This is a birthday/thank-you gift for my awesome friend Maria, aka Kasu-KAPL on deviantART. :D She had graciously agreed to do a little favour for me, and I asked what she wanted from me (and despite she said I didn't HAVE to), asked if I could do a writen adaptation of her "Arnold Loves Helga" artwork (totally NOT related to my and SuprSingr's collaboration fanfic of the same name), and so here it is!

Here's the art. :D http: / kasukapl. deviantart. com/ gallery /# / d2zsbq7 (Remove the spaces)

All characters belong to Craig Bartlett!

Happy birthday, Maria! I love you, girly! You are AWESOME! :)

XXX

One afternoon on a regular day, Rhonda was walking to her home with Nadine and Phoebe by her side. The plan was that Rhonda and Nadine were going to Rhonda's house to do their homework, while Phoebe would come and help them out and help them in planning for a project they needed to do. As usual, Rhonda prattled on about her favourite topics, which right now revolved around fashion.

As usual, of course. Did anyone mention that she loved fashion?

"And then I told her 'Excuse me, but I should call the fashion police!'..." Rhonda was saying, before she stole a quick glance down an alleyway on instinct, and then immediately stopped in her tracks, stopping both Phoebe and Nadine. "Hold it ladies, look at this."

She pointed down the alleyway toward the back wall, which the other two girls followed the direction, and their eyes widened, Nadine's more so than Phoebe's. To any passerby, they would wonder what seemed to catch their interest.

This especially came into play when Arnold walked up to them, all pleasant and easygoing as always. He was curious about what they were looking at, and smiled at them. "Hi girls." When he noticed their gazes, he grew a bit curious and confused. "Err...what's the matter?"

"You should check it out." Rhonda said, indicating down the alleyway with her head.

Arnold turned his head a bit to follow her direction, coming to find just what the girls seemed to find so interesting. His question was answered the moment his eyes feasted upon what was written on the wall in chalk. A simple chalk message that spoke a lot behind it:

Arnold loves Helga

A soft blush marred the young boy's cheeks as he looked back toward the girls, with a sheepish smile on his face, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uhhh... Let me explain...well...um...that is..."

"UNBELIEVABLE!" Rhonda cut him off in disbelief, over the soft sound of Phoebe giggling. "You and Helga? Oh puh-lease, you two hate each other, this is obviously a bad joke. Poor boy, who could have pranked on you like this?"

Still smiling, Arnold shrugged. "Well, I guess we might never find out, Rhonda."

If anyone was behind Arnold, they would see that he was holding a piece of chalk behind his back.

~Flashback, moments earlier...~

A young boy, at the tender age of ten years old, was walking along the sidewalk on his way home. Or so it seemed, at least. Arnold was walking on his merry way, and merry indeed, since he had a goofy, lovesick grin on his face, his eyes half-lidded as he was lost in his daydreams.

Why was he like this? It was because of one simple thing. He'd just been on a date with his first real, serious girlfriend, none other than Helga G. Pataki. Whom he had just started dating right after the return from the journey in San Lorenzo. To say he was happy was an understatement. He was ecstatic! They'd been going out for a couple of weeks now, and it was just the best ever! Arnold knew now, more than ever, about what he had been missing all this time. It was hard to believe that she was possibly the greatest girlfriend he could ask for, despite the roughened edges they'd faced at times.

Simply put, he loved Helga. A lot! So much! So much he just wanted to dance around and sing about it, like an old musical movie. He'd found the girl of his dreams he had never known to be under his nose the entire time, and was now with her. Girlfriend, he had a girlfriend, and he was her boyfriend!

Arnold let out another soft, dreamy sigh, as he thought about their little after-school date. They had gone back to his house, where she brought along some little pink books of her poetry, which they read along together...and did some...other little things...then they went to get some ice cream at Slausen's, and then he walked her home. While on her stoop she had even got in one last searing, heated kiss that just left the poor boy wobbly and speechless.

Slipping into an alleyway, Arnold leaned against the wall of the nearby building and let out a soft, dreamy sigh again. "Helga..." The goofy smile only increased as he spoke his beloved's name. "Gosh I love her... I never thought I'd say that, but... If only I could just express it better than just saying it."

The poor smitten boy was so lost in his passion, that he just had to express it somehow, and boy did he. He produced a piece of chalk he was carrying in his pocket for a reason he didn't even know, and went to work, walking over to the back wall at the end of the alleyway. Raising the chalk in his hand, he placed the tip of it against the brick wall, and with his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth in concentration...

Arnold

"Arnold..."

Loves

"Loves..."

Helga

"Helga..."

In clear, cursive print, he had written a declaration of his feelings on the wall in chalk. Arnold loves Helga. He couldn't help but smile at that. Arnold and Helga, it had such an interesting ring to it he never could ignore. Now there it was, his feelings open and expressed.

To finish it off, he then drew a large heart around the message, including an arrow piercing through it. Like wrapping the bow atop a Christmas present.

"Perfect." Arnold murmured to himself with a dreamy smile. A perfect declaration of his love.

For a few moments he basked in the sweet truth, knowing he loved Helga, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, she loved him back. He wasn't sure how long he stood there, but certainly long enough. He had to get home soon, anyway. So, with no further ado, Arnold slowly exited the alleyway and headed down the street toward his original destination.

Not far behind him, he then heard the unmistakable sound of voices...heading in the same direction he had come from.

His eyes widened, and he had to do something, fast.

~End of Flashback~

"Whatever. Let's go, girls." Rhonda said dismissively as she, Nadine and Phoebe headed off.

Phoebe tossed him a wink over her shoulder as she walked along with the girls, and he smiled back, waving at her.

Oh well. Maybe one day the truth would truly be revealed. But until then, he had to stop publicizing his love, that was for sure. Who knew what could happen when there was a message written on a wall in chalk, right?