Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.
A/N: This is a first for me. A valentine story and this story take place when they're young. So hopefully, you nice people will go easy on me.
Valentine Concern
A Hey Arnold
Valentine Episode:
The classroom was decorated in brilliant colors of reds, whites, and pinks. The fifth grade class of P.S. 118 sat at their desks admiring the various numbers of cards on their desk. After the chatter died down a bit, Mr. Simmons walked up to the front of the classroom and clasped his hands together.
"All right class, now that we're done with our very special cards, I want everyone to take out the cereal boxes you were supposed to bring in today. In case some people were absent I have a few up here. Now as you know, tomorrow is a very special day…Valentine's day. Valentine's day is a very special day to give very special gift to one or several very special people."
He walked around the class and handed a box to Harold and Sid. The class was murmuring excitedly but stopped once he stepped to the front again.
"Okay, I want you guys to decorate the boxes in your own very special way. These are your "valentine mailboxes." During the course of today and tomorrow people will anonymously place their cards into the box. With that said get to work!"
Gerald turned to his best friend as he was writing his name on the box. Arnold was pasting a red heart over the Trix rabbit.
"Hey Arnold, how many cards did you make?"
"One."
"For who?"
The boy in question looked up and smile sheepishly when he was about to answer he felt something pelt him on the back of his head. He turned around to see Helga grinning menacingly.
"Quit it!"
"It wasn't me."
Helga watched as he turned around to talk to Gerald again. She looked at his ostentatious and rather large card. She sighed lovingly and looked to see if anyone was watching before taking out her locker. "Oh, angel of my heart, why must I torture you so on the eve of Cupid's day? May Cupid strike my jeweled-eyed beloved into turning those magical emerald orbs toward me with love and compassion."
Wheeze
Without taking a second glance, Helga smashed her fist into Brainy's head instantly rendering him unconscious. She put the locket away and put the finishing touches on her all pink box and placed it on the window to dry. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was about to ring, so she pulled out on last spitball and aimed to towards Arnold's head. (Just to make it an even 55.)
"What?"
"Quit it!"
"What did I do?"
His response was cut off by the shrill of the bell and the multitude of students rushing out of the classroom. Sighing, he placed the box near his desk and walked out the door.
* * *
Just like the P.S. 118 classroom, reds, pinks, and whites adorned every window, every door, and every store in sight. The small town was love struck and filled with the Valentine spirit…much to one person's dismay. As she walked down the colorful streets, her face was frozen into a frown. Despite the unusually warm February, Helga was not pleased. Her head was down to avoid all of the colors and her pace was quicker than normal and for the first time in years.
She wanted to go home.
~*~
If a sudden rain was to have to have drenched the small town and left it flooded, the smile on the boy's face would have probably still be on his face. His green eyes gleamed with pleasure as he took in the extravagant decorations. Gerald shook his head and raised his eyes to the sky. He has definitely seen this look before.
"What are you thinking about?"
Slightly in a daze, he turned to his best friend, "I was just thinking about…"
"Oh, no. Not…" he cut him off but Arnold appeared not to have heard him.
"Cecile."
He stopped, raised his hands to the sky and groaned loudly, "Arnold, my man, that was last year."
Surprisingly Arnold did not say anything, he was staring at someone across the street. Gerald followed his gaze and groaned again.
"Have you lost your marbles?"
He shook his head absently, "I just want to say hi."
"Why?"
Arnold finally met his friend's eyes. "She makes me curious."
Gerald was dumbfounded for a moment. His eyes widened in surprised and Arnold took that moment to run across the street. Gerald shook his head and paced slowly, "he's a bold kid."
~*~
"What bring you to this part of town?"
Helga looked up startled, "What's it to ya, hair-boy?"
With that said she assumed he would say his usual 'whatever you say, Helga' but surprising himself and the blonde next to him, he began to follow the 10 year old girl. He saw his best friend smile, shake his head and walk toward his house. Arnold lifted his hand to wave and Gerald did the same. So he ran to catch up with his classmate. After a few moments of awkward silence, Helga spun on the green-eyed blonde.
"What's with the follow-the-leader act?"
"What do you mean?" he asked her not meeting her gaze.
"Why are you following me? Can't I have a little peace to myself with you following me around football head? Crimeny!"
His smile did not fade but he eyes met hers. Something about her looked awfully familiar. Nothing changed much about her changed except for her hair instead of her two pigtails, it was either loose or in a ponytail. Now it was in a ponytail and she still wore that pink dress except for now it was starting to fill out. She was aware that he was still staring at her and she was becoming a bit self-conscious. She put her head down and Arnold continued walked.
"What happened to you bow?"
"It's not important."
"Maybe it isn't but I always liked it. I just wanted to know what happened to it."
Helga let herself fall two paces behind him to catch her breath (He misses my bow! He noticed me.) She caught up to him as he stopped to look at the display of the Hallmark Kiss Kiss Bears.
She saw him take a second glance at her with a surprised look. Catching her image in the glass, she gasped. (Oh, no! I hope he forgot. I hope he forgot.)
Luck was not on her side.
"It was you."
A simple sentence but it made Helga shudder. She smiled weakly. "Don't get too excited."
He did not speak.
"I'm sorry. I really am. I should have told you but…"
He held up his hand and smiled. "It's okay."
"Really?"
He shrugged, "Why'd you do it?"
She shrugged this time, "I dunno. I guess I wanted your attention or something. I always hated Valentine's Day. It made me realized all the love everyone else had that I didn't have…so you were there and you made me feel special. Needed."
He smiled, "I'm happy to help you."
"You're not mad?"
"No."
Finally they reached her house and she smiled at him. He wasn't going to leave until she went inside so she turned around.
"Arnold, one day you're going to find that girl and you're going to make her very happy."
Without waiting for his response, she walked into her house.
* * *
Each box had at least one Valentine inside. Happily, they chattered about the possibilities of the mail inside. Since the excitement was so high no one was able to concentrate so Mr. Simmons let the class open their "mail" after only two periods.
Reluctantly Helga dragged herself over to her box and glanced inside to see not one but two cards. She pushed the one from Phoebe aside and opened the familiar decorated card.
"Consider this my gift to you.
Maybe I already know the girl for me.
Everyone is loved Helga, remember that
Happy Valentine Day."
Next to the box was one bear, the same bear from the display. Sneaking a peek, she saw the matching one on Arnold's desk. So no one would notice anything suspicious she put the bear on in her book bag then she untied the pink ribbon from her hair and then she tore a piece of paper from her notebook. She got up from her seat and walked toward the front of the classroom as if she was going to throw away the paper. She nudged him and dropped the ribbon to the floor as subtle movement but Arnold quickly picked it up. He smiled, tied the ribbon around the bear's neck, placed it in his bag and glared at her once the first spitball of the day his the back of his head.
* ~ * ~ *
A/N: A bit sappy but its Valentine's Day! So review and wait for the next chapter of Just a Thought! I'm ~*Starry Nights*~