Thank you all, for the comments. I enjoyed writing this chapter, it kinda took me back to HA's world. Sorry for the few months gap. I am writing this story on and off, but I see where it could go

I hope you will enjoy it. I recommend this especially to those, who like this kind of uni life atmosphere.

P.s. I'm sorry for my grammar. English is not my first language, but I'm trying my best. :D

Chapter Three

The Night Trip

Helga dragged herself out of what felt like a mere nap, her eyes half-open, and her brain screaming for more sleep. The recent nights she had, seriously been a series of intense wrestling matches with her pillow, resulting in her waking up looking like an extra from a zombie movie. Professor Myers' words, Louise's questionable intentions, and Arnold's unexpected rose left her haunted by her own thoughts.

University responsibilities completely overshadowed her. She had a schedule to follow for studying and used to be quite confident in her performance, but now she was completely thrown off, unable to concentrate on the coursework. Despite all her hard work to get this far... and now, as her life begins to shake up, of course, the too-familiar Football-Head is back in the picture.

She tried not to think about him and the stupid rose, with more or less success. Maybe with too little success…

They just had a good night, communicating with each other like normal human beings after years. And then, the next day he sends her an offer... How else could she interpret the rose if not as an offer!? It was too much for Helga...

Even if she didn't want to admit to herself... it was a bit nice to think about Arnold THAT way.

But seriously, who was she kidding? Arnold, the same Football-Head she knew her all life, still haunted her dreams after all these years. It was absurd to understand such thoughts.

She shook her head, dismissing the idea of him as quickly as it had crossed her mind after she found herself again in her usual, ceiling-gazing, thinking pose on Friday morning. Thinking of Arnold 24/7 has never gone down well…

She had no desire for the upcoming, stupid night trip, considering it a waste of time.

However, in the afternoon, she found herself packing the necessary items for camping — a mesh bag on top of the backpack, flashlight, and knife - knowledge passed down from Big Bob, who probably believed everyone should be ready for a surprise apocalypse.

Amy, her roommate was nowhere near done when she was all packed.

'Legends are telling about a mysterious mansion, hidden a couple of miles behind our university building.' said Amy, trying to hit a spooky voice 'Long ago, a married couple called this place home… Their happiness was mirrored in the lush, blooming garden that surrounded the house. For years, they lived together until the day the woman vanished without a sign... On a chilling Friday evening, the air trembled with screams from the house. It soon turned out that the loving husband had kept his wife imprisoned in the depths of their basement. But that Friday she could finally escape and KILLED HIM!'

'Oh, now I'm so scared' Helga mocked Amy as she took a sip of her soda lying on her bed 'If it was so abandoned, how did they hear the woman's scream?'

'Ah, Helga... Don't be the spoiler of everything!' Amy exclaimed 'It wasn't abandoned back then, but it certainly is now! The spirit of the man has been haunting it ever since, which is why people left the area, and the trees have completely overgrown it!'

'Yeah, sure. Those horror stories were invented to keep homeless people away. Classic scare tactics, you know?'

Ignoring Helga's skepticism, Amy stared at her, hands on her hips.

'Instead of criticizing, maybe you could get ready for the night trip too! We're leaving in half an hour to explore the cursed area, the girls are about to arrive, and all you've done is drink… sodies.'

'I'm ready,' said Helga, confirming it with a loud burp crumpling the empty soda can, making a perfect shot straight into the bin from the bed.

'WOW, did you see it? Touchdown!' Helga's face was lit up by a genuine smile, Amy was still rolling her eyes at her, unimpressed.

'You have such lovely features, and such a good shape, Helga. Why would you wear that T-shirt? It looks like a sack!... Let me just put a little blush on you!'

Helga's disappointed expression softened by Amy's pleading gaze.

'Fiiine…' she said and sat down in front of the mirror. She was wearing pants and sneakers with an oversized T-shirt. 'Do what you want with my face but leave my outfit alone! No way I would wear flip-flops on a trip just because 'they're sooo pretty'…' She cast a disdainful glance at Amy's crystal-encrusted buckled sandals. Maybe she won't be that happy with them after the mosquito attack.

'Yaaay!' Amy cheered at the news hopping next to Helga who even let out a weak smile at this. It brought back memories of the times when she and Phoebe used to do each other's makeup before parties during their teenage years, leaving a hint of bitterness in her chest.

'Oh, and Helga...' Amy said after a while, 'Make sure to play cupid with Louise and Arnold later.'

'Yeah, yeah...' she muttered, maintaining her poker face while enduring Amy's putting mascara on her... Even if she felt a knot forming in her throat at the same time.

At four in the afternoon, at least 20 university students gathered behind the dorm, ready for departure. Helga recognized many familiar faces from the previous party, including Archie, the silly friend of Arnolds'. They formed a group of three with Gerald. When Arnold noticed Helga staring at them, he flashed her an encouraging smile. Unlike Gerald, who had a slight grimace on his face, which she found a little odd after how friendly he was a few days ago…

Amy, playing the big boss, stood on a rock with Louise and Patty on her two sides to announce the plan:

'Well, finally! I'm so glad that many of us gathered for the first-night hike organized by our university. We'll visit the abandoned house first, a two-hour long trip away from here, then camp by the nearby lake. I am just asking you not to get lost and please, follow the path! Thanks! Let's spend a fantastic evening together.'

And then the whole group set off. It was the beginning of October, and as much as she hadn't desired the trip at all in the early morning, the sight of the forest changed her mind.

She couldn't shake the feeling that her family's hiking days were long gone. Miriam hardly left their home anymore, and Big Bob, "tired all the time," preferred the comfort of their TV, watching football. Now, observed through adult eyes, her parents' marriage reminded her of old couples, who never go out... It seemed evident that their relationship had likely been ruined ever since she could remember…, or perhaps it was never truly a happy marriage. Despite the complexities of her family dynamics, Helga still cherished the memories of those hikes with them.

She pushed aside the sudden wave of nostalgia, as they got closer to the forest.

The three girls in the front, whom she somehow stuck with, quickly wore on her nerves. Louise and Patty were constantly discussing the guys they had met at the previous night's party, leaving Helga baffled about their seemingly endless supply of potential applicants. There was no way she could chime in on their conversation, and the last thing she wanted was to spill the beans about her relationship matters. Where do they find so many guys? And how did they have the energy for such relentless partying!? It was not like she and Arnold were best buds or anything, not even close, but she wasn't thrilled about the idea of him becoming Louise's next 'victim.' Not like he would not deserve…

She was almost grateful when the company of Arnold, Gerald, and Archie joined them. Yeah, barely… Being around Arnold still made her nervous.

'Hi, girlies.' Archie chimed in mocking Louise's shrill voice. Helga immediately spotted his old AC/DC baseball hat. He was also wearing a T-shirt that had seemingly been used for too long.

'You are a jerk, Archie!' Louise exclaimed, tossing her long, perfectly straightened hair on her back.

'Well, well, well... Louise,' Archie drawled lazily, lighting a cigarette in his mouth. 'I'm sorry, but I guess I can't escape the vortex of your magnetic personality...'

Helga couldn't help herself to smile.

Louise shot Archie a withering look. 'You could always use a different path, you know. Spare yourself from the chaos.'

Archie chuckled, 'Chaos? I wouldn't miss it for the world. Plus, who would want to pass up the chance to accompany such a delightful group?' his eyes briefly flickered towards Helga 'Have you sobered up since the party on Tuesday night, Miss Pataki?'

'Oh, please…' Helga was a little shocked about the question, especially because she felt as if she had been in a delirium since Tuesday. 'I don't need an eternity to regain my senses after a little party...'

But Archie didn't stop teasing her 'You looked quite tipsy when you left for that date...'

'Oh really… How did that go?' Arnold chimed in their conversation.

His unexpected question pierced the casual atmosphere like a sudden lightning bolt. Helga felt as if the whole group was staring at her. She blinked, momentarily taken aback. 'What's with the sudden interest in my social life, Football-Head? Planning to become my new life coach?'

'Well, you know, just making conversation…' Arnold said casually.

'Oh, you're curious, alright…' Helga leaned in with a sly grin. 'Well, prepare to be amazed... It was a night of intense discussions about the thrilling world of pizza toppings! We even touched upon the critical issue of whether ketchup should ever come near pasta.' Helga continued '…Spoiler alert: it shouldn't…

'You've changed nothing, Pataki!' Gerald exclaimed letting out a light chuckle with the rest of the group.

'… It must have been a real rollercoaster of gastronomic enlightenment.' Archie added blowing the cigarette smoke towards Helga.

Meanwhile, Louise reached out her neon pink-clawed hand to lightly stroke Arnold's shoulder. Her words hung in the air, 'I could use a coach, by the way...' she giggled.

Arnold shifted uncomfortably, offering a hesitant smile. 'Uh, yeah, sure. I'm always here to help if you need advice, Louise...'

Gerald, sensing the brewing tension, tried to ease the atmosphere. 'Alright, folks, let's not turn this into a therapy session. We're here to enjoy nature, remember?'

Helga couldn't have been more grateful to him at that moment… It was ridiculous how shamelessly seductive Louise could be.

For a solid half-hour, the group marched on as they ventured deeper into the forest along the hiking trail.

Archie continued his teasing with the girls at the front. Being tired of the trio's chatter, Helga gradually slowed her pace, allowing the more enthusiastic members to forge ahead.

As it started to get darker, to her biggest surprise she found herself walking alongside Arnold, who seemed similarly disinterested about the ongoing banter. Gerald was trailing a few meters ahead of them, walking rather strangely.

'Want one?' Arnold handed her a beer. This was the first time they had an eye-to-eye interaction since Tuesday. Helga nodded in agreement, and they clinked their beers together, taking a good sip.

'Hey, man, fancy a drink?' Arnold shouted to Gerald.

'Not now, bro...' came to reply even without looking back at them.

'Is he alright?' Helga inquired.

'I have no idea... He's been acting strange lately.'

They had been walking side by side sipping beer saying any word… The silence was starting to eat up her as if they were trapped in some bizarre nature documentary with no narrator to break it! Why didn't Arnold say anything? Maybe he was waiting for her to say something about the rose?

She had to break the silence somehow… She felt 'now or never'. Bringing up the rose now should be the best idea, right?

'You know Arnold…' she started 'I know we did not have the chance to talk, but I just don't really feel like complicating things now…'

BOOM. In. Medias. Res. Helga was proud of herself for ripping the band-aid off just like that.

Arnold's gaze reflected confusion.

'Okay…' he frowned. Okay? That's it? Is that even a reaction?

'You know, these days problems are complicated enough.' she burst out 'I don't even know how I will manage to pass my courses. I am trying so hard… and still, everything is just so HARD and falling apart.'

Arnold finally let out a reassuring smile. His ever-so-annoying aura was still the same as it used to be. 'Helga, I understand. University is not a walk in the park for me either…'

'…Yeah, and honestly, that night at your flat was great! I had fun with you after so many years… which I didn't expect ever could happen.' Her voice cracked a little '…But I didn't mean to… to give any signals like... you know.'

An awkward pause lingered. An awkward pause, that then lingered for far too long.

'I'm sorry Helga, but I'm a little confused… What signs do you mean? For what?'

'Oh, DO I REALLY HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT?!' she raised her voice 'I'm talking about the rose, Bucko!'

Helga was half shouting, but Arnold's expression only became more confused, which made her confused.

'What rose?' he asked after some serious thinking.

'The… the one that was in front of my room!'

Arnold looked very puzzled.

'…It was great meeting you yesterday! I hope you're having a good day. -A.' Helga mimicked the message she found next to the rose.

'I don't even know where your room is, Helga...'

Helga was shocked for a moment. Is he playing dumb?

'Are you pretending not to know what I'm talking about?'

'No, Helga, seriously. I do not know what you are talking about.' He raised his hands to his heart in a defensive gesture with a little shock in his eyes.

Helga's words jammed in her throat. For a moment, they trudged along silently, her mind racing with possibilities, waiting for the puzzle pieces to come together in her brain.

Maybe the rose isn't really from Arnold... Oh, for the love of... this is downright humiliating! 'Oh, fuck!' burying her face in her palms. She could almost cry.

But Arnold just flashed a reassuring smile, which emphasized his well-defined jawline, that only made Helga more flustered 'I don't want to complicate things either…' he continued 'Tho I was honest when I said I had fun that night…'

Helga just stared in front of herself in shock. That's what happens when she's honest, she just embarrasses herself...

Of course, it was not Arnold… What was she thinking?!

'It means you have a new secret admirer, Helga.' said Arnold after a while, clearing his throat 'Or maybe it is not that much of a secret. It must have been Archie … Arnold, Archie... Almost the same. He looks like he is really into you, anyway...' Arnold added.

'Archie...' She didn't even consider the possibility that the rose might be from someone else. She felt her face turning beet red. At least it was dark so that Arnold couldn't see it… Looked like, making a fool out of herself in the middle of a forest with her childhood crush was just a classic Helga move.

Another whole minute passed without a word when all of a sudden Arnold broke the silence.

'It's just so funny, you thought I'd just send you a rose out of the blue... After everything we've been through…' Arnold muttered the final sentence so quietly Helga barely could catch it. His smile momentarily shifted to a more serious expression, and his face became stern.

After everything they've been through… Helga did not want to think about what they'd been through. Hundreds of memories played out in her mind in a single second. The first meeting, the joy, and a lot of pain. She suddenly felt a lump in her chest. She wondered if Arnold was feeling similarly at that moment.

For a few seconds, they locked eyes… Helga felt a pleasant shiver running down her spine looking into Arnold's gaze.

Arnold's mouth opened to speak, but before he could utter any word, the weight of the sudden silence struck him. The moment was over as they noticed Gerald's rattling in front of them was gone. Helga glanced around her brow furrowing. Only then did she realize that the forest had become quite dark since they had set off.

'Wait, where's Gerald?' Arnold scanned the surroundings, but there was no sign of him on the path they had been following. 'I think we should find hi…'

'HEY, TALL HAIR BOY!' Helga called him out her voice echoing through the trees. 'This is so typical of you! What kind of numbskull wanders off like this!?'

Arnold tried to calm her down, 'Helga, let's not jump to conclusions. He might have just taken a wrong turn.'

'Wrong turn?! In the darkening woods? Seriously, Football-Head, how dense can you get?' Helga shot back, her hands on her hips.

Suddenly, a distant noise echoed through the woods—a mix of laughter and snapping twigs. Helga's eyes narrowed, and she turned to Arnold grabbing his hand. 'DID YOU HEAR THAT?!'

Arnold gazed at her for a moment gently squeezing her hand. 'Are you okay? You seem on… edge.'

Helga huffed, avoiding eye contact, quickly withdrawing her hand from his. 'What? No, I'm not. Whatever... Let's just find Gerald and get this night over with.'

As they ventured deeper into the forest, Helga got more tense. It's been at least an hour and Gerald was nowhere near, and she didn't like the forest at night. In one word, she was UPSET. 'So, what's the plan? Should we follow the stars or wait for the talking raccoon to guide us?'

Arnold laughed. 'Very funny, Helga… We're going to find him.'

Helga glared at Arnold. 'Oh, sure, find him... In this vast forest. What's the worst that could happen, right? We'll just wander around aimlessly, and maybe we'll stumble upon Gerald having a picnic with a bear.'

'Can you stop, already?!' Arnold burst out 'You should just admit that you are scared!

Helga narrowed her eyes at Arnold. 'Scared? Please, Arnold, don't be ridiculous, I don't get scared. I'm just pointing out the absurdity of this situation.'

Arnold was doing his best to clear the thick branches away from them, and he was constantly scanning the forest with his flashlight. He didn't want to further annoy Helga with the fact that the appearance of wild animals was a bit concerning for him also. 'Whatever you say…' he sighed.

As they pushed through the bushes and trees, the distant crackling of a fire reached their ears. As they emerged into a small clearing, they found Gerald sitting alone, gazing into the flickering flames.

The sight of Gerald meditating by the fire made Helga's brain boil. 'Well, well, looks like we've stumbled upon the great philosopher of the wilderness. Having a deep conversation with the fire, Geraldo?'

'Oh, just shut up, will you?!' he mumbled as walked closer to him.

'Gerald! Don't tell Helga to shut up…' Arnold exclaimed then glancing at Helga 'And you… show some respect.'

'Finally,' she let out a tired sigh, dropping the backpack she had been carrying for hours by the fire, then herself as well next to Gerald '…I thought that Mr. Goody-two-shoes wouldn't show up tonight.'

Arnold sensed that the atmosphere had become quite tense.

'I'll call the others, so they won't worry about us...' but when he took out his phone, he frowned as he realized the lack of reception. 'Great, just great. No signal here.'

Helga rolled her eyes. 'Terrific…' She could feel she was becoming a little too much for the boys. They had been in the forest for hours, she was hungry, tired, and... a bit cranky.

She glanced towards Gerald. 'Any explanation on why you just got lost, leaving behind the whole group to camp alone, when we were told, not to get off the path?'

Gerald sighed, looking into the flames. 'I suddenly felt like I needed some time alone, okay? Away from the noise… To clear my head.'

'So, you wanted to be alone at a university event SUDDENLY!?' Helga raised an eyebrow. 'Did you have magic mushrooms?'

'Nah, just a little something to take the edge off,' Gerald replied casually after a short pause, avoiding eye contact, and tapping his pocket. 'That might have confused my brain a little…'

Helga's eyes widened, and she exchanged a glance with Arnold. 'You're high right now!?'

Gerald sighed. 'I didn't ask for you to follow me, anyway...'

'You vanished all of a sudden,' Arnold stated. 'You can't expect us to just leave you behind...'

Helga watched as Arnold took a seat next to Gerald, extending his hands toward the warmth of the fire. 'I don't know what you're going through... I am not saying, this situation is a lot concerning… But I want you to know, I'm here, bud. Anything happens…'

Helga couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions observing the boys. There was this undeniable charm in Arnold's mushy, good heart, a charm whose absence hit her like a ton of bricks… Precisely because she hadn't realized it was missing until now.

'...alright,' Gerald shot an unsure look in Helga's direction, almost as if he expected her to leave. Yet, finding themselves in the middle of the forest, in who-knows-where land, he opted to put his trust in her. 'I reckon my downhill spiral kicked off when Phoebe just dumped me…'

Phoebe – her mere mention sent a bitter pang of disappointment through Helga. Each time she crossed her mind, a bitter pang of disappointment shot through her.

'I mean… How could she just throw away ten years?!'Gerald burst out looking at Helga.

'Well, if you're expecting my advice…' she paused for a moment '…I'm afraid you're at the wrong place. She's not talking to me either...'

Gerald, looking genuinely surprised, blurted out, 'What!? I can't believe that! You're her best friend... for some unexplainable reason.'

'Well…thanks? Yeah, I was her best friend. Past tense…' she remarked with a wry smile.

'…At one moment everything was fine, we were planning our future together...Then all of a sudden, she 'needs to find herself in Australia'. I gave her ten years of my life, ten perfect years!' words were pouring out of Gerald like lava from a volcano 'But looks like it was only perfect to me…'

Helga was truly taken aback by this raw side of Gerald. She couldn't remember a single time he shared this much about himself before…

'And I'm not saying I wouldn't have supported her… Australia is a big opportunity. But she didn't even consider long-distance! Was I that bad of a boyfriend?'

The intensity of his revelation lingered in the forest air, leaving Helga grappling with her own thoughts.

Arnold leaned forward, his green eyes reflecting the flickering flames of the fire. 'You guys really should not take it personally. I'm sure you both were important to Phoebe… and both are, in a way… She just needs time to figure out things.'

'Thanks for the advice, Football-Head, but it's not that easy…'

Arnold let out a cynical smile 'We can't control what others do, Helga, but we can control how we react…'

His words sent a jolt of panic through her. Did he truly aim that sentence at her?

She could not reply… She was out of words. Just held Arnold's gaze as if she could read something out of it.

For long minutes only the flickering of the fire could be heard, leaving Helga with her zigzagging thoughts.

It took a while until Gerald broke the silence of the bouncing fire.

'Anyway. You wanna… smoke?' he asked casually.

'Gerald!' Arnold exclaimed 'Didn't you have enough?'

'What? Don't play the saint, man...'

Arnold pointedly glanced at Helga 'A lady is here with us; in case you haven't noticed…'

Gerald burst into laughter. 'You mean Pataki? We played in the mud together as kids. She's no lady!'

Arnold shot a disapproving look, while Helga simply rolled her eyes. 'It's okay, Arnold. I've been called worse.' she said. 'Actually, maybe you could pass me some, Tall-hair Boy...'

Arnold's jaw dropped, but Gerald, with a sly grin, pulled out a small, crumpled package from his pocket and handed a joint to her.

He lit it up as she took it in her mouth with a wicked gleam in his eye. 'Now we're talking... Welcome to the wild side, Pataki.'

She took a drag. 'Ah, the sweet scent of getting lost in the middle of nowhere. Just what I needed.'

Gerald laughed, and even Arnold cracked a smile. 'You guys are hopeless…'

Helga exhaled the smoke in relief, passing the cigarette back to Gerald. When she looked up, to her greatest surprise, she found Arnold looking directly at her. Slowly a half-smile formed on his lips. Not long later she felt as if some mysterious cosmic power had taken hold of her lips too and curled them upwards.

An unexpectedly warm feeling settled within her smiling at each other with Arnold…

Did they just become friends again?

Nah, impossible. After all that happened in the past.