"You'll get the money when I get my date," Patty stated the second she walked into Phoebe's room. After a moment of shock Helga, Arnold, Gerald, and Phoebe looked at each other in surprise before three of them nodded in acceptance, even as Helga tried to argue with Patty in the background. After five minutes Helga was forced to admit defeat and Patty left the group to come up with a game plan.
"Game plan," Gerald repeated with a blank look on his face to Helga, "I just figured we would hold an intervention, like you and Arnold did for me and Phoebe." In response Helga just face palmed as Arnold snickered at the memory, while he warped Helga in his arms. "Geraldo…that only worked because you two were acting stupid. It won't work for Harold and Patty because Harold is stu- oh!" Helga gasped in surprise when Arnold, without out warning, bit her on the neck.
"Dude?!" Ignoring his best friend's cries Arnold continued to suck on that warm neck even as he felt certain doom approaching. With a bang Phoebe's dictionary came crashing into Arnold's head, which in turn caused him to bite down harder, and Helga couldn't help but let loose a breathless moan. "Stop doing stuff on my bed!"
"But Pheebs, your bed's so comfortable." Helga replied as she regained her bearing while Arnold rubbed his head as he removed himself from Helga. "No it's not!" "Arnold my man why did you have to…oh god….raining sheep, dancing ducks, screaming babies….don't pout at me…but seriously why do you do things when other people are around….Why are you blushing?"
"Do you like it when people watch or something?" Helga's voice held nothing but shock even as Arnold, whose silence and increasing blush was answered her question. "Okay that's it!" Phoebe declared, clearly passed the breaking point at having way too much information. "Here's the game plan! Each of will try to get Harold to ask Patty on a date. If none of us succeed separately, then the four of us will work together to get it done!"
The others nodded and none argued because Gerald didn't want to upset his girlfriend further, Helga was still shocked, and Arnold wouldn't look any of them in the eyes.
It was a nice normal day for Harold, as he began walking towards the park. Even as he silently bemoaned the coming school year and the loss of the Arnold-Helga bet money, he couldn't but be pleased at entering High School with his friends since he was slightly worried. A sudden shout caused him to turn his head and he immediately began to feel nervous as Helga marched up to him. He didn't bolt or run because he could see that she was distracted by something.
"Hey bucko," Helga began, "what do you think of Patty?" There was a bout of silence before Harold widened his eyes in shocked before exclaiming, "You're that person! That person who gets into a couple and gets all love-dovely and then starts pairing people together in order to spread the love! I won't fall for your tricks Pataki! I won't feed your disease!" As Harold bolted away, Helga just stood there looking shocked, bemused, and a little irrigated. After a thought struck her head, Helga froze for a split second before she nodded and decided to search for and make a deal with Arnold.
Meanwhile a panting Harold came to a stop at the park before leaping in surprise when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. "Oh Phoebe it's just you….what's with the charts?" "Harold," Phoebe began with a smile as she handed him said charts. "I'm glad you asked me." As Harold began looking through the charts he made a choking sound, "As you can see these charts explain why you and Patty belong together."
Very calmly Harold looked Phoebe right in the eye before he folded and ripped the charts in half before walking away. While Phoebe shook her head as she bent down to pick up the ruined charts away, Harold bumped into Gerald. Even before Gerald began to speak Harold had a sneaking suspicion on where this was going and tried unsuccessfully to ignore him. After enduring Gerald's intervention for five minutes Harold punched him in the face and turned in direction of the Boarding House because clearly Arnold was going to come find him too and he just wanted to get it all over with, so they would leave him alone.
It wasn't, Harold mused, that he didn't like Patty because he did. It was just that they were friends. What if she didn't like him back? What if his confession ruined their friendship? What would he do if she liked someone else? What if-
His train of thought was cut short as he found himself dragged into an alley and his surprise at Arnold being behind it was the only thing that kept him from punching him. "Harold," Arnold's voice was filled with authority and his eyes shown brightly in purpose, "You will man up and ask Patty on a date. No," Arnold waved his finger at him, "don't object. I'm not blind and I see that you have feelings for her and she has feelings for you. It's true," Arnold added at Harold's disbelieving eyes. "You must move forward and face that fear. It is only then you will truly find the road to happiness."
"Since when are you Yoda?" Harold couldn't help comment because clearly Arnold was channeling someone there. "What? I'm not Yoda!" Arnold couldn't help but exclaimed in surprise.
"Are you being Zangetsu?" Harold ventured forth next which caused Arnold to face palm even as he muttered out, loud enough for Harold to hear, "Since you're not Ichigo Kurosaki that would be a no." "Hey you're into Bleach too! So what do you think of it?" "I think it's great and hey! Don't try and distract me. We are talking about how you should confess to Patty."
"Arnold I don't have feelings for Patty." "Yes you do and you must think I'm dense to not of noticed. What's with that look! Why did you snort? Your shoulders are shaking….Stop it…Harold….I mean it…..Harold…I'm warning you…I'm being serious here...This is your last chance….Stop laughing at me dammit and ask Patty on a date!"
Later that night the customers and staff at the ice cream polar in Hillwood kept glancing at a table with filled with six people who were clearly on a triple date. While some people were glancing at the two boys with black eyes, most people were locked on the blondes who were French kissing without care of who could see them. Some thought of young love and left it at that, other's thought they were too young to be doing that but no one wanted to piss Helga, and those at the table had different opinions.
Patty couldn't care less what Helga and Arnold did since her and Harold agreed to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Phoebe tried her best to ignore them as she comforted Gerald over his black eye. Gerald basked in Phoebe's presence, while glaring at Harold for punching him when he was only trying to help. Arnold and Helga eventually stopped and panted from the lack of air and loved every second of it.
Meanwhile while Harold was pleased beyond all measure that he and Patty were now boyfriend and girlfriend, he was also rather disturbed. While the sight of Helga and Arnold French kissing was disturbing (he did not need to see that) , he was more disturbed at Arnold's swearing, snapping, and punching him in the face because clearly Helga was corrupted him. Arnold was too kind to react that way to him laughing at him after all….