"Erik," Gerald shook his head, giving an approving hum. "He even looks like an Erik."
Arnold kept his head bowed, pretending to be engrossed in his Advanced Algebra papers. The hum of cafeteria chatter surrounded him, a blur of voices that did nothing to drown out the chaos in his mind.
The boys pretended to be busy as Helga waltzed past with her new Finnish boyfriend Erik, their hands entwined.
Arnold could feel the sharp edge of irritation. Their presence was a constant reminder of the confusion he was grappling with.
"They're perfect for each other," Stinky observes. "All that blonde hair."
The boys at the table commented on the couple's compatibility, their voices a dull background as Arnold tried to focus on his notes. Stinky's observation felt like a taunt, and although he knew not to take it personally, Arnold's thoughts became consumed by the absurdity of Helga moving on so easily while he was still haunted by their past.
The conversation grew increasingly awkward, and Arnold felt his frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
It wasn't just that Helga was with Erik; it was her recent expectation that their past animosity could be erased and replaced with something romantic. Because of a kiss.
It felt like a betrayal of the reality he knew.
Her having moved on so fast to Erik felt like an additional power move to show him what they could have shared.
What he was missing.
After all, he was the only person who knew Helga had kissed him. Him and ... "Hi," a monotone soft voice came from across the table.
His and Pheobe's interactions were usually limited to polite exchanges, but today Arnold felt an unexpected urge to voice his frustrations to somebody who knew the situation .
"I guess she finally found her match," Herald concludes with a mouth full of food.
...
Arnold and Phoebe sat together in their advanced math class. They rarely spoke beyond the necessary pleasantries, but today Arnold's turmoil drove him to seek a conversation.
"Pheebs," he began quietly, his voice tinged with frustration. "It's strange, you know? Helga and Erik are… together now. It's not that I care that she's with him. What gets to me is that she thought… after everything, we'd just flip a switch and become something else."
Phoebe looked up from her notes, her curiosity piqued. She had always known Arnold to be reserved, but today his vulnerability was palpable.
"I understand," she said gently. "You're struggling with how she expected everything to change so easily. It must be frustrating."
Arnold nodded, his eyes still on his papers. "Exactly. It's like she thought that one moment could erase years of being a bully and somehow reset everything. And now, seeing them together—it's just irritating. It feels… disjointed."
Phoebe's expression softened as she absorbed his words. She had seen Arnold's stoic facade crack before, but this was different.
His struggle was not just about Helga and Erik but about reconciling a past that didn't fit neatly into the present.
"Arnold, I'm not the person you should be asking. But it makes sense that you'd feel this way," she said. "It's hard to shift from old patterns to new expectations, especially when they're as stark as this. All I know is that when you didn't do anything about the kiss she was heart broken."
Arnold's gaze remained fixed on his papers, his mind racing with overthought scenarios.
Guilt and defensiveness rose within him.
Him not making a move on Helga was not intentional. He had been processing bigger family issues and honestly, she caught him off guard.
Lately, he found himself wondering if he liked Helga back.
How could he, when all she lived for (since they were kids) was to bully him?
He appreciated Phoebe's understanding, even if he wasn't ready to fully open up. The unresolved tension of Helga's kiss and the complexity of their history felt like a puzzle he couldn't solve.
"Heart broken," Arnold repeated. "Hm."
Phoebe understood his hesitation. "Look, I know she can be difficult. But she has a heart too."
He catches a glimpse of her soft expression and it quelled the anger of injustice rising within him.
"We all do Phoebe," Arnold stated matter of factly. "But we deal with our insecurities. Being unkind to others is not something I could never overlook."
Phoebe nodded, it was a sound point.
She had wondered for weeks why Arnold suddenly became distant and cold towards Helga after she confessed her feelings.
In their teenage girl brains, things were not meant to play out that way. He was suppose to confess to a crush on her too, and ride with her into the sunset.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the period.
Arnold stood up, his tall frame towering over Phoebe's desk. He offered a small, appreciative nod.
"Thanks for listening, Pheebs. Sometimes it helps to just… talk things out, even if I'm not exactly sure what I'm trying to say."
He collected his books and punctuated the end of their chat with "Don't let her Stockholm Syndrome you. The two of us, we take too much shit cause we're too kind."
Phoebe watched him walk away, the weight of their brief conversation lingering.
She knew Arnold was not one for emotional revelations, but the moment had revealed a deeper layer to his internal conflict.
Would it be in anyone's best interest to share his hesitations with Helga? Perhaps not.