A/N: Just to be clear, I am not copying anyone's work, nor did I get the idea based off of anybody elses stories. I came up with the idea AGES ago, and have just gotten around to writing it because I'm afraid to say that someone else has posted a story scarily close to my original idea. This is still the idea, and nothing has changed from the original plot I came up with. This idea was very vaguely based off of the movie, "Freaky Friday", but is still an original idea that I came up with months prior, and I have a witness that would agree to all the following claims.

Also, I would like to point out that this story was pre-read by my own dear friend and partner in crime, NintendoGal55, who I would like to throw out a huge thanks to for all the feedback and support. :D

This all being said, go on and read the fruits of my labor already!

Disclaimer: I, SuprSingr, in no way claim to own the rights to "Hey Arnold!", and respect Viacom and Nickelodeon's rights to the series (That doesn't in any way mean I approve it). WE LOVE YOU, CRAIG!

"Hey Arnold!"

The Pickle Jar

By SuprSingr

Helga stared down at the ground, her little arms dangling at her sides, now free of any lunch box filled with food she had to prepare herself... Her eyes didn't dare to well up with tears, though, as she knew that that showed weakness. Patakis didn't show weakness! ...At least, that's what Daddy always said.

As she continued to walk, she felt the rain beat down harshly on her tender stature, making her feel cold and alone...

Suddenly, the rain was gone. Though she could still hear the pitter patter and splashing coming from all around her, it was no longer hitting her. She felt herself automatically look up, now seeing a light blue umbrella up above her, much different in contrast to all the grays and whites and blacks surrounding her.

"Hi," She looked to her left at the greeting, now coming to see a blonde boy with a very oddly shaped head. "Nice bow." He continued with a smile.

She blinked. "Huh?"

He smiled a bit brighter, stepping closer to her. "I like your bow, because it's pink like your pants." He elaborated brightly.

She blinked again, before a small smile slowly spread itself across her face. She giggled, giving him a small punch in the shoulder. "Thanks. I like your..." She began, feeling that she should repay the kind boy, as she now searched across his form, causing a lovely shade of pink to now radiate off the boy's cheeks. She zeroed in on his hat, once again a very nice shade of blue that she felt truly made the rather depressing world around them look just a little bit brighter. She smiled a bit wider at this observation. "your hat."

He blinked, his eyes going upward in a vain attempt to see the thing she was talking about. "My hat?"

She nodded. "Uh-huh. I like it." She fluttered her eyelashes at him out of pure instinct, before bringing her attention back to the task at hand, and pushing the glass door to the pre-school open so she could enter.

As Arnold stood in the rain, his umbrella held high above his head, he watched through the glass as Helga shook her head rapidly, her pigtails sending little droplets of water all around the area like slingshots. He watched as the droplets flew all around, giving her hair a certain kind of sheen, he felt he couldn't look away. Finally, as Helga finished, she looked down at herself in disgust at seeing all the mud on her pink overalls. She pouted a moment, and he couldn't help but find the look adorable. After a moment, she looked around, before seeming to find a bathroom down a hall, and making her way towards it, and slowly out of sight.

Arnold stayed planted to the spot a minute more, feeling bolted to the ground, his heart pounding, his face flushed. His eyes slowly had begun to fall half-lidded, and he soon found himself stumbling through the entrance, waving goodbye to a strangely smiling grandfather, and hanging up his umbrella, rain coat, and boots.

About the time he had finished taking off his boots and setting them neatly beside each other, he heard a door open and close. He felt his head instantly snap to the direction out of instinct, only to see a now clean little girl in bright pink overalls, her sunshine hair up in pigtails, and her matching pink bow perched proudly a top her sweet little head. She smiled at him, offering a short wave of recognition, before passing him by completely and entering into the play room of the preschool. He stared after her, his eyes a little wide as he leaned over to try and see her better as she walked off. In his leaning, he soon found himself falling over from being so unbalanced. He let out a short yelp, before finding himself on his back, the hand that just happened to still be gripping his little yellow rain boot still gripping tight, even tighter now as his heart had started fluttering like mad.

What was wrong with him?

Later on, he still found himself staring at her more and more. Every few seconds he'd feel himself glance over in her direction, almost involuntarily. It was now snack time, and he watched her with rapt attention, as she chatted with the small Asian girl sitting next to her. Her eyes would light up every five seconds, and then he'd watch her lips move as she chatted on, just a bit animatedly. He felt himself getting more and more interested in her lips. His grandma had told him that you gave kisses to people you loved. For whatever reason, the idea of getting a kiss from her seemed to be all that he had on his mind. He found himself really wanting her to like him. If she kissed him - That would mean she liked him, right? He knew he liked her... so... Maybe they could like eachother together? That seemed really appealing to him for whatever reason.

He saw her reach over to pick up one of her crackers, still looking at her new little friend and talking as she did so absently, but right before her hand could make contact with the plate, it got swiped away from her. Arnold blinked, watching as she looked down and saw that her plate was gone. She heard laughing, and looked over to some big boned boy, stuffing his face with her snacks and laughing cruelly, open mouthed as he chewed - A very grotesque sight, if anyone asked Arnold, and by the disgusted and horrified look on the young girl's face, it seemed she would agree.

He felt a frown slowly dig itself into his face as he saw her bottom lip quiver ever so slightly, and if he didn't know any better, he'd say that there were tears in her eyes... They were sparkling an awful lot... making her pretty blue eyes seem even more captivating... Though these distracting thoughts didn't change the fact that she seemed very sad. He looked down at his own plate, seemingly abandoned as he'd been too distracted with admiring the sweet girl across the room to remember that he even had a snack to begin with. He looked back up at her then, now picking up his own plate and walking over to her.

He saw her look over in his direction now with slightly questioning, sad blue eyes, and he stopped, momentarily forgetting completely about his mission, lost in her eyes. He shook his head then, ridding himself of such thoughts (For now) and finally finishing his small trek over to her. He offered a small, tentative smile, holding his plate out to her in offering. She shifted her eyes down to it, blinking in slight bewilderment. He smiled nervously, holding it out a bit closer to her. "Want mine?" He managed weakly, his free hand held behind his back self-consciously.

She looked back up into his gentle green eyes, searching for any kind of deceit. Finding none, she felt herself smile ever so slightly, and nod, taking his plate. "Yeah. Thanks."

He felt himself grin, his mind blank for words, he simply nodded, backing away from her slowly.

He heard strange smacking noises then, and he blinked, coming out of his stupor to look over and see the same large boy making kissy noises at him and attempting to imitate the same goofy grin and stupid incessant nodding. Arnold felt his entire face go crimson, and he looked back at Helga to see her giggling also, but still giving him the same friendly eyes. He felt his heart speed up once again, and had to stop the affectionate look from coming to his face from how cute she looked when she laughed. In realizing just how hard this task was, he gulped, now fleeing out of the play room completely.

He hid behind the wall right beside the doorway leading back to the room that concealed the very distracting girl. His heart fluttering and his pulse racing, he concluded to himself that he was going to have to be much more careful in hiding these new found feelings now jumbled up inside of his young and very confused heart.

He slowly, carefully, inched his head over to peak through the doorway to get another look at the enchanting creature. He saw her there, giggling up a storm over whatever, her much shorter, Asian buddy seeming just as amused by whatever it was they were talking about. He felt his gaze go half-lidded as he continued to gaze at her, his head pounding with new thoughts and ideas as his tiny heart beat erratically in his ears.

What was that word that Grandma and Grandpa always said to eachother? Dove, Glove, Shove...?

Love.

He grinned, the word sounding so strange and yet so RIGHT in describing the situation.

"Love..." He repeated it out loud, the word rolling off his tongue with ease. His eyes shine. "Love... I... I love you." He giggled a little, tucking himself away in the shadows once again to fully enjoy his new little discovery.

Present Day

A ten-year-old Arnold Shortman sped across the pavement on his skateboard with ease, his long time best friend, Gerald Johanson, hot on his trail. He looked ahead with determination, ducking down slightly to go a bit faster. He glanced back briefly to see that his opponent was catching up. That wouldn't do, now would it?

He ducked down even lower, grabbing the front of his board and doing a little jump to try and intimidate his opponent. He smirked, looking over at the dark African American. To his slight terror, the boy only smirked back in challenge, and then performed a perfect 3/60, and then gave him a carefree, half-lidded smile as if it was the easiest thing in the world for him to do.

Arnold squinted his eyes back at him, sticking his tongue out in determination as he got ready to do another trick - When a sudden flash of pink and gold caught his eye, and he turned his head quick to stare right back into two very beautiful blue eyes. His mind blanched, and he stared, almost completely forgetting that he was on a very fastly moving skateboard in the first place. As he stood and stared into the two very amused, yet intoxicatingly beautiful eyes like the idiot he knew he was, he didn't even register that he was about to hit something until the pair of eyes he was staring into suddenly changed from amused to alarmed. He absently wondering what the sudden change in mood was about, until-

"OW!" He yelped, suddenly finding himself on the ground and his skateboard now underneath one leg as his other one rested just underneath the bumper of the parked car. In finally realizing what had happened, he looked up instantly to make sure there were no bumps or scrapes on the car's rear. Once confirming that the back of the car that he'd hit was perfectly fine, his ears suddenly registered an angelic voice calling to him...

"Arnold!"

And then there was... Eh, some other more male-like, rough voice coming from a small distance. He didn't really care too much. He just wanted to hear more of that other voice.

His wish was granted. "Arnold!" A pair of alarmed and incredulous (And yet also slightly amused) upside down eyes were suddenly staring down at him. His eyes widened as she came closer down to him. Was she going to-to kiss him or-

He felt her arms come up from under his arms, pulling him upright. He winced slightly, feeling his elbow stinging slightly.

The angel seemed to notice his look of pain. She smirked slightly. "Yeah, well, that's what happens when you don't keep your eyes on the road, Bucko."

"Arnold, man!" Gerald suddenly came up, his board under his arm. He threw it down carelessly, staring down at his bruised (Though silently elated) friend. "What the heck was that?"

Helga laughed, her hand resting on his shoulder. He stared at it absently, reveling in his soft, gentle, and yet still firm feel. Helga simply continued, though. "Well, the demolition crew here," She patted Arnold's shoulder. "forgot to keep his eyes on the prize and instead of knocking the building down, ended up knocking HIMSELF down." She snickered.

Gerald gave his friend an incredulous look, and Arnold simply averted his eyes from his friend, instead now contently gazing down at the concrete.

Helga finished her snickering rather quickly, and then gave Arnold a firm pat on the back, lowering her head down to look him in the eye from behind (Causing a hopefully not too obvious blush to rise in his cheeks). She smiled more softly at him, her kinder side shining through now. "But really, though, are you okay?"

Arnold stared back into her eyes, his mind desperately trying to find words to answer her question despite the fierce urge to press his lips to her own tantalizingly pink ones that were so very close to his own... He answered quietly, distractedly, "Uh... yeah..."

Helga grinned, standing back up straight all too soon, as he found himself blinking in confusion. Gerald helped him to his feet as Helga continued on with what she was now saying, "Well, anyway, I've actually been looking around for you guys. Everyone's heading down to Gerald Field to play some baseball." The two boys noticed then that she was indeed wielding a wooden bat in her left hand. She continued with a slight smile and a half-lidded gaze, "The sixth graders are all on some big, weekend sized field trip all today and tomorrow, so we don't have to worry about them either. We've got to embrace the opportunity! So you guys coming?"

Gerald grinned, opening his mouth to agree whole-heartedly when-

"We can't, but thanks."

He deflated instantly, looking at Arnold with questioning eyes, but all he got in return was a flinchy, nervous expression back and an only slightly reassuring smile.

Helga blinked, also seeming to deflate slightly, before she regained her cocky, confident posture and shrugged. "Okay. See you guys later." She walked off.

Arnold stared after her, leaning over the back side of the car to stare after her until she was out of sight. Finally, once she was completely gone, he finally came to feel eyes on him. He blinked, turning his head slowly to his friend who was now giving him a very amused and mocking look. Gerald smirked at him. "Dude, why can't we go?" Though he knew in the back of his head what the answer was, it had become routine to ask, so he did.

Arnold fidgeted in his spot a bit uncomfortably, bending down to pick up his skateboard. "You know why, Gerald." He answered him quietly as he began off in the opposite direction as Helga.

Gerald fell into step beside him easily. "Yeah, yeah, I know." He gave him a half-lidded knowing, yet dry look. "It's because SHE'LL be there."

Arnold simply nodded, his eyes focused ahead as they walked.

Gerald let out a exasperated sigh through his mouth, as he slumped forward slightly, staring over at his friend. "And refresh my memory, WHY can't you just tell her you're crazy about her again?"

Arnold frowned, his eyes going down to the sidewalk now, contently studying the cracks as he stepped over each one carefully. "Because she doesn't like me like that." He mumbled out, kicking a bottle cap across the street now as they crossed the road.

Gerald folded his arms over his chest, quirking his mouth to one side as he stared at his friend dryly. "And how exactly do you know this, buddy?"

Arnold frowned a bit deeper now, feeling a growl rising up from his throat. "Because she likes that stupid Lyle guy..." He grit his teeth.

Gerald blinked in surprise at his answer, his eyes wide open now. He'd forgotten about Lyle... HOW could he have FORGOTTEN about LYLE? He frowned to himself, digging his hands into his pockets sheepishly. "Oh yeah... Sorry."

Arnold just nodded, his eyes expressing a deep hatred as he kicked the very same bottle cap a bit harder now, his every action and expression showing bitterness.

"You know," Gerald began after a few moments of silence. "She'd probably give you a chance if you just-"

"Gerald..." Arnold began, more harshly than he'd intended. He cleared his throat, attempting to get his mind out of his angry thoughts. "Look, we both know that I've been crazy in love with her since preschool, and since all that time, she's shown no interest in me whatsoever. No matter what I do. I mean, I'm as nice as I can possibly be to her, I hold doors open for her, I pull her chair out for her, I even manage to talk to her without stuttering every couple of months, and yet all she's ever done is give me a 'thanks' in response, or an amused smile before walking away. I think it's pretty clear that if I admitted to her that she's practically my entire reason for living, she'd probably do her best to avoid me for the rest of her life. I mean, the hiding behind trash cans and in alleys just to get a glance at her, the doodles in my notebook and on my tests that Mr. Simmons keeps telling me I'm going to need to stop even though he should know fully well I CAN'T, the staring at her all through class, the being completely devoted to one person for seven years!" He stopped himself, as his breathing had become very hard and quite frantic. He gulped, pressing his back against the building behind him for support. "This can't be healthy, can it?" He let his head fall back against the wall behind him, and he closed his eyes, finishing, "But my point is, if she likes me as much as you've told me she does, wouldn't she have shown some kind of sign by now? I've sure as heck shown a lot of signs. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire 5th grade class knew that I was in love with her. Always blushing like a fool around the poor angel..."

Gerald stared at his friend sympathetically, having been used to his usual outbursts of emotion after so many years of unrequited love. It truly did do a number on the poor boy. He was a very reserved person, always keeping his distance from the girl in knowing that he'd probably end up mauling her if he got too close. It scared Gerald how someone as innocent and gentle as Arnold could turn into such a desperate, passionate person when it came to matters of the heart. He truly did show just about every sign in the book when it came to liking that girl - He blushed, he grinned, he stuttered, he tripped, he stumbled, he stared, he sniffed, he caressed, he hyperventilated, and so much more! It seemed no one was more obvious in their affections than poor Arnold. He was always such an open and honest boy, so hiding such strong feelings always was a great difficulty for him. And Gerald didn't doubt that just about everyone knew - Well, except MAYBE Helga. She did seem to give Arnold some pretty knowing looks whenever she caught him staring at her. He wouldn't be surprised if she did actually know. Though she never said anything.

And of course, there was always Lyle Sawyer standing in the way of the two. Poor Helga had been under his spell for months now, ever since he moved in from Pleasantville. Arnold had already expressed his deep hatred of the boy on several occasions, giving the boy a very disapproving, nasty look in the hallways. Everyone knew that Lyle knew fully well of Helga's affections (As well as about every other girl in the class'), and they'd even gone out for a few fleeting (Yet very miserable for poor Arnold) days before Lyle had up and decided he just didn't like her that way. Helga had been devastated, truly devastated, but Arnold had been there to give her some of his usual comforting (If not very stuttery) advice on how maybe he just wasn't the one and how she should just move on. Of course, Helga was a very stubborn girl, and had proclaimed her feelings for Lyle out-front and assured anyone and everyone (Including a very horrified Arnold) that they were very simply meant to be, and Lyle would realize that when the gods deemed it to be time.

Arnold had become very bitter on the subject, his heart filling up with hatred and jealousy at the mere mention of the boy's name. He didn't just hate him because he was the holder of his love's affections, but also because he didn't ever act upon them, even though he KNEW he had them. Arnold believed something as precious as Helga's affections to be a rare and beautiful treasure, so the fact that the foolish boy didn't appreciate them at all and could so easily disregard them made him sick. Helga had never liked a boy that long before, nor had she ever been as dedicated. Though Gerald knew it made Arnold want to both chop Lyle up into smithereens and curl up in a corner and die, he never acted upon either desires (As far as he knew).

But as far back as the tall haired boy could remember, his poor best friend had been madly in love with Helga Pataki, constantly drooling over her picture and whatnot. The poor boy was definitely the worst at hiding his affections. It had only taken Gerald a few seconds of staring at his friend staring at the girl adoringly for him to register with his small, toddler brain that he was as smitten as a young three-year-old could be. And as time had progressed, his feelings had only become more and more intense and much more mature with the years.

Indeed, Arnold had conceded almost immediately at being called out by the darker boy that he was in love with the young golden haired 'angel' as he often referred to her as. Admitting that he admired her for not only how 'pwetty' she was, but how she seemed to have this amazing life in her eyes that Arnold, even at a young age, had a deep hunger for. He'd also admitted that he'd loved her almost at first sight, telling of how his heart had started fluttering and his stomach had filled up with butterflies and how, despite the cold wetness from all around them, he'd felt considerably warm around the adorable girl he'd come to love so much.

And now, seven years later, that very same love that had put such a radiant light in the young boy's eyes, was now seeming to drain all the life out of him. It was true that love had the power to be a very beautiful thing... but it also had the power to destroy a person, and Gerald hated to see such a passionate love consume his best friend so mercilessly. If only that darned girl could see what she was missing out on. Arnold had become a very modest boy, often shying away from most people now, so no one really knew of the kind hearted boy with a very giving and generous heart that was buried deep within him. If Helga could only see that boy, Gerald was sure that...

Arnold opened his eyes then, quickly wiping the few tears that had run down his face, and beginning to walk down the sidewalk again, not meeting Gerald's eyes now. "Never mind..." He muttered, hanging his head down as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Gerald frowned.

Something clearly needed to be done.

"So, Helga..." Rhonda began with a smirk. "How does it feel to have poor Arnold so crazy about you?" All the girls in the room giggled.

Helga raised one side of her eyebrow at the group, wondering why she'd allowed Phoebe to drag her to this blasted slumber party... Slumber party... Yeah, right. More like lumber party, she thought to herself, rolling her eyes. "It's okay." She shrugged non-committedly, smoothing out her rich, pink night gown.

Rhonda raised an eyebrow at her, leaning forward on the pillow she was sitting on. "Oh, really...? You know he's been head over heels for years now. Aren't you going to do something about it already?"

Helga stared at the dark haired girl boredly, now examining her nearly non-existent nails (Due to years of biting them) with interest. "Nah. I mean, what am I supposed to do? He's an okay guy, I guess, but we all know that I'm firmly commit ed to-"

"A boy who doesn't even LIKE you."

Helga cut her eyes at the smirking girl, the backs of her hands now resting on her hips. "He'll come around. He's just in denial, that's all. He's got commitment issues." She shrugged. "But we're meant for each other, so no worries."

"And what about Arnold?" Nadine asked then.

Helga yawned, feeling a bit tired now. She scratched her upper arm absent-mindedly. "I don't know. He's got to give up sometime, right? He'll get the clue. But he's such a sweet boy, I really don't want to hurt his feelings. I mean, he's-"

"He's too quiet."

"Too low on the food chain."

"He's an orphan, for Heaven's sakes!"

"He's so poor."

"His wardrobe is a catastrophe!"

"Have you seen his grades? He's a total nerd!"

"I feel bad for him."

"Me too."

Rhonda put a hand to her heart as she spoke dramatically, "The poor boy only really has one thing keeping him going." She looked to Helga. "You."

Helga flushed indignantly, throwing a pillow at Rhonda's face. "I get it, I get it! I'm not heartless! That's why I haven't rejected him just yet. He's so obviously in love with me, always has been. I really feel for the poor guy. So quiet, always sitting in his little corner with Geraldo and making googly eyes at me. I just don't know what to do! I mean, he's a nice enough boy, but I..." She shrugged a bit, a melancholy look on her face. "Well, I don't really know all that much about him, but there's never seemed to be much to know about him at all other than that he's nice and really shy. I might as well date a rock, you know? But I can't just reject him like that. I need a more gentle approach, and until I figure it out, nobody talk about it, or him. You're reasons for me not liking him are ridiculous anyway. I mean, 'poor'? Please, like I care. And 'bad wardrobe', come on Rhonda, you think EVERYONE has a horrible wardrobe. And just because he has good grades it doesn't make him a nerd. Phoebe makes even higher grades than him, and she's not a nerd... that much. And last but not least, 'he's an orphan'. Ugh. Please. I might as well be an orphan too with how Bob and Miriam don't even glance at me when I pass them by." She rolled her eyes, her arms crossed firmly over her chest.

The room fell quiet, Rhonda staring at her for a good while before a smirk slowly spread itself across her face. "A match made in Heaven!" She declared, clapping her hands as all the other giggling girls joined in spiritedly.

Helga rolled her eyes, laying down now and pulling her blanket over her head. "The only match for me is Lyle, thank you very much. He's so kind and sweet and giving... I'll never find anyone out there better." She mumbled to herself, managing to finally hone out all the laughter and cheers coming from all around her.

From across the city, a certain football headed boy was now laying in his bed, staring up at the stars through his sky light. He gazed at them with wonder, a picture of Helga held lovingly against his chest. He raised the picture up a bit so he could look at it, feeling his heart spring with warmth and contentment.

He knew he loved her, he loved her with everything he had. And for someone with as big a heart as him, and in having so few to give some of his love to (His grandparents and his best friend being the first and nearly only to come to mind), she had just about all of it. He knew he'd always love her too, since his one vain attempt in getting over her. Lyle's own sister actually showed interest in him for a few brief days, and he'd truly tried his hardest to feel something back - But he found he couldn't. She just didn't have the same drive, the same spirit, the same passion as Helga. And the entire time he was with her he'd found himself wishing more and more that her green eyes were blue, her auburn hair gold, her pale green dress instead a bright, powerful pink. He felt haunted by that angelic girl, trapped in some incessant game with her constantly circling around his heart, so close to it but never touching. Helga...

He sighed, giving the photo a kiss before tucking it away under his pillow, along with the picture of his lost parents... Not that he even wanted to think about THAT. His obsession with Helga often gave him a distraction from thinking of his parents... and also everything else, it seemed. He still remembered the one time Gerald had apparently been talking to him for an hour and a half while he was too busy staring at Helga sipping her milkshake over at Slausens across the street from his window to even notice. Gerald hadn't been pleased... at all.

Arnold couldn't help but snicker slightly at the memory of Gerald giving him that sincerely ticked off look. He rolled over in his bed, pulling the covers up over him more as he very slowly began to drift off to sleep, thoughts of what it must be like to be Lyle flooding his mind.

He knew without a doubt, that if HE had Helga's devoted affections like that, he'd return them whole-heartedly without hesitation.

He snorted slightly in his sleep.

Like Helga was ever actually going to like him...

He frowned in his sleep.

Eh, maybe someday he'd get lucky.

"I dare you to be his girlfriend for a week."

Instantly, Sugar Chunks and milk spewed out from the girl's mouth, luckily all landing back into her own bowl once again. She choked then, pounding her fist against her chest in panic.

Rhonda simply continued unfazed, "You know, I'm rather curious to find out what would happen between the two of you. How long it would take dear Arnold to try and plant one on you."

Helga pounded her fist into her stomach, once, twice, thrice, until finally the small sugar chunk that was previously lodged in her throat jettisoned across the room, ironically pinging right into the silver trash can across the dining room.

Rhonda blinked a bit dully, staring over at the trash can. "Nice shot." She complimented absently, earning a short glare from the pigtailed girl, though she ignored it. "I mean, how long would it take him to try and make out with you? I'm a bit curious as to exactly how forward our modest little Arnold can be."

Helga shook her head rapidly, waving her arms dismissively. "Absolutely not. No way. Not in a million years!" She stood up gruffly, grabbing her bowl of cereal and making her way into the kitchen.

That is until, something stopped her in her tracks... "You know, Helga, it would probably make Lyle just soooooo jealous to see you with another boy."

Helga blinked, slowly turning around and giving the girl an unsure, yet clearly interested look.

Rhonda took it as cue. "Yes, just think of it. It really is the perfect plan. You start showing interest in a boy who is so OBVIOUSLY mad about you and who'd be willing to marry you on the spot, and Lyle will start realizing that you truly do have other options."

Helga, now fully turned around, took on a very pensive and interested look. The idea of Lyle watching Arnold as he proclaimed his undying adoration of her, glowing green with envy and heated jealousy, sent her heart into a wild flutter. She sighed a bit dreamily, imagining him coming over and pushing Arnold out of the way so he could beg her to take him back.

Rhonda smiled at her look, adding in just in case she tried to back out, "Plus, you ARE the Queen of Pranks, and as Queen of Pranks, you must not EVER refuse a dare unless you want to resign your position as Queen." She took a bite of her cereal, as all the other girls watched with interested expressions.

That did it.

Helga held her hand out from across the table to the girl, determination set in her stunning blue eyes.

"You've got yourself a deal, Princess."

Arnold whistled the tune to one of his favorite Jazz records, gazing into the lovely face of his beloved as he walked down the sidewalk without a care. It was days like this that he truly treasured. So quiet... serene... such a friendly environment... his favorite picture of his most loved one... and not a care in the-

"Hey, Arnoldo, how's it going?"

"HELGA!" Arnold screeched, fumbling desperately to get his photo of her back into his little blue hat. He breathed frantically in panic, giving her a wide-eyed stare as she just smiled smoothly at him from where she stood. He stared at her, sunlight reflecting off her hair, blue eyes shining, smile radiant, flowing pink dress as flattering as could be, and pink bow tying her whole look together perfectly. He knew his mouth was hanging open, but he really didn't care at the moment as he stared at her. 'How can anyone be so beautiful...?' He thought absently, staring into her wonderful face as she gave him one of her all too famous smirks, his frantic and panicked breathes settling more and more with each second.

Helga blinked twice, staring down at his lovestruck expression. 'Oh, boy... he's got it bad...' She shook her head slightly, before snapping her fingers in front of his face. "Earth to Shortman. Do you read?"

Arnold blinked, finally coming out of his lovesick state. He shook his head to clear it, and offered a very small, shaky smile. "Uh..." He gulped, finding it much easier to talk to her shoes. "Hey, Helga." 'Such a pretty name...'

Helga smirked a bit, bringing her finger down to his chin and bringing his head back up so she could see his eyes. She simply smiled at his surprised and almost dizzy looking expression. "So, like I was saying, how's it going?"

"Uh..." He stared at her, his face so close to hers, her finger under his chin (TOUCHING HIM!), his mind blank. He swallowed a little, smiling a bit of a loopy smile at her. "Fine..." He said affectionately.

She couldn't help but giggle at that cute look in his eyes. She'd never actually gotten this close to him before, so it was pretty interesting to see how he was reacting. Though she truly didn't understand WHY she got all the freaks and weirdos and strangely quiet ones to like her so much: There was Brainy, Arnie, Lyle for a short time (Though he was just a little quiet and definitely NOT a freak or weirdo) and then there was Arnold. Poor little Arnold. She shook her head a little at him, bringing his face just slightly closer with her finger. "Are you sure about that...?" She asked quietly, giggling inwardly.

His gaze half-lidded, his mind clouded over, he simply grinned at her and assured her softly, "Of course I'm sure, my sweet little-"

Helga stood up abruptly then, effectively spoiling the mood and bringing Arnold out of his loopy thoughts. He blinked a few times, feeling a bit dizzy, as he looked to her with slightly questioning green eyes. What the heck had just happened?

Helga resisted the urge to giggle uncontrollably at his confused expression, and linked her arm with his, much to his surprise. "So anyway, Arnold, I was hoping you could spare a few minutes of your very busy schedule to let me ask you something."

Arnold blinked, his mind screaming into every nerve in his body that she was very willingly TOUCHING HIM! ...AGAIN! "Uh, s-sure, Helga." 'Good job, Arnold! You finally managed to make words!'

Helga smiled in his direction, holding onto his arm a bit tighter. "Great! Now you see, it's a very simple question. Do you think you can answer it for me?"

He gave her a small smile, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "W-Well, I can try."

"Perfect!" Helga praised, now stopping them right near an alley. She sat herself on a box, forcing Arnold to do the same next to her. "You like me, don't you?" She dead panned, giving him a knowing look.

Arnold's eyes popped open as wide as possible, and his jaw nearly fell to the ground. After a few moments of mental panic, he pulled at his collar, laughing nervously, as he muttered out, "W-Well, who DOESN'T like you, Helga? I mean, you're friends with a-a lot of people and-"

"No, Arnold, I meant REALLY like me, and you know it. Don't try and lie."

Arnold winced at her all knowing tone. 'I should have known she'd know. She is an angel, after all..." He turned to her, expecting to see two disapproving and rejecting blue eyes, but instead what he saw were two very open and accepting ones. His mind blanched another moment (As it often did), before he managed to get his mind back finally and answer her without hesitation, "I love you with every fiber of my being."

She fell silent, as he stared at her blank face adoringly, wanting so badly to prove his admission to her with a kiss.

After a few more moments of him having to hold himself back from jumping her, she finally spoke, "I know."

He took her hand, feeling it pointless to hide his affections now that they were out in the open. "How did you find out?" He questioned quietly, busying himself with kissing up her arm.

Helga frowned a little, swiping her arm from his grasp before he could kiss it any further. "Well, it WAS kind of obvious."

Arnold smiled at her sweetly, scooting himself closer to her on the box and desperately trying to find out what she smelled like. "How so?" He asked softly, straightening out her sleeve affectionately and giving it a quick sniff.

Helga frowned a bit deeper at his very forward actions, scooting herself just a bit away from the smitten boy. "Well, you stared an awful lot, for one, and you didn't even bother to look away when I looked back at you."

He scooted closer to her once again, twirling one of her locks of hair around his finger and admiring it's soft feel. "Yeah, well, I guess I kind of figured the cat was out of the bag around the eighth or tenth time you caught me, so I just gave up on the whole thing." He gave her a loving smile. "You're really observant, you know."

Helga shifted uncomfortably in her seat, nodding her head slightly. "Yeah, I guess." She cleared her throat rather loudly when she felt his hand start to run through one of her pigtails. "Okay!" She clapped her hands together, standing up from the boxes completely and standing over the boy, casting a shadow in an attempt to show who was dominant in this situation. "But as I was saying, how would you like a little proposition?"

Arnold blinked at her curiously. "What kind of proposition, Helga?"

Helga smiled contently, her hands on her hips. 'Finally we're back on track.' "Well, my little love bug," He blushed insanely at the name, though she just continued on, "how would you like ME to be your girlfriend?"

Arnold's mind blanched once again at this question, his eyes glazing over for a moment before he finally blinked himself out of his stupor and took her hand in both of his. "Do you really have to ask such a silly question?" He smiled.

Helga nodded, allowing him to hold her hand since he seemed to not have any intention of doing something weird with it. "Good point. But the specifics of the deal is that I'm giving YOU a chance finally, since it's always been so clear that you're crazy about me. So you've got a week to impress me, basically." She shrugged, not really caring to elaborate any further. Rhonda had come up with the whole plan, so she really didn't care that much.

Arnold blinked, staring up at her with his mouth slightly open. "So... I only get a week of having you as my girlfriend...? And what happens once the week is up?"

Helga shrugged, her free arm now dangling at her side and her expression almost seeming bored. "Well, I guess if I like you enough to continue on in our relationship once the week is up, we'll do just that. I'll be your girlfriend still, only more officially."

Arnold grinned. "So that means that there's a chance that this entire thing could end up with us eventually getting married and having kids and growing old together?"

Helga gave him a strange look, taking a small step back. "Uh... sure..." She said slowly, raising one side of her eyebrow at him.

Arnold smiled, giving her hand a firm kiss before standing up in front of her. "Well..." He bit his lip, weighing his options. End up committing suicide over the woman he loves, or get a chance to finally get a taste of what it's like to have Helga as his girlfriend... He put a hand to his chin momentarily, before he grinned at her and took a step forward. "It's a deal. Do I, um..." He began, beginning to get back some of his more characteristic shyness. "Do I get to kiss you?"

Helga blinked at him. No, actually, she didn't want her first kiss to be with someone she barely knew and hardly even liked, she wanted it to be with Lyle. Sweet, wonderful Lyle. She caught herself about to sigh dreamily, before coming to see Arnold's shy and anxious face staring at her. She bit her lip briefly. "Um, how about a kiss on the cheek for now?" She turned her head so her cheek was facing out toward him. Arnold smiled, giving her a tender kiss on the cheek. Hey, it was better than nothing.

He pulled away from her after that moment, giving her a bashful look before his emotions couldn't take it anymore and he hugged her, nuzzling his head up against her. "Thank you so much, Helga! I promise you won't regret this."

Helga blinked, his blonde tuffs of hair getting all up in her face. She coughed a bit, squirming a bit to try and get out of his embrace. After a few moments, she finally managed to break away and dragged a hand across her nose to relieve it of it's slight itch. Her nose twitched a bit, as she looked over at the grinning boy, a blush still fully set on his cheeks. She sighed lightly, offering a small, if not a bit tired smile. "We'll see how things go." She shrugged, grabbing him by the wrist and beginning to lead him back down the sidewalk, out of the alley. "So anyway, Hot Shot, ya hungry?"

Arnold opened his mouth to reply, but a rumble from his stomach interrupted him, and he put his free hand on his stomach then, blushing at the girl.

Helga simply chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes. Ya up for PB&J?"

Arnold froze, his eyes wide. Helga felt him halt, and stopped also, turning around to give him a questioning glance. Arnold gulped. "Y-Y-You mean... at your... house?" He squeaked.

Helga blinked, raising one side of her eyebrow at the strange reaction. "Well, yeah. Where else?" She stared at him a moment, before continuing, "If you're worried about my parents, don't be. They drove over to Toronto last night to see my sister dance or something." She shrugged with a blank look. "So we'll have privacy."

Arnold's pupils dilated. "So we'll be in your house... a-alone... together?"

Helga blinked again, becoming a bit annoyed now. She pulled on his wrist again, now forcing him down the sidewalk, which wasn't too big of a problem since his legs had suddenly become jelly. "Yeah, it's not a big deal. You do like PB&J, right? You're not allergic or anything?" She looked back at him, still dragging him down the sidewalk.

Arnold just shook his head weakly, his eyes still wide and his stomach bursting with butterflies at the idea of actually being in her house.

Helga nodded. "Good."

Soon they were on her stoop, Helga lifting up the mat to pick up a key and unlocking the door, as Arnold stood beside her, his pulse increasing more and more with the second.

Helga threw the door open then, carelessly plopping the key in her pocket and dragging Arnold in by his hand.

As soon as they were inside, Helga shut the door and began wandering over into the kitchen. "Make yourself at home. That's what I try to do." She muttered to him before she was out of sight.

Arnold stood bolted to the floor, his eyes skimming across the carpet, the stairs, and now the walls. He walked up to one picture, seeming to be a family portrait... except Helga wasn't in it. Come to think of it, none of these pictures were of Helga at all, were they? Well, some did have her standing mindlessly in the background, but other than that, none of these were just of Helga. Arnold felt his eyes darken, remembering all the rumors he'd heard of Helga's home life. How Helga's own father even called her 'Olga', which he knew to be the name of her sister, who, if he heard right, seemed to get some kind of special treatment.

Arnold felt a protective growl rise up in his throat, suddenly feeling like this environment was suffocating him. Memories of neglect and sadness bouncing off the brightly painted walls. How could anyone ignore her? She was a freakin' angel! She practically glowed, for Heaven's sakes! ...Or was that just him?

These thoughts made him sick, his appetite flying out the window along with a good chunk of his heart.

He stumbled his way into the kitchen, watching as Helga made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as if she'd been doing it her whole life. She probably had been, the poor thing. He felt his eyes well up with tears, standing in the doorway and watching silently as she finished up the sandwiches and licked her fingers clean. So cute. The urge to marry her now was overwhelming (Not that it hadn't always been). He knew married people usually got their own house, away from their parents. Wouldn't that make her happy?

He contemplated this a moment, before shaking his head. Nah, he couldn't afford the ring she deserved on his allowance, and even if he could, he knew she most likely wouldn't accept. He slumped slightly at this conclusion, watching as she attempted to balance two plates of sandwiches, two glasses of ice cold milk, and... was that a pickle jar? He couldn't contemplate this any further though, as she tripped suddenly and he had to rush forward to grab both glasses of milk AND the pickle jar just before they hit the tile flooring.

Helga managed to gain her barrings then, and once the shock of what had almost happened cleared, she let out a sigh of relief, smiling at Arnold. "Whoo! That was close. Thanks a ton, Arnold. You really saved my butt."

Arnold blushed darkly at her gratitude, offering his own small, shaky smile back. "N-No problem."

She let out a short chuckle, nodding her head in the direction of the stairs as she began walking off in that direction.

Arnold took a moment to balance his items a bit better, before stumbling off after her.

They both made their ways up the stairs, and stopped right when they made it in front of her door, a raggedy Ann doll hung out on the front with a smile stitched across her face. Helga looked down at her full hands, before glancing over at Arnold's slightly fuller hands. She grunted, swinging her leg up quick and kicking the door open, since she hadn't locked it. Helga smiled in accomplishment, gesturing for Arnold to go first.

He shook his head at her, nodding his head to show that he thought she should go first. After a second of staring, Arnold cleared his throat, looking down at the ground and muttering, "You're a girl. It would be rude if I went first." He blushed, hoping that she couldn't see.

Helga blinked at him, before shrugging and walking in as if it wasn't a big deal, which to her, it really wasn't.

Arnold bit his lip, staring down at the hard wood floors of her room connecting off with carpeting from the halls. He swallowed, lifting his foot up a bit and moving it very slowly to the inside of her room, before hesitantly setting it down. He felt a small tingle run up his leg, and he began working his other foot into the room then.

As Arnold was slowly making his way into the room, Helga was pulling out a small fold out table from her closet, setting it down in the middle of the room and unfolding it. She picked up their plates off of her night stand, before setting them down on the table, and grabbing two chairs that were sitting against the wall and setting them at the table. She plopped herself down in her seat then, setting her elbows on the table and sliding her plate over in front of herself. She looked up then, watching as Arnold was standing just inside her room with a look of pure ecstasy running across his face. She blinked, once, twice, watching him with interest.

Arnold inhaled deeply through his nose, breathing in the wonderful scents of vanilla, lilac, citrus, and even a dash of ocean breeze. How could a room possibly smell so good? He closed his eyes, letting himself fully sink into the atmosphere before a sudden grunt broke him out of his thoughts. He blinked, looking over to see Helga giving him a slightly amused expression. She smiled, clasping her fingers together. "Arnold, not that I'm not enjoying watching you grin like an idiot in my doorway, but I'd really like to eat now, so if you don't mind." She swept her arm across the table, gesturing to the empty chair at the other end.

Arnold blushed, laughing nervously as he sauntered across the room to his chair, being careful not to make eye contact. He set a glass of milk in front of her, the pickle jar in the middle of the small table, and then sat down in his own seat with his glass of milk.

Helga smiled, before picking up her sandwich and taking a big bite out of it, washing it down with a small sip of her milk.

Arnold just stared down at his own sandwich, picking at the crust absent-mindedly, his thoughts elsewhere. Here he was, sitting in Helga's room, WITH Helga, eating a sandwich that she made specifically for HIM, and being able to call her his 'girlfriend'. He shuddered a bit in ecstasy, feeling so unworthy of such treatment from her, and yet here he was. Feeling his appetite slowly returning, and hearing his stomach rumble, he broke off a bit of the crust and nibbled on it a little. He'd never thought he'd get this far with her, though he'd definitely fantasized about it. He'd fantasized about a lot of things that he never actually thought he'd get to do in real life. And yet, out of all those fantasies, he'd never dreamt that he'd be welcome in her room. It all seemed so surreal to him.

Helga noticed him shudder once more, and frowned slightly, setting her sandwich back down on her plate. "Are you cold?"

Arnold snapped his eyes up to her, shaking his head hastily.

Helga leaned forward a little. "Are you sure? I saw you shiver."

Arnold's lips quivered a moment, before he gave her a reassuring smile. "No, really, I'm fine."

Helga stared at him a moment, before she shrugged a bit and grabbed the pickle jar from the middle of the table. "Whatever." She put a hand to the lid, twisting it. It didn't budge. She growled a little in determination, twisting it even harder and with all her might. NO pickle jar would EVER best Helga G. Pataki! She grunted at how hard she was twisting it, her muscles flexing, but her hands kept slipping! After a few more moments of this, she growled again, giving the stubborn jar a disapproving, angrylook before setting it back in the middle of the table. "Stupid jar..." She muttered under her breath, gulping down her milk mercilessly.

Arnold had to seriously fight back a grin at this display, thinking of how adorable she looked when she was angry. He chuckled a bit quietly to himself, before reaching out and grabbing the pickle jar.

Helga glanced at him, setting down her glass and frowning a bit at him. "It's no use, Arnoldo. That lid just refuses to-"

He popped the lid off with ease, setting the now open jar out in front of her with a modest, but kind smile.

Helga's jaw fell open, as she stared at the jar in disbelief. She blinked in awe, looking up at him with wide blue eyes. "How did you," She put a hand to her head, staring back down at the jar.

Arnold blushed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Years of practice." Memories of boarders constantly rushing to him with their jars and asking him if he could open them raced through his mind.

Helga blinked once more, her shock finally beginning to fade and a grin now spreading itself across her pale face as she picked a pickle out of the jar. "Well, Arnold," She took a bite out of it. "I could seriously use you and those magic hands of yours." She pointed the pickle at him with a chuckle.

Arnold smiled at her nervously. "I don't mind."

Helga nodded slowly, eyeing him. She finished her pickle, still staring at him, and he began shifting uncomfortably under her gaze. Helga sighed. "Oh, relax, Arnold. Loosen up. It's not like I'm gonna bite you." She chuckled, shoving the last of her sandwich into her mouth.

Arnold looked at her, forcing a more confident smile to come to his face. "I'm sorry. I keep wondering if I'm dreaming."

Helga smiled at him, pushing her empty plate aside and reaching across the table to grab his hand. Arnold's eyes widened at this, as she just smiled at him and rolled the sleeve of his green sweater up, exposing the skin of his arm. Arnold shuddered a bit under her touch, his skin tingling with each spot her warm skin touched. Suddenly, though, he yelped in surprise when she pinched him, hard, right above his wrist. She smiled triumphantly, giving his hand a small pat before letting go of his hand all together. "There ya go." She grinned slightly. "That proves you're not dreaming."

Arnold rubbed the spot she pinched, though tingles of pleasure were still running up and down his arm and he had to fight off a very goofy grin despite the sharp pain still stinging slightly. 'So clever...' He thought distractedly, giving her a loving smile. "I guess not." He said softly.

Helga's grin softened into a smile, and she had to fight a small tremor of a giggle building in her throat from that funny glow in his eyes when he looked at her.

Arnold sighed softly, gazing at her. He really hoped all this would work out. He was really going to have to work hard at charming her, wasn't he? Well, the pickle jar was a good start, he supposed. But other than that little trick, he really wasn't helping himself, was he? All he was doing was blushing and acting like a lovesick moron (Which he was). But still, he did have a full six days ahead of him. Though these thoughts didn't distract him away from admiring the girl from across the table. 'Helga...'

After a few more moments of silence (Which Helga thought was becoming a bit awkward), Helga cleared her throat, standing up from her chair. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty bored, and there's not much to actually do on a Sunday morning other than a lot of praying, and I'm not particularly religious, so I think it might be best that you go."

'How could I possibly get bored with staring at you're beautiful face...?' Arnold thought to himself in love sickness, his heart pounding. But the word 'go' brought him back to reality and he felt disappointment rise up within him, and his eyes snap fully open from their previous half-lidded position. He frowned a little, his eyes going downcast. "O-Oh..."

Helga walked over towards the door of her room, opening it up and standing off to the side so he could exit. "Yup. But I'll see you tomorrow." She added, seeing the sadness reflecting in his light green eyes.

Arnold nodded, his eyes still focused on the floor, and he stood up, dragging himself over to the door. "Of course."

Helga watched him go, her eyes growing more and more melancholy at just how bummed out he looked now... She rushed out of the room after him, and grabbed his arm to stop him. He blinked, turning around to see her giving him a comforting smile. "Helga, I-"

Before he could finish, a pair of lips suddenly came down to his cheek, and he froze, feeling sterilized all of a sudden. Helga smiled, patting him on the head and dragging his very stiff form down the rest of the stairs and out the door. She smiled at him, letting go of his arm and waving a small goodbye before closing the door completely.

Arnold stood outside the door, his eyes wide and his entire form completely rigid. The spot on his cheek her lips touched burned and throbbed, and after a good minute, it finally registered that she'd actually kissed him, and he melted against the door, no longer trusting his legs to hold him up even. He sighed a lovesick sigh, giving the door that concealed the angel a tender peck of his lips and closing his eyes as he rested there. 'She kissed me... She kissed me... She kissed me... She kissed me...' His heart throbbed with love.

'She kissed me... She kissed me... She kissed me...' His mind chanted as he floated up to his room, closing the door behind him as he entered and then laying down on his bed, gazing at the clouds as they floated by. 'She kissed me... She kissed me... She kissed me...'

Gerald burst through the door then, giving his friend a slightly incredulous look. "There you are! Man, I've been looking all over for you. Where have you been?" He asked, stomping over to his bed and staring down at him.

Arnold glanced over at him with a loopy smile. "She kissed me..."

Gerald blinked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Who kissed you?"

Arnold sighed softly in contentment, hugging himself happily. "Helga Pataki..."

Gerald gawked at him, sitting himself on his bed next to him. "No way! How'd it happen?"

Arnold sat up, swooning to himself. "She's my girlfriend..."

Gerald's eyes bugged out even more, and he grinned. "Get out! What happened?"

Arnold looked at him, his eyes aglow. "She wants to give me a chance..." He grinned goofily. "And she kissed me..."

Gerald folded his legs on his bed indian style, leaning over towards him and staring intently. "ON the LIPS?"

Arnold shook his head a little distractedly, staring off into space. "Cheek..." He put a hand to the very same one she kissed then, his stomach filling with even more butterflies at the memory of her lips against it.

Gerald's grin lessened a bit. "Oh. Well, tough break, man. But if you say she's your girlfriend now, then it sounds like some serious kissing might be in your future." He nudged him with his elbow mischievously.

Arnold laid back down, curling himself up slightly with a love struck grin. "I don't care... She kissed me..." He shuddered slightly.

Gerald nodded, but frowned a bit, realizing that his friend wasn't quite in his right mind. He sighed, getting off the bed and exiting the room. His best friend was just going to need some time to cool down. And when he did, Gerald was most definitely going to be getting the details to this whole mess.

But if it really did involve Arnold finally getting his dream girl, whatever it was must be BIG.

Helga stared at the pickle jar in her hand, a contemplative look on her face, as the phone rung repeatedly in her ear.

Finally, someone picked up, "You've reached Rhonda Wellington Lloyd! And who might this-"

"Cut the formalities, Princess. The deed is done." Helga cut her off, setting the jar down on her night stand and laying back on her bed, a hand behind her head as she stared out the window at the clouds passing by.

"Oh, really? So that means-"

"Yeah, yeah, I've made Arnold and I official." She let go of the phone a moment, letting it just sit by her ear on the pillow as she picked at her nails.

"Perfect. So how did he react?"

Helga chuckled. "How do you think? He was ecstatic."

"I figured as much. Poor boy. So it's Sunday, the dare ends officially at midnight on Saturday. Everything is on schedule. So give me the details, what did you two love birds do together?"

Helga rolled her eyes at the name. "First off, we're not 'love birds', and second, it really wasn't a big deal. I invited him over to my house, we had lunch, he left. Nothing big."

"Oh, come now, Helga. SOMETHING interesting must have happened between you two."

Helga paused a minute, scratching the back of her head and rolling over, the elbow connected to the hand gripping the phone supporting her head as she laid there. "Well, I guess the most interesting thing that happened was that I kissed him on the cheek, because he was just looking so bummed out over having to leave, and he went as stiff as a board." She chuckled. "Oh, and he apparently has really strong hands."

"Strong hands, huh?" Rhonda giggled slightly.

Helga's eyes narrowed and she shot up, sticking her tongue out in disgust. "Ugh. It wasn't like that! He just got the stupid pickle jar open, that's all." She shuddered a moment. "Get your mind out of the gutter. Criminy." She shook her head.

"Sorry, Helga, darling. You're just so boring, I had to imagine up a little spice." She heard her chuckle. "But really, what are you planning on doing later today?"

Helga shrugged, laying back down on her bed and crossing her legs. "Eh, I don't know. I don't think Arnold could take much more 'us' time." She chuckled. "So I don't really have plans. Why?"

"Well, it's still the weekend, and the beginning of Summer. Feel up to spending the night on my private yacht with the rest of the gang?"

"All girls?" Helga questioned, raising one side of her eyebrow.

"Actually, no. In celebration of the start of Summer Vacation, I have decided to invite all of the 5th grade class. Make overs for the girls, ghost stories for the guys, and music too. You are coming, right?"

Helga grinned, sitting up in her bed. "Have I ever missed even ONE of your parties, Rhon'? Of course I'll be there. Doi!"

Rhonda chuckled slightly. "That's what I thought. You can get in a little more Arnold flirting while we're there too, and Lyle's going to be there..." She hinted in a sing song voice.

Helga's eyes widened, her face going blank. "Lyle?"

"Mmmhm. Just think of how jealous he's going to be when he sees you on Arnold's arm."

Helga grinned, her eyes lighting up in excitement. "Ohhh, Lloyd, this is going to be sweet."

"As my parties always are, Darling."

"Arnold, what were you thinking?" Gerald yelled scoldingly.

Arnold sat on his flip out couch, giving the boy a bewildered look. "What do you mean?"

Gerald sighed in exasperation, slapping a hand to his forehead. "You actually made a deal with Helga that you've got a week to impress her into actually wanting to be your girlfriend for real?"

Arnold blinked, nodding. "Well, yeah. What's the problem?"

Gerald let his hand drop from his head, frowning deeply at the boy with worry. "Well, what if she doesn't like you at the end of the week? What are you going to do then? I know you Arnold, and you've been nuts for that girl for years now. If things don't work out-"

"They will." Arnold assured him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"How can you know that, Arnold?"

Arnold blinked, his eyes narrowed slightly in indignation. "I just do. I know that things will work out. They will." He said firmly, nodding his head.

Gerald tilted his head at him, a sincerely concerned look coming to his face.

Arnold, seeing his look, sighed, looking away and rubbing his arm up and down.

Gerald shifted a bit in his seat uncomfortably, a new thought coming to his head. "And, Arnold," He glanced at him, before looking away nervously of what he was about to say next. "What about Lyle?"

Arnold's eyes narrowed dangerously at the name, the hand rubbing his arm stopping and now squeezing painfully into his arm (Though he didn't feel it in his anger), not even realizing he was doing it. "What about him?" He managed through his teeth.

Gerald scooted himself a bit further down the other end of the couch, away from the furious boy. "Doesn't Helga still like him?" He glanced at him nervously, afraid of his reaction.

Arnold's eyes flamed up a moment, before clearing, his hand dropping away from his arm and his hands feeling clammy all of a sudden. "I-I... I don't know." He shrugged, trying desperately to get the dreadful idea out of his head. He hadn't thought of that. Lyle was usually the furthest thing from his mind, shoved into the back of his head along with all those other things he felt were too vile to even think of. And he very rarely associated Lyle with Helga. Helga was an angel, Lyle was... Arnold wasn't sure. Some sort of disgusting specimen that kept flying around his head, and no matter how hard he tried to swat him away, he'd always elude his grasp. Lyle... Arnold frowned deeply.

Gerald pursed his lips together, seeing that Arnold really didn't want to talk about him, even though he knew he was a serious flaw in his plans of wooing Helga, as far as they knew. The possibilities of Helga having given up on him were very low, and Arnold had barely even been on her radar from the beginning. If Arnold wanted Helga to be his and his only, this was going to require a lot of hard work... and he was going to need all the help he could get. Gerald glanced over at Arnold, who was looking away, before setting a hand on his shoulder and smiling when he looked over to him. "Well, we'll just have to show her that you're the better choice."

Arnold blinked at him, smiling a half-smile in uncertainty. "So you'll help me?"

Gerald smiled lazily, shrugging his shoulders. "Hey, what are best friends for?"

Arnold's smile widened a bit more. "Thanks, Gerald."

Gerald grinned, patting him on the back. "No problem, buddy." He straightened up then, giving Arnold a more enthusiastic expression. "And I know just when we can set our plan in motion, too." He grabbed a piece of paper out of his shirt, uncrumpling it and holding it out for Arnold to see. "Rhonda's throwing some Summer Celebration sleep over on her yacht tonight. Boy/girl sleep overs are PERFECT for wooing the ladies." Gerald grinned smoothly.

Arnold's eyes widened a bit, as he took hold of the invitation and looked it over with wonder and interest, before a new thought popped into his head. "We're all sleeping in the same room?' He began uncertainly, "Wouldn't that be a little-"

Gerald shook his head, cutting him off. "Nah, man. Rhonda's filthy rich. Her yacht has more than one room. We're all sleeping in a separate one from the girls." He shrugged.

"Ah," Arnold nodded, folding the invitation back up neatly. "Well, great. So I'm guessing we're going?"

Gerald rolled his eyes, snatching the invitation back. "Of course we're going! Just think of it, man! Dancing, snacks, and plus I hear Rhonda's yacht has a sky light, man, and Rhonda ALWAYS plays slow songs at her parties." He grinned. "I can see it now, you dancing with Helga slowly, the stars twinkling up above you, the moon casting a romantic shade to the room..."

Arnold's eyes fell half-lidded at the idea, and he grabbed for his chest. "Don't do that to me, Gerald." He grinned loopily, some chuckles rising from his chest before he ended with a soft sigh.

Gerald nodded, standing up from the couch. "Exactly, man! Now we've got to get packing. We're going to need pajamas, some clothes for tomorrow, sleeping bags, tooth brushes, teddy bears - Let's move, move, move!"

A/N: Thank you all who took the time to read the first 12,000 words to this! The next chapter will be up when I get the chance! And yes, before anyone says anything, this story is my main focus for the moment and I will most likely not be concerning myself with anything else until it is finished and posted. Thank you!

REVIEW!

PLEASE!

I BEG YOU!

NOW!