A/N: Hello, again everyone! Be honest, none of you guys expected this chapter to be up so soon did you, but like I said, I'm going to do my best to keep this one updated regularly. Muhahaha!

And a special thank you to SideshowJazz1 for still being awesome. ;_; I appreciate that you like my writing and I hope that you're still enjoying this story. I've missed you too, and just being able to write here again, is amazing. It's really great to be back.

With that said, I hope you enjoy chapter seven!

Arnold walked up the steps to the boarding house still feeling extremely annoyed at himself. He was supposed to give Helga time, and yet, he gave into the rage of jealousy again, something that was so unlike him. It was no wonder she didn't want to confide in him right now. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't blame her for that at all, and at the back of his thoughts there was the fear that he could eventually push her away if he didn't learn to think calmly and rationally around her. When did life get so complicated?

He opened the door, letting the animals race past before heading inside, and walked inside to what was a surprising silence for the usually rambunctious boarding house. "I'm back," he called out loudly, as he walked past the kitchen and headed upstairs to his room to be alone for a little while.

Removing his backpack and tossing it on his unfolded couch, he walked over to his bed and threw himself back on it, staring up at his skylight. Releasing a sigh, he placed an arm over his eyes. "There has to be something I can do to make her trust me more, but what?" He murmured out loud softly, mulling the words over.

The more he thought about them, however, the more frustrated he became again. Instead of taking any steps forward, it felt as if they were taking many more back. He immediately thought back to one particular day, when they were at the park watching kites fly, how a soft touch would immediately soften her up to him, and he smiled fondly over the memory of being there together with her like that. If only times were still just as simple.

Well, he didn't know that they couldn't be that way again for sure. Helga just had a better grasp over her emotions these days. He knew, at the end of the day, she cared for him as she did then, she just didn't want to emote it to him like that anymore. The constant circle his thoughts looped around in drained him. Perhaps he was just being too impatient. They were young, and had plenty of time to learn more about each other. There was really no need to rush. Feeling more at ease, he got up and walked over to his backpack for his notebook to get started on his homework.

Staring at his homework problems, he wondered if Helga had made it home safely. He really shouldn't have stormed off like that, leaving her alone, but he did a lot of things he immediately regretted. Cornering her like that? He blushed, remembering how close he was to her during that time. Her bright blue eyes were wide, and no matter the regret he felt, he couldn't help the thrill of satisfaction of catching her off guard.

It took a lot to get her to drop her guard since she returned back to her normal self, and while it wasn't the lilting voice he adored, it was still kind of amazing that he could make her nervous like that. Him of all people. She was such an expressive person, and…honestly? He wanted to see and learn about all of the different faces she could make. The thought made him blush again. It would definitely happen he promised himself. Though hopefully under better circumstances, and definitely not because of jealousy. Nope. No way.

But okay, he really needed to actually try and focus on his homework.

He picked up his pencil once more, and stared down at his assignment again, but the immediate intrusion of a girl with a pink bow in her hair and a smirk of mischief on her face surfacing in his thoughts made him groan.

He was really in way over his head wasn't he?

Phoebe and Gerald walked in comfortable silence down the street to Phoebe's house together. Gerald kicked a can, and Phoebe left him to it, knowing that he was most likely formulating a way of making conversation with her after getting his thoughts squared away properly. "Hey…Phoebe?" He started finally.

"Yes, Gerald?"

He was quiet another moment longer before he began speaking again. "Why is Helga being so mean to Arnold? I mean I just don't get it. I know I could never quite picture it in my mind either way, but I expected them to be holding hands down the halls, not still…" He waved his hand in front of him. "Well, you know."

Phoebe pondered the question, wondering what kind of information would be okay to divulge. "It is hard to understand I know. Especially looking at things from this angle, but Helga does truly care about Arnold. She just…has a hard way of showing it."

"I see that, but why? If I got the girl of my dreams to notice me, I'd be over the moon."

"Hmm, well I'm not Helga and it's not exactly a conversation we have ever had. Helga keeps…a lot of things repressed inside of her, which I believe stems from her home life, but this is just from my observations."

Gerald furrowed a brow. "What do you mean by that?"

"I think…she doesn't trust any of this to be stable. It's all happening so quickly for her. Imagine dreaming of something for so long, and it finally happens. There's a moment of shock, followed by an initial period of happiness, but in Helga's case she's still in the disbelief phase. She can't allow herself to fall in completely, and believe that Arnold will really be there to catch her if she does."

"I think I'm still lost here."

She shot him a soft smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I know you're looking out for your best friend, and you don't like seeing him hurt, but please…trust me on this. Things are bound to work themselves out. Arnold's a good guy; he's always seen Helga's better qualities. This is a different chapter in both of their lives of learning to deal with feelings. I'm sure this…rough patch will end, but it may not be pretty before we get to the end."

Gerald rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Gotta grab some popcorn for this basically, huh?"

"Exactly. They are both going to have to learn a lot more about each other than the basic things we gather from school and on occasion our outings with our peers. I think it'll work out, but if not it's still something they will have to find out for themselves. We just have to trust in them."

"So…Helga really does like Arnold?"

"Gerald!"

"I'm just messin' with ya Phoebe," he grinned, and she turned her head to hide her blush. "Regardless of the obstacles ahead, my buddy decided to take this leap of faith and I'll be by his side for it." He shook his head, and looked up at the sky. "But man, is he ever really one bold kid."

A/N: Thanks again for reading! Please leave a review, or even a critique if there's something I can improve upon, or even if you're actually still enjoying the ride with this one and would like to let me know. Of course, next time Helga will make an appearance again, and I'm hoping you guys will enjoy it!

Tata for now. ^^