Ch. #3: The Story of Helga G. Pataki (Part Two)
...
In his room, Arnold opened his closet door and was shocked to find the same shoe sitting exactly where he had left it.
'If that shoe is there, then whose shoe is this?' He thought. He remembered Bob saying something about giving the shoe to the girl. 'Could this really be . . . Helga's? And if it is, does that mean—"
"HEY SHORTMAN! Have you done all your chores yet?!" Phil called up. Arnold shook his head.
"YES, GRANDPA! Hold on, I'll be down in a sec!" Arnold called back. He placed the shoe in the closet with the other one and quickly bounded down the staircase.
…
As Helga opened the familiar green door to the Boarding House, a large group of animals consisting of pigs, dogs, hens, and cats ran out the door. Helga walked into the house after the animals all passed by.
Without a word to anyone, Helga marched up the stairs, fully intending on going up to Arnold's roof and having some peace and quiet to herself. There was no way she was dealing with her sister's emotional turmoil or anyone else for that matter.
When she turned the corner in the hallway, she bumped into Arnold. Literally. They both fell to the ground with a thump.
"OW!" Arnold exclaimed.
"OUCH!" Helga exclaimed.
Opening her eyes, she saw Arnold sitting right in front of her. His eyes were widened.
"Helga?! What are you doing back so soon?! I thought you went with your sister to the mall," He asked.
"Well, I came back, paste-for-brains. Now are you going to help me up or am I going to have to sit here all day?!" she asked.
"Oh, sorry," Arnold apologized, immediately getting up and holding out a hand to help Helga up.
"About time," Helga said, once she was off the ground. "Now, move, I've got things to do," she said, pushing past him.
"Helga, wait! I need to ask you something!" Arnold called after her.
"Yeah, well, I don't feel like answering anything. So there," she said, continuing down the hallway.
He sighed, running a hand through his flaxen hair. "I don't get her at all," he said, more to himself. He followed her.
…
Oskar knocked on the door of his and Susie's room. "Susie? Can I come in eheheh? I have something to give you," he asked.
The door opened, revealing a miffed Susie. "What is it, Oskar?" she demanded.
"Is Miriam gone?" he asked.
Susie rolled her eyes. "Yes, Oskar. Miriam left to go to her own room. I don't see why having her here is such a problem for you," she answered.
"Never mind about that. Can I come in?" he asked with a sheepish smile.
Susie sighed, opening the door further. "Alright, Oskar. As long as you don't continue to bother me about Miriam, I'll let you in," she said.
Oskar grinned, walking inside the room. Susie closed the door after him, heading over to the ironing board to continue ironing. However, before she could continue, Oskar stopped her, handing a heart-shaped box out to her.
"Here," he said.
Shock appeared on her features. "Oskar . . . what is this?" she asked, eying the box curiously. She came from around the ironing board.
He rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Well, it's uh, chocolates. For you, Susie eheheh."
Her eyebrows raised in disbelief, taking the box from his hands. "I just can't believe it! Did you really do this for me, Oskar?"
Oskar smiled nervously. "Well, I felt kind of bad, see. You do so much and seemed unhappy. And I just don't want to see my Susie sa—" were all the words he was able to get out before arms flew around him.
"Oh Oskar! This is the sweetest and most considerate thing you have ever done for me! I love you so much!" Susie gushed happily. She gave him a peck on the cheek.
Oskar grinned. "I love you too, Susie! Now can you make me a sandwich?"
Susie laughed with tears in her eyes, paying his request no mind. "Oh Oskar!" She exclaimed.
"Oh Susie!" Oskar replied. Then, he broke away from her arms.
"I just remembered something eheheh," Oskar started sheepishly. "I have to go, uh, pick up that umbrella I left at a friend's house after we played a game of poker."
"Well, do you have to leave now? I wanted to open this box of chocolates with you so that we can share them together," Susie replied in confusion.
Oskar grew more flustered. "Eheheh that's okay. I just remembered, I'm not hungry."
Susie was surprised. "You're not hungry? Why, just a moment ago you wanted me to make you a sandwich."
"I changed my mind eheheh. You do so much, Susie. It's not fair." He said, backing away towards the door.
"Well . . . okay, Oskar. If you're really sure. I'll just have to eat these-"she stopped, noticing a rip at the bottom of the package.
Oskar was almost to the door when Susie stopped him. "Oskar . . . why is this box already opened?"
Oskar looked frantically between Susie's stern expression and the door, as if deciding whether to make a break for it or not. "Oh eheheh. Is that so? I must've not noticed that the package was opened ehehehe. I guess I'll just take the box down to the store and have to complain and get a replacement ehehe." He went over to take the package from her hands, but she snatched it away.
"Not so fast . . . I just have to check something first." Susie said, opening the package completely to find no chocolate was in there.
"Why, it's just an empty box!" She exclaimed. Her glare shot to a nervous Oskar.
"You know, I wondered why this box felt so light. Oskar! Did you eat all the chocolate?"
"D-don't be silly, Susie. I would never do such a thing eheheh."
With a frown, Susie got up real close to Oskar, making him backtrack his steps.
"Ah-ha! I knew I smelled chocolate somewhere! Oskar, you have chocolate all over your breath!" She shouted with her hands on her hips.
Oskar gulped, grabbing at his collar.
"Oskar! Explain!" Susie demanded.
Oskar shrank back under her glare. "What? Oh, don't look at me that way, Susie. I was hungry! You know how hard it is for me to stay away from chocolates," he reasoned. "Besides, it's the thought that counts, right ehehehe?"
"Not when that thought's only about yourself!" Susie yelled. Then, suddenly she ceased her tirade. Tears fell from her eyes. "I knew it was too good to be true! Oh Oskar, why can't you think about someone other than yourself for once!" She cried.
Oskar saw this as his opportunity to make his escape. He ran to the door, grabbing the doorknob to open it.
Susie stopped, hearing the creak in the door. Her eyes immediately lit with fire. "Not so fast . . . ." She shouted, causing a cowering Oskar to glance her way.
In her arms, Susie held a large lamp. "You forgot this!" She yelled, hurling the lamp in his direction.
Oskar yelped, thrusting the door open and barely dodging the lamp before it crashed against the wall after him. He turned back to see Susie lifting a pile of dishes.
He slammed the door. Crashes of many dishes followed.
"GET BACK HERE! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!" Susie's voice roared behind the door.
Oskar made a break down the hallway but not before Susie had a chance to thrust open the door and throw a chair and more dishes after him.
A couple of plates hit him in the back of his head, but he dared not turn back.
"AND STAY OUT!" Susie ordered after him, watching him disappear behind the stairs.
She slammed the door.
…
On Arnold's roof, Helga was reclined on a white beach chair overlooking the city below. The sound of cars could be heard whizzing past on the street with occasional shouts of kids playing nearby, and music pumping from people's cars or backyards. It somehow felt peaceful to Helga as she closed her eyes.
Arnold climbed up to the roof and saw Helga reclined on a chair. He took the chair beside her, looking out at the city before them.
"This is my favorite place to come when I feel like I need a break from everything," he said.
Helga's eyes flew open in mild surprise, looking over at him.
Arnold kept his eyes glued to the horizon. The sun was just beginning to set. "I like it up here because it has such a great view, and it's kind of peaceful out here," he said. He gave a sheepish smile, looking over at Helga. "I guess that sounds lame, huh?" he asked.
"No, actually, it sounds kind of nice," she said.
Arnold gave her his half-lidded smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he replied. The two didn't say anything for a while as they both turned to look at the sun setting.
Finally, Arnold broke the silence. "Helga, I know you don't want to talk about it, but can you please tell me why you came home early without your sister?" he asked. "I just want to help."
Helga rolled her eyes. "Oh Arnold. Always wanting to go around helping everybody. Do you ever give it a rest?" she asked.
He thought about it for a moment. "No, I guess not. It's hard to stop doing something that's part of who you are," he answered.
Helga sat up. "Fine. You want to know what's wrong? Well, listen well, because I'm about to tell you the whole story. Olga and I got into an argument. There. I said it," she said with a hmph.
"Why?" Arnold asked.
"Because Olga doesn't know how to keep her nose out of my business. I mean, how would you feel if someone just casually decided to go through your things without your permission?" Helga asked.
Arnold gave her a pointed look.
Helga's eyes widened, realizing the irony from earlier. "Oh right . . . ." she said.
Arnold sighed. "Look, I'm not going to say that it was right of your sister to go through your things without your permission, because it wasn't, but I will say that knowing your sister, I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt you when she went through your things. I'm sure she only wanted to learn more about you and get closer to you because she didn't know what else to do or she was afraid of confronting you directly about it," he explained. "I can tell your sister loves you very much, and that she's probably heartbroken right now that she upset you."
"Yeah, and probably bawling her eyes out," Helga remarked.
"And probably bawling her eyes out," Arnold agreed. "The point is, she's your only sister and sisters are supposed to stick with each other thick and thin. And even if you don't need her, Helga, I'm sure she needs you. So, what do you say? Are you going to speak with your sister now?" he asked.
"Hmm . . . I'll think about it," Helga said, reclining back into her chair.
Arnold sighed. "Okay, Helga. You do what you want. Just know that your sister's probably hurting right now and I'm sure you and your sister could be a lot closer, if you allowed it," he said, climbing down the stairs.
Helga sighed, considering what Arnold had said. 'Hmm . . . to talk to Olga or not to talk to Olga, that is the question,' she thought.
…
In Olga's room, Helga found Olga laying on her bed with her head in her pillow.
"Hey Olga . . . can we talk?" Helga asked.
Olga's eyes widened, immediately picking her head up from the pillow. "Oh Helga! I'm so sorry about what happened earlier! I thought things through and I realize I shouldn't have—"
Helga put a hand up, halting her. "It's okay, Olga. I forgive you. We all make mistakes," she said. "And besides, it wouldn't be fair for me to continue blaming you when I kind of got caught doing the same thing earlier."
Olga gave a small smile, wiping the tears from her red eyes. "Really Helga?" she asked.
"Really," Helga confirmed with a smile, "Just don't let it become a habit."
"Okay, Helga. I won't," Olga said, nodding.
"And also," Helga started, rubbing the back of her neck. "I kind of want to become better sisters too and uh, you know, bond and stuff." She said.
Olga squealed, causing Helga to grit her teeth in annoyance.
"Okay, you can't do that around me anymore if you want this to work," she replied.
"Uh-huh. Whatever you say, baby sis," Olga said.
The two embraced tightly. When they released, Helga asked, "So, uh, want to watch a movie? And before you ask, no, not your award-winning film. I want to watch something we both can enjoy."
"How about the Titanic?" Olga asked with hopeful eyes.
Helga shrugged. "Okay, I'm good with that," she said as she moved to sit on the bed beside Olga.
Unbeknownst to Helga, Arnold watched the scene from a distance, a half-lidded smile on his face.
…
Later that evening, the boarders were once again seated at the dining room table. Phil looked to Arnold.
"So, Arnold, you all set for your date tonight with what's her face?" he asked with a sly grin.
"Grandpa . . . I already told you that her name is Lila, and yeah, I think so. I'm just feeling a little nervous. This is the first time she's actually ever asked me to hang out with her," he replied.
"Oh, not to worry, Shortman. I'm sure everything will turn out alright," Phil responding, biting into a dinner roll. He paused to think it over. "Well, that or . . . everything will turn out horribly wrong because you humiliate her at the movies, she never speaks to you again, and then, before you know it, you're forced to run away and disguise yourself as a hobo, never to return again," he said, taking another bite of his bread.
Arnold suddenly felt sick. "Um, would you excuse me for a moment?" he asked before getting up and running to the restroom to puke his guts out.
Phil took another bite of his dinner roll. "You see, I told you Pookie not to put those raspberries in that space food for breakfast," he said.
"Nutrition is good for you," Gertie replied with a wink. She was currently dressed in a blue trench coat with a British hat. A wooden rifle sat underneath the table.
Meanwhile, Helga's mind was reeling at the thought of Arnold's date with Lila that evening. 'Oh brother. Lila this, Lila that. Like she's the most perfect being in the world. Well, I'm going to do a thing or two to teach Lila she doesn't know who she's messing with,' she thought.
Arnold came back to the table, taking his seat beside Helga. "Ugh, this date might be harder than I thought," he said, holding his stomach.
"I don't get why you're so nervous all of a sudden, Football Head. Sheesh, it's only Lila," Helga said, drawing out Lila's name in a mocking tone.
"Well, it's a pretty big deal to me," he said.
Helga narrowed her eyes. "Why? I thought it wasn't a date-date," she argued.
"It's not," Arnold said quickly with a blush. "I just, don't want her to think that we can't ever hang out as friends since it's the first time she's ever asked to see a movie with me," he explained.
"Uh-huh," Helga said, her tone disbelieving. "I'm sure Lila will be ever so interested in hanging out as just friends once she sees you in that black suit you're wearing," she accused.
Arnold's blushed deeper. "I thought it couldn't hurt to look nice," he said, shrugging.
"Arnold, give it up already. We both know you're trying to win Lila over so that she changes her mind about going out with her," she said.
He sighed. "Okay, fine. Maybe I wanted to impress her a bit," he admitted. "But not for the reason you think, Helga. It's just that well, yesterday, Lila told me that she thought I was so brave to go into that fire to rescue you, and she seemed to think I was some charming guy. I guess I felt that if I met her expectations of a charming guy, then she'd be willing to hang out with me more," he said.
Helga rolled her eyes. "But why would you want to hang out with her? She's revoltingly sweet all. the. time," she emphasized.
"She's also my friend, and I want things to be good between us," he said. "And besides, some people find being sweet kind of endearing." He winked at her.
Helga took a stab of a meatball in her spaghetti. "Well, not me," she huffed.
Arnold gave her a half-lidded smile. "Sure, Helga. Whatever you say," he said.
Across from the table, Oskar begged Susie. "Hey Susie . . . make me a sandwich!"
"We're at dinner now, Oscar . . . ." Susie replied, trying to ignore him.
"Which is why you should make me a sandwich ehehehe," he said.
Susie rolled her eyes. "Oh Oscar . . . ." she said.
"What? Oh come on, Susie. I'm starving. Make me a sandwich."
"Oscar, you have plenty of other food here. You can have a sandwich later."
"Aw! But that's what you always say! You never make me a sandwich and besides, there's never enough food to go around!" Oskar complained.
"That's because you keep taking it all, you thieving oaf!" Ernie argued.
"Well . . . maybe if Susie made me a sandwich, I wouldn't be so hungry eheheheh."
"Oh Oscar . . . ."
"Oh brother . . . ." Helga thought as she rolled her eyes. "Could things get any MORE strange?"
"HOORAY FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE!" Gertie suddenly sang as she marched while holding a wooden rifle.
"POOKIE! What have I told you about marching around the house in that blue uniform?" Phil argued, getting up to take the rifle out of her hands, which Gertie quickly averted.
"Ahahaha catch me if you can, private!" She said as she dodged Phil, jabbed him in the stomach with the butt of her rifle, and ran out of the dining room.
"Ooh! Come back here, you crazy old bird!" Phil called, chasing after her.
Maniacal laughter could be heard in the hallways.
"Guess I spoke too soon . . . ." Helga muttered.
"Relax, Helga . . . I know my family can be a little . . . ." Arnold struggled to find the right word.
"Strange? Quirky? Crazy? Over the top?" Helga offered.
". . .eccentric, but they're really not all that bad. You'll get used to it after a while, "Arnold finished.
"Huh. Get used to THIS?" Helga emphasized. Then, she sighed, giving a bored look again. "Ehh . . . worth a shot . . . at least it's not as bad as Miss Perfect going on about all her awards." She paused to take a bite of her spaghetti. "Plus, it beats cable!"
…
Arnold stood in front of the door to Lila's house. He glanced at his watch. 6:58 p.m. He gulped once, before ringing the doorbell.
"Just a minute!" He heard a man's voice call from behind the door. A few moments later, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged red haired man in a green vest. "Why, hello! What can I do you for?" he asked in a warm tone.
"Hi. I'm, uh, Arnold. I'm here to pick up Lila for our date tonight," he explained.
The man's eyes lit up, his smile becoming broader. "Oh Arnold! So nice to finally meet you! I should've guessed it by that smashing suit and tie you're wearing. I heard a lot about you from Lila. You're the one who rescued a classmate from that burning building yesterday. Pretty brave of you!" he said.
"I was just doing what I felt was right at the time, sir," Arnold explained truthfully.
"Ah, yes. I can see that you are as modest as Lila tells me," he said. Then, he put a hand to his head. "Oh! Silly me, leaving you standing outside the door like that. Come on in! Lila will be down in a second." He opened the door wider, allowing Arnold to come through.
"Uh, thanks, Mr. Sawyer," Arnold said, walking past him and stepping into the quaint house.
Closing the door after Arnold, Mr. Sawyer waved him off. "Oh, no need to be so formal, Arnold! You are my daughter's date, after all. Call me Dave," he said, holding a hand out to him.
Feeling a bit awkward, Arnold hesitantly took Dave's hand and shook it. "Okay . . . uh, Dave," he replied.
Dave laughed. "Well, don't just stand there. Come on, let's head over to the living room," he said, beckoning Arnold to follow him.
Arnold followed him into the living room, but almost jumped in surprise when he saw it. The room looked was barren, save for two chairs facing each other at the center of the room.
"Sorry for not being better prepared. Lila and I haven't really had company since—" he paused, his face dropping. "Well, since Lila's mother died from leukemia two years back," he explained with a sigh as he pulled out a collapsible chair from a broom closet.
Arnold immediately felt out of place. "I'm really sorry to hear that," he said sympathetically.
Dave gave another sigh, sitting down in one of the chairs and motioning Arnold to take a seat next to him. Arnold did as offered. "Yeah, I still miss her, even to this day . . . but I don't think anyone missed her more than Lila. She loved her mother very much and when she died . . . well, let's just say that things became hard pretty fast. The girl wouldn't even leave her room for weeks. We had to move away to get away from all the memories. But even so, she'll always have a place in our hearts," he answered. He looked at Arnold. "Lila's a strong girl. She's always tries hard to have another cheer for the both us. In many ways, she's just like her mother."
Arnold didn't know how to respond. He never knew how hard things had been on Lila. He felt bad for considering calling the date off when Gerald set them up.
Seeing Arnold's grim expression, Dave waved it off. "Oh! Please forgive me for being such a terrible host. What on earth am I doing bringing you down on such a happy occasion like this? Lila would chastise me if she knew I brought this up with you. Let's talk about something a little more positive. Tell me . . . how are things with your family at the boarding house?"
Arnold instantly felt relieved switching subjects. "They're doing okay. Grandma's just as quirky as ever, and grandpa still doesn't trust raspberries," he said, chuckling a bit.
Dave's smile brightened, nodding his head. "I see. I bet you and your parents have a lot to deal with keeping your grandparents in order," he said laughing.
That stopped Arnold right there. His eyes widened. His mouth suddenly felt dry. He lowered his head, averting his eyes. It was hard being reminded of his parents' absence.
Dave's smile fell when he noticed how silent Arnold became. He waved his arms in alarm. "Oh, forgive me! I didn't realize—"
"Arnold," a young girl's voice cut in, causing Arnold and Dave's head to turn their heads in the voice's direction.
Lila stood at the top of the stairs in a beautiful green dress, her red hair cascading off her shoulders. Her face held a dazzling smile as she stepped down the stairs.
"Arnold, I'm so glad you made it," she said.
Arnold stood up, his eyes widening in surprise before his mouth moved into a lopsided grin.
"Lila, you look positively stunning!" Dave exclaimed from beside Arnold.
"Oh, thank you, daddy," Lila chirped in glee.
Arnold walked up to Lila, holding out a hand to escort her down the staircase. Lila giggled taking it.
"Lila . . . you look really nice. I'm really looking forward to our night together," Arnold said.
"Oh Arnold! You're ever so charming," she responded, eating it up.
"Well, I can see you two youngsters are eager to get a jump on your date. Let me not get in your way. I'll just escort you two love-birds to the front door," Dave said, motioning them to follow. Arnold and Lila exchanged glances before following after Dave.
A few moments later, Dave was ushering them out the front door. "Well, you two take care! Be sure to be back by 10 p.m. tonight," he said cheerfully. Then, with a small frown, he spoke directly to Arnold. "Arnold, can I speak to you for a moment?" he asked.
Arnold looked to Lila, but Lila shrugged. "Uh, sure, Mr. Sawye—I mean, Dave," Arnold replied, following Dave to a corner away from Lila.
Arnold looked to Dave expectantly. He watched as Dave took a deep breath before saying what was on his mind. "Arnold, I just want to apologize for what I said earlier about your parents. I realize that it may have been a touchy subject for you, and I shouldn't have pried you about it. I hope you don't allow what I said to ruin your night with my daughter. I can tell she likes you a lot, and I believe she picked a good one," Dave said.
"It's . . . okay, Dave. You don't have to apologize. You didn't know. You just . . . you just caught me off guard is all. But I appreciate you making sure that I was alright," Arnold replied.
Dave smiled, nodding. "Well, okay. You be sure to let me know if you ever need anything, Arnold," he said.
Arnold smiled. "Will do, sir," he said, before heading off with Lila towards the movies. Dave shut the door behind them.
…
"Crimeny! Where are they?! It's been a whole hour! I figured they'd be at the movies by now," Helga griped from behind a trash can right outside the theatre. Her attire consisted of a black sweater, a black wool hat, and two black streaks on both sides of her cheeks. She was just about to check her watch again when a familiar oblong-shaped head appeared before her eyes.
"Finally! They're here!" Helga exclaimed in relief. Then, her face wore a sinister smile. "Time to put phase one of Operation: Sabotage Arnold's date into motion," she said, looking to the large bucket and red toolbox beside her. She began laughing maniacally until a heavy breathing sound from behind interrupted her. Helga's fist flew backwards on instinct, smashing into the face of nerdy Brainy. He gave her a goofy grin before falling to the ground, unconscious. Helga ignored him, setting her sights back to the couple before her.
…
Arnold and Lila were waiting in line to get movie tickets. Arnold glanced off to the side and saw movie posters lined up against the wall. He looked to the particularly scary poster with blood splatter in the background beside the "Enchanted Bunnies II" poster. He tapped on Lila's shoulder, causing her to turn around and look at him. "Hey Lila? Are you sure you still want to see, 'Enchanted Bunnies II?' Because 'Evil Twin III' is showing here too as a new release, and I've heard it's supposed to be a pretty good movie," he said, desperately looking for an out from seeing the latter movie.
Lila smiled. "Oh yes, Arnold! I'm ever so sure. 'Enchanted Bunnies' is just my oh so favorite series, and scary movies like that give me the worst nightmares and heebie jeebies," she answered.
"Oh, um, okay. Great," he replied, forcing a smile. He groaned internally. He was forced to watch the people in front of him talk about how excited they were to be among the first to see "Evil Twin III", and how everyone is going to be talking about it later. He hid his face when he saw Harold, Stinky, and Sid five people ahead of them, asking for movie tickets to see, "Evil Twin III."
…
When he and Lila arrived at the theatre for "Enchanted Bunnies II", Arnold wasn't surprised to find the room empty. Not even little kids were present. That didn't seem to faze Lila though.
"Oh Arnold! This is ever so perfect! It's like we have our very own theatre, just for the two of us," she exclaimed.
Seeing how happy it made Lila, Arnold decided to look to the bright side of things. "Yeah, at least there won't be anyone here to bother us," he agreed.
"Want to sit in the middle row?" Lila asked.
"Yeah, that's fine," he said. The two went over to the middle row of seats and sat down. They both set down their drinks down in the cup holders beside them, and Lila held out a big bag of popcorn out to Arnold, but Arnold shook his head.
"No thanks," he said, and Lila shrugged, bringing the bag back to her lap. Soon enough, the previews starting rolling.
Arnold looked to his watch. The time showed 8:15 p.m. "Say Lila," he whispered, getting her attention. "What's the running time of this movie?" he asked.
She waved it off. "Oh, not long at all. It's only three and half hours," she said. Then, she sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize the movie would be a lot shorter than the other two movies," she noted solemnly.
At that moment, Arnold would've uttered a thousand praises under his breath, had it not been for the sinking feeling that he still had to sit through a three hour movie. Correction: a three and a half hour movie.
So instead, Arnold just smiled reassuringly and said, "It's okay, Lila. I'm sure it will be a good movie anyways."
Lila smiled in return before turning back to the previews. Arnold did the same, right as the opening credits of the movie appeared on screen.
…
In the theatre bathroom, Helga was using the wrench from the red toolbox she received from Ernie to unscrew the pipes to each of the three sinks in the room. She had just finished unscrewing the last one when the bathroom door opened, revealing a young brunette woman holding a small girl's hand. Helga froze as the two walked in and stopped to stare at her.
"Um, little girl, what are you doing?" the woman asked.
Helga looked to the wrench in her hands and then back to the confused woman standing in front of her. "What's it look like I'm doing? I'm minding my own business. How about you do the same," she huffed. With that, she picked up her toolbox and stormed out of the bathroom.
The girl and her mother looked to each other in shock when the door opened again, revealing Helga. "Oh, and I wouldn't use the sinks. They have a leak in them," she said before shutting the door again.
The young girl looked to her mother. "Mommy, who was that strange girl?" she asked.
"I'm not so sure I want to know," her mother replied.
…
Meanwhile, Helga had just walked into the only theatre room showing "Enchanted Bunnies II." In one hand, she held a large bucket. In the other, she held the red toolbox. Seeing her targets, she stealthily used the cover of the shadows as she sat in the seat behind Lila. Her actions went unnoticed by Arnold and Lila. She quietly placed the toolbox and bucket on the floor as she slunk down in her seat, carefully biding her time. As the movie played on, it wasn't long before she found herself fast asleep.
…
Arnold wasn't much better off. He closed his eyes.
"Oh Arnold, doesn't she just look ever so adorable?" Lila said, referring to the pink bunny with big blue eyes nibbling on a carrot on screen.
Arnold's eyes flew open. "Huh?" He said, not knowing what she said. "Uh, yeah, that's great, Lila . . ." He replied, tiredly.
He looked at his watch. 8:30 p.m. It had only been fifteen minutes since the movie began. He sighed deeply. 'Great, just great . . .' He thought.
Ten more minutes into the movie, Arnold couldn't take it anymore. How the film makers managed to create another movie about several magical bunnies hopping in a green meadow, Arnold would never know.
'Ugh. I don't know if I can last through this movie much longer,' He thought. He looked over to the girl next to him with her eyes glued to the screen as she emptied a fist full of popcorn into her mouth. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder, getting her attention.
"Uh, Lila? I . . . have to go to the bathroom. I'll be back soon," he whispered.
"Huh? Oh, uh, sure Arnold. Hurry back! I'm ever so sure the movie's just getting to the oh so best part," she said before turning back to the movie.
"Err, right," Arnold said before maneuvering out of the dark theatre. Helga opened her eyes just in time to see an oblong-shaped head leave the room. Lila was all alone now.
Helga shook her head awake. "Eureka! He's gone. Now's my chance," Helga whispered happily. She picked up the bucket on the ground, opening the lid to reveal over a hundred tiny ants crawling in the bucket that received from Nadine, no questions asked. As Helga watched Lila focused on the screen before her, she contemplated whether she should pour the buckets on her head. However, after some careful consideration, she decided against it as she did not want to incriminate herself. So instead, she decided on something a little less drastic. Careful not to be seen, Helga slowly dumped the ants into the bag of popcorn in Lila's lap. Then, she quickly sunk down in the seat behind Lila.
Through the cracks of the seats, Helga watched Lila's hand reach into the bag of popcorn. Suddenly, she saw Lila's hand freeze, and then a few seconds later, she heard a high-pitched scream.
"ANTS!" Lila shrieked, jumping out of her seat. She frantically tried to brush the ants off while jumping in place. She looked completely terrified, her eyes were widened and her face completely pale. Ants were crawling all over her entire body. She ran out of the room, crying.
Helga doubled over, laughing. "Too easy," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "I guess I better call Pheebs, and let her know the deets," she said, exiting out the backdoor of the theatre.
…
In the girl's bathroom, Lila had just gotten the last of the ants off. She went to the sink and viewed herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying earlier. She tried to turn on the faucet to wash her face off, but no water would come. Then, suddenly, there was a gurgling sound before water burst from one of the pipes and all over Lila's green dress, drenching her. Lila squealed in alarm, and looked back at her reflection. She looked like a drowning puppy. Tears slid down her face as she ran out of the bathroom, covering her face. She was almost to the outside doors when she bumped into Arnold, just as he was coming through them.
Lila gave a high-pitched scream in surprise. Arnold grew concerned once he got a look of Lila and her soaked clothes.
"Lila? What's going on? Why are you covered in water?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"Arnold, I just want to go home. I'm afraid I'm having an ever so bad day," she replied miserably.
"Are you okay? What happened?" he asked, still not quite understanding.
"Arnold, please," she begged, her green eyes teary as she peered up at him. "Not here. I don't want to talk about it."
He nodded. "Okay, let's go home," he agreed. Just as they were about to leave, Arnold heard Helga's voice coming from an alley.
…
"—and that's when little Miss Ray of Sunshine started freaking out and screaming, 'AHH! ANTS!' and running off like someone was chasing her. You should've seen her face, Pheebs. It was priceless. I almost wish I could've seen the look on her face when she realized that the faucets weren't working right and got drenched because of it. Man, if I would've known that pouring some ants into Lila's popcorn and unscrewing some bathroom pipes would stop little Miss Perfect right in her dainty tracks, I would've done it a long time ago!" Helga exclaimed, laughing. Helga wiped a few stray tears. "Well, I'll have to call you back, Pheebs. I think I'm going to head over to Slausen's in a little while, and grab some ice cream to celebrate," she said, hanging up. She began to walk out of the alley when she bumped into Arnold and Lila glaring back at her.
"Helga!" Arnold said.
"A-Arnold!" Helga exclaimed in surprise. "W-what are you doing here?" she asked.
"Enough, Helga. We heard everything. I can't believe you would do something like this. You want to hurt me? Fine. But you didn't have to go as far as to ruin Lila's night just to get back at me," he said.
Helga tried to explain. "Arnold, wait. You don't understand. I—"
"—that's right. I don't understand. I don't understand how I could've ever believed that you actually had a good side underneath that front of anger you always put us through. I thought there was something there. Especially when—" he paused, trying to collect himself. "—especially when I saw that shoe you had in your room," he said. Helga's eyes widened.
He continued. "I can't believe . . . —I wanted to believe . . . —I thought you were . . . —That you might've been—" he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I was wrong. The truth is, deep down, you're nothing but a bully who gets joy out of hurting others," he said.
He kept his green eyes levelled with hers. "Earlier you said you didn't want to speak to me again. Well, I guess you got what you wanted. Because I don't ever want to speak to you again," he said. "Come on, Lila. Let's get out of here." With that, he turned to leave.
Lila looked to the blonde girl standing before her and then shook her head. She left with Arnold.
Helga was left standing there alone. 'My love . . . oh, what have I done?' She thought as tears slid down her cheeks. She looked on as the couple's form slowly became smaller as they got further away. 'Come back . . . come back . . .' her mind begged. 'I'm lost without you.' Her eyes focused on the couple's hands intertwined as they moved further away until they were gone. She sat down and pulled her knees to her chest. There, in the dark alley, she wept quietly to herself.
…
Lila could tell something was amiss the moment they left Helga standing there alone in the dark alley. Arnold didn't speak the whole way back to Lila's house, even as Lila tried to lighten the mood with some of her jokes. When they reached her stoop, Lila stopped, turning around to face him. "Gosh Arnold, thank you ever so much for being my date tonight," she said, smiling. Then, her smile fell a little. "I'm ever so sorry that tonight didn't turn out the way you wanted it to with Helga. If it makes you feel any better, I bet she misses you more than anything right now," she said.
Arnold shook his head. "It's okay, Lila. You don't have to apologize or defend her. What Helga did back there was way out-of-line," he said. Then, he said a little glumly. "I can't believe I ever considered her a friend."
Lila frowned, observing him carefully for a moment before a broad smile appeared on her face. "Arnold, do you want me to let you in on a little secret?" she asked.
He looked up in surprise. "Huh? Uh, sure, Lila. What is it?" he asked.
She gave him a sly look. "I know you still like her," she whispered quietly.
At that, Arnold's green eyes widened, causing Lila to giggle. "I'm not blind, you know. I notice things, and when you look at her, I can definitely tell that something's there."
Arnold waved his hands. "That's not true! I—"
"Arnold," Lila cut in. "I can tell you're lying."
That stopped him.
"Arnold, I'm ever so certain that you should forgive Helga. I forgive her. I don't think she was doing this to be mean. I mean, don't get me wrong. It was mean, just ever so mean, but I don't think she meant it that way. I think she was just trying to do what she felt would allow her to become closer to you, and that I was kind of in the way of that," Lila said, a little quietly on the last part.
"Lila, you saw what happened. I'm not going to let her think that she can just push anyone she wants around without there being any consequences," he responded.
"Then show her another way," she replied.
"It's not that easy. Helga never listens to anything I say," he explained.
"Then make her listen," Lila answered. "Arnold, I'm ever so sure you have more power over her than you realize. She trusts you, and now you have to trust yourself enough to give her a chance. Can you do that?"
He looked away. "I'm not sure I can," he said.
Following those words, Lila moved closer to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. "You're Arnold. Of course you can," she whispered before she headed for the door.
Arnold placed a hand on the cheek where Lila kissed him. He watched Lila walk up the stairs and open her door, his thoughts swirling on what he would say to Helga.
Lila turned back towards Arnold from the doorway, giving him a broad smile. She waved to him. "Bye Arnold! Thank you just ever so much for our wonderful date!" she exclaimed and then closed the door behind her.
"Yeah . . . bye . . . Lila . . ." he said quietly. Then, he turned around and headed for the Boarding House.
…
Helga quietly opened the door to the Boarding House, ignoring the cats, dogs, hens, and pigs that shot past her.
"Baby sis, where have you been? We're about to show Bennington college's award-winning film, Carmen," Olga called out from the living room.
Helga kept her head down, saying nothing as she headed for the stairs.
" . . . Baby sis?" she heard her sister ask from behind her once she reached the stairs.
Helga ascended the stairs, not saying a word.
"Baby sis?! What's wrong? Did you want to talk about it?" Olga asked.
When Helga wouldn't stop climbing, Olga marched up the stairs after her, catching her arm.
"Helga, are you—"
"Leave me alone," Helga cut in.
"Huh?" Olga said in surprise.
"I said, 'LEAVE ME ALONE!' I don't want to talk about it. Stop butting into my business!" Helga shouted, yanking her arm out of her sister's grasp and bounding up the stairs.
"Baby sis!" Olga cried helplessly after her.
…
Half an hour later, Helga heard a knocking on the door. She was currently lying on the red sofa in Arnold's room, absentmindedly writing in a notebook her sister bought her while Olga was at the mall. Her hand stopped writing, her eyes glaring at the door.
"Go away, Olga! I already told you that I just want to be alone," Helga called out.
"Err, no. Actually, it's me, Arnold," came Arnold's sheepish voice from behind the door.
She froze. "ARNOLD?!" she exclaimed before jumping up and running to the door. She opened it, revealing a blonde boy wearing a sheepish smile.
"W-what are you doing here?" she asked.
He raised an eyebrow. "Well, this is kind of my room," he answered.
"Oh," Helga said, an embarrassed blush reaching her cheeks. "Right. I was just leaving," she said, walking back to the sofa. With that, she began to pack her things.
Meanwhile, Arnold tried to make conversation. "So," he started. "Everyone says that they tried coming up here, but you didn't want to be disturbed?" he asked.
"Yep," Helga said, not looking up.
It was silent for a few moments before Arnold caught sight of a pink notebook lying open on the red couch. "So . . . your sister get that for you?" he asked.
Helga stopped, looking to what he was referring to. "What? Oh this? Yeah, she got it for me alright. Lovable oaf," she responded.
"Oh . . . good," he replied awkwardly. "Have you been writing in it?"
"What? Me? Writing?" she asked in shock. "Uh, no. This is just- . . . just a drawing heh heh." She chuckled nervously. The last thing she wanted him to know was that she had been writing about him.
He arched a brow. "A drawing with words?" he asked in disbelief.
Helga rubbed her neck sheepishly. "Uh, yeah, I just wanted to—oh, what's the use? You caught me. I am writing something. Call it a temporary escape," she answered honestly.
Arnold's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow, Helga. I didn't know you write.
"Yeah, well . . . you're the only one who has to know," she replied, returning to her packing.
"Can I see what you've written?" he asked, out of curiosity.
Helga stopped. "I . . . don't think that's a good idea. It's a bit . . . personal," she said, looking off to the side.
"Oh," he said in disappointment. "Well, how about I—"
"Arnold," Helga cut in, standing up to face him. "Not to ruin whatever this is, but why exactly are you talking to me?" she asked, catching him off guard. "I-I thought you hated me," she added quietly.
He took a deep breath. "I don't hate you, Helga. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that earlier. I was just hurt and . . . and angry because I thought we were finally getting along and becoming good friends," he said honestly. Then, his eyes narrowed. "But then you go and sabotage the only chance I ever had to become better friends with Lila. I don't get it. What did I ever do to make you so angry at me?!" When Helga's face gave a sad look, he took another deep breath to calm himself. "Again, sorry for getting so angry earlier. That's usually not like me," he said.
"But you had every right to be angry. After all, I did ruin your date with Lila," she argued.
He furrowed his eyebrows, catching her accusation. "Helga, stop saying it was a date. I already told you it wasn't. I thought you trusted me," he said.
Helga said nothing, looking away.
"I guess I thought wrong then," he answered quietly.
"You didn't," Helga said suddenly, causing him to look up in surprise. "I do trust you, but it's just . . . when you seemed so happy to be hanging out with Lila, I-I got scared and . . . I guess I just reacted the best way I knew how." She looked away, her cheeks becoming red.
At this revelation, Arnold's face held a look of surprise, before he shook his head, smiling. "Helga, you have nothing to be jealous about. I have no feelings for Lila whatsoever. We're just friends," he said with a chuckle.
Helga looked like she had the air punched out of her. "J-Jealous? W-Who said anything about me being jealous, Football Head?!" she argued.
Arnold grinned. "You know," he interjected. "Come to think of it, if you did like-like me that would explain a lot of things."
Helga blushed, flabbergasted. "I-I . . . don't be stupid. Why would someone like me like-like someone like you?" she asked.
"You're right. It would be pretty surprising," he agreed. "But maybe some surprises aren't so bad. Like the time you surprised me when I heard you gifted your snow boots to Mr. Bailey's daughter last Christmas."
Helga gasped. "W-Who told you?" she asked.
"Mr. Bailey," Arnold casually stated. "He left a message saying that he wanted to thank a certain Helga G. Pataki for those boots you gifted to his daughter last Christmas." Then, he smiled. "Thanks, Helga."
"W-What are you thanking me for?" she argued. 'He doesn't know the truth, does he?' she thought.
"You may not have realized this, Helga, but you didn't just help Mr. Bailey's daughter that day. You see, Gerald and I were looking everywhere for those boots so that Mr. Bailey would give us the information to find Mr. Hyunh's long-lost daughter. But we couldn't find any boots that were still in stock because they were so popular. Because you gifted those boots to Mr. Bailey's daughter, he was willing to help us find Mr. Hyunh's daughter. So thank you. For helping us," he explained with a smile.
"Don't be, uh, silly, Football Head. Why would I want to help you? I was just, uh . . . doing some community service. Yeah, that's it! Community service heh, heh . . . Whoo! Is it getting hot in here?" Helga said, tugging on the collar of her shirt. She started backing away from him slowly. "Maybe I'll just turn on the A/C downstairs and—"
She was already in the middle of turning the doorknob to Arnold's room when she felt a warm hand grab her arm firmly. Hesitantly, she turned around to face Arnold.
He was not amused.
"Geez, uh, what's the big idea stopping me like that, Football Head heh, heh?" She asked, nervously. She tried to make her anger sound convincing, but she was failing miserably and he could tell.
She froze when Arnold frowned and shook his head disapprovingly.
"Helga, first of all, the thermostat's over there." He said, gesturing to the wall right beside her.
"Oh! Uh, heh, heh, is that, uh, so?" Helga responded, visibly flustered. 'Crimeny, I was hoping he wouldn't notice. Now how am I supposed to get out of this? Okay, relax Helga, old girl. Think. Maybe there's a chance that you can convince him that this isn't real. Yeah, that'll work. After all, he's still the same dense Football Head we all know and love, right?'
Her thoughts ceased when she heard Arnold's voice again.
"Yeah . . . it's always been there," he started casually. Then, he narrowed his eyes at her. "But you knew that already, didn't you, Helga? Or should I say . . . Cecile?"
Helga's heart stopped. 'He knew about that too? But how? I . . . .'
Her eyes widened in realization.
'My shoe! He must've found it!'
Helga's reactions only confirmed Arnold's suspicions. 'I knew it! So it really was her after all!' He thought with a smug smile.
Helga felt like she was backed into a corner. What the heck was she supposed to say to that? She racked her brain for any plausible response she could give Arnold—anything at all.
"I . . . uh . . . ." Helga started, looking anywhere, but his deep sea-green eyes.
"You . . . ." Arnold prompted, very amused.
Fire instantly returned to Helga's blue eyes. 'He's actually enjoying this! Why, the nerve of that little . . . .' She yanked her hand out of his grasp, surprising Arnold.
"So . . . so what, Arnoldo? You gonna sue me for happening to have some of the same shoes as that little girl pal of yours?" Helga responded triumphantly. "So, we shop at the same shoe store. Big deal. It's not as if her shoes were the only kind in the world. So enough with the game of 20 questions already. Sheesh, what is this? The Spanish Inquisition?" She finished firmly.
Inwardly though, she was congratulating herself over and over again for being able to come up with some sort of reasonable answer for him. 'Huh. Showed him…no one traps Helga G. Pataki and gets away with it, bucko.'
Arnold blinked. He certainly wasn't expecting that response out of her. But she did have a point. Who was he to assume that Helga and Cecile were the same person just based on the fact that they wore the same shoes? It was a popular brand of shoes, after all. There had to have been at least a million other pairs out there. But still . . . something was bugging him. When Helga's family came to live with him and the boarders, Helga had only one shoe in her possession—just like the one he kept in his possession. He looked up at her with renewed confidence.
"I see . . . then if you don't mind my asking, what happened to your other shoe, Helga?" he asked curiously.
Now, it was Helga's turn to blink. She certainly hadn't expected that response out of him. She averted her eyes to avoid his green.
"I . . . uh . . . well, you see . . . I . . . lost it." She answered lamely. Hey, at least it was something.
She slowly returned her eyes to his face to see his reaction. Oddly enough, he actually seemed to be really mulling over her response. Then, he gave her his half-lidded smile.
"Interesting . . . what a coincidence that Cecile lost her other shoe as well," he returned casually, his eyes still on hers.
"Um . . . yeah, coincidence heh, heh…" She answered nervously. She froze when she heard him continue.
"And . . . come to think of it, on that night that Cecile and I had our date, she wore the same bow and the same dress. . . ."
Now, Helga was really flustered. "W-weird, huh? You think maybe she was some kind of stalker heh, heh?" She asked, smiling sheepishly.
Arnold grinned at that. "You could say that . . ." He said, recalling a certain incident where a girl confessed her feelings to him on top of the FTi building. He could still remember how shocked he was upon hearing that particular revelation.
Helga gulped, recalling the same incident. She did not like where this was going.
He continued.
"Yeah . . . and it's also weird how she had the same sweet voice and . . . radiant blue eyes and. . ." he said in his sultry voice. He took a step towards her, causing Helga's eyes to go wide.
'Wha—? What did he just say?' she thought.
He was looking at her with that same love-sick smile he gave all the other girls he liked-liked in the past. Part of her wanted to swoon right there and faint from absolute euphoria at what was happening, but the other more reasonable part of her knew that this was not a good place for her to be in. He was coming dangerously close to discovering Cecile's identity. She took a step back in utter panic, but in doing so, she tripped over some science books that were still lying around on the floor. Consequently, one of her pigtails had come loose during the fall.
"Oof!" She said. "Oh Crimeny! What next?!" She complained, referring to her aching backside.
Out of habit, she looked up to find Arnold's widened green eyes staring back down at her disbelievingly.
"Cecile! It is you! Helga, I knew it! You're Cecile!" He exclaimed.
For a moment, Helga could only look on in shock, wondering what the heck he was referring to. That is, until her eyes followed his line of vision to her hair. Eyes widened, she immediately reached for her hair tie and began frantically trying to re-do her pigtail until a warm hand grabbed her wrist causing her to cease her actions. She looked up at him with a frightened look on her face, but Arnold smiled at her reassuringly.
"Helga . . . it's okay. I'm not angry," he said in as soft as tone as he could muster.
His soothing voice seemed to calm her a bit and she allowed him to heave her up to his standing position.
"So, uh, I guess the jig is up, huh?" he heard her voice quietly. Arnold watched as Helga's blue eyes searched his nervously. He never saw her so shy like this. It was actually kind of…cute.
"But . . . um . . . just so we're clear. You wouldn't believe me if I told you that I'm Cecile's twin sister, right?" She asked hesitantly.
Arnold shook his head, grinning.
"Or a distant cousin?"
He shook his head again.
"Or was abducted by aliens and replaced by a clone named Cecile who happened to know that you were having a date with another girl named Cecile that night?"
He raised an eyebrow. Okay, now he was amused. Where in the world did she come up with that one?
After receiving a look from her beloved, Helga crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, blushing.
"Hey! It could happen!" She protested.
At that, Arnold chuckled warmly to himself, trying to stifle his laughter, yet failing miserably. He burst out laughing. He couldn't help himself. It was just too funny. Was she being serious with that last one?
Seeing Arnold's change in attitude, Helga just wore a blank expression. 'He's . . . laughing? At least it's better than him glaring at me, but still . . . what the heck is he laughing at?' She couldn't help, but feel a little offended. Was he laughing . . . at her?
"Hey, what the heck is so funny, paste-for-brains?" She asked, angrily.
Arnold had to take a moment to control his laughter. "H-Helga, I'm sorry, but…" he paused to wipe a tear from his eye, chuckling lightly. "Abducted by aliens? Really?"
"Hey, you'll thank me that you were prepared for when it really happens." She said, rolling her eyes.
Arnold just shook his head, smiling. She really did have quite an imagination, didn't she?
"And I thought I was the dreamer," Arnold chuckled.
"Okay, you know what? You can be the first one they abduct. See if I care." She said with a 'hmph'.
"Whatever you say, Helga," he said with a half-lidded smile.
"Darn right, Football Head. Whatever I say." She said, grinning.
For a moment, they both stared into each other's eyes, enjoying this uninterrupted moment together. Slowly, they both leaned in close to each other.
And closer.
And closer until their faces were just a few inches apart.
When . . . the door to Arnold's room suddenly swung open.
"Hey there, Shortman. I was just popping in to see if you and your friend here wanted any of the cookies that Pookie made and—" he paused at the sight in front of him. Arnold and Helga were now looking away from each other, both with deep blushes on their faces.
"Oh ho! A real ladies man, aren't we Arnold?" Phil chuckled. "Well . . . I'll just leave these cookies right here, in case you two want any. But I guess you two would prefer to be alone right now, so I'll leave. Have fun, you two. But not too much fun, if you know what I mean heh, heh. I'm such a wily old coot." Phil said as he closed the door behind him.
Back in Arnold's room, Arnold and Helga just remained silent for a moment, still in the same position that Arnold's grandfather left them. Finally, Helga voiced what they were both thinking.
"So . . . uh . . . w-what just happened?" She asked, nervously.
Arnold wasn't much better off. "I . . . uh . . . really . . . don't know. I think we just got, uh, a little carried away." He said.
"H-heat of the moment?" She offered.
"Uh . . . yeah, heh, heh . . . heat of the moment . . ." Arnold said, absentmindedly. 'I . . . almost kissed her.' Arnold thought in disbelief. 'I almost kissed . . . Helga G. Pataki.'
"Um . . . Arnold?"
Helga's voice suddenly broke his thoughts. She was blushing furiously.
Arnold looked to Helga, smiling nervously.
"Uh . . . y-yes, Helga?" He replied.
"Your hand . . . it's, uh . . . still holding mine heh heh . . ." 'I know, I know . . . I should probably be enjoying this, but Crimeny, does he even KNOW what this is doing to me? If he doesn't remove his hand right now, I'm seriously going to lose it…'
Realizing the issue, Arnold quickly removed his hand. "Oh! Uh . . . sorry, Helga." He said, rubbing the back of his head with one of his hands sheepishly. His entire face was now a deep shade of red.
"Oh, um . . . don't . . . don't mention it, uh, Football Head heh heh." She responded, equally flustered.
Arnold checked his watch. The time showed 10:30 p.m. "So, uh, it's getting pretty late. We should probably be getting to bed about now," he said, looking to Helga.
"Yeah, especially since we've got to listen to Simmons drone on tomorrow about that science project due next week," she agreed.
Helga headed over to the red sofa and laid down on it while Arnold headed to his own bed.
"Night, Helga," he said.
"Night, Football Head," Helga returned the sentiment, pulling the covers closer to her.
Arnold reached over to turn out the lights.
"Hey . . . Arnold?" Helga's voice asked quietly.
Arnold looked over at her. "Yes, Helga? What is it?" he asked.
She blushed. "Did you really mean what you said earlier? About how you think you like-like the girl who wrote in the pink diary?"
Arnold froze, remembering saying something similar to that. He gulped, blushing. "Helga . . . that wasn't . . . that wasn't your diary, was i—?"
"Goodnight!" Helga's voice quickly cut in as she yanked the covers over her head.
Arnold sighed. 'I guess she'll tell me in her own time,' he thought. Then, he smiled, reflecting on the day's events. He reached over, turned out the lights, and settled into the covers. He closed his eyes. Perhaps it was worth the wait.
When Helga didn't hear anything else, she opened her eyes, thinking about what just occurred. 'Stupid, stupid me! Arnold was so close to finding out that the owner of the diary was me, and I had to blow it by chickening out! I mean, what am I, a coward?' She , she sighed. 'It's just . . . I'm not sure I'm ready for things to change yet. And besides, even if Arnold did like-like me, he still wouldn't be head-over-heels in love with me like I am with him. And what if he were to decide I wasn't the right one for him? It would break me. Nuh-uh. There's NO way I'm going to let Arnold find out that I'm the diary's owner, and that's final.' With that, she closed her eyes and became one with the darkness.
Author's Notes:
Hmm . . . it looks like Helga's having doubts about pursuing a potential relationship with Arnold. Hopefully, Arnold, with the help of Phoebe's little science experiment, can help ease those doubts in the next chapter. Stay tuned for chapter 4!
And as always, reviews are greatly appreciated! Until next time . . . cheers!