Again, shall we continue? Thanks for reviewing, The J.A.M a.k.a Numbuh I, Beth and Joyce LaKee (she learned from becoming the pariah last time).

The next morning, Arnold asked me specifically not to tease him and Helga about the relationship thing while we were waiting at the bus stop. "Helga's quite sensitive about it, you know that." he said with that usual calm firmness. "Your teasing just confirms her fears that people will stop taking her seriously if she shows her feelings."

"But I'm the one that's been pushing her to ask you out from the start!" I protested. "She should know that I still take her seriously. I know perfectly well that she is the strongest girl at PS118 since the start of this year, and the most dangerous. Her showing her feelings towards you doesn't change a thing for me. Doesn't she know that?"

"Just leave it alone, Nicole." Arnold said quietly. "Please." He was completely serious about it, I knew.

I had to agree to it. "But since I have, maybe you can tell me what you two were doing last night." I smirked.

Arnold blushed. "Oh...we just...talked, I guess. I'd been planning to talk things through with her anyway, after I kissed her in the jungle. At that point, I really, really felt the same way as her. I didn't know if I was really mature enough to ask her to be my girlfriend as such, but I could tell that's what she wanted. And now? I don't think my feelings match up to hers, but I do love her...well, if I can even know what love is at this stage. So last night, I told her again what I'd said before – that I was finally ready to return her feelings. And...well..."

"Did you ask her to be your girlfriend?" I pressed. "And if you did, did she say yes?"

Arnold went an even darker pink and nodded to both questions. I couldn't help squealing and hugging him.

"But don't say anything about this at school." he whispered. "Not even Lila can know. Helga and I decided to get everyone used to the idea of us as friends before any dating stuff."

I sighed. "But Lila knows about you already! She wouldn't tell – she kept Helga's secret for her after the school play. But if you insist, I promise I won't tell anyone, not even Lila."

A couple more weeks went by. January became February. Rhonda finally confided after a week and a half about Curly, and said that she'd decided to take that one date, since he wasn't forcing her into it, and he could write good love letters. The week after, she admitted to going on another date, and it seemed like my plan had been a success. From Curly, I got pretty much the same story. They were well on the way to becoming a real couple, although in school, they seemed to keep their interaction to occasional glances, with Rhonda looking around to make sure no one was looking at her first.

At home, the time I spent with Arnold was reduced. He and Helga were getting along at school, with the teasing Helga kept up being mostly playful. But because they were going to be an official couple, Helga sometimes came over. Part of this was probably because going home wasn't that much fun for her, and she couldn't just go over to Phoebe's every day. I did mention Olga had moved back in with the rest of the Patakis, right? But anyway, I had a lot more time on my own, because Arnold started spending a lot of time with his new girlfriend outside school hours, although we still did hang out a bit and we did our homework together, etc. I didn't mind too much, really. I had my own boyfriend to hang out with and if anyone deserved to be lucky in love, it was those two. I mean, after all of Arnold's bad luck with girls and Helga pining for him the whole time, no child, teen or adult couple deserved to have each other's love more than them.

But on the other hand, I might've gotten two couples together, but as the self-appointed class matchmaker, there was still at least one more couple that needed to be on the road to their relationship. I discussed it with Lila.

"I mean, have you noticed the way they look at each other?" I asked. "It's all too obvious that they like each other and are too shy to say anything."

"Are you ever so certain that they feel that way?" Lila asked carefully. "It's possible that they just want to be friends."

"Please." I scoffed. "You don't keep a picture of a boy in your locker just because you want to be friends with him, even if you're not because your best friend treats his best friend like crap and he can't stand her. Nor do you walk off into the sunset, hand in hand. And if you're a boy, whispering something into a girl's ear that she's giggling at is a pretty clear sign of flirting."

If you hadn't figured it out, I was talking about Gerald and Phoebe. Even now, I still caught them glancing at each other. Phoebe still had a photo of Gerald taped to her locker door, so I knew for sure how she felt.

"That was last year, though." Lila pointed out. "If you're oh so set on this, maybe you should ask them about it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, Lila. I've barely talked to Gerald unless he's over at the boarding house or we're on the same team when we're playing football or baseball. So I can just waltz up to him and say 'hey Gerald, what's going on with you, oh and by the way, do you have a crush on Phoebe', huh? And just because I still hang out with Phoebe occasionally, why would she still keep a picture of him in her locker if she didn't like him? Listen, I'm the only one who knows the romantic secrets of this world. I watched over you all in fourth grade." I took on a mystical tone. "I am the all-knowing matchmaker, the only one who knows where our hearts lie..."

Lila's eyes lit up suddenly. "Back up, Nicole. You didn't give it away, but I think I worked something out. Did you, by any chance, do something that got Rhonda willingly within ten feet of Curly?"

I smirked. "Maybe..." Lila raised her eyebrows and I sighed.

"OK, I told him to do the secret admirer thing." I admitted. "I figured that if Rhonda got anonymous attention that she liked, she'd be less inclined to say no once the anonymous person revealed themselves, even if it wasn't someone she'd usually like. But trust me, all the non-dramatic moves that have been winning her over – that's all Curly. So I may have told him to note what kind of affection Rhonda would and wouldn't accept, but he worked that one out himself. It's kind of cute, in a creepy way."

Lila giggled and linked arms with me (in a totally platonic friendshippy way – that IS possible, no matter what some think). "Exactly my thoughts!"

At that moment, a thought occurred to me. "Actually, though, there is something weird about it. Curly was acting really...well, strange, and I don't mean strange like he usually is, I mean that he wasn't acting like he was on the brink of insanity. Why was he acting so normal?"

Lila smiled again. "Well, you know Dr Bliss, the child psychologist? I passed by her office one time and Curly was just coming out. I think she's helping him get his actions under control, and she must be ever so helpful. I haven't told anyone else, but then you're the first person to notice it."

"I know." I nodded. "Remember I told you about that episode that delved into Helga's past? Dr Bliss was in that episode – in fact, it was the only time she had a speaking role, although I think I saw her in the movie at one point."

I should have known by that time that there were too many well-kept secrets revolving around me. I'd let six people know my true past, and I was secret keeping for too many other people – Lila's powers, Arnold and Helga's romantic relationship, everything I'd done to help Curly...maybe I should've known things would fall apart sooner or later. Things that would mean playing matchmaker wouldn't stay my priority.

What does Nicole mean? Please review!