John had never been so grateful to have someone arrive so quickly. Curly was one of those odd drunks that acted like an animal more than a human. He acted like a dog by running all around his apartment sniffing everything. He then went a bit monkey by making sounds and walking around exactly like a monkey. The only thing John had to do to prevent him to do was to try to climb his curtains. The cat part was a bit too daunting with the indifference, then him trying to claw his furniture, when John sat down Curly came up to him to bunt his leg before hissing, and running off. Preventing him from leaving his apartment whether through the window or door, John had to actually punish him like a cat when he tried to eat his plants.

"Down, Curly. Down." Curly hissed at him. "Noooooo. Bad kitty." Watching Curly leap on his couch to curl up, John wondered if it was truly wise to have him in there.

Once Arnold finally arrived, John practically hugged him. Arnold took it in stride as he went into the living room to be greeted by Curly meowing at him in a pleasant way. Watching him approach the still wavering drunk, Curly had John just staring after them.

"He's been acting like an animal."

Placing his hand on top of Curly's head, Arnold placed one gentle stroke on the top of his head. "That's normal. Curly has always been quite unique. Free the animals and that sort of thing." Was Arnold's quiet response. "I hope he wasn't too much."

John wasn't about to lie. "He was a little."

"Sorry." Arnold took his hand away from his friend's head. "Do you mind acting like Thaddeus for me." It was such a kind request that even John spotted the almost calm that reached the disturbed man's features. "This about her." It was more than a statement that had Curly bringing his head down. "You know you are better than this. I know you've been in love with her all your life, but this isn't worth it."

"It hurts. Did the others feel like this?" Shaking his head was such a mistake right now to Curly as he felt the tumbling array of the alcohol still in his system. "I won't do that again."

Arnold sat beside his friend. "You'll need to really speak to them to find out for sure. I just know that they were confused. It was only a little later that they felt some hurt. This is from what they told me."

Running his hand through his hair, Curly cursed beneath his breath. "I worshipped her and she used me. You can't trust any woman."

"Curly you can't base this on one woman alone. There are plenty out there. There is someone waiting for a guy like you."

Getting off the couch had Curly irate. "What woman wants a guy like me? Everyone thinks that all I am is this insane guy that loves freeing the animals. They think that I run around in a loin clothe twenty-four hours a day. How insane am I for me to think that Rhonda finally loved me? I'm insane." Falling back down on the couch much too heavily for John's taste, he groaned. "She is such a bitch."

In spite of Arnold hating the games that Rhonda played he still couldn't say it himself. "Something goes through her head to do these things."

"Is that why you never went for her?"

"I never went for her simply because I never felt anything for her. Even if I did and she did, it wouldn't last. We don't match up."

Lifting his head up, Curly looked to his loyal friend. "I thought we did. We were so opposite, but I knew if she can love a friend as opposite to her as Nadine, she will appreciate me. I know she wasn't fond of the bugs, but she did try to help encourage her. What could be bad about someone like that?"

Which was a reason why Arnold stuck in his friendship with, Rhonda. It was all because of the dynamic between those two friends. "Nothing."

"Even I wasn't fond of how she used Peapod kid for her benefit. How she hurt Nadine in the process. I didn't understand why she can still stick around Rhonda, but it was possibly because of other things. I just know that she never apologized for doing that to her best friend." Curly scoffed. "Best friends don't do that."

Placing his hand on his shoulder, Arnold had to stand up to relieve the tension in his back. "No they don't."

Curly finally looked at John as if for the first time. He studied him like an animal would from a distance. "How do you know him?"

John wondered if this will be a more coherent thought now since the male didn't seem to retain much from earlier. "I met him through a colleague slash friend. In fact he is seeing her."

Curly looked back to Arnold. "What's her name? What does she look like?"

Before he didn't seem to express too much interest in whom he was seeing before so Arnold answered him. "Her name is Helga and she is tall."

"Built like a model." John interjected.

"Except not with a eating disorder." Arnold added in. "She has blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes, and a child. She's amazing. She's the one."

Leaning back against the couch, Curly continued his silence till he hummed in thought. "Do you trust her?"

Not thinking about the question, Arnold said, "With all my heart."

"Then your heart is screwed up. It is as screwed up as mines." His response was made also with a audible scoff. So audible that it seemed to echo in the apartment.

"Rhonda isn't an ends to any means. A woman will love you for who you are. A woman who won't toss you away. You may be different, but I happen to appreciate it. We all do. We all know you have this heart and this perceptive nature that most don't have the privilege of seeing themselves. I count myself lucky and one day another girl will see it too."

Curly smiled a little at those words. Arnold had too much of a good heart and dense nature for his own good. "Thanks, Arnold." Silence followed. "You still shouldn't trust your girl."

Knowing he was still upset from Rhonda, Arnold almost dismissed it till he saw something in his eyes. "And why not?"

"While I was in the bar I kinda of got into a conversation with this guy. I didn't catch his name, but he told me that Helga was in there kissing him."

Arnold and John couldn't believe that information. "Helga is a very loyal person." John spoke very quietly.

"Yeah. Are you mistaken here? Think about this carefully." Arnold was very slow in his speech now. Did he happen to drink also?

Curly nodded his head softly. "Helga isn't a common name in this neck of the woods."

Arnold took a few steps back as if he landed himself in the fog. Helga wouldn't do that. She hates needless drama. She hates liars. Feeling John trying to calm him with a soft touch, Arnold turned his head to him. "I have to talk to her."

John stared at him hard in the eyes. "Helga loves you and she will never do a thing to jeopardize this relationship. This has to be a mistake."

"I still need to ask. I have to or else I'll go crazy." Apologizing for having to leave Curly behind, Arnold was in a fog as he left the apartment.

He hated giving bad news to his friend. "And how do you know all of them exactly? Besides knowing Helga."

John was too soft spoken as he responded. "I'm dating Eugene."

That perked him up a bit. "Eugene is a very good guy. You can't do better than him since you swing that way." Making a face, Curly laughed a little. "Sorry that I sniffed your crotch but I needed to know if you were friend or foe."

He raised his eyebrow up. "It isn't the first time that has been sniffed out before."

Curly hooted at that as a raucous laughter filled the apartment in spite of the headache he had. "Oh I like you already."

Helga left the building, as requested, to see an agitated Arnold pacing. She received a text to come down due to an urgent matter so of course she was concerned when she stepped forward to touch him, but he stepped away as if she was poison. She didn't want to think too much about it so she pushed it aside for his sake.

"Is everything all right?"

He shook his head as he looked at her beautiful concerned face. He needed to avert himself before he crumbled. "No. Nothing is alright."

Helga wanted to reach out to him, but felt it best not to. "Take a deep breath before you say what is bothering you."

Doing so, Arnold stopped his pacing. "John called me saying my friend, Curly was drunk. He was still upset about Rhonda. John brought him to his place to help calm him and I came over."

Hating how he took everything in, she also loved that he was this sensitive. "I'm so sorry about your friend. It was good that John brought him to his place to help out."

Her sweetness was tearing him up right now. "It is. He's a good person. As I was calming him he told me something. This is the reason why I'm here."

"Okay." She said that slowly as more question marks flew up from her head.

Facing her fully, Arnold blurted it out before he lost his nerve. "Curly said while he was in the bar he was talking to a man. He told me how he was bragging about kissing a woman there. A beautiful blonde. A blonde by the name of Helga."

Helga felt slapped. "Excuse me?" Slowly she crossed her arms over her chest to stem off the chill of anger.

"Why are you kissing another man, Helga? Don't you love me? Why in the hell would you do this?" He was so upset from jealously and betrayal that he didn't notice how Helga's face was changing. "You are kissing other men!"

"I wasn't."

He ignored her as he continued on as thoughts of his girlfriend sharing herself with others. "What else are you lying about? Would you do this with, Brainy?"

"How dare you." Helga was both seething and tearing up. "How. Dare. You." She enunciated much further in a more quiet venom.

Arnold spotted it. He spotted his mistake. He saw her face turn red in her anger. Her hurt. He saw how the tears flowed. Did Curly make a mistake? Feeling the vibration in his pocket, Arnold had a feeling of something more dreaded then his accusation.

Storming up to him, Helga poked him hard in the chest. "How dare you accuse me of such things. I have not kissed any other man in my life besides, Brainy. I would never do this to anyone even if I was at my own unhappiest."

Arnold tried to touch her but she stepped far away from him as she pointed her finger. "Helga."

"I love you, Arnold. I trust you with my life. With my daughters life and this is what I get. I don't go to bars. The only person I know who does, even for a Ginger Ale, is my sister Olga. Olga! If it is at the bar near to John's apartment then that was Sam he was talking to. Sam loves to brag about her. They both love to brag that way when they are in there." Wiping her tears away, Helga felt stabbed in the heart. "They role play even if they are separated from the other. Ever hear about making things interesting? Well they do."

He tried to move forward but Helga prevented him. Arnold hurt her. "I'm so sorry. I just can't stand the thought of another person kissing you. I went off the handle without truly thinking." Watching her bow her head down as she wiped her tears away, killed him. "I love you with all my heart. I'm sorry and I'll do anything to make it up to you."

"I feel betrayed by your lack of belief in me. Did you get coached by, Rhonda in how to speak to me?" Helga spotted that jerk in his body. "It hurts doesn't it? When you say something mean and it isn't true."

"I will walk down several streets on my hands and knees to have you forgive me. I'll wrestle alligators hoping you will forgive me. I shouldn't of thought that. I was really jealous. Stupid." Arnold heard her sniffle. "I love you and Hailie with all my heart. Please Helga."

Closing her eyes, Helga sniffled once more. She had a healthy relationship with Brainy due to being able to push past some tough times. Working things out together, but right now she was hurt by this. She needed time. "I love you too." She spotted hope in him, but it was a hope she dashed quickly. "I'm not ending this, but right now I need to spend just a little time away to remove this initial sting. Give me a little time."

A little break still scared him. "Helga, please." He begged.

Turning her face to him had her tempted to at least kiss him. Helga knew about people having flaws. She had plenty of them so she understood. "This isn't the end, Arnold. Trust me. I really do love you."

His shoulders went more impossibly slack. "I will do anything for you."

"I know, but right now it shows that you don't fully trust me in order to accuse me of something adulterous." Turning away to head to the door to the lobby, Helga looked at him at length. "This won't be forever. It will in a way. I honestly do love you."

Arnold watched her depart and disappear into her building. He made a mistake. He hated himself in that as he finally pulled out his phone to see the text sent by, John.

I showed him a picture of myself with Helga, Sam, Olga, and Hailie. Curly said it was Sam he spoke to.

He nearly smashed his phone apart as he finally walked very slowly to his car. He hated himself. Hated that he hurt her.

Dragging herself upstairs, Helga's back met with her door as she slid down to the ground. She couldn't bring herself to go in yet. She was glad that her daughter was already asleep, but to bring her negative energy at this level high wouldn't be fantastic. She sniffled away as she heard Arnold's accusations still ringing in her head.

A/N: And I'm leaving it there.

Thanks for all the reviews. :)