Happily Ever After . . . Not!

Chapter 8 – I Love You

"It's beautiful, Gerald." Phoebe said in amazement.

The six teenagers. Arnold, Sally, Helga, Josh, Phoebe and Gerald were standing right in front of a fancy restaurant all dressed right for it. They look like their about to go to prom. But really, their going inside this beautiful restaurant that Gerald had paid for. Of course it was his idea to go there in the first place.

"Wow Gerald" Arnold said. He looked like he was hypnotized at this beautiful sight. "Where did you get the money to pay for this?"

"Oh, I borrowed it from my man, fuzzy slippers." Gerald said, he seems to be proud of himself while he was holding Phoebe close to him. Phoebe blushed.

"Well, what are we still doing here?" Helga said with a hint of excitement and a little bit of impatient and annoyance. "Let's go in." She took Josh's hand and opened the glass door while the rest of the gang followed her in.

The place looks even more beautiful than the outside. It was so fancy. There were sculptures of cupid and the goddess of Venus. There were gorgeous paintings and the curtains were so silky and so gold. There was even a small fountain in the middle of the place. It tinkled softly and the orchids planted around its base were reflected in the rippling water. This may be the fanciest restaurant these teens have ever been to.

A tall waiter led them into a huge round table which was covered in gold silk. The teenagers sat on their seats and the waiter each gave them a menu. The he left, giving them time to think of what they are going to eat. There was a gold basket filled with chocolate. So, of course, Helga took one of the chocolate. She placed the chocolate inside her mouth and was surprised by the wonderful taste.

"Hmm." Helga moaned. "You guys you have to try this." The gang stared at her. Everyone who knows Helga very well, is bound to know that she's not very polite when it comes to fancy restaurants. She then took another. Then another. She then realized that Josh was staring at her and he looked, well, kinda disgusted. She quickly took a gold napkin and rubbed it on her mouth and hands.

"I'm dreadfully sorry for being terribly impolite." She said politely and yet a little sarcastic. Helga was very beautiful tonight. And so as the other girls, but she seem to shine more with her hair up, locks of her hair curled on the side of her creamy face. She wore a strapless blue dress which really matched her eyes. And a beautiful sapphire necklace her parents gave her for her birthday. Arnold tried to stop staring at her, but couldn't. He couldn't help it. But then a familiar voice next him forced him to stop.

"I've never heard any of these foods." Sally said while looking at the menu.

"I do" Helga pointed out. She hates Sally so much that she tries to be better than her. So Arnold will know what a big mistake he had done.

"Really, Helga?" Josh asked, looking really interested. She didn't have the heart to lie to him. So she gave up.

"Ummm . . . no." she said. Somehow nervously.

"Then why you said you did." Sally asked. Staring at her. Helga glared her.

"Gee, because I feel like it." Helga said in a sarcastic voice. Sally looked hurt but continued to read the menu. Then everyone was quiet. Arnold understood that she doesn't like her very much. He doesn't blame her. He doesn't like Josh. He then started to wonder if he really likes Sally.

Phoebe looked up from her menu and started glancing around. Way too much gold. She then looked at the people. They look like in their forties or fifties. Phoebe noticed that Gerald was staring at her.

"You likening the place?" Gerald asked in romantic voice. This time Phoebe didn't blush. She looked serious.

"This place is way out of our league." Phoebe said. Feeling a little awkward.

"Well, we're here aren't we?" Gerald said. She smiled and looked at the kids she's seating next to. They looked bored. The gang didn't understand the menu.

"What kind of menu is this?" Helga asked. Placing the menu on the table." Haven't they ever heard of hamburgers?" She took two chocolates and put them in her mouth.

"Well, we could always ask the waiter." Sally said.

"No way" she said taking another chocolate." They'll think that we Americans don't understand their heritage or something." She thought for a second the she snapped her fingers." I got it. Let's ask the waiter." Sally looked surprised.

"But it was my idea."

"No it wasn't." Helga stared blankly at her.

"Yes, it was!" Sally protested. Suddenly looking hopeless she looked at Arnold. "Right Arnold? It was my idea." Arnold was stuck in between. He looked nervously at Helga and Sally.

"Look, it really doesn't matter whose idea it was." Josh said as if he was in charge of the group. "We came here to have a good time. So let's do what we were planning to do." Arnold glared at Josh. 'Hey! I was supposed to say that!' Arnold thought.

Sally's . . . or Helga's idea worked. The waiter was actually half American. So the gang got their drinks and waited until their food was served.

"Man oh man, why do they take so long to cook?" Gerald said holding his stomach. He looked at the basket filled with chocolate. He didn't feel like eating chocolate. He feels like eating a big juicy chicken, sprinkled with sour lemons.

"Gerald, the waiter left like five seconds ago." Arnold pointed out.

"Well, we could always play a little game while we wait." Sally suggested. Helga rolled her eyes.

"That's stupid." Helga said. Taking another chocolate.

"That's a great idea!" Josh said. Helga smiled.

"Yeah, I like that idea too." She said.

"Let's play-" Josh was interrupted by Arnold.

"No, I don't wanna play that game." Arnold said, even though Josh didn't say the name of the game yet.

"We shouldn't play any game. Period." Phoebe said. "This is a restaurant you guys, we're not in the movies waiting for the previews to end anymore." Gerald pulled Phoebe close to her again and stared lovingly in her dark eyes.

"Come on, baby" Gerald said. "We're just gonna play a harmless little game."

"Okay." She said dreamingly. Helga smirked. She's kinda jealous that Phoebe is having such a great time with Gerald. Truth is, Helga is not sure if she's having a great time with Josh. She then stared at Arnold. That cute shaped head of his.

"Gerald, why don't you tell us an urban legend." Arnold said.

"I've ran out of legends to tell." He said. He then thought for a moment. "I know, let's play Truth or Dare."

" I don't think that-" Sally was interrupted by Helga.

"Splendid!" Helga said in a polite voice. "I'll go first." She then turned to Sally. "truth or dare?"

Sally looked shocked. "Um, truth." She managed to say. Helga did her evil grin.

"Are you a virgin?" Helga said in a polite voice. As if the question wasn't so surprising. The gang gasped.

"Helga!" yelled Arnold.

"What?" She said innocently. Sally knew what Helga is trying to do. She's trying to humiliate her in front of her new friends. Well, she's not going to let that happen. Sally stared at Helga, the kind of look that could take any challenges.

"Yes." She answered with confidence. Helga frowned. "Now it's my turn, truth or dare?" Sally's voice was different now. Before, her voice was kind and soft. But now her voice sounded brave and feisty.

"Truth" said Helga. As she stared straight at Sally.

Sally smiled sweetly, yet evil. "Aren't you glad I took Arnold away from you?" Everyone gasped. While Helga stared ice cold at her for six seconds. She suddenly stood up and took her glass of soda and poured it on Sally's face. Everyone in the restaurant stopped talking and stared at these amateurs. Helga fixed herself and started walking, but stopped. She went back and took a chocolate while she gave Sally an angry scowl and left to the ladies room. Everyone in the restaurant went back to their talking while the gang stayed quiet. Suddenly, which seemed out of nowhere, a waiter came with plates of food.

"Finally! I'm starving!" Gerald said with hunger. Phoebe sigh, she stood up and went to follow Helga. Arnold watched Phoebe leaving and then glared at Sally.

"Sally, why did you do that?" Arnold asked, disappointed in her. Sally took the gold napkins and started wiping her black dress.

"I'm sorry Arnold" Sally said with a sad expression on her face." But she left me no choice; I tried to be nice to her."

"It's alright, Sally." Josh said holding her hand. Arnold glared at him and stood up.

"Hey, mind your own business" Arnold yelled. "You should be comforting Helga!" Josh got angry and stood up.

"No, Arnold!" Josh protested. "You're the one who should comfort her, not me!" You might have thought that Gerald would try to break them apart. But really, he's just sitting there eating his delicious dinner.

"What are you talking about!" Arnold demanded. Everyone was staring at these teenagers arguing, which really these people were enjoying this. Sally just sat there staring at these two boys.

"I know your still in love with Helga!" Josh yelled. Arnold's eyes were wide open. Sally stood up and glared at Arnold.

"Arnold is this true!" Sally cried. Her hands made a fist. Arnold glanced at her.

"No . . . no I'm not." Arnold looked confused. He's not sure anymore.

"Oh, come on Arnold" Josh said. "You kept on staring at her. You were practically drooling over her." Arnold looked down at his shoes. Sally's tears were falling.

"Arnold" Her voice was shaky." Is this true?" She thought for a moment then stared back at him. "Did you dump her because of me?" He looked up from his shoes and stared at her. "And now you're in love with THAT?" Sally pointed at Helga while she was getting out of the ladies room with Phoebe. Helga's eyes were red and watery. Her hair was down and she was holding her pair of high heels sandals. Helga walked up to Sally and stood in front of her. Helga didn't listen to the conversation, so she doesn't know what's going on.

"Look Sally." Helga began to say. "I'm sorry. It was all my fault; I shouldn't have embarrassed you like that." Sally stared at her. Helga looked around and noticed that something isn't right. "What happened?" Phoebe walked up to Helga, feeling the same way she is.

"Tell her Arnold." Josh said. Arnold looked at Josh and then at Helga. Arnold took a step towards her and stopped a few feet.

"What's wrong?" Helga asked. Feeling nervous. Arnold looked at her beautiful blue eyes. The audience in the restaurant was looking very interested. As if their watching a movie about Arnold's and Helga's life. Sally shook her head sadly while tears started to fall more. Phoebe and Josh were waiting anxiously for Arnold's answer. And Gerald is still eating his delicious dinner without realizing was the hell is going on!

"Helga, I'm in love with you." Arnold finally admitted. The people in the restaurant were crying, Phoebe was in shock, Josh looked satisfied, Sally broke down crying and Gerald is still eating.

Now, you might expect that Helga would jump up and down and say I love you too, well you were wrong.

"What kind of joke is this!" Helga demanded. She slammed her shoes on the floor. The audience gasped. "Why can't you make up your mind? First you tell me you don't love me, and now you tell me you do!"

"But I'm serious about this!" Arnold said hopelessly. Helga cried and laughed at the same time.

"Don't you see, Arnold?" She sighs. "We can't be together. If we do end up together, then we're just going to end up right back where we started from."

"Helga plea-"

"Stop it Arnold, just stop!" Helga screamed. "Don't do this to me." Arnold got angry and stormed up to her and holds her tight.

"No!" Arnold yelled." You are not going to leave me! I love you Helga and I know that you love me too!" Arnold's eyes looked closely at hers." I could see it in your eyes." Helga looked speechless. Then she rested her head on Arnold's chest. Her eyes were red and so tired.

"You're right." Helga spoke softly. "I do love you." She then closes her eyes and practically fell asleep and so did Arnold. Together they stand, holding each other. Everyone in the restaurant who nosily watched everything clapped their heart out.

Phoebe clapped too. She was so proud of them. She turned to look at Gerald. He fell asleep, holding his stomach. 'I guess I'll tell him what just happened tomorrow.' Phoebe thought. She looked around for Josh and Sally. But they were gone.

That's strange, where did Josh and Sally go?

Phoebe then spotted a light pink letter on top of the basket full of chocolates. She took it and gently opened it. It read:

Dear lovers,

We are not who you think we are. We are different. We are special. We came to help you. To love each other again. And to care for each other. We are not fairies nor are we cupids. You may never know who we are. But that shouldn't matter. Because you have each other. And that is what's truly important.

Yours truly,

Unknown

And They Lived Happily Ever After . . . THE END