Here's the 2nd chapter! Took me a while to write it because I was busy with a pre-university test I had to take for Acting (which I didn't pass, but I'll try again next year and this year start with History carreer) Anyway, who cares lol Enjoy the chapter, hope you like it and excuse my English, specially my grammar, I'm Argentinian... Thanks for reading and please review :)

Helga was watching TV when her father interrupted

- Yo, Olga, there's a friend of yours at the door

- I'm Helga, dad… - she complained as standing up

- Helga, come quick! – she heard her best friend's voice

- Phoebe? – She asked confused when she saw her crying – What's wrong?

- Oh, Helga… it's A… Arnold

- Arnold? – repeated the blonde getting worried – What happened with Arnold?

Phoebe didn't answer, she just cried.

- PHOEBE! What happened with Arnold? – Helga was getting desperate

- Arnold… Arnold died.

Helga stood petrified a couple of seconds. Then she laughed.

- Yeah Phoebe, very funny! As if Arnold was dead… - the brunette looked at her with tears in her eyes – Stop it, Phoebe, cut the crap.

- Helga, I'm not kidding, I could never joke with something like this. The guys were playing baseball and the ball went into the street; Arnold went for it and… a car ran over him.

…

Helga?

…

It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. It's like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down through the air and there's a sickly moment of dark surprise.

No, Arnold couldn't be dead…

Helga ran to the street and Phoebe followed her

- Helga, wait! I can't run so fast!

But Helga didn't wait. She kept running. She didn't know where she was going; Phoebe had not told her where the boys had been playing. She was just following a hunch.

Then she saw a group of people on the street near the park, among them a couple of her classmates. Also ambulances and policemen. Helga made her way through the crowd, and then she saw him. Arnold was lying on the ground, surrounded by blood and separated from the crowd by some narrow goods the police settled as the ambulances came along.

- Arnold!

Helga ran below the narrow goods to Arnold.

- Young lady, get away from there!

She didn't obey, she didn't care; she even didn't care that her classmates were seeing her. The only thing she cared for was Arnold, her Arnold, which was against the cold pavement, bloodstained, with his eyes closed and looking as pale as marble. She kneeled beside him.

- Arnold… - she brushed away a lock of golden hair that was falling over his eyes and cleaned the blood from his face with her dress. – Arnold, wake up…

- Helga, come here!

- C'mon, Arnoldo… - she said as the tears flowed – You can't be dead… Don't do this to me, football head… I… I love you, Arnold ¡I love you!

Then she couldn't take it anymore and burst into tears over his chest.

Two policemen picked her up while the paramedics were taking the lifeless body of the boy she had loved during two thirds of her life.

- No… Arnold! Arnold! I love you, Arnold!

- Arnold… Arnold…

Arnold opened his eyes when he heard someone saying his name.

- I love you, Arnold

Helga?

He turned on the lights and got up from the couch to approach his bed, where his classmate was sleeping, and he swore he had heard her saying that she loved him.

Then he realized one thing: Helga was crying.

- Helga? – Arnold touched her shoulder – Helga! – He shook her softly and the girl woke up.

- Arnold? – He looked at her and thought he would get his butt kicked for waking Helga Pataki and seeing her in such fragile state. But he was wrong, because she instantly put her arms around him in a hug, and placed her face in the crook of his neck. – Oh, Arnold, you're okay!

- Uhm yeah… What happened?

Helga broke the embrace and looked at him. If it had been another day and moment, she would have answered that it was none of his business, pushed him away and wiped her tears. But after having that nightmare where Arnold was dead… Now he was there, in front of her, and he seemed worried.

- I d-dreamt that… - she stuttered between the tears, the shock, and the shame of confessing what her most terrible nightmare was - … you died

Arnold remained quiet a couple of seconds. After all, it's not nice to hear that someone dreamt with your own dead.

- Oh… - he simply said, and when he saw Helga weeping her tears something inside him was moved and made him hug her – Don't worry, it was just a nightmare… - Helga sobbed in his arms and he massaged her back to calm her down - … Don't cry… I'm okay.

It was at that moment, with Helga trembling between his arms and her tears watering his shoulder, that he realized something important. Helga was crying for him. Because she had dreamt that he died. Arnold deep down knew she didn't really hate him, after all they were something like friends, or at least mates, but he would have never imagined that she would cry just because she had dreamt that he, Arnoldo, the football head, was dead.

Suddenly, four words he had forgotten he heard a couple of minutes ago, came back to his mind:

I love you, Arnold

Then it was true? Helga did love him?

He decided that was not the time to meditate about such a thing.

- Helga, we better go back to sleep… - he told her watching his clock. It was 3 am. – It's alright, okay? I'm right there on the couch… - he was getting up but Helga grabbed his arm.

- No, Arnold, don't go! – She stopped him – I don't want to sleep… what if I dream again…

- Don't worry, that won't happen. Besides, we can't stay up all night, we need to rest.

Helga looked at Arnold's green eyes and the dark circles under them.

- Sleep here with me – she let go the words without thinking, and Arnold's eyes, though they felt heavy, widened in surprise – So I… so I know that you're here…

She lowered her eyes blushing and Arnold sighed.

- Alright – he granted lying next to her, but without getting under the blankets. After all, Arnold was a gentleman. Helga smiled at him good night and he returned the gesture before turning off the lights.

The boy was really confused, that had been officially the most bizarre and weird moment of his short existence. The way Helga reacted to that dream, and when she woke up, she wouldn't let him go, as if it was almost a need to feel him near… He had never seen Helga so vulnerable and the strangest thing was that he was the reason of that fragility. He understood nothing. However, tiredness overcame him and in just a minute he felt deeply asleep.

As to Helga, she couldn't sleep. The nightmare was still haunting her mind; she had her emotions to the surface and an inanimate Arnold lying next to her. The girl decided it was stupid to worry, it was just a dream and Arnold was fine. She lied on her side to look at the boy, who was illuminated by the moonlight coming through the huge window that was the roof of his room. Helga smiled as she admired his beauty, his calmness. Arnold made her feel in peace.

It was a cold night and she didn't want him to get a cold because of her fault, so, being careful not to wake him up, she pulled the blankets from under his body to cover him as well. Without this barrier separating them, Helga placed her arm over his waist. She inspired deeply Arnold's hair's scent and closed her eyes, without having a clue that just some minutes later, she had revealed him her greatest secret in her sleep.

The sunshine awoke Arnold around 10 am. He opened his eyes and felt something upon his waist: Helga's arm. The boy blushed a bit and looked at her. Her face was just some centimeters from his; she was sleeping deeply with her lips slightly parted and her bangs tousled. She looked so innocent and peaceful. Arnold didn't know why, but he could have stayed like this, lying in bed, with the morning sun illuminating everything, staring at Helga beside him holding him and her face so close for hours; but there was a lot of things to do, so he carefully take off him the girl's arm and went out of his room without making a noise.

Helga had not dreamed anything this time, or at least not that she could remember when a gentle touch on his shoulder woke her.

- Helga

- Not now, Miriam… - she answered half asleep turning her back on Arnold.

- Helga, I'm Arnold – he said, touching her back

When hearing his name, Helga turned around

- Arnold? Oh, right… - she muttered rubbing her eyes, which were not used to wake with the daylight that entered in the boy's room – Criminy, football head, that roof of yours is burning my eyes…

And we're back to normal thought Arnold when hearing that familiar nickname

- What time is it?

- Half past ten – answered Arnold and handed her a tray with some toasts and a glass of orange juice – Here, I brought you breakfast. I thought it would be better for you to eat it here in case your foot still hurts

Arnold brought me breakfast to bed!

- Okay, thanks. – Helga sat and ate, when she noticed that Arnold was staring at her – What?

- Nothing – he answered quickly and looked away. Then he started to tidy up his room. Now Helga was staring at him.

- Hey Arnoldo, I'm going to the toilet – she announced as she got up from bed supporting on the wall

- I'll go with you

- I'd rather go by myself – she answered limping to the door

- I meant I'll help you going down the stairs.

The girl rolled her eyes and let Arnold hold her by the shoulders as they went down the stairs. Then he waited for her to help her to return to his room.

- Nice stereo, hair boy – commented Helga and turned it on. It started to play the Beatles' album Abbey Road – I didn't know you liked The Beatles

- I love them – answered Arnold while tidying his bed – Do you like them?

- Doi. ¿What kind of stupid doesn't like The Beatles?

- There's no accounting for tastes

Tell me that, I like a foolish football head.

Ten minutes later, Arnold finished with his tidying up and turned off the music.

- Hey! – complained Helga, who was sitting on the couch

- Sorry, but I have to study – replied the boy while sitting on his desk with his books.

- Study? Who the heck studies on a Saturday morning?

- Well, me – he answered casually and opened his History book – so I can have the rest of the weekend freed. And I advise you to do the same, the test is on Monday.

- There's a test on Monday? – exclaimed Helga

- Yes, Helga, about the French Revolution.

- Damn it, I had forgotten!

- Don't worry, we can study together.

Arnold sat down beside Helga with his book in hand. They read together and he explained a lot of things that he remembered from class. Arnold was very good at History, he really liked it; he believed that it was important to know the past to build a better future. Besides, it was always interesting to listen to the teacher talking about different times and important facts, like when his grandfather told him those anecdotes from when he was young… Not that they were true, but still…

Helga, on the other hand, found that subject absolutely boring. Who the heck cared about who was Napoleon Bonaparte or Luis XVI? Those things had already passed, that's why it's called History; the important thing was the present, and in that moment Helga was only paying attention at how adorkable looked Arnold talking about History.

- Shortman, the food's ready – announced his granddad from the door – You're studying? Who the hell studies on a Saturday afternoon?

- I do, grandpa. We'll be there in a sec – answered Arnold and looked at his clock – Wow it's already midday… time goes fast when you're having fun, doesn't it? – He commented to Helga with a smile

- Shortman – she snapped - you're a nerd.

Arnold rolled his eyes and got up.

- Let's go.

He helped her going down the stairs and they went to the dining room, where the renters and Phil were already sat at the table.

- How's your foot, girl? – asked Phil

- Better, thanks – replied Helga while sitting next to Arnold.

- I didn't know you had a girlfriend, Arnold – stated Mr. Hyunh

Helga almost fell from the chair and Arnold choked with a piece of bread. He started to cough and Ernie gave him a slap on the back so hard that almost sent him to the other life. Arnold drank an entire glass of water, and when he placed it on the table he answered:

- Helga is not my girlfriend.

- Of course not. I wouldn't stand two minutes with him as a boyfriend – added the girl.

- Well you aren't a rose's field, you know?

- The ones who fight love each other! – crooned Oskar

- In that case I'd love you, Kokoshka – replied Phil

- The feast… - announced Arnold's grandmother coming from the kitchen wearing a Viking costume – is served.

Let the truth be known, the food wasn't nice to Helga's palate, but she swallowed it anyway and enjoyed the moment of eating with his beloved's family.

- Little girl – said Phil to Helga when they had already finished eating – I called a doctor to see your foot; he'll be here in any moment.

- A doctor? – exclaimed Helga – No thanks

- C'mon Helga, he has to see your foot – added Arnold

The bell rang.

- It must be him – the old man went to answer the door

- Let's go to the living room – told Arnold to Helga and there they met the doctor.

Helga sat on the couch and the man looked at her foot. He made her walk and asked her what had happened and where did it hurt.

- It's just a mild sprain – informed the doctor and took out some remedies out of his briefcase. Arnold took them – She has to take one this afternoon, and if her foot still hurts, the other one at night. But most important, today and tomorrow she has to rest. She can walk, but limping, and it's better that she stays this two days at home. So, young lady, nothing of playing or running or anything you kids do this days.

- Understood, doc – answered Helga bored

The doctor said goodbye and left.

- Well kids, I'll go to the damn garage to get back my car – announced Phil – I'll be here in a moment and we'll leave.

- Okay, grandpa.

Phil left Arnold and Helga alone at the living room.

- Fantastic, two days at home – said Helga with sarcasm

- C'mon Helga, it could have been worse – replied the boy sitting next to her

- Surprise me, football head, what could be worse than spending the whole weekend watching the ceiling at my house?

- Well you could have broken your foot, a bone, have it in a cast and spending weeks in bed or even a wheel chair… but it's just a mild sprain

- Your positivity won't prevent me from dying of boredom, Mr. Brightside – snapped Helga in a bad mood

- Maybe it will. I could company you…

The girl was surprised at his proposal, but she hided it

- Oh Arnoldo, you don't have to do your charity of the day with me, you know

- It's not charity. We could watch a movie, listen to music, order something to eat… it'd be fun.

Helga thought of it. Arnold and her, alone at her house, nor Miriam or Bob bothering neither his grandparents interrupting…

- Alright – she answered as if she didn't care – but you better not bore me.

- No worries – then they heard the sound of a horn on the street – That must be my granddad, let's go – both of them got up and went to the door – Bye, grandma!

- Goodbye Kimba and Helen of Troy!

- Yea… bye

The kids went out and hopped into the green Packard.

- Grandpa, it's okay if I stay a couple of hours with Helga?

- Sure, Arnold, but don't come home late.

- No, uhm… Helga do you want to rent a movie?

- Sounds good

Arnold's grandfather drove to the video store and Arnold opened the door and told Helga to stay in the car as she was barefoot (because her high heel had broken)

- What do you want me to rent?

Saying a romantic movie would be quite obvious?

- Any horror movie.

- Are you sure? Won't you have any nightmares…?

Helga glared at him and suddenly Arnold understood why. It hadn't been his intention to bring out what had happened that night. He blushed and went out the car.

- A weird relationship you and my grandson have, huh?

Helga looked up briefly to the rearview mirror from where Phil was staring at her.

- What do you mean with that?

- You know… that love-hate between you…

Helga blushed

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

- That blush on your cheeks doesn't say the same…

Arnold entered to the car and Helga threw a killing look to the old man.

- What did you rent, Shortman? – asked Phil as if nothing had happened.

- The Ring – answered the boy showing the DVD

- Are you kidding, Arnoldo? I told you a horror movie.

- It is a horror movie!

- Please, there's a pimple on my father's back way scarier than that film.

- Have you seen it?

- The pimple? Yeah, unfortunately

- No, Helga. The movie.

- No, but I know what it's about. You watch a video, your phone rings, someone tells you you'll die in 7 days, and they kill you. Nothing special.

- Oh c'mon, give it a chance. The guy from the store told me it was good. And I bought some popcorn.

Helga smirked when she heard about popcorn.

- Alright kids – said Phil once he stopped at Helga's house – have fun.

- Thanks, bye – replied Helga

- And Arnold, come back at 12 o'clock

- Okay grandpa, see you.

Arnold closed the car's door and his grandfather left.

- Well, football head – said Helga while putting the key in the lock – You better entertain me.

And she opened the door.