Arnold sat in the car for a while after Helga had gone, feeling the place on his cheek where she had kissed him goodbye. He just hadn't expected it. He was sure that she had felt too embarrassed by the way their night had gone to want to see him again. The drive back had been so painfully quiet. His confession of liking her had been a last-ditch effort to try and elicit a response, any response, be it positive or negative, toward him.

I'll still have to think on that one…. After hearing that, Arnold had been ready to call the whole night a bust.

But she had kissed him! Surely that was proof to the contrary. Yes, they had kissed before on that beach, which still made his heart flutter by thinking about it. But this one was different. This one had turned his whole night around, validating everything he had been feeling that night hanging out with Helga. He knew there had been chemistry there. Perhaps she was just too shy to admit it.

Arnold jumped when a car behind him honked in frustration. He remembered where he was, parked in the middle of the street with his hazard lights on. He quickly shifted gear and pulled away to return home.

He arrived shortly before 9, plenty of time before the Packard's assigned curfew. Stepping inside, Arnold was met with a barrage of arguing boarders, all of which were directing their anger to Grandpa, who was having difficulty controlling the situation.

"You all are just being self-centered!" He shouted over the bickering. "This was my grandfather's! My own flesh and blood! Why should I share it with any of you?"

Mr. Hyunh was outraged, "Maybe because I spent four and a half hours of my evening plodding around the cellar with you looking for the darn thing! And I hate the cellar! It is spooky and smelly!"

"And because I had to lend you half of my explosives stash so you could blast your way to it!" Ernie shouted.

Oskar chimed in meekly. "I live here too, I should be entitled to a part of it. We should split the fortune on the basis of… uh, love for one another, heh heh."

Grandma was standing abreast of the fray near Arnold, observing and sipping from her mug.

Arnold asked her, "Did they actually find Grandpa's grandpa's fortune?"

Grandma took him aside and leaned in to whisper to him. "They found a box, alright. All that's in it are newspaper clippings about the founding of the Sunset Arms. But I'm not about to tell them that." She winked.

Arnold smiled and shook his head. "Well, don't let them go on all night."

"Oh, they'll find out. Won't be long now." She went back to watching the fight.

Arnold sidestepped the angry group, not a one of them noticing him. He climbed the first set of stairs to the next floor and released the second set from the ceiling that led to his attic bedroom.

Once inside, Arnold fell limply onto his revolving Murphy sofa. His driving anxiety had exhausted him, but he was wide awake with the residual thrill of his successful outing. Or date. He wasn't sure if he could call it that yet. He was sorely tempted to text her, but something told him that messaging again so soon would only serve to put her off further.

His eyelids drooped as he stared at the glass pane above him, the stars only just visible. He considered calling Gerald and informing him of the details. As he lazily dug his phone out from his pocket and held it up, the device pinged loudly. It startled him so that he almost dropped it on his face.

He checked the contact. It was a message from Helga. His heart racing, he opening it.

Hey. So I thought about it. I guess it was a date after all.

He quickly tapped back.

Oh? What brought you to that conclusion?

Her reply was almost instant.

You did that stupid, cliché thing where you win me a stuffed animal. That's what happens on dates, right?

Arnold chuckled to himself.

You have a point.

After sending the last message, he fell asleep.

Since Saturday's eventful night, Arnold and Helga had taken to seeing each other in private. They never engaged in any couple-like behavior during school, except maybe for a few quick kisses when they were certain no one was looking. They had agreed to wait a while before informing people of the new development in their relationship. Arnold wasn't sure if they were considered "dating" yet. Neither of them had tried to officially label this… thing they were doing. But it was obviously something, and Helga wasn't about to let it become common knowledge just yet.

They had both come to the conclusion that the disbelief and questions from both of their friends and peers would be too much to handle all at once and would hound them for weeks. Instead, they were hoping to achieve a controlled release, telling only their closest friends at first, then slowly letting it out to others around them. It would get tiresome, but at least they would avoiding the otherwise inevitable bombardment of surprised looks, unnecessary comments, and gossip. Gerald was already aware, of course, as Arnold had always kept his friend in the loop even before the date. There wasn't any hiding it, anyway. Gerald wasn't an intensely curious person, but he insisted on knowing what had happened after his and Helga's first outing. Thankfully, Arnold's friend knew better than to tell anyone else.

However, after school…

Arnold couldn't help but anticipate the time spent with Helga after class on days they had planned to meet, either at his house or hers. A meeting at the Sunset Arms usually meant him arriving home as usual, with Helga climbing up the fire escape to sneak into his room. Helga wasn't keen on meeting his grandparents yet.

"They'll love you, y'know." Arnold reassured her, sitting cross-legged on his floor and sifting through his record collection. "They love most people."

Helga was leisurely spinning in his desk chair, a sarcastic expression on her face. "Doubt it. I don't know if you know this, Arnoldo, but I am a huge bitch."

"You are not."

"Yup, I totally am. Sorry for the bombshell. Probably should've told you sooner, huh?"

"My grandparents might be crazy, but they are amazing people. You would love them, too."

She stretched her feet to the floor, stopping the chair mid-spin. "I believe you, dude, don't get me wrong. I'm just gonna need some time to, like... mentally prepare and stuff."

"I get you." He plucked a vinyl case from the box and stood. "Like I said, I'm not gonna push your boundaries. But I can't stop my grandpa from barging through that door if he wants to see me." He smiled playfully before pecking Helga's forehead, her expression changing to one of horror.

"He doesn't do that. You're just trying to get to me." She glared at him.

"Oh yeah he does. On the daily."

She gestured in frustration to the door. "Why can't I just walk over there and lock it? Problem solved, right?"

"Lock's broken." He put simply. Arnold enjoyed teasing her. Even if it meant he would face a little abuse later, it was always in good fun. She was doing her best to appear skeptical, but would occasionally eye the door nervously.

He delicately set the record onto his turntable. Paul's Boutique by the Beastie Boys was one of his favorite albums, and he treated it like he would a newborn. He wanted to be able to listen to this vinyl in ten years with the same quality it had now.

Helga had crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair, looking down her nose at him. "Well, if he does walk in here and find me, it won't be me getting busted."

Arnold shrugged as he placed the needle on the record, still smiling the smile he knew frustrated her so much. "So be it. At least they get to meet you." The music started to flood the room. He quickly moved to sit on a floor pillow, one of his favorite places to jam, and patted the space beside him invitingly. She considered him doubtfully before joining.

"It's not really broken." He admitted.

She eyed him, amused. "I didn't think so. Can I lock it, then?"

"Already did." He shuffled around on his pillow, trying to get comfortable. "I really do understand, though. And I can totally wait until you're ready… O-on all fronts. Meeting my grandparents, coming out to people at school. Everything." He didn't mean to stutter. He had also been trying to suggest something else, but it didn't come out quite right.

Her gaze bored into him. After a moment, she averted her eyes, absentmindedly tugging on her hair.

"… Thanks."

He gingerly put his arm around her, all the way to her far shoulder. To his delight, she eventually leaned into him. They savored the album quietly, together.

Thirty minutes into the music, Oscar knocked loudly on his door, demanding sanctuary from an angry Suzie. They attempted to ignore him, hoping he would give up and leave, but the little Czech man was relentless. Seeing no other option, Arnold let Helga out through the fire escape. It wasn't quite how he had intended the night to go down, but their time together had been nice.

Most of their evenings at his house ended in this fashion.

Going to Helga's house was an entirely different story, however. She hadn't been kidding when she told him her parents were never home in the evenings until very late. With the whole house to themselves, Arnold found that he had to restrain himself sometimes from acting… ungentlemanly.

They always found time to make out.

Helga was surprisingly enthusiastic. And he didn't mind in the least.

He was really attracted to her, in fact. She was shapely, witty, and… kind of badass. She was extremely confident around other people and had a rather commanding presence. Such were the same traits that had intimidated him before (and still did, sometimes.) To add to his fascination, Arnold had witnessed her grind a skateboard down the public library's staircase handrail a few months before they had started talking again. He hadn't even known she skateboarded in her free time until then. And he found it incredibly sexy.

They kissed a lot at her house.

They kissed a lot wherever they could.

He loved the feeling of her lips on his. They were soft, and so was she. Helga betrayed a lot of the affection she felt for him when they were locked together. He hoped that he did, too.

Despite his enjoyment, Arnold hadn't had too much practice prior to their involvement. He eventually found the nerve to ask her if he was at all a good kisser. To his relief, she assured him that he was doing fine. This boosted his confidence, and judging by his experience with her, he gathered that she knew what she was talking about.

During school, they kept their interactions quite tame. Except for one time.

Helga, Phoebe, and Tyler (he was pretty sure that was her name) were conversing by the water fountain as they filled their bottles. He approached, a small folded note in his hand. Their voices dwindled after noticing him.

"Hey... Phoebe. Gerald isn't going to be in Business today. The yearbook committee needed him this period. But he told me to give you this."

Phoebe's expression was curiously blank as she plucked the note from his hands. "Okay, thank you, Arnold."

"Ugh, sick." Tyler chimed in. "What is he writing to you that's so private, he can't even text it to you, huh? Your parents read your messages?" Tyler looked down curiously at the tightly folded note.

Helga spoke monotonously, "Oh, come now. I'm sure this is nothing but a sweet and tasteful gesture on behalf of the Johansson boy. Phoebe will be captivated by his polite choice of words and insist on sharing the missive with her parents and classmates."

Arnold tried not to look at Helga too much, as they were trying to avoid letting on that they had a thing, but he could tell she had rolled her eyes.

Phoebe sighed at their words. Tucking the note away in her bag, she played along ironically. "Undoubtedly. You'll all be hearing the news from me soon."

Arnold shrugged and gave a light grimace. "Sorry, Phoebe."

"Not your fault."

As the other two walked away a few feet to one of their lockers, she stayed behind to whisper stiffly to him, "Honestly, Gerald could afford to cool his act for a little while." He wasn't quite sure what Phoebe was referring to, as he didn't make a point to keep up with the details of their relationship (aside from what Gerald would recount to him.) Maybe this frustrated reaction was worth mentioning to his friend. Phoebe left him to snag a book from the girls' locker. They all shared lockers, it seemed.

Arnold got a drink himself from the water fountain. As the group began making their way to their class, Helga held back.

"Damn, guys. I forgot my binder. I'll meet you in class."

The other two nodded and continued on. Snide comments from Tyler faded into the buzz of the slowly emptying hallway.

Pretty soon, it was just the two of them in that wing of the building.

Before he could lift his head from the fountain, he felt a sharp pull on his collar, tugging him away.

"Wha-"

Helga had snagged him. She was pulling him across the hallway and through a door he hadn't ever really noticed until then.

It was a janitor's closet. He found this out with the last of the light from the hallway before the door swung shut behind him. In the dark, he could see just well enough to be aware of some of the objects in the room.

But he didn't need his vision to feel Helga shove him against the wall.

"Hi, there." She was inches from him.

Arnold swore loudly. He covered his mouth, not having meant to. He continued with a lowered voice. "Helga, what are you doing?"

"Messing with you." She grinned. Her hands gripped his wrists to the drywall. He tried not to think about that for the moment.

"I thought we weren't going to see each other at school."

"I can't see anything. Can you?"

"You're joking, right? About... making out in the hall closet?"

"I'm really not."

His eyes were adjusting. He could see her face clearly in front of his now, her expression mischievous and slightly guilty.

"Haha… I-I'm sorry... You're right. This is pretty dumb, isn't it?."

He gazed at her. Arnold found her beautiful, even in the low light. Her crazy scheme was such a bad idea, he thought. She could jeopardize their privacy and good standing if they were caught this way. Not to mention how they were supposed to be in class right now. But the scheme was so... cute. And endearing. And it made him feel so wanted. So much trouble just to chance a few minutes alone with him.

"No."

"… What?"

"Just kiss me. Please."

She did. Passionately. The warmth of her mouth electrified Arnold's body in a way he wasn't prepared for. Helga gripped him tighter, pressing into him desperately. She kissed him softly, at first. Their movements matched each other's so wonderfully that Arnold's head was buzzing from the stimulation.

He shook his hands loose so that he could better feel her. Grasping at her waist, he pulled her into him as close as he could. He could feel her shiver against him. She was almost melting in his hands. Their tongues met more than once.

He felt her labored breath against his skin as she moved to kiss his neck. He shuddered at her contact, being intensely sensitive there. He clutched her body to him as he struggled to keep from moaning.

There would be no containing it. Arnold had to quickly spin them so that Helga was pinned between him and the wall. He turned the tables on her, clasping her hands above her head and planting his mouth on hers. He didn't think they could get much closer.

It was when Arnold moved down her neck to her collarbone that she tried to speak.

"A-Arnold… maybe… we should…"

"Stop?" He managed, his voice muffled by her chest.

She only nodded, words apparently being too much for her. She looked almost dazed.

"Okay." He stopped, looking into her half-lidded eyes. "I will. As long as you do something for me, first."

Her expression changed to that of alarm. "Dude, y-"

"It's nothing bad. Promise. I just have a question." Now it was Arnold's turn to be mischievous. He smirked playfully. "But you have to give me the truth. Or I'll go back to what I was doing."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "How will you know? I could say anything."

"I think I'll know."

"… Okay, sure."

"Why did you pull me in here in the first place?"

"That's it? That's your question?"

"Yeah. Why did you want to kiss me so bad?"

She rolled her eyes. "Duh. Because I felt like it."

"Helga."

"I got all hot and bothered watching you drink a liter and a half of water. Couldn't stand it anymore."

"Not good enough." Arnold followed through on his threat, moving in to kiss her neck. He tried his best to leave a mark before Helga pushed him away.

"You ass! Stop, okay? I'll tell you."

Arnold snickered. "Go on, then."

She jerked her arms away and folded them. "I had to spend 2nd Period listening to Connie and her satellites trade off comments about how they found you "majorly attractive." And they were talking loudly about how they'd consider asking you to the fucking Spring Dance if their dude friends pissed them off. And it wasn't so bad, but then they started on about how they wouldn't mind doing… stuff with you and I…. just kind of… hated them after that. And I couldn't even say anything about it." She looked away, clearly frustrated.

Arnold blinked at her. "Really?"

"Yeah. Sure."

"I knew it."

She met his eyes again. "What?"

"You felt… possessive of me."

"I wouldn't put it like that."

Arnold was smiling widely now. "No, no, you did! You had to come find to me and claim your territory."

"Fuck off, Shortman." She was scowling, but her face had reddened.

"Admit it. You care about me."

"This will get you literally nowhere."

"I knew you did."

Helga refused to face him.

Arnold cocked his head. He knew her feelings were in there somewhere. And he desperately wanted them to show more. He raised his hand to caress her cheek. "You know, I care about you too. It won't embarrass you if you say it."

She obviously tried to retort, but it took her a moment before she could get anything out. She could only look at him longingly before her words spilled out.

"Y-you are so damn sentimental."

He smiled. In her language, this was basically a confession.

Then, something dawned on Arnold.

"Hey… I'm not meaning to change the subject, but I just remembered. Those girls you mentioned… they were gossiping… about me? Like they liked me?"

Helga's face fell into a frown. "… Not the best time to be bring that up again, champ."

She was right. That was pretty bad timing on his part. Arnold stammered. "Crap, I-I didn't mean it that way. It's not for the reason you think. I was just… really confused when you told me. I wasn't aware that some girls saw me that way. Ever."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Well, yeah. No one's ever really approached me, so…"

She was silent.

"Helga?"

"You are dense, man."

Just then, a loud chattering noise sounded from outside of the closet. The two looked at each other in alarm. Both remained quiet, mainly to avoid being detected, but also to better hear whoever's voices were just beyond the door.

"I hate to say it, but she kind of freaks me out." said a voice that was clearly Stinky's.

Another voice, this time it was Harold's, replied, "Yeah. Did you hear what they did to that kid who kept putting garbage in her backpack?"

"He was only a middle schooler!" This one Arnold didn't recognize.

Harold continued. "And now this girl, Mary-Beth, she's told me about how they're running some 'independent contracting' deal, or whatever, with the smart kids. Like, other kids pay them to do their homework. And since they set up the deal, they keep some of the money. Like this weird business set-up thing. "

"That is shady as hell." said the mystery voice.

"I know! I ain't gonna snitch, though. I ain't gonna end up like that one guy." Harold vowed.

Stinky concurred, "Especially her. She's their leader, y'know."

The voices became inaudible as the group moved down the hall. Arnold turned to face Helga, who looked strangely mortified.

"That was weir-"

"I know, right? We should get out of here." She said, coolly.

"What time is it?"

Helga flipped open her phone. "Ten 'til." The glow from the phone screen illuminated her face in blue and caused Arnold to squint his eyes. She began hastily texting someone. Without looking up, she continued. "They're gonna call an assembly pretty soon. How about you sneak out now and stay in the bathroom until they make the announcement? I'll leave right before so our escapes are staggered and we aren't emerging from the same place."

"That sounds good." He was honestly impressed by how quick a thinker she was.

Arnold had his hand on the door handle. She was still fervently tapping away. Before he left, he swooped in with the most loving kiss he could muster. She stiffened, taken aback, but quickly relaxed into him. He parted from her with a grin.

"You're fantastic, you know."

Her soft expression was full of surprise and questions when he last looked at her before he slipped out the door.

Thankfully, the hallway was empty when he stepped out. He walked quickly and quietly to the nearest boys' room, where he entered the first stall and locked it. Once in the real world again, he began worrying about the class he had missed. He had never skipped voluntarily before. He supposed he could fib about where he had been. He could just tell the instructor that he had been in this stall the entire time, sick at his stomach. Sure, he would feel guilty about lying. But had it been worth skipping?

Absolutely.

Though he hoped he wouldn't be tempted to make a habit out of it.