Chapter 4:
As A New Relationship Begins To Form
"And then, he just took me under the table and hugged me. I mean, I'm grateful that my eyes didn't get poked out by the glass, but still! The nerve of that guy."
"Helga, that's just his way of protecting you. Aren't you glad you didn't get hurt?"
"Yeah, kinda... Ah, you're right. What's done is done. Anyways, there's something just a little more important we need to talk about now..."
"Really? What's that?"
"I need your help, Pheebs - I don't know what to wear for when I go to Slausen's," Helga exclaimed as she shoved aisde some shirts and dresses in her closet.
"Well, maybe you shouldn't wear something too fancy. After all, it's just ice cream," said Phoebe, sitting on top of Helga's bed.
"Yeah, with Arnold!"
"And Bryan."
"Right. What if they come in a tux, and all I have is my usual clothes? They'll surely be offended!"
"I think Arnold and Bryan are smart enough to realize that the two of you are just going to have casual conversation. Don't you?"
Helga sat down on the floor and thought about it. "I guess so, yeah. But I still want to be at least a little dressed up, you know?"
"Of course. I suppose it's understandable for a girl to want to look her best in front of a boy she likes," Phoebe said with a smile.
"So, what do you think I should wear?"
"Hm... What about one of your pink dresses from elementary school?"
Helga stood up and rummaged through some clothes in her drawers.
"Ugh, where is that... Ah, here it is." She pulled out her pink dress from fourth grade and held it up. "It's kind of small, Pheebs - What, did you want me to wear this?"
Phoebe stood up and examined it from up close. "Maybe, with a couple changes, this could be your dress. I bet I can make it a little wider - Should I cut off the sleeves, too?"
"Whoa, there, not so fast," said Helga. "I want to see how I'll look first before letting you do anything with this."
"All right... One second, Helga," she said, and crouched down next to her backpack from nearby. She zipped a pocket open and pulled out a notepad, along with a pen, then went back to where she was standing.
"Let's see... Here are a few of the changes we're going to make," said Phoebe, and began writing notes. "The dress has to be wider; you've grown, obviously. If you want, we could cut the white sleeves off, and change them into spagehetti straps. Also, the color could be just a tad darker... And, instead of it looking so stiff, maybe we could make it a bit puffier? I mean, it's your choice, though."
Helga stood there, taking it all in for a few seconds and visualizing the picture in her head, tapping her chin thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Phoebe flipped over to a new page and started sketching.
"Here, Helga," she said, showing her the drawing. "This is just an idea of how it'll look like when we're done."
"Actually, it's not that bad," Helga smiled. "Thanks, Pheebs! You're the best. But can you finish in thirty minutes?"
"I suppose, if we work hard enough - Together. Oh, and there's still lots to do other than your dress! Your hair... I think we should change it to look like the time when you pretended to be Cecile." Phoebe clicked her pen and began drawing some more.
"Criminy, Phoebe! You want me to have poodle hair again?"
"What poodle hair- Oh, nevermind that. I mean what your hair looked like when you came home. It was a kind of curly or somewhat wavy, wasn't it? And you had bangs on one side."
"Oh! Yeah, that's good," Helga nodded. "All right, then. Let's get to work."
~Middle School Jealousy~
About ten minutes passed, and the girls kept working non-stop. Phoebe changed the dress and made it wider, and was now making the spagehetti straps. Helga borrowed (or, rather, took) Miriam's hair products, and finished using the comb to let her bangs show, just like it did on her Valentine's date with Arnold.
"Ugh, stupid curling iron," Helga grumbled, sitting on the chair of her dresser, facing the mirror. "This thing is going to burn my already-burnt hand!"
"That's why I told you to use the gloves," Phoebe said, her eyes still fixed on her work.
"Fine. But this better work." She pulled on a pair of black gloves and picked up the curling iron. "All right, so I curl this part, then keep it like that for thirty seconds, then let go..."
Meanwhile, Phoebe reached for a can of dark pink spray-paint that Big Bob had kept for whatever reason. She shook it first, then pressed down on the top, which triggered the paint to come out. Phoebe pointed it towards the dress and watched as the color began to change.
"Oh, my! The changes are going wonderfully quick," Phoebe said with a grin, one hand on her cheeck. "Now, I just need to adjust it so that it won't be so stiff... How are you doing, Helga?"
"Peachy." Phoebe put down her tools and took a moment to examine Helga's work.
"You're doing great! But... I'm really sorry, but I don't think we'll be finished in time. I guess I miscalculated some things. Maybe you could call them and ask for a later time?"
As if she already expected this would happen, Helga smirked and said, "Get my phone, will you, Pheebs?"
"Getting!" Phoebe picked up Helga's cell phone, which was lying on her bed, and looked through her contacts. Arnold was the first one. She held the phone up to Helga's ear.
Riiiing! Riiiing! Riiiing...
"Hello?" Arnold's voice came out from the other end.
"Hey, Arnoldo - It's me, Helga. So, the thing is, Miriam left the groceries on the roof of the car again, so they spilled out onto the road as soon as she started driving. She and I have to go back to the market and buy some food now - Can you meet me at 5:35?"
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she nervously waited for his reply. There was silence for a few seconds while she twirled the curling iron in her hand.
"...I guess that's okay," Arnold finally answered. "So, I'll see you later?"
"Yup. Later." And she hung up the phone.
~Middle School Jealousy~
TRIIIIING! TRIIIING! TRIIIING!
He stopped playing with his cat and turned to look at the phone on the nearby table.
That better not be Trucy again, he thought to himself.
"Meoww..." His cat rested her head on the boy's lap.
"It's all right, Mia, I'm just going to go pick up the phone, okay?" He lifted her head up as he stood up from the couch they were sitting on, then set her back down.
The boy walked over to the table and picked up the handle of the phone, holding it up to his ear.
"Sorry, Bryan," Helga's voice spoke from the other end. "You see, I forgot that I have to go grocery shopping with my mom right now. Can we meet at, say, 4:30? You should do your homework for now, anyways."
Relieved that it was just Helga, he nodded, but then remembered that she couldn't see him.
"Um, yeah. That sounds good."
"Awesome. See you there," she said, and he imagined her expression brightening up.
"Right. Catch you later, Helga."
Click!
~Middle School Jealousy~
"Great news, Phoebe - We have until 4:30 to finish our preparations."
"That's great, Helga!" Phoebe said with a wide smile. "So... Who's first?"
"Bryan," she answered. "Reason? I chose the best for last, of course."
"Right," Phoebe said, slightly in a teasing voice. "Actually, I'm kind of surprised you agreed to having ice cream with Bryan. Is there any particular reason you accepted...?"
Helga paused and thought back. "Well... He did help me a couple times. I guess I sort of owe him."
"Of course... But is that the only reason?"
"Please, Phoebe. We only have a little amount of time left, so let's put that to good use, shall we? Let's get back to work."
And with that, her best friend shrugged it off and went back to changing up the dress, and Helga began fixing her hair again.
~Middle School Jealousy~
Phoebe brushed some of her hair behind her ear and smiled triumphantly.
"There! I'm finally finished," she announced with a relieved sigh.
"Right on time, Pheebs. Looks like we're both done, and we still have a few minutes to spare." Helga stood up from her chair and walked over to Phoebe.
"So, what do you think?"
The dress, laid down on her bed, did look different. It was wider now, just enough so it fit Helga. The sleeves were also changed into spagehetti straps. Its color was only a little bit darker, and it was now looser, instead of being so stiff.
"Wow. You did a great job, Phoebe! Thanks."
Now it was Phoebe's turn to compliment Helga's work.
"You did good, too, Helga! Your hair looks really pretty! Just like the time you pretended to be Cecile."
"I try," Helga said with a smug look. "Anyways, I'm going to go change. Meet me outside the house, okay?"
"Okay," Phoebe replied with a bright smile, then picked up her backpack and headed out, closing the door behind her.
While Helga was changing, Phoebe had gone downstairs and picked up a pair of Miriam's white, removable heels. They were kind of short, so even if you were to use them, you wouldn't have a hard time walking.
"Perfect," Phoebe said quietly to herself. She kneeled down and attached them to the bottoms of Helga's usual, white shoes. "I bet Helga would look much nicer with these on."
She waited a couple more minutes, then finally, she heard some footsteps coming down the stairs. Helga walked down until she reached the floor again.
"Here." Phoebe gestured to the shoes. Helga noticed the difference right away and smiled.
"Thanks, Pheebs."
"It was no problem."
Helga slipped into her shoes and exited out the door. Turning back one more time, she saw Phoebe closely behind her, giving her a thumbs-up for support. With a nod, she faced the opposite side again, and walked off to the icecream shop.
Phoebe went the other direction, heading back to her house with a small smile forming on her lips.
~Middle School Jealousy~
Helga stood in front of Slausen's, gazing at the sight before her. The shop had certainly changed since she was in fourth grade. Now, it was bigger, almost the size of a real restaurant. There were a few tables outside, so she sat down on a chair and placed her elbows on the table.
"He better not ditch me," Helga grumbled, checking the time on her watch. She impatiently drummed her fingernails on the table and let out a frustrated sigh.
Eventually, couples after couples passed by her and went inside the shop. Helga couldn't help but feel annoyed by the fact that she was alone.
"Where is he?" Helga whispered to herself, slight nervousness in her voice.
A few more minutes went by, and she was beginning to feel betrayed. She stood up and was about to go home, when she faintly heard something in the distance.
"Hey," a familiar voice called out, the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer. He sounded like he was out of breath.
"Bryan!" Helga's eyes went wide with surprise. "I almost thought you weren't going to show up."
He finally stopped running and stood in front of her.
"Of course I was going to! It's just that I..." He turned his head a little to the other side to avoid eye contact and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's kind of embarassing, but I sort of got... Well, lost on the way here."
Helga quickly put a hand over her mouth and tried to stifle a laugh. "R-Really?" She managed to ask.
"Yeah... I think I even passed this place a few times before without realizing it." Bryan's face flushed red as he explained what happened. "I jogged all around the neighborhood trying to find Slausen's, because I didn't want to be late. So, when I finally found it, I was bit, um, tired."
"I can't believe you would get lost in a neighborhood like ours," Helga teased. "Besides, don't you carry a map with you? Especially since you're new."
"I know, but this place is a lot different from where I used to live." His voice was soft, but serious, so Helga decided not to press on the matter. "Anyways," Bryan said after a moment, suddenly grinning. "This is a little late, but your hair, and your dress... You look really cute."
Helga narrowed her eyes. "I'm telling the truth when I say this - No one has ever called me cute. Besides you, of course."
"Well, maybe that's because no one ever took the time to get to know you better," Bryan said, leaning closer. "You're beautiful, both inside and out."
She simply smiled at this, being used to his constant compliments. "Thanks. You're not bad, either. Want to go inside and order now? You must've had quite a workout."
Bryan stood up straight and smiled. "Yeah. That sounds nice." He opened the door and held it. "Ladies first."
"What a gentleman you are," Helga replied, a little sarcastically, and walked in.
Music could be heard from the speakers placed on the cieling. The two headed over to the counter.
"I'll take a vanilla ice cream with chocolate sprinkles," she told the man. He looked over at Bryan.
"I'll just have what Helga's having."
"Copycat," Helga teased, poking his arm with her elbow.
"Not my fault we have the same tastes," he answered with a light chuckle. "Anyways, come on. Let's go find a table." He took Helga by the wrist and started walking off to find their seats.
Surprised, a light blush came across Helga's cheeks. "I-I can walk on my own! I mean, you're treating me like a child," she said, acting like she was actually mad.
"You're right, you're right. But I know you don't mind, anyways." Bryan smiled a little, though Helga couldn't see it, for he had his back facing her. "Here." He let go and sat down on a chair. "This a good spot for you?"
"It's not any different than the others, but yes." Helga took her seat and looked at the round table before them.
"So..." Helga avoided making eye contact, but decided to start a conversation. "...Why did you invite me for ice cream?" Truthfully, she was always a little curious on the reason he asked her out.
"Hm? Why do you ask?" Bryan tilted his head slightly, but the smirk on his face never faded.
"Well, I haven't really done anything special, and I know it's not my birthday, so why did you take me out?" She stared intently into his eyes, as if trying to read his mind.
Bryan opened his mouth to speak, when the speakers above them crackled.
"...To the couple on Table 12, your orders are ready." A man spoke through the microphone and made the announcement.
"That's us," Bryan said. "Shall we go pick up our orders?" He stood up and looked down at Helga.
"Yeah, yeah. Move it along or we'll never get done." She pushed him until they were at the counter again.
"Two vanilla ice cream cones with chocolate sprinkles, correct?"
"Yeah, thanks." Bryan took out some cash and placed it on the table. He then took the cones and nodded to the man, as a sign of goodbye.
Walking back to their table, Bryan watched as Helga licked her ice cream.
"Is it good?" he asked.
"Like any ice cream's not," Helga said with a slight chuckle.
"Hm… Hold on."
Before she knew it, he leaned in close and stuck his tongue out, tasting her treat for her. Their faces were so close together, they could feel each other's breaths.
"H-Hey! What are you doing!?" Flustered, Helga could feel her cheeks turning red as she watched Bryan lick her ice cream.
"...I'm checking to see if it's not poisoned," he replied with an amused wink.
"You... Idiot!" Helga pulled back her ice cream cone and turned her back on him. Bryan laughed softly and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, I was just teasing you. I won't do anything serious. Promise."
Pouting slightly, Helga turned her head a little to see Bryan standing behind her. "...Whatever. But you were really bold for doing that just now." She then did something she rarely did, and showed the boy somewhat of a genuine smile. "If it really was poison, would you have ate it for me?"
Bryan chuckled lightheartedly. "Yes, and gladly," he answered. "Now, shall I escort you back to our table, m'lady?" Bowing playfully, he offered his hand to the blonde.
"Oh, fine." Giving into his somewhat childishness, Helga placed her hand on top of his and felt the other's grip tighten. "We should go before our ice creams melt."
"Of course."
The two soon made their way back to their table, hands locked together the whole way.
A/N: Okay! So, I understand that I haven't updated this in a really long while, and I'm sorry about that. This chapter was actually started way back, and (I think) my writing has improved quite a bit since then. Since the last time I read this story was months and months ago, the plot I had in my head is now somewhat fuzzy, and I'm having trouble remembering exactly what I had planned out. The result will probably be less frequent updates. Also, on another note, I promise that this story isn't going to be all about BryanxHelga. If things go according to plan, Arnold is going to play a very important role soon... Well, that's enough from me. Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you can, feedback will always be much appreciated.