Hello my readers! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Well, here's chapter nine!

The random word of the chapter is...paddlewrench!

Ha! I actually still have a few left! Yay! I would still like to hear some of your ideas. Just send me some!

Disclaimer: !dlonrA yeH nwo t'nod I. There! Decode that!

"Ha! I won! I beat you!" Helga exclaimed, pointing at Arnold.

Arnold rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah. I guess you did."

They left the table. Helga held her hand out to him and cleared her throat. "'Ahem' Uh, I mean, good game, uh, Arnold."

Arnold shook her hand with a smile. "Yeah. Good game."

They headed toward the door. Helga stopped them. "Alright. I won. You owe me something."

They continued out of the arcade. Arnold thought a minute as he pushed open the door. "How about an ice cream from Slausen's?" He offered.

Helga smiled. "Sounds good. Let's go!" And again, she yanked on his wrist down the street to Slausen's.

The bell on the door rang as they walked in. They sat at the ice cream bar and the bartender walked up to them and held up his pad of paper and pancil. "What'll ya have?" The teen employee said.

Helga looked to Arnold. She was unsure of what to get. Arnold was paying after all. She didn't want him to spend all of his money on her. He looked back to her. "Whatever you want is on me." He said with a smile. She smiled back. Then she turned her head back to the bartender.

"I'll have an extra large, triple chocaolate shake, two cherries, and no funny stuff." She said to the bartender. She sure takes her shakes seriously, Arnold thought. For someone who's changed a lot, she hasen't changed a bit. Arnold smiled.

Then Helga added, "And don't skip on the whip cream, okay Wyatt?" Arnold realized this was the same guy that served them on April Fool's day. Arnold shook his head. What a weird memory.

xxHey Arnold!xx

After they left Slausen's, Arnold decided it was time to take Helga home.

"We'd, better head home." He said as he rubbed his neck. "It's getting late."

Helga looked at the sky. It was a beautiful blend of orange, red, pink, and purple, all colliding with the clouds in the sunset sky. "Yeah." She agreed.

"You, want me to walk you home?" He said nervously.

She couldn't help but mentally swoon at that. She smiled nervously back and said, "Uh, sure, A-Arnold. I mean, if you want." Then she gave a nervous laugh. They turned and started walking in the direction of Helga's house.

As they were walking down the street, they passed Mrs. Vittello's flower shop display window. Arnold noticed the flowers in the window.

Then Helga said, "You know, I don't know why, but I like Chrysanthamums." She must have noticed the window too. "They're just, I guess they just give me this uplifting feeling, you know. Makes me feel more, mellow."

As arnold looked at the flowers in the window, he thought, who knew Helga actually had a favorite flower? Then he figured he better remember that in case he needs it.

"What about you, Arnold? What's your favorite flower?" She said.

"What? Oh, I don't really have a favorite flower. I think they're all rather pretty." Helga looked at the flowers in the window again. "Mmm, I guess so." Then they turned the corner.

Moments later, they made it to Helga's house. Arnold rubbed the back of his neck. "Here we are." He said nervously.

She walked up the steps to the front door. "I had a really great time today, Arnold. Thanks." She said.

He smiled. "I'm glad you had fun, and you're welcome."

She put her hand on the doorknob and began to turn it. "See you tomarrow, Arnold." She smiled back.

"Yeah. See you tomarrow." He held up his hand in a farewell as she closed the door slowly.

She then turned around and leaned on the front door, giving a lovesick sigh. "Oh, Arnold. So kind. So thoughtful. And you spent the day with me. Willingly." Then she gave a swoon, a lovesick smile upon her face as she sank a little against the door.

Then Bob walked by and said, "And where have you been, little lady?"

Still dazed, Helga simply replied, "Out."

Bob raised one side of his eyebrow.

Snapping out of it, Helga added, "Uh, I-I mean, uh, none of your buisiness, Bob. Since when have you cared?" With her usual attitude and scowl. "Out of my way!" Then she stomped around him and ran up the stairs.

Bob just grunted and walked away.

When Helga was in her room, she took out the piece of paper from her dress. She opened it and stared at the words on the paper as she sat on her bed and began her monologue. "Oh, Arnold. Can this be true? Are these words expressing your true feelings? Wonder is all I can do to keep myself under control, my love." She held the paper close to her as she swooned her lovesick swoon, falling onto her bed.

Arnold walked himself home in silence. After making it to his room, he lay on his bed in thought. Okay, so, what do I know? Helga loves me, she was the one pretending to be Cecile in that French outfit, and then there's that mystery feeling. Then he stopped. Oh, I forgot! I have a paper to type up! He got up and made his way to his computer across the room. Then he started typing.

As he was stuck on what to write next, Arnold leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes with his hands behind his head. He suddenly saw Helga and the way she was enjoying herself earlier today. She was smiling, laughing, having a wonderful time. And she looked...beautiful. That was the weirdest thought to have about Helga Pataki. How pretty she can be when she's not scowling at you 24/7.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open from his daydreaming. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture strip. In that moment of staring at the pictures, he realized what that undefined feeling was.

"I, I think I," He swallowed hard. "I think I love her." He finally admitted to himself.

The oh so familiar image kept playing over and over in her dreams. The fact that he wrote it on paper made her heart sing. If he wrote it, then it must be true! Her dream self kept saying. Then her arm swung out over the edge of her bed and the paper slipped out of her hand, landing on the floor with its words facing the ceiling.

Arnold loves Helga

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you want, just let me know.

I would like to once again give acknowledgement to those who reviewed my last chapter!

-Anonymous Latina

-Knowledge-comes-Wisdom-lingers

-MidniteRaine

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