Arnold'sPOV

It was late when I arrived at Gerald's apartment building after the confrontation with Helga. I was soaked from walking the streets for hours without rest. Entering the building, I sat in the lobby going over what happened today.

I felt devastated about what she had said. 'She hated me.'

She often said or showed me she didn't like me in the past, but… her eyes would always betray her. I knew she didn't hate me, I knew Helga didn't hate anyone. On rare occasions, she showed that she didn't. Her mouth often mocked and ridiculed, but her body language would deceive her. It was so obscure that at times I didn't even notice, but it was there. Deep, deep down I knew. I often thought it was weird that I could read her like that; she may have been confusing, but she was not that good at lying.

But today was different, her eyes told me so. They were cold and so were her words. Its harshness pierced my heart the second they escaped from those luscious pouty lips. Sigh. Those lips… that mine were itching to feel. She brought out feelings that I had long ago denied, but currently acknowledged. "Helga" I softly uttered aloud. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sound of her name as it rolled off my tongue. A name no longer spoken with contempt or anger, but with admiration.

The moment I saw her there across the street, I couldn't believe my eyes. I didn't even recognize her at first. She had changed so much. Well, physically that is, that I just couldn't look away. I had just finished saying goodbye to the old woman I helped at the market, and that's when I heard a commotion across the street between a driver and a young woman. The driver nearly hit her with his car, and then he began cursing her out because of it. I was prepared to come to her aid should anything happen. But it seemed that she soon snapped out of her shock when she displayed her fiery temper at him. Her passion, her spirit, it spoke to me, and I was enthralled by it. This beautiful woman with long blonde hair braided neatly reaching her mid back, wore a pink designer shirt with skinny blue jeans, along with navy high heeled shoes. She had light make-up on, which made her look natural and a small clutch purse. She was a vision of beauty and strength and I was fascinated. My intent was to approach her delicately and maybe offer to buy her a cup of coffee and probably go on from there. But when the driver left and she turned her strikingly sinful blue eyes on me, my mind went blank. She was the one, and there was no denying it.

She blushed, probably embarrassed by the spectacle that just occurred, I smiled inwardly and my gaze softened. I waited for her to make eye contact again, to give me the okay to approach her, but when she did, something strange occurred. It felt like that something I had lost was now found. By her reaction, it seemed she felt the same way as well. I tried to focus my eyes closely on her features and took a step forward, and a swirl of emotions from my past overcame me. My heart began beating so fast, and my palms were starting to get clammy. I used to have this feeling long ago, kinda like déjà vu. And I felt like that around only one person. My long lost Cecile, Helga G. Pataki.

After I left Hillwood for San Lorenzo, my subconscious would send me visions and dreams of her. Both girls would often be in them and suddenly they would mesh. At first, they troubled me but soon I accepted them. It took me a while to figure out what it meant but finally I knew. Both girls were one and the same. But soon after I realize that, other dreams of her would come into play as I began to grow and quite frequently. My father had said that it was normal for a boy my age to have those kinds of dreams and more often than not those dreams would pass the more I got older. But as the years went by, my thoughts of her never did.

Since I came to San Lorenzo with my parents, more and more I was told by them that my head was in the clouds. I got easily distracted as I thought of her. She confused and excited me all at once and I was hooked. I was obsessed, lovesick, and infatuated by a girl I could barely stand months ago. As I came into adulthood, I would wonder what she looked like, sounded like, or…felt like. It drove me insane that I just wanted to bury myself in my maddening dreams. She was a template for the girls I had dated, and I never felt content. There was always something that was missing when I was with them. I tried my best to make a connection with those girls, but I still felt hollow inside for some reason.

But there she was right before me, in a meeting of chance. I was overcome with joy when it happened, but this joy didn't last long because one moment she was standing there and the next she was gone. My eyes shifted uncontrollably. I panicked. Never before in my life have I ever panicked. I'm usually calm and levelheaded when it came to tough situations, but this one hit too close to home. Helga was complex that I always knew. She was smart and quick, and if I so much as blinked she would disappear. She still could draw me in to her, like a moth to a flame. 'Yep that's Helga alright.' I smiled for a second, but then I realized the urgency of the situation. She was running away, so…I ran as well. She was ahead by twenty feet, give or take and I knew that I had a tough task in keep up with her, but I was up for it. What amazed me was that she was running flawlessly in her heels. 'Incredible.' I thought.

I would say that I'm pretty fit. Living in San Lorenzo tends to give you an unexpected work out. I came across many sticky situations where a jungle animal chased me or when natural disasters would force me and my parents to seek higher shelter. Plus I played baseball when I went to college here in the states. So I could pretty much hold my own in this case.

Soon I began to steadily catch up to her, and since I knew she was within hearing distance I began to call her name. 'She totally ignored me!'

I was baffled. 'What have I done to deserve this?' I shrugged, quickly dismissing it. 'Typical Helga behavior' I said to myself. But it made the challenge of running after her all the more interesting. It sparked a fire in me that I haven't felt in years. And it made me feel…alive.

I pleaded for her to stop. She didn't of course, she continued to run. Instinctively, I knew she wouldn't, but I hoped she would. But as we continued, I began to feel slightly irritated. I growled at the antics that she still could make me go through. 'Grrrr! The things that I had to put up with from her in the past and now this! What goes on in that mind of hers I want to know?' Despite the needless bout of exercise she sprung up on me, I was determined to get to the bottom of this. I smirked. And Oh Yes! I will get to the bottom of it.

When I saw her entering this park, I knew I had to stop her then. I was fairly new to this town and didn't know my way around so well so I knew that if she left that park and entered the busy streets on the other side I would lose her. So I increased my stride and took a chance as she got close to the exit and tackled her. I know, I know, it was stupid. But I was getting desperate and I just reacted. Thinking on my feet I twisted my body under hers to take the brunt of the pain as we hit the ground. I was out of breath, but still I smiled. Finally, I had her in my arms.

We stayed still on the ground for few moments; it felt completely right holding her. I can finally put to rest the many things I had wondered about her. She was corporeal, and not a figment of my imagination.

My breathing calmed and I felt more excited to have the opportunity to talk to her. I couldn't wait to hear what she sounded like now. I murmured her name so I wouldn't startle her as calm as she was. But she didn't say a word. I took a whiff of her hair, I couldn't control myself. Her sweet scent ignited something in me. And for a moment, I felt slightly possessive as I squeezed her lightly like a teddy bear. She slightly whimpered in response. My mind was working on overdrive. I thought of so many things I wanted to say, but nothing came to mind. But suddenly, I felt her relax into me. 'Mmmmm!' she felt sooo good against me that I let down my guard as well.

To my surprise it was a ploy in which she took the opportunity to elbow me in the stomach. Regardless, I smirked. 'Still feisty as ever, I see. Me like!' But there was something that Miss Pataki did not realize, and it's that I am no longer the little boy that she towered over. I'm taller, stronger, and faster than I used to be. I quickly got up and took a few steps reaching her and grabbed her at the waist. 'She feels so warm'

She gasped, possibly in disbelief. Then I turned her around and she quickly shut her eyes.

Instantly, I felt hurt that she didn't care to look at me. After being away all these years, she didn't show the slightest bit of happiness to see me. It wounded my pride and dimmed down the hope that something more between us would occur. 'Well Pataki, you should know I'm not one to give up so easily. I will persist until you tell me why you're evading me.'

She kept her eyes still closed, and I accepted that…for now. But then I saw she was composing herself to speak, so I waited patiently. I examined her with a critical eye. She was a unique creature that had blossomed magnificently. Her features were indeed quite attractive, but that air of mystery she still had was what captivated me the most.

When she finally uttered my name, I felt a slight tremor in my heart. It charged me with a euphoric feeling that I had never felt before, the anticipation I previously held was satisfied. Her melodic voice, ever so sweet was music to my ears that my eyes naturally transformed to its half lidded gaze. I tucked that sound away into my memory box so I could cherish it. But...I wanted more, so much more. I wanted to get to know her again, I wanted to watch her continue to grow, I wanted our paths to continue to cross.

However, when I realized that she hadn't spoken another word since then, I began worry. I observed her and noticed the discomfort on her face. It didn't sit well with me so I decided to nudge her into telling me why she ran away. Of course it worked and she gave me an excuse as to why she did. It was lame. 'A stalker? Me? Not likely.' I didn't believe one word of it. Not… one…word. I was beginning to get frustrated again. There's only so much I could take. I'd waited so long to see her again, and I was losing my patience with the way I was being ignored.

Helga was giving me the runaround and she was not the only one. It irked me that I could not get a straight answer from anyone. Since I left Hillwood, I kept in contact with most of the gang. To this day we still talked with each other, but when it came to the subject of Helga, I would get vague answers, or a change of subject, or a "she's just fine" and that would irritate me. I grew worried over time that something bad had happened to her; on occasions I would have nightmares. At my insistence, Gerald told me nothing was wrong, but other than that he didn't want to express anything more.

When I came to the states to go to college, during a break in my schooling, I went to stay with Gerald to pay him a visit. I inquired about everyone; it was all good and fun. But when I asked for Helga and for a chance to come into contact with her, I was outright refused. It wasn't the first time that I was discouraged into speaking to or seeing her and I grew angry of course. They didn't understand what I felt for her. What I was willing to do for her. I just wanted to let her know! I just wanted a chance.

"You have no right Gerald to keep her from me" is what I told him.

"I'm sorry Arnold, but I just don't think it's wise that you come into contact with her…at all." Gerald responded in all honesty.

"Why?" I asked confused. Gerald just sighed and said. "It's complicated. Besides, it's not my place to tell" And he left the matter at that. We never bothered to speak of her again since that day. But I still tried to find her. I looked into other avenues of course and reached dead ends. So, after I graduated I gave up the search. Usually, I never gave up, but at that moment I had nothing to go on, so despair set in. And I resigned myself to my fate. So, when I saw her today, I couldn't believe my luck, I felt excited.

But as I confronted her, the excitement that was there turned to anger. Anger for the fact that no one would tell me the reason why Helga would not see me. As I sat down on the grass, I asked her if I was the problem, if I had done something wrong to hurt her. She conveyed to me quite angrily that I knew what I had done, but…I did not; at least, not consciously. I guess she realized that I had no clue, so she flipped on me. She was furious with me in an uncontrolled way. And after a while she began to cry. It broke me. It pained me to see her fall apart like this. It was never my intention for this to happen when I stumbled upon her on the street. Not at all. I thought, 'What have I done to hurt you this way Helga?' and ultimately the anguish in me set in.

I wanted to fix it. I wanted to mend her back together as she clung desperately to my shirt and trembled in my arms. I felt like dirt. But still I wanted to bring her comfort so I began to wrap my arms around her and she reacted in disgust, removing herself from my embrace. The coldness I felt when her warmth left made me quiver. I felt fear at what she might do or say next. And my fear was realized when she wished that she had never met me all those years ago. I was stunned, speechless. She regretted a moment I often cherished and wished to return to before she became the 4th grade bully. It's what made me convinced that she had some good in her, when no one else thought so.

But my heart shattered at the finality of her words and at the way she turned from me, never to look back. Tears had sprung from my eyes and my legs grew weak. My mind screamed to run after her, but my body protested. It shut down. The object of my desire was leaving me. I had lost her.

As she reached a good distance away I uttered, "I'm sorry too Helga" not really knowing why my words were formed this way. But I just sat there on the grass staring at her till she became a spec in the distance.

And this led me back to the reason why I was sitting here in the lobby of Gerald's apartment building. Contemplating about my chance meeting with Helga, which turned out to be a disaster. I went over my actions and criticized them, what I should have done or what I should have said, but its no use. All I know is that in the end 'She still hates me!'

A/N: Here's a quick update for ya! Woohoo! I'm on break and loving it. No, I'm not trying to rub it in for those of you who are not. I just can't help it, I needed this. Thank you so much to those who reviewed Ch.2(The Confrontation). I'm so glad to know that the last chapter was to your liking and I hope you all like this one as well. Don't worry it doesn't end here. So, holla! Do they still say that? Hm?

Please Review! *smiley face*