59.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, we are going to jump to lunch the next day - Wednesday. I'm all too sure that you just want to see Arnold and Helga together - not pining for each other while they are apart, right? Because that is all that happens. Helga retreats into fantasies, replaying every touch regardless of where she is or what she's doing. Arnold is similarly distracted, and spends most of his time trying to not text Helga over and over again. Helga wouldn't believe you if you told her this, despite the "hopeless romantic" monniker. But Helga's behavior would absolutely shock Arnold, right? He wouldn't hold back texting her sweet nothings if he knew she was writing his name over and over again in an endless string of poetry.

Alas, alas, alack - they have yet to have the talk, SO we shall skip to lunch the next day. Lunch! When they see each other from across the caf and each immediately get a little hotter, their hearts beating a little faster. They just stare at each other getting closer and closer to their lunch table, barely noticing their friends already seated, heads together, speaking in furtive whispers. Not barely - they didn't notice. And when Phoebe and Gerald pop up from their huddle looking a little stressed, Helga and Arnold only have eyes for each other. Gross.

As they approached the table, Helga could practically feel Arnold's grip on her thigh from the day before. She could taste him. He was thinking similar thoughts - lingering on the weight of her in his lap - the pressure of her… he started to blush, he could feel it. They must have looked a little stupid and dazed outwardly because Gerald said, "I guess last night was… Fun."

"Oh -," Phoebe said with a little slap on his arm. "I'm sure they had a great time. No need to imply anything weird."

"I didn't! I said fun," Gerald defended.

"Yes, but that tone. That's your," Phoebe floundered for the word. "Your weird eyebrow implication tone."

"Right - I was implying that these two - Ow!" Phoebe slapped him again. At surface it would seem that Phoebe was being a bit prudish - but Helga knew she was protecting her. We do not speak of Helga's doings or feelings in public. Lest we want to be slapped. But when they turned their gaze on Arnold, he was still just staring at Helga, intently biting his lip and trying to suppress a smile.

"Maybe we should leave," Gerald laughed, though almost serious. "Guys?"

"Shut up - Geraldo," Helga said, turning her face down to her lunch. Arnold was shaken loose too, putting his lunch on the table.

"Don't get so touchy, Pataki - " Gerald said with a very knowing look and a wiggle of the eyebrows. "Ow!" he blurted as pain went through his shin - not from Phoebe but from Arnold across from him. "Everybody has got to stop hitting me!"

"Well, then I suggest you stop talking, sweetie!" Phoebe sang.

The group moved on to actual conversation. Gossip about Harold - his fight with Patty was apparently so epic that he had actually asked Rhonda to the dance instead. This only made things worse with Patty. And obviously they didn't go together - he lost out to Sid - explaining why Sid thought Harold was mad at him. Because he was. No wonder he was a mess at the after party.

"Where did you hear about all of this?" Phoebe asked. Gerald was full of pride, being the bearer of the goss.

"Fuzzy slippers, obvi - " Helga started but he cut in.

"Nope - Nadine. This morning - on our way to class, I got to witness Harold calling Rhonda bitch loudly in the hall. He really is on a roll, isn't he. Nadine was kind enough to explain why big man was so explosive lately." Everyone seemed thoroughly impressed.

"We are living in a lifetime movie," Helga said, shaking her head.

"It's high school - I think that's more of a Horror movie, don't you think?" Arnold said, eyebrows raised. "All Darwin Dusk and Jennifers." The table laughed but Helga had opinions.

"Those are thrillers at best, football head. Not Horror," she scoffed.

"Fine, thrillers then."

"I knew you were a thriller kind of guy," she taunted. He turned toward her. It was clear that Phoebe and Gerald were quickly being dismissed from the conversation.

"What's wrong with thrillers?!" He said, a smile on his face.

"Nothin - but they aren't really horror."

"What, you just like torture porn?" Arnold leaned in a little further. Gerald watched his best friend carefully. He was close to being too close. He knew Helga was gonna turn soon.

"Torture porn is fun," she said, her cheeks slowly turning ruddier.

"You liking torture isn't really that surprising," Arnold laughed, taking her redness for blush rather than fluster. Under the table, Arnold reached and playfully took Helga's hand.

To Arnold's total surprise, Helga wrenched her hand away and spat, "You just have shit taste in movies, Hair Boy." She leaned back and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Arnold's mouth hung agape, unsure of what just happened. He looked across to Gerald who just cocked his head, not surprised at all.

There was an awkward silence at the table. Arnold wondering - what the fuck was that? And Helga thinking - God damn it - ruin everything why don't ya, Helga!

Just when Arnold was about to try again - a phone rang out loud making everyone jump.

"Oh - OH!" Phoebe said, holding up her phone then looking intensely at Gerald.

"Oh!" Gerald mimicked, seeming to understand the deeper meaning. Both of them quickly stood up as Phoebe answered the phone - and just as quickly they were both walking out of the cafeteria.

Arnold and Helga were left behind and forgotten immediately in their awkward silence.

"I'm - I'm sorry I just -" Arnold started, not turning to fully look at her. "I just thought - "

Helga was searching for the words to make it better. To Make it alright -

61.

"Hey Arnold!" With a loud clatter and crash, Eugene flew into Phoebe's empty seat.

"H-hey Eugene - "Arnold said, uncertain if he was grateful for the interruption.

"Hi! So I just wanted to check in - " but before he could finish being persistent, Arnold knew he had fucked up.

"Oh god - " Arnold said. "Shit."

"What, what is going on?" Helga asked.

"I'm so sorry, Eugene!" Arnold was leaning across the table, almost grabbing his hands but pulled back just short.

"Oh - No! Arnold!" Eugene looked so disappointed, but somehow indignant. "I knew it! I knew you would forget!"

"No - no - "

"Forget what!?" Helga demanded.

"I didn't forget - I fully assigned it. Didn't I? Yes I did!" His eyes were bulging. "Something just came up yesterday and it took everyone's attention."

"Arnold! I told you - " Eugene whined.

"I know! I know! I can - I can still fix this!" Arnold grabbed his bag and shot up out of his seat, running out of the caf. Helga heard Eugene sigh deep.

"Well - " Eugene started, as if to explain the situation. But Helga was quicker.

"I don't care." Helga snatched up her bag too and followed after Arnold.

62.

"Arnold, what is going on!" Helga shouted down the hall after him.

"Ahh, I promised -"

"Wait up, will ya?"

"I promised Eugene I would put an ad in the paper for his auditions - and -"

"And you spaced?" Helga finished as she caught up with him. They were stopped in the empty hall now. Not far from her office and she had an idea.

"I mean no, but yes - yesterday the journalism room got busy and hectic. It just fell right out of my head." He said, looking flustered. Just as he was about to head off again, Helga caught his hand in hers.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "About - yeah. I didn't - mean to pull away from you like that." Her voice was halting, her eyes darting around to make sure they were alone.

Arnold held her hand tight. "Hey it's ok - was - was I pushing too hard? Or -"

"No - no!" Helga said as a couple of girls started around the corner. "Here, come in here." She let go of his hand and led him into her broom closet, out of sight. Arnold easily followed her, seeming to forget his urgency. I mean, in other circumstances he would be on the warpath to fix his mistake - but his misstep with Helga took priority, not in his brain but in his body. Her touch had sent electricity up his arm and then down his spine. In the small room, so close to her so suddenly, his core temperature spiked and he lost all other thoughts, opinions, ideas - nothin but Helga now swam in his brain.

"No - I just - I am not used to you - I mean people touching me or holding my hand -" She wanted to say so many things. She wanted to say that she didn't know how to handle having what she wanted her entire life. She wanted to say that she wanted to hold his hand every second of every day until they got married and then until they DIED! She wanted to say that she was desperately afraid that she would mess this up - that this will all be over before it even started - that he didn't actually want to hold her hand.

In the silence between them, he waited for more. But it was clear that she was out of words. So he reached across the distance, took her hand in his, and with his other hand, he touched her face. She didn't flinch and he remembered his conversation with Phoebe. She's just scared. Remembered how he had to convince Helga that his feelings existed at all. You have a crush on me?

"Is this ok?" He asked. She nodded. "Ok, great," he gave a breathy laugh. His thumb stroked across her cheek. "So, not public. I can do that." He waited for her to look relieved - and she did, kinda. She looked hungry. She looked at his lips. "Private works, yeah?" She nodded again, eyes fluttering. "Yeah, private works."

He leaned forward and kissed her. This time, yes there was electricity, but there was also familiarity. He was starting to learn her patterns, the way she moved. Every third kiss or so, Helga would switch her nose to the other side of his. When he would run his tongue along hers, she bit down ever so slightly. If he ran his hand down her lower back, she would inhale, almost a gasp, gripping tighter at his neck. And if he ever leaned in to kiss her neck she just might let out a little "Ohohohoh!"

Arnold pulled back, "That is just the cutest sound."

Helga's face dropped, she leaned back, and punched him hard in the arm. "Shut up." He laughed, reaching past her attacks to grab her face and kissed her again.

"Don't you have a play to save or something," she said, batting him away.

"Oh shit!" Arnold said, coming back to reality.

"Ha! You actually forgot!" She sat back cackling as he opened the door, just about to bolt away. When he looked back at her though, he closed the door again. "What are you doing?"

"Just one more," he said and wrapped her up and kissed her again. Finally wrenching himself away, he flung the door open and was gone.

In private works, Helga thought. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! She slammed the door again, locking herself inside, losing herself in a heady and steamy daydream that would definitely make her late to her next period.

63.

Arnold nearly clocked himself in the head with the journalism door - again. Flying into the classroom he shouted "Ms. Carter!"

"Mr. Shortman!" She shouted back through a mouthful of egg salad.

"I'm sor-sorry to interrupt your lunch - "

"Then why are you doing it?" She begged, her eyes wide.

"Have you already sent the paper off to print?" He was panting.

"Mr. Shortman," she said, taking another bite. "What day is it?" but it sounded much more muffled.

"Wednesday," he said, pressing his lips together tight. Knowing what was coming next.

"And what time is it?" She mocked further.

"12:12pm," he said looking at his watch.

"AAAAAND what day and time do I send off the newspaper to print?"

"Wednesdays at 12pm." His head dropped and nodded heavy in defeat.

"Yep." She took another bite.

"Ok," he said, turning around. "Thank you, Ms. Carter."

"Mr. Shortman." He walked out, closing the door behind him.

Ok ok ok, he thought, I can fix this another way. Just gotta find the way. Some way. Ok.

64.

"So - it's gonna happen?" Gerald asked. They were sitting at their table in the library. The air was calm and cool and comfortable. Phoebe, her hand in his, was steadily nodding.

"Yeah," she said. Then she looked him in the eye, searching. "Yes, this is what I want."

"I am - so proud of you, baby." A huge smile spread across his face.

"EEEEH!" Phoebe let go of his hand and leaped across the table, throwing her arms around his neck. He stood up and lifted her even higher.