A/N:
Hi everyone! Happy New Year! I know I said I'd try to get this up before December was over but some stuff came up and also this is a very long chapter (close to 50,000 words XD) so sorry about the delay of a day and I hope you enjoy :) Please review! Thank you! Also, I've got some stuff to say about when the next update might be that I'll put in the closing A/N so please read that if you're curious about when the next chapter will be posted. Thank you!
Also, there are a few things in this chapter that are based upon ideas I got from other sources XD I'll mention them more specifically in the closing A/N because if I describe to you the stuff I wrote that was inspired by other things/people then it'll give away stuff of course ;)
Alright, here we go!
LEARNING TO BE HELGA
Chapter 24:
Arnold's Anniversary Date for Helga
Dear Helga:
Please go over to the side of the boarding house and use the fire escape to climb to my roof. You'll see why once you get up there. I'll be looking forward to seeing you soon!
Love…and hugs…and kisses…lots of kisses…Did I mention love?
Arnold
Upon exiting Olga's car, walking over to the boarding house stoop, and now reading this note that had been left for her taped to the front door, Helga G. Pataki had to just smile and roll her eyes. "He is SO ridiculous!" She sighed to herself and shrugged… "But so cute!" she had to add to herself with a little giggle. "Eh, whatever…" She folded up the little note and put it into her small white purse (Olga's idea) and indeed started to walk over to the fire escape as per Arnold's instructions. She paused before starting her ascent though and glanced up at the somewhat long climb to the roof and then down at her red, strappy shoes (the ones from her Cecile costume that she knew Arnold especially liked and that she had been wanting to wear for a special occasion like this one). She frowned slightly. "I just hope I don't trip with these stupid things in the dark…" On an average afternoon she actually probably could have whisked her way up this ladder in shoes like these, no problem, but night had already more than fallen now and the streetlight out in front of Arnold's wasn't exactly a spotlight right on the segments of the thin, slightly rickety ladder that she would have to ascend. Still though, having to take her time climbing up the side of a building was not about to keep Helga G. Pataki from the first night of her one month anniversary date with Arnold. And so she quickly straightened her skirt, brush a few strands of hair behind one of her ears, put a determined smile on her face and then gripped the sides of the ladder and started to carefully head upward.
Making it to the first and then second landing of her beloved's fire escape, Helga couldn't help but smile and mumble to herself a little. "Why do I have the feeling that random shenanigans and spontaneous make out sessions are mere seconds away from ensuing?" She laughed warmly to herself at the idea as she got her hands on the roof ledge and pushed herself over. "Oh well, at least I know it'll never be a dull evening with good old Football He—" She stopped speaking as she stood up and dusted herself off and saw the full roof now…and her jaw dropped.
The entire place was lit up with candles glowing softly under the stars, in the middle of the roof was a small table set up with two chairs and a candle in the center along with a vase with a single rose in it, and two place settings…and to the side of it all was a grand piano, all polished and aglow…with her beloved sitting at the bench, tinkering a little at the keys with some light, soft melody.
"Oh…my…" softly escaped Helga's agape mouth and she blinked a few times as she finished taking in all there was around her.
Though soft, her small exclamation was enough to catch Arnold's ear and right away his fingers stopped playing with the keys and he turned around on the bench and stood up, his face aglow with a smile. Helga took a moment to take in how dapper he looked in his black dress pants and white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows (his black jacket was understandably laid out on the end of the piano bench considering the slight warmth of the summer night), and black tie fastened on his neck, and hair slightly combed back (the little blue cap still in place though, tilted slightly to the side naturally).
She came out of her thoughts on his appearance as her beloved greeted her with a smile. "Hi Helga…do you like it? I…"
And then Arnold was the one to stop talking now…and he gulped…and blushed…and all at the mere sight of the girl who had just entered his world for the evening…
Her soft blond hair was pulled back in a loose yet stylish bun with two little golden ringlets framing her face, her pink bow was fastened atop her head (as per usual) but she also had a couple of fake little white daisies stuck here and there for an added effect that was positively lovely…
And that was just her head…which would have normally made Arnold a little goofy, yes, but…the total silence and all the blushing was specifically in regards to what was below her head. She was wearing heeled shoes and doing so always angled her stance in a very noticeable and leg-lengthening way… Up a bit higher she had on a pink skirt that fell a little above her knees and fanned out in a lovely way from her waist. And then above that was the really 'fun' part for our football headed hero: she was wearing a red, soft looking top that clung very nicely to her, as did most things, but the collar…it wasn't so much 'low cut' as just…it was wide and very open and made the tops of her short, slightly ruffled sleeves cling to the bottoms of her shoulders, leaving all of her neck, all of her collar and most of the tops of her shoulders exposed…and Arnold had never seen that much of her or any girl for that matter. 'Wow…' flashed through his mind with a blink.
Meanwhile, across the roof Helga was starting to take a few, slow steps forward, and she continued to gaze with an awed smile all around at the lovely atmosphere her sweet prince had spent his afternoon setting up all for them. "Oh Arnold, I…it…It's wonderful!" She positively beamed and then looked over to him from her place mid-roof now, and crossed her arms over her chest, grinning at him. "You are getting seriously good at this boyfriend thing, Football Head. Candle light? Dinner under the stars? And a piano too? So very charming…" She giggled a little and winked at him playfully.
Arnold, however, was still just watching her with a deep little blush, though he did at least manage to blink a few times and swallow at being addressed by her.
Helga smiled more (with a touch of curiosity now) and took a few more steps toward him and the piano coyly. "Uh, Arnold? You who? You okay? Earth to Football Head, come in, Football Head. It's date night."
At a direct approach toward him now being added to her speaking to him, Arnold cleared his throat and gave one final blink and finally seemed to come out of something. He let out a breath and leaned back a little against the edge of the piano to steady himself. He did his best to speak calmly and casually to her but…the several cracks his voice couldn't help but make as he went along gave away his fluster entirely. "O-Oh, um…Yeah, I'm okay…I just, um…that's a…pretty…outfit…and shirt…I-I can…um…I-It's very… 'g-grown up', Helga…Heh…" He smiled a little sheepishly…and then he sighed a little and added, knowing he had failed horribly at not seeming rather overwhelmed at her beauty, "A-And, um, of course I'm sure we'd all 'enjoy' any teasing you might like to give me about finding you so pretty at the moment but, if it could be kept to a minimum so that we have enough time to fit in everything tonight, I would appreciate it." He looked to her with a sincere little smile and then went forward from the piano, took one of her hands, picked it up, and gave it a gentle kiss.
Helga, however, had had ZERO plans to torture him about being attracted to her right now, and especially considering the reasons for his spaziness that he had just communicated to her. To be honest, at the back of her mind she had been hoping that Arnold wouldn't make a big deal about the 'grown up-ness' of this particular new outfit but especially of the top of it once he saw it. Not that the top wasn't pretty, to be sure, but Helga couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit uncomfortable and self-conscious wearing it…However, when she had tried it on at the mall a few days ago during their shopping spree together, Olga had insisted that it looked 'just adorable' on her and that in addition her 'baby sister' was getting a lot older and more grown-up, what with having a boyfriend now and also being almost done with elementary school after all, so something showing off her natural prettiness a little extra was more than appropriate.
And so, in a nut shell, Helga had decided to give wearing it a shot…though she really was still on the fence about it. In response to Arnold, she shrugged her shoulders (causing the top of the sleeves to come up over them a little more) and crossed her arms more tightly over her chest. "O-Oh…Uh…thanks, A-Arnold. Sh-Shopping trip with Olga, heh…A-And, uh, you got it, n-no teasing, I-I'm starving anyway!" She smiled at her last observation to lighten the mood and then quickly cleared her throat and decided to do her best to move things along to another topic (and person) before she got too self-conscious. "Oh and, um, speaking of nice outfits, I'm happy you took my tip about the suit and the tie for tonight…very sharp, Football Head!" She winked at him. Then her eyes stuck on something for a moment…before lighting up and looking back into his green ones and even uncrossing her arms to put her hands on her hips (her own nervousness forgotten for a moment.) "Arnold, that's not…the tie you wore on FTi, is it?" She had to smirk, the idea of that was too cute!
Arnold (who had noted Helga's nervousness about his comment on the maturity level of her outfit, and who had already decided to try and not bring it up again for the rest of the night for the sake of her comfort since she had the right to a little modesty as well in certain situations) had to blush slightly and adjust his tie at her correct and keen observation. "Oh, uh…yeah." He smiled more. "I just…thought it'd be nice considering the occasion…Maybe bring me some good luck." He blushed and smiled at her and glanced down…and then his smile grew as something caught his eyes. "Helga, are…are those the…" he had been so distracted with her hair and skirt and top that he hadn't even truly noticed her feet… "…are those our Chez Paris shoes? Your shoe and the one you gave me that I gave you back?" He felt his heart flutter at the whole romantic concept as he looked to her hopefully.
Helga had to blink and then instantly giggle at the question and the adorably excited tone in which it was asked. She nodded to him and shrugged a little. "Yup. You know me, Arnold—I love irony. Plus, hey, they were the only ones that went with the rest of the outfit. " She smiled hopefully to him now and added softly and with just a touch of shyness that she couldn't help, "Do…you really like it all though, Arnold?"
Arnold just smiled at her with his familiar half lidded gaze and nodded, looking into her lovely blue eyes. "Of course, Helga…I really do." He continued to gaze sweetly at her for another moment but then blinked as he finally noticed one other thing she seemed to have with her tonight. "A…purse?" He had to raise an eyebrow as he looked from it back to her.
Helga blinked at the observation and then couldn't help but smile and roll her eyes and chuckle a little. "Olga wouldn't let me out of the house without it," she explained. "Seriously, she treats accessorizing like it's an art form." Helga sighed and shrugged, sitting down on an end of the piano bench and looking up to her beloved. "But I mean, really, what am I going to use it for? The only make-up I've got is what Olga managed to throw on me when I was in the middle of getting ready—"
"Well, now that you bring it up and now that you're close enough for me to really notice…" Arnold began, sitting down beside her on the piano bench, "…I WAS going to point out that little bit of a sparkle on your eyelashes…the pretty touch of powder pink on your cheeks…and as usual our old friend, that lip gloss…" His smile picked up on one side and he couldn't help but chuckle a tiny bit, a little blush coming to his features again. Yes, at first tonight the sight of Helga had been a lot for him, just as loving her had been a lot for him at the start of their relationship, but now, both at this point in the start of their date and at this point in their relationship, he just felt more calm and happy to be around her than anything else.
Helga felt herself blush more and she glanced away with a touch of a coy smile. "Oh, uh, yeah…heh, heh, my crazy sister and her nutty ideas about my appearance…Once I let her start she never wants to stop…"
Arnold smiled a little more at her…and for a moment he thought there was something else a little different about her appearance tonight too though it was hard to place…though perhaps that had something to do with the fact that the lighting near the piano was minimal and shadowy at best. Oh well, they would go over to the table shortly as soon as dinner was ready to be served and then maybe he could put his finger on what it was, he decided to himself.
"So…planning to serenade me or something, Casanova?"
Arnold blinked at the unexpected question, coming out of his thoughts about her to look to Helga (who was smirking at him a tiny bit at the moment). "Huh?" he merely said back in confusion.
Helga chuckled a little and turned around on the bench to face the large instrument behind them. "The piano, paste for brains. What's up with that? I thought Gerald was the one geeky enough to play the piano, not you," she couldn't help but add playfully with an extra little laugh and smirk.
Arnold blinked again and then smiled, understanding now. "Oh, the piano…" He shrugged and turned around on the bench as well now, "No, I…hadn't thought about a serenade actually…I just thought it'd be a nice addition to everything. I guess it might have been a little silly though to get it cleaned up and take the tarp off of it and everything now that I really think about it…" He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "You're right; Gerald's the one who can play piano. I know a couple of things that my Grandma's taught me and that Gerald's taught me and even that Dino Spumoni's taught me but I can't really do more than play around on it…" Smiling, Arnold reached out his hands to a couple of sets of keys and began to gently move here and there along the scales. It wasn't a song or anything but it did sound nice, airy, freeing…
Helga had been smiling at him for most of his explanation. However, the mention of Dino Spumoni…or any Spumoni for that matter…from him her eyes had gone wide and she had inaudibly gasped. For a few seconds she just sat watching Arnold's innocently smiling face as he played, looking for any sign that he had mentioned the Spumoni family for a certain reason…perhaps involving a certain pair of snow boots from last Christmas that he had been getting awfully close to getting to the truth about on the playground earlier today.
However, the seconds passed and Helga couldn't pick up a single trace of a lie or anything suspicious in Arnold's face. She let out a small sigh of relief and looked to the piano herself, reaching out a hand and playing lightly upon a set of keys at her own end.
Arnold caught her little sigh and glanced to her. "Something on your mind, Helga?"
Helga looked to him with a smile, seeming very at peace at the moment. She shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Arnold. It's nothing…Oh and the piano really was a nice detail, Football Head, whether you can play it or not. Though I think you seem to at least know the basics from the way you're touching the keys…" She looked closely at his hands and then at the rest of him. "Your posture's good too…I bet if you took some time and really wanted to, you could learn how to play pretty quickly, Arnold. Heck, it only took Olga one summer when I was little to teach me how to play and I'm the most stubborn child on the planet—at least you'd be a willing participant for whoever taught you." Helga chuckled at the idea, reaching out her other hand now to join her first one in playing with the piano keys a little.
"Really? You can play, Helga?" Arnold looked to her with a pleasantly interested smile. Something he hadn't known about her…yet he felt like he must know everything about her. It was strange yet charming.
Helga smiled a little more and looked to him again. "Technically, yes. I'm no concert pianist like Olga, of course, but I can get by, fake my way through some things. I usually don't bother though, just on principle. She taught me when I was six and I REALLY did not want to learn." Helga couldn't help but laugh to herself a little at the memory. "Oh brother, I threw such a tantrum every single time she dragged me to that stupid piano. I guess she just really wanted to spend time with me and share a part of her life or something but mostly I just wanted her to leave me the heck alone so I could practice my penmanship for writing love poems about a certain someone…" She leaned across the bench and gave Arnold a playful little nudge. Then she chuckled more and sat back up straight and shrugged. "Eh, but, yeah, she taught me…and I give her credit for managing it." She let out a sigh and shook her head to herself, messing around (a tiny bit more intricately now) on the keys.
A wide smile soon followed on Arnold's face and he just had to ask… "Oh…well…in that case, I…don't suppose you'd let me hear you play…just as a one-time exception to your principle…just for me?"
Helga smiled more to herself, having anticipated that request a mile away. She glanced at him. "Right now? Absolutely not. I don't practice, Arnold, and I don't have any sheet music and I can only remember a few measures here or there off the top of my head of any pieces…" Then she shrugged and added, "But, uh…over the summer sometime possibly? And if we were alone and if you promised not to expect it from me much in our lives or to tell Geraldo or Olga about it? Yeah, sure, why the heck not." She winked at him.
Arnold's smile beamed a little bit and he chuckled. "Thanks, Helga."
She smiled, and chuckled right back. "Don't mention it, Football Head."
For a moment there was quiet, save for the tinkling of piano keys…and Arnold was not looking away from Helga or breaking his wide smile.
Helga couldn't help but notice and then smile a little more at him and look to him curiously. "Arnoldo? What's up?"
He sighed, still smiling. "Sorry, Helga…just…doing some thinking myself. It's not important for right now though, I promise." He winked at her, unable to help himself.
Helga found his reply cute and still smiled at him, though she really was very very curious. But still maybe he was just flirting or being sweet…She decided to just roll her eyes at him, write it off as his loopyness, and to go back to enjoying their piano time.
"Knock, knock! Are my two favorite cowpokes ready and rarin' to go for some fresh grub?" the warm and familiar voice of an old woman suddenly asked following the sound of a pane in Arnold's skylight ceiling opening up.
Arnold and Helga smiled and turned to see Gertie climbing out onto the roof with a couple of covered silver platters in her hands. Instantly both kids were up from their bench and walking over to help her, each taking a tray in their hands and giving Gertie the chance to get a better grip upon the covered pitcher she also had with her and to climb out completely onto the roof to join them.
"Hi Gertie! How's it going?" Helga asked brightly. Then she caught a bit of a scent from the covered tray in her hands and inhaled deeply, her smile growing. "Oh wow, that smells good…"
Gertie smiled and headed over to their table to put down the pitcher (she had a cowboy hat on her head this evening, Helga noticed with a little extra smile). "Well, I reckon I'm fine, Eleanor. And I'm glad you like the smell…" having set up the pitcher she turned back to the young blond girl and smiled, gesturing with a jerk of her thumb to Arnold, "Tex has been helping me make it all day. I offered to do the whole thing for him while he was busy setting up stuff up here but he's stubborn as a mule sometimes—insisted that if he was old enough to have a girlfriend he was sure as shootin' old enough to cook for her."
Helga beamed a little and glanced at Arnold with an appreciative smirk. She put on the tiniest bit of a southern accent and couldn't help but reply, looking at her beloved the whole time, "Well, golly, that sure was sweet of my favorite little ranch hand."
She giggled a little and winked at Arnold who just rolled his eyes and blushed a little and shook his head. "Yes, well, anything for the local farmer's daughter who keeps mercilessly flirting with me," he managed to reply just barely without bursting into laughter before walking over to their table and setting down his own tray and then turning back to her with a grin.
Helga giggled a lot, unable to help it, and then just shook her head and walked over to the table to put down her own tray as well. "Cute, 'Tex', very cute…"
Gertie chuckled at the two children. "Well, aren't you both just sweeter than two cubes in a sugar bowl! Have fun on your date, you two!" She started to walk away from the table, giving them a little wave. She paused though before turning back to the skylight and looked to her grandson with a little smirk. "Oh and, Tex?"
Arnold smiled back at her and nodded. "Yes, Grandma?"
Gertie gestured to the skylight with her thumb. "The head hombre and I have another little bet going about what time you two'll be done tonight…you remember, just like with your one week anniversary date?" She chuckled a little to herself. "I bet that since this little dinner of yours up here is starting at 7, it'll probably be done by 9 and then you two cowpokes will head downstairs to finish celebratin' in Tex's room or wherever you can find some privacy in the house, but your Grandpa's swearin' that no matter what time your dinner starts you two'll get so lost in each other that you'll stay up here until Eleanor's sister pulls up to the curb at 10! And of course his ego's still a little bruised from losing the one week anniversary bet about when you two would be done with things, so, Tex, if you could try and find 'something' to do with Helga up here for the next three hours straight so that old Popsicle Chin he feels a little better about himself and wins this, it would sure be nice and I reckon I'd plumb appreciate it! The one of us who gets closest to the time without going over is the winner!" And with that and a wink and without waiting for a reply from the now rather flustered kids, Gertie turned and headed the rest of the way back to the open skylight pane. "Enjoy your dinner, Tex and Eleanor! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" she announced giddily before slipping back inside, laughing maniacally.
A blushing Arnold and Helga were left in silence for a moment.
And then of course Helga turned back to Arnold with a playful smirk.
And of course Arnold just sighed and bashfully smiled and gave her a little shrug. "Heh…my grandparents. Always teasing…"
Helga just laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Football Head—you know as well as I do that it'll take everything we've got to keep everything we could do together UNDER three hours." She winked at him playfully.
Arnold just sighed and blushed a little more, looking at her with a touch of shyness and modesty. "Yeah, I know…But I'm Arnold, Helga, I don't like to presume things…"
Helga just laughed more and waved him off, putting her hands on her hips. "Yeah, well, I'm Helga and I like to just tell it like it is." She sighed then, rolling her eyes to the side dramatically. "But anyway, enough of your modesty that I'm sure I'll manage to break down before we get two bites into this dinner. Let's get to the grub!" And with that she pulled the cover off of her own tray, revealing a couple of buttermilk biscuits, some mashed potatoes and peas and corn with butter, and several pieces freshly fried chicken. Helga blinked and then grinned widely and rubbed her hands together. "Boss! Football Head, you seriously helped cook this? It looks great!" She put a hand on the arm of her chair to begin pulling it out so that she could sit down…
She was cut off in the action though by Arnold instantly dashing around to her side of the table and pulling out her chair for her with a charming smile. He nodded to her, his wide head leaning over her shoulder, the familiar charming smile upon his face. "Thank you, Helga. I…I decided to make fried chicken for you because it was the first meal you ever ate here with me…You remember, back during the poetry tutoring? On the first day we had lunch with the boarders and it was this. So I'm happy you like it. Oh and also, allow me…" He bowed a little and gestured for her to sit in the chair, which he would then push in for her.
At his cute little explanation and gesture Helga just about melted, blushing gently in her cheeks and sitting down. She felt her chair get pushed in and couldn't help letting out a tiny giggle at having that done for her. Normally if he tried something like that she would tease him about being overly chivalrous and just grab the chair herself and yank it in but…just this once…with herself in a skirt and blouse and he in a suit and tie, with a candlelight dinner before them…a one month anniversary being celebrated… 'Eh, why not make an exception?' She giggled to herself a little more as she settled into her chair, and then looked to her beloved with an appreciative smile and a romantic gaze. "Thank you, darling…for the food and the chair. It's all very sweet of you, my sentimental little Football Head."
A slightly blushing Arnold gave her a nod. "You're welcome, Helga." Then he leaned over and gave her a little kiss on the cheek before slipping back around to his side of the table and taking his own seat, removing the cover from his tray as well. "Oh and to drink we have lemonade just like at our first lunch here together." He picked up the pitcher and leaned across the table a little towards her to pour her some. "Would you like some, Helga?" He smiled at her.
Helga nodded, leaning on a table a little towards him. "Sure, Football Head. I could go for a glass."
Arnold smiled more and poured the lemonade, his eyes not leaving her as he did so…though as the glass filled the look on his face started to shift a little. He finished up pouring and put down the pitcher for a moment back at the center of the table…but still his eyes didn't leave her.
Of course, by now, Helga had started to notice him looking at her face like she had a third eye growing out of her forehead or something. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Alright, Football Head, I'll bite—what random thing about me has fascinated you this time?" She grinned a little.
Arnold sat back a little in his seat, picking up the pitcher again and pouring himself a glass as well, though once again he really didn't take his eyes off of her and he had his head tilted a little to the side now in scrutiny. It was just…he could see her face a lot more clearly in the candlelight on the table now…"Helga…did…did Olga do something else to your face…besides the makeup?"
Instantly at that question and with how closely he was looking at her, a dark blush couldn't help but come to Helga's features (not as dark as the one that had come when Arnold had gotten majorly distracted by the sight of her bare shoulders and collar but still…it dark just the same)… On instinct, she sat back a little in her seat, getting out of the candlelight as much as possible. "I…uh…I don't know…heh…" She shrugged a little.
Arnold half smiled, giving her a look. "Helga…just tell me…I'm going to be sitting right across from you for this whole meal…I'll figure it out eventually. If you tell me now at least it'll save me an hour or so of staring at you just to figure it out instead of getting to stare at you just to take in all of your beauty, like I should be." He smiled a little more at her, very proud of his very good (and very charming) point.
Helga blushed a tiny bit more but started to smile a little now again, unable to help it. She let out a sigh and finally came forward and back into the candlelight. "Oh…Oh alright, you big lug…" She put an elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand. "Olga, um…sort of convinced me…a-and by 'convinced' I mean 'wouldn't shut up until I at least agreed to try it once since apparently she had the same situation as I do when she was younger and she tried it and really liked it'…but, anyway, she 'convinced' me to…to try and, uh… 'tone down the eyebrow a bit'…thin it out, you know?" She let out a nervous laugh. "Pretty dumb, huh? Yes sir, Olga and her pain in the butt epic quest to prove that I'm some kind of girly girl deep down. When will she ever learn?" Helga sat up more and crossed her arms over her chest, just doing her best not to seem too nervous about how he might react to her having done something like that. Actually, it wasn't a 'huge' change that she had made to the eyebrow or anything—it really was just thinned a little…But still it was sort of a…very 'arguably unfeminine' part of herself that she and Arnold just never seemed to bring up…And she had to wonder if he would like her better like this and, by extension, if he maybe really didn't like the old eyebrow but had felt too awkward too say anything, or….
Across the table, as her words finished sinking in, Arnold blinked a few times in a bit of surprise at first, but then an intrigued half smile came to his face and his eyes lit up a little. "That's what it is!" He almost chuckled, happy he had finally gotten it figured out, and leaned back in his seat a little. "Wow, you really did let her make you over, didn't you, Helga?" he couldn't help but ask in a touch of amusement, just meaning it as a little joke.
However, Helga was a little overly sensitive at the moment, and at his somewhat facetious sounding rhetorical question a slightly frustrated look came to her face and she scowled at him…though it wasn't as effective as usual, all things considered. "Yeah, I did—you got a problem with that?"
Arnold blinked at first, not having heard that frustrated, almost whiny tone of voice from her in quite a while. But then he just did his best not to roll his eyes at the defensive reply, and he reached across the table and took one of her hands in his own. He spoke to her simply and sincerely. "No, Helga, I don't. As long as it's what you want, as long as it's what makes you happy, well, then…I'm happy. Okay?"
He watched with a half lidded gaze and warm smile as she just blinked a few times, losing that glare, and then finally looked to him with a small grateful, sheepish smile. "Oh…um…thanks…Arnold. And, um…sorry I snapped at you. I'm just…I mean I've always been a little self-conscious about how I look and then especially about trying anything new and about being a girl, and I…" She let out a sigh, and smiled at him in a much more relaxed way. "To be honest, I kind of prefer the way I looked before…I mean, I guess technically I look a bit more…I don't know, 'stereotypically feminine' right now, but…I just don't quite feel like…well, like myself I guess…" She finished with a shrug.
Arnold continued to gaze at her lovingly as he held her hand and replied to her. "Okay, Helga…I think I understand. And I think it's good that you've thought about how you really feel about a change like that for yourself. And, well, if you really want my opinion on the whole thing, even though your opinion on it is the most important one…to be honest, I'm not really sure what I'd do if I had to go a day without one of those scowls of yours…You'd be surprised how something like that can grow on you after seven straight years. And ever since that confession of yours they've just been seeming cuter and cuter to me whenever you do them. Like in school…looking so angry at me when deep down you love me…" He caressed the back of her hand just a little with his thumb as he spoke, using a tiny bit of a playful teasing tone on the penultimate word he had just spoken.
Helga's smile was bordering on completely lovesick at this point, but she managed to keep herself in check enough to roll her eyes and playfully reply, "Crimeny, you're one smitten little Football Head, aren't you? Even in love with my scowls at this point?" She smirked just a tiny bit at him and giggled as well, unable to help it.
Arnold chuckled again, blushed, and shyly released her hand to fold his shyly on the table and reply, "After everything that's happened over the last four weeks…do you even have to ask?" He looked at her with a tiny bit of a lovesick smirk of his own.
Helga processed the cute response, then giggled more and leaned closer to him over the table. "Aww, aren't you sweet…Oh, and, uh…" she blushed a tiny bit and glanced down with a little smile, half-consciously shifting her shoulders to make the wide collar of her blouse go a little higher up them, "…Thanks for what you said before about liking my outfit…e-even though it's a little more 'grown up' than usual…Um…in case it isn't painfully obvious already, I…I-I'm a little jumpy from half the things I decided to give a shot for tonight courtesy of my sister's advice and my own curiosity…but, um…I feel a lot more comfortable now so…" And then she smiled a little more, got out of her seat a bit and she quickly leaned across the table and gave a soft, sweet little peck to Arnold's lips, after which she sat back down and smiled happily over to him, all of her blushing gone now, "So thanks, Football Head. You always did know how to treat a lady, even if none of them ever really appreciated it until I came along." She chuckled and held up her lemonade glass. "Cheers, Football Head?"
A little surprised from her kiss, Arnold was just sitting there blinking with a little blush on his cheeks for a moment. But then at her sweet gesture he smiled and nodded and picked up his own glass. "You're…You're welcome, Helga…and thanks and…cheers!"
The two of them clinked glasses and then took their inaugural sips of their lemonade to begin their lovely anniversary dinner together.
Some time had passed, the kids had drank a little lemonade and eaten their biscuits with butter, and made pleasant chit chat about their harrowing yet thrilling last day of school complete with how much fun it had been to really clobber Wolfgang at baseball that afternoon, and plans for the summer ahead as soon as this weekend was over and their anniversary had been thoroughly celebrated. And it was just…such a splendid start to the evening and so nice to be able to sit and talk up here knowing that they were finally free to pursue their romance both in public and private and also that their love had stood the test of a full month and had only grown stronger and better and more complete from the time together.
The biscuits all eaten, the kids moved to their utensils so that they could start in on their vegetables and later the chicken.
About now, Helga was chuckling and talking now again about how ridiculous…and yet surprisingly tolerable…Olga was being lately.
"Oh and then, okay, so she gets me for the make-up, she gets me for the eyebrow, she gets me for the outfit…and then of course to top it all off this purse gets shoved into my hands right after I get out of her car in front of your house and she just smiles and waves to me and says 'toodles' and burns rubber to get out of here. Actually, it was pretty cagey of her." Helga chuckled a little to herself. "She knew she'd never get me to keep it unless she ditched me with it. I'm just surprised she also didn't toss a parasol and a copy of Teen Queen Magazine and training bra at me or something before she peeled out of here." Helga laughed a little more to herself and dug into a spoonful of mashed potatoes and a big bite of chicken. "Mmm…aww, seriously, Football Head, this is delicious! Okay, you definitely need to cook once we hit our one year anniversary too." She winked at him.
Arnold just let out a little sigh, a little deep blush on his features at the moment (guess which of Helga's comments just now had brought that on), and picked up his fork to go for a bite of green beans. "Th-Thank you, Helga. I'll cook for you any time you'd like. And also I'm happy you're getting along so much better with Olga. You two seem like you're bonding a lot more and…you always did look extra pretty whenever you're happy." He chuckled a little.
Helga smiled more. "Aww, well, thanks, you great big charmer." She giggled and then added with a touch more softness and a nod, "And yeah, we…it's funny but it used to be that our relationship worked much better when we were apart…but now I actually miss her a lot when she's gone and things actually work better between us now when we're together. And I give you most of the credit for that, you know." She looked at him appreciatively. "You calm me down and put me in touch with my loving, warm, gooey side and between that and getting to experience how cool she was in the end last month about helping me confront you and helping us get together, I…I'm happier being sisters with her, Arnold. Thank you." She put her palm to her lips and then blew him a little grateful kiss across the table.
Arnold had just been watching her and smiling warmly the entire time she had been speaking and in response to her gesture he blew her a little kiss in return but then of course added humbly, "Thanks but…you don't have to thank me for that, Helga…You fixed things with Olga all on your own…I was just…sort of a medium for it, I guess." He chuckled little at the idea, dabbing his napkin at the corners of his mouth. "And now everything's better and we all have better relationships…No going back." His eyes half lidded, he reached up his glass for a little toast with her again.
A lightly blushing and positively enamored looking Helga crossed her legs under the table and lifted up her own glass again tonight as well. "Yes…no going back, my darling."
They clinked glasses once more and took a drink of lemonade each.
Then Helga put down her glass…and couldn't help a little nostalgic sigh that escaped her as she picked up her fork and played with her food a little, the smile on her face still there but only beaming a little less…
Arnold put down his own glass and went back to his food as well, but her sigh caught his years and the look on her face made him curious as well. "Helga," he asked sweetly, "…something's on your mind…" It wasn't really said as a question so much as an observation. He knew her too well.
Helga smiled a little more at his words and looked to him with a little shrug, pushing a curl of hair behind one of her ears. "Huh? Oh…nothing, just….remembering our 'pre' courtship a little. You know—'I hate you, you stupid Football Head! But oh dear somehow I've dropped a very big clue to my true feelings right into your lap and now I have to spend three days committing a few minor technical felonies to get it back' ?" She chuckled to herself. "You know, if there's one thing I'm going to miss about our old life it's that: getting so many chances to practice my stealth and to have an outlet for my natural sneakiness, and especially now since we're not a secret from the world anymore. I'm going to start getting out of practice..." She almost laughed again and added with a little smirk, "Hey, maybe I could keep myself sharp by putting my energies into sneaking you into my room even more frequently from now on, Mr. Library…" She winked at him playfully and went on with, "Or I could do a little more matchmaking to go along with that whole Gerald/Phoebe success of mine…or just sneakily find ways to shove Gerald and Phoebe together in romantic and awkward positions so that those two will finally admit their undying love for one another." She rolled her eyes with a grin at the stubbornness of their best friends and then looked back to Arnold with a bright eyed shrug. "What do you think, Arnold?"
Arnold considered her interesting words for another moment and then smiled at her in return with a nod. "Anything you say, Helga… I think it might be nice for you to try helping our classmates a little…as long as you don't go overboard, of course. Like with Gerald and Phoebe—you know that we can take a lot of romantic tension and awkwardness, after all, but those two…" he smiled more to himself and shook his head, finishing another bite of potatoes, "…Gerald would have passed out half way through the FTi confession, guaranteed."
"Please, like Phoebe would have confessed like I did in the first place—if he had caught her on that roof she would have turned the stilts and trench coat into a makeshift hang glider and bailed on the spot," Helga couldn't help but add.
The two blondes looked at each other and then just shared a warm laugh.
They proceeded to turn back to their meal…but now Arnold was thinking a little about some things…and a moment later it was his turn for a little nostalgic sigh as he looked back to his food and started innocently enough, really not meaning anything much by it… "Still though, now that you mention it…I guess I am going to kind of miss you being able to do that to me…"
Helga raised part of her slightly thinned brow, lowering her fork to pick up her napkin. "Miss me being able to do what to you, Football Head?" she asked, genuinely unsure of what he was referring to.
Arnold rested his head on one of his hands and shrugged. "Well, you know…you can still be sneaky now of course but I guess I'll miss you being able to actually pull off a crazy stunt or something completely under my nose." This simple explanation finished, he then turned his attention to taking another sip of his lemonade.
Helga, however, was just a little less satisfied with his explanation than he was. She dropped her fork to her plate and just blinked at him, her eyes wide. "Excuse me?" There wasn't sarcasm in the reply—it had more of the tone of a genuine desire to hear him repeat himself.
Arnold swallowed a bite of food and then lowered his own fork and gave her a bit of a curious look, not really understanding why she might not be getting what he was saying. He shrugged, once again speaking in a tone free of any smugness and full of genuine innocence. "I'll…miss you being able to pull off crazy schemes about me. I mean, now I know that you like me and also I know you so well at this point that it's not like the old days when you could just…I don't know, hide in my closet whispering to yourself while you secretly plotted some grand scheme against me and I'd just chalk it up to the wind or coyotes… I'm just saying that I'll miss that part of how things were before with us…but if you do plan any other stunts to do to anyone else then count me in if you need me, Helga." He smiled supportively at her.
However, Arnold was not met with a smile in return. In fact, Helga just continued to stare blankly at him for a moment more…and then she crossed her arms over her chest and did something between a smirk and a scoff. "You…You think I can't pull one over on you anymore, don't you, Football Head…? Like that I genuinely and sincerely can't do anything you wouldn't be able to figure out right away ever again?"
"I…" Arnold blinked and considered, not really understanding how she was reacting to his simple comment, "I guess so…" he finally settled on. "I mean, considering how close we are and our relationship, I just think it wouldn't be very likely that you could trick me like you used to is what I'm trying to say," he finished with a shrug.
Helga gave him a curious look for a moment herself…and then she half smiled at him, a certain gleam in her eye. "And there we go…that's my official new summer project, Football Head, or at least the inaugural part of it!" She then suddenly placed her palms upon the table and lunged forward just a bit, looking right into his slightly startled eyed. "I am going to pull something on you, Arnold…something stealthy…yet subtle...and clever…and very fun…for me, at least. Because you should always know, Football Head, that no matter how well you think you know me, Helga G. Pataki will always be able to surprise you." She winked at him, pointing right into his face, and then with a proud grin sat back down in her seat and chuckled to herself at the familiar slightly clueless look currently on her beloved's countenance as he sat across from her…
…Until, suddenly, randomly enough…it was replaced by him smiling in a kind of mischievous way right back at her…and then he announced playfully, "Hmm…well then…I guess I'll just have to be on the lookout… And I guess, if you really do manage to trick me in some 'stealthy yet subtle' way like you're promising…" That spark that Helga knew all too well was buried down inside of him came into his eyes now and it made her heart race a little, though she did her best to stay calm, cool and confident looking as he went on, "…Well, then, I'll just have to pull a scheme of my own on you maybe…. I think a month of spending time with the master of them has been more than enough time for me to give it a shot on my own, as long as we're playing a game or something." He winked at her and leaned across the table now a little himself, head resting on one of his hands. "Don't you think, Geraldine?" He raised his eye brows at her, sensing that 'spark' of his quite a bit himself now. He just…liked playing with her. He liked to see the fire in her eyes and best of all he liked meeting that fire with fire and watching her melt and then feeling himself melt too.
Across from him, Helga's face had turned pink with fluster and a touch of feigned indignation, her eyes going wide. "Okay two things…" she managed to start, at first in a sort of a pouty voice, "…First of all, let's at least compromise and call me Helga Geraldine whenever the 'mood' or that middle name of mind happens to strike you. And second o all…" she paused…and suddenly she had narrowed her eyes and was smiling mischievously, leaning across the table again getting into his face as well so that now they were all but nose to nose, "Bring it on, Football Head! Let the games begin for the summer." And then she sat back in her chair and held out a hand across the table for him to shake.
Arnold's grin picked up on one side at the official challenge coupled with this sealing gesture, and now he sat back in his own seat as well and reached out, taking her hand and giving it a firm shake. "Whatever you say, Helga…" He smiled at her innocently though inside he was just doing his best not to chuckle a lot, and he could tell from the look on her face that she was resisting doing the same.
"Hmm…." Helga's voice began as she finished giving her beloved a firm shake in return and then separated her hand from him to return to eating her meal, "I do love a man who takes orders." She chuckled a little, smiling more normally now, and then let out a sigh and took a nice, hearty bite of fried chicken, chewing and swallowing and always taking away a certain sense of satisfaction from any moment like this with Arnold where they would let their high passions meet and somehow end up settling on a new challenge to attempt in their relationship.
For a moment the two kids just sat in content silence, finishing more of the rest of their main courses and smiling to themselves and at each other and trying not to laugh and just…being Arnold and Helga in love together and happy.
But then Arnold was reminded of something and blinked and instantly looked over at Helga with an eager smile, pouring himself some more lemonade (and being kind enough to top off her glass as well). "Hey, Helga…speaking of random adventures from before the confession...as long as we have some time now, would you be willing to explain to me the details about that one time when you tried to stop loving me? You remember, like you told me about on the playground earlier?" He looked at her with an interested smile on his face.
From across the table, Helga blinked at the new request and then couldn't help but half smile and glance away. She waved him off playfully, picking up her napkin and dabbing it at the corner of her mouth. "Aw, you don't really want to hear that story, Football Head…" She rolled her eyes to the side, hoping that he really wouldn't make her go detail by detail through that little misadventure.
"Oh come on, Helga," he merely replied back to her though in amusement, "I've found out everything about you from the time your closet shrine was made of my used gum to the time you broke my kitchen ceiling trying to sneak out of here to go get that parrot that kept reciting your love poem for me. How bad could this be?" He smiled at her a little more.
Helga sighed, still half smiling back at him. "It's not that it was 'bad', it was just…" she almost had to laugh to herself at the memory…It really was very funny in some parts if a person thought about it, even though at the time the whole thing had just been one great big fiasco… "It just seems kind of silly looking back on it…" She looked up at him. "In my defense, though, I was desperate. Loving someone who doesn't love you back isn't as easy as I made it look, Football Head." She shrugged at him with a touch of sheepishness.
Though Arnold would never really push her to talk about something she genuinely didn't want to talk about, he couldn't help but at least look at her with a touch of desire and curiosity and smiling wonder in his countenance at this point…Deep down inside he really did want to know the story.
And Helga knew this look from him wasn't really an assault on her defenses so much as just him expressing his inner interest in his features…If anything though that fact made her feel her resolve melt a tiny bit more. And then she figured, 'Aww, what the heck...' She sighed, smirking at him a little and shaking her head back and forth. "But then again how could I say no to a face like yours, my sweet prince, hmm?" She chuckled warmly.
Arnold's face filled with excitement and anticipation, and he was so happy that he went to grab half a biscuit that was left on his plate and accidentally dropped it to the roof. He blinked a few times in embarrassment at his little slip and went to pick it up.
Meanwhile, Helga just giggled a little at his cute eagerness and cleared her throat and was about to begin…
…When suddenly…
Oink! Oink!
The sound of the familiar squealing of a certain little (heretofore whereabouts unmentioned in this story) pig interrupted her and made her freeze and blink.
Abner instantly came running out from a corner of the roof and circled the table twice happily before scooping up and eating the half a biscuit before Arnold could even get his hands on it.
Arnold had to laugh at the sudden little surprise visitor to his date with Helga. "Abner!" He reached down and petted the cute little pink pig between the ears. "No wonder I couldn't find you downstairs before to give you dinner. Were you taking a nap up here?"
Abner just squealed a few times happily at Arnold, nuzzling his hand with his snout.
Arnold chuckled a little more and then turned to Helga, another new thought suddenly occurring to him (and one that had been at the back of his mind for some time, so it could definitely take precedence over hearing the details of her wacky 'falling out of love with you' scheme for just a moment). "Helga, I'm sorry, I don't think I've even gotten a chance to properly introduce you to Abner. It always seems like he's hiding somewhere whenever you come over…" Before Helga could respond (and she was about to at least try to, however nervous it made her to reveal the truth about why Abner might not be too fond of her), Arnold then got out of his seat and knelt down and shifted the pig so that he was finally facing Helga. "Abner, this is Helga…"
The introduction had to stop there though as the pig took one look in Helga's direction (she smiled sheepishly at him and waved) and then instantly he let out a loud squeal, ran in a couple of frantic circles and then hid half under the table, practically trembling in fright!
Needless to say, Arnold had not expected that reaction at all from his beloved pet and companion, and he blinked and then looked at Helga a little apologetically, standing up again. "I'm sorry, Helga…I don't know what's gotten into him. He usually loves meeting new people…" Arnold scratched his head a little, sitting back down in his seat. Abner had all of his shots, including distemper, he was normally sweet and loving with anyone from close family to complete strangers as long as they were a decent sort of person…So why act terrified of Helga?
Helga, meanwhile, from her 'hot seat' across the table, just laughed nervously and tugged at her wide collar a little, "Oh uh…r-really? W-Well, must be a fluke then or something, F-Football Head, heh…" 'Oh brother I knew I'd have to deal with this sooner or later…and it's on the night of our one month anniversary. Fantastic.'
Meanwhile, Arnold noticed her suspicious reaction in an instant, of course, and raised an eyebrow at her in a great deal of curiosity in interest. "Helga…is there something you want to tell me?"
"Uh…" Helga swallowed, looking for a way past this, "H-Hey now, wait a minute, I th-th-thought you wanted to hear the story about me trying to fall out of love with you, not ask me questions about your pig. Heh, heh…" She tried to put a touch of defensiveness into her words though mostly they came out as nervous and sheepish, and she more than knew it. 'Oh brother, what the heck—might as well sort this out here and now as long as the situation's presented itself…' she finally began to concede to herself, knowing her beloved would never let her off the hook considering how obviously nervous she was acting right now.
And it was a good thing she was becoming more flexible about this too because now Arnold simply had to know whatever was up at this point, his interest was so peaked! He smiled more at her and shook his head at her question. "No, I…I think that story can wait a few minutes. Did something happen with you and Abner, Helga?" He tried his best not to chuckle, knowing full well that Helga probably thought whatever it was to be some 'huge, nearly irreparable' conflict while in reality it was probably the simplest and most understandable thing in the world.
Arnold watched as Helga's eyes darted back and forth as she seemed to consider about answering for a moment longer, and then finally she sighed and flopped her head back onto her hand resting upon her elbow on the table. "Oh, okay, you nosy little thing—you remember the whole 'losing the locket in the boarding house' story I filled you in on a while back, right, Football Head?"
Arnold nodded.
"Well…I…might not have filled you in on the whole thing…" Helga rolled her eyes to the side.
Arnold just raised an eyebrow and smiled more. "Okay, Helga…Well, I'm listening…What else about it do you need to tell me?" He looked to her with patience and understanding.
Being met with such a considerate looking countenance did indeed help soften Helga's worries and alleviate her nervousness. "Oh, well…just…" She finally sighed and just said it, unable to help cringing a tiny bit as she did so. "Look, that time, how I lost the locket in the boarding house in the first place was that I was, uh…maybe kind of sort of 'observing' you from the fire escape and having a little chat with my locket about you and then I slipped and dropped it into the alley and of course it was just my luck that your pig happened to there and he snatched it and brought it inside…after I kind of chased him and screamed at him a little, that was, heh... I-In my defense, though, it was a pretty desperate situation for me…" She cleared her throat, looking down in a touch of embarrassment as she played with the remains of food on her plate. "A-Anyway…when the whole adventure was finally done and I had the locket back…wouldn't you know it, I was talking to the thing again as I left the house and then suddenly out of the blue he snatched it out of my hands and I had to chase him all over the neighborhood yelling at him to finally get it back…" She shifted in her chair and put her hands in her lap, still looking nervous. "So that's why he probably hates me, Football Head, and why he hasn't exactly been 'eagerly popping up around me' to make friends…he remember me yelling at him and hunting him down…" She brought her eyes up to look to her beloved's as she finished sincerely, "I really am sorry though, Arnold. I didn't mean to upset the little guy that time. I was just scared."
Helga was expecting Arnold to be at least a little annoyed with her. She knew that next to Gerald, Abner was his best friend! Not to mention Helga now knew (thanks to Arnold reading her his father's journal) that Abner was a wedding present of his parents and a big living connection to them…which made the little pig pretty much the worst thing for her to offend in any way.
Yet, to her surprise and wonder, her beloved responded by standing up from his seat with a smile. He then glanced down at the table and then picked up another small piece of leftover biscuit still on his plate, upon which he walked around the table with it…and took Helga's hand and placed it in her palm. He then held her hand gently and gazed down at her warmly (and the whole time Helga was just looking at him with surprise and curiosity). "Come on now," Arnold started sweetly, his gaze sweet and half lidded as he looked down at her, "…I'm not going to have my Abner hate my Helga, okay?" And then to Helga's further surprise he grabbed her free hand and stood her up and then lifted up the table cloth and knelt down to the ground, taking her with him. "Abner?" he called out gently. The pig suddenly turned around under the table and smiled at Arnold, but then squealed a few times with wide eyes at the sight of Helga.
Helga sighed in a touch of distress. "See Football Head, he hates me. I don't want to torture the little guy. Why don't we just—"
Arnold just sighed and nudged the elbow of her arm with the hand holding the bread. "Put your hand out. Trust me…"
Helga looked at him for a second but then swallowed and slowly extended her arm, almost cringing as she awaited the sound and sight of the pig squealing frantically and running off in fear again.
Instead, though…Helga opened her eyes and blinked as she heard Abner only lightly snorting a few times…and then she saw him cautiously approaching her hand and sniffing the piece of biscuit she had…
Helga remained totally frozen, afraid of any slight movement messing anything up here.
Very close to her now, Abner stopped sniffing and looked up at Helga for a second. She did her best to smile down at him and not to show her nervousness… "H-Hi, Abner…I…I'm sorry. Do you want some bread?"
The little pig tilted his head to the side and then extended it forward and then gently took the bread from her and ate it.
All of a sudden, he gave a happy squeal, ran in a cute little circle and quickly jumped right into Helga's arms!
"Whoa!" Helga exclaimed at the sudden weight in her grasp but then couldn't help laughing as the pig sniffed all around her face making cute little oinking sounds. "Hey, that tickles!" She laughed and giggled, sitting back on the roof with the pig still in her grasp. Abner eventually calmed down a little and then just snuggled into Helga's arms with a happy snort, resting peacefully against her with a little smile. At the sight of him like this, Helga couldn't help but smile down at him and then turn to Arnold, beaming and with her eyes lit up. "Arnold, he…he likes me!" she announced like it was the most fascinating thing in the world! And in truth she was so happy about this! Abner had been a slight worry to her as her relationship with Arnold had gotten stronger and stronger and she really had hoped that she and her beloved's trusty companion could be friends or at least not enemies, and now it looked like they really could be!
Arnold just chuckled happily, smiling warmly at his girlfriend and his best little animal friend. "See, I knew he would, Helga. You just got off to a bad start…" something playful came into his eyes, "…kind of like—"
Helga cut him off, rolling her eyes and smirking a little. "If you say 'kind of like you and me' I swear I am calling the irony police and having you arrested for abuse of the concept, Football Head." She gave him a little nudge in the arm with her elbow, though she still held Abner snugly in her arms.
Arnold laughed a little more and now stood up from the roof, then offered Helga a hand up which she managed to take, though she still gently cradled the little pig. Both standing now, the two then resumed their seats at the dinner table.
"You can put Abner on the ground again if you want, Helga," Arnold offered with a smile, reaching over the table to begin to gather some things on the table together to get things cleaned up for dessert soon. "He'll just find a cozy corner and go to sleep probably. It's past is bed time anyway."
"A-Actually…" Helga felt the pig sigh in her arms and she smiled more down at him, "Could I hold onto him for a little while longer Arnold? He's…He's kind of sweet…" She scratched behind one of his ears. "Hmm…haven't had a pet since that stupid lizard…" She chuckled to herself at the memory.
Arnold meanwhile, just blinked at her unexpected request…and then smiled more. "Uh, sure!" Needless to say, Arnold had encountered few of his female friends willing to get that close to his pet pig—especially when they were all dressed up. But being willing to hold onto him…And yet…somehow that was so like Helga, now that he thought about it. "Are you sure though, Helga?" he couldn't help but offer at least once more though, though he was fairly certain he knew her reply wouldn't change.
And indeed, Helga just smiled over at him and nodded. "Don't worry about it, Football Head. He's nice. And warm." She rocked him a little and then gave Arnold a little smirk. "Kind of like you." She winked and laughed and so did Arnold. "So…anyway…" she went on, the little pig seeming content now and feeling very relaxed herself, "Now that we've reconciled me and your best friend on four legs…you positive I've gotta tell you this story…about trying not to love you…?" She rolled her eyes to the side, smiling more.
Arnold chuckled and nodded. "Please, Helga…I've been thinking all day about hearing all the details about the time you tried to stop loving me…"
"Actually, I think the wording I used at the time was trying to fall out of love with you but yeah, you get the gist." She smiled and shrugged, glancing down at the pig and giving him another gentle little rock.
"Okay." Arnold nodded, pouring the last of the lemonade into each of their glasses and then sitting back with an engaged look upon his face. "Well, go on—it sounds like this could be an interesting story."
Helga sighed and reached out for her glass to take a sip, being careful not to disturb Abner too much as she did so. "Well, as I told you once before, there was a time when I tried to make myself fall out of love with you because, well…unrequited love can get a little annoying…and lonely…" She shrugged, doing her best to hide the touch of a frown that came to her face at the memory.
Arnold noticed it though of course, and understood. He nodded and prompted very softly, "I understand, Helga…If…If you left me for six years or something…I might even think about trying the same thing..." He looked to her tenderly.
Helga swallowed and nodded back, some of her smile. "Uh, th-thanks, I-I mean…" she cleared her throat, brushing some mistiness from the corner of her eye with the back of her hand. "Y-Yeah, well…anyway, um…" she spoke much more normally now and the sweet smile had returned to her face, "So…like I said on the playground today it wasn't just for a few hours or something, it was an entire day of feeling…not really like I hated you or anything but just feeling 'out of love' with you…sort of numb…I couldn't feel much of anything actually…I didn't like it very much." She let out a small sigh and shrugged, then went on. "Anyway, though, the reason I felt like that was…" her smiled picked up a little on one side and she looked to Arnold, "…First, promise me you won't tell Gerald about this, okay?"
Arnold's smile picked up on one side as well and he nodded. "Cross my heart, Helga…"
Helga chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay…The reason I felt like that was that I thought I was, uh…under a spell that made it so I couldn't love you anymore…And yeah, before you say it, I know, that's crazy." She rolled her eyes at herself, rocking Abner a little bit more.
Arnold's smile just went ear to ear and he raised an eyebrow at her, doing his best to keep back any laughter for the moment... "A spell? And…where did that come from, exactly?" He finally chuckled and then couldn't help but add (and completely innocently of course because for some reason Arnold is the only guy on the planet who wouldn't go and look up the word right after that day in Helga's shrine when it had gotten brought up and she had blushed bright red and gotten extra flustered about it), "Is this like one of those tantric spells you do in your shrine?"
Helga blushed absolutely furiously! "NO!" Her yell actually made Abner jump a little but she quickly started to rock and pet him again to calm him down, which was helpful because she needed a moment to calm down as well herself. She could tell from the average, innocent look in her beloved's eyes that he still didn't quite get the whole 'tantric spells' thing but still it couldn't help but make her practically jump out of her skin hearing him use that word. And it also didn't help that she was still feeling a little exposed in this blouse. She shrugged her shoulders a little to push up the edges of the sleeves/collar a little more. Then she just let out a deep sigh, hoping Arnold would be more interested in her continuing the story than her reaction to call her upon it, and speedily went on, "A-Anyway…What I mean by 'spell' is like a bona fide, brew in a bottle, 'you-drink-it-and-it-makes-you-not-in-love' potion. See I was passing by this shop called "Madame Blanche's" and it said she sold love potions so I popped inside and asked her if she sold 'out of love' potions and then one thing led to another and pretty soon I was ten bucks lighter and I had a little heart shaped bottle that I was supposed to drink before bed to make all my cares and worries about you disappear forever or something." She blushed a little bit at how ridiculous that theory really did sound when a person thought about it. She sighed, doing her best to plow on to wrap up her story. "Alright so then I got home, got ready for bed, said a bunch of dramatic things to myself, tossed my shrine and poetry books into my wastepaper basket…I'm pretty sure then a few more dramatic things were said to myself…" She rolled her eyes and blushed a tiny bit in embarrassment, "And then I finally chugged the bottle, fell into bed and had the strangest dream. Honestly, Football Head, I really am a couple of mango slices short of a fruitcake sometimes…"
That last comment couldn't help but get a small, polite laugh out of Arnold, and, hearing it, Helga couldn't help but smile and laugh a tiny bit herself. It really was sort of funny, the whole ridiculous thing. She decided since she was feeling more and more relaxed as she talked that she would toss in some bits of the dream too. "Oh, seriously, there were hearts and swirls of color…I'm pretty sure at one point I landed on a giant banana split in the shape of your head… Ugh, then I woke up and felt like I'd been hit by a truck. But I guess I should have learned from the pork rinds, NO consuming strange substances that I don't know the ingredients to before bedtime for me." She laughed some more and so did Arnold, and even Abner gave a little happy snort.
Arnold smiled to himself and shook his head. "Helga…you know, I…I know it might have been a little 'too soon' for us back then but I do wish you had just come to me…I could have saved you ten dollars and a bad night's sleep and a whole day of moping around. Even if I hadn't felt like I loved you back at first…I still would have done my best to be supportive and to make you feel better…just like I tried to do after your actual confession when we finally started talking about things a little bit, even if things were a little shaky at first and I made a few mistakes." She shrugged with a touch of humble apology. "I'm just happy things turned out alright in the end with this 'out of love' potion thing. I…I would have really missed you if they hadn't…" he blushed a tiny bit and admitted sheepishly, "After all, I…I could barely stand you not picking on me for that one day you thought you were 'out of love'…A lifetime of that would have been just miserable." He looked at her with a blushing little smile.
Helga looked back at him with so much sympathy and sweetness. Then she giggled a little and added, "Well, if it's any consolation, Football Head, a life without torturing you with love would have been sort of a bummer to me too. I'm just glad that I couldn't take it anymore after a day and went back to that Madame Blanche person and found out from here that her 'potion' was just grape juice, chamomile and a little ginseng apparently." She laughed more and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I paid ten bucks for half a cup of fruit punch. Oh how young I was at nine."
They both shared a warm laugh.
"Oh and then I was so happy when I figured out I could love you again that I just about danced through the streets, I crashed into you and spat out an insult to you and it was wonderful, I even-…even…Oh. Wow. I had…forgotten that I'd done that…" A deep sigh escaped Helga and she shook her head and mumbled to herself a little with her eyes closed. "I'm going to have to give him an apology or that one…"
"Helga?"
The sound of Arnold curiously saying her name made Helga blink a few times a look to him. 'Oh. Right. He's still sitting right in front of me while I'm talking to myself right now, isn't he?' She blushed a little glancing down. "Yes, Arnold?" she asked with a little sigh, though she more than knew what he was going to ask. 'Give who an apology? What are you talking about?'
"Give who an apology? What are you talking about?"
Helga nodded, unable to help smiling to herself a little. 'Yup, there we go.' "Arnold…" She sighed again and just looked at him with a humble smile. "Uh…don't know how you're going to feel about this one and I swear I didn't even remember it until just now but, uh…so, yeah, I was really extra happy the second I got out of that Madame Blanche lady's shop and…I think subconsciously along with being happy that I got to love you again I was also happy to have a certain little companion back in my life so, uh…Brainy was the first person I ran into and I sort of grabbed him and planted a kiss right on his forehead. And I really think that I should mention that to him the next time I see him and apologize because, or Pete's sake, if you had ever randomly grabbed me out of the blue and kissed any part of me for any reason I would have been utterly delirious for days and I hate to think I put the little guy through anything or gave him false hope, you know?" She shrugged, looking to her beloved and hoping that he really wouldn't get into some pouty or jealous mood over this.
"I knew it…You really are secretly in love with Brainy and I'm just your 'love toy' to practice kissing with to prepare yourself for him, like you joked with me one time." A dramatic (and very playful) sigh. "Well, I suppose I'll have to be a sport about this…Come on, let's call him up and get him over here and I'll hand you off to him officially."
This statement was followed by Arnold managing to maintain looking at Helga with a very amused smile…before he instantly burst into warm chuckles that he couldn't deny or help.
"Oh brother…" Helga rolled her eyes, smiling and laughing a little herself. "You know, you could have just said you were 'okay' with me giving his forehead a spontaneous peck."
Arnold waved her off, just barely managing to get his laughter under control enough to reply, "Nah, that wouldn't be nearly as fun. He chuckled a little more then let out a breath and just looked to her with a smile. "Helga, really…however much I'm sure you love to watch me be jealous over you, it's okay that you kissed Brainy's forehead, I promise." He winked at her and then added with a little blush… "Actually, the only thing I feel any jealousy about is that…I wasn't the first one you ran into. Then maybe I would have gotten the kiss from you on the forehead…and who knows what that would have shocked me into a few months in advance." He winked at her and chuckled.
Helga blushed a tiny bit then smiled shyly and giggled. "Ah, very good point, Football Head. Eh but then again who are we to complain when fate tossed a secluded rooftop, five minutes to ourselves, and a romantic, stormy morning into our laps?" She smiled dreamily at him and then chuckled more and added. "Don't worry, though, I'll be sure to give you as many kisses on your forehead…or anywhere else you'd like…for the rest of forever if you want them." She winked back at him.
Arnold, looking to her in amusement and love, chuckled and smiled more. "Okay, Helga. That all sounds fair enough. Very fair. Thank you. A-And, um…th-the same goes for me about you…" he managed to add quickly and casually before blushing a little and glancing down to his plate in shyness.
Helga just smiled at him a little more in return and nodded. "Oh you're very welcome…and thank you too, my bashful yet bold little beloved."
She blushed glanced down to her plate as well (and also at Abner a little), and the two of them shared a moment of just sitting across from each other and looking all coy and sweet like this.
In a little while the moment went along its way and then out of the corner of his eye Arnold saw Helga finish the last gulp of her lemonade and it made him reach out and finish the last gulp of his too. Then he stood up and began to clear away the dinner dishes. It would soon be time for dessert, after all.
Noticing what he was doing, Helga instantly started to stand up and help, sort of regretting that she would have to put down the little pig in her arms to do so though (he was really getting cozy with her and she was sort of getting fond of him and he had just yawned and seemed ready to take a little nap against her).
Instantly though she was stopped by Arnold coming close to her and leaning his face with its warm, half lidded gaze and cute, charming smile right down into her own. He shook his head. "No, no, this is my night of our anniversary and you're my guest so I'll take care of all the dishes…and setting things up for dessert." He winked at her. "You just stay here and let me do all the work…I'll clear the table and I'll even take Abner down to his basket—he's very sleepy now anyway. Oh, and, um…if you could close your eyes, Helga, while I'm preparing for things, that would be great. I want dessert to be a surprise." He smiled a little more and winked at her.
Just having his gorgeous football head suddenly so close to her face had been more than enough to make Helga blush and cause her to hesitate in getting up…his little mention of and then request about 'dessert' though made her blush go just a bit rosier and a little giggle escape her. "O-Oh…Oh, alright…Just this once I'll sit back and let you chivalrously take care of everything, you little love god, you…And I'll even close my eyes too." She gently shut her eye lids, smiling away giving Abner a little farewell hug before he would be taken away from her. "You wouldn't wanna give me a hint though about what 'dessert' might be, would you?" she asked playfully with a little chuckle.
Her eyes still closed up tight, Helga heard Arnold sigh and then sounds of dishes being removed and stacked. He sounded like he was doing his best to maintain his composure about something…and like he was smiling…a lot... "A-Actually…yes, Helga. I have something really special planned for dessert… Something with plenty of 'sugar…' "
Helga's smile brightened. "Really?" she asked eagerly, recalling not only the one time during dinner at her house when she had tossed that same little line out to get to him, but also the last time they had played the 'just close your eyes for me for a second game.' 'Hmm…I tested lip gloss on him last time…maybe he's going to test cologne on me or something.' "Hey, whatever floats your boat, Football Head!" she agreed brightly. Then, smirking to herself a tiny bit in glee, Helga managed to reach out to her purse on the table, snag the tube of lip gloss from it, and apply a fresh coat to her mouth. She then put the tube back and sat there with a smile on her face, and her lips obviously a little puckered (much to Arnold's amusement.)
It sounded to Helga like a little chuckle escaped at the back of Arnold's throat as he went over to her and she felt him gently take the pig from her in one of his arms. "Yup," he replied. "Just let me bring these dishes downstairs and then I'll be right back for our romantic, candlelit dessert together…my little love goddess." He finished in a whisper and then swiftly left the table area, trying not to chuckle to himself as he did so (though it was particularly hard when, just before he started to climb down through the skylight into his room, he heard Helga give a big, audible, dreamy swoon)…
Meanwhile, back at the table, Helga's heart was fluttering away and she just felt so light, so airy, so happy, and she kept her position of having her lips slightly puckered. Who knew? He might sneak back up here and try to catch her off guard with the kisses he surely must have planned for their dessert! And if that happened to be the case, she was going to be more than prepared for him! Helga giggled to herself at the idea. 'Yes sir…Just a few minutes while he tosses the dishes in the sink and then climbs back up here…and then it's make out time!'
She was very thrilled about the idea to say the least…and it would be happening in only a few short moments of time….
Close to twenty minutes later…
Helga was getting impatient now, to say the least. And though she still remained sitting in her chair and with her eyes closed and with her lips puckered, she was slouching now and scowling a tiny bit and had her arms crossed over her chest. Arnold had been gone downstairs for ten minutes at least, and now he had been up here for another ten minutes, moving things around or whatever he was doing, and not once coming near her or her lips! 'Ugh, I hate hard to get…when I'm not the one playing hard to get…' she thought to herself with a little frustrated grumble. Finally she let out a sigh, her patience unable to bear the waiting anymore. "Hey, Arnold, did you fall off the roof or something? Crimeny, there's suspense and then there's just plain—"
She instantly stopped as she felt the spark of familiar lips quickly pecking her own. It sent a blush to her features and made her heart flutter madly, it was so unexpected.
Then… "Okay Helga," she heard Arnold say happily right near her one of her ears. "It's all set up. Open your eyes, please…and Happy Anniversary…and also, Happy… 'one-other-thing-I-missed' …Oh and I'm sorry to make you wait a little longer for anniversary kisses…" He chuckled a tiny bit.
Quite confused at the moment, to say the least, Helga slowly opened her eyes…Her confused gaze turned up to meet Arnold's loving one for a moment until Arnold gestured with his eyes down in front of her toward the table, and Helga's eyes followed…and then went absolutely wide.
Right before her upon the table (along with fresh plates and silverware and a glass of chocolate milk for each of them, hers with a bendy stray) there was a small pink and blue frosted cake…with the words 'Happy Birthday Helga' written across it in yellow.
Her jaw fell just a little. "Arnold…what…"
Arnold took a step back and looked away shyly, explaining himself. "Well, I still feel kind of bad sometimes for not getting anything for you for your last birthday…and especially for tricking you into thinking I'd gotten you something… and I know you said once when I brought it up that you didn't want a present or anything for it and that I should just 'get you next time around', but still…I figured a cake was the least I could do." He looked to her happily, hopefully. "Do you like it, Helga?"
Helga was silent for a second more…
…And then she all but fell out of her seat leaning over to wrap her arms tightly around her beloved in a big hug! "It's…oh it's just as perfect as you are, Arnold…just as sweet and wonderful and perfect as you…Thank you!" She shut her eyes and just beamed as she held onto him!
Arnold beamed as well at her enthusiasm, enjoying her being that close and so very happy that she had liked the dessert he had chosen for them! "You're welcome, Helga. And besides, I…like we talked about on the playground today we're going to start openly giving each other presents for things like holidays and birthdays along with our anniversaries so I just wanted to start the tradition as soon as possible. I'm happy you like it, Helga. Really…" And then he let out a happy sigh and hugged her right back.
For a few moments the children just enjoyed their happy, warm embrace. Then with a small sigh Arnold pulled back a tiny bit to look into her eyes, still smiling…Helga's eyes fluttered open and she smiled back to him as well.
For a moment they were caught in a sweet little quiet moment…in the candlelight…under the stars…all dressed up…blushing…
The two slowly came together in a soft kiss…that got deeper…then deeper…their breathings becoming shallower through their noses…And Helga was all ready to just jump up and into his arms and to never let him go…when Arnold gently pulled back from her, taking a moment to catch his breath.
His eyes fluttered open and then so did Helga's. He explained to her. "S-Sorry…I…I want to, um…you know. I-I just…um…I-I have a certain p-plan for tonight a-and we're only about h-halfway through and…and it's really important to me…th-that we get it all in before you have to go home for your curfew…alright?" He looked to her hopefully.
Though Helga never did like getting ripped away from Arnold's lips, the sweet look in his eyes and kind way in which he had asked her made her melt into acquiescence. She nodded to him. "O-Okay, A-Arnold…I…I trust you. S-So let's, um…let's get to the next p-part of your plan for the night and then, um…we can get back to 'you know'." She giggled a little and winked at him and managed to unwrap her arms from around his body, taking in and releasing a deep breath as she did her best to calm herself down.
"Th-Thanks…" Arnold nodded and straightened up and straightened his tie a little. For a moment, his eyes caught the sight of her sitting there, face half flushed, lovely soft neck and collar clearly visible, smiling and doing her best to calm her beating heart from the intensity of their kiss and…it was very distracting for a moment, though he quickly did his best to look away and clear his throat and focus more on going back to his own side of the table and preparing to cut the cake. He cut a slice for each of them but then blinked, suddenly realizing something. "Oh, I forgot the candles…Um…Oh!" He took one of the two candles on the table and pushed it in front of her. "You can blow out that one…Happy Belated Birthday, Helga. Make a wish." He smiled at her.
Helga giggled and nodded. "Alright, alright, you big goof. Hmm…" she thought about it, then grinned a little more widely and nodded. "Okay, that'll work!" She leaned over and blew out the candle.
"What did you wish for, Helga?" Arnold asked politely…he was pretty sure of what her answer would be though.
And sure enough he was right. Helga shook her head with a grin. "Nope, not telling you or it won't come true. I'll make you a deal though—if and when it ever does come true, you'll be the first to know." She winked at him.
Arnold just sighed and nodded. "Fair enough, Helga…But I'm going to hold you to that." His grin picked up a little on one side.
"Works for me," she replied playfully. "Now let's dig in!" And with that she picked up her fork and so did Arnold, and she began to eat and so did he.
"Mmm….Arnold…" Helga couldn't help but moan, swallowing her third forkful of cake already and almost having the whole slice done. "This is delicious…I'm not even trying to butter you up for more kisses soon—it's great! Heh, you could give Olga a run for her money. The cake's got a hint of lemon and the icing's so sweet and creamy…" She chuckled a little to herself. "Ooo I just realized what the best part is though—it's good just like eating Olga's food but I don't have to act like it annoys me to eat it the entire time just for the fun of it. Okay, now you have officially found me the perfect birthday present, Arnold. I'll be expecting one of these bad boys from my little 'bad boy' every year from now on." Finished with her first slice, she reached across the table and went to cut herself a second one.
Arnold blushed but smiled gratefully as he ate a little more of the cake himself. "O-Oh, um…sure thing, Helga, if you'd like. But, of course, next year and all the years after that—"
"Ooo, planning to be with me 'all the years after that' too, huh?" Helga couldn't help but interject with a smirk and a playful batting of her eyelashes.
Arnold sighed and rolled his eyes and replied back equally playfully, "Well, as I can't seem to live without you picking on and scowling at me for even just a day…yeah, so far I'm planning being with you for a few years…or so…" He blushed a little extra, a special little smile coming to his face. And then he just chuckled a little bit and sighed and went on as she giggled to herself a little more. "Anyway, next year and the years after that, along with the cake you'll also get actual presents from me on your birthdays too. I'm not sure what I'll get you yet of course for next year but I hope it'll make you feel happy and smile and blush a million times more than just the cake did…"
Helga knew he probably wasn't considering certain implications of his words but still she couldn't help herself. She leaned her elbow on the table, rested her head in her hand and smirked at him just a little. "Hmm…gonna make me feel happy and smile and blush THAT much, huh? Well, well ,well…what did you and those soft lips and strong hands and firm chest of yours have in mind, my dark little love…?"
Arnold remained looking dazed and sweet for a moment longer but then instantly his eyes opened up wide and snapped to hers, a small rosiness popping up in his face, the implied meaning of his last words finally sinking in. "Oh! I…sorry, Helga, I didn't mean it like that…really. Just a…residual effect of that kiss before…" He smiled a little more to himself. "I just meant…you know, you always blush a little and smile whenever I do something that makes you happy like giving you something nice." He blushed a little bit more, glancing away 'innocently'… "Of course, if you wanted to make use of my soft lips and strong hands and firm chest AFTER I gave you the present…well…that would be up to you, of course, Helga…" he added humbly yet playfully.
Helga just giggled at his joking (she was really happy too that lately he had gotten so much more relaxed about awkward things and about really admitting just how romantically he liked her). "Well, I'd have to check my busy schedule but I guess I could work you in…" She sighed to herself and ate some more cake…and then sort of a nostalgic look came to her face yet again tonight.
And Arnold picked up on his change in expression once again tonight and instantly raised an eyebrow. "Something on you mind again, Helga?" he asked with interest.
"Hmm?" Helga blinked and looked confused for a second, but then just smiled more. "Oh, I was just…" She sighed and shook her head, going back to her cake, "It's stupid, Arnold, really…"
Arnold just let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. "Helga—in love…probably 'destined to be together'…lips fit perfectly…all the awkward stuff—you can tell me anything…Besides, I like talking to you…and especially about things that make you blush." He chuckled.
A small laugh escaped Helga as well. Who could argue with that logic? "Oh fine, you win, paste for brains. I was just…" she got that reminiscing look again, "…just thinking about my actual last birthday…and the present you gave me…"
Arnold blinked, very confused. "You mean the box that blinded y—"
Helga instantly shook her head and waved him off. "No! Doi! Like I said that first time we had dinner with my parents…I mean that tango you gave me…The one that almost gave me a heart attack long before you surprise-dropped me into the pool." She let out a girlish sigh, smiling more and more at the romantic, passionate memory. "I don't know, I guess just you talking about blushing and my birthday reminded me of it…You know, Arnold…like how before you were going on about missing me being able to pull crazy schemes on you (which I still can, like I said)? Well, there is one thing I miss about you from how it was before…After all, now romance from you is so expected and accepted and it happens so frequently that…it's hard for anything to happen that will compare to the feeling that went through me when you took me in your arms under the pretense of a friend and just dipped me and spun me and held me and pulled me close…" She smiled a little more to herself, feeling the memory of shivers running up and down her spine and hot twists going through her whole stomach...Such a lovely, wonderful memory seeing Arnold's bold, romantic side for the first time. "No offense, Arnold…" she assured him sweetly, "I mean, you still do some awesome stuff but it was just the newness and mystery of it all back then, I guess…And even though I love how you make me blush now….part of me still wishes you could make me blush like back then, I guess…" Blushing just a little (but in the new way of course, not the old way) at how silly that all might have sounded she looked to her beloved. "That make any sense or is it just more evidence that I'm crazy as a loon?" she asked sheepishly.
Actually, to Arnold…it made perfect sense. And it was a little frustrating…but also a little interesting. And also kind of like a challenge…The idea that he couldn't make her heart pound, make the blood rush to her face, make her lock up entirely like in that old way. And in truth he was aware of the shift in her reactions, especially since she had just brought it up in this way. His own reactions had been shifting of course but she actually still did have the power to make him blush in the old way, considering his modesty. Especially when she brought up things from the past…things like—His mind instantly locked up. Because the first thing that had come to it…in regards to her making him blush in the old way now…was…well…the memory of her mentioning a very specific incident from the old days once a few weeks ago…One that had made him blush so thoroughly that he simply hadn't been able to discuss it at all at the time.
'Yeah, but…bringing that up would just make ME blush like crazy, not her…It's not like SHE'S the one who had someone watch her undre—'
He felt heat flood his face at the very idea.
But then the concept sunk in a little more.
And he had an interesting idea.
And so to her question about seeming like a total loon Arnold just smiled and sighed and shrugged and shook his head. "No, that…that makes sense, Helga…And I understand what you mean. Of course, when it comes to me, it's different. You still make me blush sometimes in the old way…I guess it's because, well, like you always say, I'm so modest." And then he added a small frown as he finished, "I just wish I could still make it happen for you."
Helga blinked a few times and looked at him a little curiously at agreeing with her so easily and without even a little assertion that he was certain he could make her blush in that old way…but then she just smiled and waved him off. 'Eh…' He always had been a non-confrontational and easy going little guy. "Ah, don't worry about it, Arnoldo. Besides, what 'what you do to me' lacks in intensity you make up for in volume." She winked, finishing scarfing down her second slice of cake.
Arnold just chuckled a little…and prepared to go in for the kill. "Well, thank you, Helga…I guess that's true." And then he let himself look off like HE was reminiscing this time…and finally went on with a sigh. "Hmm…" he chuckled again, mentally thanking himself that so much of Helga had rubbed off on him, and letting the bait dangle…
And of course she took it.
"What's so funny, love?" the girl before him asked with a smile.
'Got her.' Arnold let out a breath and sighed, leaning back a little in his seat…just smiling with his eyes slightly narrowed. "Oh I was just…thinking of one of the last times you really, really made me blush in the old way…When you told me about that whole 'watching me get undressed thing' actually…" Yes, he knew it was a big thing to bring up...but he…was ready. He…He could do this…And she had just said that she wanted to blush in the old way, and earlier she had said that she was feeling a lot more comfortable tonight with their date and her outfit…so why not have some good-natured fun?
And indeed the faintest tinge of a blush (and he KNEW it was the old blush) came to Helga's features now. She seemed to need a moment to process this route of conversation that he had suddenly steered them into but then took a long sip of her chocolate milk and managed to nod and clear her throat. "Oh! Uh…y-yeah, I…guess…Heh, heh…" She gulped and glanced away, using her fork to play with the cake crumbs on her plate.
Arnold felt himself blush quite a little as well but did his best to plow on, slowly eating his slice of cake as something to distract himself so that he wouldn't falter in nervousness. "Yeah…But, you know…I mean, I guess it's not something you would have brought up on our first date or anything of course, but I don't understand why you didn't tell me sooner…about that…I mean, you had to know I was still going to love you when you told me…"
Helga, a rather uncomfortable look on her face, just shifted in her seat and nodded, still playing away with those cake crumbs. "Um…yeah, I…I knew you wouldn't stop 'loving me'. I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable…make ME uncomfortable…" she'd added the last three words under her breath but Arnold heard them just the same.
He nodded, taking a sip of his own chocolate milk…trying to resist the smug smirk wanting to come to his face though it was so very hard. "Mmm hmm…but really you were cringing and gulping and everything when you told me…" He looked at her a bit curiously… "Outside of not loving you anymore, what did you think I was going to do exactly when you told me about that? …Get angry with you…tell you that you really are crazy…never be able to look at you the same way again…" he allowed himself a slight pause of hesitation but then, as planned, added in the same casual tone, "…Tell you that it was okay and that anyone would have done the same thing in that situation…even me maybe?"
Helga looked kind of frustrated at this point in the conversation. It was just that it was their anniversary night and she wanted to enjoy herself and relax and she didn't want to spend her last hour or so with Arnold working out some big awkward thing that could wait until any of their other dates. "Well…I don't know, Arnold. I guess I just wasn't sure what would happen so I—" And then she froze. She absolutely stopped all movement. Nothing. Not a blink or a twitch…even the strands of her hair seemed perfectly still. And then she turned as red as a rose all over! 'What. Did. He. Just. Say…'
'It was completely worth getting myself to actually say that just for the look on her face and that blush of hers right now…'
Arnold just cleared his throat, still not quite done with his joke, and continued on like it was the most casual thing in the world. "Oh, I'm kidding, Helga…just k-kidding…about that last part…Y-You know me, I'd be too modest and nervous to ever actually do something like that…" He did his best not to smirk too much as he added an innocent shrug. He watched Helga and her blush just deepened, if that was possible, and she still didn't move. He chuckled to himself as an interesting thought occurred to him now as he observed her (and a perfect way to continue with his plan), "Wow, I…didn't realize saying that would make you blush this badly, Helga…You're red EVERYWHERE… Your cheeks and your neck and your shoulders…the top of your chest…Hmm, I wonder if you always blush in all of those places whenever you blush…If you do, it's nice to finally see it all for myself." He ended with a casual little chuckle, taking another small bite of his slice of cake.
"Uh…I…Uh…let's, uh…yeah…" Helga's cracking, high-pitched voice came out and she instantly crossed her arms over the front of herself (much as she had done at the start of this meal in nervousness), still absolutely (and obviously) burning with heat all over…and all of it really the old kind of heat, the old kind of blush, and Arnold could tell.
He just chuckled a little more…It almost felt like he could feel the heat coming off of her. He did his best to maintain as he played with her just a little bit more before he inevitably told her he was just kidding with her a bit with all of this and apologized. He really wasn't trying to make her uncomfortable or anything right now, he just considered this more of their flirting, more of their teasing, more of their closeness. "You're really cute when you're blushing like this, Helga…Even if it IS new blushing since, like you said, I ' of course' can't make the old heart stopping kind of blushing happen anymore…Really cute. And then that plus the hair and the clothes and the make up tonight…" He sighed, quite dreamily, still looking right at her. "Can I mention again how much I like that red blouse of yours again, Helga? Cut off the shoulder like that… Olga was right, it really is grown up looking and…you really can pull it off. Actually, it…it almost…almost reminds me of how…" 'Arnold, you can do this—just keep going…' he willed himself right towards the edge of the joke… "It almost reminds me of how often I end up making the straps of your dress slide off your shoulders whenever we kiss…" He glanced down modestly, though he still smiled, now just playing with crumbs on his empty cake plate. "Sorry, Helga, for that, by the way…" he replied with a congenial little smile, "I don't mean to get that…'rough' with you about things…I just…There's just something about your shoulders I guess…grasping them with my hands…holding onto you so tightly…getting closer to the warm skin underneath…It's nice that that blouse makes it like you're wearing nothing up there at all…"
"ARNOLD!" Helga instantly squeaked loudly, causing him to blink and look up at her again. Her eyes were filled with shock and her jaw was dropped and now, on top of her arms being still crossed over her chest, her hands were over her shoulders, cupping them, and she was even slouching a little in her chair like she was trying to hide from him or something. He almost had to smirk! He'd never seen her squirm like that. IT was…kind of fun...and of course just adorable.
Should he push it the last step further…?
'Seven years of torture, Arnold…Seven years…'
Yeah, he definitely should…just to try. They were so close after all, it would have to be all right…right?
"S-Speaking of 'not wearing things', Helga…" And actually, well…this thought HAD popped into his mind once or twice over the weeks…a-and maybe they really were close enough that he could bring it up playfully, and especially since he had just brought up the 'undressing incident' part of the parrot misadventure… "When I was getting cleaned up for tonight I was thinking…that time you sleepwalked over here and woke up in my…you know, shower…Remember, you told me that story?" He smiled just a little bit more to himself, gazing at her with his eyes slightly half lidded…but also slightly narrowed. He saw that she was frozen again, listening… "Well…I was just curious…when you woke up…were you in your pajamas…or…" He let the 'or' hang VERY deliberately…and just raised a very interested eyebrow at her, trying his best not to lose it.
That did it.
Helga G. Pataki suddenly ducked under the table as much as possible! All Arnold could see anymore was a crown of blonde hair peeking over the tabletop.
He had been feeling little twinges of doubt and guilt during this entire little 'game' of course…but suddenly they overwhelmed him and snapped him out of the fun he had thought he had been having! He instantly sympathized with her completely, recalling all of those times ever since her confession she had ever made him feel embarrassed beyond anything about all of this love stuff. And besides, perhaps he had pushed things too far with this last particular topic…He knew it was certainly nothing a true gentleman would have done, now that he thought about it…And…And…oh, look at her! Oh what had he done! What had he been thinking? What had just come over him?
Arnold instantly got up and walked around to the other side of the table. He knelt down and spoke very sincerely in Helga's direction though he left the table cloth down to obscure her, figuring she might not want him to approach her or that she might not want to see him just yet. "…Helga?" he started hesitantly…and then let out a breath, looking absolutely guilty, about to reach out towards her but stopping himself, almost feeling like he didn't deserve to. "Helga, I'm sorry…I was just…just trying to prove a point to you about blushing and still being able to make you do it in the old way…And…I was also trying to get back at you a little I guess from spying on me in the first place, now that I think about it…" He was so sad looking and so desperate. He never wanted to cause her pain and make her sad. And for all he knew she was under the table in tears or something because he had let himself get carried away, let himself indulge too much in that bolder side of him that she liked, let himself take for granted the openness and freedoms between them and abuse them a little…. "Please, Helga, I thought you'd think it was funny…And also, well…I really do think you look pretty in that blouse…" he admitted shyly, and then added with a clearing of his throat, "But…But in a strictly 'gentlemanly' way ,of course…I mean…you've never worn something that, um…mature looking before and…it's, um…nice to see your shoulders and your neck and…a little bit lower. You're a…" he recalled one of her tactics for trying to comfort him after she had admitted spying on him while trying to get back that parrot…and, well, also, what he was about to say WAS true, so… "You're a pretty girl, Helga…" He smiled a bit more at the idea. And then added, trying to bring a touch of humor back to things…and maybe to bring some of the humiliation back onto himself, "A-And remember, all I really did was talk about seeing you… 'you know'…a-and only part of you, really…" he found his heart racing but tried to ignore it, "B-But you're the one who actually, you know…saw a lot of me…for real." He swallowed, wanting to wrap things up. "P-Please come out, Helga…No more jokes about anything like this ever again, at all. I promise." He so wanted to hold her hand or something to comfort her…but he knew he had to let her come back out to him on her own.
He waited.
Then he heard Helga mumble something under the table.
He blinked, and strained his ears…but no he just couldn't make out what she said.
"Helga…" Okay, now Arnold was getting VERY concerned! Very, very, very concerned… "Please come out!" he tried again, feeling almost heartbroken that she still felt the need to hide from him…and all because he had been…well he had basically been a jerk to her when you got right down to it! The guilt of his conscience overwhelmed him again. "I really am sorry!" he repeated again, "I shouldn't have…I mean, I wouldn't have even thought about going through with a joke like that except for the fact that we've gotten so close and you've made me feel so comfortable talking to you and being myself around you…A-And…A-And…" he felt fire prick at his face but he hoped once again that bringing some of the embarrassment over to himself through honesty would help this situation, "And, um…maybe part of…going so far with the whole thing was because of…a little bit of curiosity, sometimes, on my part." He felt his heart race a little again but continued on earnestly. "I-I mean…I've never, um, had a girl do anything close to what you've done with me…what we've done with each other…" He swallowed and rubbed one arm with the other, feeling his breathing wanting to pick up a little…and was it getting hotter up here? "Um…" he tugged at his collar, "And I mean before you came along I'd never even THOUGHT about…" he let out a sigh… 'Tell the truth, Arnold, tell the truth…', "Well, okay, maybe I HAD thought about some of those things a little…but…um…l-like I said, you're you and you're a girl and I just get a little…you know, curious sometimes…just like when you were curious about me that one time behind my couch, and…and I know it's not a nice thing to be or an innocent thing to be or a gentlemanly thing to be but I can't help it!" He had to admit in his own frustration. "I really am very attracted to you!" He shifted a bit closer in total desperation. "But really I meant this whole thing as a joke, just to get back at you a little and I'm sorry! Please, Helga! Please say you forgive me."
Arnold waited with bated breath.
It then sounded like Helga, still tucked away under the table, let out a breath and then she just mumbled a little again.
Arnold moved a little closer, still unable to hear her but wishing he could, though he assumed that whatever it was she was trying to say it probably wasn't very good. "Helga…" his voice was quiet, sincere, caring… "I'm sorry. With all my heart. And I'll do anything to make it up to you. Please…my beloved." He rarely called her that unless it was one of their more intimate moments…Something about the term of affection just felt to him like it belonged more to her to say, like it was more her style…but it had felt right for him to say it back to her now. His beloved…he loved her so much. And he wanted her to come out…wanted to hear that he was still her beloved too.
There was only some more silence from his female companion at first though…
And then a breath was taken in under the table…and then Arnold (gratefully) watched as the crown of blond hair that had been peeking out over the tabletop this whole time rose to its full height to rest against the back of the chair once more. "I said…" began its owner, glancing down a lot, still mostly the color of a freshly plucked flower of love, though it was waning at least a tiny bit by now, "…When I woke up…in your shower…that one time…I…wasn't wearing anything. And I stole a robe and put it on and ran out of that bathroom and out of your house and back to my house as fast as I could…Bumped into you on the stairs, actually. And I still don't know what happened to my pajamas." Helga cleared her throat and then just looked over at Arnold with a slight scowl and a frown…and just barely managed to move her arms away from her chest and collar and to the arms of her chair, trying to seem calm and in control again. "There—tell your curiosity to chew on THAT and the fact that this blouse leaves a little less to that wide imagination of yours than usual….Hmph!" She then closed her eyes and turned away from him defiantly.
Arnold, the surprise of her return and of her words processing and passing, was the one frozen now for a couple of seconds…a blush beginning to flower practically throughout his entire face, and a deep, dark one it was. 'She…on the…only wearing a…She…' He didn't understand why he was having so much trouble processing this simple, slightly sarcastic statement she had just made. It was a pretty straightforward part of the story after all, and a perfectly acceptable and logical reply to his playful inquiry about it before. She had been wet and…she had had no clothes…so naturally she had just wrapped a robe around herself…and she had pushed against him as she had run out of the bathroom and down the stairs…That was a simple story, right? And yet…his head was really stuck on it. And it made him feel…funny…in a way that he felt 'funny' every once in a while these days around her but…a little more intensely and suddenly than usual.
Arnold quickly shook his head and put it all aside for now though. Here in the middle of an anniversary dinner with Helga (and possibly in the middle of a fight) was probably not the best place for him to start trying to analyze this whole 'funny feeling' thing he had been actually avoiding analyzing in the first place lately. And so he just let out a breath and straightened his tie and stoop up from the roof floor, and did his best to respond in a casual voice, "Oh, um…o-okay, Helga…thank you." He sat back down in his chair. "S-Sorry again…" It was the only thing he could think to say, glancing down, hands in his lap.
Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap…
Suddenly Arnold blinked and looked up at hearing the sound of rhythmic tapping and realized it was her fingertips drumming against the table…firmly. "Arnold. Phillip. Shortman."
Our football headed hero felt a serious shudder of fear go through him. Worse than any of the times pre confession when he had been convinced that she was going to 'kill him' for something. She had never used his full name before. At least…not in that tone. He swallowed very hard and glanced up her humbly. "Uh…yes, m-my lovely and…forgiving angel? Heh, heh…" He looked at her innocently, trying to lighten things a little again. "And, um…did I mention yet that I'm in love with you…After nearly seven years of unrequited love we're celebrating our one month anniversary. Remember…heh, heh?" 'Oh boy…I'm going to die. She's this angry and we're on a roof…' He gulped. 'Yup, I'm going to die…'
The fingertip drumming happened once more and then ceased.
Arnold looked across the table. Helga let out a breath. And then she spoke to him very levelly, looking at him with something between a scowl and blank gaze. "Arnold Phillip Shortman. That…was…That…was the most rude, most unfair, most…inappropriate thing I have EVER had someone do to me throughout my entire life. I think I'd have every right to just….just slap you across the face, toss the rest of my chocolate milk at you and leave and not speak to you for a very long time. I really just plain expected better from you, and..." (Arnold had just been cringing more and more and more as she had spoken, feeling worse and worse, and just the most guilty he had even felt about anything in his entire life). He waited for the final blow now. Probably something about how any lady would break up with him in an instant, and how the only thing that would probably save him from her doing that right now would be the fact that she irrevocably loved him…though she would at least definitely require several days away from him followed by just dozens of apologies before things could even begin going back to normal.
"AND…" she repeated once more, and he swallowed and waited some more….
"And…" her voice softened a bit with this one, and it made Arnold un-cringe just a bit and glance to her. Was there hope? "And…I am very impressed, Arnold. VERY impressed. I have taught you well, my beloved."
Arnold's jaw practically fell to the table with a thud. 'Wh-What…?' "I…" 'Impressed?' "I…I'm sorry, Helga, I—did you just say that you're…impressed with me?" Yes, Helga had thrown him for a loop with her reactions to some things over the course of their time together, but…really, what?
From her place across the table Helga just giggled and rolled her eyes at the precious look on his face now and at the somewhat nostalgic (whether he realized it or not) question that had just escaped him, and couldn't help herself. " 'What are you—deaf?'" She burst into a little laughter at the reference to her confession that he had set up so well for her.
And yet, rather than joining in her laughter at all, her Arnold just sat there still, still looking so very confused and dense.
Helga just rolled her eyes, fully smiling by now. 'Needs his hand held through everything sometimes, I swear….' She let out a sigh and decided to finally explain herself to him. "Yes, Arnold, I'm impressed. That was possibly the single greatest prank you've ever played on me in your entire life. You not only made me blush in the old way…you also then made me blush in an entirely new way that I never even knew existed! Beautiful Arnold, just beautiful. So well executed, so unexpected, so well placed…Brilliant, Football Head." She scowled just a little again for a second. "Of course, as a girl…and I guess, as a 'lady', my little 'gentleman'… I'm a little…resentful, I suppose, of you putting me through all of that and with no warning…But…" The smile returned to her face and all of the pride that went with it, "I'm far more impressed than anything else…And also…just a little fascinated by a few of the things you just said…" She chuckled to herself a little, a smirk coming to her lips. "I would have come out from under the table sooner but it was fun hearing you go on and on about some things…And who knew you were 'curious'…about little old me?" A certain gleam came to her eyes.
Arnold had been slowly processing her explanation of being 'impressed'…but now her comment about his curiosity processed…as did that smirk of hers…and that gleam in her eyes…and his heart just dropped into his stomach. 'Oh no, PLEASE don't let her milk that…PLEASE…' To be perfectly honest he hadn't intended on ever admitting that particular feeling of his to her until they had a few wedding anniversaries behind them…not just a one month courtship anniversary! He gulped…and could have just smacked himself.
The girl in front of him, still grinning happily away, just leaned a little forward on the table and spoke very smoothly to him. "Curious, huh?" she said like the word was so very interesting to her. "Hmm…" she giggled, "Well, off the record, I didn't expect something like that to happen from you until we were practically married considering your modesty, Football Head…Earliest I guess might have been when we finally hit 'teenage Arnold'—I mean, there was always the chance that the fact that you're a boy and I'm a girl would overwhelm you on schedule like with most people no matter what… But…if curious Arnold is already here…I'm sure I can adjust things a little to deal with him…"
And then suddenly she was standing up, and walking…well, sauntering slowly really…around to the other side of the table …and Arnold was VERY much blushing in the old way, the new way…just about every way that it was possible to blush. How she was smiling, what she had just said…the way she was moved as she approached him…the way that blouse really did just barely cling to the very bottoms of her shoulders…And now she was standing before him…and her pretty legs straight together…so long and cute and smooth and pale…angled so nicely by the heels of her little red shoes.
And then she just smiled a little more in the glow of the candlelight as she looked down at him. "You always end up pulling at my dress straps because you secretly want to hold my actual shoulders huh? Well…you like my shoulders so much…" Arnold was just….dying! He couldn't describe the feeling that was…It was that funny feeling from before with the whole bathrobe thing but so very much more active. He was sure if she touched him she would feel him actually shaking. And then he watched helplessly as she turned herself…and sat in his lap…(Arnold almost couldn't bear it), legs dangling off to the side…and then (after nestling herself in) she reached forward with both of her hands, gently took both of his hands, and raised them up, "Well, then…" she whispered, her face so close to his, "why don't you 'hold on to' them for a little while now…" And then suddenly she placed his hands upon those soft, perfect, still even blushing a little shoulders of hers, all but fully exposed.
Arnold was surprised that steam didn't rise up from their contact! It was blinding and blazing and brilliant and there was a girl in his lap and he loved her and his hands were on her bare shoulders! And he knew he had a schedule for tonight and that 'intimacy' wasn't supposed to happen for a little while yet but what was suddenly going on right here and right now completely overrode anything the reasonable and logical side of his mind had planned out. "Mmm…!" His eyes wide, he couldn't help but let a small little squeak come out of him at the back of his throat. He had not expected this at ALL. And she was looking at him like…like…
She must have heard the squeak because then she lightly giggled and picked up one of her now free hands and gently placed a single finger over his lips. "Shh…" she whispered, "Don't talk…just…feel."
His heart trembled as she gently wrapped her arms around his back and moved forward and gave him a kiss.
A very long kiss since it was still going on many seconds later, though Arnold had more than lost track of time. Her delicate, soft, (slightly lemony and raspberry) lips pressing against and into his own…her soft arms and hands holding him around his back…fingers gently moving up and down his spine every now and again like a whisper of wind… 'Almost like she wants to touch…touch MY skin…' The thought barely registered as the word 'skin' made his palms burn again with the feeling of her shoulders underneath his hands. He squeezed them, held them, savored them…so soft and firm and smooth…It was almost too much to understand why this perfect girl…this perfect woman…was letting him touch her so closely… He tried to ease his grip, afraid he would hurt them or something but still it was hard. His fingers practically felt like they were melting into her flesh…
And then he felt…he felt her…she…
He almost wanted to smile at the irony and at the memory but he knew it would mess up what she was doing if he did that.
She had shifted her kiss to his lower lip, gently focusing on it above anything else. And he understood now what doing that to her in that library had made her go limp with love. He released a very deep sigh, nearly a moan, through his nose at the feeling of her savoring that small piece of him like that…
'Oh….WOW…' was all Helga could think, meanwhile, as she kissed him like this, his strong, warm hands on her cool shoulders, her arms clutching around his back…as she regretted the thin layer of cotton dress shirt separating her from getting to touch his skin too. 'I would have lowered the jumper straps myself if I'd known this is what he was after whenever we kissed…Oh…I …OH…' His hands on her shoulders almost made her want to melt and swoon and pass out right in his arms and lap.
Helga finished gently caressing Arnold's lower lip with her own lips and then brought her mouth up just a bit, letting her own lower lip rest between both of Arnold's lips for just a moment now…just for the sake of the memory…before she lightly allowed their mouths to separate…
For a moment both children just sat there, Helga with her arms still pressing into the shirt against Arnold's back, and Arnold still feeling his hands sear as they grasped her shoulders…Helga still in Arnold's lap as she sat wrapped around him and Arnold still with her light weight upon him…the two of them just breathing, and flushed and looking at each other with half lidded gazes.
"W-Well…" Helga finally managed to get out with a smile, panting a little, lips rosy, "We'll…h-have to try touching while kissing a bit more o-often, then, I guess…"
Arnold blinked in disbelief and looked at her with a curious smile, panting a little himself. "We…We get to do that…again…if we want?" He chuckled little, unable to help himself.
Helga just smiled even more at his silly question and nodded. "Yes, of course, my Arnold…every day forever…if you'd like. You can touch me and my shoulders over and over and over again…If you can handle it…" She winked at him and chuckled a little herself.
Arnold, his smile just as goofy as could be, just gave a small nod. "I'll…I'll try and k-keep my heart from exploding, my Helga…." He closed his eyes and savored the feeling of her shoulders once more, just loving them and her.
Helga just gave a light giggle. "Hey, I told you once before—a little cardio never hurt anyone, so suck it up, Arnoldo!" And with that she went forward and surprised him by giving his lips another quick kiss, before she then finally unwound her arms from his torso and pulled back from him a little.
Arnold just remained dazed and tingling all over as she now stood, removing herself delicately from his lap. "Now come on, my curious little Arnold…let's just get back to finishing our drinks and dessert and I'll try not to blush too much about any of this…" As she was speaking she was walking back over to the other side of the table, "…Even though I know you love getting to see so much more of what on me blushes whenever you make me blush…" She giggled purposefully and sat back down in her chair and glanced away shyly with a smile on her face and a small bit of flushed pinkness still present in her cheeks…and a bud of the rosiness she had had before during Arnold's little 'joke' could be detected there too. She couldn't help a small compulsion to casually cross her arms over her chest, though not as highly as before. She sighed to herself. 'Honestly, though, he's such a silly little thing…Who cares about seeing my neck and my shoulders and everything? Really, it all can't look that different from how he looks or how any of the other guys look…And curious? That's sweet of him and I'm sure he's curious about girls in general but curious specifically about me? I-I don't know about that… Like he said, he was kidding about the whole thing before and even if he wasn't…Come on with some of those older girls he's liked…I wouldn't stand a chance. I mean…his curiosity is just…part of being naturally curious and part of the outfits and the hair and stuff that I keep doing and the fact that he thinks I'm pretty. He wouldn't….I couldn't even imagine how embarrassed I'd be if he actually…' The thought almost made her cringe…him spying on her like that, even for just a moment. But her embarrassment would be only half from getting caught like that…The other half would be from, well…Yeah, sure, Arnold found her pretty, even attractive but…she didn't have a body like so many of those bodies he had practically worshipped so much over the years. It would be mortifying to think about instantly getting compared with all those other girls in his mind—Ruth and Summer and even that sixth grader Maria—and coming up so very short. And not to mention on top of all of that, for her seeing him had been…well, let's just say that she had been pleasantly surprised to find out that her little love god not only had the heart and soul and face of a heavenly being…he had, in her humble opinion, the physique of one too…what she had been able to see of it anyway between the crack in the wall above his couch being so thin and also the fact that she had passed out in euphoria pretty quickly. But still, the whole memory, however brief, made her feel all squirmy and twisty inside in a way nothing else did. She sighed again to herself though. 'Eh, but…whatever. Point is, for as long as I can hold off on it Arnold is never seeing more than my shoulders and my legs below my knees. Ever!' And on a side note, the one thing she had definitely not been looking forward to in regards to this summer free to spend time publically and privately with her love was the fact that at some point he would probably expect to see her in a bathing suit if they went swimming or something…and with their new relationship there would be so much more pressure and self-consciousness and... She pushed the thought aside for now, not wanting to deal with it (never wanting to deal with it, really).
"Uh…y-yeah, I thought bringing that up that was a nice touch on my part for making you blush, heh, heh…"
The sound of Arnold's nervous voice in response to whatever she had said last about his joke snapped Helga out of her thoughts and brought her eyes to his. He was just sitting there across from her with a sheepish smile, and she had to wrack her brain for a second but then she realized he must have been talking about the whole 'him liking getting to see just how much of her exactly blushed whenever he made her blush' thing. She blinked a few times, dismissing her insecurities for the moment, and then finally remembered that she been meaning to push his buttons a little as a small revenge for what he had put her through mere minutes ago with all of his teasing. And so she cleared her throat and put her doubts and thoughts and confusions aside for now…and smiled at Arnold just a little bit more as she spoke again. "Mmm hmm…VERY nice touch, actually…And so was that question about me being in your shower…" She threw in a little chuckle and added almost nostalgically, reaching across the table and going for another little sliver of cake, "Boy, I'll tell you, when I woke up in there that morning and looked down and saw that I was—well, that my pajamas were gone, I almost had one of those heart attacks you keep talking about, Football Head." She shrugged her shoulders as she got the cake to her plate and picked up her fork, making sure to let the fabric of her blouse fall just a little more off of her shoulders, and then looked him right in the eye. "Don't know how I would've gotten out of there without that robe…Guess you would've caught me and I would've had to confess right then and there…"
She watched Arnold just swallow hard and adjust his tie, taking another sip of his chocolate milk and going for another sliver of cake himself. "Uh…well…y-yeah, I guess I would have been pretty curious if you'd poked your head out of the door into the hallway and a-asked for a towel and some c-clothes…" he managed without turning entirely the color of a tomato.
'Yes, that's right, Arnold…just keep blushing…And now to go in for the kill.'
Helga nodded with a smile and then added with another small chuckle. "Hmm…it really does remind me of how sometimes when we kiss it really practically like you try and undress me or something just like you said…"
In the middle of putting down the cake server, Arnold spazzed and it dropped to the cake plate with a clatter! "Helga!" his voice cracked out, then cleared his throat and tried to look at her firmly, getting very distracted by straightening his tie again. "U-Um…Helga…" his voice was a bit more normal now that he had had a chance to take a breath to take the edge off of his nervousness, "I…I know what you're doing and t-trying to embarrass me back isn't working…j-just so you know…I don't, um…and th-that's crazy anyway." He closed his eyes and shook his head, almost like he was trying to rid it of the very idea. "I just…like I said, your shoulders are nice and I hold onto them to balance and the thing with the straps just happens…heh, heh…" He opened his eyes, his hands clasped together on the table now, and shrugged glancing away. "B-Besides," his eyes turned to hers just a little defiantly, trying to get himself a bit on the offensive now, obviously, "…You…you're the one who keeps taking my sweater off half the time or telling me to take it off when we kiss!" Yeah, it embarrassed him a little to bring it up…but it was the only trump logic he had.
Too bad he didn't see the obvious flaw in using this as his counterpoint…and even more unfortunate for him that Helga DID.
"Yes, but… there's a difference between me trying to get a sweater off of you…and you trying to get something like that off of me Arnold…a BIG difference…if you think about it a little…"
Arnold's fork (he had been trying to be comfortable enough to eat some cake again) clattered down to his plate and he looked at her with shock in his eyes for a moment and only just barely managed to keep from ducking down under the table in humiliation HIMSELF now! "Helga! I…know…that…!" was all he could think to reply (in total fluster, obviously) to an observation like that. "A-And I told you, I'm not trying to take anything off of you, exactly, I just…" A very frustrated look came to his face…and it made Helga pause curiously, watching him think. "Helga," he started again, obviously considering his words very carefully, and obviously very embarrassed at the moment, "…When we kiss for a while, I stop thinking and just start…like you said before to me before we kissed, I don't think, I just…feel! I don't know what I'm doing—I'm operating on instinct because I trust you so much that I'm not afraid to do that. I'm not afraid to maybe let certain things inside of me…things that I might not even know are there…out. C-Curiosity and all… I love you, Helga…I'd trust you with anything." He looked at her with wide, sincere eyes. "Alright…Helga?" he finished quietly and earnestly.
'Oh...' Helga was just…she was touched. She had never heard him sound so sincere about anything…and he had never told her that before about him. Yes, certainly she had come to know and learn over the last month that Arnold really was different around her and really did share secrets with her and really did have a side he only showed around her…but…she hadn't realized just how deep his trust had already gotten…and he had never outright admitted it to her like this before…that he didn't just trust her with the deepest parts of himself that he knew…he also trusted her with the deepest parts of himself that he didn't understand or maybe didn't even realize were there in the first place. But here it was…that was why he had been getting more and more carried away with things, more and more intimate with her, more and more comfortable even with joking about it all…It was because he trusted her absolutely. And completely. In every way a person could…
And now she was here giving him a hard time about learning to be himself around her. AGAIN. And even though it had been in playful 'revenge', still that didn't change the fact that she had obviously just touched upon something very serious and private for him. She sighed mentally. 'I hate guilt…'
Helga swallowed and glanced down, pushing away her empty cake plate. "Arnold…" she began softly, smiling comfortingly, looking to him demurely, "Listen…I didn't mean to bug you too much or accuse you of anything or say anything about you just now. I was just trying to get back at you a little for sending me under the table before…but I didn't mean to suggest anything about you. I promise. I know you're my little gentleman, Arnold, and…I love that about you…" her eyes went warm and half lidded… "…just like I love being your 'lady'…And, um…I…well…" she blushed a little again, swallowing and glancing down shyly once more, "…Thank you…for trusting me, like that… Completely. I…I've never felt so loved by anyone before… And I trust you like that too, Arnold…with parts of me that I never thought I could trust anyone with and that I never even knew I had. No matter how scared I am…" she smiled more, her eyes finding his again, "…Because I love you too, Arnold, and I don't believe you'll ever hurt me for my whole entire life."
She watched Arnold's eyes meet hers…and they smiled…and then he smiled. "Don't be sorry, Helga," he replied back in that lovely, forgiving, eternally understanding tone of his, "…It was just another joke between us…and a good one." He winked and even chuckled a little. "And also…you're welcome…It's just how I feel and I'm happy you feel the same way too. And…" he looked at her very deeply and sincerely, "I'll never hurt you, Helga. I…can't think of a sadder thing than the idea of you being hurt." A frown came to his face. "That's why I was so worried about you when you went under the table before. I thought I'd really hurt you." He smiled again. "But I'm happy you were okay with everything…that we're okay."
Helga smiled back, feeling him making her eyes get misty. "We'll always be okay, Arnold. I promise."
"And…you really don't mind that I'm THAT honest with you, Helga? That we're THAT honest with each other?" Arnold added shyly with a little blush.
Helga blushed as well and nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way…"
For a little while, the two just sat in content silence, smiling and gazing at one another in the candlelight and moonlight…needing no words anymore for now, their love saying it all…
"Well, Arnold, looks like our first date this weekend is over." Helga sighed and smiled at Arnold. It was a little while later after their brief moment of just enjoying each other's presences, and now both children had gotten up and started clearing the dinner table together, which they had just finished doing (Helga had insisted on helping Arnold this time, to which Arnold had finally agreed but only on the condition that she would just get the dishes and glasses and silverware together along with him and leave them all up here for him to come and get and clean in the morning, a request with which in the end she had finally complied). Helga went on talking to him as she started to walk over to his fire escape. "Not bad, by the way—I'd say your night of our anniversary was definitely a success, Football Head." She winked at him over her shoulder with a grin.
Arnold put the folded up tablecloth off to the side with the plates and approached her, smiling as well. "Thank you, Helga. I'm glad you liked it…though it's not over quite yet. I still have to give you your presents after all." He winked at her…and he was really looking forward to this part of the date.
Helga paused near the fire escape and turned back to Arnold with an intrigued smile. "Oh, yes, I almost forgot—anniversary presents…Now just so I'm clear on everything are these actual store-bought gifts or 'presents from the heart'…and by 'heart' I mean 'lips'." She giggled, taking a few coy steps back toward him.
Arnold's smile picked up a little on one side and he blushed but chuckled, taking a few steps toward her as well. "Oh, no, they're definitely…well, not 'store bought', but they are actual physical gifts…though, um…I did set aside time in the night for a goodnight kiss…or a few…b-but, um…technically they're supposed to happen after the presents…" He shrugged a little.
Helga giggled some more. They had both stopped walking and were standing right in front of each other now. "Aww, but…couldn't my 'bad boy' bend the rules a little…just for such a special occasion as our one month anniversary at least? After all, you already bent them twice tonight with kisses…what's once more?" She batted her eyelashes at him a little, smirking a tiny bit. "And besides, I…I like kissing you on rooftops…It brings back so many good memories…You all frightened with love and me finally getting to do everything I'd always wanted to do to those lips of yours…Come on, Arnold…just one before presents…for me?" She faked a little pout…knowing that even if she had thought he might refuse her, he could certainly never say no to the pout or to her requesting something extra nicely like this…
"O-Oh…well…wh-when you put it like that, how could I deny my true love…?" he asked simply with a little smile, eyes hazed in all that love he felt for her…And then he raised his hands and cupped her face, burying his fingers into her soft hair on either side of her head, and came forward to give her lips a soft, tender, lingering, deep, melting kiss of romance…
"Mmm…" Helga softly sighed and gave a small moan, melting under his touch as she wrapped her arms around him, breaths coming shallowly through her nose as were his. And it felt so beautiful to her, to them both, to share this moment here in memory of their first kiss on a rooftop that had started so much…
After several moments, both children let out deep sighs through their noses and pulled apart, just smiling at each other.
Helga gazed down into her beloved's eyes, still hugging him close. "Not bad, Football Head… Like I've been saying all along, you are definitely getting more skilled at all of this kissing stuff…and especially in comparison with the last time we were on a rooftop and you were in a suit…and that tie…" She winked, memories of FTi now flashing through both of their minds.
Arnold blushed a little extra and replied with a little spark of boldness in his eyes as he still gently held her face in his hands. "And I have you to thank, Helga…"
Helga giggled…Arnold smile more…
And then Arnold's eyes went wide as the next words out of Helga's mouth as she suddenly leaned in close to him with a spark of her own in her eyes and a familiar challenging smirk on her face. "Now it's my turn to prove how much I've improved since FTi…"
Maybe twenty minutes later…though, really, who would bother keeping much track at a time like this. The point was that it wasn't 10 o'clock yet so Olga wouldn't be here to pick up Helga yet so Arnold and Helga were still free to do as they pleased for the rest of their first one month anniversary date together…
Arnold had to take several heavy breaths as he finally separated his lips once again from those of the eager girl before him. "Okay, Helga…" he said, smiling despite his flushed exhaustion. "N-Now that's enough goodnight kisses…w-we're so behind schedule a-and it's almost ten and even if my grandparents don't care when we're done tonight I know your parents do." He managed to push a little against Helga's shoulders (which he had started holding onto again somewhere in their kissing…and he was now on his …third or fourth, at this point, goodnight kiss from her on his rooftop…and, though the number might seem small, with how intense Helga's kisses could get that meant they'd been at it for quite a while now), and to just barely separate her from himself sufficiently enough so that they could both just look at each other and talk for a moment. "Besides, Gerald's coming over in a little while for a sleepover so that we can talk about planning his one month anniversary, so…"
Helga just smiled dreamily at her beloved Arnold though and protested (and she was totally gone at the moment and loving every minute of it), "Aw, come on, Arnold. What happened to trying to keep things up here for as long as we could so Phil would win that bet with Gertie, like she said? It's not ten o'clock yet, after all. And either way, I can't help myself…" She giggled and suddenly draped her arms around his shoulders, causing him to blink in surprise at the feeling of her suddenly pressed fully against him like that. "I think 'Sweet Helga' like-likes you…" And then she suddenly moved them both forward, causing Arnold to be pressed against one of the roof ledges, and then before more cute, modest, righteous protestations could leave his mouth she immediately engaged it by bringing her own to it for yet another passionate kiss between them as she just enjoyed the warm summer air and the warmth of his form against hers.
Though he had just stated very clearly why they should probably stop kissing now, Helga didn't fail to notice that Arnold's hands soon shifted smoothly over her shoulders and then into the long tresses her hair, (which he had managed to get completely out of its bun and down around her shoulders over the last twenty minutes, once again despite how much he was trying to resist COMPLETELY letting his darker side go with her right now…Besides, he liked her hair. Sue him!) And, once again, despite his protests, Arnold was more than kissing her back right now too…and after a month of practice with these passionate kisses he had definitely graduated, in her opinion, from terrific to fantastic to making her basically say 'Where the heck am I again?' when they were done.
After what felt like quite a while of shallow breaths through their noses and hands touching so much of each other and lips that went numb with passion and love and happiness, both Arnold and Helga finally broke apart once more, just smiling and looking into each other's eyes, breathing heavily again. This was so nice…but still Arnold…Arnold had a very particular reason for wanting very much to have as much time as possible to give Helga her presents and he knew the night was waning… "Helga, really…this is…wonderful. B-But Gerald's really going to be here in a little while and I know Olga's going to come soon too, and if we run late I don't want you to get grounded from our date tomor—" He was cut off by the feeling of one of her fingers pressing gently against his lips.
"Shh…" Helga said in a quiet voice, still smiling, still obviously just intoxicated with him, "I'll just give Olga a call and ask her to tell my parents that I'm staying over at Phoebe's for the night or something…and then I can stick around here as long as I want." She removed her finger. "Okay, my perfectly romantic Arnold…my angelic prince…my dashing do-gooder…my…sultry preteen?" She looked into his eyes with longing. "After all it's the least you could do for making me so very 'enslaved by your spell'…" She put a single fingertip underneath his chin, lifting it up, and winked at him. Oh she loved tempting him so!
Though Arnold really did want to be responsible, he could definitely feel his resolve weakening…a lot. However, he clung to any flaw in her logic that would get her off of that roof so that she indeed wouldn't get in trouble and so that he indeed would have time for her presents…and something else. "But…" he started in a dazed voice, doing his best to focus, "B-But then you'd have to wake up Phoebe later and get over there later and…" She pressed up against him again and kissed him, cutting him off and making him completely lose the thread of logic he'd had.
She separated from him and then leaned in and whispered in his ear with a giggle, "Or we could just finish this little makeout session until we're too tired to stand and then I could crash in your room and we could finish in the morning…" She pulled back and giggled once more and looked into Arnold's eyes pleadingly, pouting her adorable lips all for him. "What do you say, Arnold?...Willing to put some extra time into making my…girlhood tremble…?"
Arnold just felt his heart pounding in his chest. Sultry…enslaved…trembling…girlhood. Suddenly he couldn't control himself and he pushed forward away from the roof ledge, latching his mouth against Helga's much to her surprise and delight. His fingers pulled down through her soft hair and found their way to her shoulders again…He squeezed against them and suddenly got an arm around her waist, firmed up his grip around her and dipped her right back until she was completely horizontal.
It made Helga squeak in surprise at first, her eyes popping open wide for a moment, heart trembling in wonder. It was so much like that night after their one week anniversary, outside of her house when he had tossed her back…called her his 'talented blue eyed love'…And there was daring, so much daring in his eyes, just like that night…and Helga felt herself just gazing up towards him in awe…until she melted more and her eyes slowly closed again. "Mmm…" 'Wow, what a guy…' She swooned a little inside.
After several, several seconds of practically massaging her mouth with his own, Arnold managed to pull away again for just a second to catch his breath.
Helga was just…in a trance. 'So…forceful…so masterful…such a hunk! Oh Arnold…' "A-Arnold…" She blushed and smiled and just savored how lovely it was to look up at him with the stars and moon and night sky framing his perfect face.
His green eyes burned and danced…and he really was in just about one of the boldest states he had ever been in. And he smiled a little more as he recalled her cute little offer from before…about their plans for the rest of this evening… "Well, Helga…if you're really interested…I guess you could take my bed for the night and I could take the couch…And you could stay…" came his response in a warm, passionate whisper.
Helga was just…out of commission at first. All limp in his arms, flushed throughout her face and collar, eyes still dewy with love, tousled hair hanging softly down from her head. Eventually she managed to blink a few times and find her voice…It came out light as air and the whole time she spoke she was trembling and shaking and smiling…because as long as she had him like this…she might as well see if he would also be willing not to just give her her fantasy but to upgrade it a little as well… "A-Aw, Arnold…can't we just both cuddle on the couch together until we fall asleep in each other's arms, Football Head?" She gave a dreamy, goofy, lovesick giggle, thoroughly enjoying being held in his arms like this and the effect she was having on him and of course the effect he was having on her. She batted her eyelashes at him a little just to add to the temptation of it all.
"Well…" he leaned her back just a little extra, that bold, daring, 'Arnold, you're being kind of rough' look still in his eyes…And now his mind raced with thoughts of the two of them locked away in his attic room, himself snuggling up against her, arms around each other as they quietly listened to jazz music, him stroking her hair and shoulders and hearing little giggles pour out of her as he placed gentle kisses up and down her arms like she liked…maybe even moving his kisses across her collar from shoulder to shoulder…her legs pulled in coyly as she sat there…maybe him being a little bold and lightly moving a finger up and down them from the ends of her ankles to the tops of her knees, just touching against the hem of her skirt…and her shyly coming forward when all was said and done to thank him for that 'girlhood trembling' thing by placing little kisses all over him too…her hands shifting all over the thin cotton of his shirt…the delicate curve of her body pressed so warmly against him just like they both liked… So many ideas, and they all made him shake…"Maybe…" he began with a shallow breath, the daydreams still dancing before his eyes, "Maybe I could put Gerald off until tomorrow night and we could cuddle on there just for a little while, my lovely, sweet, beautiful, warm, heavenly…" He let out almost a swoon, obviously lost in everything, still just cradling her in his arms…His Helga…his future wife (if he had anything to say about it)…their one month anniversary… "…Oh Helga…did anyone ever tell you that your eyes are like blue diamonds and your hair is a waterfall of golden fire and you skin is soft and smooth and delicate as a peach and your lips are like a perfect red rose just waiting to be plucked by mine, and you…you—" It took him a couple of seconds but then he suddenly realized what he was saying and how far he was letting himself go, not just with monologuing to her at this point but with obviously encouraging her trying to sleep over at his house under these circumstances! Our football headed hero instantly blinked and cleared his throat and tried to backpedal a little. "I mean…" he closed his eyes, trying to focus, "I…I mean…" He was obviously really struggling with himself. "I-I…" It was hard to make the images of what they could do together in his room for the rest of the night go away…and he didn't even want to make them go away…but he really wanted to do the right thing here. 'Gentleman…Gentleman…Gentleman…A gentleman does NOT do something like what she wants to do…even if he wants to do it to…And a gentleman definitely does not ruin the most important part of a night like this just for extra kisses' "Whoa…" he barely breathed out, really needing a second before he could continue talking to her, he decided. He gently raised her up and loosed his grip on her a little.
A low, shy, slightly smug giggle escaped Helga then, bringing him out of his thoughts further. "No, no, that's quite alright—continue with your monologue, my Arnold. Please…you doing it might even send me off into one…Arnold…your arms cradling me so gently and tenderly…and yet feeling so obviously full of masculine strength and passion …your hands pulling through my hair and resting on my shoulders so lovingly and yet…so ravenously…always seeming to want more and more of me… A head so oddly shaped and yet…so so so very attractive in its delicate design…" She lowered her voice to a whisper, "…Lips that speak words of innocence and yet secretly beg for actions of guilty pleasure and—"
"HELGA!" Arnold cut her off, knowing that if she went on any longer he would certainly break again. Innocence and guilty pleasure…He didn't want to think about it and yet he couldn't deny its truth…saying that they should do the right thing and yet wanting to… wanting to…."I…I mean, H-Helga…" He closed his eyes. Her lips really were like a lovely flower all for him, and he couldn't bear to look on them any longer…at least not without losing the thread of his reason that had luckily recovered again now. "I…I don't want anyone worrying about you and I think we've had more than enough fun for today…and also it'll be a lot more fun to be together tomorrow if we've been apart for a little while…and also like I said there are still your presents to give you. So I think we should go inside now and that you should go home with Olga when she comes to pick you up and then I'll see you tomorrow night, okay?" He let out a deep breath, finally feeling really calm and in control again.
Helga still had her arms around his neck but seeing that he was determined not to lose control again right now (and knowing at the back of her mind that, darn him, he was right and their time was limited) she just sighed and loosened her grip on him a little as he had loosened his on her. "Oh fine, Arnold, I'll be a good girl… But I expect you to be willing to be a bit of a 'bad boy' again tomorrow night if you know what I mean." She winked and giggled at him and it took everything Arnold had not to grab her cute little self and give her one more little lingering peck for the road.
Meanwhile, Helga unwrapped herself from him, straightened his tie a little, and then walked back over to first the table and then the piano where she casually picked up her purse and then his suit jacket respectively, and then walked back over to Arnold and the skylight. She tossed him his jacket. "There you go, lover boy…"
Catching it, Arnold smiled and put it back on, having almost forgotten about it, the summer air up here had been so warm all evening. "Thanks, Helga…"
"You're welcome, Football Head."
He saw her in the process of opening the skylight pane and quickly stepped over to assist her. "Allow me…" he offered with one of his little chivalrous smiles and then undid the latch and opened the pane wide for her leading down to the wall ladder at the foot of his bed. "Ladies first…" he of course offered with a gesture forward and a sincere smile.
Helga just sighed with a smile and walked forward to head down the ladder. "Yeah, yeah, you're such a gentleman, Mr. 'Well, maybe I can put Gerald off for a night and we can cuddle on my couch for just a little while.' " She had to laugh to herself at the blush that returned to his face and at how he was suddenly avoiding eye contact with her. She began to descend into his room. "Meanwhile, at least it's good to know that it's starting to take less and less effort to wear down your modesty." She smiled to herself again as she landed on his bed and then stood up on his floor, straightening her skirt. He began to follow in after her. "Who knows, maybe someday soon you'll end up like me at that baseball game today, just shouting from the rooftops that underneath the blustery exterior beats the heart of the biggest romantic in the tri-city area. Expect in your case of course…" She reached her hand forward and grabbed his as he landed on his bed, pulling him up and close to her, "…You'd be letting them know that underneath all of that morality and the goody two shoes act beats the heart of a seriously bold flirt. Same principle though reall—"
She was stopped from going on with her teasing as with a sigh he put a finger to her lips. "Very funny, Helga. Now come on, Olga's going to be here any minute and before that happens I really do have some special things to give you…" He took her hand and led her to the middle of the room, specifically positioning her there. "Alright, now, just stand here and I'll give you them one by one…and I hope you like them, Helga."
"Arnold…they're one month anniversary presents from you…" she could only reply with a little smirk and giggle. "You could have gotten me rocks from the street and I would still treasure them forever simply because, once again…they are one month anniversary presents from you!" She giggled a little more but then clasped her hands in front of herself patiently, eagerly awaiting whatever lovely little trinkets he might have in store for her.
Her beloved took a step back from her and smiled. He reached into his pocket. "Alright, well…for the first part of your present, Helga…" His smile picked up on one side and he made a gesture of smallness by lifting up and hand and almost squeezing his thumb and index finger together horizontally, "I need you to do one little thing."
"Ooo and what's that, my sweet prince?" she asked with playful curiosity.
Arnold just shrugged. "Ask me what time it is," he replied simply enough.
Helga looked at him with part of her brow raised and a little smirk on her lips but then just sighed and shrugged. "Oh why not…" She cleared her throat and then asked, her hands on her hips, "What time is it, Arnold?"
Arnold sighed and shrugged and reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocket watch, opening it up. "It's…" he looked to Helga with a sheepish little grin, "Now do you promise me you won't tell anyone else about this present…that it can just be between you and me?"
Helga giggled and rolled her eyes and nodded. "Cross my heart, Football Head." She winked at him.
Arnold smiled more and nodded. "Alright…It's 9:30, Helga…See?" And then he turned around the open pocket watch and held it out to her.
At first Helga's smiling eyes just fell upon the clock face and she was still wondering what the big deal was about it…But then Helga paused…her eyes going wide…They had looked to the inside of the open cover of the pocket watch…and in there was something special…something from that day that she had invited Arnold over to her house to take her new locket picture of him…
It was the picture he had taken of her, sitting on the edge of her bed, he face flushed from tickles, arms crossed over her chest, the soft, happy smile upon her face, eyes cast downward shyly. She always felt a little awkward-looking in photos but even she had had to admit to herself when she had gotten the pictures from that day developed that she actually looked sort of nice and pretty in that one…And this copy of it that she had given to Arnold had had the edges cut to make it into a perfect circle that fit snugly into the inside cover of the pocket watch.
Helga blushed, her bottom lip falling in a touch of surprise and fluster. She had never expected Arnold to carry a picture of her around in any way similar to how she carried his around in her locket. Heck she hadn't even expected him to ever do anything like a shrine to her and had been totally and pleasantly surprised when she had discovered his little version of one in his locker at school…But a locket? Yeah, she knew her Arnold was more sweet and sensitive and mushy than most boys could be but she knew even his more flexible brand of masculinity had to draw the line somewhere, and wearing a big heart shaped locket around his neck was probably the limit.
But…her picture in a pocket watch…Oh what a wonderful thing for him to do!
She blinked and stepped back shyly. "Oh…Oh Arnold…you…you didn't have to…m-my picture and everything…I…" She felt little tears pricking at the corners of her eyes and quickly dabbed them away with the back of her hand and smiled to her beloved Arnold. "Oh thank you, Arnold…It's even better than the locket shrine."
Arnold was just beaming with happiness. He closed the little pocket watch and put it back in his pants pocket. "No, thank you, Helga…for the picture…A-And of course, I…I've been wanting a little picture of you too…And now I don't have to worry about anyone catching me with it since everyone knows about us so it seemed like the perfect time to debut it. Happy Anniversary, Helga." He winked at her and chuckled playfully.
She giggled back at him, looking down coyly. "Thank you, Arnold…Happy Anniversary to you too."
"Are you ready for your next present, Helga?" he asked with a smile.
She nodded. "Bring it on, Romeo."
Arnold nodded back. "Of course, Juliet." And then he popped over to his bed and got on his knees and started moving his fingers through the titles of his record collection in search of something.
"Ooo, hide something among the jazz records?" Helga asked playfully.
"Yup," Arnold replied with a proud little grin, pulling out one of the volumes, "A record." He looked to Helga and winked at her and then hopped down from the bed and presented her with the record album in his hands. "It's…It's a copy of the Dino Spumoni/Nancy Spumoni album…you remember…the one we listened to together that weekend you tutored me…when we had that brief lull of calmness and truce in the middle of all of the chaos?" He chuckled a little. "I thought you might like it because it was one of the first things we really liked in common, and also I know you like Nancy Spumoni…so, um…I talked to Dino and…he got her to sign it for you. Um…Happy Anniversary again, Helga!" Arnold looked at her with love and sincerity, still holding out the record for her to take. "Oh and I know you don't have a record player but don't worry, we've got a few old ones in the basement and my grandpa said you could take one to keep at your house for as long as you like," he added eagerly.
Despite how sweet and thoughtful and caring and perfect it was though…Helga didn't accept this part of her anniversary present quite as quickly and eagerly as she had the first part.
She was observing Arnold at the moment…similarly to how she had done at the start of this evening at the piano when a certain name rhyming with 'Fancy Baloney' had come up…She was looking to see if he meant anything by it, if he was trying to hint at something, if he knew and was telling her without actually telling her…
But again all she saw was sincerity and optimism and love in his eyes…though now there was a touch of doubt there too as he asked shyly, "Are you okay, Helga? Do…Do you not like the gift?"
Helga's eyes went wide for a moment and then she instantly went forward and took the record and looked into his eyes. "Oh Arnold, no, of course not. I adore it!" she assured him with total truth and love. "I'm sorry, I just…um…th-this whole night is a little overwhelming to me, I guess, and your first present was so lovely and I just can't believe you gave me another one that's so perfect and sweet. Thank you, darling." She wrapped her arms around him tightly and kissed his cheek and then pulled back with a smile. "I love it."
All of the hope and happiness and joy was instantly back in Arnold's eyes. "Oh…okay. You're welcome, Helga! I'm so happy…"
Helga smiled more at him. "I'm so happy too, Arnold…So very happy…" Then she let out a sigh and gestured with her head toward the door behind her. "So, now that the presents are done, wanna head downstairs?"
Arnold blinked in surprise at her for a moment and then smiled and shook his head. "Helga…the presents aren't done yet…I have one more to give you…a-and then there's one more thing before you go…" He cleared his throat, glancing down shyly.
Helga blinked, blushing a tiny bit. "Arnold…seriously, not that I don't appreciate all of that but I hope these last two things you're talking about are small—I know you're into this anniversary thing but I don't need to be showered with gifts or anything like that. Heck, I'd have just been happy with the fried chicken and the birthday cake back on the roof." She laughed, but was still looking at him with a touch of seriousness, wanting him to know she really meant it about the presents.
Arnold understood her concerns and looked to her with assurance. "I know, Helga…but really those first two presents were sort of little…and I promise the third one is small too…and as for the last thing, I…I'd like to think of it as something separate all on its own from the anniversary stuff. But I promise, it's all just tiny things but things I think you deserve and that I hope you'll like, okay?"
Between the cute smile on his face and his cute words of assurance, all of Helga's worries and qualms couldn't help but melt away. She smiled at him and nodded. "Okay, Arnold…fire away with my third wonderful present…and whatever other thing is that you want to do for me."
Arnold smiled back at Helga and nodded. And then he walked over to his bed again though this time he stood up on it, reaching to a high wall shelf. There was a long, thin black cardboard box up there marked 'secret stuff'. He popped the lid and reached his hand inside, rummaging around a tiny bit before he pulled out a small little package. It was wrapped in red paper and sealed at the bottom with a little heart sticker over the fold. He popped the top back onto the box and hopped back off of his bed and looked to Helga.
She was just smiling at him and trying not to chuckle. "Ooo you went into the 'secret stuff' box…I'm honored. That little gift must be pretty important to make it into there…" She glanced up towards the box, pressing herself on her tiptoes a little. "By the way, what else is in that 'secret stuff' box anyway? Is it a bunch of cute cliché boy stuff? Like a buffalo head nickel and a couple of Indian arrow heads you found digging around on Hawk Mountain and a four leaf clover and tons of silly string and fireworks and a pine cone shaped like Elvis or something?"
Arnold just sighed and smiled a ton, handing her the red package. "Yeah, pretty much…plus a few backup copies of It Girl magazines…By the way, if you were still doing that, that outfit of yours tonight would be perfect for one of the spreadsheets." He winked at her and chuckled warmly as he left the package in her hands crossed his arms over his chest.
Helga just blushed furiously and rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Oh ha ha, very funn—"
"Oh, no, no…please wait to open that until you get home, Helga." Her hands had been in the middle of starting to undo the paper around whatever small, rectangular object was in here and Arnold had reached out to stop her, his hands now around hers on the package and a distinct little blush and look of shyness on his features.
Helga blinked but then grinned a little at the blush on his features and just sighed and nodded. "Okay, okay, I'll save it for later... I can't wait to get home to open it though; this must be a good one, my shy little love." She giggled at him, unable to help it.
Arnold just shrugged humbly. "I hope so…and thanks, Helga…for waiting to open it."
She just chuckled and waved him off. "No problem, paste for brains. Alright, now let's get on to whatever thing you wanted to give m—"
"Shortman!" Suddenly though Helga was cut off by the sound of Phil calling up to her beloved's room from the hallway. "I see you've got the little 'Do Not Disturb, Please' sign on your door and I'm sorry to interrupt you but if you and Helga are down from the roof yet and whenever you two get the chance you're wanted downstairs!"
Arnold blinked. 'Wanted downstairs?' What did that mean? Could Olga be here yet? Arnold stepped toward the door and called out, "Uh…y-yeah, we just got down from the roof. Thanks, Grandpa! We'll be there soon!"
"Gotchya, Shortman!" Phil called out brightly. And then he was heard to mumble to himself with a wily chuckle as he departed down the hall, "Heh, heh, lasted on the roof until 9:30. I guessed closest with 10 o'clock. Looks like Gertie owes me a dollar…"
Alone with Helga again, Arnold sighed and a little frown came to his features for a moment. 'I knew I let dinner run on too long…And now Olga's probably here so she can definitely get Helga home by ten.' It was such a shame, really had wanted to do it up here, what he had been planning…But then again…maybe downstairs…out on his stoop or something in the moonlight…that might actually be really nice…Why not? He nodded to himself then turned back to Helga with a smile and another nod. "Alright, um…I guess we should go downstairs and see what's going on but it's okay, Helga…I can give you the last thing just as easily down there as I can up here." He smiled brightly to her and then cleared his throat and then quickly dashed over to his bed and grabbed her record and her purse…and quickly snagged something from under his pillow inconspicuously, and then turned and walked over to her, "Don't forget your Nancy Spumoni record or your purse." He handed them to her.
"Thanks, Football Head." Helga smiled and took the purse and put the little red wrapped package inside and put the record under her arm (Arnold's little thing from under his pillow had been placed in his pocket along with his pocket watch back when he had been at his bed, not giving her the chance to notice it). "Alright, then, Football Head." She nodded and then she reached for the bedroom doorknob and opened the door wide and looked to Arnold, cutting him off before he could even start with her, "You go first, Mr. Chivalry—I absolutely insist." She crossed her arms over her chest with a defiant little smirk upon her features.
At her tone and that smile Arnold just smiled more and sighed, knowing it was better not to argue with her. "Whatever you say, Helga…" He went forward and began climbing down his steps to the second floor landing below…trying not to feel too nervous about what was coming up…
Chuckling at his cute little default reply to her, Helga began to head down the stairs after him, closing the bedroom door behind her. "As usual, you are correct, Arnold—whatever I—whoa!" Needless to say, Helga wasn't used to doing stairs in this high-heeled red shoes and she had already used up most of her luck with them probably by getting up the fire escape without dying, and so she was suddenly cut off as the soul of one of her sling-backs slipped and she felt herself start to fall down the last few steps of the little collapsible staircase (and she was unable to cling to anything for balance as she had her hands full with her purse and record). "Oh!" she cringed, waiting for the crash…
However, rather than hitting the floor, as anticipated, she suddenly felt herself stopped in midair by something warm. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times and had to smile as she realized she was being cradled in Arnold's arms. She laughed, catching her breath, barely able to believe her good fortune as she clung with her arms around his neck with her purse still in one hand and her record still in the other. "Wow, uh…nice catch, Football Head," she couldn't help but remark with an impressed grin.
Arnold, blinking and catching his own breath and seeming rather surprised himself, just smiled humbly and shrugged, firming up his grip on her a little to make sure he wouldn't drop her. "Oh, um…thanks, Helga…Just…instinct, I guess…" He blushed a little, gazing down into her eyes as he turned away from the stairs, still holding her so gently.
Helga giggled and then reached up and began to twirl a piece of his hair around one of her fingers playfully. "Well, then thank you, Arnold's instincts…That could have been very potentially embarrassing for me but instead it turned into one of my favorite romantic moments to have with my favorite Football Head…You don't hold me enough, Arnold." She giggled, snuggling her head against his chest with a big grin. "And I love whenever you do…" She really could have just fallen asleep in his arms like this… "You know, I think the last time I got you to do this of your own free will was that Monday before school after our one week anniversary." She laughed more. "I still don't know how that idea popped into that wide and wonderful head of yours or where you thought you were taking me but boy did I wish Gerald and Phoebe hadn't shown up so that I could have found out…" She grinned up at him romantically.
"Helga…" A now blushing Arnold just rolled his eyes, his smile growing and growing.
She shrugged and giggled. "Just saying, Arnold…It was extra cute."
Arnold, however, just shook his head slightly, "No, Helga, I mean…"
"Arnold, what are you—" came Helga's suddenly shocked sounding voice, her eyes popping open wide!
Arnold cut her off, laughing to himself more at her surprise. "I was taking you to Paris, I think, like we'd talked about. Remember? Right now though I think downstairs is all we have time for..."
Helga's surprise right now was due to the fact that Arnold, rather than putting her down like was expecting him (unfortunately) to do after another one of their little flirtatious exchanges, had instead suddenly started walking down the hall, still holding her with her legs draped over one of his arms and his other arm around her back and waist
"A-Arnold, I mean it…" she started as they got closer to the stairs, trying to sound serious though her voice couldn't help coming out with a laugh underneath it, "You're going to get us both killed! And what happened to asking my permission next time you did this, anyway?" She continued eyeing the steps with fearful excitement as she smirked to herself, remembering his little promise to her about that in a little note to her in class that Monday morning after their one week anniversary.
Arnold just chuckled and shrugged. "Well, you ending up like this with me was an accident this time. And you didn't exactly ask to be put down…" He paused right at the top of the landing and smiled at her. "Do you want to be put down?" he asked playfully.
Helga blinked at the question, and then looked away with a blush and a smile on her face. "Oh fine. You win. Carry on with wherever you're bringing me, Arnold's dark and bold and daring side...It's always a pip and what the heck, it's our anniversary again after all, might as well take some chances."
Arnold had to laugh and he began to descend the stairs with her still in his grasp. "Helga, I'm not THAT gone yet…" He rolled his eyes to the side with a little smirk. "I mean, I was close on the roof before when you asked to spend the night lying in each other's arms on my couch and I started to say yes….but I'm close to back to normal now." He gave her a wink.
Helga just scoffed and rolled her eyes as they completed the first section of stairs and entered the little landing leading to the second one. "Oh yeah right, like your usual modest self could ever do something like this with me without at least a teeny bit of help from that romantic 'bad boy' streak of yours." She chuckled. "Face it, you might think you're in control right now but all of your passion is just bubbling under the surface and waiting to erupt!" She smirked at him as they started down the second section of stairs. "I'm watching you, Football Head…I know you and I know this night isn't over by a longshot…not with that way you're smiling at me right now…or the way you kissed me out on the roof…" She smiled up at him coyly, her eyes half lidded.
Arnold, trying very hard not to laugh at her cute teasing, just grinned and sighed down at her, acting as casual as could be. "I don't know what you're talking about, Helga. I don't have you in my arms right now because I'm getting ready to 'try' anything. I'm just mild-mannered Arnold helping you downstairs right now so that you don't trip again like you tripped when you were coming down from my room..." He laughed a little and shrugged as another thought occurred to him as well. "And anyway, you know, when you get too stubborn about something I'm starting to think this might be a good way to deal with it. You want to do the fun thing and spend the night here cuddling and kissing, I want to do the right thing and make sure I fit in everything that I wanted to for my night of our anniversary weekend and also to make sure that you get home on time so that I don't have to wait until our two month anniversary to see you again if you get grounded…So now instead of letting you bring me over to the fun side by kissing me more, I'm bringing you over to the right side by literally carrying you there. Besides," he added with an extra little grin as they moved off the last step and onto the floor of the first story of the house, looking into her amused eyes, "You're really warm, did you know that? It's actually really fun holding onto you. It feels nice…but strictly in a modest, 'do the right thing' kind of way of course." He smirked at her a tiny bit, pausing here in their walk.
Helga just smirked right back and then reached up and tugged at his tie, pulling them nose to nose. "Yeah, well, we'll see who's the real master of messing up whose plans. This date isn't technically over yet, after all… Speaking of which," and now she let his tie go and looked up at him innocently with a little pout, "You wouldn't begrudge me a drink of water or another Yahoo soda before I left for the night, would you, my dearest Arnold?"
Of course Arnold had to blush a tiny bit at that sweet look and tone of hers but he knew what he was doing and he just sighed and smiled and shook his head at her. "Anything to stick around for a few more minutes to see if I'll break, right, Helga?"
She glanced to the side in feigned 'shock'. "Oh, Arnold, for someone who's supposed to be so very trusting of everyone, you sure are reading a lot into something as simple as your date asking for another drink…" She couldn't help but end with a half-smile and a wink at him.
Arnold just sighed once more and rolled his eyes. "Of course, Helga, how silly of me, where are my manners? Come on, let's go to the kitchen where you'll 'conveniently' have to take awhile to pick and drink your drink, and then you can 'conveniently' ask to use the bathroom to fix your hair for a little bit, oh and then you can 'conveniently' want a walking tour of the house just for fun and then 'conveniently' pull out a movie from that purse of yours that we can watch…" He started walked forward down the hall towards the kitchen.
"Arnold!" Helga couldn't help but exclaim with a laugh, both at his cute little jokes and at that the fact that she genuinely hadn't expected the good fortune of being cradled by him to keep up! "Are you just never going to put me down or something? I mean, those wimpy Football Head arms of yours have got to be getting tired," she added, chuckling all the more and clinging to him.
"Well, Helga," Arnold started with a shrug and a sigh, "…it just seems to me that if you're going to keep playing hardball about all of this, I should do the same…you know, to prove to you that I can keep in control no matter what at this point. And continuing to hold you is about all that I've got to work with." They reached the end of the hall and Arnold turned a bit and did his best to nudge open the kitchen door with his hip. He took his first step inside and looked at her lovingly. "And as for me 'getting tired', you don't seem to have too many worries or complaints about my 'wimpy football head arms' when I hold you and dip you back and touch your hair and your face and even your shoulders like on the roof before…" he added with a touch of something sultry in his tone.
Helga giggled as they officially entered the kitchen and the door lightly closed behind them. She was lost in Arnold's eyes just as much as he was lost in hers…and they had both been managing to get their faces closer and closer to each other as they flirted, their eventual intention to kiss once more obvious to both of them… "Well, that's just because I forget to say anything during times like that since I'm so distracted by those wonderfully soft and sweet lips of yours and all of that attraction and charm that you drip with and that look you get in your eyes right as your about to take me in those 'wimpy arms' and pull me close and—"
They were mere inches from a kiss….
"Uh…guys?"
…When the sound of Gerald's voice (trying very, very, very, very, VERY hard not to laugh) caused them to freeze…and their eyes and jaws to open wide.
"Oh. My. Gosh…"
Sid.
Okay, neither Arnold nor Helga knew what was going on nor did either have the courage to break from looking into each other's eyes in panic and confusion to fully observe whatever they had just walked in on in the kitchen.
The sound of a few more voices filled them in a bit though on their current public situation…
"Arnold…Helga?" Harold Berman, sounding totally at a loss for words.
"Oh man…I think this might actually be so uncool for them that it swung over into cool and then swung out of it back into uncool…and then maybe slightly into cool…maybe." Iggy, slightly awkwardly yet with just a touch of something impressed in his tone.
"Oh, gosh, were we interrupting something you guys? Sorry…" Eugene, totally sincerely.
"Wow, Miss Helga, you clean up real good. You too, Arnold." Stinky, sounding quite pleasantly surprised by the whole thing.
"Alright, Arnold! Woot, woot, woot!" Curly as he started swinging one of his fists in the air, an impressed grin wide on his face (and his black eye luckily starting to clear up a bit…and also some of his melancholy from the afternoon luckily seeming to have dissipated as well). "Can you teach me how to get Rhonda to go from hating me to acting like that?"
Arnold and Helga just continued to have their gazes fused together…Luckily at least they had now both started breathing a little again (albeit shallowly), but only because now they couldn't deny anymore their realization of the situation of…apparently having just walked in on half of their classmates bright eyed and bushy tailed in Arnold's kitchen…while Arnold was still romantically cradling Helga…and while he and she had been discussing the finer aspects of some of the most enjoyable physical parts of their relationship and had been about to make out besides!
Helga ended up being the one to blink and snap out of it enough to have a reaction first…Just a skill from all those years of preparation from pulling off and trying to pull off crazy schemes. 'Ugh they're seeing me…the hair, the outfit, in his arms, cooing sweet things to him, ready to pounce on those lips of his and not stop…Oh for crying out loud this date tonight was supposed to be the relaxing reward at the end of a VERY ridiculously hard day, not 'part two' of the capstone awkward experience of my life!' She blinked only once and then slowly turned head in the direction of the interior of the kitchen. Part of her had been hoping that things wouldn't look as bad as they were sounding…of course, though, they looked just as bad as they were sounding…even a little worse now that she could really see the looks on everyone's faces. Cringing a tiny bit and clinging a little more to Arnold for support, Helga cleared her throat slightly and just…went with the first (and it was a rather pathetic one but under the circumstances it was all she had) plan that came to mind. "Uh…so…this is a dream." She began to try and make her voice sound wonky as she spoke. "Yes…this is a dreeeeaaam that you're all having and…er…a-and…"
Alright, in the interest of stopping this very pitiable attempt at an explanation before it went from sort of confusing to funny to just plain mortifying, Gerald sighed and came forward and put a hand on Helga's shoulder. He closed his eyes and shook his head at her... "Helga…"
Helga clung a tiny bit closer to Arnold in nervousness and blushed noticeably. "Uh…th-this is an illusion b-brought on by too much ice cream?" she tried. 'Yeah, Helga, phrase it like a question—that always breeds so much confidence in people.'
Gerald just smiled a little and removed his hand from her, crossing his arms over his chest. He had to shake his head at her again. "Sorry, Helga…probably not gonna work."
She glanced down and cleared her throat, abandoning the dream plan and the illusion plan, knowing it they were kind of stupid anyway to begin with. "Okay, then, uh…" 'What the heck, might as well go for one more and hit the trifecta…' "April…Fools…? But, you know, six weeks late? Heh, heh…" She looked to the crowd again with a sheepish little smile and then glanced up to her beloved for reassurance.
Meanwhile, Arnold just had to blink and look down at her with an eyebrow raised and a small smile trying not to form at his lips though it was really hard. "Wow, you really are out of practice with schemes and inventing excuses, aren't you, Helga?" He couldn't help himself and besides…there was no getting out of this situation…might as well just do their best to lighten it and get through it.
He was met with a brief scowl from Helga followed by a small punch in the shoulder that caused him to wince. "Ow!"
Helga just rolled her eyes at him. "Very cute, paste for brains." She sighed with a little scowl and pout, removing her arms from around his neck and placing her purse and record into her lap and crossing her arms over her chest. She then recalled that now was not the time to focus on getting ticked off at Arnold and on bugging him back, and so she let out a sigh and her face became pensive for a moment. "Alright…" She cleared her throat and did her best to look out at the half dozen or so faces just watching her with calmness and composure as she spoke. "Well, you all got me—this has been an official test of the 'Arnold and Helga are indeed dating, accept it and don't say a word or make any stupid jokes or lame secret gestures behind our backs about it or else' emergency broadcast system…" She scowled and removed herself from Arnold's arms, standing up and shoving her purse and record under one of her arms, putting the hand of her other arm on her hip. "Crimeny, you all are just lucky that I'm in a good mood or Old Betsey and the Five Avengers might have to be informed of the random interruption of you all being here!" Helga glared at them all, breathing a little heavily, expecting to be cowered and apologized to…
However, for the moment (save Gerald of course) she found herself just being stared at by all the guys…eyes sort of wide, light blushes on their faces…It confused her and that infuriated Helga even more! "Oh what, do I have a second head growing off of me or someth—" Not really thinking about it, Helga had glanced down at herself for a moment as she had been speaking…and now she wasn't speaking anymore because, well, it was kind of obvious what they were staring it…After all, she was wearing red, stylish shoes with heels, a little pink skirt that actually went just a smidge above her knees…also the wide collar of her blouse was now fully down and clinging to only the bottoms of her shoulders…and she was certain that her hair, down, slightly ravished, pink bow tied loosely at its top with a few fake daisy pins still here and there, and all of that coupled with the little touch of makeup and how flushed her lips must be at the moment wasn't helping anything probably.
For a moment Helga gulped and her scowl wavered. She didn't like this. First, she didn't like being seen looking like this by a lot of people and especially after such a private evening with her beloved. And second of all she didn't like that she felt rather paralyzed at the moment by having them see her so very much as a girl for the first time. And now she was starting to kind of regain her ability to talk and glare and yell at them but it was definitely taking her a moment, and she still felt a ton of awkwardness besides.
Meanwhile…Arnold was confused…for a moment. He had found it strange that the guys were looking at Helga in such a funny way…and had found it even stranger when she had stopped yelling and now didn't start up again.
For a moment he just looked at Helga…then looked to the guys…then looked at Helga…then looked to the guys…then looked at Helga…then…then…and then it finally started to click in.
Arnold was quite a bit unhappy too now to say the least.
Helga blinked and was snapped back to reality, meanwhile, by the sight of Arnold beside her now scowling a little and stepping forward and opening his mouth like he was about to say something.
She stopped him before he could though by grabbing his hand with a blush and quickly turning them around and pushing open the kitchen door, marching out with him in tow. "Oh Football Head, just calm down for a second, I know, I know…" she mumbled as they adjourned to the hall for a moment.
They were gone for about five seconds and then came back in. Now Arnold was just in his dress shirt and tie and pants, and Helga had her record and purse shoved under one arms and Arnold's dress jacket over her shoulders. Arnold was scowling and blushing a little bit in frustration and Helga looked the same. She cleared her throat and managed to address the crowd firmly again. "Alright…now that the 'show' is over you can all put your eyes back into your heads and I can get down to business…" She glared darkly at all the boys who instantly blushed and cleared their throats and shuffled their feet and glanced away awkwardly.
Helga took that as her queue to begin the 'inquisition'…and did so.
Suddenly she whipped around to Arnold (who had only just started getting over his touch of anger and jealousy at the idea of every guy in their grade suddenly ogling Helga like that and making her feel so awkward right under his nose). "Arnold, what the heck are they doing here?" The question was the result of Helga suddenly getting a very strong sense of déjà vous from randomly being interrupted in a potentially intimate moment with Arnold by Gerald and several of their classmates appearing in the boarding house out of nowhere…such as during a poetry tutoring weekend over a month ago…
Arnold blinked at the unexpected question, forgetting his frustration entirely and looking to Helga. "I don't know, Helga, I…" he started entirely truthfully…but then déjà vous hit him as well about the same incident when, thanks to a certain best friend of his, practically all of their classmates had showed up at the boarding house when he had just been trying to have some alone time with Helga. Arnold scowled slightly in his best friend's direction, directing the question to him now. "Gerald…?" he said in an obviously suspicious tone, crossing his arms over his chest.
Gerald blinked in confusion at the address and then swallowed in fear as Helga suddenly whipped around to face him now as well, and with a deathly glare in her eyes. He took a few steps back and put his hands up defensively….and then got his own sense of déjà vous and suddenly being surrounded by a bunch of their classmates with a very annoyed looking Arnold and a very, VERY angry looking Helga staring him down. "Hey, hey, I've got nothing to do with it this time! I swear!" He gestured to the guys behind him. "Half of them were here when Phil let me in a couple minutes ago and the other half showed up since then. Seriously—not my plan, you guys! I've learned my lesson."
"Oh yeah, then what the heck are they doing here practically giving me a Football Head a heart attack when we're just trying to…t-to…" Helga swallowed and instantly recalled once again the intimate position she and her beloved had been caught in. Several snickers coming from some of the guys at her hesitation didn't help make the situation feel any less awkward either. "Hey!" she glared at them all once more, "…You quit focusing on whatever you just saw happening two minutes ago a-and anything else, and just focus on the fact that I'm angry and want to know what the heck you all are doing here right now!" she demanded firmly.
At the request though, she had to blink as she suddenly noticed several of the guys, instead of teasing her further or maybe just giving her the answer she wanted, swallowing nervously and glancing down sheepishly. Helga blinked a few times. 'Oh brother, what is it now…?' she couldn't help but wonder to herself, raising part of her brow in confusion.
Gerald cleared his throat and stepped forward again, a slightly amused smile on his face and figuring that if anyone should be the spokesman for this latest turn of events in their young lives, it might as well be him. "Actually, Helga, Arnold…I was talking to them about just that before you guys, uh, made that little entrance…" he did his best not to laugh, especially at his best friend's continued blush and Helga's continued blush and scowl, and continued, "…And, well…they all actually just wanted to talk to Arnold for a little while." He shrugged, figuring that was the fairest way he could put it to tell Helga the truth without making any of the guys feel too awkward.
"Uh…all of them, at once? Now? When they were more than aware after this afternoon that Arnold and I had a date together tonight?" Helga shot back in a 'not exactly buying it' tone. She scowled again at the boys and then turned her suspicious glare to Gerald again. "Why?" she demanded simply.
Gerald just sighed at all the anger and blusteriness and rolled his eyes, used to being patient with Helga's defensiveness at this point. "I…think they'd prefer I didn't mention 'why' while you're still here, Helga. No offense but it's kind of a…" he smiled more and glanced back at the boys behind him, "…kind of a 'fella thing'…Would that be a good way to put it, guys?"
The boys behind him all managed a quick nod or 'Mmm hmm' to show agreement with Gerald, just trying to play it cool though it was obvious they were all a bit nervous right now.
Helga just looked at the crowd of them with a blank look for several seconds, blinking a few times in further confusion. Finally she closed her eyes, let out a small, frustrated sigh, and brought her hand to her forehead to rub her temples. "I am SURROUNDED…" she couldn't help but mumble audibly to herself under her breath. Finally she opened her eyes, scowling again. "So what you're saying is, I need to cut off my evening…the first evening of my ONE MONTH ANNIVERSARY…a few minutes early just so you dolts can have a group, guys only, mystery existential crisis and get advice or something from the Football Head about it? Am I in the ballpark?" She looked at all of them sternly.
At this suggestion from her, a still smiling Gerald just shrugged. "Eh, sort of…And I know, I know, you are not happy that I'm not giving you details and believe me, I wish I could share but I have been sworn to secrecy." He glanced back at the boys behind him for a second and then turned back to Helga. "Uh, but…we know now that your date's still going on so we could all just maybe go in the den for a little while if you and Arnold need to, uh, finish anything up?" He turned back to Helga and it was obvious he was trying not to laugh…and the same now went for the boys behind him who had gone from awkward looks and coughs to now smirking a little and letting out stifled chuckles in Arnold and Helga's direction.
Helga blinked for a second at all of this but then rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, addressing Gerald first. "Oh fine, Mr. Keeper of the Tales, don't tell me their stupid reason. I could honestly care less anyway…" Then she looked to the other boys with a scowl. "Hmph! And, what's with all the snickering? You chuckleheads think I'm so scared to have you find out whatever Football Head and I do in our private time that I have to run off into another room of the house with him in fright?" A smug half smile came to her face. "Oh no, not after today and not anymore ever again, I've decided! Helga G. Pataki is completely fearless! And besides I know I'd just get it twice as bad from any of you who might have the guts to say anything to me about this if I actually made you losers leave the room." Then with a proud look she turned on her heel to face her beloved Arnold again, let out a deep breath…and then suddenly resumed the same warm, tender, loving smile that had been on her face before they had entered this kitchen…when it had just been she in his arms and he holding her and all the time in the world... "Goodnight, Arnold…" she said softly and sweetly to him, much to his surprise… She hadn't used that sweet tone of voice of hers around anybody else but him so far…And then Arnold was further pleasantly surprised as she brought her hand up to his chin and cupped it gently, raising his gaze up to meet hers as her eyes went half lidded, "I wish we had more time but it must already be ten by now or at least really close…But that whole dinner on the roof was really sweet of you…and so were the anniversary presents…And don't worry about whatever else you might have wanted to work in for tonight. We can just take care of it tomorrow when I come over again...my, um…um…Arnold." She looked down shyly…still not able to quite muster a pet name for him in front of their friends, but at least she had tried just the same.
It took Arnold a second to take in all of her sudden openness and sweetness and lovingness… but then he just smiled up at her and sighed and his own eyes went half lidded. He reached out with both of his hands to take her hand cupping his chin and gently hold it up. "You're welcome, Helga. I'm glad you liked tonight so much. And…And, yeah, I guess you're right. We'll have tomorrow night to do things too. Um…do you want me to walk you to the door?" he asked politely.
Helga giggled at the kind offer but shook her head. "No, that's okay, Football Head. I can manage, I promise." She rolled her eyes in the direction of the other boys, still smiling warmly. "You just stay here and do one of the things you do best and take care of the 'great male advice crisis' apparently going on and I'll just wait out on the stoop for Olga to pick me up. And you'll be all ready for me to get here at seven for the second date of our anniversary tomorrow night, right? And you'll be in a nice suit and tie for me again too?" She giggled a tiny bit more, reaching up and adjusting his tie a little.
A blushing Arnold just smiled extra and nodded, letting her fix him up as much as she wanted. "Whatever you say, Helga…I can't wait."
Helga smiled more and sighed and nodded. "Me neither, Football Head, me neither." She finished up with him, crossing her arms over her chest under his jacket again. Then she hesitated for just a second, and then she repeated once more… "Well…goodnight." But this time she summed up her courage and quickly leaned in and gave her beloved a small, finishing kiss on the corner of his mouth that made his eyes light up for a second and then a goofy smile consume his face.
A moment later when Helga pulled back and opened her eyes and saw him like that she couldn't help letting out one more giggle at the sight of him. And then, taking advantage of his little moment of lovesick dazedness, she took a moment to clear her throat and turn back to the crowd of boys, looking at them firmly yet with a touch of a smile, a hand on one of her hips again. "There, show's over, you bunch of great big babies. And I'm not going to hear a word about this come baseball practice on Monday, am I?" She gave them a look that said an answer was expected…though for a moment at least all the guys were sort of continuing to be pretty much frozen in shock from having seen Helga just act so…so nice! Not just a little nice…a lot nice! And so much 'like a girl' as they might put it.
Helga, growing amused yet also impatient, rolled her eyes now and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hello? I'm waiting for a response, you dolts! Seriously, you're all lucky I'm not making you take a blood oath about this! Now, I know you're all going to be good, mature ten-year-old boys and NOT say or publically start up anything that would put me in the position of kill—…" 'Nonviolence…You're nonviolent…' "…o-of m-making me get very angry at you… We went over this at Slausens today and now I want to know you all are going to be mature and put it into practice: no more teasing…right?"
The guys started to wake up a bit at this stern address from her and they were all instantly nodding in assent at varying speeds.
"…And…when I leave no one's going to give Football Head a hard time behind my back, are they? Because believe me if you do I will find out and yell at you twice as hard as I would for anything you could do to me." She tapped her foot impatiently.
The boys all shook their heads quickly.
Helga's stern look and air remained for just a second longer…but then it was all replaced by a satisfied smile coming to her lips, and as she spoke now her voice lost its edge and became something in between her angry yells they had all come to know so well over the years and the buttery coos she had used with Arnold. "Good. Thank you," she replied with a slight nod of her head. She then let out a happy sigh and looked back to Arnold. "Well, even if I'm a little rusty at schemes, if there's one thing I'm not out of practice at, it's whipping them into shape." She laughed and Arnold smiled and couldn't help joining her with a chuckle or two. "Well, see you in the funny papers, Football Head, Geraldo…and every other guy in our class," she finished with an eye roll and a nod in the direction of the boys and then as opened the kitchen door, took off Arnold's jacket and tossed it onto his shoulder, (made sure the tops of her sleeves were as high as they could be) and then with a little wave to him stepped out into the hall, letting the door close behind her.
Arnold knew she had told him it was fine for him to just stay in here but he couldn't help himself. "Uh, guys, sorry, I'll be right back…" He held up a hand to them all and then slipped his jacket on and dashed out of the kitchen and, "Oh!" He stopped short, directly in front of Helga who was just facing him right outside of the doorway and smirking a little.
She giggled at him, putting a hand to her mouth. "Sorry, didn't mean to surprise you…But I had a feeling you'd come after me to 'escort me to the door' even though I told you I'd be alright." She wrapped her free arm around him, giving him a nice little hug, and then took his hand in hers. "Shall we then, my handsome little escort?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him a little, just for the fun of it.
Arnold blinked a few times, still a touch surprised, but then smiled widely and squeezed her hand. "Oh, um…of course, my lady…" He chuckled and so did she and then the two of them started on their little walk down the hall together.
"Helga…I know it was only by a few minutes but still I really am sorry things had to get cut short like this tonight." He couldn't help but frown just a little. "Don't worry, I'll tell them all that tomorrow night the minute it hits seven this place is off limits. I promise." He looked at her sincerely.
Helga just smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Arnold. I promise. Besides, they didn't mean anything by it…they just need you for something. And please don't yell at them too much or anything about it—I think they're all freaked out enough by how much I yelled at them and then that glare you gave them when they were all staring at me, Mr. Jealous…" She smirked a little and gave him a slight elbow nudge and chuckled, and especially as he blushed a little. "And anyway, think about it this way—I get to have you pretty much all the time so I guess I can't begrudge them making fifteen minutes of my time with you theirs." She shrugged. "On top of which…" they had just reached the front door and they both paused now, facing each other, still holding hands. "…Arnold…" Helga looked into his eyes with so much love and appreciation, "Tonight…even cut fifteen minutes short…was…it was very…v-very…um…"
Arnold watched her. There were tears starting to prick at her eyes, her smile was trembling, the centers of her cheeks were blushing like roses again…
"…Th-The dinner and the c-cake and…the record…your pocket watch…It…um…"
She had to pause at Arnold reaching a hand up to gently cup the side of her face. "You're welcome, Helga. I'm just happy that you're happy…I love you…" he said softly to her.
Helga's smile strengthened and she wiped a tear or two from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand. "Oh I love you too, Arnold! Now come here, you big lug!" And then she fully wrapped her one free arm around him and half wrapped her arm with her purse and record in it around him! She snuggled into him, planted a big kiss on his forehead, and then pulled back beaming! "W-Well then, b-before I get all mushy I guess I'd better get going. S-See ya in the funny papers, Football Head!" She winked at him and opened the front door.
A blushing, beaming, grinning Arnold just chuckled and gave her a little wave. "Y-Yeah, see you, Helga. And I love you too. A-And thanks for the kiss on the forehead…And…" He kissed the palm of his hand and blew it to her, and watched as she caught it and giggled and blew him one back, then stepped outside, gently closing the front door behind her.
For a few moments, Arnold just continued to stare dreamily off in the direction she had gone, clutching at his shirt over his heart. He touched the place on his forehead she had kissed and smiled more to himself. 'Oh…If only there could have been enough time for me to—'
"Uh, Arnold? You who, Arnold? Hey, Arnold!"
"Huh? What?" Arnold blinked several times and suddenly realized that Gerald had obviously left the kitchen to come get him and had been snapping his fingers in front of his face and waving his hands in front of Arnold's eyes for a few seconds.
Seeing Arnold finally coming out of it, Gerald just stood before his best friend with his arms crossed over his chest, grinning and trying not to laugh. "Man, I know you're in 'happy Helga town' right now but you and I need to talk a little bit in private before you plunge into the hilarious mess that's waiting for you in there." He pointed in the direction of the kitchen.
Arnold put a hand to his temple, giving his head another moment to clear and then he nodded to Gerald. "Oh, um…right. Sure…So…what's going on?" Arnold looked to his best friend with genuine curiosity.
Gerald just grinned a little more and couldn't help himself. "You mean besides you walking into a room filled with every guy in our class with Helga Pataki in your arms talking all about how you hold her and touch her and dip her back…or was that all really 'just a dreeeeaaam'? Woo!" He imitated Helga's wonky voice and couldn't help bursting into laughter about it. "M-Man, I almost died when she did that!" He held his sides, doubled over in chuckles.
Arnold just sighed and blushed a lot and tried to sound serious though he couldn't help a little smile coming to his face. "Gerald...can, um…" he was really having to try hard not to laugh himself—even though he had been the one it had happened to it still struck him as hilarious, "…C-Can we maybe talk about that later and focus right now on what every guy we know is doing in my kitchen at ten on a Friday night and during the end of my anniversary date on top of everything else?" He crossed his arms over his chest with a patient yet amused little grin, waiting for an answer. And in point of fact Arnold was genuinely stumped—people usually came to him for advice individually, or maybe if a fight or something had happened in groups of two or three…but all of the guys at once? This was weird…
Gerald managed to take some deep breaths to get himself under control again after a few seconds. "O-Okay, okay…sorry. Really, I-I'm good now…" He straightened up and cleared his throat a little, though he was still smiling. Then he took in a deep breath and put a hand on his best friend's shoulder supportively. "Okay, man you are NOT going to believe this one… But after today with all of that stuff with you and Helga and then her mentioning your date and anniversary tonight, well…Arnold, the nearest I can figure is that all the guys, well…they all want dating advice. From you." Gerald grinned brightly at his best friend and shrugged.
There was a single moment of silence.
Then Arnold's eyes went rather wide and he shouted (rather audibly) in a shocked voice before he could think to stop himself, "I'm sorry. I'm confused. They all want…what?"
Gerald, obviously trying to hold back another laugh and really trying to be good and supportive about this, just sighed and took Arnold's arm, leading him up the hall. He pushed open the kitchen door and both boys stepped inside. And both could tell right away that apparently Arnold's voice had carried quite well from the hallway as they were met with the crowd of guys suddenly looking to them both with slightly embarrassed…and also slightly eager and even slightly desperate…looks…though they tried to play it kind of cool and casual at first.
"Oh, uh…hey, again, Arnold…" Sid walked forward, grinning nervously, his hands behind his back. And Arnold couldn't help but notice the other guys suddenly closing in on him a bit as well right on Sid's heels.
Arnold swallowed nervously and took a few hesitant steps forward back into the kitchen along with Gerald. "Uh…hi, Sid…g-guys…" He gave a little, hesitant wave.
"So, uh…" Stinky stepped forward now, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing down. "I reckon your date with Miss Helga's all done now…right, Arnold? Sorry about interrupting it again, by the way." He looked to Arnold with a repentant frown.
The other guys frowned and nodded apologetically to him as well.
"Yeah," Harold came forward as well, looking down just as awkwardly as all the others, "But, uh, the…the part we didn't mess up…well…how did it go?"
This question made all of the guys focus in even more eagerly around Arnold and nod with rapt interest.
Arnold's progress forward into the room instantly ceased and now he couldn't help but back up several steps until he hit against the edge of the kitchen counter, feeling very, very, very uneasy about being put on the spot here and especially about this particular brand of subject matter. Finally, though, he took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest and looked at each of the guys, speaking firmly and simply. "O-Okay, l-look…you guys? Gerald, um…talked to me just now and I-I know where this is going…a-and what you want… Now, listen," he did his best to sound patient and diplomatic and sympathetic, all things he really was in regards to this 'advice dilemma' of theirs…but…but it was just… "…o-over the years I've given you advice about fighting with each other, about dealing with bullies, about baseball, about homework and about doing the right thing in general but I-I think I might have to draw the line at advice about how to get a girl." Arnold could feel a blush rising in his cheeks though he tried to keep his face firm as he spoke.
A look of disappointment swept the room.
"Aw, come on, Arnold!" Iggy pleaded, stepping forward now as well. "Seriously, don't be uncool like that—we're not asking for a play-by-play of your relationship with Helga, we just want some tips on, you know, how to get a girl to like us back too…"
The other guys eagerly nodded their heads in agreement.
"Yeah, Arnold!" Curly raced up to him desperately. "And I want to know how to get my Rhonda to be all mine forever! She…She says she hates me but I know she can't, I just know it! Deep down…she must at least have it in her heart to give me a chance! Come on, please!" He got down on his knees and held his hands together up to Arnold in a pleading position.
At all of these entreaties, Arnold sighed, feeling his good nature trying to take over and change his final word on the matter despite his embarrassment…and all of the potential further embarrassment he could incur from a conversation like the one they were suggesting…. Still, he tried to hold his ground…tried to find some way to present this as a bad idea that they couldn't possibly actually want him to go through with once they thought about it a little… "Guys…" he looked at them with quite a bit of desperation himself, "…L-Listen, I'm probably not even the best person for you to be going to about something like this…Uh…wh-what about some of your older brothers and sisters or cousins o-or your parents? Heh…" He did his best to smile at them confidently about this course of action, though the last thing he was coming off as right now was 'confident'.
And any fleeting feelings of confidence instantly abandoned Arnold at the look every guy before him gave him right now. "Okay, Arnold, seriously," Iggy began, "…our parents? You want us to talk to our parents…about women? Not cool."
Everyone readily nodded their heads in firm agreement.
Arnold sighed deeply, trying to find another perfectly plausible reason why he couldn't suddenly become the love guru of PS 118. "Okay, okay…maybe talking to a grown-up about this would be a little embarrassing but…but, um…I-I don't think I could help you guys even if I wanted to, a-at least not right now. I mean, I-I've only had a girlfriend for a month!" He did his best to smile again, though he knew it was nervously like before. "I-I barely know what I'm doing, so I really don't think I have enough experience yet to—"
"Arnold…" Gerald suddenly stepped back toward Arnold again and put a hand on his shoulder. Arnold stopped talking and blinked and looked at Gerald (he was smirking a bit) and then, with a touch of confusion, Arnold glanced around and noticed that the other guys were smirking a little as well. Gerald cleared his throat and went on, explaining…. "I'm…I'm going to have to stop you right there, buddy. Just so there's no more embarrassment than there needs to be tonight. Don't get me wrong, nice try at an excuse but…okay, really, man, you just walked in here before with a giggling girl in your arms and about to kiss her. Not to mention there was obviously something going on between you two before that considering your tie was half way to the side before Helga fixed it before she left, and your hair's messed up a bit and your shirt's half untucked and that there's random marks of lip gloss on your mouth. I'm just letting you know from one friend to another, you're saying you have no experience and no one is taking you seriously right now." Gerald removed his hand and crossed his arms over his chest, looking at his buddy with a sympathetic smile and shrug.
As Gerald's words all sunk in Arnold blinked and blushed furiously and instantly started to do his best (mostly in vain) to fix himself up. The other guys, meanwhile, began snickering and letting out stifled chuckles quite a bit, to which Arnold cleared his throat and laughed nervously. "Heh, heh…how, uh, how did all of th-that happen…?" he asked as innocently as possible, trying to wipe whatever had been on Helga's lips from his mouth as best he could now.
A laugh or two escaped Gerald and he couldn't help mumbling, "I don't know…a mid-meal make out session with Helga Pataki, perhaps?"
"Gerald!" Arnold looked at him with wide eyes and a bright blush (as more chuckles and snickers entered his ears from the crowd).
Gerald just rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, man, quit being so overdramatic. Everyone knows about you two now and besides which it's pretty obvious, right fellas?" He glanced to the other guys who all nodded with grins though they were really trying their bests to keep their laughter under control now and to show a bit more decorum about things.
Arnold just sighed…deeply…and closed his eyes, putting his head in his hands… 'Oh for crying out loud…' "I can't believe this is happening to me…" he mumbled to himself in a flat voice.
Gerald stepped a little closer to his best friend, doing his best to be as supportive as possible to help him ease into all of this. "Look, Arnold, I know today's been a little much and that you could probably use a good nap instead of all of this but they all just seriously want a little help just about how to not be a total spazz around a girl…and you have been getting a lot better about that around Helga now that some time's passed." He grinned a little and chuckled, just trying to get his friend to buck up.
Arnold still spoke in that flat tone though he did crack a smile as he removed his head from his hand and glanced to his best friend. "Very funny…"
Gerald smiled a little more and went on, seeing he was starting to go for it. "Anyway, they all knew about your date from this afternoon, like I said, and then I ran into Sid and Stinky and they were wondering if I thought you'd mind if they stopped over later to talk to you a bit and I finally got out of them that it was about this whole 'dating' thing and I mentioned that I was coming over for a sleepover to get some ideas after your date about what to do with Phoebe for our, um…one month anniversary next weekend…" he mumbled through that last part, clearing his throat before going on, "…a-and I said that if they wanted to stop by too that would probably be cool and then…I guess it kind of snowballed into all of this…" He gestured sheepishly with his hand to the crowd of soon to be fifth grade guys behind him. "Sorry…" he added sincerely. "But they all really want your advice, Arnold, no teasing, no mocking, I mean it. So…maybe you could just help them out with something basic, at least just for now? You know…like you helped me out when I had that first date with Phoebe last month?" Gerald had sort of quietly mumbled through the last part again, but now that he was done laying everyone's cards on the table he smiled hopefully at his best friend (recalling privately how much he really had appreciated even that simple phone call with Arnold that morning after he and Phoebe had gotten together to just talk and try and start figuring things out.) "What do you say, Arnold?"
Arnold just continued looking at his friend with disbelief written on his face for another second or two…and then he glanced back at the guys with the same look...then back to Gerald…and then he put his head in his hand again and finished by letting out the deepest sigh he had in him.
The rest of the boys still waited for his final answer…
…Which came as Arnold now picked up his head, crossed his arms over his chest once more, looked to the crowd of boys around him…and spoke. "Okay…if I…agree to do this tonight…a-and it can only be for a little while because I really have to take care of some things before bed and I'm already pretty tired…but if I agree to do this right now there are three rules. One: If anything I say or suggest backfires because it turns out it was just something that worked for Helga and I under our own circumstances, I don't want any complaints or any more mocking to start up about it. Two: I am not going into detail about the kissing. Absolutely not. No way. Never. That's private. Helga was already nervous enough about admitting everything today but I don't think she'd come to school ever again if I started talking about that. A-And going along with that…" Arnold cleared his throat and a tiny bit of a frustrated look came to his face, "…I-I'd appreciate it, if Helga happens to be in something very, um…p-pretty again anytime soon…if you guys could try and not s-stare at her like you were doing before…okay?" He looked to them and the guys all blushed and then swallowed and looked down sheepishly and gave shrugs and nods. Arnold let out a breath, feeling a little better now. "A-Alright then…a-and, um…number three f-for the conditions…" he let out a breath and now couldn't help but smile at the guys around him, just a little, "…Please no one ever bring up to Helga that I actually agreed to this. She likes me…that doesn't mean she wouldn't kill me if she ever had to deal with the embarrassment about talking to you about talking to me about all of this…okay?"
The other guys of course instantly all smiled widely and nodded eagerly!
"Really, aw thanks, Arnold!" Harold said with a smile.
"Yeah, that's dang decent of you!" added Stinky.
"Very cool!" Iggy supplied.
"Yes! FINALLY I will have my Rhonda!" Curly (who else?).
"Alright, ladies, look out for Sid!" Sid said smoothly, though it couldn't help but be seen as comical as he suddenly tripped over his own feet while trying to slide suavely forward on the linoleum floor.
"Yes, gosh Arnold, it's very nice of you!" added Eugene brightly as usual.
Arnold just let out a sigh, smiling more, unable to help it. "Okay, okay…you guys just grab some cookies from the cupboard and head into the den and set up a movie or something. Gerald, will you start popping some popcorn—you know where it is." Arnold started to head out of the kitchen in the direction of the stairs.
Gerald raised an eyebrow. "Sure man, but where are you going?"
Arnold turned around, still smiling, and shrugged. "Well," he glanced at his best friend and then at their other friends, "I thought I'd get myself cleaned up a little and change. I'd like to get out of this suit and tie and…" his grin picked up a little on one side and he just couldn't help himself, "Not to break rule number two about no talking about the kissing but…I've found lately that it takes a little soap and water to really get lip gloss off of yourself…" He chuckled a little and then just shrugged in response to the sea of dropped jaws with which he was instantly met. "See you in a few minutes, guys!"
And with that and a quick wave he dashed off upstairs, just chuckling to himself and shaking his head. He sighed as he made it to the second story landing, still smiling to himself all the way… 'Helga's right (as usual). Wonders never cease…'
Meanwhile…five minutes ago as Helga had exited the boarding house…
Now outside in the warm summer air, Helga G. Pataki let out a satisfied sigh and made her way to the bottom of the stoop. She glanced at the empty street before her, decided she had a few minutes until Olga came, and then quickly removed her locket from her purse and gazed at it lovingly. "Oh Arnold, yet another wonderful evening together! Oh, I'm so happy every day that we're together but today has been the best one by far! I was honest and open with all of our friends for the first time and in the end they actually managed to kind of accept us and then you gave us such a lovely first night of our anniversary weekend, and we still have tomorrow night to look forward to, and you're happy and I'm happy and your kissing has gotten freaking fantastic!" She was beginning to get carried away, and suddenly spun around in delight on the sidewalk. "Oh Arnold, my lo—"
"Helga?"
"OOF!" Helga, mid-spin, suddenly tripped over her own feet (and her high, red sling-backs) and fell to the ground, her eyes going wide at the sound of that voice.
She looked up and blinked several times until her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness and the streetlights well enough to see standing before her plain as day…. "RHONDA!" Helga blushed furiously and instantly scrambled to her feet, personal effects still in hand. She breathed heavily, trying to calm herself down but not having a very easy time of it…
And it didn't help that soon enough Helga's peripheral vision started to notice that along with the self-elected princess of the fourth (or rather, fifth) grade there were also several other familiar female faces suddenly approaching her now and coming into the light of the streetlight. Helga swallowed, looking around in a touch of confusion and nervousness. "Uh…Nadine, Sheena, Phoebe, Lila…Rhonda—what are you all doing here?" 'Crimeny, what the heck, is there some kind of preteen convention here tonight?'
The girls looked to each other for a moment (except Phoebe who was leaning against the stoop rail now and just smiling sweetly and knowingly)…Rhonda swallowed and stepped forward and decided to be the one to speak…She was their 'princess', after all… "Oh, uh…well…h-hi, Helga." She gave a little wave, grinning sheepishly and with a small blush. "W-We were just…passing by…and we remembered that your date with Arnold tonight would probably be finishing right about now so we just, uh, heh, heh…thought we'd see how things went?" She shrugged, putting her arms behind her back with a touch of shyness.
Helga just continued staring at Rhonda and all the rest of them for several seconds more, looking utterly perplexed. "Huh?" was all she finally came up with, scowling a tiny bit in frustration.
Rhonda cleared her throat and was about to fake her way through an excuse again when Phoebe suddenly stepped forward, letting out a patient sigh and looking to her best friend, deciding it might be easier if she took the reins for everyone with Helga instead. "Sorry, Helga…we didn't mean to surprise you. And I believe what Rhonda is trying to say is that…" Phoebe had to sigh again and proceeded to take off and clean her glasses with the hem of her sweater, "…Well…that it seems that everyone today was quite impressed with your admission of your feelings for Arnold…and a bit intrigued by them…so they all started talking a little and they were wondering…" Phoebe paused and then finally stated with little smile and shrug, putting her glasses back on, "I believe they wanted to seek your advice on matters of romance, Helga?" She tried not to chuckle but it was hard…the idea of her best friend finally getting to not only be truthful about her romantic side but getting to fully explore and express it to everyone? It was really very sweet when one thought about it.
However, Helga just continued standing there with a mixture of confusion and frustration still on her face and her jaw still dropped. "Huh?" was all that came out again. She looked to her best friend. "Phoebe, I've had a long day, can you just tell me straight up what it is I'm dealing wi—"
Rhonda sighed and rolled her eyes, coming forward with a scowl and her arms crossed over her chest and interrupting Helga with exactly the kind of blunt explanation she seemed to be looking for. "We want dating advice, Helga, alright? Come on, you're the only one of us who's ever had a real long term boyfriend and even though I'm supposed to be the queen of social matters even I haven't been able to get a decent guy to commit to a relationship, and especially not for a whole month! So spill! What's your secret?"
The other girls (Phoebe, excepted) nodded and quietly voiced their assents accompanied by little hopeful smiles.
Helga…just… continued looking at them…The expression on her face had changed to pensive though now as she did her best to wrap her head around this one. "You…all…Okay, now, give me a second to try and…you want advice on getting a guy from ME! ALL of you?" She pointed to them all.
The girls shrugged and began to nod.
Nadine stepped forward with a smile. "Well, Helga, like Rhonda said you're the only one who's ever had a real serious boyfriend so it seems like you'd be the best one to go to…"
"Uh huh," Sheena nodded in agreement, "And we aregoing to be in fifth grade in a few months. And like you said at the game today most kids going into sixth grade have already at least been kissed so…next year would probably be the year to try and start dating a little…"
Helga, though she was slowly starting to absorb the reality of this situation, couldn't help her right eye twitching slightly. She crossed her arms over her chest and put a hand to her temple, speaking in a sort of a moan… "Uh…listen, guys, not that I wouldn't like to help you 'nab some dates' but, uh…you know me—I'm terrible at giving advice. And especially about this—believe me, th-things aren't as clear cut as they seem with the Football Head and I. There's a lot of history here that you're not aware of! I-I didn't just wake up one morning and decide 'Oh, hey, I'm going to be in love with Arnold. Let me put bagging him on my 'to do' list'!" Helga had gestured in the air with her hand not holding her purse and record as she had said these last words…and now suddenly realized that this 'free hand' she was holding up still held her Arnold locket…it's face now glinting in the glow of the streetlight for all to see!
Helga instantly blinked and then glanced around nervously and cleared her throat sheepishly and quickly brought down her locket and shoved it tightly into her purse, though it was obvious that all of the girls had seen it as they were blushing and giggling and looking at Helga like she was the sweetest person in the world. "Mmm…" Helga moaned to herself a little, smacking her forehead with an open palm. 'Crimeny, does EVERYONE in my life have to see the Arnold locket at some point or something?' She sighed and looked to the girls again, putting her hands on her hips. "Okay, first of all, none of you saw that…and since you didn't see it none of you will EVER tell any of the boys about it!" Her tone said this statement wasn't up for debate. Not waiting for a response in that case, Helga cleared her throat and did her best to move on from the subject. "A-Anyway, a-about this d-dating and 'guy' stuff…u-um, wh-why don't you guys set up an appointment to talk to Arnold or something? He's been in this as long and practically as deep as I have, only he actually knows how to advise people without turning their lives into chaos. I'm sure he could at least give you something." She shrugged, glancing down and digging the toe of one of her shoes into the ground.
"Well, Helga…" Lila came forward now, clearing her throat, "Arnold's very good at giving advice but you must admit he's a boy and this is sort of a girl situation." She smiled brightly. "And I'm ever so certain you'd be perfect for the job!"
Helga almost wanted to glare at Lila…yet at the same time she couldn't help a touch of a smile at the vote of confidence. "I-I…well…" Helga glanced again at the hopeful faces around her. "Uh, that's…I-I mean, thanks, but…you guys…really, come on—me giving dating advice? I can't…I mean…" She glanced down nervously, unsure of what to say anymore and feeling torn between awkwardness and…a touch of pride that the girls would all look up to her like this…and maybe even a touch of an actual desire to participate in this thing they were requesting of her…
"Helga…" Helga was taken out of her thoughts by Phoebe putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder and addressing her with a supportive smile, "I tried to talk them out of this since I thought it might make you uncomfortable but they seem determined and to be honest I believe you're the most well suited to this task myself. You helped me quite a bit with Gerald and since you've suddenly started being open with everyone about your feelings for Arnold…" Phoebe added that last statement with a touch of shyness, and then cleared her throat and added more normally, "A-And, well, I think you could help our female classmates considerably."
Helga had to smile at Phoebe's encouragement…though she still hesitated…but her hesitation was waning… "Well, I…" She looked to the girls once more and was met with many eager and smiling faces. "I…" she really wanted to give an excuse, yet at the same time…well, Helga knew she had been a good choice as a poetry tutor but if there was one other thing she knew a ton about it was indeed how to like a guy and apparently how to get him to like you back…how to build a good, honest, trusting, loving relationship with another human being… "I…" Finally she sighed…and nodded. "I can't believe I am doing this…" she mumbled to herself with a shake of her head and a slight grin before clearing her throat and looking to the other girls. "Okay, okay…hypothetically, if I were to agree to this…there would be a couple of ground rules. Nonnegotiable ground rules. First of all…" she scowled at them, but only a tiny bit, more for effect than anything else, "I do not want to hear any excess giggling or whispering or little mushy comments about anything I might say or talk about. Two: me doing this does not in any way mean that I am some kind of girly girl and not just as tough as I always was. Three: No one bring this up to Football Head—he's shy enough as it is but hearing about something like this happening from anyone else, especially a girl, would probably make the little drama king crawl under a rock and die…" She almost laughed to himself at the image of his shyness. "And four…" she sighed, rubbing her temples with her free hand, "When we do this…which will be at the sleepover I mentioned I might be having in the next week or two since I am WAY too tired to even begin attempting it right now and since my entire day tomorrow is booked with date planning…just try and keep any kissing questions to a minimum around my parents and my sister. Please. I might be agreeing to a certain degree of humiliation here but there's a difference between that and total mortification, alright?" She looked to the girls firmly, awaiting their responses.
All of them instantly smiled gratefully at her!
"Thanks, Helga!" Nadine replied sweetly!
"Yeah, thanks!" Sheena added happily.
"Oh, this is going to be the best sleepover we've ever had, Helga! I'm ever so certain you have to let me be the one to tell Olga that it's definitely on!" Lila practically clung to one of Helga's arms as she made this perky request!
"Thank you, Helga…" Phoebe made a little bow with her head to her best friend, and then stepped forward, lowering her voice slightly as she added, "And I really am sorry to have let them put you on the spot like this but when I tried to convince them not to bother you they…th-they were starting to think of asking me for dating advice a-and…" Phoebe blushed considerably and gulped, looking down, lowering her voice to all but a whisper, "I…I-I still haven't even had enough courage yet to ask Gerald to come up to my room, s-so I don't think I could even begin to—"
Helga, understanding completely, just put a hand on her best friend's shoulder and smiled at her sympathetically. "Easy, Pheebs, I got it covered. And honestly I probably should have been expecting some form of chaos like this from everything I did today…Besides I'm…in a really good mood right now anyway, so why not?" She chuckled a little and then looked at the other girls with a scowl but still also with a smile. "Alright, ladies, next Friday night at nineteen hundred hours sharp, at my house! There will be snacks, there will be movies, there will be me blathering on and on about romance and still working on trying to just learn to love being open with everyone! Should be a blast!" 'Oh…might as well just have fun with it as long as I'm actually gonna do it!' She winked at them all, laughing a little more. "Until then though my sister's picking me up in a few minutes and to be honest after a day like this one…a-and a night like this one…" she smiled coyly and blushed a tiny bit, unable to help herself… "I'm beat…and especially after a night like this one…" She giggled to herself. "Arnold is…extra good at showing a girl a good time."
The other girls blinked and some of their jaws dropped with smiles at what Helga had just hinted at, though Helga, with a small smug smile, just walked past them and toward the corner streetlight to wait for her sister whom she was expecting any moment. "Bye, you guys…Have a good night! See you next weekend!" Helga looked at them all over her shoulder and gave a little wave.
The other girls looked back at her with smiles, giggling a little now and waving back.
"Bye, Helga!"
"Yes, bye, Helga! See you at your slumber party!"
"I'll call you in the morning Helga about next Saturday for, um…Gerald and I!"
"I'm ever so certain I hope the rest of your anniversary weekend with Arnold is wonderful, Helga! Bye!"
Helga heard all of the girls starting to disperse and go their separate ways home behind her. She just smiled to herself, resting against the streetlight, breathing in the warm summer night air and just feeling very happy with the events of her life today, all things considered (though she did wish she could have had at least a little more making out time with Arnold before things had had to end…but there was always tomorrow, of course, as they had both agreed).
"…Hey…Helga? U-Um…got another second?...P-Please…"
Helga suddenly felt a hand upon her shoulder…and of course she knew that voice…and she wondered if now she might be able to get to the bottom of certain things today with a certain person. Helga let out a breath and turned around with a small smile. "Hi Rhonda…Sure. What's up?" she asked as kindly and patiently as possible…She was recalling Nadine's words to her in Slausens this morning about Rhonda's 'condition' on top of which Rhonda looked nervous, scared, shy, a touch embarrassed…and Helga could empathize a lot.
Rhonda pulled her hand away and cleared her throat, glancing down humbly. "Um…I…well…would it be okay if I asked you about something…a-about romance… now…while you have a couple of minutes and we're alone?" She looked to Helga hesitantly.
Helga smiled more and nodded. "Sure…what's on your mind?"
Rhonda swallowed…seemed to consider her words…and then cleared her throat and began. "Well…O-Okay, I know this is going to sound stupid but…A-Alright, um…you and Arnold, let's say—n-no one would have ever thought that in a million years, right?"
Helga couldn't help but scowl slightly, though her calm demeanor and patience were maintained over all. "No, no one but me and maybe Phoebe probably…but I understand what you're saying…Continue."
Rhonda let out a breath, shrugging and looking to Helga. "Well, it's just that…Okay, so, you liked Arnold and then he realized that even though you two seemed so different he likes you and now you're happy together…correct?"
"Mmm, hmm..." Helga nodded, still being patient, still waiting.
"Well…W-Well…W-W-Well, I…." And then finally Rhonda broke down, pacing in a frenzy and just letting it all spill out! "Oh, look, Curly's been practically in love with me for months and I have been trying to get him to stop but what if you and Arnold working out means that I'm randomly going to fall in love with him too! Or worse that I'd be happy if I did? And now ever since the thought occurred to me I've been freaking out and thinking about it nonstop and–" She grabbed the collar of Helga's shirt. "Helga, I'm sorry I've been angry with you all day but seeing you and Arnold together has just been throwing all of this in my face constantly! Not to mention Curly's been telling me for weeks that you two must be together! But I CAN'T be meant to be with Curly! I can't…I…But…But now I…I can't help but wonder…and I can't help but almost want to give him a chance because what if it turns out I CAN be meant to be with Curly and that it would make me really happy just like you and Arnold are happy? What if I'm destined to be Mrs. Rhonda Welling Lloyd Gamelthorppe!" She was breathing heavily and grabbing Helga by the shoulders and looking her right in the face. "Please, Helga, help me! What should I do?" The desperation in her face and voice was obvious!
Helga's. Jaw. Dropped.
Silence…
And then laughter consumed our blond heroine.
About five minutes later…
A scowling Rhonda finally let Helga go, looking away from her with a frown and her arms crossed over her chest proudly. "It's not funny, Helga!" she announced haughtily and with frustration.
Helga just kept on laughing though…Though, really, she wasn't trying to be mean or insensitive or anything…It was just, well... "Oh yes it is, princess! But not because your feelings are funny! C-Come on, how much of a hypocrite would I be if I laughed just because you might be into a guy? No, no, it's hilarious because of the fact that you've been giving me such a hard time this whole freaking day and even last month with that whole poem fiasco in school, and then it turns out that it's all because you're a bigger basketcase than me!" Helga held her sides, warm chuckles still escaping her. She really was doing her best to get herself under control a bit now though and to wipe the tears of mirth away from her eyes, though it definitely wasn't an easy task.
Rhonda just growled and rolled her eyes. "Oh I knew it would be stupid to tell you. Oh just forget it Helga!" Hands clenched into fists at her sides, she was about to storm away when she felt Helga suddenly grabbed one of her arms. Rhonda turned back to her, still looking rather peeved and hurt.
Helga was doing a lot better now and really had regained almost all of her composure. She smiled sincerely at Rhonda. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry, alright? It's been a long day and I just had to get that out of my system. If, um…If you're really interested though I'll tell you what I think you should do about this whole Curly thing…if you'd like to hear it…okay?" She looked at her with earnestness in her eyes and voice.
Rhonda blinked at the friendly offer and took a step back towards Helga now. "Really?"
"Yeah, sure." Helga smiled and shrugged, letting her go now that it seemed like she would definitely stick around for a bit longer. "Just give me a second to think this one through a bit…" Helga crossed her arms over her chest, a pensive look came to her features, and she began to pace a tiny bit.
Rhonda watched her with interest…It was like Helga genuinely and sincerely cared about helping it…and she felt…touched…like she was with a kindred spirit almost…
"Okay so, Curly's definitely in love with you, right?"
This question from Helga, coupled with the cessation of her pacing, snapped Rhonda out of her thoughts and she instantly nodded. "Oh, um…yeah…He lets me know every second of every minute of every hour of every day!" She rolled her eyes at how obnoxious it could all be sometimes…though she couldn't fight back a tiny smile pulling at the corners of her mouth in regards to it just the same. After all, some of the things he could do when it came to her were kind of funny…and some of them not even in the geekiest of ways…
Helga noticed a lot about Rhonda's facial expressions at the moment and she smiled a little to herself. "Hmm…okay…And how do you feel about him, Rhonda?" she asked simply as could be.
Instantly at that inquiry Rhonda's eyes narrowed slightly and she seemed practically offended and about to dramatically protest his grossness when Helga instantly cut her off. "Up bup bup, now take a second and really think about it, Rhonda. In fact, let's do this in pieces. How do you feel about the fact that he loves you?" Helga smiled at her.
Rhonda blinked at this new question. "Oh. Well, I…" She considered carefully as Helga had suggested. "A little creeped out, I guess. And it can get kind of annoying too…but also I…I suppose it's kind of nice to have the attention…sometimes…" She cleared her throat and glanced away…though that little tug of a smile was present at the corners of her mouth again…
Helga had to smile a bit more at this well thought out and much more introspective response from the girl before her. "Alright, then…next question. If Curly stopped loving you…how do you think you would feel?"
Rhonda carefully considered this question too…and while she was doing so the little smile trying to come to her lips was soon replaced by a little frown. "I…lonely…" The way Rhonda looked when that word popped out of her mouth…It was like she hadn't even realized it had been inside of her in regards to all of this. She blinked and instantly blushed a little and glanced away. "I-I mean, i-it would just be a lot to go from having all of his attention to having none of it," she did her best to explain away calmly with a little clearing of her throat.
Helga did her best not to chuckle and just went on with a nod and a smile. "Mmm hmm…Alright, then, one more question…Would you like to try loving him back…just to see what it would be like?"
Rhonda blinked and took a second to absorb the question. Then she looked up at Helga almost with a touch of shock. "U-Uh…w-well, Helga, that's, uh…"
Helga sighed and smiled at her. "Come on, Rhonda…just between us girls? And besides, think about it—no matter what you say it'd be pretty hard to embarrass yourself when you just caught me coming out of Arnold's house after a date with my lip gloss more than smudged and twirling around with his picture in a heart shaped locket in my hand…" She chuckled a little, doing her best to lighten the mood. "So come on, princess, just tell me the truth…I guarantee it'll help you feel better." Helga winked at her.
Though Rhonda was still looking rather nervous and even blushing a little by now, Helga's words did at least manage to get her to crack a smile…and to answer the question. "Well, that's…that's kind of why I came to you, I guess, because I'd…I'd almost like to see if maybe, I don't know…it could work…with me and Curly. But…" she blushed and looked to Helga with discomfort, "…E-Even if I did try what if it didn't work out? He'd never let me live it down—no one ever would! And he'd always hold a torch for me then and be convinced that I secretly loved him and that somehow he could 'win me back', and, and…" Rhonda seemed to be spiraling, her breathing picking up to the point of near hyperventilation!
Observing her friend's distress, Helga instantly put a comforting hand on Rhonda's shoulder. "Hey, hey, Rhonda, take it easy, okay?" She smiled at her. "Listen, I-I know it's scary and embarrassing and awkward and a nightmare sometimes thinking about things like this, but…you've gotta remember that if you don't try then nothing will ever happen and then you'll never know!" She shrugged. "Now, look—yeah, things worked out for me and Football Head. Great. If they hadn't though, after he found out how I felt and he finally decided to give me a shot, then at the very least I would have known one way or the other. Always hoping and never going for it is no way to live." She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled. "Actually I have to give Curly credit for that—at least he goes all out with his feelings." She scoffed. "I was keeping mine secret for years! Seriously, it was only by random chance that Arnoldo found out…random chance and me going on two days of no sleep and a seriously huge adrenaline rush!" Helga couldn't help but roll her eyes and chuckle to herself at the crazy memory of FTi…
Rhonda, coming out of her crisis a little, looked to Helga with interest and further curiosity, and opened her mouth as though she was about to say something further to continue their conversation…
BEEP! BEEP!
…When suddenly the sound of a car horn interrupted the girls and brought both of their attentions to the sight of a familiar perky colored convertible pulling up at the street corner.
"Helga, baby sister! Come on, I pretended to not be able to find my car keys so that as an excuse to Daddy to give you and Arnold a few extra minutes for your date tonight, but it's already 10:15 and we've really got to get you home! You don't want to be grounded from you anniversary date with Arnold tomorrow night!" Olga's bright and cheery voice instantly announced all of this to her to her 'baby sister' as she sat there with the car idling and waiting for Helga to jump in. Olga blinked and then added though, obviously noticing Helga's companion now. "Ooo, baby sister, that's one of your little friends from your class, isn't it? Hi there, um…Rhonda, right? It's Olga Pataki! How are you?"
Rhonda blinked a few times and then smiled and gave Olga a little wave. "Oh, um…I'm perfectly fine, Olga. Good to see you!"
"Oh wonderful to see you too, Rhonda! It's always nice to see one of my baby sister's friends!" She giggled and then looked to Helga again. "Helga, we've really got to get going before Daddy and Mummy start worrying too much. Oh but would your friend like a ride too?"
With a smile, Rhonda was about to politely refuse and then thank Helga for her help with trying to figure out the Curly thing, and then perhaps she would go home and have a nice, relaxing decaf mocha latte and think more about the questions Helga had asked her…and her responses to them…Though it would have been nice to have had just a few more minutes to talk with Helga first in private…
But then… "Alright, Olga, I'm coming! And just a sec!" Helga called out to her big sister. And then she turned to Rhonda with a smile. "Rhonda…you wouldn't mind talking about this a little more, would you? And not at a sleepover in front of a bunch of people. Am I right?"
Rhonda blinked and then nodded in response to the question, surprised at Helga realizing that about how she felt.
Helga smiled more to herself. 'Oh Arnold, this whole giving people a second chance thing and having a conscience is really starting to rub off on me…and now I'm actually sort of starting to like it…' She nodded to Rhonda. "Alright, then, how about you come home with me for a bit…We can sit and chat, have a little girl time, give you a chance to think, and if it gets too late you can even stay over if you feel like it…only if you want to, of course."
Rhonda…smiled. "Really, Helga? W-Well, um…yes, alright." She nodded appreciatively. "That would be lovely."
"You got it!" Helga winked at her and then turned back to Olga, approaching the car and grabbing Rhonda's hand and pulling her along toward it. "Hey, Olga, you think I could have a friend come over for a little while? Maybe stay the night?"
Olga smiled at the two girls as they entered the back seat of her car. "Why of course, Helga!" she replied brightly. "I'm sure Mummy and Daddy wouldn't mind especially with there being no school tomorrow!"
"Great! Thanks, Olga!" Helga announced as she shut the car door and buckled up.
"No problem, baby sister." Olga giggled and turned around and put the car in drive, pulling out into the street.
They drove up the block and made a turn…then Rhonda, done with putting on her own seatbelt, looked to Helga, speaking in a low voice so that only they could hear. "Um…Helga?"
Helga smiled at her and shrugged, yawning a little. "Yup?"
Rhonda looked down humbly. "Thanks…for…h-helping me with this delicate situation. I appreciate it. And I really am sorry for today and for letting my, um…my own issues make me so…unpleasant and unsympathetic to your own situation."
"Aw, hey, you're welcome, princess, and seriously, don't worry about it!" Helga waved her off with a smile. "Water under the bridge. I'm just happy that things are getting kind of okay between us now. Call me crazy but I think we should get on better terms… We're not so different when you get down to it." She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at Rhonda. "Leaders of our grade, powerful women, stubborn as heck…." She chuckled
Rhonda laughed, relaxing a bit more, and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Okay then, Helga…we'll try." Rhonda held out a hand to her.
Helga blinked at it but then smiled more and nodded, holding out a hand as well. "Works for me."
The two shook on it.
Then Helga smirked at Rhonda tiny and added with a light blush and a little shrug, "But, uh, Rhonda? Just do me one favor…to, uh, 'kick off' our newfound peaceful little friendship…okay?"
"Sure…what?" Rhonda asked with an interested smile.
Helga sighed, smiling to herself. "Well, I know you, Rhonda, and if anything's going on in school or in this neighborhood you'll be the first to find out and spread it around. So…if you catch me and Arnold anytime this summer or next year, oh, I don't know…having a little 'private fun' together in a janitor's closet or in an empty classroom or behind a dumpster or in a park…just keep it under your hat, okay?" She looked at her with a firm but friendly smile.
Rhonda blinked at the request and blushed a tiny bit herself but then cleared her throat and smiled. "Oh, um…sure, Helga. I understand."
Helga laughed. "Good. You know, Arnold's right—getting people to do you favors because they're your friends is much less stressful than getting them to do you favors because they're afraid you're going to pound them."
"Y-Yeah, and…now that I think about it, it's also a little nicer getting people to do you favors because they're your friends instead of because you're 'commanding them to' or because you're blackmailing them with gossip," Rhonda couldn't help but observe with a little smirk to herself.
The two girls looked to each other…and then Helga G. Pataki and Rhonda Wellington Lloyd shared a warm, ironic laugh together as they headed to the Pataki household to, among other things, start in on becoming better friends…
Helga actually ended up getting so caught up with Rhonda that she forgot to check on her third anniversary present that Arnold had given her, wrapped in the red paper, tucked away in her purse.
"Knock, knock! You asleep yet, Shortman?" Phil asked as he gave a couple light raps at his grandson's bedroom door and then peeked in his head in with a smile.
Sure enough (Phil had seen through the crack at the bottom of the door that the light was still on), Arnold was awake, sitting up in his bed now wearing his pajamas. He had been playing with something small in his hands though he quickly pushed it underneath his pillows before looking to his grandpa with a smile. "No, not yet, Grandpa. I'll turn the light out soon…I was just thinking a little."
"Ooo well, I don't blame you, Shortman—you've got plenty to think about," Phil replied with an extra grin as he stepped into the room. "After all, you had a big day at school going public with Helga, and then a big date tonight with her and then you spent close to half an hour after that talking with all of your friends…" Phil sat on the edge of Arnold's bed.
Arnold nodded to his recap of his day. "I know…and then all the guys are coming by for a little while before Helga comes over for our second date this weekend since I didn't have too much time to talk with them tonight…" Arnold sighed, and gave a small yawn.
"Hmm, well, you certainly are growing up Short Man. Now you've got a great big busy social life: pretty soon your Grandma and I'll be waking up to all night blowout parties on the roof and you 'gunning up your hog' to whisk Helga away on weekend trips!" The old man chuckled to himself.
"Grandpa!" Arnold blushed a little, rolling his eyes. "I'm just having a few friends over after dinner…and what does 'gunning up your hog' mean anyway?" He raised a curious eyebrow at him.
Phil just laughed, holding his sides. He sighed and waved Arnold off. "It means turning on the motorcycle I'm sure a 'wild man' like you will want the second you can have a license to drive one and can convince Helga to climb onto the back seat with you…provided she doesn't take the wheel from you when you're not looking." He winked then rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, Arnold, you really do need to get with the times, heh, heh." He gave one of his familiar chuckles.
Arnold just smiled more and blushed a little. "Whatever you say, Grandpa…But I think I'd like to try just through our one month anniversary first…b-before I make any major life decisions or changes…" He glanced down shyly for a moment.
Phil noticed the change in expression and looked to Arnold curiously and knowingly. "Oh, hmm…I see…Well, then, I guess I'll leave you to your musings about all of that. Have a good night, Shortman." Phil reached over and mussed Arnold's hair playfully a little before standing up, cracking his back a bit. "Oh boy…I've gotta start practicing my backhand springs, heh, heh." He smiled down at his grandson. "Oh and thanks for lingering up on the roof with the date, Shortman—I won a whole dollar from your Grandma!" Phil grinned proudly, holding his suspenders straps.
Arnold chuckled, straightening his cap on his head. "You're welcome, Grandpa. Goodnight." Arnold snuggled in under his covers, yawning a little.
"Heh, heh, goodnight, Shortman. Pleasant dreams…and as many about Helga as you can muster, heh, heh!" Phil replied with a little wave and a wink, and then he walked across the room and left his grandson, shutting the door behind him.
Left alone now, Arnold reached over to turn out his light and then lay back down in his bed.
For tonight he left Helga's pink books in their usual little spot right by his bedside and didn't pull one under the covers to sleep with…He had something else precious to him that reminded him of her to sleep with in his grasp…
Arnold reached under his pillow in the darkness, under the light of the moon and stars overhead, and pulled out a small little object he had had for a couple of weeks now…at first as sort of a lark…and then as something awkward…and then as something potentially serious…and then as something he had been planning absolutely to make use of this weekend and hopefully this night though unfortunately the interruption of his friends and how little time they had ended up with at the end of their date had removed that possibility...for this evening, at least.
It was a little dark velvet box.
And it had something wonderful inside.
Those few weeks ago, Arnold had gone to that jeweler Helga had gone to for getting her locket engraved…The first thing he had done was bring up Helga and apologize for her leaving without paying for her engraving a few months ago, and then he had paid for the engraving himself: in exchange for seven years of her wearing that locket as part of her unrequited love for him, he had figured it was the least he could do…
Then he had asked the jeweler about…rings.
Not real actual engagement and wedding rings of course! Arnold didn't exactly have a few thousand dollars just lying around anywhere or anything, and honestly something like that would be too much anyway…
But a little pink rhinestone or cubic zirconia…on a little silver plated band…and for not more than three weeks allowance? Yes, Arnold could pull that off…and he had.
Inside the little velvet box was that little pink ring.
And in case it wasn't painfully obvious Arnold was planning to actually propose to Helga. Well, pre-propose…maybe propose…give her a 'promise ring'… He honestly wasn't sure exactly but he figured he would know how to put it when the words came out of his mouth. He was ready. He wanted to have them promised to one another like that. He wasn't ready for the actual marriage yet of course…he was only a ten-year-old boy, after all, and he knew that was way too much responsibility for him…But he did want to wake up each morning and fall asleep each night knowing that he and Helga would have that marriage one day… He wanted to propose to a girl.
Arnold sighed to himself in his bed, holding the little box close. 'This is possibly so stupid…B-But at least I know her and I know that e-even if it is stupid…she won't treat me like it is…so at least there's that…'
Arnold knew he could have spent a few minutes in the darkness going over in his mind again all the reasons this felt right to him and all the reasons he wanted to propose to Helga but to be honest he was very tired. On top of which he was also trying to avoid thinking about what Helga might think when she got to opening that little red package he had given her as her final anniversary present…It was that pink book she had been writing in during their one week anniversary…the one that she had put that little acronym poem of his name in all about what it was that she realistically loved about him…the one that had had a few blank pages left at the end in it…and it was a pink book of hers that he had kept here from the start, regardless of how many he gave back to her to get now ones or old ones he liked to read. And inside of this special little pink book our football headed hero had written Helga a little note to go along with it explaining things and what he had done…How he had written a poem about every idealistic thing he could come up with about her…about all of her womanliness and wonderfulness…just like he had promised her to do one day during their one week anniversary…and how he had copied it into the back of that pink book, into those last few blank pages. He had thought for a little while about maybe reciting it to her on this night but…the idea had ended up terrifying him so much that he had gone with this plan instead…And now he had to wonder how she would react to his poem, how she would like it…
Arnold let out a sigh, doing his best to clear his mind. 'Just sleep, Arnold…Don't think about it…Just sleep…Worry about it in the morning…Just…be happy.' It was hard though for a moment…When he had given her that Dino and Nancy Spumoni record, something about the look on her face…She had seemed overjoyed at it afterwards but still, before that…what a strange look…And come to think of it hadn't she also had that look for a moment during their dinner? No, no…it had been at the piano…Strange…But perhaps it was nothing…just her being lost in some thoughts… Yes, nothing.
'Yes, nothing…' Arnold added to himself with a yawn. 'Sleep, Arnold…Rest…You're supposed to be proposing to a girl tomorrow after all…' He chuckled a little to himself. 'Just be happy..' he assured himself once more.
And so with this solid advice to himself Arnold yawned and just let his mind wander and drift off. He would go over everything again tomorrow in his head before his second attempt at it. And until then…he just wanted to sleep and dream and smile.
He really was very happy after all that had happened this day. And he knew Helga was very happy too.
And for now his ten-year-old mind just wanted to bask in all of that and in the happiness of life in general…his own, hers…theirs…everyone's.
One anniversary date down, one to go…
A/N:
Alright, and so Arnold's night of their anniversary is complete! I hope you all enjoyed it ^w^ Please review! Thank you!
As for things that were inspired from other sources…
Just in general that entire part of Arnold and Helga's dinner conversation when they go into the parrot incident and Arnold pushes Helga's buttons a little came from me thinking about some email chats I've had about incident with a reviewer who would like to just be mentioned as a 'collaborator' for now :) Thank you! You know who you are!
Also, the entire thing about the guys ending up wanting dating advice from Arnold and the girls ending up wanting dating advice from Helga is from the Nick series "Doug" and specifically from the episode "Doug and Patti Sittin' In a Tree" which is really a wonderful one :) I always feel like it pretty much nailed what a first date when you're not even a teenager yet is usually like and also the ending was just perfect where all the guys are like "We want to get girls too! OwO That's why we were teasing you!" XD Youtube it sometime if you get the chance ;)
Alright, now for something about when the next update will be… Now, let me start by saying that I will never under any circumstances ever abandon a story. Period. It's just a policy of mine. That being said though, it is now January which means I will be starting a new job and I will be starting graduate school and I will also be working a few new projects in my personal life so honestly I'm not sure how frequently anything of mine is going to be updated. On top of which, it's been five years since I started TA and I'm very very very tired XD Writing this story and these very long chapters take a LOT out of me and I just don't have a huge surplus of the stuff it takes out of me to give right now. On top of which, as of this chapter being concluded I no longer have full basic working drafts for the remainder of this fic—I have notes, a few scenes written out, some plans, but otherwise I have to do it all from scratch and that takes a lot. So in a nutshell, I'm not sure what's going to be updated or when but nothing will be abandoned and I'm not going to randomly disappear now for a bunch of years or something XD I just need a little time to myself while I'm trying to transition into a new period of my life :) In the meantime though I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and everything else I've written so far. I appreciate all of your readership and your reviews so very much and whenever I hear that I've made one of you happy or feel an emotional connection to something or just that I've made you think about a character or a concept in a new way it's one of the happiest feelings in the world for me :) I'll give you all more when I can!
There is a very slight chance I might get the next chapter featuring Helga's night of their date up this month but I can't make any promises. Time and inspiration permitting though, I will try, and I hope you all enjoy the chapter if I can manage to post it. *Hugs!*
Happy Reading!
And Happy New Year!
~Azure129 aka Jenna
AXH FOREVER!