"And she had the GULL to yell at me in front of EVERYONE about how I complain all the time, when I really don't. I mean, I've been trying everything you told me to do and she just... doesn't give a care in the whole world."
Arnold continued glancing from his textbook to the worksheet in complete silence.
I'd been talking to him for about fourty-five minutes now and the kid STILL hadn't answered a single thing I'd asked him or commented on a single thing that I had said.
He's mad. I can't believe he's still MAD. It was a WEEK ago and Lila's perfect face had healed just to how it was before I socked her for throwing herself at Arnold. Did he REALLY still not get that I was HELPING him? Criminy!
"You could answer me, you know. I mean... I bet everyone in this class-"
"You punched Lila in the face, Helga."
I sat staring at him for a moment.
"Yeah. So."
"So you can't even use the excuse that you were drunk."
"Then what's your excuse, football-head?"
For the first time in a week, he turned his beautiful emerald eyes at me and looked so deep into me, that I felt my cheeks turn a dark color of red.
"Excuse for what, Helga? I didn't do anything wrong."
"You let Lila throw herself all over you!"
"I did not. That's ridiculous."
"You know," I started while closing my book that I hadn't even been looking at and frowned "we all get that you've been crushing on Lila since she moved her perfect ass here, but-"
"Why is who I like your business, Helga?"
I swallowed hard and turned away from him.
"I was just trying to help you."
"By punching her in the face."
Snapping my head back at him, I crossed my arms and glared his way.
"YES by punching her in the face."
He shook his head just then, returning his attention back to the worksheet.
"So are you still going to be mad at me?"
"Until you apologize, yes."
"You want... you want me to... to APOLOGIZE for trying to help you?"
"When on that night did I ask for your help?"
"Well... I guess you... I mean... maybe... so you DIDN'T ask exactly but... but I just figured-"
"You need to apologize, Helga."
"And then you won't be all Grumpy Gills anymore?"
A small chuckle escaped from his mouth and he closed his textbook with his worksheet inside; soon twisting to put it in his backpack and stand up while swinging it over his shoulder.
"Whatever you say, Helga. Just... go apologize."
And with that, the bell rang giving us all a chance to take the usual paths we take to our classes.
Our school is pretty old. We've had it since the sixties at LEAST and it is so overcrowded, that it is sometimes just impossible to get to a class on time. Which made my quest for finding Miss Perfect a very tough one.
"I shouldn't have to do this. I was helping him!" I told Phoebe when I met up with her from her Physics class to walk to psychology together.
"But he doesn't see it that way, Helga. You can't possibly expect him, or Lila for that matter, to find you punching her to be a form of help."
"She was ALL OVER HIM, Pheebs! I wasn't just going to stand there!"
"And Arnold doesn't understand what would provoke you to do such a thing in the first place, now does he?"
I dodged a few people on their cellphones and shrugged while still glancing around in search for Lila.
"Well... not exactly..."
"As I've said before, Helga, one of these days you are going to have to just tell him about... how you feel. It won't be easy, but one day you will just have to do it. There's Lila over there by Eugene. Be gentle, Helga. Sometimes I fear that you don't really do what Dr. Bliss suggests..."
"Pheebs-"
"Even though you say you do."
"Thanks, Phoebe."
"Not a problem, Helga. I'll see you in class."
Taking a deep breath, I walked over in the direction of the ever-smiling Lila and shoved my hands in my pockets; standing behind her in an uncomfortable stance.
Its for Arnold. Remember that, Helga. I told myself and took a deep breath, watching her until she spun around with widened eyes at who was behind her.
"H-Helga..." she stuttered and I flashed a winning smile.
"Hey there, Lila, what's shakin'?"
"Shaking? Helga, I'm afraid I don't understand..."
Trying to dodge around me, I thwarted her efforts and grinned.
"Helga... I really... I need to get to class and I would just ever so appreciate it if you would maybe move-"
"I want to apologize?"
"But... what for?"
"You know what for. For socking you in the face."
"Oh. That." She glanced down at her feet and I felt the eyes of almost every classmate I've ever had staring at us; Arnold watching from a distance while standing beside Gerald.
Here's your moment, Helga. Go in for the kill.
"Yeah. I uh... I shouldn't have... punched you."
"Well Helga... I must say that I agree. Even if I did hurt your feelings or made you jealous or something."
The color drained from my face.
"Jeal...Jealous? You think... you thought... Me? Jealous? PSSH. Why would I be jealous of you macking on some weird football-headed freak?"
"Helga..."
"Look. I just want to apologize. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. Do you forgive me or what?"
"Well..." She carefully said while looking around at the crowd we had drawn, "I suppose so. But only under one condition."
I crossed my arms and shrugged.
"And what's that, Lila?"
She grinned and closed her locker.
"Don't be so jealous next time, okay?"
I stood in that hallway for the remainder of the passing period, and a few minutes after that. I walked into my next class like a zombie and took my seat without so much as an excuse for my tardiness.
She had won.
By God... Lila Sawyer had won.
This round at least.