~ARNOLD~

I hadn't cheated on Helga.

Not only was that the most ridiculous lie I've ever heard, but the fact that Helga believed it...that hurt.

I thought I had done so well proving to Helga how much I cared about her. I thought she knew, without a doubt, that I was in love with her and I had no intention of screwing that up- especially by CHEATING.

That wasn't me at all.
But Helga had believed it.

"RHONDA." I was glaring at her. "Do you KNOW what you've just DONE?"

Her cheeks were bright red, the shade almost matching her lipstick and shirt completely. "I...I didn't know. I didn't realize-"

"You DID know. That's all you've been saying ALL WEEK. But you just had to keep going, keep pushing."

"Well what did you expect me to do? You were the one cheating on her-"

"I WASN'T CHEATING ON HER, RHONDA!" I shouted, and walked over to the nearest wall to slide down it with my back and sit scrunched up on the floor; my head in my hands. "I was..."

"You were what?"

"I was working on a way to ask her to prom, Rhonda." I sighed, shaking my head in my hands; my words coming out muffled. "I had Lila over to help me while I did something special for Helga to ask her to prom."

Silence.

"Oh." Rhonda finally said.

"Yea- and then you RUINED everything and now... Now it's over." Hot tears were falling down my cheeks now, but I didn't bother to reach up and wipe them away.

"Well, maybe you should call her? I'm sure she'll understand that I-"

"That you WHAT?" I shot my head up to glare at her. "You saw how she acted when I tried to explain. She believes YOU. You picked someone you KNEW she hated and-"

"I only said what I was told, Arnold. Facts."

"Lies! You told lies. And you didn't even bother to ask before you went around spreading them."

"What? Cause you would have told me?"

"I would have stopped you from ruining the best thing that's ever happened to me, yes."

"Helga G. Pataki? The BEST thing that ever happened to you? Ha. Please."

"What?" I narrowed my eyes and pushed myself up from the floor. "You don't think that could possibly be true? That I could be happy with Helga?"

She laughed quietly, "Frankly? No, no I don't."

"Well that's because you don't know her like I do."

Rhonda watched me for a long time, our gazes locked on each other in a stare down of sorts.

Eugene cleared his throat before sitting down on a nearby chair. "Maybe you should call her, Arnold. We can be done for the day if you want."

I nodded my head a few times, finally breaking my look from Rhonda. "Yea. Yea that's fine." Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I tapped Helga's name to call her.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.
She wasn't answering. Of course she wasn't answering.

"Hey, this is Helga. If you actually think I wanna talk to you, leave a message or something. Maybe I'll call you back, but I wouldn't get your hopes up." BEEP.

I hung up and shook my head. "Seriously, Helga?" I mumbled to myself before tapping her name again.

Ring. Ring.
"Hey, this is Helga. If you actu-" Click.

"So?" Eugene asked and I shook my head, biting my lip for a moment to suppress tears of frustration. I was losing her.

"She shut her phone off."

"Maybe she just doesn't want to talk to you, ever thought of that?" Rhonda sarcastically tossed the words out of her mouth, but I had had enough of her acting like what she'd done wasn't a big deal. I was tired of her blowing this off like it was some fluke that would have broken itself up anyway.

Sure, we were only 16 and maybe Helga had acted like I was her mortal enemy and favorite victim ever since pre-k, but Rhonda was wrong about her, and I was determined to get her to understand just what Helga meant to me.

"Look, Rhonda. I know that you think Helga is a grade-a bully with no feelings and I get that you two have never seen eye to eye. That's fine if you never want to get to know who she is and what she's actually like but I HAVE. Helga is... Well... she's wonderful. She's smart and thoughtful and caring and funny and no matter what she's done or said it doesn't take all of that away from who she really is."

Rhonda was watching me intently, her expression fading from smug to guilty really fast.

But I couldn't stop. It was like this dam that had been keeping away all of my feelings for the passed 6 months had completely crumbled and all the things I'd wanted to say to Rhonda this week were suddenly bursting out.

"Just because she doesn't show it to all of you, doesn't mean it isn't there. And instead of supporting us and being real friends, you've only been mean and accusing and made up horrible lies about not only me, but Lila who has been anything but a home-wrecker. And that's not right. Helga has been... determined not to tell anybody about us because she KNOWS that THIS is how everybody will act and while I didn't want to believe it, I guess it's true. You'll stop at nothing to destroy this, only so you can go and tell everyone that you were right and you were responsible for breaking it all up." Rhonda was chewing on her lip as she kept silent while I raged on and on, my filters completely off.

I was running entirely on fumes of anger; fumes I had held back for what felt like years.

"But this isn't People magazine, Rhonda. This is high school; this is REAL LIFE. I love her, Rhonda. And we were right on the verge of actually being open about everything to everyone. And you ruined it. You ruined something that has real consequences and a real effect on people's lives. Don't you feel bad? Don't you feel even just a little bit of remorse?!" I was nearly yelling now, and Rhonda stood frozen; her eyes locked on mine while I fumed before her.

The room was silent. That weird kind of suspending silence that acts as an invisible cloud of smoke you just can't wave out the window.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Arnold." Rhonda said sheepishly, looking down at her feet.

I sighed, feeling as though a weight the size of a building had been lifted from my shoulders.

"You... you love her?" She asked after a moment, her eyes softer and genuinely curious.

"Yes, Rhonda. I love her." I said with a small nod.

"Like really, really? Like you REALLY love Helga? Helga G. Pataki?" She asked again, a slight disgust in her tone.

"Rhonda..."

"Alright, alright." She held her hands up, "I was just making sure."

My lips turned down into a frown, but a warm hand reached out to rest gently on my shoulder.

"Arnold?"

I looked over to Lila who looked at me with her familiar, sweet smile. "Yes, Lila?"

"I'm just ever so certain you should follow her." She was still sniffling; it was clear she had been really hurt by Rhonda's accusations and I couldn't help but feel bad that she had been caught in the crossfire of Rhonda's lies.

"I don't even know where she went... She has a tendency to, to," I took a breath and let it out, "to disappear."

"Maybe you should just, tell her?" Rhonda suggested quietly.

"And ruin everything I've been working on? No. She'll just have to listen to me and trust me."

"You really think she will, Arnold? After what Rhonda said?" Lila asked with hope, wiping her tear-stained cheeks once again.

"Well, I'll have to try, now won't I?"

"That's the spirit!" Eugene piped up, hopping to his feet with a grin burned onto his face. "If you try, you WILL succeed! I just know it!"

"Oh Eugene, are you really sure it will all be okay?" Lila asked, Eugene nodding his head.

"Of course he is. This is EUGENE you're speaking to." Rhonda said, her arms now crossed over her chest. She blinked her eyes over to look at me as I still stood, still looking somewhat discouraged. "Arnold, would you like some advice?"

I smirked without humor as a response, but she continued anyway; a look of seriousness now hinting on her perfectly made-up face. "If you love her, like REALLY love her, don't go and give up just because she said it's over. And if she really loves you," she paused for a moment, taking a breath and softening her tone as she spoke, "then you know it isn't actually over. She'll come back."

"You think so?" my voice was small, vulnerable.

"Well of course." She said very matter-of-factly. "I mean, it isn't like she has anywhere ELSE to run to at age 16."

And while I knew she was right and she was genuinely trying to offer advice, I still couldn't stop the pit in my stomach from growing.

Now that Rhonda knew I wasn't cheating on Helga with Lila and Helga and mine's secret was all out in the open; there was only one thing left to do- find Helga and get her to listen to me.

But considering I had no way of getting a hold of her... that wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do.

I spent the rest of my night working on the video alone; Lila deciding it might not be the best idea she come over anymore to help with it. I'd only asked her because, well... she was a girl. And despite Helga's protests, I was pretty sure Lila had some ideas as to what it was girls, especially Helga, might like.

Look, I didn't have a lot of friends I could trust with this kind of stuff who were girls, okay?

Anyway, she came in through the sky window because she could only stop by right after her art class which ended at 8:30, and by then most of the boarders were already asleep.

The thing is, I'd told Helga all that before. She knew the boarders were older and preferred to go to bed around 8. She knew they didn't like to be disturbed by the slamming of the door and all the animals always coming in and going out.

But one mention of Lila's name had sent her into a frenzy; everything changed and Rhonda's lies became more realistic to her. For some weird reason she could see Lila stealing everything from her... I never did understand Helga's obsession with her distaste towards Lila.

But I figured she'd get over it, or she'd realize maybe she'd overreacted and I deserved my chance to explain my side of the story Rhonda was twisting.

And then she didn't show up to school on Wednesday.

I looked in the hallways, searched really, but those beautiful blue eyes were missing from the crowded hallways. I'd even texted her, asking if she was planning on showing up at school, but she never responded which meant she either didn't read it or just didn't want to reply.

English was empty without her. We sat quietly and worked on our computers individually... the awkward tension between us from yesterday still to raw to deal with. I found that I couldn't focus on the editing of the video I had to do. I just kept... staring at the screen knowing what I had to do and yet unable to move my body to do it.

I decided to text Lila and ask her to meet me at the nook during free period. With hesitation, she agreed.

"Are you certain this is the best idea, Arnold? I don't want Helga to hate me anymore than she already does. I really thought we were making just the most progress."

I sighed and crossed my arms. "Lila. Once she hears my side of the story, she'll realize this isn't what Rhonda is claiming it is and everything will be alright."

"Really?" Her face lit up and she clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "You've decided to tell her about your prom proposal?"

"Well, no."

She dropped her hands to remain clasped but in front of her waist. "Then however do you plan on explaining why I was at your house?"

"You see I uh- well I haven't quite figured that part out yet, but she'll listen to me. I think." My tone grew less and less confident as I finished my statement, and Lila looked at me with a concerned expression.

"Oh Arnold, you're sure you don't just want to tell her?"

"Not unless I have to..." I mumbled, wondering if that time was coming sooner than I wanted.

"Well, I'm ever so certain you'll have to do something. It's not like Helga to skip English class."

"She's skipped all day. I've been trying to text her but..." my voice trailed off.

I felt Lila's hand rest gently on my shoulder which brought me out of my trance. "She'll answer you, Arnold. I'm just ever so sure that this will all turn out alright. But perhaps," She dropped her hand from my shoulder to her side and let out a small breath, "perhaps you should finish the prom proposal without my help."

"But how am I supposed to know if, if-"

"You'll know, Arnold. Afterall, you've known her your whole life, haven't you? You don't need me to tell you if what you're doing is oh so romantic enough for the woman you love. I'm just ever so certain that if you thought about it, really thought about it... you know exactly what it is you need to do to impress Helga."

She smiled and turned around to walk back to her class, but hesitated after a few steps and turned around. "And Arnold?"

"Yeah, Lila?"

"There was once a time that I liked you... liked you liked you that is."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Really?" Why was she telling me this?

"I never told you, of course."

"Was it when I had feelings for you?" I was curious as to where she was going with this, it was like 9 year old me was looking for some kind of closure to my wasted elementary years pining after Lila.

Her eyes looked down, ashamed. "Yes, it was."

"So why are you telling me now?"

"Because, Arnold. I want you to know that I would never try and break the two of you up. I really do like the two of you together, just ever so much."

"I know that, Lila. That you wouldn't try to break us up that is. That was just a lie told by Rhonda to get Helga and I to admit we were dating." I explained, but Lila was shaking her head; her eyes still cast downward.

"The problem is, Arnold, I DO still have feelings for you."

I glanced around me in the empty hallway as if looking for someone to jump out and yell that I was being pranked.

Was this really happening? Was Lila admitting she liked me after I had just broken up with Helga? She knew I no longer had feelings for her... so what was the point in telling me all of this?

"But long before you and Helga ever got together... well to be perfectly honest, Helga had told me about her little crush on you. It was back when we did Romeo and Juliet. Do you remember, Arnold?"

I nodded my head, stunned at what it was she was telling me. Helga hated Lila... why had she told her?

"So when I started to like you like you... I remembered what Helga had confided in me those oh so many years ago and I knew that no matter what I felt, even if it WAS that I liked you liked you and I knew you liked me liked me, I could never let you know. I could never break that secret promise I had made to Helga and myself all those years ago in my room- even if she hated me. You should have heard the way she talked about you, Arnold..." Her voice trailed off, remembering the memory as if it were playing in front of her eyes like a movie only she could see. "She really loved you, even then. And I promised myself that as long as I could see that glow in her eyes when she looked at you, I would never- just never -act on my own feelings. Even if I knew it was hurting you."

"I didn't know that."

She shrugged her dainty shoulders. "I know. But I thought you should know now."

"But why? Why keep that secret to Helga if you knew she hated you? And if you knew I still liked you?"

"Because, Arnold. If I'm really honest with myself, and with you, I knew and still know now that the two of you are just perfect together."

I felt a hot blush creep up into my cheeks at her words.

Somebody else saw what I saw when I looked at us. And oddly enough... that person was Lila.

"I should be going." She said, her eyes lingering on mine before she turned around to leave once again, but ran into a someone I couldn't quite see. I heard her voice muffle out an "I'm just ever so sorry," But I couldn't catch the name of who it was she was apologizing to.

"What... just happened?" I asked myself quietly, completely perplexed.

I reached into my pocket to grab my lanyard and pick through my mess of keys before locating my flash drive. Absentmindedly, I flipped it around a few times, considering all that had happened because of this silly project; all that had been revealed. Here, in my hands, held both that project and my risky prom-posal that was once such a great idea and now was only making my life a living nightmare.

"Still no word from you-know-who?" Gerald asked as he sat down beside me on the bench by the cafeteria.

It looked like he had chosen the pizza option for today's lunch. It didn't take long for him to notice I hadn't chose anything. "You gunna eat today or what, Arnold?"

My eyes were focused on the flash drive I was fiddling with in my lap. "What?"

"Man, you have GOT to do something about this Pataki thing." He picked his pizza slice up and took a big bite, continuing to talk while he chewed. "Look at what she's doing to you."

"She's not doing anything to me, Gerald. I did this to myself."

"Did WHAT exactly?" He asked, now taking a few gulps of the sports drink he carried around on a regular basis. "I mean, from what YOU'VE told me, she blew the whole thing out of proportion without givin' you the chance to explain. How is that YOUR fault?"

"It's my fault because I should have just told her Lila was coming over to help me with...with something."

"Because THAT sounds less suspicious. Face it, Arnold. Until you tell her, consider yourself single."

I shoved the flash drive into my pocket and twisted my body to face Gerald while he continued to eat. "Not very helpful advice, Gerald."

"Well what do you want me to say? I'm just being honest."

"Do you think she'll say yes? To the prom thing?" I asked quietly, but Gerald shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, man. This IS Helga G. Pataki we're talking about. Girl is unpredictable."

"I know." A smile tugging on my lips.

And while normally I loved how passionate, wild and unpredictable Helga was, in situations like the one I was in now- I could certainly use a little predictability.

"I'm gonna get going, Gerald. I think I'll just go home since I only have free period and college psych left for the day."

"But I thought you loved college psych? You feelin' okay, Arnold?" He reached up to mock take my temperature, but I swatted him away and stood up; grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder.

"I'm fine, Gerald. Really. I'm just... not in the mood I guess."

"Well alright, man. I'll catch ya later." And with a pound and wiggle of our fingers, I turned on my heel and made my way slowly to the parking lot.

I wandered the halls, now empty since everybody was off eating their lunch and discussing today's latest teenage problems and gossip.

What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to fix this? My thoughts wandered, dragging my feet along with each step that I took down the quiet halls to get to the door leading to the parking lot. I always found empty halls to be so... eerie. It allowed more time than usual for your thoughts to roam in places they didn't always belong.

Lila. Helga.

How complicated their relationship was and I'd never even known it. Here, Helga hated every thing Lila Sawyer did. Every step, every breath, every word that passed her lips (in her opinion) was always done against her and against us- but why?

Because after everything Lila just told me... it seemed that Helga didn't know Lila anymore than Rhonda knew Helga.

Seemed like we didn't know who anybody really was.

I drove home in complete silence- no radio or anything. My thoughts were louder than any jazz radio station I could find, but it didn't matter anyway because I wasn't even in the mood.

Yeah, I said it. I wasn't in the mood for music.

When I finally got home and walked into the familiar boarding house full of life and energy, I trudged my way to my room; ignoring all of they 'Heya Arnold! You're home early! How was school?'s and shutting my door to keep out the world.

Tossing my backpack onto the floor, I fell onto my bed with a loud sigh.

And then my phone buzzed.

-Cutting school, I see?

It was just like Helga to know exactly what I was up to at any given moment.

-Guess so.

It was all I could manage, I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know why she was texting me in the first place considering how mad she was at me.

BUZZBUZZ

-So I've decided some things and I figured you and your stupid shaped head should know about them. Since they're about us and all.

She was acting weird... acting like how she'd acted before her feelings were all out in the open.

I didn't like it.

-Alright, so what have you decided?

I stared at the screen of my phone, watching as the bubble at the bottom of our conversation told me she was typing.

Funny how Helga G. Pataki could make me so nervous.

-Well, before I completely leave you to hang and dry for what you've done... Pheebs... and some other people... say its 'important I hear your side of the story.'

BUZZBUZZ

Another message.

-That is, if you still want to tell me your side. If there IS a 'your side.'

-Of course there's a my side. And it isn't what Rhonda said.

I was typing as fast as I could, not wanting her to think she didn't have my full attention. Because she had it.

She'd always have it.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah. Prove it. Tomorrow night. 7pm at my place.

A huge smile lit up my face.

BUZZBUZZ.

Another message?

-And before you ask: I WILL be in school tomorrow. But don't even THINK about talking to me until 7. I'm still mad at you football-head.

My smile faded as I read the angry words in her message.

I wanted to defend myself; I wanted to tell her how wrong she was and how I would never cheat on her because that's just not who I was, but the time and place to do all that had already been decided.

Tomorrow. 7pm at her place.

I'd show her that Arnold Shortman is no cheater.

I'd show her that I was serious about our relationship.

I'd show her.

I'd show her.

Those thoughts ran in circles in my head. Even as I finished editing our class project and ate dinner silently at the dinner table, the thoughts wouldn't stop.

If Helga thought I cheated on her... one lone thought entered my head just as I was about to drift to sleep, then she doesn't really know me. I don't know Lila. Rhonda doesn't know Helga. And Helga doesn't know me.

Does anyone ever TRULY know someone?

I fell asleep that night while re-imagining every moment between Helga and I since pre-k. I pictured her, age 5- age 9- age 13- age 16 even far into the future at age 22 and age 30. I went all the way up to 50 and 70's. I imagined just what kind of life she'd have and the future that was held for Helga G. Pataki.

And the funny thing?

I was in every single picture of her. Every future she could possibly have... there I was.

I loved Helga. I'd finally realized that.

But I was ready for the world to know that too. I wasn't about to let one more day pass that my friends and classmates all didn't know my adoration for her.

And I was ready for Helga to believe it- to REALLY really believe it. I didn't want Helga to spend one more second of her life unsure of my love for her.

School was weird all day Thursday. I dazed through my classes until English came. Then I spent my work time silently watching Helga as she tapped away on her keyboard; feverishly typing the remainder of the paper that would be due soon.

Per her instructions however, I said nothing to her all day.

I Only watched.

Only waited.

So when school was out, I had eaten my dinner and booked it to Helga's house, I made it to her place at 7pm exactly; impatient for my chance to explain. Just as I was about to knock on her green door, a surge of adrenaline pumped through my blood; egging me on to bang my knuckles against the wood.

I knew what I was going to do.

Knock, knock, knock I rapped softly on the door, but it swung open almost immediately.

"7 right on the nose. Would you look at that."

"I couldn't wait."

She sighed and gestured for me to come in.

"Well, come on in, Hair Boy. You have some 'splaining to do."

I took the few steps to get inside of her house and she slammed door shut behind me.

Here goes everything.

So that was fun!

Only 2 more chapters left! :)

HEY! If you like what you're reading now, I would LOVE IT if you would go check out the other story I'm working on called, "Spanish 2 Was All For You"

It used to be a oneshot, then a two shot, and now I've updated it so it will be a full length, super awesome, most ambitious fanfic i have ever worked on so i would LOVE IT if you would go check it out and review it :)

love you all!

xoxo

Polkahotness