CHAPTER 10: THE REVEAL

Author's Note: Shout out to Starfiction123 for being the whole inspiration for this story (requested it)! I've had a blast writing it and seeing all the reviews of enjoyment! Hey Arnold has the best fans in the world! We are all supportive of one another!

Also, Chapter 11 will be the last chapter since I feel like I am wrapping it up. It's gonna be hard to say goodbye! I love this story so much!

Helga handed Arnold the wash cloth. He held it to his forehead and waited in anticipation for this so-called big secret that Helga wanted to reveal. It must be a hard one for her to reveal considering how she was pacing up and down the room. Arnold felt a little guilty that he desperately wanted to know her secret. Was it really any of his business? I mean, he had just broken into her room and discovered a household shrine. Did he deserve to know? Helga answered his thoughts as if she knew what he was thinking.

"You deserve to know."

Arnold smiled at her and nodded ready for whatever information she was about to tell him.

"I mean, my life has always been about you. All of it. All the many things I've done for you, with you, and even against you. My entire realm of being is you Arnold."

Arnold's face went red as Helga talked about her passion for him.

"That day in the park…I just wanted to tell you everything. Lay in all on the line. Tell you all my crazy and wacky antics over the years. I-I…think you deserve to know. Heck, I would want to know if someone broke into my house to steal an answering machine tape. So, I told you everything in the hope that you would understand my situation."

"Helga, I do understand," Arnold said a little hurt by her words.

"No you don't Arnold. You don't understand," Helga said with a sigh. "And you never will unless I tell you. Tell you what I couldn't that day in the park."

Gulp. Arnold swallowed. What could this big secret be? What did she leave out? Why was she so embarrassed by it? And why couldn't she bring herself to say it.

"What I'm about to tell you…is one of the biggest secrets of my life. You know I love you Arnold. You know that…but you don't know why."

That was true. He never really thought about why she loved him. He just knew that she did. Reasons for liking a person could range anywhere from appearance to personality, and Arnold didn't think he was attractive in either of those two categories. Having a woman like you is one thing. Their reasons for it were a whole other debate entirely.

"So, why do I like you? You don't remember do you? I can see why you wouldn't. We were only four years old."

Arnold raised an eyebrow in confusion. What was she talking about?

"It was my first day of preschool, and as usual my parents were so focused on OOOOlgaaa that they didn't even drive me to school. So, I walked to school all by myself that day. In the rain. It was cold…muddy…heck a dog even stole my lunch box. Not like it mattered though. Miriam wasn't the best lunch maker."

Listening to Helga's story, Arnold began to feel sorry for her. However, he still didn't have a clue what it had to do with him.

"So…I got to school and…met someone," she said nervously. "A small short odd-headed young boy approached me before I went inside. H…H…He held an umbrella over my head."

"Hi. Nice bow."

"Huh?"

"I like your bow because it's pink like your pants."

Helga smiled across the room her beloved. At times she could still see the same small young boy in the now older Arnold.

"It was you Arnold. You were the first one to show me any sort of attention. Any sort of kindness. You gave me your crackers at snack time. You showed me that there was at least one person in this world who cares about me...You."

After listening to the story/secret Helga had just told, Arnold felt horrible. All this time, the thing she left out was her reasons for liking him, and he thought it was some big secret. Plus, he could barely remember their encounter which explains why Helga was so fearful of telling him. With this new knowledge in mind, Arnold could now begin to understand why Helga felt so strongly about him: why she built shrines to him, why she had a locket, why she did all those things. Looking at his girlfriend from across the room was now a new experience for him. Helga G. Pataki, the girl who LOVED him, looked different. She looked different because he now understood where she was coming from.

"The kids in our class made fun of me when they saw me swooning over you and thus Ol' Betsy and the Five Avengers was born! So you see Arnold, I had to hide my feelings for you."

The room went quiet. Arnold just stood there staring at Helga as there was a pause of awkward silence. Waiting for him to speak, Helga crossed her arms in anticipation. She was glad that she finally told him her reasons for liking him, but as usual she was fearful of what he might say. Unrequited love all over again. The stillness of the room only created more tension for the two youngsters. Helga's heart was pounding as she watched Arnold stare at the bedroom floor. He then walked over to her.

"I gave you crackers," he said with a sudden smile.

"What?" Helga asked.

"That day at school I gave you my graham crackers because those kids were teasing you."

Helga's heart fluttered.

"You remember?"

"A little. I mean…we were both so young," Arnold said rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah…young…"

"Thanks for sharing that with me Helga," Arnold said taking her hands in his. "Now I understand why you built that shrine of me…why you snuck into the boarding house…why you….love me."

Helga sighed. Oh Arnold! If only you knew the depths of my soul. Helga thought, lost in her own world. The awkwardness of the space had been removed and all that was left was peace and love.

Chapter 11 will be posted soon as a sort of epilogue chapter! :)