YOU GUYS,

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get this chapter up! ;_;

I have been so busy with my job this weekend, and most of this week, but I was able to write this chapter throughout those days (:

Thank you so much for your patience, and I don't think it will take as long to get another chapter up!

I hope you guys enjoy, and as always, THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!

Arnold sat at his desk, still gasping from his run home from the park. He pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen from one of the drawers, and began to write to his parents immediately:

Dear Mom and Dad,

Bet you didn't think I would write so soon, but I have a VERY important question to ask you. Has there been any returned letters sent to you guys that I wrote to Helga? I know this is a weird question, and I don't have a lot of time to explain, but if there was anything that was returned could you please forward them to me ASAP? It's really important.

Arnold began to fold up the letter before he realized that he hadn't even asked how his parents were since he had left, or how the village was doing for that matter. He unfolded the letter quickly, feeling a pang of guilt.

By the way, how are things going with the village? Hope you guys are doing okay without my extra help. I miss you guys already, Grandma and Grandpa say hello.

Hope to hear from you guys soon!

Arnold

He folded up the letter quickly, writing his parents address on the envelope and then quickly put a stamp on the front. He ran back down the steps and through the front door of the boarding house, almost knocking down Mr. Potts and he did so. "Geez, Arnold! You've been in an outta here more times than I can count today!" Arnold stopped half way down the front steps, turning to look at Mr. Potts. "Sorry, I've had a really crazy day . . ." Arnold rubbed his arm. "I just need to go mail this important letter to my parents!" And before Mr. Potts could respond, Arnold was already running again towards the nearest mailbox.

After Arnold found one he stopped in front of it, pulling open the door to the dark chute that would swallow his letter and be sent to his parents. Arnold stared at the letter a moment, looking at the front with his parents address. "I hope you guys have some good news for me . . ." he said, as he put the letter into the chute and then closed its door. Arnold then put his hands in his pockets, and started to make the cold walk back to the boarding house.

Now that the excitement of his sudden epiphany was wearing off, reality slowly began to creep back into his mind. He sighed, he had just spoken to Helga and things did not go as well as he had hoped. He remembered the sad look on her face, her cheeks still wet from the fresh tears. No matter what Arnold said, Helga wanted nothing to do with him. Arnold could feel the stabbing pain in his chest again as the memories from the park began to flood his mind again.

That's what you should be apologizing for, Arnold . . .not for what you said, but for what you didn't say.

Arnold quickened his pace, wanting nothing than to be in his room and away from everyone else. He tried to think of a soothing jazz CD he would play when he got home, or an old movie to watch, anything to distract him of his conversation with Helga. But it was no use; the memories were too fresh.

What about when I needed YOU, Arnold?

The boarding house was coming into view again, and Arnold sighed from relief. He wanted anything, anything to get his mind of Helga.

If you really wanna make it up to me Arnold, you'll stay away from me.

Arnold walked up the steps to the boarding house, opening the door as all the animals barged outside. He half ran up the stairs, not even wanting dinner. He could hear his grandparents and the boarders talking and eating, the sound of forks hitting their plates. He pulled down the string that lead to the attic where his safe haven was. He climbed the steps and walked into his room, locking the door behind him.

I can't do this anymore Arnold, I'm sorry . . .

Arnold could feel the tears burning his eyes as he walked over to his stereo, putting in the first jazz album he could find. He found his remote and pushed the familiar red button, his bedroom lights dimming as the comforting yet mood appropriate music began to drift through the room. He lied down on his red couch, throwing a pillow over his face. In the darkness of his closed eyes he saw Helga's face. He sighed as he threw the pillow across the room. He sat up, unable to get comfortable in his own room, the one place he was always able to relax. I don't wanna think about this . . He thought to himself, the pain in his chest getting worse. Is my heart literally breaking?

He got up quickly, suddenly becoming frustrated and angry. He walked over to his bed and then back to his desk, then over to his bed and back again. "She wouldn't give me two seconds to talk to her!" Arnold suddenly yelled, to no one in particular. Pacing was something Arnold only did when he was in deep thought, but at this point he would do anything for a distraction. "We spend over four years writing to each other, and this is how she wants to end it?!" Arnold kicked his trashcan as he walked by it, nothing falling out of it due to its lack of use over the past 6 years. "How am I supposed to be the optimist about this?"

Arnold tried to think of something he could have done different, something that would have made Helga want to speak to him, but no matter what he came up with he knew Helga would have continued to pull away and leave the conversation. Helga always had ways of controlling situations; she wanted to make sure everyone thought she was as mean and nasty as she thought she was. But when she opened up to me in her letters, she told me why she acted that way, why she always acted so tough . . .Arnold thought as he continued to pace his room. Helga had spent most of her life building walls to keep everyone out, as well as her tough and abrasive dissemble to keep anyone from trying to get too close to her walls. Arnold always knew it was a façade, and knew that deep down there was a sweet and caring person that was trying to escape those walls.

Suddenly, Arnold remembered what his grandpa had said to him earlier that night.

She just may be dealing with all of this in her own way.

It made sense. Helga was reacting the only way she knew how when she was hurt, to become callous, cold and push everyone away. She's hiding something. She's trying to hurt me to push me away, but I know she still cares. I'm not giving up Helga, and you don't know me like you think you do if you thought I was. Lost in his own thoughts, Arnold realized that he really needed the letter he knew was lost. He knew that without it, he might never regain Helga's trust, let alone her love.

As he paced back over to his bed, he saw the steps in his wall leading up to the roof. "I need some air . . ." He quickly climbed them and ascended to the glass window, pushing it open and pulling himself on to the roof. He walked over to edge, leaning his hands against the bannister. He took a deep breath. Helga knew what kind of guy he was . . .did this really sound like something he would do? Just stop writing to her, after 4 years of constant communication? He looked up at the sky and noticed dark clouds looming in the distance, and suddenly his anger started to dissipate. For some reason, these clouds reminded him of San Lorenzo . . .suddenly Arnold found himself fading back into a distant but pleasant memory. He noticed the pain in his chest began to alleviate as the memory became more coherent in his mind.

"Fantastic, football head. Now we are separated from the rest of the group and we have no idea where we are going!" Helga shouted at Arnold as they continued to climb a huge tree. "Helga, that's not true! I still have my parents' journal; we'll figure it out. I just think it's more important to find the others first." Arnold made it to the highest point of the tree and pulled himself up on to its thick branch. He turned back around and held out a hand to Helga to help pull her up. She stared at his hand for a few moments, and then grabbed his hand tightly as Arnold pulled her up to the branch. When she put her feet onto the thick branch Arnold was sitting on she slipped a little, losing her balance. A small scream escaped her mouth, but before she could fall too far Arnold had pulled her over to him and she fell against him, her body pressing against his. A blush crept up against both of their cheeks, and Helga pulled away instantly. "Hey, watch it hair boy! Just because you just saved me doesn't mean I wanna get all mushy about it!" She inched herself over on the branch, moving herself away from Arnold.

Arnold rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from Helga. "S-sorry Helga. Anyway, I think we found a pretty good tree to scout from. Maybe we will be able to see them from up here." Arnold pulled out some binoculars from his backpack and started surveying the area. Helga scoffed, and then felt something wet land in her hair, and then on her face; it started raining. "Oh, this is just fantastic!" She tried to shield herself with her backpack as she looked over at Arnold, who gave up the search from his binoculars getting to wet. Arnold looked over at Helga who was now completely drenched from the rain. Maybe I can try to help her be less irritated. She seemed fine before we all got separated, but maybe if she's not completely drenched I can calm her down again. He reached over and pulled a huge leaf off of the tree, it was longer than Arnold's whole body. He shook off as much of the water from it as he could, and then held it over Helga's head.

Helga, who looked lost in her thoughts, broke out of her trance as soon as she felt no rain hitting her. "Hey, what-" but she broke off as soon as she saw the leaf Arnold was holding over her. Arnold looked at her, smiling softly before he began. "Look Helga, I know this situation looks pretty hopeless. I wasn't planning on getting separated from the rest of the group . . .but we have to keep going forward. As soon as we find my parents, I'm sure they will have a way to find everyone. And-" Helga interrupted him, "Yeah, yeah Arnold. Sorry I've been . . .ya know, rude or whatever." Arnold smiled, knowing that was the best apology he was going to get. He looked over at Helga and thought he saw a blush appearing on her cheeks. Before he could make anything out of it, Helga broke him out of his thoughts. "You know, you can come sit under here too hair boy, you're not my slave." Arnold blinked and then moved himself under the leaf as well, surprised by how well it was keeping the rain off them.

Arnold could feel Helga staring at him, and when he glanced over at her she kept looking at him. "You okay, Helga?" His voice seemed to break her of her trance. She looked away quickly, and Arnold noticed how nervous she seemed to be getting. "Yeah, I'm f-fine! Just, I just . . .I hope we find your parents. You're always doing nice things for the rest of us Arnoldo, myself included . . ." she glanced up at the leaf for just a moment, as if remembering something. "S-so, I hope we can . . .um, we can repay you for all that stuff by helping you find your parents. Because if any kid deserves that, it's you." Arnold stared at her, completely blown away. Helga had never said anything like this to him before and he wasn't exactly sure how to respond. He just said the first thing that came to mind, "T-thanks Helga. That means . . .a lot." They both smiled at each other, and then looked away. Each lost in their own thoughts, as the rain continued to fall.

A car horn broke Arnold out of his memory. He shook his head and looked back up at the sky, a slight drizzle starting to fall from the dark clouds. He turned to make his way back inside, not realizing how cold it was getting now that the rain was falling. As he climbed back down into his room, he felt himself smiling. Helga has surprised me before, who's to say she wouldn't do it again?