A/N:
Oh hello lovely HA! fandom! Okay, okay, it's two weeks til my test so that means I'm spending the next 14 days in total study submersion, so we're looking at another four weeks in total until the next chapter, but for now please enjoy nearly 25 thousand words of HA! antics leading to the culmination of Sunday night for our favorite cartoon couple! Lol, half the reason I'm getting this up right now is because by including the word 'dénouement' (one of my vocab words—yay!) I could kind of sort of write it off as 'studying' lol ;) Anyway, I hope you guys like it and please review because they make me smile so much! (Just like someone else lately…you, uh, know who you are, lol ;P)
LEARNING TO BE HELGA
Chapter 11:
A Double Dose of Date Dénouement!
"So…it's about 9:30 or so…Arnold and Helga are probably just getting out of their movie…" Gerald shrugged at the young, dark-haired girl walking beside him and finally casually asked with a wry grin, "Who do you think jumped who first?"
"Gerald!" Phoebe blushed and glanced away from him, trying her best not to laugh.
"What? It's a legitimate question!" He announced with a smile, looking down at her…and feeling really, really happy that she was letting him hold her hand on the way back to her house. "Personally," he continued, gesturing to himself with his free hand, "my money's on Helga. I'm pretty sure she knows that Arnold's more than comfortable with the idea of getting kissed by her, at this point…and I think we all know she's just ECSTATIC about finally having the chance to kiss him." He almost laughed to himself as he added in finish, "Heck, Arnold even told me this morning that last night she actually threw herself down on top of him once!"
As the couple rounded a corner, Phoebe blinked at this bit of information and looked to Gerald once more, and intrigued smile on her face, to say the least. "Really? Again?" the petite young girl asked, referring to certain events from Arnold and Helga's first date (which Helga had filled her in on and which Phoebe had then mentioned to Gerald in conversation).
Gerald nodded. "Mmm hmm…" he confirmed, and then let out a sigh and shook his head to himself. "I've said it before and I'll say it again—that boy's a goner for her. And now that she knows it, she's gonna give him a run for his money!" He chuckled, recalling some of the insane things from the last week or two that had resulted from Helga's obsession with Arnold…and the obsession Arnold was slowly but surely getting about Helga.
Meanwhile, Phoebe just smirked a little at the closing of her date's argument about his opinion on the matter of Arnold and Helga, and then she cleared her throat and glanced forward again. "Yes, well…personally I believe Arnold was the first one to let anything happen this evening, Gerald…"
Gerald's glance turned back to Phoebe. He raised one of his eyebrows, an amused smile on his face at her small challenge to his theory. "Any logic to back that up, babe?"
Phoebe let out a chuckle, and glanced down just a little, still lightly clasping Gerald's hand as they walked. "Well, Helga's had seven years to learn how to control herself around Arnold, whereas Arnold's only had a week. But even regardless of the amount of practice they've each had, Helga's just naturally much more skilled at keeping things hidden and secret than Arnold who has always been very open and honest about his feelings. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that if Helga wanted to kiss Arnold she could easily pretend like she didn't…" she looked to Gerald again and shrugged, still with that small, amused smile, "But if Arnold wants to kiss Helga…it seems to me the only logical course of action is that he'll kiss her." Her grin picked up just a little more on one side.
Gerald had to let out a small laugh at the humorous and clever point courtesy of the girl beside him. "Point taken." He closed his eyes and shook his head in amusement as he added truthfully, "Besides, Arnold's will power with women in general is zip, anyway."
Phoebe chuckled to herself once more, then let out a sigh, certain other thoughts about her and Gerald's best friends entering her mind yet again that evening. She cleared her throat lightly. "Speaking of Arnold and Helga, though…maybe we shouldn't have talked about them like that before we left Helga's house this evening…"
A touch of guilt came to Phoebe's features, and Gerald more than noticed. "Puh-lease!" He scoffed and rolled his eyes as they rounded another corner, an amused and reassuring grin on his face. "If anyone needs to get brought down a peg it's those two! I mean, it's like they're the 'ultimate couple' or something and are bent on dominating every other relationship with just how insane theirs is, you know?"
Phoebe's grin picked up on one side again (much to Gerald's happiness) at this reply. "That I will give you, Gerald," she responded playfully. She then glanced forward again and added, still smiling, "Besides, what's been going on with them HAS been sort of consuming our lives a bit lately, hasn't it?"
Gerald let out a sigh and rolled his eyes up dramatically again. "TELL me about it! Man, I've only known Helga's in love with Arnold for a week and I'm already so tired I can barely see straight sometimes." He glanced to Phoebe once more. "I give you credit for doing it for seven years, babe…"
Phoebe giggled at the compliment…and at the fact that Gerald had squeezed her hand just slightly when delivering it…just like he had a few times tonight, actually, when they had been walking and talking… "Thank you, Gerald," Phoebe did her best not to get too lost in her own personal romantic happiness, and continued, recalling once more the charming love story of their best friends. "At least Arnold and Helga are together now, though, and seem to have gotten past any problems…" She looked to the boy beside her hopefully and happily. "Maybe now we can all just enjoy each other's company instead of having to diffuse any more misadventures."
Gerald felt his grin pick up a little on one side at her smile…and it didn't help that her warm, small hand continued to rest so perfectly in his… He held it just a little closer once again that night…and did he mention that he was really REALLY happy she was even letting him hold it for so long in the first place! "Yeah, maybe…" he finally managed to get out with a sigh (and without his voice cracking or any nervous stuttering, thankfully!) He swallowed and then went on, feeling just a bit of that paralyzing nervousness pass as he glanced forward again during their walk. In fact, he almost laughed as he added, "Still, I don't feel like our work will be entirely done until this whole Arnold and Helga thing isn't a secret anymore." He shrugged and managed to bring his eyes over to her once again, "Here's to hoping that for now they can keep up the act in school all on their own, right?"
He watched as Phoebe just smiled and giggled at the humorous question. "I'll second that, Gerald."
It was then that they reached Phoebe's stoop.
Gerald took in and let out a deep breath, and then released Phoebe's hand (though such a large part of him wished the walk home could have gone on forever… Sure, he'd always liked Phoebe but tonight he'd actually gotten to take her out on a date! And they'd had a great time! It seemed a shame that it ever had to stop!)
Still, he knew it did…
Gerald rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and glanced at Phoebe with a sheepish smile. "Well, goodnight, Phoebe." He swallowed and cleared his throat and managed to go on with, "It was really nice getting to go to dinner with you and then going to that bookstore together and then the arcade…" He raised an eyebrow at her and had to add in surprise, "I never knew anyone who could beat me at Crazy Bus."
Phoebe blushed slightly and glanced down at the compliment, putting her hands behind her back. "Oh, well…in my spare time I sometimes work out algorithms for certain video games I like, in order to increase my odds at winning…. I could show you sometime." She looked up at him just a little hopefully.
Gerald cleared his throat and straightened his tie nervously, glancing away unsurely. "Uh, sure. Algorithms…" 'I need to write down some those words she uses so I can look them up later!'
While this quick mental note processed with Gerald, Phoebe took a step toward him, looking up into his thoughtful face with a smile. "And…" she began quietly, "maybe sometime you'd let me see you perform at that club downtown that those friends of yours we met in the bookstore mentioned." She raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you were interested in spoken word poetry, Gerald."
Gerald blushed furiously, completely wanting to shut his eyes and smack his forehead with an open palm just as he had when THAT little incident had occurred an hour ago in the bookstore they'd been in so that Phoebe could see if the fifth grade science textbook she'd ordered to get a head start this summer had come in yet. "Oh uh…" he glanced away with a nervous smile and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling heat continuing to flood his face. "I…didn't realize we'd run into people I knew from the clubs, heh, heh…." He looked up at her cautiously. "Really, I know they invited you but…you don't have to come see me next weekend if you don't want to… I mean, you probably have a lot of other stuff you—" He stopped talking at the feeling of her suddenly taking his hand in hers again and giving it a small, warm squeeze.
His embarrassed eyes fell back to her, only to see Phoebe smiling supportively at him. "No, I'd… If you're okay with it I really would like to come, Gerald…" she finished shyly but sincerely.
It took a second for this reply to process…but when it did a goofy smile instantly came to Gerald's face and all of his embarrassment was suddenly forgotten at how sincere she seemed and how she actually (by some miracle) didn't think his poetry thing was lame or uncool…and of course at how she'd taken his hand again…and still wasn't letting it go... "Uh…okay!" he finally managed to get out brightly.
Phoebe giggled at his obviously flustered response…and then after a moment or two of silence in the late spring evening she let out a sigh and slowly (reluctantly) slipped her hand from his once more, taking one step up her stoop (simply to begin her journey inside of course… Well…and also maybe because being one step up made them eye level…which also made them nose level and ear level and…mouth level...) She swallowed and tried not to blush too much, just doing her best to stay focused and to try and NOT overthink these last few (potentially very important) minutes together on their first official date. "Well…" she started in a shy voice, feeling the need to say something (especially considering the slightly disappointed look that had come to Gerald's face when she'd separated their hands just now), "I guess I should get inside…my parents are probably waiting," she tacked on in explanation.
A her words Gerald suddenly blinked, coming out of his daze (and doing his best not to blush at the fact that he had gone into the strange daze to begin with… 'Weird…it was like all I could see was her face and all I could hear was her voice…') Recalling that the girl before him was probably expecting a response of some sorts, though, Gerald did his best to shake these thoughts off as quickly as possible. "Oh, uh…" he cleared his throat, "Yeah…inside…"
The two kids just stood in awkward silence for another moment.
Then Phoebe cleared her throat and spoke up once more, putting her arms behind her back and doing the best not to let the scarlet overwhelm her cheeks entirely (though she was fairly sure, as she then proceeded to say what she had to say, that her face must have matched her red sweater perfectly when all was said and done). "Um…Gerald…" she swallowed and then finally spoke quickly, "I just…well…last night I feel like I might have been a bit, um…forward, I suppose, with you… You know, with that kiss on your cheek when we were with Arnold and then that one before we left each other on your…" She blushed at the word 'lips' even almost leaving her mouth, and just did her best to move along and get this small worry of hers off of her chest. "Anyway, I just…wanted to apologize if it made you…uncomfortable at all… Sometimes with all of the talking I do with Helga I sort of forget that not everyone is necessarily alright with things like that…especially considering our ages… So…I'm sorry if it was a little…much…" Finishing, she did her best not to cringe (though she still looked down) as she awaited whatever reply he might give…
She looked up with interest quickly though as the first words out of Gerald's mouth in response, in a very confused tone, were, "Phoebe, are you…apologizing for kissing me last night?" A blush was indeed upon his curious features as he finished the question (as expected), but said question seemed more important to him than his embarrassment at the moment. He also had a half smile on his face and Phoebe just plain wasn't sure what to make of that…
She swallowed, recalling that he had indeed just asked her a question, and did her best to sum up her courage to find her voice…and then responded shyly, "Well…I suppose you could call what I'm doing that. I just want to be certain that you're comfortable, Gerald." She looked up at him unsurely again.
And then to her continued confusion…Gerald's smile not only continued but…he chuckled… Indeed, he even had to go so far as to put a hand to his mouth to hide his amusement, though doing so didn't help much, his laughter was growing so much.
After a second of two of processing first the fact that Gerald didn't seem angry at her for putting him in such an awkward position last evening…and then the fact that Gerald was laughing right in front of her apparently in response to her voicing her concerns about having kissed him last evening…well, Phoebe couldn't help feeling just a bit of indignation. Indeed, she crossed her arms over her chest and gave the boy before her a slight scowl, even huffing a little.
Hearing her sound of annoyance, it suddenly processed with Gerald that he was obviously kind of annoying Phoebe a little…and so he finally got himself under control and did his best to begin to explain his laughter. "I'm—I'm sorry, Babe. Didn't mean to laugh like that. It's just…" He gave her a smile with a raised eyebrow and then put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly to add it his point (and also…maybe to have the chance to be near her just once more before tonight ended). "You do not ever have to…to apologize for something like that!" he finally finished, smiling just a bit more…and then blushing as he found himself admitting shyly, "I like when you do things you want to even if you're a little scared or worried. I like seeing you stand up for yourself and take charge of things… And also, well…" he glanced to the side a bit sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck again…and finally admitting, "Come on, I think we both know I needed a little nudge… I mean I always try and act smooth in front of the other guys around the ladies but…." He let out a sigh and shrugged, looking at her once more. "I'm just a regular ten year old guy, and I like you…you know, like you like you…and it makes me act like a complete spazz and freeze up around you. I can't help it. So please don't apologize for unfreezing me—if anything I should be thanking you for it." He squeezed her shoulder just a little for effect and then pulled back his hand so that both of his arms were behind his back. He remained standing there like that on the sidewalk just in front of Phoebe's stoop, feeling very embarrassed about how blunt he'd just been…and just hoping she wouldn't think his reasoning for laughing sounded TOO ridiculous.
"Oh…I…" Gerald heard Phoebe begin after a moment…
And then he glanced up slightly to check the progress of Phoebe's reaction…only to blink at the warm happy smile that he now saw upon her formerly frowning face.
At seeing Gerald's eyes meet hers, Phoebe glanced down shyly and fluttered her eyelashes a few times, feeling this strange kind of…it wasn't just warm (which was how she usually felt around him). It was…there was something…sparkier about it…almost maybe just the smallest bit…electric?
Realizing that whatever that feeling was, she'd probably need some time tonight and then a good conversation or two with Helga to sort it out, she just swallowed and finished with a smile, "Um…Thank you, Gerald."
She blushed even more as Gerald's response to her gratefulness was to absorb it for a second…then let out a breath, lose the shyness, and finally smile in that way she'd come to really like over the years before finishing by saying with a small chuckle and a wink, "No problem, babe."
She blushed just a little.
A warm silence passed between the two kids.
"Well…" Phoebe started once more, the pleasant smile upon her face only having grown…and recalling once more certain potential significant things about this moment at the end of their first official date that could still possibly happen...especially if Gerald really was okay with her… 'unfreezing' him, as he'd put it. "I guess our…our date is over and we should um…say goodnight…" She knew there was an obvious bit of hesitant expectation in her voice and face, though she tried to hide it and seem as casual as possible.
"Uh…yeah…" Gerald replied…and suddenly realized that he was feeling nervous for some reason…though he wasn't quite sure why, exactly. "Date's over and now it's time for the goodnight…" he likewise supplied with a humorous smile…
'The goodnight.'
Something about that phrase stuck in his head…and seemed incomplete…
And then it hit him like a ton of bricks.
'The goodnight…kiss… Oh boy…'
Gerald instantly felt panic mode descend upon him and he swallowed and tried NOT to have his head go into complete white-out at the idea of having a real, genuine, sincere, after-a-date goodnight kiss with Phoebe…or more specifically maybe finally being the one to kiss her since she didn't seem to be making a move to go forward and yet was obviously not heading up her stoop and into her house just yet. 'O-okay…how…how hard could it be, right? Not just a peck on the lips but…really thinking about it and then officially kissing a girl…' He instantly began to try and reassure himself. 'Yeah, it can't be that…complicated. Heck, Arnold's been doing it like every eight seconds with Helga lately so…just put your arm around her…or…on her shoulder or…maybe the arms should stay out of this…and do I lean in or wait for her to lean in first or…And where do the noses go? How do I breathe? What if I have to sneeze? What if our braces get…okay, neither one of us has braces but STILL!' And then suddenly Gerald's thoughts were redirected as he realized that his heart, which usually did a little pleasant skip or something around the girl before him every once in a while…had somehow started pounding away… And the feeling was DEFINITELY a little more extreme than anything he'd ever felt before around her. 'Weird… I…I wonder if this is how Arnold feels when—'
"Uh…Gerald?"
"HUH—WHAT—I…I mean…" He took a breath or two, coming out of his thoughts and feelings and blinking several times very spasmodically. 'Whoa, I've gotta watch that! First just zoning in on Phoebe and now my mind going all blank like that and my heart's racing and—what is with me?'
Phoebe, meanwhile, was just biting her lower lip and trying very hard not to laugh at the sight of the boy before her seeming so flustered all of a sudden. Recalling why she'd said his name in the first place, though, she let out a breath and took a step forward, putting a hand on his shoulder and an understanding smile on her face. "Gerald…why don't…why don't we just say goodnight for now…and maybe see where things progress to next time….alright?" She looked at him very understandingly (and with an obvious tinge of a blush on her face at the topic she was indirectly bringing up).
'Really? That's…okay?' Instantly, Gerald couldn't help but feel a wave of relief come over him and he half smiled at her gratefully. "Really…babe?"
Phoebe just giggled once more both at the affectionate nickname and at how grateful he seemed to be let off the hook a little. 'Perhaps it was a little too much pressure to expect a real kiss from him on top of the date tonight… Maybe things moving slowly but steadily is just better for us.' "Really, Gerald," she assured him, still with that smile…still with her hand on his shoulder. "Tonight was…nice. I enjoyed spending time with you…because I…like you like you as well." She did her best not to blush too much as she went on. "And I think I'd like just spending more time with you and having things move along at their own pace…" She smiled a bit more and almost laughed to herself as she added humorously, "To be honest, I believe the only reason Arnold and Helga's relationship has intensified so rapidly in such a short time is because they both spent quite a few years avoiding the truth…Whereas you and I have acknowledged our feelings in small ways over the years…" She did her best not to blush more at the cute little memories of their small flirtings throughout their young lives, and went on. "So, as a result of all of that, us attempting a more serious relationship now comes quite naturally and shouldn't require any explosion of passion or excessive emotional displays like it has with our friends."
Gerald blinked, taking a second or two to wrap his head around her logic…and then he half smiled at her a bit more, understanding what she meant as well as feeling really appreciative of her doing her best to make him feel just a little better about being nervous about this whole thing. "Yeah…that makes sense." And though he was trying to fight zoning out again, he couldn't help his eyes going just a bit dreamy as he then added, just gazing at the girl before him, "You really are the smartest girl I've ever met, Phoebe. You always know just what's going on and just how to put things…"
Phoebe felt her own small blush deepen and she glanced away as she replied shyly with a smile, "A-arigatoo, Gerald…" 'He…he likes how smart I am…' The thought made her want to giggle.
She was then pleasantly surprised to feel Gerald reach forward and take her hand in his for one final time...
And was then even more surprised to feel him take it, raise it and last but not least kiss the back of it and finally say smoothly to top it all off, "And you are, as always, quite welcome." He smiled a bit more, his eyes becoming more half lidded and dazed. "And thanks for being so cool about all of this like-liking stuff and us going out on a date… I think it was the best night of my life, to be honest."
After letting a small giggle actually escape herself Phoebe just let out a content sigh at these words and looked to Gerald happily once more, taking a small step back and gently releasing his hand as she felt the right moment to end their evening coming around. "I agree, Gerald…It was truly a special evening. Perhaps…" she tried to keep as much of the hesitation and fear as possible out of her voice as she did her best to suggest casually, "Perhaps we can try again next weekend…maybe go to dinner again before that poetry reading you're doing…" She looked to him just a little hopefully.
His eyes lit up more than a little at her basically asking him out on a second date after telling him she'd had just as fantastic a time as he had on their date tonight. "You got it, Phoebe!" He winked and took a step back as well, also sensing that the end of their night had come along naturally…just like she'd predicted things would in general in their 'relationship'.
She smiled at him...and then, randomly enough, laughed to herself about something.
Gerald couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Hey, what's to funny, babe?"
Phoebe managed to finish chuckling though a half grin remained on her face, her mind seeming caught on some idea or other still. "Oh it's…it's nothing, Gerald. Just a thought that occurred to me…" 'Silly really…but amusing nonetheless…'
Gerald smiled at her again. "Care to share?" he asked playfully, leaning in just a little, quite curious actually at this point.
Phoebe blushed just slightly, trying not to laugh more. "Well…I guess it occurred to me that…in a certain way we've actually outpaced Arnold and Helga as a couple."
At that statement Gerald crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his head to the side, now officially very intrigued. "You know, Phoebe, if anyone else came at me with a claim like that I'd say they were nuts and walk away, but I know you and you're the smartest person around…So…" he tried not to laugh, "how in the world did we manage to do something quicker than 'the kissing bandits of PS 118'?"
Phoebe did her best not to burst into total laughter at the joke and then explained simply and with a shrug, "Well…Helga truly kissed Arnold for the first time during the FTi incident, but they didn't have their first official date until almost a month and a half later…whereas I kissed you and then we had our first date within twenty four hours." She couldn't help but feel just a bit of a blush moving up into her face…after all she was technically bringing up the concept of kissing again, even though it WAS about their friends instead of them this time.
To her relief, instead of getting shy and nervous again, Gerald's smile just picked up a bit…
In fact, Gerald was currently in the process of feeling a serious touch of pride come over himself, to be honest. "Huh…well what do you know…we beat out the super couple!" he announced brightly!
Okay, now Phoebe had to give in to full laughter. "Precisely, Gerald!" she managed to get out after having a few seconds to get herself under control. "And as for the 'kissing'…" she added with another small laugh, referring to his comment about Arnold and Helga as 'kissing bandits', "Well, as I said, Arnold and Helga may be making up for lost time now but it took Arnold nearly a month to finally kiss Helga back after she'd kissed him on that building, so no matter how quick they may seem to be going now I think it's good to remember that they've been starting out slow and steady too, in a way." She smiled at him.
And Gerald smiled back once again that night… However, he also seemed to blink after a second, and to raise part of his brow…and then to glance down…almost like he was considering something…maybe something she'd said…
For a second Phoebe considered asking the boy before her about what was on his mind, just as he'd asked her a few seconds ago, but then hearing a clock tower chime in the distance she realized that it was getting quite close to ten and recalled that her parents were indeed expecting her. She cleared her throat and finished sweetly and happily, "Well, I suppose I really should get inside before my mother and father start to worry. I'll see you tomorrow in school, Gerald, and thank you for the wonderful evening." She gave him a nod and then turned back to her steps and went to proceed to start climbing the rest of them…
…Until she felt a familiar warm hand latch onto one of hers yet again that evening, and her breath very quickly catch in her throat as a result (a reaction which surprised her as it had never happened before… It felt…it kind of felt nice though actually…and a little exciting!). She, with a slight blush, turned her head back to look at Gerald. "Yes, Gerald?"
She noticed a thoughtful look upon his features, like he was weighing something seriously…and a slight blush in his cheeks also couldn't help but catch her eye. "Uh…." And then finally he let out a breath and really looked up at her, smiling in that dazed way yet again that evening. "Aw what the heck. It's a date and you look fantastic and you're the nicest and smartest girl in the world, and I've wanted to since the third grade anyway!" And with that he closed his eyes, took a quick step up, leaned forward and suddenly kissed her right upon the lips!
He was only able to bear the experience of the intense action he'd just decided to do for a few seconds before letting the kiss break off and suddenly taking a step from her and glancing down, clearing his throat nervously and shyly…as he awaited on pins and needles how she would react to what he'd just done.
Phoebe just stood there…mouth agape, heart beating rather…rather (UNBELIEVABLY) quickly, and feeling heat rush to her face as total disbelief managed to paralyze her. But then, as time passed… 'He…he kissed me… Gerald Martin Johanssen kissed me! On a date…' And now she was pretty sure she knew how it was that Helga had tended to end up in alleyways and other places over the years musing dreamily about her romantic feelings that were all of a sudden too much for her to handle keeping inside any longer…
Not being much of a monologuer though, Phoebe instead suddenly went forward and wrapped her arms around Gerald in a tight hug, smiling brightly. "Oh…Oh thank you, Gerald!" She felt him stiffen completely in panic and innocent uncertainty at her touch, but the fact that she'd had this effect on him only made her giggle more and linger for just another second before pulling away to look at him with laughing eyes.
Feeling her VERY unexpected grip around him loosen as she pulled back, Gerald just remained wide eyed and looking quite a bit terrified and blushing quite brightly for several more seconds as he tried to process what he had just let himself do…and the reaction it had gotten. 'I…I went and kissed a girl. I went and kissed Phoebe Heyerdahl…on the lips…on a date…and she hugged me! Uh…'
"Um…Gerald? Gerald?"
A few fingersnaps in front of his face brought Gerald out of his stupor. "Huh!?" came his voice, high-pitched and slightly cracked. "Oh, what, I….OH…" He took another small step back, looking up at a smiling Phoebe with a sheepish smile and feeling heat pounding into his features. "Well, uh…" he tried to be as casual as he could, "Heh, heh…hey, just…scoring another one over Arnold and Helga for Gerald and Phoebe… You know, kissing you back weeks before Arnold found it in him to do it to Helga…" He swallowed then and added, having to turn away from her eyes. "And also…like I said…this was a date and you look really…really pretty…and you're the greatest girl I've ever met and also… I've…kind of thought about what it would be like to kiss you for…awhile…"
Phoebe just gave a half smile, glancing down herself, likewise feeling her heart pump warmth into her happy face. "I…concur, Gerald… This is indeed a date and you look quite…handsome, yourself…and you're very caring and considerate…and funny and interesting… And I've…considered the possibility of a kiss for several years as well…" she finished as shyly as could be in agreement with the boy before her.
Finally, Gerald managed to breathe for the first time in close to thirty seconds as he felt a wave of relief come over him at the fact that Phoebe had always wanted to kiss him too and that he hadn't just made a complete dork of himself or something by doing what he'd done and saying what he'd said. "Well…" he smiled up at her, "Until our next date, then, I guess…Goodnight, babe." He winked and then did his best to smoothly turn around on the sidewalk (though, of course, considering his nerves, he tripped just a little on a crack and barely managed to save himself by clinging to the side of the stoop. The incident did manage to get a giggle out of Phoebe, though, so…he figured it was probably worth the small bit of embarrassment it had caused him.)
Phoebe gave him a small wave, getting her giggles subdued. "Goodnight, Gerald."
And as she saw him give a small wave back, Phoebe was about to turn around and really head inside this time…
Until…
"Hey…Phoebe?"
…she stopped at the sound of his voice once more.
"Yes, Gerald?" Phoebe asked with her usual kind smile, turning around before placing her hand upon her door handle.
She watched Gerald, standing there with his hands behind his back, trying to look completely recovered from having tripped just now... He chuckled once to himself and then looked to her with a grin and a warm gaze. "I…think I'm gonna change sides and go with you on Arnold having been the one to jump Helga tonight…"
Phoebe blinked at the sudden topic change, and then had to raise an eyebrow as she grinned back at him and asked with genuine curiosity, "Really? Why the change of mind, Gerald?"
She continued to watch as he just shrugged and then replied sincerely and as smoothly as he possibly could, "Because I'm…starting to understand how it really can be impossible for a guy with half a clue to resist wanting to be near a pretty girl he likes…"
Phoebe blinked…and then blushed absolutely furiously at the comment.
Gerald just winked once more. "See ya, babe!" And then he walked off quickly down the block… 'Looks like you're not the only bold kid around here anymore, Arnold, my man…' he couldn't help but think to himself as he practically skipped down the street. 'Man this feels great! No wonder he'd practically handcuff himself to Helga if he got the chance!'
"Uh…" Phoebe, meanwhile, managed to get out, just before he went out of sight, her eyes wide and euphoria still pumping through her…. "See you…Gerald." 'Wow…no wonder Helga's thoughts were so consumed with Arnold at one point that she kept sleepwalking specifically to his house…. This is…exhilarating!'
And with these thoughts the two children went their separate ways, each with very similar happy feelings about the small kisses they'd shared over the past two days…and the idea of maybe…more to come.
"Most. Anticlimactic. Date. Ever…." An (understandably) exasperated sigh.
"Well….romantically speaking, I guess so…" A (predictably) much more patient sigh. "But at least we got to spend time together…and the movie was pretty good, right Helga?"
Helga G. Pataki had to smile at that point, turning to her beloved currently walking her home. She shrugged and her grin picked up just a little on one side. "Yeah I 'guess' a date at the movies with the most important person in the world to me could never be 'too' horrible, no matter the circumstances…"
(Needless to say, what was occurring right now considering the time and situation was Arnold and Helga's walk home after their outing at the movies…their 'anticlimactic' outing at the movies?)
Helga then rolled her eyes with a smirk, but then had to indeed had to also admit, "And I guess you're right about the movie itself, too…Aw, man, how great was it when the monster came up out of nowhere and grabbed those two cousins from behind and dragged them into the woods!" Helga laughed to herself at the memory, jumping forward up the street and holding her arms in the air in an impression of the theatrical beast.
Arnold chuckled, at the image and Helga's enthusiasm, taking a few more steps forward to catch up with her, his arms behind his back. "Yeah, but I thought the best was at the end when you thought the Evil Twin was finally dead and then his head just smiles and winks at you!" He winked in Helga's direction.
Helga's grin grew and she did her best not to blush at the gesture as she chuckled and then resumed walking regularly beside him. "Yeah, sheesh, when that happened you practically jumped into my arms, Football Head!" She gave him a playful nudge.
Arnold just smiled and rolled his eyes at her, replying swiftly and with a look of amusement, "Actually, I was about to say the same thing about you…and did you actually yelp when that happened?" He raised an eyebrow… After all it was rare to see Helga acting even the littlest bit scared…. At the same time though it was also kind of, well…cute, he couldn't help but think…
This thought about Helga's cuteness progressed as he watched her suddenly blush slightly, her eyes going a bit wide for a second or two at his successful comeback.
'Great…he's never gonna let me live that down, is he?' was all Helga could think, meanwhile. Finally, though, she managed to let out a sigh and smiled sheepishly, glancing to the side and crossing her arms over her chest "Yeah, well…" she began weakly, then scoffed and tried to make her tone sound a bit firmer, "Hey, like we said, it was scary, and besides the theatre was totally silent for like a minute before it happened, and I can't be a rock all the time, Arnoldo!" She glanced back at him, raising part of her brow. "Besides, considering how many people got the ax in the goriest ways imaginable in that movie you're lucky I kept a screaming down to that one time!" She faked a shudder as she then added, "I'm just happy that that one I did let out didn't totally bust us…"
This strange observation from Helga was referring to the fact that, unfortunately, though the movie that had already been out for several weeks that she and Arnold had selected to watch had indeed been pretty vacant (except for the front row)…that row had contained right next to each other Harold Berman, Sid, and Stinky, and Curly bringing up the rear, as the happy couple had noticed the second they'd entered the semi-dark room, hand in hand.
Arnold sighed to himself with a smile at her accurate comment. "Yeah… Of course it's just our luck that people from school were there and we had to hide out in the last row and be on our guards the whole time. Irony's best friends though, I guess, right, Helga?" He turned to her and winked once more, recalling that little phrase she'd used not too many weekends ago back in his room to describe her own cyclic fortune/misfortune of the past in regards to romance.
Helga just rolled her eyes at this little bit of flirting and irony from her beloved, though the smile was still on her face (and for good reason considering the comeback that had just popped into her head…the idea of which she had actually been mulling around in her mind for the better part of the day). "Tell me about it!" She shook her head in amusement, arms over her chest…and dropped the bomb. "I mean, crimeny, I'm all geared up to practically dive on top of you the second the lights go down and see if I can win a bet with myself to get us through all of the previews without coming up for air once, and those four Yahoos of all people show up!" 'And now we wait for the blushing…' was all she could think with a chuckle to herself as she turned her gaze fully to Arnold.
And, indeed, Arnold was currently more than in the process of feeling heat rush to his face and his heart pound at Helga's description of her actual intentions for their date. Certainly, he'd teased her quite ever since yesterday about what would happen the next time they were alone and even about the whole 'who's the better kisser' thing…and then of course there had been that stuff at the dinner table at the end there when he'd gotten a little carried away…and maybe a few very VERY nice things he'd said to her on the way to the theatre…caught up in (if not consumed by) that cute way she had of giggling and looking at him with her blue eyes all dazed simply because of all the compliments he could find to make about the most perfect girl in the world…
But, regardless, at the back of his mind Arnold hadn't planned on anything more than some hand holding and maybe a quick, tender kiss or two in the darkness if it came to that while they had been actually together watching the movie. Yes, Arnold had admitted to himself as of last night that he loved the kissing…A LOT—even Helga's style of it! Even in her room! But, still…he was Arnold and he couldn't help his natural tendency to want to cling to a bit of modesty some of the time, especially when they were going to be in a public place like the movies. Perhaps afterwards alone on her front steps something more…more intimate would have happened (inevitably would have happened, actually—hey, he DID love the kissing thing after all!), but…he was still just a little shy sometimes about everything when you got right down to it. 'It's just…a lot to take in still… I have a girlfriend… who wants to kiss me at the movies…who wants to kiss me ANYWHERE, actually…' Still, despite how 'daunting' this little situation seemed to his fourth grade mind, Arnold also couldn't deny that it was possibly the most exciting concept he'd ever come across. Kissing on a real date…with the real Helga G. Pataki after all of these years of her trying to keep herself and her feelings from him…
And so, in light of all of these thoughts, Arnold cleared his throat and did his best to swallow and reply to Helga's little comment in a voice that at least didn't sound INCREDIBLY shaky. "Oh, uh…uh, yeah, Harold and the guys…uh, right…right…" He failed, by the way.
Glancing shyly at Helga out of the corner of his eye, Arnold could see her casting a smug glance at him now, and did his best to prepare for the inevitable teasing blow that was sure to come from her. Which, indeed, it did…
"Aw, did I embarrass you a little with that little revelation, Football Head?" Helga shook her head and looked forward again, doing her best not to laugh to herself TOO much about her beloved's slight (and ALWAYS adorable) embarrassment. "What can I say though, Arnold—don't write a check you can't cash! I mean, crimeny!" She threw her arms in the air dramatically, "You've been dangling us being alone together in the back of that theatre right in front of my nose for practically the past 24 hours—you have to expect that the build up was going to make me far more likely to lose it a little once we actually got there!" She sighed in mock frustration to herself, thoroughly enjoying this little 'explanation' of her plans for the evening...and deciding to take things a little farther ('Eh, what have I got to lose? And who knows—maybe all this talk of kissing will put some ideas into my darling's head for what we could be doing right now considering how little time we have left for our date and how alone we finally are…') "If only those four could have just stayed home for the night…Then we would have had that whole entire movie theatre to ourselves, Football Head…for two full, semi-dark, hours…" Her smile grew as she added, seemingly as an afterthought, "Hey, imagine all the different places we could have dove on top of each other in there for that long?" And then the icing on the cake. "Whew, I think we could have given new meaning to the phrase 'chapped lips', right Arnoldo?"
Finally finished with her teasing, Helga went to turn and smirk at her beloved by her side, but hesitated as she noticed him suddenly stop walking for a moment and sigh deeply, his hand in front of his face as he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. "Helga…" he finally managed to get out in a quiet and bit of a stiff voice (though as he removed his hand from his still closed eyes she could see, to her relief, considering how serious he had sounded for a second there, a slight smile trying not to form upon his mouth…as well as a very deep blush already upon his cheeks.)
Helga watched as Arnold then swallowed and let out a breath, seemingly ready to say more, though he was completely NOT looking at her still.
"You know, Helga…" he started slowly, and now Helga's interest was really piqued (especially since that small, shy smile of his had finally broken through the embarrassment), "If you're saying all this stuff right now about us being together because you're trying to get me to suddenly take you in my arms and kiss you in a fit of passion or something…it's not working very well…" He swallowed again and then finally admitted sheepishly, arms going behind his back and with an even stronger color building in his already rosy features, "Actually, I mostly just feel like I could barely look you in the eye again without passing out from embarrassment."
Helga took a second to let his response sink in…and then, happy that he indeed wasn't angry at her for teasing him like that, she just let out a breath and rolled her eyes. She then quickly approached him and reached behind his back, and then clasped his hand in hers, causing Arnold's eyes to open a bit wider and to shift directly to hers instantly… After all, she'd just been talking about kissing and now she was suddenly right in front of him again and holding his hand and…"Okay, okay, I'll cool it a little, Football Head…" He felt a touch of relief (but also, quite undeniably, a touch of disappointment) come over him as Helga just said these words and then laughed warmly a little before continuing (actually looking a bit sheepish herself now), "And…okay, yeah, you're actually kind of right…" She rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand and glanced up and to the side as innocently as possible. "I…might have just been trying to provoke you a little with all of that stuff…seeing if could put a strong enough image in your head that you'd act on it or something, you know…?" Then she raised part of her brow and added in an impressed tone, moving her free hand to her hip, "And, meanwhile, sheesh, Football Head, get out of my head, already! I mean, I know it's a full time hobby for you figuring out everything about me left, right and sideways from the fact that I like poetry to the best angle for you to tilt that wide head of yours at for us to get the most action out of a kiss, but I'm just plain not going to be able to pull anything on you in the future ever again, am I?"
As she finished with this question, an amused Arnold just smiled to himself and shrugged, feeling his blushing about that 'chapped lips' thing finally subsiding enough to let him try for a joke (though something of a blush still remained considering that 'head angle' comment she'd just tossed in). "I don't know, Helga…" he swallowed, and then looked up into her eyes, "…but you're more than welcome to keep trying." He winked. 'After all…what would I do without her always picking on me in particular?'
At this rather unexpected (and rather playful) response, Helga felt herself blush slightly and her eyes go wide for a second. Trying not to let it be too obvious how much he had just gotten to her, though, she quickly cleared her throat and then turned facing forward and slowly resumed walking, an amused Arnold being slightly pulled alongside her. "Heh, heh…" she began, just a bit obviously nervously, "Uh…well, be careful what you wish for, Arnoldo, or maybe I really will just go for it and try tricking you into marrying me one of these days or something, just like in that dream of yours…" She couldn't help, in her slight rambling, the reference to that dream he'd shared with her on Friday during their date that had resulted from Rhonda's origami marriage predictor. "And you won't be able to wake up from that ceremony, Football Head…" she couldn't help but tack on, feeling her nervousness subsiding enough to at least shoot him a smile.
Arnold, meanwhile, was facing forward now as well as he listening to her ramble just a bit, still smiling in that half lidded way to himself. As she finished, though, suddenly feeling just a bit more confident again at the sight, out of the corner of his eye, of the blush coming into her face now and at the smile upon her lips, and also feeling, once again, that urge come over him to say something that had just come from his heart to see how it would touch hers…he swallowed and replied lightly, not turning his eyes to her at all, "And who says I'd want to wake up from something like that…or that you'd have to trick me?"
Helga instantly froze on the spot, her eyes going wide and her heart pounding so loudly in her chest that it was making her ears almost throb with its pulsing. 'Who…who says that he'd…or that he'd…HUH?'
She and Arnold probably didn't have too much time to spare with getting her back to her house and him back to his house by their curfews considering what time it was already, and they'd already used up a little time with that first brief pause in their walk for Arnold to deal with his embarrassment issues, but… in all seriousness, a rhetorical question like the one Arnold had just asked more than allowed for another 'five minute break' in her opinion.
Arnold, feeling Helga's hand slip from his own and now noticing that she wasn't following alongside him anymore, stopped and looked back at her, half smiling. He let out a breath and then crossed his arms over his chest, turning to face her completely now…and doing his best to seem like he'd said nothing out of the ordinary. "Helga? Are you okay?"
The obviously flustered and shocked blonde girl before him blinked a few times and then appeared to finally manage to take a breath or two, regaining just a bit of her voice (though what there was of it was just a bit high-pitched and shaky sounding to say the least). "Uh…uh, yeah, Arnold…I'm…fine…." He then watched as she closed her eyes, swallowed, took a deep breath…and then released said breath and opened her eyes once more. And now she smirked at him in that familiar way of hers and crossed her arms over her chest, her normal tone finally managing to return. "But…but sheesh don't DO that to me, Football Head…!" She had to shake her head at him in amusement. "I mean, I know you can't get enough of flirting with me and that you're also probably just trying to get back at me a little for the 'chapped lips' thing, but, crimeny, do you know how jarring it is to go from casually having fun with my favorite Football Head to suddenly hearing you go all 'marriage' on me again?" She couldn't help but recall some of his little charming comments from their phone calls over the last twenty-four hours, and she put a hand to her chest in feigned need of clutching her heart. "For Pete's sake, I don't know if you think throwing out little comments like that is going to make me 'dive on top of you again to your amusement; or something but seriously, Football Head, you're just plain gonna give me a heart attack if you keep saying that stuff!" And Helga's personal thoughts weren't far from agreeing with this statement. 'Sheesh, I've got to learn to expect little jokes like this from him more often…I mean, he gets to me like that and I'm not expecting it, and who knows what I might do?' Indeed, Helga could just see herself slipping into a monologue or passing out or diving on top of him for a kiss again if the right thing was said…just like last night…when he'd told her that he wasn't kissing her only because he loved it so much it almost scared him, and she'd suddenly just given in to her passions and let herself snap and go and…
Realizing that if she let her thoughts get too distracted by all of the things she had already done with Arnold and all of the potential things she could do with him (and that he would probably more than likely do back to her, considering the current status of their relationship and how much more comfortable with it he was seeming since last night), Helga just cleared her throat and closed her eyes and did her best to continue walking forward without blushing furiously anymore as she awaited whatever reply her beloved would give to her statement. She wasn't doing so well at it, as Arnold's slight chuckle attested to.
And indeed, Arnold, who was now walking right beside her again, was just smiling quite a bit and really doing his best not to laugh too much to himself about how worked up Helga had just gotten all because he'd admitted that the idea of knowing her for a really long time and liking her for a really long time was more than fine by him. After all, it wasn't like he had just seriously asked her to be his bride or anything… He just wanted her to know that the idea of being with her for as long as 'marriage' implied wasn't at all a bad thing to him anymore like it had been with that origami marriage predictor dream he'd had so long ago about the two of them walking down the aisle.
"Sorry, Helga…" he started, hoping he hadn't made her feel too uncomfortable or embarrassed…and then he had to admit to her since he wanted to explain a little more behind some of his motivation for that comment, "I don't think I was trying to get you to kiss me again…much…" He swallowed, and felt the blush pick up in his cheeks as his sincere, sweet voice continued with (going for it and gently taking her hand in his again as casually as possible as they walked on) "But also it's…I don't know…It's like sometimes you'll say something to me and then it just hits me that saying something back that's ironic about marrying you or kissing you or loving you will make you stop and blush and blink and I guess I can't help myself because, well…like with how nice it is when something makes you make that wonderful giggling sound…I think that when you get that look, it's when you look prettiest, to be honest." He blushed a bit more, continuing to face forward and down with the smile on his face. He did at least manage to glance at her out of the corner of his eye though and couldn't help chuckling just slightly as he saw the look he had just described more than back upon her features.
"R-really, A-Arnold…?" Helga managed to stutter (once again in that high-pitched, shaky voice) feeling her face growing positively hot at both his touch and words! 'Why does he say such wonderful things like that…? Oh, my perfect love god, I…' She blinked a few times and tried as hard as she could to pull herself out of what she knew was threatening to consume her. 'Okay, okay, focus, Helga—you go all 'Arnold monologue' now and you really will end up mauling him in an alley instead of getting home on time like you need to do! Besides, just…' she tried to take a breath in and out, 'just take it in stride… He's been telling you that you look pretty ever since last night… We're not really in new territory here when you get right down to it… No need to lose it…' Much to her relief she could already feel the pounding of her heart subsiding at least slightly.
She was brought out of her self-soothing thoughts and back to the situation at hand by the sound of Arnold chuckling warmly to himself. "Really, Helga…" he replied to her disbelieving response. She felt their hands rise just a little for a moment as he shrugged slightly. And, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye now, she couldn't help a touch of her blushing remain in her cheeks at the daydreamy look currently upon his face as he spoke almost without thinking…like what he said (as was so often the case with her beloved) was the truth and directly from his perfect little heart. "I guess it's just…" Arnold continued, "…the contrast between how for all those years you'd only scowl at me and glare at me…and then to suddenly see your eyes go all wide like that…" a very small sigh, "And they're a…a really pretty blue by the way Helga…And to see your face get just a bit pink…" A very small chuckle, "The shade's like a brighter version of the color of your bow, actually… And then how you suddenly just get that look like something's just…I don't know…" he smiled even more and his eyes went even more half lidded if that was possible, "Like something's' just kind of pierced through all the blusteryness and bossiness and toughness right to your heart." He laughed a bit more and then finally blinked a few times in his daze and looked to her, still with that charming grin, and asked half sincerely and half humorously, "Hey, if I do get a Helga locket, can I have a picture of you looking like that for it? I mean, one of you smiling would be nice but that other look…now that I could look at for hours."
Moving away from Arnold and Helga's current conversation for just a moment, the happy couple had just rounded the corner to Helga's block and now her stoop was in sight. In fact they were actually currently in the process of passing right by the fence to her backyard and the dumpster that Gerald and Arnold had used to break into Helga's house that one Saturday two weeks ago…and that Arnold had used to break into Helga's room just last night.
Anyway, needless to say (and now getting back to the two lovestruck preteens in question) Arnold was just a little surprised, after finishing this fun little question that had popped into his head, to suddenly find himself pulled back and pinned against said fence by his shoulders (with the dumpster conveniently providing cover from the stoop and from whoever might be looking out at it waiting for their daughter to come home in exactly fifteen minutes like she was supposed to.)
Indeed, feeling his body suddenly pushed so firmly against the wooden pickets by his companion for the evening, Arnold had to blink and look at Helga with wide confused eyes…almost feeling a touch of old fear well up inside of him, like she was about to potentially act on one of her many threats over the years to pound him. "Helga, what—"
"Oh just shut UP already, Arnold!" Her eyes locking onto his, Arnold now saw with even more confusion that they were wide and desperate rather than scowling and angry, like that old habit of his of seeing her as a bully had almost made him imagine they would be. He was also a little surprised to see her take one or two heavy breaths before continuing in anxiety and…passion? "You WIN—I couldn't egg you into kissing me first on this stupid walk home and that little comment you made just now about the locket and my face, not to mention the fact that I couldn't touch you once in that movie because of our stupid friends AND the fact that you were practically latched onto me at my dinner table before AND the fact that I haven't kissed your perfect lips in almost twenty four hours TEARS IT, you big stupid lug!" And then without a second of hesitation, Arnold suddenly all but felt the wind knocked out of him as the girl before him suddenly threw herself almost violently against him in one of her classic Helga G. Pataki kisses!
Arnold blinked several times in shock at the sudden feeling of her body pressing up against his once again in their lives, her hands gripping his collar fervently and her mouth practically consuming his own. He could actually feel her heart pounding, she was so pressed against him. 'Oh, she…wanted to kiss me… Well…' his former concerns turned into amusement, 'Well, why didn't she just say so?'
And then, indeed, it only took another second or two for his shocked surprise to ebb completely, finally leading Arnold to feel his heart flutter wildly and to reach around Helga's back with one of his arms like he remembered she'd mentioned earlier that she liked, pulling her in just a bit more (his other arm was occupied at the moment with just trying to brace himself against the fence considering how weak he felt his knees getting, she was kissing him with such force). He also began to reciprocate the kiss as well, trying to match the intense movements of Helga's soft wonderful mouth as best he could…though he couldn't help but notice with quite a bit of surprise that she certainly seemed even more enthusiastic than usual with the action, which was saying A LOT for Helga G. Pataki. 'I guess all that stuff about the movies and kissing really was building up in her ever since we talked on the phone last night…'
'Oh he's kissing me back! Oh Arnold I will never get over that feeling of you kissing me back…how your soft, delicious little mouth moves and the feeling of you pulling me close and those sighs that always escape you…Oh my darling…' Helga, meanwhile, had all but gone under in love after having the abovementioned few thoughts at the feeling of Arnold's lips kissing back, and now she was basically operating on pure instinct and passion…
Which would explain why Arnold then felt one of Helga's hands shift from his collar to cradling his head and neck…and the action couldn't help but remind him of the first time they'd ever kissed like this. 'This is…' his thoughts pushed on a little, though the capacity for coherent thinking in general was ebbing inside of him pretty quickly, 'I mean…maybe it's because I realize I like her too and we have some time now and how warm the spring air is around us but…this is almost better than the FTi kiss!" Then Helga moaned very softly and Arnold just had to sigh through his nose with how good it felt to feel that small sound pass through her to him courtesy of their kiss. 'I just wish…' he couldn't help but begin to think with interest, though he was really starting to finally feel himself being fully swept under with all of the love she was suddenly sharing with him right now…and that he was doing his best to share with her as well… 'I just wish I could do something with the kissing to spontaneously surprise HER like she's always doing to me with things like this…' Certainly, last night, with coming back for and building up that last kiss before they'd parted ways for the evening, Arnold had managed to throw Helga for quite a loop… But still, when you got right down to it, it had been planned and there had been build up and circling, and somehow…somehow it just wasn't the same as out of nowhere kissing him on the FTi building or suddenly pulling him practically out of her tree and up to her window to crush their lips together like last night or doing what she had just done to him here and now… 'Yeah…I wish I could do something…I don't know…something she wouldn't expect…something…' His chances of actually coming up with something, though, were growing more and more minimal as he felt himself a hair's breadth away from just completely being consumed by her passion…and his own…
However, Arnold's awareness suddenly managed to come just a bit back to reality and his eyes even fluttered open as he felt Helga pull back just slightly from their kiss to catch her breath for a few seconds, panting heavily and happily.
"Oh yeah…" she began during this brief break in the lip lock between herself and her precious Arnold, unable to help suddenly recalling part of the conversation the two of them had had earlier that evening before seeing off Gerald and Phoebe on their date, "You're definitely more fun ever since I came into the picture, Football Head." She giggled, her eyes lost in his. 'Who in the world invented that green color in those perfect eyes of his…? I could just take it in forever and ever…'
"You...really think so, Helga?" her beloved managed to whisper back in a giddy and obviously dazed voice after taking in a deep breath of his own, blushing like crazy much to her delight. 'Well…she does have that effect on a guy…'
Helga had to giggle again and pull their faces just a bit closer once more, so that their noses were now touching. "Mmm hmm…" she assured him with a nod, "From that first tango after I confessed straight on through to this. Hands down."
"But Helga…" Arnold suddenly found himself joking lightly in his happiness, unable to resist (and much to Helga's amusement), "Are you sure this is the 'right thing to do'? I mean, didn't we say we shouldn't start something in a street?" His smile picked up just a bit more on one side and firmed up his grip a little around her back. "I…think this might qualify…" he finished humorously.
Helga just rolled her eyes at his little joke, smirking like crazy. "Oh shut up before I shut you up, Football Head!" She then let out a lovesick giggle and shrugged innocently. "Oops—too late!" And then she rewrapped her arms around his head and shoulders and went right back to kissing him, a perfect mixture of tenderness and passion!
And Arnold, feeling another lovesick sigh escape him through his nose as he felt the return that perfect physical connection between the two of them, happily resumed kissing Helga back as well… 'Helga's right…this is fun…!'
'You're a lot more fun ever since I came into the picture…from that tango at the April Fool's dance straight on through to this. Hands down.'
This thought of Helga's echoed in Arnold's head for a moment or two…
And then…
He got an idea…
Indeed, the idea was so sudden and so strong and so potentially perfect that even though they were still kissing his eyes had to open wide, fully lit up with the anticipation of acting! Because a way had finally just occurred to him for showing Helga Pataki that, once again, she wasn't the only one who could suddenly throw someone for a make out loop! And that, more importantly, he could do it just as perfectly spontaneously as she could!
His gaze turned to Helga's close face and, though the girl in question couldn't see it since her own eyelids were still delicately shut (and though Arnold barely realized it, only processing that he suddenly had a very VERY strong urge to do what he was about to do regardless of how embarrassed or shy it might make him feel later)… Arnold's eyes narrowed slightly…in a good way…
Suddenly, Arnold pushed his free arm (and consequently himself and Helga) from the fence behind him, wrapped it tightly around her body to go along with the location of his other arm and then finally dipped the impassioned girl in question back as far as she could go (all the while continuing their kiss, of course)!
At the shocking (and quite frankly UNBELIEVEABLE) feeling of suddenly going from vertically kissing Arnold to horizontally kissing Arnold, Helga's eyes instantly shot open as wide as could be, her arms fell limp in shock to her sides, and last but certainly not least she couldn't help but practically squeal in confusion and surprise and love at whatever the heck it was that had just happened! It was then though that the events that had led her to her current position began to dawn on her as her practically dilated blue eyes met Arnold's mischievous, passionate green ones…
And she then felt herself turn a bright scarlet as, to top it all off, he winked at her.
'I…I….Ah…I…' It was no use though—she couldn't even begin to try and form words about this wonderful, new, intoxicating experience that had somehow luckily enough befallen her. She allowed her eyes to close…her body still clutched in her beloved's cradling arms…
Seeing those eyelids of hers flutter shut, meanwhile, Arnold did his best not to chuckle…and then closed his eyes as well…. Not that staring right into those unavoidable blue eyes of hers wasn't a thrill, but maybe she had the right idea… Somehow a kiss was easier to savor with your eyes shut and all of your attention focused on the physical contact with the person before you.
And so Arnold continued kissing Helga in this horizontal manner for as long as they both didn't need air again, and then finally, when that time came, he slowly and delicately pulled his lips away from hers (though he still had her dipped completely back). Just taking a moment to gaze into her blushing, flustered, practically unbelieving face as her eyelids fluttered open again, he had to laugh slightly to himself…before then whispering to her lightly, "And speaking of the April Fools Dance… see, I told you you were in good hands, my poor blind friend…or I guess, in this case, all things considered…my talented blue eyed love."
Helga's jaw actually dropped.
No single other part of her moved.
Not a sound came out of her.
Arnold just smiled a bit more at this strange response. "Helga?" And then, well…the question was too good to pass up. "Can I…take this as you admitting that I'm the better kisser? I mean," the amused tone in his voice grew as he just continued to gaze into her pretty, flustered face, "You put up quite a fight but you never made my jaw drop..." He recalled suddenly, though, his mouth indeed having at least gone agape once at the sight of her with her hair down swinging that rope on her bed last night. "Well at least not right after a kiss…" he qualified, "not yet, anyway…There's still our date next Friday though I suppose, right?" he then finally finished encouragingly, topping it all off with a wink to the lovely, warm young lady still wrapped up in his arms.
And that did it.
Helga's eyes snapped shut and a sigh escaped her and she instantly dropped like a stone in Arnold's arms, not only ending up flat on the pavement but dragging Arnold, who had still been holding her, right down with her!
"Helga? Helga, are you okay?" Arnold began to ask with genuine worry (at the same time struggling a little to get his arms out from under her because, well…of course he was concerned for her right now but at the same time, after what had just happened between them, it wasn't exactly easy to fight the desire to collapse into kissing her again considering the fact that he was now trapped on top of her, holding her… And why did she have to feel so warm and still have that blush upon her features and that sweet smile and…)
Arnold closed his eyes very tightly, doing his best to focus, and finally managed to roll to the side and free his arms from around the girl in question. Having accomplished this task (and blushing quite a bit as realization sunk in that he kind of sort of almost hadn't been able to bring himself to do it… and that he had just basically kissed a girl into fainting in the first place), he sat back on the sidewalk for a moment to catch his breath and focus, and then finally sat up upon his knees on the pavement and did his do-gooder best to prop up Helga's still limp form a little in his arms and to make sure that she indeed hadn't hurt herself falling like that. "Helga…?" Now, looking with concern into her face for several seconds, Arnold finally realized that the girl before him appeared to be out cold… though to his relief (and not so slight amusement and even…pride) she had a very VERY content smile upon her face. At the sound of him saying her name she let out a small airy sigh.
Our Football Headed hero, now assured that his girlfriend indeed wasn't hurt, couldn't help but laugh to himself just a little at the sight of her like that all of a sudden and indeed all because of him…and he also couldn't help but be reminded of the time when his dangerous lumber had indeed sought out Helga (just like she'd mentioned at the dinner table not too many hours ago) and he'd brought her home with amnesia…and tucked her in to bed. She'd had the same smile on her face then as she did now…and even though he hadn't realized why back then, that smile had made him smile that day before leaving to rest in her room this person he'd never been able to help caring about his whole life long despite how much she always 'acted like' she could never care about him…
A clock tower suddenly went off in the distance and Arnold blinked at the sound, coming out of his warm memories. He nervously counted the number of hour bells and then the number of chimes counting the quarter hours. His eyes went wide and he instantly stood up in worry and panic. "It's 9:45—If I can't wake Helga up and she doesn't get home on time…" Arnold swallowed, knowing full well that however good of terms he was now on with Big Bob Pataki after that dinner, if he didn't get Helga back by 10 liked he'd promised… Arnold swallowed hard again, trying not to think about it. "Well…okay…then…" he considered his other options, "…Then maybe instead I could just knock on their door and explain to Mr. and Mrs. Pataki that we're here but that Helga can't come in right now because she fainted because we…" Arnold instantly shut down the entire notion right there. However bad the situation would be if he got Helga home late…it would be ten times worse if he went and told the truth right now. (An image of walking up to the door, smiling at the Pataki parents as they opened it, and then explaining that he'd kissed their younger daughter into a coma, followed by getting knocked off of his feet courtesy of a very firm and instantaneous punch from Big Bob Pataki quickly flashed through Arnold's mind.)
With a quick, worried breath he instantly shifted his eyes back to and knelt down beside Helga again. "Helga…Helga! Wake up!" he whispered loudly to her (very VERY terrified at this point of getting caught in this situation). He put a hand to one of her shoulders and nudged her gently several times, hoping to speed up the process of her opening her eyes and getting them out of this mess. 'Come on, Helga…can't you at least sleepwalk to the door or something…? Anything?' He was getting desperate, to say the least.
To Arnold's dismay, however, the girl on the ground just let out another sigh and giggled slightly from whatever dream she was having.
…And then she said, obviously as part of said dream… "No, Arnold—you pick out her name. I'll pick out the one for our next child."
That statement made Arnold start in utter surprise and quickly lurch away from her, breathing heavily. A blush marred his face once more and his stomach twisted in flutters and knots, and his heart pounded in disbelief! He just continued to look to Helga's smiling face with wide eyes for a few seconds, trying to process what she had just said. "When…when she said not to joke about the marriage thing…she was serious, wasn't she?" He continued breathing heavily, just trying to get his beating heart under control and doing his best to absorb the fact that Helga was currently dreaming about the two of them having kids together…and that it was a lot better than the time he had dreamed about them having kids together, from the look on her voice and the tone of her voice.
Helga giggled in pure contentment yet again in her sleep. "No, no, we'll kiss later…the kid needs a name first for crying out loud, Football Head!" She sighed… "Well, fine…maybe just one or two while you think up the name…" And then she let out something small between a moan and a sigh…. Whatever it was, it sounded undeniably happy, to say the least.
Anyway, meanwhile this sudden reconfirmation right from her lips of what was currently passing through Helga's mind processed with a shocked-bordering-on-petrified Arnold for a second or two more…
But then suddenly the Football Headed young man couldn't help a serious grin coming to his face as an idea for just a little bit of fun superseded (for just a moment) his awe and disbelief at the situation in which he currently found himself… And so he leaned back near Helga's sleeping form, and got his mouth close to her ear for a whisper…. "How about Ruth…or Lila? Summer's nice too, of course, Helga…" he finished, feigning as much sincerity as possible…
The content smile on Helga's sleeping face remained that way for a half a second more.
And then…
"Ow!" Arnold yelled, suddenly scooching away from her and sitting up, and now rubbing his slightly sore nose with one of his hands and looking at her with an eyebrow raised.
This reaction on his part was due to the fact that, after having delivered this little humorous suggestion into the sleeping ear of his date for the evening, Helga had almost instantly turned toward the sound of his voice and given a quick swing forward in her sleep. She was now lying on her side and scowling in his direction, her eyelids closed tight. "You're a jerk…" she announced, that usual lilt of sarcasm returning to her tone. "And just for that if the next one's a son we're naming him Brainy…" She snored once. "Now get me some pickles and ice cream before I pound that Football Head of yours flat." Her smile slightly returned and she then pulled her knees close to her chest and gave a small chuckle before resuming her peaceful slumber.
Arnold just watched her with is mouth slightly agape for another second as the soreness in his nose subsided…And then suddenly he felt himself chuckle…and then that chuckle turned into warm laughter…and before he knew it he was standing up and holding his sides and trying as hard as he could to not cry he was laughing so hard. 'You know what?' His thoughts finally broke through the hilarity of it all. 'So she actually does want to marry me…so she actually does want to have a family together…so she actually does want to spend the rest of our lives together in the same house, married forever and ever… Well…so what? Yes, it's a little intense but then again this is Helga we're talking about… And besides what am I going to do about it? Break up with her?' In between laughs his eyes couldn't help but fall to the precious form of Helga upon the ground below him. 'I could barely handle being away from her between our phone call last night and our phone call this morning…I think about her all the time…I hope everyday for another kiss from her… I think I'm bordering on an unhealthy obsession with her poetry…' As his laughs began to ebb, he crossed his arms over his chest, almost feeling sheepish for having let his initial realization of what was currently on Helga's mind get to him so much. 'I don't think us 'breaking up' would last very long.' His smile picked up just a bit more on one side and his gaze went a bit half lidded. 'And I think I'd be the stupidest person in the world to even consider it!'
And now having managed to get his laughter (and his shock) under control, Arnold's attention finally fell entirely to Helga again…and a warm smile picked up on his face as he whispered to himself with interest and curiosity…and maybe just a little anticipation whether he was ready to consciously admit it or not. "And who knows…maybe she and my Grandpa and Grandma really do know something I don't about her and I being meant to be together after all. And I don't want to fight something like that if it's the truth just because I'm a little scared of it…" He recalled certain things from the past in that vein… "That's what I was doing this whole time between when Helga confessed and when I confessed—fighting how I was feeling because it was all a little overwhelming… And now that I'm not doing that anymore, I get to be with the most interesting person I've ever met." His smile took on that goofy, lovesick look Helga had been making him get more and more lately. "So…" he went on lightly, "If she wants to dream about our children, well…" he almost laughed to himself once more, "Then all I can say is…well, at least she's letting me pick the name of the first one, right?"
And besides, also…once again, regardless of whether he was really ready to think out it too much consciously or not…hadn't he already admitted to himself more than once in thought and action that he really wouldn't mind spending every day with Helga if she'd let him…or even ending up as happy as his grandparents were…? And then, of course, well… (he swallowed as he admitted this final fact to himself) there were those strange, funny, goofy feelings that had gone through him before at Helga's dinner table when he'd gotten just a little caught up in the memory of him and her at that vow renewal for Coach Wittenberg… There was just something so very fascinating about even the idea of recalling her pretty though (of course) scowling face from that day and knowing now that if he'd even suggested 'not letting the church and the preacher go to waste' she'd have almost certainly dove into his arms with a sudden smile and never have let him go… Never ever… Always getting to hear that giggle and to see that blush and to read her poems and to hold her and kiss her and to hear that wonderful way she could sigh his name when she was happy…or even the way she could say with just right mixture of sarcasm and cuteness any of the random 'insulting' nicknames she'd come up with for him over the years that had turned out to be just part of the long list of affectionate pet names she had for him when you got right down to it…
Arnold sighed, just barely managing to drift up out of his thoughts enough to remind himself in a dreamy voice, "I…need to get back to helping Helga instead of thinking about her, don't I?"
And so, closing his eyes for just a second and taking one more breath to focus, Arnold then proceeded to turn all of his energies back to Helga once more. His warm, caring smile continuing, he approached her once more, knelt down again, and this time gently put a hand behind her head and one under her knees and did his best to lift her up, turn the two of them and then shift her and rest her back down again so that she was now sitting up with her back against the fence she'd pushed him against only a few minutes ago with so much of that passion that he was the only one lucky enough to know she was so famous for.
Now sure that she was comfortably resting there, Arnold then couldn't help kneeling before Helga once more, looking at her with his half lidded gaze, and then just shaking his head back and forth slightly, grinning all the while, and letting out with a sigh, "What am I going to do with you, my Helga…" He swallowed…and then tried it out for real this time "…My…love…" It was strange just saying it casually like that (when he'd called her his 'talented blue eyed love' before it had been just a dramatic part of one of their little competitions with each other… But just doing it as a regular everyday part of talking to her… 'strange' really was the only way to describe it)… Yet it was a good kind of strange, and something about it made him want to laugh warmly. Not that he was ready yet to start saying it to her face every time they were just walking down the street or anything but…at least it was a start, right?
Coming back to the situation at hand though, Arnold just sighed, trying to weigh his options again for getting them out of this small situation (and without Helga's scheming, brilliant mind to help them, no less)… And then randomly enough an interesting thought occurred to him…
"Hmm…" he shrugged, "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt…" He sighed to himself once more, still smiling, and then whispered to the still out cold girl before him, "Helga, if this is a trick to get me to do this or something, you know, all you had to do was ask…" She just continued sitting there peacefully though, and so then finally (and with a shy grin at doing something as arguably silly as this) Arnold leaned in and gave her a small kiss on the mouth. He felt her lips remain slack, unfortunately, but he still tried to maintain inside a touch of hope as he pulled away to see if his little 'true love's kiss' had indeed actually woken her up.
Helga, however, just snored once more in response to his gesture, shifting her head to the side, and remaining (predictably) out like a light…Though she did at least whisper his name once delicately under her breath. "Arnold…"
Arnold couldn't help but frown slightly to himself (though a small part of him wanted to grin at the idea that she could 'recognize' him just by his kiss). "Hmm…well, it works in movies sometimes." He then sat back on the pavement before her and put a chin to his hand, really trying to think about how he could possibly get Helga up in the next ten minutes…
And then, at first to his great surprise…followed quickly by his great terror…the cell phone in Helga's pocket started to glow and buzz.
Arnold's eyes opened wide and he practically jumped he was so nervous. He remained frozen for several seconds as the phone went off, unsure of what to do (actually petrified about what to do might have been a better word). 'What if it's Mr. or Mrs. Pataki?' His thoughts raced. 'They'll want to talk to Helga and they'll…they'll want to know why I'm the one answering her phone this time…' To Helga's great annoyance her father had found reasons to call her twice during their outing this evening...and with how much irony seemed to love Helga and now him…wouldn't it just be perfect if the third time really was the charm? 'But…' Arnold considered the other way he could handle this, 'But if no one answers…' He swallowed hard: he knew that, without question, that option was the worse of the two. At least if he answered her phone he could make some excuse for Helga but if he didn't her parents would probably get really worried and then really angry…at both of them.
And so Arnold quickly summed up his courage, reached forward and then pulled the glowing phone out of Helga's jumper pocket. He then took a very deep breath and finally, mustering all of his courage, pressed the answer button and put the object to his ear. "Hello…?" he asked, trying to sound as casual as possible though he could practically feel the guilt at what he'd done to Helga with that kiss dripping in his voice.
There was a pause on the other end of the line.
And then a voice that at first Arnold didn't recognize (but that then made his eyes light up with potential salvation and a smile a mile wide come to his face) asked in confusion, "Arnold? Is that you? Are you still with Helga?"
Arnold let out the greatest sigh of relief he ever had in his entire life, and stood up. "Olga! Oh, I'm really REALLY happy it was you calling!" He was almost laughing to himself he was so relieved!
He heard Olga laugh slightly on the other end of the line at his enthusiasm. "It's nice to hear from you again too, Arnold. But…is Helga okay?" A touch of confusion and concern came to the older Pataki girl's voice. "Why didn't she answer? I thought your date would be over by now and that she'd be walking home… It's almost ten there right? Or did I get the time difference wrong?" she asked sincerely.
Arnold shook his head at her question. "No, you're right, it's almost ten here. Actually…that's the problem…you see…" he swallowed hard, feeling himself blush slightly, but did his best to go on as casually as possible. "Well, I was walking Helga home and we got near your front door and we were talking and...and just, uh, having fun together…"
"Mmm hmm…" he heard Olga's disbelieving reply to his flimsy 'innocent' description of what they had been doing. He sighed once more, feeling even more warmth flood his cheeks, and dragged a hand down his face. He heard Olga giggle in response. "Well, go on Arnold—you and my baby sister were having a little goodnight kiss or something and then what?"
Arnold tugged at his collar nervously. 'Is this reading between the lines thing genetic or something?' He swallowed and continued, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, well…anyway…" He dug his foot into the ground shyly. "I might have said something about her…her eyes or something…and I guess she liked it because she, uh…well, she kind of fainted in my arms right near your backyard, and now she's just sitting here against the fence with a smile on her face and I think she might be asleep, and I tried everything to wake her up…" Arnold conveniently left out going into specifics and did his best to plow on with the intimate and embarrassing story, "…but she's kind of out cold." And then his voice couldn't help but take on a serious touch of worry as he continued. "But if she's not home in a few minutes I know you're parents are going to be really upset, but I think Helga would be upset if I went and got them and told them the truth…so I'm really not sure what to do anymore." Sincere hopefulness finally entered his young voice as he finished with, "Olga…is there any way you could help us? Please! I don't care if your parents get angry at me but I don't want anything to happen to Helga—I had dinner at your house tonight and it seems like she's really getting along better with them and I don't want anything to ruin that. Please, Olga!" Arnold knew he was sounding desperate at this point but in point of fact he was indeed desperate to not have this night that had started out so perfectly turn into a fiasco.
He heard only silence for a few seconds from the other end of the line.
"Olga?" he finally asked cautiously, desperately again, all but holding his breath. 'What if she's disappointed in me too just like Mr. and Mrs. Pataki would be… Oh I KNEW I shouldn't have let myself like the kissing so much! I should have just stuck to holding her hand and talking to her and getting ice cream together… I'm ARNOLD—I don't know how to handle making a girl pass out on a date at night in front of her house just because she liked how I kissed her so much!' He felt himself blushing furiously. 'Heck, I didn't even know you COULD make a girl pass out like that just from a kiss! Let alone DREAM ABOUT MARRYING YOU! Oh I—'
"Hmm…?"
Arnold's thoughts instantly froze as he heard the older girl say on the other end of the line eventually speak up again, almost like he had just brought her out of some thoughts she was considering or something with his hesitant address from a few seconds prior. He cringed just a little…waiting for whatever she'd say next and seriously crossing his fingers.
"Huh? Oh, um, sorry, Arnold…" Olga's attentive and supportive tone was back as she continued speaking. "Of course I'll help you and my baby sister—can't have Daddy blowing his top only two weeks into your relationship." She laughed slightly to herself. "Believe me I know how difficult that can be—he can be awfully silly about things sometimes…" She sighed to herself once more and then Arnold heard her clear her throat as she came out of whatever memory she was having. "Anyway, like I said, how could I help but help you and Helga, Arnold, silly? But I just need a minute to think—I haven't had to come up with a plan to fix an awkward dating situation involving Mummy and Daddy in a while and I'm a little rusty…"
Arnold just stood there, wide eyed, and torn between total amazement and total gratitude. 'Helga…has a lot more in common with Olga than she realizes…doesn't she?' He smiled. 'Perfect!'
"Ah, I've got it!" He heard Olga suddenly announce triumphantly (and much to his continuing happiness and hopefulness). "Okay, Arnold, sweetie," she went on, "Do you think you could carry Helga to the front door?"
Arnold had to blink at the strange request, but then just glanced at Helga and instantly recalled carrying her to move her to the fence just now as well as the number of times over the years when she had 'randomly' jumped into his arms, 'conveniently' making it so that he'd had to hold her for a while… He tried not to give in to a chuckle at the memories and sudden understanding of just how preplanned those moments had been, and instead went back to the phone call with Olga and replied simply, "Um…sure."
"Oh, perfect!" Olga giggled to herself in delight at his affirmative response. "Okay, you just wait two minutes, Arnold, and then bring her to the door. Mummy should answer and believe me she'd understand a lot better than Daddy. He means well but he can be just a little difficult sometimes!" Arnold heard Olga scoff to herself lightly. "Anyway," she went on, sounding chipper as ever again, "she can take Helga from you from there and get her upstairs. And then Daddy will just think that she was tired after the long day she's had and that she feel asleep." She finished with a definite tone of pride and satisfaction in her voice.
Arnold, finally being fully presented with a genuine light at the end of the tunnel, was of course very grateful for the plan Olga had just been nice enough to come up with…but at the same time he couldn't help a small (though, understandably enough, serious) feeling of doubt eclipse his hope for just a moment. "But, Olga…" he began with that touch of concern of his, his eyes falling to Helga's sleeping form once more, "Won't your Dad see your Mom carrying her upstairs…passed out like this?" Explaining away Helga being tired enough after a date to fall asleep instantly upon getting home and getting to her room was one thing but…explaining why she'd gone out like a light somewhere in the middle of the date and had to be brought by hand upstairs to her bed was quite another, to say the least.
Olga, however, just laughed once more on the other end of the line and replied reassuringly to this doubt she obviously already had a plan for addressing, "Oh Arnold, you just leave Daddy and all of that to me. But remember—wait at least two minutes before you go to the door! Okay?"
Arnold nodded, putting all of his faith in Olga, and thankful that she seemed to have everything planned out for him. "Okay, Olga. Whatever you say," he replied with complete trust in his voice.
He just heard Olga laugh once more to herself in response. "Helga's right—you're a very good listener, Arnold. That's a very good quality in a boyfriend for my baby sister." She giggled once more. "Anyway, it was nice talking to you Arnold, and I'm glad you and Helga obviously had such a nice time out together…I'll be home in a few weeks for summer vacation and maybe I can take you and Helga for a little drive in the country or for a little trip to the beach! Oh, but, it really is almost 10 isn't it? Okay, I'll talk to you later Arnold, and remember—two minutes! Bye!" And with that perky reminder and small farewell she hung up the phone.
Arnold just let out a deep breath after she had hung up and then pressed the end call button on Helga's phone as well. Still, despite the more than a bit of stress he was currently under with still having to pull off Olga's plan, he had to at least half smile to himself at the conversation he'd just had…. 'And Helga thinks I have a zany yet lovable family…'
Arnold took another breath and watched the digital clock on Helga's phone until two minutes had passed (which left them at 9:57—very close to 10 indeed!). Then he placed the phone back into Helga's pocket, placed one arm behind her head and one under her knees again, and lifted her up. He carefully walked her past the fence and the dumpster to her stoop. 'I really REALLY hope that this works…' he couldn't help but think to himself with just a touch of worry coming to his eyes… At the very least, he hoped that if something went wrong Helga's parents really would blame him over her. The last thing she needed right now was to have things go bad with them, and though she had been trying to act casual about when they'd briefly discussed before how Bob and Miriam Pataki had been changing around her lately, he knew that deep down it was important to Helga…
Arnold finally reached the stoop and climbed to the top, putting his thoughts and worries aside and doing his best to just hope. Once at this location, though, he hesitated…unsure if Olga had meant for him to ring the bell or…
His uncertainty was cleared up by the sudden sound of the door handle turning, revealing Miriam Pataki who quickly slipped out into the spring night…a very VERY amused smile on her face at the sight that met her (and at the sight her older daughter had prepared her to see when she'd spoken to her on the phone for a few quick seconds before then asking to talk to her father for a little while as a distraction not two minutes ago…)
The older woman put her hands on her hips and glanced down at the sleeping form of her daughter who was not only being cradled in Arnold's arms at the moment (as Olga had described would be the case) but had actually suddenly started snuggling against his neck with a smile now.
Arnold just cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly up at Helga's mother, doing his best not to pay any mind to the feeling of Helga's soft hair brushing against his collar. "Um…hi, Mrs. Pataki…" he managed to get out in a small voice. "H-how are you?"
Miriam (realizing from how the poor boy in front of her sounded and looked that this situation was probably embarrassing enough for him as it was right now) did her best not to laugh at the sight before her and to instead just reply with a warm, understanding smile. "Hello, Arnold. I'm fine, thanks. And thank you for bringing Helga home… It was very smart of you to ask Olga for help." She crossed her arms over her chest….unable to resist at least asking with an eyebrow raised, "So…Helga just, uh... fainted when you went to say goodnight to her, huh?"
The ten-year-old boy instantly blushed. "Um…" He glanced away and replied in a nervous voice. "Well…something like that…I also might have said something about her eyes and a few other things and then she just kind of collapsed." He looked up at Miriam sheepishly and hesitantly. 'This is really, really awkward, isn't it?' he thought to himself with a swallow. The feeling of Helga's soft hair still moving against his neck (thus letting him know that she wasn't done cuddling into him in her sleep by a long shot) …and then her suddenly randomly whispering his name very softly once or twice under her breath amidst whatever dream she was still having answered the question for him…
Miriam, meanwhile, now had to finally actually let a chuckle escape her considering both Arnold's shy explanation of Helga's current condition as well as the small, intimate moment her sleeping daughter was currently managing to share with her little boyfriend. She quickly did her best to get her bit of laughter under control though, realizing once again the need to deal with the situation at hand as well as the need to not make Arnold feel any more embarrassed than he already was. So she just sighed, and went on to explaining things (though she couldn't resist at least letting a half smile remain upon her face). "Well, anyway, Arnold, Olga's got Bob on the phone in the living room right now telling him all about how she's 'thinking about coming home after she graduates this year to learn how to take over the beeper empire'…" Miriam made air quotes at this last part of the sentence, rolling her eyes. "And that should keep him busy and away from the door for a while between being proud of her for wanting to continue the Pataki family business and secretly wishing that it was Helga saying she'd take over instead of Olga…" Miriam's smile grew just a little. "In case you haven't noticed Arnold, Helga's a bit more passionate and forceful about things than her sister…"
Arnold just did his best not to collapse considering how much the choice of those particular adjectives from Miriam Pataki caused his heart to pound and his knees to practically shake. Still having Helga's warm, sleeping form right against his chest wasn't helping much either… Holding the body of the girl who had just thrown him against a fence to make out with him for minutes on end…
Miriam, taking pity once more on Arnold, just smiled to herself and took a breath, moving the conversation along. "Anyway, Olga before she started speaking to him told me to come out here to help you, so I'll just take Helga and put her to bed…No harm done…" Miriam then leaned down and reached forward, and gently shifted her daughter into her own arms from Arnold's. Standing upright, holding her youngest girl, she couldn't help but smile with interest at the slight look of distress that came to Helga's face at the shift…though after a couple of seconds she seemed to calm down a bit near her mother—her face, though not resuming its former look of contentment, at least became placid.
Miriam just sighed at her, still with a small smile, and then turned to Arnold once more, whispering so as not to wake Helga, just in case. "Thank you again for taking such good care of her Arnold, and for worrying about her enough to help her like this. You're very sweet for being so nice to her…I know she can be a little rough around the edges…" Miriam glanced at her daughter briefly once more, "But she's always been a good girl…and a very good daughter."
Arnold, now finally feeling his embarrassment ebbing (leaving only that warm love Helga had awakened in him in its place), just smiled at the sight of the girl in question currently being held by her mother before him as well as at Miriam's very astute observation. "Don't worry about it, Mrs. Pataki…" he began sincerely (also in a low voice so as not to disturb Helga, just in case), "I like spending time with Helga and I like helping her when I can…It's just nice to see her happy…and…" he hesitated, unsure if he should be prying, but then finally decided to add, looking up at Miriam, "And…I'm happy things are working out better for her with you and Mr. Pataki… She seemed a lot happier these past couple of weeks when you were all doing stuff together with Olga and now that you're trying to do stuff just with her…" He smiled a little more. "Well, I think she really likes it. And she deserves it… Like you said, she's always been a good person." His eyes fell back to Helga. "She deserves everything…" he finally finished softly…and for a moment he couldn't help but shift his gaze back down again get lost in just admiring her lovely, content face for one final time this evening…
Miriam, meanwhile, hadn't been able to help but tilt her head to the side slightly, observing Arnold with interest as he had delivered this small speech, and she was continuing to do so now as he was just standing there and looking with so much affection at her daughter…
"Arnold…do you love Helga?"
It took Arnold a second to process the question. And when he did he felt himself blush and his heart pound and his eyes go wide. He looked up at Helga's Mom with surprise in his eyes. "I…well, I…" Regardless of the truth, he genuinely wasn't sure how to respond to this question. 'Helga said she knew everything but…but how much of everything exactly?'
Miriam just smiled at the flustered boy and instantly backpedaled a bit, the gravity of the question she'd just let slip out finally processing with her. "I'm sorry, Arnold…" she began sincerely. "That was a bit of a personal question, wasn't it?" She sighed once more and glanced back at Helga, and continued speaking. "It's just….something Helga mentioned to me last night and then the way you were looking at her just now made me think about it…" She laughed to herself. "I already know she's convinced she practically loves you… I… guess it just seemed for a second like you felt the same way, and it's just…it's just very…" She couldn't find the right word to put to it, though the smile still on her face told Arnold it wasn't a negative word.
"Uncanny?" he finally couldn't help but suggest with a half smile.
Miriam blinked at the word choice, considered, and then looked at him. "Yes, actually, I think that would be a good way to describe it, Arnold…." She gave him a bit of a curious look, her half smile picking up just a bit more as she tried to elaborate a little. "It's just so very unusual for your ages… And, also, I think Helga said your first date was only a week ago… but, well, now here she is thinking about you all the time and asking for dinner with you as one of her birthday presents, and here you are carrying the poor thing home after she passed out in your arms all because you complimented her, and I—"
"Mrs. Pataki?" Arnold finally interjected as politely and modestly as possible, looking up at her, still with a half smile, and knowing where she was going with this…and having an idea of how maybe to explain it at this point in his and Helga's relationship.
The older woman blinked at his voice and looked down at him with an eyebrow raised. "Yes, Arnold?"
Arnold took a breath, glanced down, considered for a moment, and then looked back up at her. 'That's probably the best way to put it, to be honest…' "Um…" he began, "Whatever way Helga's told you she feels about me…is the way I feel about her…" He felt his smile become just a bit goofier… "Minus the few 'nicknames' I'm sure she called me when she was telling you whatever she told you: shrimp, geek, paste for brains, and her favorite, Football Head…" He laughed just a little to himself. "Anyway…" he swallowed and glanced down just a little nervously again, "I know it's a little unusual but…we're really happy like this even if we're a little different." He smiled just a bit more to himself as he finished on that very true note, and his eyes couldn't help but of course fall back to Helga.
Miriam took several seconds to absorb this response from the boy before her. Upon doing so, though, she blinked…and then she smiled back at him... "Hmm…" she paused just a second…just admiring for a moment the clever young man in front of her who obviously cared for her daughter so sincerely. "You know, Arnold…" she began… "Helga's really lucky to have you. And I really do think there's something different about the two of you…something…special."
Arnold, who really had kind of accidentally gotten seriously lost in looking at Helga just now (visions of tuxedos and bridesmaid dresses maybe flitting through the back of his mind), slowly blinked a few times at the sound of Miriam's words, and then let out a sigh and managed to pull his eyes up to her again. "I…" his slightly sheepish smile grew…though at this point he was more or less over any embarrassment, "I think so too, Mrs. Pataki…and I'm really lucky to have Helga also." He then seemed to consider once more…and finally swallowed and tacked on, trying to seem as casual as possible about it, of course, "I guess you could even say that I, uh, LOVE having the chance to get to know her…"
At the word 'love' coming from Arnold's mouth, a still sleeping Helga proceeded to let out a small sigh again and a small laugh… "Arnold…" …as well as another little exclamation of her beloved's name, apparently.
Miriam and Arnold's eyes both blinked and went back to Helga for just a second…and then they smiled at her…and finally looked back to and smiled at each other (Arnold doing his best not to blush too much more).
The moment was broken by the sound of the clock tower chiming ten.
Miriam's eyes went wide and she did her best to shift most of Helga's weight to one of her arms, thus freeing up a hand to quickly push open the Pataki front door once more to let them in. "Goodnight, Arnold!" Miriam whispered quickly to the boy upon her stoop with a smile, "I'll let Olga know things worked out. And thank you again!"
Arnold just smiled and nodded. "Goodnight, Mrs. Pataki…and Helga…" he added to his beloved's sleeping form.
Miriam smiled once more and then entered the Pataki household, and gently closed the door behind her.
Arnold just stood out on the front stoop for another moment or two in the air of the warm spring evening, a content smile on his face.
Then, however, he recalled that, even though the boarding house was only a few minutes away by foot, his own curfew had just struck as well.
And so with a sigh our Football Headed hero began to head down the first few steps back to the sidewalk to commence his journey home…
…When suddenly through an open window near the door…he heard Mr. Pataki speaking. "Hey, Miriam, it's ten already—is the girl home yet?"
Arnold had to pause, feeling his formerly content heart suddenly pound slightly in fear. They may have gotten away with the handoff at the front door but there was NO way Helga's mom had had enough time to put her upstairs in her room yet…which meant Big Bob would see her passed out like that…
'Uh oh…'
Arnold, frozen on the last step of Helga's stoop, listened eagerly…hanging with bated breath on every word that might reach him through the window.
"Oh…well, of course she's home, B—right on time actually!" he heard Miriam to her husband reply in a casual, happy voice.
"Oh, well, that's—hey, what the heck happened to her?" Bob's tone sounded both surprised and just a bit miffed and suspicious to say the least.
"Oh B, don't be so dramatic!" Arnold heard Miriam reassure without missing a beat. "She just came inside and was so tired that before I could even ask her how her night went she practically fell asleep closing the door behind her. I guess she's still getting used to her new later curfew." He heard the older woman then let out a breath before going on (still sounding quite casual, just like before). "Anyway, I just thought I'd bring her upstairs and put her in her bed—no sense in waking her up now, especially with school tomorrow."
There was a moment of silence.
And Arnold didn't breathe at all during it.
"Oh, uh…yeah. Good. Well as long as she's home safe and sound…" Bob's tone was back to normal…
And Arnold released the breath inside of himself…
"And hey that Arnold kid walked her here, didn't he?" Bob's slightly suspicious/defensive tone was back a little bit with this question. "I mean, she wasn't going through these streets at night alone or anything, was she?"
Arnold heard Miriam just laugh in response to the question. "Oh of course not, B! He walked her right up to the stoop—poor boy practically had to prop her up she was so tired." She let out a happy sigh. "Anyway, he thanked us for letting her go with him to the movies and then for dinner, but then he had to get home to make his own curfew."
"Oh…" and once again, Bob sounded appeased and satisfied. "Good, good… Well, at least he's a decent kid." A small chuckle from the back of his throat. "Actually kind of interesting too."
Miriam chuckled as well. "See B, I knew you'd like him if you gave him a chance…"
Arnold was starting to feel a lot better, overall…
"…Our little Helga's boyfriend…"
And now Arnold was feeling panicked beyond all reason again, thanks to this last little addition Miriam had chosen to make to her originally average enough comment.
"Hey, hey, hey!" He heard Bob instantly start. "Don't you think they're a little young for you to be throwing out labels like that, Miriam?"
Miriam Pataki just sighed good-naturedly. "Oh, Bob, I'm just kidding…" She let things linger for just a second, "Still…you have to admit he'd be a good choice for her, wouldn't he? So nice and responsible and caring, and she seems to like him a lot…"
Arnold heard Bob hesitate…but then finally let out a sigh. "Yeah, well…" he began to admit, grumbling a bit, "I guess if they ended up dating or something it couldn't be any worse than some of the disasters we went through with Olga. Yeesh, I'm glad all that's over!"
Miriam's laughter sounded out through the window. "Oh and speaking of Olga, Bob, what did she want to talk to you about, anyway?" The question was asked with a perfectly feigned amount of genuine curiosity, and succeeded at its obviously intended task of moving the conversation along a little now that Miriam had at least introduced the idea of Arnold and Helga as a romantic couple rather than just friends (or at least, Arnold couldn't help but think how much sense the use of this strategy would make…and how probable it was considering the fact that it was coming from the mother of the greatest schemer he'd ever met).
"Huh?" Bob replied at first to the question, but then he recalled his recent phone conversation with this oldest daughter he continued with, "Oh…something about taking over the beeper empire, but then ten minutes into the conversation she decided that it might be better to see how her student teaching this year and then graduating turned out first…" Bob let out a sigh. "Not that I don't love her Miriam, and she is a Pataki, but I think the girl would do much better with the Emporium than Olga."
Miriam Pataki just chuckled to herself once more. "You're probably right, Bob. But like you said Helga's still pretty young—she's got plenty of time to decide what she wants to do with her life."
Arnold heard Bob yawn. "Yeah, I guess so…"
And then Arnold heard Miriam yawn as well. "Well, I'll just get Helga to bed then, and then finish up putting away those dishes."
"Yeah, I think I'll hit the hay pretty soon myself now that she's home. Oh, and uh, Miriam…remind me to set things up for that afternoon off Wednesday so we can watch her game, okay?"
"Sure B. I'll meet you upstairs as soon as I'm done in the kitchen."
"Okay, Miriam."
There were the sounds of someone walking away and then rustling newspaper, and then of Bob mumbling to himself (though it seemed to fade away as the seconds progressed, as though he were walking deeper into the house and away from the open window). "First let me see how much I lost on the spread, though…" was all Arnold could make out before his voice was gone entirely…
Hearing this conversation come to a close (and in his favor, THANKFULLY), Arnold, who had already been smiling more and more at Miriam's quick thinking, finally let out a contented sigh of complete relief now that he knew for sure that he had indeed succeeded in helping keep the end of this night just as perfect as the beginning had been for both himself and Helga.
Indeed, almost floating inside, he hopped down the last step of the stoop and glanced up for just a second at the brownstone behind him until he saw a light come on in one of the house windows (Helga's), stay on for a few moments, and then turn off…
"Goodnight Helga…" he said quietly into the night again.
And then with a smile he turned and began walking back to the boarding house, reflecting, as he did so, on some of the last events of this most recent evening with Helga. "Well, that settles it…" he suddenly found himself saying aloud as an ironic thought to sum up the evening and how grateful he was that it had all worked out popped into his mind, "Helga's knack for crazy schemes and elaborate stories is definitely something she inherited!"
He chuckled to himself at the idea as he finished making his way to Vine Street.
Not too many minutes later, a still smiling Arnold approached his own house and walked up the stoop, opening the door and entering.
"Grandpa, I'm home!" he called out, still with a grin, closing the door behind him.
"Oh, there you are, Shortman!" Phil was just coming down the boarding house stairs, in full nightgown and nightcap (much as Arnold had seen him in upon arriving home last night). He smiled at his grandson. "Enjoy your dinner and date with Helga?"
"Uh huh..." Arnold sighed with an affirmative nod or two…but then blinked and looked up at the old man sincerely, recalling that he was a few minutes behind schedule getting back from said date. "Sorry I'm a couple of minutes late, though, Grandpa…I had to walk Helga home after the movie first and it…um…took a little longer than I expected…" He crossed his arms over his chest and glanced away sheepishly…doing his best not to both laugh and blush at the memory.
Phil just crossed his arms over his chest and gave him an all-knowing smile. "Oh, don't worry about it, Shortman. 10, 10:10…not that big of a difference especially when you've got a lady friend to consider." He winked.
Arnold sighed and did his best to ignore the teasing. "Thanks, Grandpa…" He put his arms behind his back. "And I promise I'll be home at 8 all next week like we agreed. It'll be worth it to have every other night after that be at 10 anyway…" He couldn't help the slightly dreamy smile returning to his face yet again that night as he got lost in some thoughts for a moment…
Phil just watched his grandson in amusement for a second longer and then finally had to chuckle warmly and fully, holding his sides. "Boy has she got you hooked, Shortman! Heh, heh…just like me and Gertie… Boy, I'll tell you, the stories I could…" He sighed and shook his head, feeling some reminisces wash over him.
Arnold blinked a few times, coming back to reality again, and then looked to his grandfather as he found himself suddenly recalling something (considering the mention of the Gertie thing). "Oh, and thanks for the advice about how to handle dinner tonight Grandpa, especially with Helga's Dad… You were right—I just did my best to let him know I cared about Helga and that I'd keep her safe and we actually ended up…kind of sort of getting along." He smiled in interest at the idea.
"Heh, heh…" Phil began in amusement. "No problem, Shortman. Believe me, I've been in your shoes and I know how stressful something like that can be…" He rolled his eyes. "Woo! You think Big Bob Pataki's a handful, you should have met your Grandma's father!" He just shook his head, smiling. "Thought he was going to kill me if I even looked at her the wrong way…" He put a hand on one of his hips. "You know he even asked me my 'intentions' the first time Gertie brought me over at the end of fourth grade…" He shuddered dramatically at the embarrassing memory. "Remind me to fill you in on the details of THAT little escapade sometime, Shortman…" A half smile came to his face and he chuckled once or twice…
Arnold at this point was laughing to himself right along with his grandfather…but then suddenly the mention of hearing another specific story about the Gertie thing for the first time since last night (and since a certain late night conversation with his grandmother), made him smile a bit more and his eyes light up. "Actually…" he began, looking to the old man and trying not to smirk a little, "Speaking of stories like that, Grandpa…I was talking to Grandma about the Gertie thing and she actually said that after I finish hearing all the stories from you I should come to her for the 'truth.'" He tried to keep a straight face, very interested to see what his Grandpa's reaction would be to this comment from his Grandma.
Phil's laughter instantly ceased and then suddenly his jaw dropped in total disbelief (all of this was incredibly amusing to Arnold, by the way). Then the old man blinked and put his hands on his hips, scowling slightly and looking off into the distance. "Oh the 'truth' huh? Yeah, because I wouldn't know the truth—I was just the one getting pushed in the dirt and tattled on to the teacher and insulted and mocked and berated and tricked into kissing her and—"
Arnold blinked, his own eyes now going a bit wide. "Wait!" he had to interject, "Yours tricked you into kissing her too?"
Phil blinked again at the exclamation from his grandson, but then rolled his eyes and resumed his scowling once more. "Oh you bet, Shortman! That and everything else she could come up with! Oh but SHE knows the truth, not me! Well that does it!" And then all of a sudden he glanced up and over his shoulder toward the boarding house stairs. "Pookie, are you still awake?" he suddenly cried out. "We're going to have this out right here and now about all that stuff when we were kids! And I don't care what time it is—I mean it! I'm calling you out, Gertie!"
Arnold, whose smile had been growing considerably and regularly at this reaction of his grandfather's to this comment of his Grandma, had to let his eyes go quite wide at the sudden and TOTALLY unprecedented use of the woman in question's actual name. "Grandpa…" his tone was completely disbelieving, and understandably so… "you just…called Grandma 'Gertie'! I mean…you didn't call her 'Pookie'!" And in truth Arnold could not recall a single time in his life when his grandfather had ever not referred to his grandmother by that nickname.
Phil just looked back down at his grandson, still scowling, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh well if we're going to get back into everything that happened during the first half of elementary school then we're going whole hog, Arnold! That means no cute nicknames from me—"
"And no just plain 'Phil' from me, I suppose…isn't that right, Popsicle Chin?"
At the sound of his wife's voice somewhere nearby…and at what she'd just called him…Phil just closed his eyes and smacked a hand to his forehead. "Oh for the love of…" He let out a very VERY exasperated sigh.
Arnold then watched as a laughing Gertie suddenly came the rest of the way down the boarding house stairs. She smiled at Phil as she entered the foyer, moving herself so that she was beside him, a very smug smirk upon her face. "What—were you banking on a few decades of senility meaning I'd forgotten?" She crossed her arms over her chest, yawning. "Now…what's the problem here?"
Phil let out a sigh and turned to Gertie, giving her a look, his hands on his hips. "Well, young Arnold," he gestured back to the ten-year-old boy in question with one of his hands, "seems to have been put under the impression that you know the story about how we met better than I do…"
"Well…" Gertie just shrugged and glanced away innocently enough, putting her arms behind her back, "I was the one who knew what was going on between us quite a few years before you did, so…"
"Now that is not the point and you know it!" Phil cut her off, only getting more and more annoyed by how innocent and casual she was trying to sound. He threw his arms up in the air in a gesticulation, eyes widening. "Do you know how big of an ordeal it is to get tortured by a girl for over half your life and then to have her suddenly smooch you one day and tell you it's all because she wants to marry you?" The hands went back on his hips. "Now if there's any experience that needs to be told from our childhoods it's that one!"
Gertie, however, continued not to take the bait, and instead just sighed patiently at him, almost shaking her head in amusement. "Oh Phil…now I don't remember everything about when we were little, but I do know that I did not say I wanted to 'marry you'…I was never THAT dramatic." She rolled her eyes, still smiling innocently, and letting out a small (obviously just slightly mocking) chuckle…
Phil instantly blinked and his jaw almost fell again. "What the—yes you DID!" He pointed right at her. "And you were so that dramatic! Heck on our first date you practically jumped me right in the boarding house living room just for another kiss. Cheese and crackers, woman, I still don't know how I survived that transition from mortal enemies to dating!"
A still amused Gertie just laughed to herself and waved him off. "Oh you're losing your memory a bit, Phil…I might have tried to hold your hand or something but I'm pretty sure you're the one who tried to kiss me on that first date." And then a small smirk was back on her face. "Besides, if I remember correctly, I might have told you I liked you first but you were the one who'd been liking me for years without admitting it to yourself. You told me that on the second date."
Phil rolled his eyes again but at the same time couldn't help swallowing and a touch of that conviction leaving his eyes at the excellent and slightly embarrassing point she had just made. Still, he did his best to stand his ground. "Okay, that is being taken totally out of context, and besides you…you know you had it bad for me from the first day you met me just like you said in your confession!" He smiled, liking suddenly turning the tables in his favor once again. "Now that I remember every word of—and don't try and deny it because that night's been permanently engrained into my head for the last seventy three years! Grabbing hold of me in the basement of this place like that all because I caught you down there trying to find that foundation stone to prove this building was a landmark and couldn't get torn down just so I wouldn't have to move!"
Gertie, however, despite this point, was still maintaining her slightly patronizing strategy. "Oh Phil, Phil, Phil…" she shrugged, "Who can remember who said what anymore?" She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled happily at him. "Point is, somehow we ended up together and here we are now. Besides, I didn't mean anything by telling Arnold to come to me for the truth—just that if he had both sides of the story maybe he could get a clearer picture. Wouldn't you like that, Arnold?" Gertie finally looked to her Grandson with a smile.
Arnold, meanwhile, had just been watching this entire little exchange going on between his grandparents with his mouth agape in shock and disbelief…and his smile seriously growing. At suddenly being addressed, though, he couldn't help but look once more to his grandmother and then to his grandfather…and then suddenly burst into warm laughter, holding his sides, his eyes shut happily.
"See!" Phil suddenly announced, gesturing with an arm to the ten-year-old boy currently in hysterics before him, "The boy sees how ridiculous you are and now he's losing his marbles!"
Gertie just put her hands behind her back coyly once again and gave him a half smile. "Whatever you say, Popsicle Chin…"
Arnold, meanwhile, managed to get his laughter under control (though these last two comments from his grandfather and his grandmother didn't help much). "Actually, Grandpa…" he looked to the old man with a smile, "I was thinking about asking Helga to come over next Friday after school to hear some stories from Grandma if she has time to tell them…but…is there any way both of you could tell them to us?" He looked from his Grandpa to his Grandma hopefully. "I mean, I think Grandma's right…I think it definitely would give us a, um…a better picture of things…hearing what both of you have to say…" 'Yeah,' he tried very hard not to break into laughter again, 'Not only of how history is repeating itself with me and Helga but of how we could look in seventy years…' Not to mention, Arnold just knew that Helga would just love coming over for something like that! After all, she was the one who already had them all planned out with being married and having kids…throwing in the idea of grandkids for her to think about probably wouldn't be too much of a stretch for her… Arnold had to let out a small chuckle at the back of his throat and did his best not to ignore the quick blush he felt tinge his features.
Upon Arnold finishing his suggestion, meanwhile, Phil just blinked, a blank look on his face at first at the unexpected idea… But then after a second or two to absorb the plan as well as the reasoning behind it…he couldn't help but lose the scowl…and allow a small smile to replace it. He then turned back to his still half grinning wife, grinning now himself quite a bit. "Well…" and suddenly his tone was much kinder and happier, like usual when he spoke to her, "What do you say, Ger—uh, Pookie?" He then rubbed the back of his neck, looking at her just a bit sheepishly as he suddenly realized just how much he had allowed her to rile him about the past and just how silly it all really was when you got down to it. He continued, gesturing back toward Arnold with his head. "The boy and the girl could use a history lesson and, like you said, maybe coming from both of us it would make a lot more sense…"
Gertie just responded by laughing warmly and giving him a wink. "Sounds good to me, partner!" And then she suddenly took a few steps back, opened the hall closet, reached inside and pulled out a cowboy hat and popped it on her head. "Now, come on—we've got a cattle drive at 7 AM tomorrow and we wanna be up plenty early to have breakfast ready for the ranchers! Yee haw!" And with that and a quick wink to Arnold just when Phil had his eyes shut and was rubbing his temples, she galloped upstairs.
"Arnold…" Phil began in a level voice the second she was gone, finally opening his eyes.
"Yes, Grandpa?" Arnold asked curiously, raising an eyebrow, and trying not to laugh at his grandmother's antics.
"So…is it true that you know she's just acting now too?"
A silence passed during which Arnold's eyes went completely wide and his jaw absolutely fell. "Grandpa…WHAT?"
Phil just let out a sigh and rolled his eyes, and then turned back to look to his grandson. "The fact that all the random themes and play acting and holiday shenanigans are all an act just to get under my skin: you know now, right?" He grinned just slightly, crossing his arms over his chest.
'But how…I…huh?' Arnold but a hand to his head, blinking several times. "Uh…yes…but…Grandpa, how do you—"
Phil scoffed and raised an eyebrow, and explained. "Arnold, now, you're talking to a trained professional here. After seventy years you become sort of an expert on the person whose life goal it is to torture you with love…" He smiled to himself. "And also, when Suzie first moved in here and found out she felt bad for me one day and filled me in officially…"
Arnold still looked just utterly confused, to say the least. And indeed, he was… "But then why…why do you go along with it like you don't know?" Arnold recalled all those years of his Grandpa faking like he believed the holidays were mixed up and acting annoyed when his Grandma would take things to an extreme or just now getting in that fight with her. And he especially recalled this morning's little Hawaii escapade… "I mean, this morning you—she…she did all of that stuff and you just acted like you…I mean, you really seemed like you believed her this time, like you weren't just humoring her, and…." He was still having trouble processing how all of this could logically work out.
Phil just gave his grandson an all-knowing smile, and shook his head in amusement in amusement as he proceeded to elaborate further. "Well, Arnold…" he let out a sigh and then reached forward, putting a hand on the still confused young boy's shoulder, "You know, the whole thing in general and how it got started is a long story of us playing little games with each other from the time we were kids until it just…escalated, I guess. Oh but as for this morning, well…" he had to chuckle to himself and roll his eyes. "I'll admit she really had me going for a while there—coming out of nowhere with that intense of a ruse...And then all of a sudden acting like it never happened! I really was thinking for a second there that she'd finally actually lost it a little bit, but…" he let out a sheepish sigh, "I guess, after all of these years of experience I probably should have been tipped off by how specifically she was following only me around (just like when we were kids, heh heh!), and how stubborn she was about finding any random Hawaii-based excuse for not waking you up…and of course by how she chose just the moment when everyone else came on the scene to go back to acting 'normal'…"
He was just absentmindedly shaking his head in serious amusement at this point. Suddenly recalling that he had been in the middle of answering a question for young Arnold though, he blinked a couple of times and turned his attentions back to his grandson. "But, anyway, the bottom line is…well, your grandma's always liked getting one up on me, Shortman…It's fun for her and it keeps things interesting around here—you have to admit that!" He winked. "And besides, it…let's her be creative…" he smiled just a bit more to himself, and for a moment his eyes seemed lost in some memories, "And that's…one of the reasons I fell in love with her in the first place, Shortman."
Arnold absorbed his grandfather's response…
And then of course he smiled as well…more than completely understanding.
It took Phil a second but eventually he came out of his private thoughts and winked at his intrigued and history-repeating grandson. "Now you just don't mention this to her or any of the other boarders, though, okay Shortman? Don't want to spoil the game now, do we?"
Arnold nodded and did his best not to chuckle. "Okay, Grandpa."
"Saddle up, cowpokes! Time to hit the hay!"
Phil laughed warmly to himself just as Gertie gave this final cattle call from the second floor landing. He then turned to look back over his shoulder in that direction with a sigh. "Oh and Arnold?" he added before pursuing his wife's jesting voice.
Arnold's grin picked up on one side and he raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Grandpa?"
Phil couldn't help his smile growing as a he closed his eyes and brought a hand to one of his temples. "Make sure you develop a really good sense of humor from being with Helga…especially if you and her really do turn out to be like me and your Grandma… You'll need it—trust me." And with these words he shook his head and approached the stairs, holding up one of his hands around the outside of his mouth so his voice would carry better. "Okay, Pookie—we're heading off to sleep soon, and I'll be sure to have the horses trotted and the cow hands ready as soon after sunup as possible!" He turned back to his grandson and winked. "Goodnight Arnold…" he whispered, "At least we might have western omelets to look forward to tomorrow…" He then winced slightly…"Or horse meat…depending on how far she wants to go with the joke."
Suddenly the sound of Phil's stomach rumbling caused him to grab his abdomen and a distressed look to come to his face. "Ooo, I knew I shouldn't have had that third leftover raspberry turnover for dessert… Oh well, at least there's no way there can be fruit during tomorrow's breakfast…" he stomach grumbled low and sick again, "Ugh, unless she makes some trailmix with dried raspberries thrown in for flavor and doesn't tell me… That's another game with us by the way, Arnold—torturing me with the fruit I love that hates me!" He did his best to wink and smile once more at the ten-year-old boy as his stomach gave another audible lurch. "Anyway, gotta go, Shortman, and remember—NEVER eat raspberries!" And with that bit of familiar (and apparently sound) advice, Phil dashed off to the bathroom. "Unless it's to get a smile out of someone you love of course!" he then randomly added before shutting the door to the basement behind him.
Watching his grandfather go off and taking in his words, Arnold just chuckled, then smiled and then finally just shook his head and walked forward and began ascending the stairs to the second floor landing which would then eventually lead him to his room. As he made his way through the hall, he couldn't help but recall with anticipation the story telling session his grandparents had promised to hold for him and Helga…and his already quite wide smile only grew. "Helga's just really going to love that, isn't she…?"
A few more seconds passed while he walked past the boarders various doors, and then Arnold laughed once more as another thought came to him while he finally pulled down the ladder leading to his room. "Hmm…I wonder how much she'll remember from tonight and how much she'll think was a dream?" He sighed and began to climb…and felt himself blush just a bit. "Well, as long as she at least remembers we had a good time at dinner and the movies, that's alright with me…" He felt the heat of his blush increase just a little as he couldn't help but add to himself, finally making it to the floor of his room, "But…I really do hope she remembers the stuff after that, though…" He recalled that kiss she'd surprised him with…and then his undeniable urge to dip her back like he'd done…and really did hope she would recall it. After all… "I don't know when I'll get the courage to do something like that again…" And yet somehow he knew that that little piece of himself that had come up with doing that to her in the first place probably had quite a few more little daring acts in store for his and Helga's relationship… Only time would tell though, he guessed…
Quietly closing his door behind him, Arnold's eyes instantly and almost unavoidably fell to Helga's pink books in their familiar place near on the shelf his bedside. He let out a content, romantic sigh. "And also, if she remembers the last part of tonight…well, then I bet I'll have plenty more pink books to look at on Friday…"
He laughed to himself just a little as he took a few minutes to quickly change into his pajamas and then crawled into his warm bed, shutting out his lights with his remote and gently taking and holding one of Helga's pink books near him (just as he'd done last night) as drifted off to sleep…saying her name quietly to himself with a smile every now and again, of course, as sleep started to set in…and maybe something else as his dreams took over his thoughts…
"Helga!" A goofy chuckle. "No more kisses for now—come on, we can't really just let him be named Brainy…" The ten-year-old boy laughed in his slumber in the darkness… "What about Arnie?" He chuckled again and gave a small snore once. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry…you choose, but for real this time, alright? And I'll choose for the girl…" He sighed…and then laughed warmly just a little… "Hey, what about Eleanor?"
All in all, it was a very pleasant end to a very pleasant weekend.
And it would be interesting to see what Monday would bring….
(After all, Arnold was now officially more than okay with concept of marrying Helga…even finally fully understanding just how permanent, significant and serious that concept was for her… That HAD to be able to bring some fun come the next time they would meet…!)
A/N:
Alright so next up is two chapters dealing with Arnold and Helga's Monday :) Oh yes, we get to see them in school together and then maybe a little something in the morning they have to settle… ;) The drafts for both of these chapters are a little shorter than usual so hopefully they won't take forever to edit, lol. Anyway, thanks for reading and I really do hope you guys liked it and please oh please oh PLEASE review :)
Happy Reading!
~Azure129 aka Jenna
AXH FOREVER!