Hey guys, this one-shot was requested by vampygurl402 to arashiwolfprincess. Hope you all enjoy.

Dense Matters

"Hey Helga? Could I ask you a favor?" Arnold asked. Arnold, my long time love, called me out after school by the P.E. field to talk to me in private. Oh, how I could feel my hands tremble and sweat as I held my books closely to my chest.

Ever since our junior year of high school, Arnold and I have become much closer than we ever have been. I feel he understands me unlike any other man in my life, not that there are that many but, hey, who's counting? Not only that, but even myself has changed. I've made close friends who accept who I am, and of course Phoebe who knows me better than anyone. With them and Arnold happily by my side, I feel I can do anything! For the first time in my life I've tasted how sweet it is to feel carefree and at peace within myself. I've changed. I'm happy. And now Arnold stands before me, struggling with words I can only imagine can change the course of the rest of our senior year and maybe the rest of our lives.

"Yeah, Arnold. What's going on?" I asked. My throat felt tight like an allergy attack. Not much of a poetic analogy but then again neither is relating the sweat under my arm pits as Niagara Falls.

"Well, you see, I have an extra ticket to this baseball game Friday night...and I was hoping..."

Ah! Here it comes! I'm not ready! My heart is erupting in my chest and my breathing is completely off. Anymore of this and I'm sure I'll die.

"Yeah?" I squeaked.

"Can you give me Diane's number so I can ask her if she'd come with me?" He blurted out. His cheeks were blushing and he pulled on the strap of his backpack. "I've been wanting to ask her for a while but I could never get to her alone and it's not like I could just call her out like I can call you, you know?"

My eyes widen, I think. I'm not sure if I was swaying for anything cause in that moment I became so dizzy and lightheaded. He probably said something else sheepishly but my concentration was far elsewhere.

He loves Diane. He loves my friend Diane. Diane, my tall thin friend who I was able to relate to the most since entering high school. The only other one who knows about my love for Arnold. He loves Diane. Oh God, he loves Diane.

"So, can you help me?" He tilted his head, rubbing the back of his blond hair.

I mentally shook away my thoughts. I couldn't come to a conclusion on what to do. I couldn't decide to help my love find his own love or selfishly satisfy my own twisted desire by telling him she loved someone else. Either way, someone would get hurt.

"Helga?" His puppy dog eyes looked at me, making me feel for a moment that I was his only hope. Right here, right now he was here for me.

"Oh yeah." I choked a laugh. "Sorry Arnoldo, I dozed off for a second." I pulled out my cell phone from my pocket. "Are you ready?" I looked down at the number on my screen. I had to or else he'd see the tears swelling in my eyes.

He fumbled in his pocket for his phone. "Yeah, one sec. Thanks a lot Helga. It means a lot."

"Yeah...What are friends for? 555..."

Diane and I sat on my bed silently. Phoebe stood by the door squeezing her hands anxiously while trying to look around to distract herself with something.

Diane sat crossed legged staring at my knee, occasionally looking at my face and then down at the floor. I was slouching with my arms crossed feeling empty and lost. For years, I've experienced loneliness and detachment from my family that I thought I could never get over. To me, Arnold was my candle during that dark period of my life and now that candle has burnt out to return me back to my inevitable place.

"Helga." Diane spoke. "We all know what I need to talk to you about." She said awkwardly yet straightforward.

I clenched my hands into fists. "Then start. What did you tell him?"

"I told him yes."

"Diane!" Phoebe exclaimed.

My eye twitched. "You...what?"

She pushed up from my bed, looking down at me. "What are you going to do about it?"

I jumped up and grabbed the collar of her shirt. "You think I won't hit ya?!" I pushed her away from me. "I trusted you! You actually had the nerve to say yes to the guy you knew I liked! You backstabbing, evil..."

"Helga, stop!" Diane shouted at me, holding her hands in front of her face in defense. "I said yes, but that doesn't mean I'm going!"

I pushed her again more forcefully to the ground. "Oh, so now you're going to stand him up? If you're going to date him, you'll be dead before you can break his heart!" I held my fist up, ready to give her one right in the jaw when Phoebe ran over to grab my arm back.

"Helga! No!"

"Stupid! I'm not going cause you are!"

Phoebe and I looked down at Diane. "What?" I asked.

"You're going in my place. I knew you'd be too scared to tell him anything so this is your chance to change his mind about you. Go on this date for me and make your move already." She explained as Phoebe helped her back on her feet. Diane put her hands on her hips. "You should know I don't like Arnold that way."

"You're doing this for me?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Yes." She went for her bag that was still on my bed and situated it over her shoulder. "Now don't mess this up. You're lucky it was me who he likes. I'll see you girls later." She left my bedroom and Phoebe and I stood waiting until we heard my front door close.

"Are you going on the date? Do you think Arnold won't suspect anything?" Phoebe asked me in her small voice.

I rubbed the back of my neck, sighing. "I don't know."

That evening, to clear my head I went out for a walk. I walked through the familiar neighborhood that has changed so much since I was young and yet it's still the same. New faces play ball in Gerald's Field but it's still the endless cycle of the fourth versus the fifth graders. It's change without the change.

I stopped to watch them, sitting on the curb across the street. I could hear the pitcher and first baseman taunting the small boy who was up at bat. I wonder if we were that loud at that age? I couldn't help but smile as I recalled those old memories.

"Helga?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin by the sudden call of my name. I looked up in response only to feel a pinch in my gut. "Arnold?"

"Sorry, did I scare you?" He sat down beside me.

I turned my head away. "No you did not scare me. I was just a little startled. What are you doing out here anyway?" I couldn't help but sound a little mean.

"I was with Gerald and now I'm just on my way home. What about you?"

"On a walk. I just stopped to rest the legs for a bit." I dramatically pointed at my legs. Arnold chuckled. My heart skipped. "But you know, it's getting late so I'd better be headed home." I stood up and wiped the back of my white skirt.

"I'll walk you." He smiled. Probably just trying to be friendly because of me giving Diane's number.

"Suit yourself."

And we walked. We talked. We talked about Diane and school and normal friend things. I'll admit I was a bit uncomfortable at first but there's just something about Arnold that nullifies negative thoughts and I found myself enjoying his company. So much so that I purposefully began walking slower.

"...and when he saw Phoebe talking to Pierre yesterday, he completely lost it."

I hit my forehead with my hand. "Are you kidding me?"

Arnold shook his head. "He obviously still likes her, but Gerald doesn't think she'll take him back."

"Probably not, but hey, what do I know? He's got to ask her."

"That's what I keep telling him. I guess it's kinda weird for him though. He's liked Phoebe since elementary school and now seeing her with other guys is making him jealous."

There was a twist in my stomach. The feeling of a long term unrequited love was something I'm too familiar with.

"That happens. You can't always expect to be with the one you like if they don't like you back, even if you've liked them for a long time. Sometimes, not even time can change how a person feels about you." I said unintentionally sad.

"Did that happen to you?" He asked, looking straight into my eyes.

I swallowed my fear and shrugged. "Probably, Doesn't matter anymore."

"Because he doesn't like you back?" He pushed.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Arnold. Can we drop the subject?" I wanted to cry. You stupid boy. It's you! It's you!

"Sorry. I just realized we never talked about relationships with each other. I was just curious of what kind of guy you like." He responded honestly.

I bit the inside of my mouth. I knew we were close to home now and our time together is almost up for now. I also know that Diane is going to stand him up at the baseball game to give me this chance with him. So now what? Will waiting another few days do anything?

I sighed. What the hell. I'll punch myself later for this.

"The guy I like is incredibly dense. Not that I blame him for not noticing my feelings. You know how I can be." I said matter-of-factually. He nodded. "He's someone I've known for a while now. He can be annoying like when he talks about other girls in front of me, but most of the time he's also very sweet." I felt his eyes watching me carefully but I couldn't bring myself to face him. I kept my focus on the stoop to my house. "I can only wish he'd give me a chance."

"Wow." Was all he could say. He cleared his throat. "Is he someone I know?'

We reached my house and I went alone up the stoop putting a hand on the door knob. "Yeah, you probably know him better than anyone else."

"Gerald?!" He gasped.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "No, not Gerald! You know Arnold, sometimes I think you're the most dense guy I know."

He remained staring at me with his face burning, not thinking about the young girl he grew up with, but as the young woman I was becoming. I'm sure of that.

"Bye Arnold." I cracked open the door.

He had a foot on the first step but stopped himself from making any move.

"I'll...see you tomorrow at school?"

I gave a weak smile. "It's what I always look forward to. Bye."

"Bye...Helga."

I closed the door shut and pressed my forehead against it. My face felt so red. I cannot believe I did that. But this has to be progress, right? He didn't push me away and now he'll be forced to think of me as something more than a friend. This could be a good start. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go punch myself repeatedly.