I'm guessing it was you who came to my rescue."

Helga's cheeks turned bright red at the thought of him knowing what happened. As she laid there, looking into his eager eyes that cried out for more information, she began to feel him running his hands up her sleeves.

Arnold pulled his girlfriend close enough to feel the strumming of each other's heartbeats as he asked "Who was it that kidnapped me?"

"Uhhh…" Helga began, but wasn't able to answer before she felt her boyfriend place his lips over her own. As he slowly sucked them, Arnold tightly wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, having a good idea of what the answer was.

Moments later, he parted their lips just enough to say "Was it Lila?"

Helga's eyes widened with embarrassment. The thought of it being so obvious to him actually made her begin to struggle in his arms.

As he watched the nervous look in her eyes, Arnold pressed his nose against hers and asked "How did you save me?"

Helga began to shiver at the thought of passing out more information. He had her in a tight hold however. As she looked into his enticing eyes, she hesitantly admitted "I was a ninja warrior in my dream."

Arnold did his best to hold back his laugh, knowing how uncomfortable she already was. As he bent down to kiss her neck, he whispered "You always were there for me."

A heavy swoon released from Helga as she watched him lift his head to gaze into her eyes.

After smiling at his girlfriend a moment, Arnold had to ask "So, are you planning on going to Rhonda's tomorrow?"

Helga rolled her eyes at the sound of their uptight classmate's name. "I guess it wouldn't be fair to make you go alone. We wouldn't want Princess coming after you if you skipped out on her." she smirked.

"If you really are a ninja warrior, I don't think I'd have anything to worry about." he winked.

Helga laid there content to have gotten that off her chest, while Arnold hoped she would soon be as comfortable opening up to him as he was with her. After holding her hand in public, showing his nervousness for not being her partner, and his excitement to hear about everything going on in her life, it was clear he was never afraid to show his feelings for her.