71.

Arnold drove Helga home in a sexually tense silence. Once they parked outside of her house, they leapt on each other immediately. If you don't want to read about them making out some more, I would recommend skipping ahead to "72." Because that car definitely got steamy.

"I could just kiss you forever," Arnold said between kisses and heavy breaths.

"Then shut up, Arnoldo." Helga was smiling into the next several kisses. She crossed one leg over his to get even closer. As Arnold moved back to Helga's neck, she slid his hand up her shirt.

When his fingers first brushed bare skin, a shiver ran through him. Helga pushed his hand up and up then under the soft fabric of her bra, until he held her breast in his hand. Arnold stopped sucking on her neck, with a quick intake of breath.

Biting his lip, Arnold ran his thumb over the bump of her nipple.

"What's wrong?" Helga teased. "You look dazed."

"Mmhmm," he said, rubbing his thumb back the other way. Helga bit her lip too.

"You know you've touched my tits before, right?" Helga nudged Arnold's nose with hers, bringing his eyes to hers.

"Yes - yeah," he said. "And they are fucking great." He squeezed her nipple between two fingers, forcing a humm from Helga's lips. "What's wrong?" Arnold teased back, trying to regain some control.

"Hey - " Helga started, but Arnold lurched forward and bit her lower lip and pulled just a little. When he kissed her, he pushed his tongue into her mouth and pulled her closer by the neck. There was power in his movements and Helga lost her voice all together.

Arnold's hands were roaming free now, even sliding past the waist of her jeans and down to her ass and pushing her shirt higher. With a few deft shifts, they were both laid out on the bench seat, Helga on top, lifting up enough for Arnold to take her nipple into his mouth.

"Ooh," Helga gasped. "Mmmmm" She let her hand pull Arnold into her chest by the back of his head. He flicked and massaged her nipple with his tongue. He sucked, nipped, and then dragged the flat of his tongue along her. Almost as if she had had enough, she pulled back roughly on his hair, detaching him from herself. "Ah - Why does that feel so good?"

"Ha, because you're so sweet and sensitive," Arnold laughed. But Helga pushed him down, sitting up straight in a straddle, though not pulling her shirt back down.

"Don't be so smug, Football Head!" but he was still laughing. So Helga reached back, right behind her, and palmed his groin. That shut him up - he gasped actually, looking up at her. "Oh how the tables have turned." And she squeezed.

"Mmm. Hey - " Arnold started but Helga was faster. She slid backwards so she wasn't straddling him anymore. She had her hands on his hips, pressing her chest between his legs. Heat was building and he wanted very badly to press back into her softness. But instead he inhaled deep, pressed his lips together in a strained smile, and shook his head as if it was all too much. "Oh my god."

"Not so tough now," Helga said, eyebrow arched. Arnold was propping himself up on his elbows.

"No. No I am not," he laughed and went back to biting a hole in his lip.

Helga inhaled purposefully, expanding and pressing herself into him again. She moved her hands to his belt, giving pressure all the way.

"Ok - Ok. Don't," He said a little hurriedly. "I want you to- but -"

"What? What's wrong?" Helga was actually asking now. In response, Arnold looked nervously around. "Oh - afraid someone might see us?" He blushed and she knew she was right.

After a tense moment, Helga made a fake-sympathy face and whimpered. "But you're soooo hard." She resumed the pressure and a gentle stroking. "And you took care of me…"

"Wooooh," Arnold breathed out. "You are killing me."

"I know."

"Please, Helga - " He said. At that moment, he truly wasn't sure what he was begging for. She was moving again, sliding the length of her body up his, slowly, torturingly. "Oh my fucking…"

Helga kissed him heavily and twisted against him. He bucked ever so slightly, gripping at her hips.

"I'll quit torturing you," Helga said, breaking the kiss and pressing her forehead to his. "IF you make me a promise."

He looked at her from under his brow. "Anything," he said, playing her game. Right then, he'd play any game she wanted. He knew that deep in his bones.

She moved back to a seated position, pulling him up with her. But she made sure he still had to hold himself up with his arms - so he couldn't hold her back. "I will get out of this car and leave you alone right now," she said, slinking her arm back around to grab him through his jeans again. He gasped. "If you promise that you'll think of me as you take care of this later."

Arnold's eyes went wide and his face flushed red, from his neck to the top of his head.

"I'll take that as a 'yes, ma'am." Helga could swear that she could feel him pulse in her hand as she kissed him once more. Then she rolled back and out of the car before he could blink, only pulling her shirt down as she got to the stairs up to her door.

Arnold finally shook his head free of the fever when he heard Helga's front door slam shut. He gathered himself as best he could, breathing heavily and sitting up straight. He looked around, just making sure no one saw one the hottest moments of his entire life without his knowledge. Then he started the car and sped all the way home.

He had things to take care of.

72.

"HIS GIRLFRIEND!" Phoebe screamed outside Helga's door first thing in the morning.

"Hey! Keep it down, will ya!" Helga was restraining her friend, trying to keep her from falling down the stoop in her excitement. Helga smiled a small smile in appreciation though.

"Why didn't you call me last night!?" Phoebe demanded as they began their trudge to school.

"Well - I got home kinda late. Past your bedtime - "

"Ice Cream Boyfriend Time! Wake me Up!"

"I also would be lying if I said I didn't want to see your face when I told you." Helga's smile widened, working tired muscles.

Phoebe had fully planned on telling Helga the very important news she had that morning too. But this development pushed her Quinceton early bird program right out of her mind. She instead berated Helga with intense and detailed questions about the previous night. She could see a light in her best friend's eyes like - like - literally never before. It was like a cloud that had always sat heavy on Helga's head had finally finally dissipated. They were breathing in bright happy light and exhaling laughter and love. It was beautiful! Phoebe was happy for her. So happy.

73.

"Good morning, Gerald!" Arnold sang as Gerald climbed into the car.

"You are entirely too happy."

"It's a beautiful day! Why wouldn't I be happy."

"Whatever man," Gerald said. He was sleepy and not ready for all this energy. But them remembered. "Uh - I've been wanting to tell you something - "

But Arnold didn't hear him because he blurted at the same time -

"I did it! I DID IT!"

Arnold was much louder than Gerald - and far too loud for the cab of the car.

"Damn! Don't yell! It's too early - " but then Gerald seem to register what he said. "Wait- you did IT?"

"YEP!" Arnold's smiled was huge and goofy as Gerald punched him in the shoulder over and over again.

The boys whooped and hollered and laughed and teased and cheered all the way to school. And only once they pulled into the parking lot did Arnold get serious.

"But you can't tell anyone."

"What? She keeping you a secret? She ashamed of you?"

"She's private! And you know we wouldn't hear the end of it - I mean Rhonda alone - "

"Yeah, yeah. I get it," he said. "But y'all gotta grow up sooner or later."

They got out of the Packard with Arnold making soft promises that yeah, one day, they will go public. But for now - his time with Helga was just for them and he was just fine with it.

74.

Arnold quickly had to run off - more RATS plans to take care of while he still could. He had a lot to do. Print things and make some calls and do some favors for other things.

Arnold had Eugene texting him like crazy. It occurred to him that he was definitely overdoing it as he made a handshake deal with the choir teacher. He promised to design the next poster for the choir concert free of charge if he could borrow the travel risers tomorrow morning.

As he left the copy room with a stack of colorful flyers in his arms between first and second block - he spotted Harold. Arnold's memory shot back to his last interaction with the bulky young man and had a thought. Another potential trade.

"Hey Harold!"

75.

At the start of lunch, Helga was reviewing her texts with Arnold from that day as she sat across from an overly lovey dovey Lila and Brainy. Gross.

A: Good morning, girlfriend.

H: Omg *eye roll emoji*

A: Good morning my beautiful GIRLFRIEND

H: You are a fucking nerd.

Helga screamed with glee when she got that text, actually. But she couldn't let him know her giddiness. No way.

A: Be that as it may. You are still my girlfriend and I am wishing you a good morning 3

H:...

H: Good morning…

H: Football head.

A: I'll take it.

H: 3

H: Oh and I have a question…

She knew he had lots of shit to get done before tomorrow's RATS shit. So she was resigned to wait for his reply. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the background garbage that was Lila and Brainy.

They were gross. They held hands, which is fine, but they kept their hands intertwined sitting on the table between them so everyone could see. Between almost every bite, Brainy would raise Lila's hand to his lips to kiss it. Lila would obligingly blush at every kiss too.

Kiss, bite, chew, kiss, kiss, giggle, bite, chew. Kiss.

"Do you have to? I'm trying to eat here too, you know."

"Oh, I'm ever so sorry, Helga. Are we making you uncomfortable?"

"Uhh,' Brainy said, "Yeah, with our love?" He was breathy and stuffed up. His smile was crooked and cute - but not to Helga. She was thoroughly annoyed. The boxing club was equally as unhelpful. They were all absorbed in one of Dustin's tyraids - which of course interested Helga even less than this love fest. She tried to focus on her phone and shitty lunch, but found it nigh impossible.

"It would make anyone uncomfortable! Every little kiss is loud and wet - It's gross. You don't need to constantly be touching."

Lila and Brainy both blushed a little and smiled at each other - alluding to all the time they spent touching. Gross!

"Nevermind. Fuck this." Helga stood, scooping up her stuff. As she turned in the direction of her office, she was hailed.

"Where you off to, Pataki?" It was Dustin, taking a pause in his oratory to turn his focus to her.

"What's it to you?" she spat. But he was looking at her very intently, so she didn't walk away just yet.

"Nothin' just feel like I never see you around anymore."

"Oh did I miss a date or something?" She asked impatiently.

"You'd be so lucky," he said to laughs from the others. "You just haven't been in the gym as much anymore. Thinkin' of quitting?"

"In your dreams, Dusty boy. I've had stuff to do." She turned to go again.

"That little blonde twerp of yours? You doin' him?" This stopped her in her tracks.

"Excuse me?" She turned to meet his eyes in a cold glare.

"That football head kid - " As Helga closed distance fast, Dustin faltered. But just a little.

"What and who I do," she said, so close to his face, "is none of your fucking business. If you want to stick your nose up my ass, I promise you I'll break it off your face."

Dustin didn't blink, but he didn't make another sound either. Helga took his silence as a small victory. All the other guys looked between them with mischievous smiles, enjoying the challenge. As Helga turned and strutted away she could hear the others raggin' on Dustin, laughing at his expense. She smiled her own mischievous smile. On her way to her office, she texted Arnold.

H: Hey boyfriend. My Office. Now.

A: 3 Be right there.

76.

Helga was still riding a victory high when Arnold finally came into the closet 5 minutes later. When he closed the door and turned to look at her, he was struck by the look in her eye. It was open, it was hungry. The two just stood and looked at each other for about six straight seconds.

Helga bit her lower lip. Arnold moved across the small space. They hadn't seen each other since last night. Since she slid off of him in a heady hazy state and ran off.

Before she could say anything, Arnold lifted with one arm, pushing her back to sit on the old desk behind her. The other hand tugged at the back of her head, pulling her into him. As he kissed her hard and she let him, Helga's hands flew into the air. She let them float down around his neck, pulling at his hair and the collar of his shirt.

Arnold ran his tongue over her tongue, Her teeth, Her bottom lip. Trying to memorize the taste of her. The touch of her. The fabric of their shirts slid between them, pulling until there was contact between the skin of their stomachs. Flesh sought out flesh, small gasps echoing discovery and pleasure.

Helga pulled away just enough to speak against his lips.

"I still have a question for you."

"Right - sorry - " he didn't pull back either. Just kept his eye closed, lips searching for her. As he pushed his mouth forward to connect, she pulled back even further, pulling at a taught line to gut. An exciting tug.

"Did you do what I asked?" She whispered just beyond his kiss.

She could feel him freeze in place. Heat rushing up his body. She had her eyes open, though his were still closed. He blushed furiously. Meaning, she knew, that he did exactly as she asked. But she didn't let him off the hook just yet. She could feel his breath hitch a little, picking up pace. Finally he opened his eyes to meet hers.

He wanted to speak, he wanted to confidently say Yes, absolutely, I thought of you, dreamed of you, I felt for you and called for you. But he couldn't find those words, not in his young and frazzled mind, so he just nodded his heavy head.

Helga, even knowing the answer, found herself falling over the edge as her love, her love, was so bashful and full of heat for her that he couldn't even manage to speak. As he nodded, holding her eyes, it was Helga's turn to melt. She sighed out a thick and audible breath and collapsed back into Arnold's arms and hungry kisses.

They rolled and kissed and pulled and nipped and struggled against each other.

"Can't we just - " Helga gasped as Arnold worked his way to her neck. "Just - take this off." She pulled at his flannel and his tshirt and his belt. She didn't actually successfully manage to remove anything though because, even while attached to her neck, Arnold fended off her attacks. He got a grip on each wrist, fighting against her forceful squirming. His mind flashed back to one of those dreams from last night and in a deft move, Arnold pinned Helga's hands about her head, against the shelves.

"Ooh my god," she whispered. "So unfair."

"I think it's very fair given the score."

"You're mad about last night?" Helga was almost concerned, then he kissed her mouth again.

"No. Of course not," he said. "But I can't be the only one suffering."