CHAPTER 10

A Temporary Romantic Interlude

Helga was reading from a book of poetry when Arnold found her on the steps by their school. He watched her for a second as she pushed a strand of yellow hair out from in front of her eyes and then tucked it behind her ear.

She was deeply lost in whatever she was reading, Arnold could tell from the glazed over look her eyes held. She was in a peaceful state, and he wanted not to interrupt her.

He very carefully sat on the steps a few rows below hers, and waited watching as she finished the page.

When her devouring gaze finally wandered over the last two lines in the poem, she let out a small sigh, then shut the book.

Now Arnold was worried. He hadn't planned on what to do after Helga had finished reading. When she saw him there, staring at her like some uninvited audience, she would surely be displeased.

He looked around in a panic.

"How can I help you, Football-head?"

Arnold's body went rigid, "You knew I was here?"

Helga looked up from the cover of her shut book, "I would have stopped reading but I honestly thought you were just passing by."

"Oh I was!" Arnold said, flustered, "Well I mean I was looking for you!"

Helga blushed.

"I mean I wanted to run into you!" Arnold said, blushing back madly, he started to force a chuckle, "Why wouldn't I want to run into you, you're my friend, right?"

Helga's blush vanished, and her smile faltered, "Yeah. Friends."

She stood up and slid her book into her messenger bag.

The bell rang, the warning for students to get to homeroom.

Arnold stood there, staring at her like before, only this time with confusion on his face.

This girl was such a mystery to him. Every moment he was with her the atmosphere seemed to change. First he was sure that she had feelings for them, then he'd become uncertain if she even liked him as a friend. It was like she was changing at all time, evading his quest for the truth.

It bugged him, to say the least.

"Helga." He said, his brain working in overdrive, trying desperately to find a way to reveal another clue, a means to bring him one step closer to solving the mystery.

"Arnold, we're going to be late."

He found the faint slimmer of something, an abstraction of an idea. A word tossed around so much these days that people mostly forget its actual purpose.

The age old concept of the 'date'.

"Helga, would you want to watch a movie at my house later today?" He asked a little too quickly.

She stared at him, two wide eyes quivering but not blinking, "You and Gerald?"

"No, just me." Arnold said, his heart pounding at the speed of light.

"What movie?"

"I dunno."

"When?"

"I dunno."

"Did you plan this at all?" Helga asked, one eyebrow raised suspiciously.

"Um... well no, actually." Arnold admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"You just asked me out, on a whim?"

Arnold's blood froze, "Well no! It's not a date! Who said a date? I just want to hang out!"

"You're the only one who called it a 'date', Arnoldo." Helga said, pushing her way past Arnold and continuing up the steps to the school's front entrance, "I don't have time for this, I'm going to be late."

"Wait!" Arnold shouted, frustrated, "Why are you mad at me all of the sudden!?"

"Because you're annoying!" Helga shouted back, her usually strong voice a little shaky.

"You liked hanging out with me a few days ago, what happened?!"

Helga said nothing and stormed away angrily.

The bell starting to ring as she walked through the front door. Arnold dropped hard back onto the steps. Weary and confused, he held his face with his hands.

"Well that went well." He snapped his fingers, and the world began to move in reverse.

The wind sucked in the opposite direction that it blew, the doors flew open as Helga walked backwards out from the school, the ringing of the bell stopped, and soon enough Helga was sitting down again, reading in reverse from her book of poetry.

Arnold snapped his fingers again, and the world stood still.

He stared at Helga, who still remained such a mystery to him. Then he stood up, walked toward the school's doors, opened them, and snapped again. The world began to move again, and Helga went back to reading her poetry.

Only this time, she was alone.

"I just don't understand it, Gerald." Arnold said as he followed behind his friend in the lunch line, "I guess she doesn't like me."

"Nah, Arnold. Girls are just funny like that." Gerald said with a hint of resentment in his voice, "They don't want to give any hints."

"But at least I reversed it." Arnold said, "And erased her memory of me making a fool of myself."

"Yeah," Gerald began, "But Arnold you can't live your whole life like that."

"I know." Arnold said, he was getting a little sick of the lectures on responsibility.

"If you always just erase your mistakes, you'll find yourself never actually living life." Gerald inspected a chocolate chip cookie before dropping it on his tray, "You know?"

"Yeah I know." Arnold said, handing the lunch lady his money before following Gerald into the cafeteria.

They took their usual seats and shortly after Helga joined them.

"Hi guys." She said, smiling her half smile.

"Hey Helga." Gerald said with food in his mouth.

"Hi." Arnold said shortly, looking up from his tray for only a second.

"How's everybody's third day of school going?" A smiling Eugene asked as he approached their lunch table.

"Swell." Helga said, looking at Arnold.

"Pretty good." Gerald replied.

"Fine." Arnold spooned a mouthful of potatoes past his lips.

"Do you guys mind if I sit down?"

Gerald looked around, but Arnold was too focused on not looking at Helga, and Helga was too focussed on looking at Arnold, so he had to answer.

With a slight sigh he hoped remained unheard, he gave Eugene permission, "Go ahead, man."

"Much obliged." The clumsy red head took a seat on the other side of Arnold and began to eat.

Gerald sighed again, but this time he didn't care if he was heard.

Now not only did he have to help his friend deal with the burdens of being a magic-empowered teenager, but also help him sorten out his love life.

"Criminy." He said, looking almost angrily at the still staring Helga.