(A/N: Hello! Happy Early Holiday present! New chapter for you probably a lot earlier than you expected! Hell, it was a lot earlier than I expected but I've not slept in... not a lot since the last chapter (2 days ago) so I've had time to ponder my story during times when children are asleep... Now for the important part of this author's note that many people skip: I'd like to note a few things. First! I REALLY encourage everyone to reread this story if they forgot some stuff. No shame in it, I had to reread it myself. Second! No interaction with characters is meaningless! A lot more things have way more meaning than meets the eye ;) Third! Love you all 3 I appreciate you guys sticking with me through the... very inconsistent updates!)
With a hard swallow, Helga stared up at the door beyond the pull down stairs. Just what was Arnold doing, that very moment? The thoughts willed her legs to move and she found herself ascending to the portal to her love. Once at the top, she stopped and listened for a moment. She could hear soft music playing beyond it and could only imagine that he was relaxing on his bed or possibly at his desk.
Softly, the girl rapped at the door. Was she disturbing him? Helga closed her eyes and waited. What if he was getting dressed? What if he was doing something private? The thought made her want to run away but her feet stood planted.
"Come in." She could hear him call.
Well this is it… I'm just gonna walk on in there, ask how he's doing and be nice to him. I've been nice to him before, I can do it again. It's not that hard… I just make it hard. She thought before touching the shiny door knob. Hesitating for a second, knowing full well that she wasn't actually ready to face him, Helga forced herself to enter. This was the second time today that she had made this trip to his room so surely it was okay.
Upon entering, the girl looked left and right until she noticed he was lying on his bed with a paperback book in his hands. It was plain to see that he had probably spent the majority of his day there due to the evidence around his bed: A cup, plate and a few candy wrappers.
The moment he noticed it was her, his eyes lit up and he smiled. "Helga." He called out to her, dog earring his page and placing the book aside. "I was wondering when you were gonna come back."
She could see that he seemed to be doing better and this put her worry at ease. With some courage, Helga stepped into his room and shut the door behind her. "H-hey Football head…" She said, sounding a little unsure of herself. "How's it hanging?"
The casual air about her was refreshing to the boy. After seeing her reaction to his show of affection earlier, as well as his grandpa saying she literally ran out of the boarding house, Arnold wasn't too sure exactly how she was going to act next time he saw her. Looking down at his book, he pulled it back up and showed the cover to her. "I've just been catching up on this book I started a while ago." He replied, "I figured I'd take your advice and rest for today."
He took my advice?! Helga swooned in her mind. No! Stop it right there, Helga! We are not going to swoon! We are going to act like a normal person and have a normal conversation between normal people. Got it?! Helga squinted her eyes at the cover from a distance and noticed it wasn't one she was familiar with. "Oh ya? How's that been going for you?" She asked; slowly walking towards him but stopping about a foot from his bed.
Arnold shrugged and placed the book back down again. "Truthfully I was a little bored at first…" He said, with a nervous laugh. "Originally I had plans of going out and doing some investigating but by the time I started feeling better, I noticed the rain clouds coming and… well, here I am."
"Investigating?" Helga knew that Arnold and Gerald would sometimes go out on adventures, exploring the unknown, but usually there was some urban tale behind it or ghost story and she wasn't aware of anything new circulating around.
Knowing he had said too much, Arnold coughed and scratched the back of his hand. "Y-yeah. Nothing big." He started, unsure of what to say. He couldn't very well tell Helga that he had plans on trying to find more out about Brainy as this would probably only cause her to become annoyed. "Gerald was telling me the other day that a new record store was opening up by his house and I figured I'd go check it out." He lied. He seemed to be covering up a lot of things lately and it didn't sit well with him.
Helga crossed her arms at his response. "News to me but I suppose a chuckle head like you would be interested in those things." She looked over at his stereo system, "Smooth Jazz, huh? Personally I enjoy a more louder and angrier genre but to each their own." Although she had to admit, it was quite soothing, especially paired with the rain that was coming down above them and tapping up against his glass windowed ceiling.
Her typical response gave the boy a little smile; it was nice to see her acting like her usual self. "So where did you go earlier?" He asked curiously.
"Hung out at Phoebe's…" Helga replied nonchalantly, "You know, the usual." She continued to look over his stereo system and not look back at the boy as to keep herself level headed. The likelihood of her seeing his half lidded gaze and handsome smile and becoming goofy and weird was very high and this wasn't what she wanted. Slow and steady… you got this Helga old girl!
"Oh? And what did you do there?" Arnold asked.
"What is this, a court case? Mind your own beeswax, Arnoldo!" She snapped, immediately regretted her actions. Ugh! What is wrong with me?! Just act nice! She scolded herself in her mind.
Arnold's smile disappeared with her attitude. "Alright, sorry I asked." He said flatly; picking his book back up to continue reading.
And we already blew it! Fantastic! Helga continued to scream in her head and mentally kicked herself. She knew she came up to see him for one reason and that was to help him feel better, not worse. With a deep breath, she turned around and watched him turn his page. "S-sorry…" She said quietly, "Old habits die hard…"
"Uh huh…" Arnold replied; not looking up at her.
This caused Helga to feel further uncomfortable and knew that if she continued to not control herself, then the next thing she would have to do was leave as to avoid further conflict. "I mean it!" She said, louder than intended.
With a sly smirk, Arnold pulled his book back away from his face. "I know." He said simply, causing her to give him another little blush. "But you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." It only seemed fair as he wasn't completely telling her the truth either, and besides, he knew she liked her privacy.
With a huff, Helga walked over to him and let her body drop next to him on his bed. She could tell that he was teasing her and she didn't appreciate it. "Yeah whatever, Football head. Not like I wanted to tell you anyway…" and with that, pulled the book away from him. "And it's rude to read when you have company."
Arnold scowled. "I was reading that before you showed up unannounced, Helga." He explained, attempting to take it out of her reach but failing as she kept pulling it further and further from his grasps. Eventually he gave up. "Did you just come up here to bug me, or did you need something?"
His words caused a sharp pain to shoot through her, but she also knew that she deserved it since she was purposely bothering him to keep her feelings intact. Although, the thought caused her to wonder: Why would he love me if I bothered him all the time? Sure, I've done a bunch of other things in the past that he appreciates but… who could really love their tormentor? The thought caused a mix of emotions but she put them aside. "I came up here to see how you were doing." She replied, truthfully. "And it seems you're doing fine now."
"Grandpa gave me some painkillers." Arnold said with a shrug. "After taking those and getting some food in my stomach, things started to get better." He eyed Helga, waiting for her to drop her guard and then quickly snatched his book from her grasp. He watched as she scowled at him and stuck his tongue out in response.
Helga rolled her eyes at his childishness but secretly enjoyed it. It was a side of him that she didn't get to see often and honestly and it only made her feel a little better about herself. Teasing isn't really tormenting… She realized; looking down at his legs. Though it is when you're young and have no idea why someone is purposely going out of their way to bother you. Deciding to give him a taste of his own medicine, Helga poked his leg to see if they still hurt and he wasn't telling her.
Naturally, Arnold pulled his leg away and gave her a sharp look. "What are you doing?" He asked suspiciously and somewhat annoyed.
"Nothing." Helga lied, attempting to poke it again but when failing, poking his other one.
"Helga! Stop it!" He cried out; now bringing his knees to his chest in hopes of getting her to stop.
"I thought they stopped hurting?" She asked; her face full of doubt. "Doesn't seem like it to me. Seems to me like you're just trying to act fine when…" but before she finished her sentence, she lurched forward and gave his shin a stab with her finger.
"Ow!" He cried out in pain.
She shook her head in disbelief. "When they still hurt."
"Well they didn't hurt until you started poking them!" He snapped, giving her an angry stare. "Yours would too if I poked them!"
"Is that a threat?" Helga narrowed her eyes at the boy, looking him up and down. "You wouldn't dare…" She challenged.
Despite wanting but to do the same to her so she could feel how he did, Arnold knew that it was not only the wrong thing to do, but it would also probably cause them to fight more. "I would…" He insisted, "But I'm not going to." Arnold watched as her hard gaze turned a little softer and gave her a smile. "Now can I put my legs back down or are you going to keep attacking me?"
Helga crossed her arms and looked away. "That all depends… Are you gonna come clean or are you gonna keep putting on this act?"
"It's like I said, Helga." Arnold furrowed his brow. "They don't hurt anymore, or rather they didn't until you started bothering them."
"Uh huh." She said, mimicking his words earlier. "Sure Arnold, I believe you."
Her voice sounded harmless and carefree and the boy knew that typically meant she was up to something. "You do?" He replied; skeptical of her motives.
"Yep." She looked back at him with a false smile. "In fact, since you're feeling so up to it, why not take a jog with me down the block? You know, since you're feeling better."
They eyed each other back in forth, jazz music humming around them and rain still pounding on his glass ceiling.
"In the rain?" Arnold was almost surprised at the suggestion, but knew she was still probably just joking.
"That's right, Football head. Have you ever heard of an umbrella or a raincoat?" She asked; eyes still full of challenge. "I'm sure you have a few of those in this dump."
"You can't be serious…" He sighed, feeling defeated. All he had wanted to do was relax, read his book and listen to music and now there was a chance he would have to run around just to prove his point. Why did he have to anyway? Why wouldn't she just believe him?
"Serious as a heart attack." Her voice was firm but calm.
With a roll of his eyes, Arnold stood up and began to walk over to his closet to find some better suited clothes for this game. "Fine."
Helga watched as he rummaged through his things and crossed her legs. Was he really going to go through with this ploy? Truthfully she had no real want for this but there was no backing down at this point. Why must I always make things difficult? She asked herself with a little pain. Why couldn't have I just come in here, had a nice conversation with him and, who knows, maybe even had a nice night but noooo. I had to open my big stupid mouth! I had to push his buttons and test him! I hate this! She imagined him jogging in the rain, his hair all wet and slicked back. She imagined the daring look in his eyes and her heart began to thump deeply in her chest. Eh, maybe it's worth it.
A loud crack of lightning flashed over head, followed by a soft rumble of thunder in the distance. Arnold poked his head out of his closet and looked at the sky. "It's getting really bad out there…"
"Chickening out?" Helga asked sternly; although still deep in fantasies of them running in the rain together.
"No." Arnold scowled, going back to his closet. "It's just a really bad idea."
Helga laughed. "Bad idea because you know I'm right."
Her voice made him angry and Arnold couldn't help but wonder where all her niceness had gone to. "Why are you acting like this?" He demanded, coming out of his closet with clothes in his hand. "You were fine this morning! Did I do something to make you mad?"
Seeing that he was serious, Helga's expression dropped and all of her delusions vanished. "No, I'm fine. It's you who's putting on a show." She insisted, her voice growing short. "Why can't you just admit when you're not okay?"
The mere question seemed like it had to be a joke. "I did!" He replied loudly, his annoyance of the situation finally wearing on his last nerve. "I admitted it this morning. If you believed me then, then why not now? Do you want me to be in pain or something?"
Another crack of lightning hit the sky and the sound of rain began to hit harder above them. His words had stirred something inside her. He's absolutely right. This is nuts! But I can't back down now… maybe I can find some way to turn this around… She thought. "N-no… I don't."
Arnold threw his change of clothes on his computer chair and walked straight to the girl with a stern look on his face. "Then why are you doing this?"
"B-because…" She started, finding words that she didn't have. Think! Think of a reason!
The blond boy frowned while she contemplated. Why does she do this? It's almost like she just finds reasons to fight with me. What's the point? What is she hiding now that she needs to act this way to cover it up? He thought as he waited patiently for her response.
BOOM!
Thunder and lightning cried out above them, causing both of the kids to lose their train of thought and look up towards the windows. The lights began to flicker around them and the music became distorted.
"Uh oh…" said Arnold as he looked around. "That's not good."
Seems like at least the weather is on my side for once… Helga thought as she seized this great opportunity to not answer his question.
"Better find the flashlights, Pookie!" Arnold's grandpa could be heard below them, as well as some of the boarders complaining about the situation. "Oh pipe down! Stop your yapping and help, for goodness sake. The boarding house isn't going to fall apart. It's held by plenty of gum and spit."
The lights continued to dim and flicker and Helga grew a little worried. "Electrical not up to code or something?"
"I don't know. This happens every thunderstorm. Grandpa said something once about not wanting the wires to be updated because if people found out about how much copper was in these walls, someone might try to break in." Arnold explained before going back to his closet. He stood up on his toes as he reached for a few flashlights that had been stored on the shelf above his clothing wrack. He managed to find two and threw the other one to his female companion. "Here, you're gonna need this."
"Geez, if this place goes up in flames next then I'll be two for two." She replied, half jokingly.
Arnold gave her a look but said nothing. The tension around them seemed to fade as they both knew something worse was probably going to happen soon. Flashes of lightning started more frequent as well as the loud booms of thunder. It was apparent that the storm was right upon them at this point.
"I don't still have to jog in that, do I?" Arnold asked, knowing full well if she cared at all for their safety that there was no way she'd still insist.
"Ohhhh!" She called out with a grin on her face. "So you are chickening out then?"
"Helga!" He couldn't believe his ears but before he could begin to protest, he heard her laugh.
"Obviously not, you idiot." Helga replied; flicking her flashlight on and off to make sure the batteries were in working order. "Have back up batteries in there too?"
The question was a good one but Arnold shook his head. "No… I'll go downstairs and grab some extra." But before he could make it to his door, the lights flashed again and completely went out. Cries of dismay were heard throughout the house, as well as Miles trying to calm people down and send them away back to their own rooms.
"These are all the batteries we have guys…" Miles voice said from below. "I'll check the circuit breaker in the basement and we'll have our power back in no time… don't worry."
"Or… not." Arnold said with a small sigh.
"Great! So now we're stuck in the dark for who knows how long!" Helga said as she let her back fall down on his mattress. She watched as the rain attempted to pour down on her and the lightning flashing in small, skinny zigzags across the sky.
Footsteps were heard and a knock on the door followed. Arnold opened it to find his mom standing there with two D batteries in hand. "How are you doing, sweetie?" She asked warmly. "I brought you these." She looked around the room. "Is Helga with you? I didn't find her in her room."
Helga raised her hand. "Present."
Stella smiled and handed the batteries to her son. "Your father is trying to fix things so hopefully we'll have our power back on soon." She informed, despite them already hearing that. "Hopefully you won't need these but keep them just in case."
"Thanks, Mom." Arnold smiled back, placing the batteries in his pocket. "Do you guys need help with anything?"
The older woman patted her son on his head and smoothed out his long blond hair. "Don't worry about us. We've been in situations much worse than this." It always warmed her to know that her son had ended up with the biggest heart imaginable. "Let the adults take care of it."
"Okay." Arnold nodded to his mother. He watched as her figure moved out of sight and could hear her walk down his noisy wooden steps. Once she was officially gone, he closed the door and frowned. Usually in times like this, he was the one taking orders from his grandparents and helping everyone out but this time he wasn't needed. This time his parents had the reins and in a way, it made the boy feel a little lonely.
The two preteens let the weather echo around them for a time, without any words. Neither knew what to do or what to say, having never been in a situation like this before.
Arnold walked back to his bed and sat next to his silent girlfriend. He looked up to see what she was so fascinated with and eventually found himself lying next to her watching the sky as well. "Pretty neat, huh?" He asked, referring to the glass window panes.
"It's not every day you get to watch as the weather tries to get to you but can't." She replied simply. "So yeah, I guess it is pretty neat." Helga had noticed that all of her annoying thoughts and feelings from earlier seemed to have simply vanished, leaving nothing but a hypnotic trance. She didn't feel the need to comfort him or have anxiety about her screwing everything up. She didn't care that he was clearly mad at her only a little while ago. All the mattered, was the ambiance of a storm above them.
Turning his head, Arnold watched as Helga became entranced in the weather. He hadn't forgotten about their fight but he also hadn't forgotten how innocent and peaceful she looked sleeping. A little guilt filled his heart as he kept the scene to himself. He wondered what she was thinking about, why she was acted so flustered that morning as well as so hostile not too long ago. Maybe it was just Helga being Helga or maybe there was something more to it. There always seemed to be something more going on with her that he couldn't see.
Seconds turned into minutes until the two felt like hours had passed between them in silence. The universe seemed to have stepped in to quell their fight and neither of them minded.
Down inside the basement of the Sunset Arms, Miles and his father were fidgeting with the switches on the circuit board.
"Just how old is this thing?" Miles asked, as he hopelessly flipped the main circuit off and on a few times.
Phil put a hand on his boney chin and rubbed. "Mmmm… definitely older than you, that's for sure. I think the last time this old thing got looked at was in the 50's."
"Dad…" Miles could tell that there were probably a lot of things that needed updating in this old house. "That's something we'll need to schedule at some point." After a few more tries, the man gave up and sighed.
"Did you suddenly win a million dollars and not let your old man know about it?" Phil asked with amusement. "This place has been run down for a long time but it's nothing a little duct tape and glue can't fix."
Knowing full well that their family didn't have the cash needed to fix any of this, Miles swallowed hard. "I guess it's time that I picked up a new job then." He knew that this time would come soon but avoided thinking about it. He wanted nothing more than to spend his time catching up with his son but summer was over and Arnold was at school most of the day anyway. Finding a nine to five job wouldn't be that bad.
"I was wondering when you'd bring that up." Phil commented as he forcefully shut the box, which bounced right back and hit him in the nose. With a little rub, he motioned for them both to go back upstairs. "I didn't want to push you or anything, son but we could use the extra income…"
"Yeah… I know." Miles frowned. "I'll start looking tomorrow. The Sunday paper usually has plenty of jobs listed in it and if not, I'll borrow Arnold's computer and search online."
"You know how to use the computer?" Phil gasped. "I barely know how to turn on a light switch!" He laughed and led them up the rickety steps and into the main floor; holding the door open for his son. "I'm genuinely surprised though. I can't figure that thing out for the life of me. Tried once while Arnold was at school but the blasted thing kept asking for a password. I used every single thing I could think of but it wouldn't let me in. Made me wonder what the boy could be hiding but then I figured he deserved his privacy and I really didn't need to look at pictures of Hedy Lemarr."
Stella greeted them as they got to the living room and handed her husband a cup of tea. "Seems like you two had no luck."
"No. Looks like the whole street is down so all we can do is wait for the power company to fix it." He replied, taking the hot cup and wincing in pain before grabbing its handle. "Did you find the kids?"
"Yeah. They're both in Arnold's room." Stella explained. "They seemed fine and already had their own flashlights. I gave them an extra pair of batteries though, just in case."
"Oh don't say that too loud or the others will hear you!" laughed Phil as he sat down in his favorite chair and leaned back. He noticed his wife wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Hey, where's Pookie?"
"Mom said something about collecting all the animals and ran off." Stella shrugged. "I really hope she wasn't serious. I didn't hear the door open at least."
Phil groaned. "Oh she probably was but we have plenty of animals here in the boarding house already. She's probably hunting them down as we speak." He could feel the concerned look of his two kids and waved his hand. "She'll be fine! A bulldozer couldn't knock that woman down. She's perfectly safe… can't say the same for the animals though!"
"You aren't worried about her falling on something in the dark?" The woman asked, grabbing her husband's hand. "I understand that she's healthy but…"
Miles squeezed his wife's hand and frowned. "Mom's not getting any younger…"
"Don't worry so much!" Phil assured them. "That woman has like a sixth sense, no, like eleven senses! She's probably the most dangerous thing in this house, in all honesty. She'll be fine! Now more importantly, did you lock the refrigerator like I asked? We don't need Oskar trying to sneak food and causing the cold to get out."
Waving the key, Stella walked over and handed it to Phil. "Already taken care of."
"Good, good." He smiled as he took the key and put it in his pocket. "Usually I have the Short man do all of this. I can't tell you how many times we've had to buy more food due to a power outage. Made all the boarders get their own fridge after that but it still doesn't stop them."
"Speaking of Arnold…" Miles started as he looked to them both. "Are you sure it's wise to leave them up there alone like that?"
Stella guided her husband to the couch and sat him down. "They'll be fine, honey. We've talked about this before. We have to be able to trust our son."
"I don't know… This isn't something as simple as trusting him not to steal or lie about something important. A lot more goes on in a boy's head than you know, Stella." He explained as he envisioned a bunch of bad outcomes. "I've had… the talk with him but…"
"Miles." She interrupted as she stroked his hand. "Let them be for now. Arnold hasn't shown any signs that we need to intervene between them and Helga doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would give in to any pressure. They may be coming of age but they're still young, dear."
"Listen to your wife, Miles. She's a smart lady." Phil chimed in. "The quickest way to get a child to not trust you is if you show no trust in them. I've told you once and I'll tell you a million times if it makes you feel better. Trust young Arnold to make the right decisions! He's never let me down so far."
"You can't tell me that a boy and a girl who are clearly involved, alone in the dark, isn't a risky mix." Miles pleaded, looking back and forth between the two adults.
"No one's saying it isn't…" Stella said; her voice a little hesitant.
"But maybe it's just the mix they both need to make decisions of their own. Growing up means facing a lot of challenges and maybe this is one of them? Who knows? Maybe we'll all learn something from this!" Phil finished. "Now one of you go in the kitchen and grab me one of them cookies that my lovely daughter in law baked!" His voice was sweet and full of confidence. "This is going to be a long night..."
The two parents looked at each other, one with a lot more doubt than the other, until Stella got up and left to fetch her elder the treat he asked for, leaving the two men alone.
"Do you really think this is a good idea, Dad?" He asked, still unwavering from his feelings.
"I'll have you know that I don't think much at all." Phil explained a matter-of-factly. "And more importantly if you don't let the boy make these choices for himself, then he may make bad choices later in life. It's much safer for him to experience these things now then, let's say, when he's 16 or so and those hormones of his are really raging!"
Miles heard his dads point but still felt unsure. Arnold was almost twelve years old and had shown them all that he had a good head on his shoulder but that didn't mean his feelings couldn't get the better of him. Hormones made a lot of things different, especially the part of the brain that makes decisions, which was still developing. Was it really okay to leave them alone?
"So what do you want to do?" Arnold asked, finally breaking their silence.
"What can we do, Arnoldo?" Helga shrugged, her eyes still locked to the weather above. "We have no power! We can't listen to music, can't watch TV, reading a book by flashlight would suck and it's too early to go to sleep…"
The boy mulled over her words. "We could play a game?" He suggested.
"Yeah? Like what?" Helga asked, turning her head to finally look at him.
"Like… uhh…" He hadn't really thought that far ahead but knew if he said that, she would probably jump down his throat. He tried to think of the times that he and Gerald had gone camping but were too awake to sleep. They had usually just chatted until they felt tired but he somehow didn't think that this was going to work in this situation. Not only did Helga not have a lot in common with him, but he wasn't even sure how to start a conversation with her. "We could play 20 questions?" He answered meekly, knowing full well that she would toss the suggestion in the can like last week's lunch.
"Hah!" She laughed out loud. "That's a good one. What are we? 6? Try again."
"I spy?" He tried.
Helga let out a loud snort. "That one's brilliant! I'll go first. I spy something dark. Oh wait, that's right, its darkness!"
"Well we could…" Still Arnold couldn't think of any solutions but relied on his experiences in camping. "Tell ghost stories?"
Helga remained silent for a moment. "Put that one on the backburner for now. Next?"
Surprised that she didn't flat out reject the idea, Arnold began to feel a little more hopeful with his suggestions. "We could just… talk?"
"Talk?" Helga questioned, her eyes lighting up. "What do you mean, just talk?"
"You know, like just talk. Get to know each other better" Arnold explained. "I'm sure there are plenty of things I don't know about you yet."
Knowing he probably still had a lot of questions for her; Helga had to think about it for a moment. Talking doesn't sound bad but what if he asks questions I don't have answers for? What if he asks things too personal and things get weird? But on the other hand, I have the chance to see his reactions in real time… which could be worth it.
"Any other suggestions?" Helga asked with a wave of her hand and plain disinterest.
Arnold scanned his room in thought of other options. "I have a deck of cards in my desk. We could play war?"
Helga sighed in irritation. "I don't feel like holding cards in one hand and a flashlight in another. A lot more trouble than what it's worth and besides, I'd cream you."
"War is more of a game of luck, Helga…" Arnold informed, "I don't think you could predict that outcome so easily."
"Well let's just talk for now then." Without a second thought, Helga knew exactly what her first question would be. "So does your legs really not hurt anymore?"
Arnold rolled his eyes at the question. "I already told you earlier that they felt fine." He explained. "But honestly, yes they do sort of hurt again. Nothing like they did in the morning, more like a dull ache now but they didn't hurt when you first showed up. Grandpa said it was growing pains and not to worry about it."
"Oh so the shrimp is finally growing, huh?" Helga amused. "It's about time. I figured I'd be towering over you forever!"
"Haha, very funny Helga." Arnold replied dully. "Now it's my turn. Why did you want to know so bad? I mean, I get that you were concerned this morning when I told you but then you pulled a complete 180 when you came back. It was almost like you wanted them to still hurt…"
Helga could hear sadness in his voice. "Of course I don't want them to hurt!" She forced out, regretting how her actions made him feel. "I….I just wanted to make sure that you weren't trying to seem better when you weren't, that's all." She began to fidget where she sat, uncomfortable with needing to explain herself. "I was worried this morning… and I figured that when I came back, you probably wouldn't tell me the truth since I kinda… ya know, freaked out and left." She knew this was only half the truth.
"Do you really think I'd lie to you about something like this?" His voice sounded genuinely surprised. "Have I ever lied to you before?"
"N-no…." Her fidgeting began to get worse. She felt like jumping out of her skin and heading for the hills.
"Then why would I lie now?" He continued. "It just makes no sense."
Helga took in a deep breath. "I don't know! Okay!" She shouted, "It's my turn anyway! You're asking too many questions!"
Arnold noticed that she was already beginning to panic and decided to let her have that. "Alright then, ask." His voice sounded harsher than intended but knew he couldn't take it back.
The girl frowned and looked back up at the windows. She allowed a few more rolls of thunder to sound off before finally speaking. "Do you like me living here with you?" Her voice sounded shy and girlish. It was something that had been gnawing at her for a while but how could she just come out and ask? Arnold was always a kind and giving person, even if he didn't want to be.
"Yeah." He said with a simple shrug. "I mean, it's sort of felt like a big sleepover, so far."
His answer surprised her. "Really?"
"Well… yeah. Gerald sleeps over all the time and I've even had a few sleep over's with all the guys from class. We usually just hang out like this so it hasn't seemed much different." He explained. "I know the situation is different but… the sentiment is sort of the same."
His answer wasn't the one she really wanted to hear. The thought of her being compared to 'one of the guys' bothered her since this wasn't the first time. Sure, she was more boyish than girlish most of the time. Okay, she got along with way more of the boys than the girls but that's just how she preferred it. "So, I'm just one of the guys then?"
"You know I didn't say that." Arnold replied, unamused. "All I'm saying is that you're welcome to stay here for as long as you like and I'm pretty sure my family feels the same way. So to answer your question, Yes Helga, I like you living here. It's nice to see you more often and frankly, you've been a lot less mean since moving in."
Her heart thumped at his explanation. It's nice seeing me more often?! Be still my beating heart! I can't believe he's not sick of me yet! Maybe Pheebs is right and I'm worried about nothing… Maybe I'm not as much of a bother as I think I am…
"Do you like living here?" Arnold continued as he made some shuffling movements which caused Helga to snap back to the present. She could only see his outlines and felt as the bed moved.
"It's better than living with Bob and Miriam so far." Helga answered plainly, holding her feelings back. "I don't hate it but I also can't say I completely love it…"
"I know it's not the best place in the world, and you probably don't feel comfortable around all these people you don't know but I'm glad to hear you don't hate it, at least…" Arnold smiled. Lightning continued to flash over their heads, illuminating the area and Arnold could see that Helga was smiling. It made him feel good to know that she was happy, despite her shortcomings but little did he know, her smile had nothing to do with what he thought it did.
Deep inside, Helga was resisting the urge to ask him more questions that she shouldn't and could possibly regret. She could feel herself becoming bolder by the second. "Yeah… I don't hate it." She breathed out, her longing for him growing as she only half paid attention to the words he said.
"That's good!" Arnold said gladly. He thought of how happy she seemed when he had touched her hand that morning before she got flustered and ran out. He could see her hand wasn't too far from his but still didn't think it was right yet to try again. There had to be a right time when he knew she wouldn't push him away.
Thunder crashed loudly around them, causing Helga to jump a little. "Geez!" She shouted at it, completely startled now. "Just how long is this storm planning on going on for?!"
"It's been a while since we've had a good thunderstorm." Arnold informed after some thought. "I'm pretty sure we were due for one." He thought about how it seemed his room was getting colder and got up. "Are you cold?" He asked attentively, heading back to his closet for the extra blankets.
Oh my thoughtful prince~ He's so selfless…. Helga cooed in her mind. Caring about me without looking for anything in return! Dare I indulge a little? Accept his offer of kindness and possibly test the waters?
"Helga?"
She heard him call her name. Shining her light towards him, she could see that he was carrying two and it didn't quite fit her fantasy but didn't seem any harm in it either. "Yeah, Sure whatever Arnold, I guess it's cold if you're thin skinned." She replied with an attitude. "But I'll accept a blanket if you're offering one."
Arnold rolled his eyes with a smile as he reached out to hand her one, their hands brushing against each other and causing him to feel just how cold her skin actually was. "Why didn't you tell me you were cold earlier?" He asked with unease.
"Because it doesn't bother me, Doi." She said as yanked it completely out of his grasp and placed it around her shoulders. "Don't worry about me, Football head. What about you? Aren't you still in pain? Why do you keep walking around?"
He looked down at his legs and shrugged. "I guess it doesn't bother me all that much either, and besides it's not like I could ask you to get blankets. You wouldn't know where they were."
Oh if he only knew… She thought at his silly statement. "Well instead of being such a gentleman, why not sit down and let me help you next time, okay?" She said; her voice lighter than normal.
Her offer surprised the boy and made him smile. "Okay. Thanks, Helga." He said as he sat back down in his previous spot. Appreciating one of the rare times that she would be nice, Arnold let himself relax next to her.
"Good. Now let's continue with our little chat, shall we?" She said with a smirk as she waited for him to get comfortable. "Unless you want to do something else…" She hinted as she eyed him, her heart throbbing with every second that passed.
"Something else?" He asked innocently, "What did you have in mind?"
"Oh… I don't know…" She lied, "If you could do anything you wanted right now, what would it be?"
The question seemed familiar and struck something in Arnolds mind. Feeling like he had heard it before, he decided to repeat it back to her. "If I could do anything right now?"
Her impatience with him not getting her hint started to fluster the girl. "Yes! Anything! Anything at all, right now. What would it be?" She said, full of frustration as she secretly crossed her fingers at her side.
Arnold placed a curled finger to his lips and contemplated the question. It was a simple enough question but at the same time, it was also putting him on the spot. Filing through his brain, he thought of various things he had wanted to do but hadn't gotten the chance. Finding out more about Brainy was first and foremost but he couldn't tell her that, listening to that new Bladverk album was another one, taking her out on another date sometime soon was also something that had been on his mind today. There were many things he wanted to do but what was a good one to tell her?
Criminy! She shouted in her mind. Do I really have to paint him a picture? How can he be so dense?! Helga huffed and looked over at his simple expression. If he takes too long to think about it, we could be here all night and not doing the things I had in mind! Helga felt her jaw clench at how stupidly naive he was and decided to give him a little push in the right direction. "Maybe something you've been wanting to do for a while but haven't had the chance?"
"I'm sorry, Helga. There is just a lot of things that I'd like to do so it's hard to name just one." He openly admitted with a frown as he turned to her. That's when he spotted her hand as it grasped the blanket he had provided. It sparked an idea into his head. I did say I should wait for the right time…
"Forget it!" She shouted; her patience finally wearing too thin to continue this game. "If it's too hard of a question, I guess I'll just have to-"
"Your hand." He interrupted, causing the girl to halt.
"Huh?"
"I've been waiting for a good time to try since you haven't been in the best mood…" He cautiously explained, reaching out with his left hand and softly caressing her exposed one. He could feel a soft blush creep across his cheeks and he looked up at her. He could see her expression was becoming flustered again but didn't back down. "Could I hold your hand?"
Helga fought the urge to melt in place as she gazed upon his cute face. Not quite what I had in mind but… baby steps are good… Slowly, she uncurled her hand from the blanket and offered it to him. "This is the one thing you want to do?" She asked in incredulity.
Her willingness to accept his selfish request made him smile. "Yeah… if it's not too much, that is." He noticed her fingers entwined with his own, and for a split moment, he felt like he was transported to another place, his blush becoming deeper and seemingly moving throughout his body. The rain above them sounded lighter and it almost seemed like what little light they did have, seemed to only shine focused only on her.
"N-no…" She stuttered, "This isn't t-to m-much…" Despite her feelings of impatience just a moment ago, Helga stared into the boys eyes and time felt like it grinded to a sudden stop, along with all her thoughts.
Arnold could feel himself getting a little light headed and giddy. Was this all from just them holding hands? The feeling was intoxicating and it seemed like they were the only two people in the world. Why is she so surprised that I would want to hold her hand? He was beginning to remember that there was a lot more things he had been wanting, but hadn't really had a chance yet. This is okay, right? Us being together like this? Arnold felt as if gravity was bringing them closer together, but did his best to resist it. His mind flash backed to the one dream of them together in the classroom. They were alone now, just like then. Was it a sign? Or was he dreaming now just like then? The boy looked down at their clasped hands, then back up at her. She doesn't seem like she hates it right now, either. He thought as he lightly caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, not breaking their gaze to make sure she wasn't sending him any sign that his show of affection was too much.
I'm not dreaming, am I? This is real? Like really real? Helga began to ask herself in disbelief as she stared into the eyes of her one true love. Are we finally going to have a passionate moment alone? One not brought on by my hysterics for once? Oh my love~ Show me that you want me like I've always wanted you. Take this longing away! I can feel my ego pulsing in my stomach! Just tell me that you need me like I need you! Pull me into your embrace! You said you'd let your actions show what I couldn't believe… now is the time to prove it!
The blanket around him suddenly felt hotter than he needed and Arnold slowly let it fall around him. It almost felt like he had a fever; his body was growing so hot. His heart urged him forward as a hunger started to overcome him once again. He felt like he was missing something and Helga was withholding it from him. Why do I feel this way? He wondered as he let his body move on its own, inching closer to her. Why were her features suddenly so clear? He could see how wide her eyes were as he got closer. Was she afraid? Was it wrong for him to give in to this feeling? Arnold thought back to the abandoned studio; it was dark there as well. How long had it been since they were alone like this? It seemed like ages. She would stop me if she didn't want to, right? He asked himself, bringing his right hand up and placing it against the wall behind her; his fingers pressing into the little grooves that made the makeshift stairs up to his skylight.
Feeling like her heart was going to explode; Helga could feel herself becoming nervous. There's that expression again… What should I do? What if he regrets it?! Backing up, Helga could feel her head hit the wall behind her, just inches from his hand. "I- I thought all you wanted was to hold my hand?" She breathed out in a challenging voice; excitement welling up within her. Her heart was beating so loud, could he hear it?
Her words reached him but didn't stop his slow advancement. "I… did." He replied quietly.
"Then… what are you doing?" She quietly asked; swallowing hard.
"I'm… I'm not sure."He admitted, now centimeters away from her. His veins were surging with something he had never felt before. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore. "Is… this wrong?" He whispered.
His sultry voice so quiet yet so close to her it caused a shiver to go up the girl's spine. The hesitations and anticipation was driving her insane. "O-only if… you think so." She whispered back and closed her eyes.
Feeling like he had given her plenty time to stop him; Arnold took her response and decided it was all he needed. Letting his urges finally take over, he closed the gap between them and kissed her deeply. He could feel her gasp beneath him but he didn't mind. The thunder behind them sounded so quiet, was it even real? Or was that their hearts beating so loudly? Was any of this real? He could feel her lips quiver under his own and he backed away and looked into her eyes. What was this feeling and why was it so good?
Helga trembled and opened her eyes. It had finally happened but it didn't feel like enough. "Geez… It only took you long enough." She hissed at him quietly. Taking her only free hand, she grabbed him and pulled him down closer and took his breath away for her own, but this time she wasn't going to let go until she was ready.
Arnold felt like he was losing this battle and pulled himself above her to gain more leverage, not wanting to break their union apart. He knew he should probably stop, but he couldn't. Forces he couldn't control were pulling his strings as if he was a puppet to its mercy. This… is incredible… He thought as he let go of her hand and placed it behind her waist to control the situation. Feeling as if he were to let go, she might escape him and end all of this. He heard as she made an interesting noise as he pulled her body closer to his and it only made him want more. I have to stop… He told himself, but… I can't… Why? I've lost my mind… I have to take control back… Arnold felt his body resist his mind but he knew this had gone further than he wanted.
Oh joy~ Oh Rapture~ Helga moaned in her mind as all her girlhood dreams were finally coming true. Bringing both of her hands up behind him, she ran her fingers through his thick blond hair and back down from his neck to his back.
Her acts sent electricity to course through the young man and he knew that this had to stop right now or else things would definitely go too far. With much regret, he forced his body to listen to reason and he broke apart from her.
Helga opened her eyes and looked at him with a questioning lustful look. "What's wrong?" She asked once she got her breath back.
"We… have to stop." He said between breaths. He watched as her expression changed to something which seemed sort of angry. "I'm… sorry."
Filling her heart with dismay, Helga didn't know what to say. Did she do something wrong? She searched his eyes for a better answer but when she didn't get one, she knew she had to ask herself. "Why?"
Arnold swallowed and pulled himself fully away from her grasp and sat up. Taking his right hand, he put it up against his forehead, closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He listened to all the noises around them and noticed that the rain had let up and the storm was passing. Just how long had it went on for? It seemed like hours but Arnold had to be sure. Anxiety caused him to lean over and grab his alarm clock to look at the time. Only an hour had passed since the lights had gone out. With a sigh of relief, he knew he was safe from the possibility of his family becoming suspicious from how quiet they probably were.
"Arnold?" Helga asked, growing worried. "Did… I do something?"
With a shake of his head, he looked back at her and smiled. "No. Not at all." He then smiled brightly to reassure her. "It's was just… getting a little intense…" He admitted with a blush.
The moon was finally coming out from behind the dark rain clouds that loomed overhead and its light shun on them both. He noticed how beautiful she looked just then and a calm sensation overtook him, causing all the electricity he was feeling to subside.
Wanting to ask more questions, Helga opened her mouth but closed it immediately after. She saw how the moonlight shone on his brilliantly blond hair and caused his emerald green eyes to glow. There was no use in protesting, she knew he was right. "I guess asking for more would be… sorta greedy, huh?" She asked, a small laugh emerging from behind her words.
Her laugh became contagious and Arnold found himself mimicking it wholeheartedly. "Yeah…" He rested his back against his shelves and looked up at the sky as it started to clear up. The power was still off but it wasn't a problem anymore. His eyes had fully adjusted and could see everything so clearly now.
Feeling a little self conscious and awkward, Helga began to fidget in her spot. "It…wasn't bad, was it?" She asked nervously. "With me… I mean."
Arnold looked over at the shy girl from the corner of his eye and laughed. He saw how it startled her and he grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Why would you think that?"
"I don't know…" She scowled and looked away. Why do I feel so embarrassed now? I felt fine before… Things didn't seem to make sense to her and doubts started to fill her head again. Maybe it was her, maybe it was something she did, maybe he realized he didn't feel the same? Dammit! Why do I have to feel this way?! Helga felt like running away again but Phoebe's words echoed in her mind. "Hey Arnold?" She asked, breaking the silence in spite of herself. She felt as if she was going to break and crumble at any moment.
"Yeah?" He asked, still coming down from his high and not aware in the least of the sudden mix of emotions she was feeling.
"Why…" She started, unsure of herself. "Why did you want to do that?"
The question took him off guard and Arnold sat up straight. "What do you mean?"
Anxiety started to turn into hostility and Helga was unable to hold it down any longer. With a quick jab to his arm, she let her emotions show. "You know what I mean!" She replied loudly. "Stupid Football head! That! What we just did! All of that!" She took in a deep breath as she saw his look of bewilderment. "Why did you do all of that when all you wanted to do was hold my hand?!"
Blinking a few times to try and contemplate her words, Arnold was coming back with nothing. "What? But I thought it was okay…?" Nervousness started to take hold of him next, "Was it wrong?"
"NO!" She yelled, full of fluster.
"Was it bad?!" He asked, panic starting to take him hold.
"NO!" She repeated, standing up to try and control her emotions.
Arnold was now fully confused and he looked around, then back at her. "Helga, I don't understand. If it wasn't wrong and you didn't hate it… then what are you talking about?!"
Helga gripped both of her hands tightly. "What made you do it? Just tell me!"
Unsure of what she was looking for and completely perplexed at what was wrong, Arnold began to breathe hard in hopes of calming his nerves down. "Why I kissed you?" He asked; his mind spinning.
"Doi!" She cried back with a stomp of her foot.
"B-because… I wanted to…?" He asked them both, now unsure of everything.
"But why?!" She urged, clearly looking for a specific answer that the young boy was unaware of.
Arnold placed both his hands on his head and closed his eyes. This was all happening so fast and he needed a moment to catch up. "Why are you so mad?!" He asked, louder than intended. He opened his eyes and could see that she was growing further and further upset and wanted to comfort her in some way but had no idea how anymore.
Unanticipated tears started to form in the girls eyes and there was nothing she could do to hold them back. "Stupid Football head!" She said furiously. "This is all so stupid! You're so stupid! Why do I have to spell everything out for you?!"
Jumping up from his bed, he put his arms around her and held her close to him. Expecting her to push him away, the boy was surprised to notice that she wasn't. "Shhhh…" He shushed her. "You're going to make the whole house come up here!" He explained with a little pain in his voice. "I don't know what you want me to say, Helga. Just tell me! I'm really confused! I thought everything was okay! Just tell me what you want me to say!"
"I can't tell you! That defeats the purpose!" She replied, her voice seething with anger and sadness.
"Then can't you just give me a hint?!" He asked drastically.
Helga looked down at him and met his eyes. She wanted to both punch him and kiss him again at the same time and the conflicting emotions were driving her insane and she knew it. With a few long breaths, Helga willed herself to be honest despite how hard it was. "I…I…" She forced out quietly. "I… I love you and…" Her voice was wavering and she couldn't help it. "and I just want to know if you feel the same way!"
With a few more confused blinks, Arnold found himself furrowing his brow. "I…" He started, uncertain of his own words. He could see that she was definitely in pain about this but he felt stuck. Wanting nothing more than to console her, he hugged her tighter then let her go. He took a few steps back so he could see her better and opened his heart completely. "I'm… we're still kids, Helga…" He started solemnly. "You've told me before that you loved me and I know you mean it but…"
"But…?" She could feel her heart starting to break at each passing word.
"But I haven't experienced this feeling long enough to say it's the same as how strongly you feel!" He confessed, despite wanting with every ounce to shut up. "I don't exactly know what this feeling is that I'm feeling. There has been so many different ones; new ones that I've only ever experienced with you. I want to say its love… it's the only thing that seems to make sense." He smiled half heartedly. "I'm just afraid of disappointing you, if it's… not." Arnold felt like his words were so heavy that they were even crushing him.
Clutching both her fists so hard, Helga was expecting for droplets of blood to start dripping off of them. "So let me get this straight…" She hissed. "You don't… know?" The last word causing her voice to break.
"I'd be lying if I said I did." Arnold reached out and gingerly took both of her hands, expecting her to snatch them away. When she didn't, he looked down at his feet and prepared his words. "I don't want to lie so I'll just tell you everything that I do know." With a deep breath, the young boy continued, "When I'm with you, I get this feeling like I'm whole when I didn't know I wasn't to begin with. Getting my parents back made me happier than I can explain and completed me in a way I knew it would… but with you?" Arnold narrowed his eyes at the floor as he searched for the right words. "With you it feels like I found a missing piece I didn't know I was missing. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense." He laughed in spite of himself. "It's so easy for you to say how you feel because of how sure you are of those feelings but I've never experienced this before so how can I be sure? I haven't had years to back these feelings up like you do; merit and proof of these things. I want to assume its love but… how could I live with myself if I was wrong?" He could feel her hands begin to tremble at his words and he hated himself. "What I did back there… What we did back there was something I've never done before. I can't tell you for sure why I did it. I just followed what felt right and when you didn't push me away, I thought you wanted it to. Was I wrong?"
"…No." She whispered softly.
"This happy feeling that I get only with you… what do you think it is?" He asked, genuinely hoping for an answer. "Is it similar to how you feel?"
Sucking up her sorrow, Helga ripped one of her hands away from him in order to dry her eyes and wipe the discarded liquid on her dress. "I can't say if the happy feeling is the same as yours, but the… feeling of being complete is the same." She explained as calmly as she could through the unstable emotions.
"Okay so it's a step in the right direction," He asked hopefully. "Right?" Arnold waited a moment to see if she would respond but when she didn't, he tried his best to continue, hoping it might make her feel a little better. "Just… please give me time to know how I'm feeling, Helga. These feelings are new and I… I want to be sure before I put a label on them and give them to you properly."
The young woman nodded and gave him her hand back, still recovering from a broken heart.
Her reaction gave him hope but he was still unsure of where they stood. "Do… do you still want to be my girlfriend?" He asked, wishing he hadn't.
"Don't ask stupid questions or I'll deck you into next week." Helga replied, in her usual hostile tone but with notes of lingering melancholy. All the words he had said had reached her heart and she knew that even though she was sad now, the feelings would soon pass. In fact, his truthful words only made her love him that much more, which she didn't even know was possible. Leave it to the Football head to sweep me off my feet in passion, break my heart immediately after, and then mend it after adding a piece I didn't know I needed… She thought in astonishment. "You want to know what I think?" She asked after grabbing both her hands back from him to wipe her face one more time. "I think you're a yellow haired shrimp who doesn't know the first thing about anything! I think you're a goody-little-two-shoes who acts so wise and all knowing around everyone else when, in fact, he knows nothing about himself at all! I think…" She continued with a clear of her voice. "I think you're the dumbest person I've ever met!"
Arnold waited calmly while she insulted him, knowing there was probably more to it.
"But I also think that you're the kindest, most loving person to ever walk this earth and I'd be damned if I let anyone else have you! It took a lot of guts to tell me the truth…" She stopped, getting her feelings in order. "More guts than anyone person has in their whole body to tell me something like that. You may not know for sure how you feel, and heck, I don't know how I even expected you to know. To tell you the truth, I came up here today in hopes of showing you my kind natured side and possibly helping you feel better again. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I was damn sure going to try. And what ends up happening? I make a fool out of myself, cause you to get mad and then mother nature goes berserk!"
"I was more annoyed than mad…" He corrected.
"Whatever! That's not the point!" She yelled as she pushed him backwards, causing him to stumble and laugh a little. "The point is we're both stupid and have no idea what we're doing. I'm walking as blindly into this whole relationship as you are."
Her honesty warmed his heart and he watched in awe as her strength knew no bounds.
"Arnold, I'll love you till the day I die and unless fate deems it otherwise, that means I have a really long time for you to figure yourself out." Helga explained, a little flushed from her own words.
"Thanks, Helga." Arnold said with all the warmth in his heart. "I just have one question, though."
"Yeah? What is it?" She replied, impatiently placing her hands on her hips.
"Is it okay if I kiss you again?" He asked shyly, looking between her and the place it last happened.
Resisting the urge to punch him in the face for asking such a stupid question at a time like this, Helga simply gritted her teeth. "Do whatever you want, Arnoldo! It's no sweat off my back!"
Without needing anymore encouragement from her confusing hostility, which wasn't confusing at all for someone like her, Arnold stood on his toes, cupped her angry face in his hands and gave her a small kiss on the lips. Instantly, her anger subsided, her fluster fizzled up then relaxed in the palms of his hands. "Sorry about that." He said after letting her go and scratching the back of his head with a cheesy grin on his face.
His apology seemed unfounded and Helga pushed him out of her way as she sat back down on his bed. "Go get your stupid cards and let's play a game of war before I change my mind."
With a small gleam in his eye, Arnold did just that. They played a few games until the lights flickered back on and caused both of them to wince in pain. The night of chaos had finally ended and the whole house was heard cheering from below them, completely unaware of the chaos that ensued within these very walls. Tomorrow was a new day and Arnold was hopeful towards his future, even if it was clouded in mystery. He bid his partner goodnight with a friendly wave as she walked down his steps and headed to her own room. They both had a lot of growing up to do and tonight he had definitely learned more than he expected to. Not about each other, but specifically about himself. After closing his door when she was finally out of sight, Arnold laid his head at the foot of his bed. He could still smell her scent even after she was long gone and it caused his mind to wander. He knew he was going to have another weird dream tonight but this time, he didn't think it was going to be that bad.