Chapter 40

I like your bow…

"Oh, Arnold, my love," Helga thought to herself, sneaking a fleeting look at him. "If only I could tell you why my bow means so much to me. If only I could tell you everything. If only you could know that from the first moment I ever laid eyes on you I've been head over heels in love! Ever since that day…"

She thought back to that blessed day. The day actually hadn't started off so good. She was three years old, and it was her first day of preschool. She was late and becoming later every minute, all because no one would take her to school. No, both her parents were to busy listening to Olga play the piano to care about her.

She finally got fed up and decided to walk herself to school. It was pouring rain outside, and she was soon soaked. She walked through dark, forbidding allies, trying desperately to find her way. She almost got kidnapped, got attacked by a dog, and got splashed by a bus, before she finally made it to Urban Tots Preschool.

She was standing in the rain, splattered with mud and close to tears, when suddenly someone put an umbrella over her head. She looked up in surprise, and was staring into a pair of emerald green eyes. It was love at first sight.

"Hi. Nice bow."

He liked her bow? She blinked in surprise. That was the first time anyone had ever said anything nice to her. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she just muttered, "Huh?"

"I like your bow, cause it's pink like your pants."

He walked her to the door and then walked inside. She pressed her face to the glass and stared longingly after him

She watched him all day, and he watched her. They stole glances at each other across the room when no one was looking. For a few beautiful hours, it had been true. Arnold had loved her.

But it didn't last long. It was snack time. She was too busy staring at Arnold and readjusting her bow to notice when Harold reached over and stole her graham crackers. She was about to cry, and Arnold noticed. He walked over to her table and handed her his graham crackers.

"Want mine?"

She slowly nodded and took them.

He turned to walk back to his table, but then he turned around and shyly waved at her. She sighed happily and waved back. Then suddenly, she heard laughter behind her.

She turned around and saw all her classmates pointing and laughing at her. Harold mockingly copied her sigh and continued laughing. Helga looked at Arnold, and he stared back with a worried expression on his face.

Suddenly, she knocked Harold down and shoved her fists in his face.

"You better shut up pink boy, or I'll have to introduce you to…to Old Betsy and…and the Five Avengers!"

"Old who and the five what?"

"My fists, stupid! That's their names!"

"Your fists have names? Awe, you're confusing me!"

Helga jumped on his stomach, and then turned to the rest of the class.

"And you all had better keep outta my way, or you'll have to face the wrath of Helga G. Pataki!"

Arnold looked at her in shock, wondering where the sweet shy girl he had known just a few minutes ago had gone. But it was too late. Helga G. Pataki, the bully, was born.

So that was it. Her new reputation as a bully just kind of stuck. No one even remembered what had happened that day at preschool, probably not even Arnold. But it didn't matter. For one, brief, amazing moment he had really, truly loved her. That was enough.

"But what would have happened," Helga wondered, "if I hadn't sighed? If I had just said thanks or something? Then no one would have laughed, and I wouldn't have had to defend myself, and I still would be all sweet and junk like I used to be, and Arnold-oh Arnold! Arnold would have still loved me and would still love me now, and everything would be perfect. Absolutely perfect." She quickly shook her head and snapped back to reality. "I've got to stop thinking about what might have been! It doesn't matter now. It's in the past, and nothing I do is going to change it." She sighed and looked out at the setting sun. "But still…"