"Oh my love, my sweet prince!"

Brainy watched a blonde girl with pigtails recite. He loved the way she annunciated, the way he voice rang clear, the poems she wrote. Heck why didn't he just say it? He loved her. Helga G. Pataki.

But he knew that those beautiful love poems she recited behind random objects would never be about him. That she would never, could never, pine for him the same way she pined for…

"…that flaxen haired angel, whom I watch from a far"

Yet he could accept that and -although he would rather have Helga to himself- would do anything to see her happy, even if it meant getting her together with someone other than himself. This selflessness and unconditional love is something everyone seems to push aside when it comes to this asthma afflicted boy.

He longed for Helga's touch, and he knows one way he's sure to get it.

"huh…huh…" He wheezed, expecting exactly what happened next.

SMACK!

As he laid on the ground he watched her go, pushing kids out of her way and shouting.

Brainy is someone people usually ignore; because he really doesn't want to be noticed, not by them anyway. Maybe by Helga or perhaps that boy she longs for so much. But other people just cause complications. They'd ruin his perfect world of deep thoughts and wonderings… and poetry. How he loved poetry. He knew this was one of the many reasons he felt the way he did about Helga. As far as looks went Brainy was a very skinny and lanky boy. Much like Stinky Peterson from his class, but Brainy was not nearly as tall. His square-rimmed glasses had tape wrapped around them; they usually broke anytime Helga hit him, which, if he was lucky, was on a daily basis. Then there was his asthma. He had been plagued by this disease since he was around two years old. All that can be said about this was that he was skilled with and inhaler.

Brainy walked to the janitor's closet, as inconspicuously as possible. Not that he really had to worry; no one would care even if he was eating lunch in the janitor's closet. Sometimes Janitor Bill let Brainy eat his lunch in the closet. Brainy hated the loud noises and fights of the cafeteria. He preferred solitude… beautiful, quiet, solitude. Where he could reflect and clear his thoughts.

He opened the brown paper bag and found a tuna-fish sandwich with pickles, his favorite.

As he took bite after bite out of the sandwich he reminisced about the day so far. This was the last day till the class camping trip…Brainy wasn't sure why they planned a camping trip for early April. The climate hadn't changed at all from the weather of late February.

Perhaps we won't freeze?...No I still think the school should have planned it later in the year. Camping in February weather? They have no common sense.

The shrill sound of the bell knocked Brainy out of his thoughts. He sighed and stuffed the last bit of his tuna-fish in his mouth, crumpled up the bag, threw it in the trash can, and walked out of the closet.

As he walked he saw his peers.

Eugene, clumsy and optimistic, always falling on his face but acting like he landed on his feet.

Sheena, tall and awkward, she and Eugene loved the theater and musicals. They would both be on Broadway some day.

Stinky, Sid and Harold laughing and snickering about some prank they played; they always got caught.

Phoebe, smart, petite, and Helga's best friend. Phoebe was probably the only one who knew as much about Helga as Brainy did.

Gerald, boisterous and a ladies man, not to mention fairly good at every sport the 9 year olds played. He and Phoebe stole a few awkward glances at each other.

Arnold, well what could be said about Arnold, besides the fact that he was kind, sensitive, and had an optimism that could make a Satanist go to church. The one Helga claimed to be her one and only love. As to why Helga loved him, Brainy had a pretty good idea. But as to why Arnold hadn't snapped yet, Brainy was clueless.

Other students walked by but Brainy focused on the football headed boy. He was sure Arnold would have figured out Helga's secret by now.

Brainy went and sat in the back of class. He watched as the others talked and gossiped about the going ons at P.S. 118. Rhonda Lloyd talked about the newest fashions from Paris with Lila Sawyer. Arnold and Gerald talked about baseball cards. Phoebe "studied" her history book, glancing up at Gerald every few paragraphs, and the other classmates went about their normal business.

The late bell rang and, right on cue, Helga busted through the door.

"Helga, you're tardy again" Mr. Simmons replied in his perky voice, "If you keep coming in late you may miss 'special' announcements. Like that tomorrow is our classes spring camping trip!"

The class –unlike many other announcements- cheered and threw crumpled up papers in the air.

"I have already informed your guardians…" Mr. Simmons used the word guardians after Parents Day and his knowledge of how upset Arnold had been. Guardians seemed to be a more appropriate word, "and we will leave tomorrow morning 9 o'clock sharp!...Now class put on your thinking caps because today we have a 'special' science lesson today about…moss!"

The class groaned at this and began to take out their books.

Midway through the class Brainy heard the familiar sound of paper tearing. He saw Arnold shudder at the sound. They both knew what was coming.

Smack!

The sound of a spitball hitting the bare flesh on Arnold's neck, Arnold winced slightly and brushed the spitball off. Then he turned to face Helga and mouthed, "Stop it"

Helga looked around the room twiddling her thumbs acting like she hadn't seen Arnold.

Arnold went back to the lesson. Only a few moments later…rip…smack!

Arnold turned back to face Helga again, "Cut it out". Helga once again ignored Arnold.

Arnold slowly turned back to watch Mr. Simmons.

….Rip….Smack!

Arnold turned to face Helga once more, "Helga"

Helga finally acknowledged him with a whisper, "What? What are you lookin' at football head? Geez"

Arnold sighed and tried to focus on the lesson.

Brainy chuckled quietly at the sounds on the "Spitball Symphony" as he had come to call it. How Arnold could not tell Helga liked him was beyond what Brainy could fathom. It seemed all too obvious. He had overheard Helga saying Arnold was dense, but surly not that dense?

"Well class I'll see you tomorrow. Bring you camping face!" Mr. Simmons said as the bell jarred Brainy out of his thoughts.

What do you all think? Good? Bad? Horrific? Should I go jump off a bridged and end this meaningless life now? (LOL) I think this will be my best fanfic ever…hopefully. I've got most of it planned out.

Please click Mr. Review button, he wants you to…