Hi folks! Hanna Cabrodi here. This is the LAST "beat around the bush" chapter. Next update, we're gettin' down to business! The much anticipated trip is almost here! Just needed to squeeze this little part in to get the ball rolling! I don't like it very much but hey, it's here.
Gots to give cred to my chica Ashley for helping me out w/ this chapter. There's a paragraph she rephrased, you get extra points if you figure out which one. The girl's got a way with words lol, my version sounded awkward so I used hers verbatim!
So without further ado, here's chapter 6: Mirame (Look at Me)
The gang had left Slausens two hours ago. After all it's a Friday night. There's movies to watch, places to go, people to see.
Arnold, Helga and Ashley, however, agreed to hang out at Sunset Arms after Ashley suggested they go there so that Arnold could help them "perfect their Spanish."
It was about 7:00 and they had yet to begin with their "tutoring session." Ashley was spread out on the floor, typing away on her laptop, reading AND writing "Yo, Ernest" fanfics, Helga was lying out on her stomach on Arnold's red couch while writing in her beloved little pink book (for which she had carefully purchased a booksock, so as not to arouse suspicion after the little incident of losing one just like it back in the 4th grade) and Arnold was on his bed with his laptop checking his FaceSpace.
The first one to shed the silence was Arnold. "Ashley, are you STILL reading those fanfics?" He glanced at the screen of her laptop. "You've been reading that one since we GOT HERE. You're still not DONE YET?"
Ashley looked up at Arnold and laughed. "NO! And I never will be because when I finish THAT one, I've got THREE other ones in three other tabs!"
Arnold looked at her in shock and put his hands on his hips. "We've been here for TWO HOURS and the only reason I haven't started is because Ashley's been on that laptop READING! Do you know that too much of anything is BAD?" said Arnold, very matter of factly.
Helga heard this and chuckled a bit. "Don't even BOTHER trying to stop her, Football Head. Last time she was at my house 'studying' for Mr. Roberts' lit quiz, she was in the middle of writing chapter three of her 'I'll Never Forget You' fic. And what's WORSE is that she's in this group on FaceSpace to save this movie where Ernest finds his long-lost twin in Costa Rica that Mickalode didn't release as planned. She's OBSESSED! If I hadn't turned off the Wi-Fi, we NEVER would've studied! She almost CRIED when I did! 'Helga whyyyyyyyyyyy! I was GONNA shut it off! Just ONE more paragraph and I'm done. PLEASE! WHAAAAAAAA!'"
All three of them laughed at the small anecdote and Arnold and Helga's eyes locked for a brief moment as the laughing died down. They broke the gaze and Arnold "coughed" to play it off as he continued to peruse his FaceSpace page while Helga picked up her pen and sheepishly continued scribbling away in her pink book.
Ashley, ever observant, noticed this and inwardly screamed at how frustrating these two were. She tried to ignore it but her uncontrollable impulse to observe them got the best of her. She looked up from the corner of her eye and noticed Arnold taking a quick glance at Helga and returned about his business soon after. She rolled her eyes and subtly observed Helga doing the same thing.
OH MY GOD, I've had enough of this. He looks at her when she isn't looking and she does the same damn thing. I can't take this anymore. I've gotta think of SOMETHING to get them talking because there is no way in Heaven, Hell or any other place beyond this world that they are going to Dominican Republic without AT LEAST seeing that they've got something. It's PATHETIC. Okay, THINK, Ashley, THINK... AHA!
Ashley decided, for the sake of her plan, to close her laptop and begin to get down to business.
"Alright," she clapped. "Hell girl, put your book away, Arnold, log outta FaceSpace. We came here to fix some Spanish pronunciation and that's what we're gonna do." The blondes did as they were told.
Arnold grabbed his Spanish book with his mindset placed on helping his friend with her Spanish. He was QUITE distracted, what with Helga being in the room. She looks beautiful... Of course, any guy that was smitten would find that his crush, sporting another graphic tee two sizes too big with a sarcastic phrase, skinny jeans and chucks while donning a messy braid, looks beautiful anyway. A lovesick smile formed on his face but he soon snapped out of it as Helga smacked her gum very noisily, breaking him from his trance. She stood up and went to go sit next to her red-headed friend.
Ashley began to skim through her book until she found a phrase with certain words she needed "help" on.
"Okay, Arnold. My Spanish isn't terrible but I need just a LITTLE bit of help with my 'R's' and I think this dialogue might help me get it right once and for all." Helga's face IMMEDIATELY contorted into one of anger and embarrassment and she subtly pinched her friends side, causing her to yelp.
"I'm going to KILL YOU," she hissed quietly between her teeth. Ashley simply smiled and carried on.
"But thinking it through, since you helped Helga perfect hers, why don't you guys try it first so I can observe. It's on page 31." Helga peeked at her friend's book and held back every impulse she had to strangle her THEN and there.
Arnold obliged and went to page 31 only to see that the conversation Ashley selected was about a male asking a female out to a movie. His cheeks immediately succumbed to a red blush.
"U-uh, okay, Helga. M-might as well get started. Come share the book with me, we'll read off it together and Ashley can have her book to look at while she listens."
"W-whatever floats your boat, Football Head." Ashley laughed silently at their stammering.
Helga stood up and reluctantly sat on the corner Arnold's bed. He scootched over so she could see the book and she almost lost her mind. She could smell his cologne PERFECTLY and inwardly swooned in praise of his intoxicating scent.
Oh, Arnold. Dictator of my soul, ruler of my heart and commander of my feelings, hath fate, or Ashley's nonsense, caused us to come closer and reconnect with Spanish? Your scent sends me to the heavens and your Spanish to the ends of the galaxy. Ohhh...
What Helga didn't know was that he too was swooning over her berry inspired body spray.
Wow, not only is she beautiful but she smells like an exotic array of wild berries in the midst of a tropical paradise...
Arnold snapped out of it and began to read, as his line was first. "Hola, señorita, como estas," he asked politely.
"E-estoy bien. Gracias. En que te puedo ayudar?"
"En realidad vine a preguntarte si querias salir un dia conmigo, quizas para ver una pelicula," he felt his cheeks heat up slightly.
"C-conmigo?" She began to feel butterflies roam around her stomach. Helga, CALM DOWN. He's JUST reading a dialogue.
"Si. Eres muy bonita y por semanas me has interesado." He blushed at how much that last line matched his situation perfectly." "Hay alguna pelicula que quieres ver en especifico?"
"Me halagas. Pues vi el anuncio para una, uhhh... pelicula hromantica..."
Arnold heard her make the mistake on the 'r' again and decided to help her correct it. He looked at her shyly. "Remember what I taught you. Roll your tongue. ROMANTICA. RRROMANTICA."
Helga observed Arnold's mouth intently, ATTEMPTING to focus on the proper way to pronounce the distinctive consonant but she inwardly melted at the sight of his plump pink lips. She toughened up and set her mind to focus COMPLETELY on the task at hand. Now is NOT the time to admire him. FOCUS, HELGA!
"Hromantica. R-hromantica," was her failed attempt at the word.
Arnold lifted her chin, fixating on her mouth's movements as he tried to determine where she fell into error. Helga's skin burned under his touch as she did everything in her power to keep from mauling the poor guy with a fury of unbridled passion. He too felt electricity spark as his hand made contact with her soft skin.
He found himself staring into her eyes as he repeated the now viral word. "Romantica, Helga. Comedia romantica."
She lost herself in his green pools as he lost himself in her azure ones and repeated the word successfully, at last. "Romantica."
"Good," he whispered quietly as he found himself leaning in towards her. God, she's beautiful...
Helga also began to lean in towards her football headed love... Is this REALLY happening right now? Could this be what my heart as prayed for and desired for all these years? Can it -
"OPPA GANGNAM STYLE!"
Ashley's phone began to ring with the popular Korean techno song and she mentally exploded with anger at the moment being ruined by the obnoxious ringtone yet internally rejoiced at her plan successfully playing out. She stood up and proceeded to leave the room to answer her inopportune phone call while the two blondes felt the heat reach their cheeks. Helga felt Arnold's gaze on her and tried to ignore it.
Did that almost just happen?, they asked themselves simultaneously.
Ashley walked back into the room. "Sorry, guys. My aunt just called and asked me to babysit tonight so I've gotta dash early. We'll pick back up on this another time." She proceeded to put her laptop and other belongings in her messenger bag and began to step out the door when Helga told her to wait.
"I've gotta get home anyways, I'll just walk with you." Helga, too began to pack her belongings when Arnold, who was particularly still nervous and flushed over their little moment, made his way towards her.
"Um, Helga, actually I was kinda hoping to talk to you for a moment. Would you mind staying a few minutes?"
"I, uh.. I can't. Umm... Olga's coming home this weekend and Bob and Miriam are gonna want me there to greet her royal majesty so I gotta split. B-bye Arnold."
Before the poor fellow could get a word in edgewise, she had already left with Ashley. That was the last time they'd spoken before the trip.
TRANSLATION
-Hello, miss, how are you?
-I'm fine, thanks. Is there something I can help you with?
-Actually, I came to ask you if you'd like to go out with me some time, perhaps to see a movie together.
-With me?
-Yes. You're very pretty and for weeks you've drawn my attention. Is there any movie you'd like to see in particular?
-I'm flattered. Well, I saw an advertisement for a romantic comedy...
PLEASE, don't hurt me! This chapter ain't that great, I know but chapter 7 is the beginning of the juiciness! Fear not, for it is coming soon! R&R? :( Pweeze?
GBY!
-Hanna Cabrodi