Author's Note: Woo! Thanks to those of you who read this and reviewed and who didn't review. Oh! I'm so happy. Well, here's part 2 of 3! And I will edit the 1st part for those mistakes. Thank you and enjoy!!

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Part 2: Stop and Stare

"Arnold is quite taken by this no-name girl who disappeared as quickly as she appeared," Rhonda gossiped.

In the span of only a night, no sarcasm intended, Helga, or rather this "no-name" girl Rhonda spoke of had become a legend among the entire student body. For the past three weeks it was all anyone talked about. This girl who sang on stage at The Songbird had disappeared, but her performance was legendary. More and more people went back every week just to see her sing, but she never came back. Helga didn't want to.

"Oh, ever-so much," Lila agreed. Her red hair gleamed in the light, falling softly over her shoulders. "I've never seen Arnold so taken with anyone."

Rhonda nodded. "Arnold is a romantic, though," Rhonda said, matter-a-factly. "So it's no real surprise how into her he is." Rhonda looked at Lila. "And I'm positive that if he were to ever get with this girl, he would no doubt do just about anything to make her smile."

"Oh, yes," Lila said, blushing. Lila knew this first hand. She and Arnold dated just as their freshman year began. Years of flirting and playing footsy finally brought them together, but it ended just as the school year did. No one understood it, really. They were voted best couple of the year by the yearbook club, too. Being reminded of this did not slow the beating of Helga's heart.

Arnold is into me? Arnold?! She drank her juice, her hands shaking. It was like a dream come true. But . . . he thought she was someone else.

Phoebe nudged her gently and smiled cheerfully. "Isn't that great, Helga," she said, her shine blinding Helga. There it was that "sun-can't-compete-with-my-brightness" aurora.

"Why did it end?" Rhonda asked curiously, even thought she already knew the answer. She was obviously more preoccupied with Lila and her ended relationship with Arnold than with Phoebe and Helga's suspicious exchange.
Lila was caught off guard. "Well . . . I was falling for another guy," she replied, adverting her eyes. To say that Lil was a little ashamed was . . . well, it was right on. Everyone knew Lila broke it off with Arnold, but what they didn't know was why in the world would she do it over a guy like-?!

"It was wrong of me to be with someone if I was thinking of someone else," Lila explained. "It was unfair to Arnold."

Rhonda sighed. "So you dumped Arnold for Stinky?"

Of all the people in the world, Lila had dumped Arnold, beautiful Arnold, for pudding-slob Stinky!

"He's very charming," Lila defended hurriedly. Lila sighed dreamily and Helga thought she'd puke. She hoped her clammy hands meant she'd be vomiting soon. It was either that or because of her nervous excitement over the knowledge of Arnold's taking to her. "He's sweet and thoughtful, too."

Rhonda scoffed. "He eats lemon pudding," she said as if that were reason enough to give him the boot.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," Lila said in her soft voice.

"This moment is way too sweet for me," Helga said, shifting in her seat. It was no secret that she was uncomfortable and besides, she wanted to hear more about Arnold.

"You should have been there, Helga," Rhonda said.

"Oh, yes," Lila said. "The performance was just delightful!"

"Hm." Helga took a sip of her juice. I was there.

Phoebe beamed and Helga was thankful she wasn't looking at her this time. She liked the ability to see.

Rhonda looked at her carefully. "You know," she began, waiting for Helga to turn to her again. She didn't, so Rhonda continued, "Everyone immediately thought it was you when we all saw Phoebe up on that stage."

Helga turned to her, trying her hardest to mask the fear she felt. She knew everyone would notice. Phoebe had a horrible disguise that night and she was dumb for thinking no one would know it was her at the piano. Her beauty could never be hidden so easily.

"How did everyone know it was me?!" Phoebe asked, momentarily taking the attention off of Helga. What a good friend she was.

Lila giggled as Rhonda spoke. "Like I've said countless times before, Phoebe," she began, "you were hard to miss."

"You're disguise wasn't very good," Lila complied.

"It was downright bad," Rhonda said.

Lila giggled again and Helga could feel a smile tugging at her lips. She looked at her shoes, hiding the smile on her face, holding back her laughter.

"Don't hold back," came Arnold's voice.

Helga looked up, heart pounding. "What?"

"I saw the smile on your face," he said, grinning. "You wanted to laugh. I saw it."

"Hmph." Helga turned away. Her cheeks flushed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure," Arnold said as he sat himself down beside her. "Hey, Phoebe. Rhonda." He paused to take a good look at his beautiful ex-girlfriend. "Lila." He spoke her name with a softness that made Helga's heart ache.

"Arnold!" Rhonda exclaimed. "We were just talking about you!"

Helga held her breath. She sensed their closeness as Arnold settled himself beside her. Phoebe kicked her left foot lightly. She looked at Phoebe only to find her smiling brightly again. Helga turned away. She didn't want to look at anyone, but she couldn't turn away exactly. Phoebe sat to the left of her and Arnold to the right. She could suddenly feel his leg touching hers. She let out a soft breath, trying her best to hide it as she did so.

Gerald sat down on the other side, opposite Arnold. "Anything good?" he asked, winking at Phoebe and making her blush.

Stinky and Sid sat down soon after and then Harold joined them.

"We were just talking about how so in love Arnold is with that girl from The Songbird."

Arnold almost spit out his drink. He coughed and practically gagged as Rhonda looked on with a face that clearly said, "What the hell are you doing?"

Helga quickly moved away when she saw Arnold lean forward. Her hand reacted quicker than she did. She patted him on the back, careful not to pat too hard, but just right. He jumped at her touch, but he cleared his throat as he looked back at her. "I'm fine, thanks," he said.

Helga didn't know what to say. She looked away only to feel everyone else's eyes on her. Even Arnold stared. Criminey! She thought. What the heck was I thinking?!

"So, yeah," Gerald said, looking away from Helga. "You haven't seen this girl in three weeks, man. You go back to see her every Friday night and she hasn't come back to perform since that night three weeks ago."

Helga was caught by surprise by this information. She looked to Arnold. Had he really gone by just to see her again? She could feel a warmth spread in her heart. Her eyes softened. She opened her mouth to speak, but Arnold spoke first.

"She'll come back," he said softly as he looked down. "And when she does, I'm going to find out who she is."

Helga's heart pounded like a drum in her chest. Her hands began to shake. She could see the determination in his soft eyes. He was serious. He was completely serious. She didn't know what she was going to say before, but she wasn't going to say anything now. Well, she thought. Good thing you have no intention of returning there to perform.

"Well, she might be back sooner than you think," Phoebe beamed.

Everyone looked up. Helga stared, horrified. She shook her head and Phoebe nodded. Helga shook her head a little more firmly this time. Phoebe countered Helga's nod with a slow, firm nod of her own.

Arnold turned to Helga. He took in the sight of her. Under the table her heal tapped and her hands could not sit still on the table. The fear she had in her eyes was something else.

Everyone turned to Helga. She tried to laugh it off.

"We have this thing," she explained. "We shake our heads and we nod. It's . . .nothing."

"Do you know this girl, Helga?" Rhonda asked.

Everyone stared now at Helga. They all seemed to lean forward, anticipating her answer.

"W-what?" she said.

"Helga," Arnold said firmly. "If you know who she is. . .just tell me. I need to know, so I can-"

"No!" she exclaimed, making everyone jump and the entire cafeteria stop. "I don't know who she is, but I'm sure she doesn't want to come back to The Songbird!" She eyed Phoebe as she finished her sentence.

"But, Helga, I-"

"How selfish can you be, football head?!" she shouted, which took everyone aback. Arnold was not the selfish type and this accusation was beyond belief. "How do you know she even wants to go back? How do you even know she really wanted to be there in the first place?" She stared at him. "How do you even know she'll want to hear what you have to say? Stop thinking of yourself and start thinking of other people's feelings!"

No one said a word and Helga good feel everyone's eyes burning through her. She was embarrassed, yes, and she didn't know what to do about it. She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of he own mouth. She took off before anyone could even reply.

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Phoebe leaned against the lockers waiting for Helga to get her stuff together. She had something on her mind, something she wanted to get out.

"Just tell me, Phoebes," Helga said as she closed her locker. She looked at her friend. "Might as well."

Phoebe looked down. "Well," she began, "I didn't want to say anything after lunch, but I think maybe you should go back to The Songbird. Helga rolled her eyes, sighing exasperatedly. "Just one more time," Phoebe added quickly.

Helga shut her locker and walked away. I don't want to hear that, she thought.

Phoebe followed close behind. "But, Helga," Phoebe said, "Arnold. He-"

Helga turned around.

"He needs closure," Phoebe said carefully. "You know as well as I do that Arnold will continue after this girl and he'll just search aimlessly." Phoebe looked down, her eyes sad. "We can't do that to him. And. . .Justin and Danny have been calling me a lot, wondering-"

"Justin and Danny?" Helga asked. Did she know either of these guys?

"Justin the guitar player and Danny the drummer from the band," Phoebe said. "They've been calling, wondering when were going to play again. And Joe, the owner of the Songbird, too."

Helga turned away and began walking again. They were unimportant. Phoebe was not going to convince her of anything if she brought them up in a conversation. "I could care less about those guys."

Phoebe sighed. "Well," she said, "at the very least. . .do it for Arnold."

Helga's stride faltered for the slightest bit. She continued walking trying to ignore Phoebe's last comment, but then she sighed. "Call them all up," she gave in. "Friday night."

Phoebe brightened.

"But this is it!" Helga said.

Phoebe nodded happily. "Calling!"

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The place was packed. There were a lot more people this time around then there were the first time. Arnold and everyone had front row seats this time, too. Phoebe made arrangements with the owner to have the seats reserved for them. On the request of the singer, she told him. And Joe was happy to oblige. Anything for her, he said.

Phoebe had also taken the liberty to invite all of their friends to the show without giving away that the "no-name" girl would be performing again.

Helga breathed in and out. She was a wreck. Arnold would be sitting right in front of her while she sang! And everyone else would be right there, too. How in the world would she keep her sanity?! She stepped away from the curtain. You gotta stop thinking about that, she told herself. She turned away and began to pace up and down the stage. What are you even doing back here? She asked herself. I thought you weren't going to come back? She let out a breath.

Phoebe knows your weakness. She shook her head, hating herself at the moment. Arnold. She thought of him. You stupid, football-headed little-

"On in ten, guys," Joe said. He smiled gratefully at Helga before leaving.

Helga nodded, trying to smile.

"Is this really the last time?" the drummer said. Justin, was it? Or Danny?

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Danny," Phoebe replied.
Danny! There you go!

The guitar player sighed. "Well, it was great," he said. "Thanks for letting us play with you guys."

"Thank you for playing with us," Phoebe said.

The guitar player nodded with a light smile. They remained in silence for the rest of the ten minutes they had left before going on. No one knew what to say and Helga really wasn't in the mood for small talk. The drummer tried to spark up a conversation a few minutes before they had to play, but no one took the bait.

"Tonight," Joe said behind the curtain, "we have a very special treat for you. It took a lot of time and a lot of convincing, but here they are." He smiled to himself, Helga could almost see it. "Enjoy," he said and then walked off stage.

As the curtains pulled back, the lights went out and the crowd didn't know what to do. They were excited and a little unsure.

Someone in the back stood up. "It's her!" he shouted. "She's back!" and then the entire crowd roared, knowing exactly what he meant. Even with the lights off, Helga could feel Arnold's searching eyes. Oh, geez.

The guitar started playing and the crowd's cheers began to whine down. Phoebe's fingers fell lightly on the keys as she played.

Helga closed her eyes just as the lights shone softly on the stage. "This town is colder now," she sang, "I think its sick of us. . ." Don't think of Arnold staring at you.

The drum played as soon after and pretty soon she dove into her second verse.

"Stop and stare. . ." Her voice boomed and then she opened her eyes. "You start to wonder why you're 'here' not there. . ." Her eyes scanned the crowd and in seconds her eyes came to Arnold. He was surprised that she stared back at him, but Helga was to into the song to really know what she was doing. The music did that to her. When she was on stage, she was someone else entirely. Someone who let her do things she wouldn't be able to as "Helga Pataki."

"You'd give anything to get what's fair," she continued as she looked back at Arnold, "But fair ain't what you really need. . ." her voice softened. "Oh, can you see what I see."

The music continued while she paused. She closed her eyes again and let the music fill her.

She came into her third verse, not looking at Arnold, but feeling his hungry gaze for more. He wanted her attention. He sought it out and Helga knew it. She felt it strongly and had she been more herself, her heart would be racing from the thought and not in time with the music.

"Steady feet don't fail me now. . ." she sang. She began to walk across the stage. She stopped beside the guitar player, whose name she couldn't recall.

"But something pulls my focus out," she continued, "And I'm standing down. . ."

She went right into the chorus, inching closer to the guitar player, her voice singing her heart out as she looked at him, watching him play.

"Yeah I know that everyone gets scared. . .But I've become what I can't be, oh. . .Stop and Stare. . ."

She could still feel Arnold's eyes on her, jealousy sparking in those beautiful eyes of his and Helga smiled just the slightest bit, acknowledging him.

"But fair ain't what you really need," she sang as she looked back at Arnold again. His breath caught when their eyes met, she saw it. And then her voice took off. "Oh, you don't need. . .oohh. . .ooohh. . ."

"Stop and stare. . ." the music began to slow as the drums and piano stopped playing. "I think I'm moving but I go no where. . ."

Helga's eyes remained on Arnold as she sang her last line: "Oh, do you see what I see. . ."

The guitar strung once more as she sang her last note and then it was silent.

The crowd was in awe as they looked up on the stage. And then the light on the stage dimmed and the curtains closed. The last thing Helga saw before the curtain closed was Arnold's searching eyes. He wanted to say something to her. He had to.

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"If you guys ever want to go out and play again," the guitar player said, "let us know." He shook Phoebe's hand.

"Of course, Justin," she said.

Justin! That's his name!

He stood in front of Helga now as the drummer spoke to Phoebe. "Take care of yourself," he said. "And that voice." He smiled, blushing just a little. "It's heavenly."

Helga looked at him, a little confused, but her cheeks warmed a little. "Thank you," she said. "For everything. . .Justin."

He was taken aback for a moment. "You said my name," he said. He looked down, flustered. "I always got the feeling that you didn't know my name."

Now Helga was really embarrassed. She wasn't going to admit that she really didn't know up until now. "Of, course, I knew," she lied.

"Well," he said looking at her again. "See you around." He shook her hand and stepped back.

The drummer turned his attention to her. "Uh. . .you've got some great vocals on you," he said. "Thanks for letting me play for you. It was awesome." He shook her hand and smiled. "I hope we see each other again."

Helga nodded, feeling a little strange. She smiled at him, a genuine smile. "Me too," she said, surprised at the words. But what surprised her most, was how much she really meant what she said.

They both walked off stage and Helga and Phoebe could hear the hungry crowd swallowing them whole. Questioning them on the singer. Who is she? What's her name?

On Stage, Joe spoke into the mike. "At the request of the Dreaming Out Loud's front girl," he said, "Arnold, you know how you are, buddy, come on back stage."

The crowd cheered.

"Go for it Arnold!" Rhonda shouted.

"You're in luck, man!" Gerald shouted.

"Go on, Arnold," Lila said. "It's your chance."

Helga's heart began to pound. She began to pace again as the crowd roared again.

It wasn't long after that that Joe came back stage with Arnold following behind. He looked from one to the other. "Hey, Phoebe," he said. "Why don't you introduce the next band."

Phoebe looked at hi. "Me?"

He nodded. "Why not?"

Phoebe smiled, embarrassed. "I. . .okay." She touched Helga's arm before she walked away. Helga tried grabbing her arm, but it was too late. Joe and Phoebe walked out, leaving Arnold and Helga there alone.

Phoebe's voice filled the room as she introduced the next band. She was embarrassed, but excited to be up on stage. Helga almost smiled.

"Don't hold back," he said.

"What?" She looked at him, her heart pounding.

"I saw the smile on your face," he said smiling.

Helga's heart raced as it were in a cross-country race. This exchange happened before. Did he know?

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"I, uh," he began, "I have something to say to you." He took a deep breath and looked at her, his eyes locking with hers. "The first time you came to sing here. . .I was mesmerized by you." He looked away, embarrassed. "You were so. . .beautiful. And your voice. . .you're amazing and I want to-"

"This was my last show," Helga blurted afraid to hear what he had to say next. He didn't want to hear it. She loved that he was complimenting her so much. She loved it! She loved him. But Arnold was speaking of someone else. He was mesmerized by the "no-name" girl he watched perform not Helga.

"What?"

"I wasn't planning on coming back," she confessed, "but I came back for the band. They wanted to play again and Joe wanted us here."

Arnold shook his head. "But-"

"I called you here because I have something to say to you, too," she said.

He was taken aback.

She took in a deep breath. "Phoebe told me about you and your. . .feelings for me," she said.

Arnold blushed. "I-"

She shook her head. "I can't return your feelings, Arnold," Helga said. It hurt her so much to say this. She knew she could, but what would he think if he knew the truth? What would he do when he realized that this "no-name" girl was really Helga Pataki? She couldn't bare the thought. Tears began to sting her eyes.

"There's someone else out there who feels for you what you might feel for me," she said. She felt as though she was straining for the words to come out.

"But I don't want someone else!" he said. "I want!-"

"Fair ain't what you need," she said.

Arnold stopped. "What?"

Helga shook her head. "It's nothing," she said. "I hope things turn out well for you." She didn't even look at him. "I have to go." She quickly made her escape just as Arnold took a step forward.

"Wait!" he called after her. "Wait, please!" He chased her, only to come up at a dead end. He looked around, searching, but. . .he lost her.