Burn-a-dark-soul, you are correct there.
Hello Guest reviewer
Getting over his illness Sunday, Brainy came to school still feeling a bit weak, but not the worse for wear. Going down the hallways he was greeted by, Eugene and Sheena, as he passed by. Some of his other friends were milling around further up the hall, and still no, Arnold, Helga, or even Lila in view. Heading over to his locker, he opened it to grab some books when he caught the familiar scent.
"Hello, Brainy. How ever are you doing now?" Lila inquired sweetly.
Closing his locker, he smiled softly in her direction noticing how she was holding the book more predominately up in front of her stomach now. He also noted that there was something behind her eyes. "I'm fine now. What about you?"
"Oh... I hate being sick in the morning." Looking down sadly, Lila felt his hand on her arm as he gently guided her outside, and away from everyone. "Brainy?"
"I hear morning sickness is a pain, but there is something else going on. You didn't call me all this weekend so I want to know." Being a good observer, Brainy saw she was fighting hard to hide something. "Please talk to me, Lila."
"I... Uh... Kissed, Arnold."
Brainy watched as tears fell down her face as she told him that, Helga saw the kiss. Said that her hormones were going off and he just happened to be there. Hearing, Helga running off upset, Brainy frowned. "You. Kissed. Him." He repeated slowly. From the side, he watched, Arnold and Helga walking hand in hand towards school from the student parking lot.
"He didn't accept my apology and I have no idea how, Helga feels." Face now red from embarrassment, she had the urge to go home. "I'm sorry, Brainy."
He was actually a forgiving person naturally, but this is the first time he had no clue what to say. "If Stinky or any of our other male friends came up to you instead of, Arnold, would you of kissed them?"
Lila nodded her head meekly. "I believe so. I hold no attraction to, Arnold since I do see him like a brother."
"Lila, do you understand how this just now feels completely..." He let it linger in the air. "You see him as your brother and yet you..."
Covering her eyes over in shame, she continued to cry. "I'm a horrible, horrible person, Brainy."
"You made a mistake that I hope you never repeat." Taking a deep breath, Brainy took her hand. "I can't lie here, but even I'm hurt too. You just need to see if, Helga comes up to you to talk about this."
"Why can't I go up to her to apologize?" Lila was confused.
Brainy considered getting into a huge monolouge with her, but made it simple. "In this situation, Helga must speak since you did kiss her boyfriend. She needs to wrap her mind around speaking to you first before you talk."
"Alright, Brainy, I'll listen." Kissing his lips, she wondered if he will outright reject her now. "I really am truly sorry, Brainy. I swear I will never repeat that."
"Hope not since I've gotten pretty attached to you." Turning himself back towards the building, he began walking with her beside him.
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During lunch, Helga located, Lila sitting down against the side of the building. Watching her eat in a dejected manner, Helga pursed her mouth while she approached her. For Lila, she heard the sounds of footsteps come towards her filling her with dread when she slowly looked up to see, Helga's serious expression.
"You betrayed me, Lila." While her voice was soft so as not to carry far, Helga couldn't help the stern quality added to it. "You could of controlled yourself, but you had to do that. Why him? You know how this hurts me? Almost hurt us?"
"I know, Helga, and I'm deeply sorry. After all you have done for me."
Hearing her whimper, Helga wasn't about to forgive her so soon. "Perhaps, Brainy forgave you, and that is him since he is naturally forgiving, but seriously... Why Arnold? I thought you didn't have any feelings for him. Thought of him like kin." She was about to add something to that last remark, but it really was bordering on something she didn't care to think about.
Standing up slowly, Lila was now feeling the bit of extra weight on her now. Now on her feet, she explained what led up to her being out there. "I'm not at all attracted to, Arnold. I just like him as a friend. I know it is hard to believe, but it is true." She started off in saying. "I was starting to feel... That emotion. The emotion I feel strongly with when I'm around, Brainy." She smiled softly at the last memory of them together before continuing. "Well when he couldn't make it, I thought I could do it seeing that I truly felt that strong around him alone. Anyhow, as I was going along, I found myself attracted to many of the males in there. This includes that male coach."
Helga cringed at that thought. "Go on, and ew."
"It gets worse. The second I looked at, Sid in that way, and to have him come over and hit on me... Well I thought it best to go outside to cool off." She started to fumble around with herself getting embarrassed. "Helga, it wasn't helping, and I was afraid to go back inside. I thought to even rush to the bathroom to... You know."
Helga didn't wish to think about it, but she knew what she meant.
Appreciating that she wasn't commenting on that salacious possibility, Lila kept on. "Well as I was feeling that way, I heard Arnold come up. I remember vaguely his scared expression and how he backed away, but I was so heavily into the moment that well... That is when you saw me forcing a kiss on him."
"Lila, I'm hoping this passes soon, because if not, I'm locking you and Brainy away in a motel for 24 hours." Helga looked at her tiny belly now. "I'm still hesitant with you. Especially around, Arnold, but for now I will take this a day at a time for now."
"Helga, I swear I will never do that again. I swear. Please believe me." She begged.
Watching, Brainy approach, Helga waited till he was closer so she can continue to speak. "Perhaps I'll just do it for this weekend to you both."
"What's that?" Brainy wondered as he looked between the two girls.
"She wants to lock us up in a motel for 24 hours until I'm over this feeling." Lila replied softly as she blushed about the idea of them behind closed doors again.
Smiling shyly at the thought, Brainy couldn't help his own thoughts even as, Helga dismissed herself. Scanning all around him for anyone else, he approached, Lila. "Well it isn't such a bad idea."
Lila's eyes grew till she slowly shut them at the feeling of pressure against her lips. Wrapping her arms around him, she couldn't help the smile that started to grow on her face.
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The store manager allowed, Helga to stick around, and wait for Arnold in the back while he finished up instead of letting her wait alone in the truck. Helga had to admire watching him work, he was so serious about what he was doing. The only time she pouted was when he was out of view making her pull out her pink journal to write in it.
For Arnold, he loved to occasionally glance over his shoulder to find her writing. He loved the dedication she poured into her poetry. Loved how dedicated she was to it. She always wrote so furiously while her penmanship was always flawless looking. She had let him read some of her older journals and he remembered the first time he read them, he was flabbergasted at how many were dedicated to him. Even ones where she was completely gone from, Hillwood. He remembered their little conversation.
"Even after you left here, you still wrote about me. Why?" He asked in wonderment as he continued looking at the poems.
Helga was naturally shy at his statement as she suddenly laid down on his bed, curling up in embarrassment. "What can I say? You made the biggest impression on me."
"These are love poems. Most of us weren't able to write and here you are writing words out that could make a college bound kid's brain swell up and explode." He argued gently. "You are incredibly smart, Ms. Pataki."
"Thanks." She was now hiding her face partially.
Arnold could see that her face was completely red now. "Also very mature too. I did think you were cute, and I felt bad for you because I thought it strange you came to school on your own with no parents."
"What can I say, Arnold? You know my family history by now." Her tone of voice changed from embarrassment to that of resentment.
Putting the journal aside, Arnold had to get her out of this tightly curled up look. "I love you for all of this, Helga." Making sure to uncurl her from her tiny little prison right now, Arnold managed to lift her up to place on his lap. "I'm happy you came back here to live so we can both have a second chance."
"I'm happy too in spite of some obstacles. Though I think you are saying this simply to see me naked one day." She teased.
"Well that is a bonus. Well one of them it will be." Feeling shy all of a sudden, Arnold lifted her off the bed with him carrying her. "Alright, dinner is almost ready, and I believe I'll carry you down today."
Laughing at the thought of all the boarders seeing them like this, Helga tried to get herself down from him, but he wasn't budging on his hold. "Everyone will see. No don't."
"Nope. Sorry, it won't happen. Now let's go down, my lady."
Arnold smiled at the memory, remembering how they both went downstairs to find his own father carrying around his mom around in a similar fashion. Yes, he was a lot like his parents.
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Brainy was doing his typical late night walking. He had a decent time with, Lila, where he left smiling after the last kiss she gave him good night. They had a couple of stumbles in this possible strange relationship of theirs, but he was growing more and more attached to her as each day passed. They already had their first sonogram of the baby. Well at least the tiny little peanut still inside of her. It was strange to know he was to be a dad. It felt strange to feel this way when he felt it would never happen in his lifetime.
True he was still young so it might of been foolish to already think this, but no girl had ever shown any interest in him. He still had a lingering fantasy over, Helga when they met briefly in pre-school. Anyone would think him strange except for, Helga herself, since she still held a fantasy over, Arnold. It was something they had in common. That and the possibility that she and Arnold may become godparents to his child, after Lila spoke about it before the incident. If they did accept, it would be nice to still have her around in his life.
Was it strange for him to still have feelings for a girl who didn't want anything more to do with him except for friendship? Probably. Lila never held any jealousy of it. He certainly wouldn't mind if she was vocal about her concerns. The only concern is to be truthful to, Stinky. Will he act negatively to her condition and her relationship with, Brainy? Brainy did suggest that it is about time he knew just because the truth always will come out. Right now she was showing just a little, so what happens when she walks around with a fuller belly? Oh I guess I ate too much pie, won't cut it.
As he was thinking about this, he found himself right across the place where, Helga use to live. It had been on the market for some time and it was obvious a person was now living in it since he could see a light inside, Helga's old room. Stepping back into the shadows, Brainy looked up towards the window to find a wormy, greasy looking guy with dark hair, a bad posture, and a dark unibrow. Seeing a glint from the street light outside, it showed that he was wearing a gold medallion against his open silk reject shirt from the 70's.
Guess new tenants really moved in. Not a lot of people wanted to live there in spite of its size. It had a bad history in the short time, Helga moved there. A death and ongoing abuse inside a home makes people wary of negative energy. Will it be passed on to them or not?