Fic: The Girl: Summer (2/4)
Fandom: Hey Arnold AU
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Still don't own Hey Arnold.
Summary: The summer of Arnold and Lila.
"So wait, how long have you two been dating?"
Arnold sighed, and kicked at a stone on the sidewalk. It bounced off into the street. "I dunno."
Gerald stared at him incredulously. "You don't know how long you've been dating?"
"I don't! She says we've only been going steady for the last two weeks."
"But you guys were stuck together since, like, April. What was that?"
Arnold ran his hands down his face. "I don't know!"
Gerald patted Arnold on the shoulder. "Sorry. Okay, forget that. In my eyes, you two have been dating since late April. Maybe early May. So it's been about two months...and you still haven't kissed?"
Arnold stopped walking and buried his face in his hands. "Just kill me."
Gerald rubbed his chin. "This isn't as bad as it looks."
Arnold peered at Gerald through his fingers. "It isn't?"
"Nope." They started walking again. "Lila's a sweet girl. Hell, she held pinkies with her last boyfriend. Pinkies! So she's not the kind of girl to jump right into a makeout session. So what? You really like her. That's all that matters."
"But I want to kiss her. She's so sweet...and kind...and beautiful..."
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Well, have you tried kissing her?"
"Well..." They stopped in front of Arnold's house and sat down on the stoop.
"Well?" Gerald prompted.
"Not really..."
"Then how do you know that she doesn't want to kiss you if you haven't tried?"
"Because! Because sometimes I'm thinking about it, and then right when I decide to do it, she says something like 'Oh Arnold, I like you ever so much, you're such a gentleman' and then I feel bad and just hold her hand."
Gerald shook his head. "Mmm mmm mmm."
Arnold buried his face in his lap. "I know." After a minute, he lifted his head up. "But tonight will be different. It's our two month anniversary--"
"So we're going with that date, then?"
"Gerald."
"Sorry."
"It's our anniversary. And I'm going to kiss Lila tonight. It's going to happen." He balled his hands into fists and stared at the pavement with raw determination.
"Oookay. Well, good luck, man."
* * *
The date went well, in Arnold's opinion. There was a lot of laughing. There was even more hand holding.
"So," he said, as he walked Lila up her stoop at the end of the night.
"Yes, Arnold?" She smiled sweetly. His stomach did flip flops.
"It's our anniversary tonight."
"Is it?"
"Yeah." She was looking up at him, a warm smile on her face. He leaned in--then chickened out. He couldn't do it. "Uh, yeah. I...I just thought I'd point that out. Um, well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow--"
Lila cut him off and kissed him. He stared at her in shock. Her eyes were screwed shut. Arnold slowly closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders.
Lila pulled away and started crying. "Oh, Arnold!" Lila said, hiccuping. "I'm ever so sorry!"
Arnold stood there, dumbfounded at the rapid change in emotions. He shook himself out of his stupor. "No, don't apologize. I'm glad you kissed me. I've wanted to do that for months now." He rubbed his thumbs across her shoulders.
Lila began to cry harder. Arnold pulled her into a hug and began to rub her back soothingly. Her sobs slowly began to die down. Arnold pulled away and smoothed some of her hair behind her ear.
"Better?" he whispered softly.
Lila nodded. She looked up into his eyes. "Arnold...I'm afraid I haven't been totally honest with you."
Arnold tilted his head quizzically. Lila took a deep breath.
"Arnold...I'm still in love with Tom."
Arnold let go of her. "Oh. Um, wait. Who's Tom?"
Lila sniffled. "My ex-boyfriend. He moved to Montana about a month before you moved here. I was ever so sad when he left Arnold, just ever so sad. When you moved here, Rhonda encouraged me to go out with you because she said you were a total gentleman and I'd love you. And I do like you Arnold, ever so much. But I just don't like-you-like-you." She let out a choking sob. "You must think I'm ever so mean..."
"No, Lila. I mean, I'm surprised, but..." he reached out and cupped her face. "I don't think I could ever hate you."
Lila placed her hand over his. "Thank you ever so much, Arnold."
Arnold slowly drew his hand away. "So I guess this is it, huh?"
Lila nodded sadly. He took a step back.
"Goodbye, Lila."
"Goodbye, Arnold."
Arnold watched as she went inside. He sighed.
He needed to take a walk.
* * *
Arnold wound up in the park, sitting on the bench that he and Lila used to sit on. She said it was perfect for duck watching. They used to sit there for hours, just holding hands. It all seemed so perfect.
Arnold slumped back into the seat. Guess it wasn't.
"If it takes forever, I will wait for you..."
Arnold whipped around and saw Helga leaning over the back of the bench. She turned towards him and smiled. "Do you know that song, Mr. Non-Football Head?"
Arnold turned away. "I'm not in the mood, Helga."
"For what, singing?"
"For anything." He stood up abruptly. "See you around," he said curtly, as he started to walk home.
But Helga followed him. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Miss Lila, would it?"
Arnold stopped and glared at her. "No."
"Really?" She tapped her cheek. "Well, then. That must've been someone else I overhead getting dumped."
Arnold narrowed his eyes. "Were you following us?"
Helga scoffed. "You wish. I was walking home from the movies. But enough about me, we were talking about you. And how Lila dumped you flat."
"Helga."
"How she hung you out to dry..."
"Helga..." he started to walk away faster, but she easily kept up.
"How she gave you the speech; said it wasn't you, it was her."
Arnold stopped. "Okay! She dumped me! She said she didn't 'like-me-like me' and told me she still loved Tom, who I don't even know. What could I say? 'Forget Tom, stay with me?' I couldn't do that to her." He sighed. "I just...couldn't."
Helga frowned. "I'm sorry."
Arnold sighed again, forcing himself to give her a small smile. "It's not your fault."
"Yeah, well, I shouldn't have razzed you. Sometimes I just can't help myself, you know?"
"I noticed," Arnold said wryly. Helga rolled her eyes, but smiled. They continued walking.
Helga cleared her throat. "Are you gonna be okay, Arnold?"
He took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'll be okay. She was just my first girlfriend, you know? And she was so sweet...and nice...and beautiful..."
"Get to the point."
"I really liked her."
"I know."
"I even...I thought I loved her," he whispered. They stopped again. "Is that stupid?"
Helga searched his eyes before turning away abruptly. "Of course it's stupid. I mean, how long did you know her?"
Arnold sighed dejectedly. "You're right." He started walking again. Helga reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping him. Arnold turned around, confused. She was looking off into the distance. She looked like she was gathering the courage to say something.
She turned towards him. "It's not stupid. I...I thought I loved someone once."
"You did?"
"Don't interrupt me. Yes, I did. I was just a kid. We accidentally got left behind on this field trip to the Chocolate Factory. It's actually a really annoying and stupid story. On our way back, he kept getting us into trouble and I'd have to jump in and save his stupid ass. I was a fucking terror that day. But he didn't get frustrated with me, not once. And then, after I rescued him after one particularly dumb incident, he hugged me and told me he loved me. It sounds so idiotic now. I can see that I loved him just because he said he loved me." Helga's eyes softened. "But at that time in my life...I really needed someone to love."
"Why?"
Helga smirked. "That's a story for another day." She walked ahead of him. Arnold followed her.
"Can you at least tell me who it was?"
"You're so nosy." But then she smiled slyly. "Harold."
Arnold stared at her, shocked. "That's why you stopped him from beating me up!"
"Wrong. I mean, I do have a soft spot for the big lug, even though I don't love him anymore. Nope, Arnold-o, I stopped him to save you and your little, well, large oblong head." She flicked his ear.
"Ouch! Quit it!"
Helga laughed. "C'mon. I'll walk you home."
They spent the rest of the walk talking about the movie Helga saw, Umbrellas of Cherbourg. She said it would be the perfect film for his broken heart. Arnold promised he'd rent it.
Arnold walked up his stoop, fishing his keys out of his pocket. "Well, see you around Helga."
"Yeah, yeah."
Arnold unlocked the door.
"Hey Arnold, wait."
He turned around. Helga was looking at the ground, rubbing her arm nervously. "Try not to be too hung up on Lila, okay?" She looked up. "There are plenty of other fish in the sea."
Arnold smiled. "Thanks, Helga."
Helga smiled back.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Still don't own Hey Arnold.
Summary: The summer of Arnold and Lila.
"So wait, how long have you two been dating?"
Arnold sighed, and kicked at a stone on the sidewalk. It bounced off into the street. "I dunno."
Gerald stared at him incredulously. "You don't know how long you've been dating?"
"I don't! She says we've only been going steady for the last two weeks."
"But you guys were stuck together since, like, April. What was that?"
Arnold ran his hands down his face. "I don't know!"
Gerald patted Arnold on the shoulder. "Sorry. Okay, forget that. In my eyes, you two have been dating since late April. Maybe early May. So it's been about two months...and you still haven't kissed?"
Arnold stopped walking and buried his face in his hands. "Just kill me."
Gerald rubbed his chin. "This isn't as bad as it looks."
Arnold peered at Gerald through his fingers. "It isn't?"
"Nope." They started walking again. "Lila's a sweet girl. Hell, she held pinkies with her last boyfriend. Pinkies! So she's not the kind of girl to jump right into a makeout session. So what? You really like her. That's all that matters."
"But I want to kiss her. She's so sweet...and kind...and beautiful..."
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Well, have you tried kissing her?"
"Well..." They stopped in front of Arnold's house and sat down on the stoop.
"Well?" Gerald prompted.
"Not really..."
"Then how do you know that she doesn't want to kiss you if you haven't tried?"
"Because! Because sometimes I'm thinking about it, and then right when I decide to do it, she says something like 'Oh Arnold, I like you ever so much, you're such a gentleman' and then I feel bad and just hold her hand."
Gerald shook his head. "Mmm mmm mmm."
Arnold buried his face in his lap. "I know." After a minute, he lifted his head up. "But tonight will be different. It's our two month anniversary--"
"So we're going with that date, then?"
"Gerald."
"Sorry."
"It's our anniversary. And I'm going to kiss Lila tonight. It's going to happen." He balled his hands into fists and stared at the pavement with raw determination.
"Oookay. Well, good luck, man."
* * *
The date went well, in Arnold's opinion. There was a lot of laughing. There was even more hand holding.
"So," he said, as he walked Lila up her stoop at the end of the night.
"Yes, Arnold?" She smiled sweetly. His stomach did flip flops.
"It's our anniversary tonight."
"Is it?"
"Yeah." She was looking up at him, a warm smile on her face. He leaned in--then chickened out. He couldn't do it. "Uh, yeah. I...I just thought I'd point that out. Um, well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow--"
Lila cut him off and kissed him. He stared at her in shock. Her eyes were screwed shut. Arnold slowly closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders.
Lila pulled away and started crying. "Oh, Arnold!" Lila said, hiccuping. "I'm ever so sorry!"
Arnold stood there, dumbfounded at the rapid change in emotions. He shook himself out of his stupor. "No, don't apologize. I'm glad you kissed me. I've wanted to do that for months now." He rubbed his thumbs across her shoulders.
Lila began to cry harder. Arnold pulled her into a hug and began to rub her back soothingly. Her sobs slowly began to die down. Arnold pulled away and smoothed some of her hair behind her ear.
"Better?" he whispered softly.
Lila nodded. She looked up into his eyes. "Arnold...I'm afraid I haven't been totally honest with you."
Arnold tilted his head quizzically. Lila took a deep breath.
"Arnold...I'm still in love with Tom."
Arnold let go of her. "Oh. Um, wait. Who's Tom?"
Lila sniffled. "My ex-boyfriend. He moved to Montana about a month before you moved here. I was ever so sad when he left Arnold, just ever so sad. When you moved here, Rhonda encouraged me to go out with you because she said you were a total gentleman and I'd love you. And I do like you Arnold, ever so much. But I just don't like-you-like-you." She let out a choking sob. "You must think I'm ever so mean..."
"No, Lila. I mean, I'm surprised, but..." he reached out and cupped her face. "I don't think I could ever hate you."
Lila placed her hand over his. "Thank you ever so much, Arnold."
Arnold slowly drew his hand away. "So I guess this is it, huh?"
Lila nodded sadly. He took a step back.
"Goodbye, Lila."
"Goodbye, Arnold."
Arnold watched as she went inside. He sighed.
He needed to take a walk.
* * *
Arnold wound up in the park, sitting on the bench that he and Lila used to sit on. She said it was perfect for duck watching. They used to sit there for hours, just holding hands. It all seemed so perfect.
Arnold slumped back into the seat. Guess it wasn't.
"If it takes forever, I will wait for you..."
Arnold whipped around and saw Helga leaning over the back of the bench. She turned towards him and smiled. "Do you know that song, Mr. Non-Football Head?"
Arnold turned away. "I'm not in the mood, Helga."
"For what, singing?"
"For anything." He stood up abruptly. "See you around," he said curtly, as he started to walk home.
But Helga followed him. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Miss Lila, would it?"
Arnold stopped and glared at her. "No."
"Really?" She tapped her cheek. "Well, then. That must've been someone else I overhead getting dumped."
Arnold narrowed his eyes. "Were you following us?"
Helga scoffed. "You wish. I was walking home from the movies. But enough about me, we were talking about you. And how Lila dumped you flat."
"Helga."
"How she hung you out to dry..."
"Helga..." he started to walk away faster, but she easily kept up.
"How she gave you the speech; said it wasn't you, it was her."
Arnold stopped. "Okay! She dumped me! She said she didn't 'like-me-like me' and told me she still loved Tom, who I don't even know. What could I say? 'Forget Tom, stay with me?' I couldn't do that to her." He sighed. "I just...couldn't."
Helga frowned. "I'm sorry."
Arnold sighed again, forcing himself to give her a small smile. "It's not your fault."
"Yeah, well, I shouldn't have razzed you. Sometimes I just can't help myself, you know?"
"I noticed," Arnold said wryly. Helga rolled her eyes, but smiled. They continued walking.
Helga cleared her throat. "Are you gonna be okay, Arnold?"
He took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'll be okay. She was just my first girlfriend, you know? And she was so sweet...and nice...and beautiful..."
"Get to the point."
"I really liked her."
"I know."
"I even...I thought I loved her," he whispered. They stopped again. "Is that stupid?"
Helga searched his eyes before turning away abruptly. "Of course it's stupid. I mean, how long did you know her?"
Arnold sighed dejectedly. "You're right." He started walking again. Helga reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping him. Arnold turned around, confused. She was looking off into the distance. She looked like she was gathering the courage to say something.
She turned towards him. "It's not stupid. I...I thought I loved someone once."
"You did?"
"Don't interrupt me. Yes, I did. I was just a kid. We accidentally got left behind on this field trip to the Chocolate Factory. It's actually a really annoying and stupid story. On our way back, he kept getting us into trouble and I'd have to jump in and save his stupid ass. I was a fucking terror that day. But he didn't get frustrated with me, not once. And then, after I rescued him after one particularly dumb incident, he hugged me and told me he loved me. It sounds so idiotic now. I can see that I loved him just because he said he loved me." Helga's eyes softened. "But at that time in my life...I really needed someone to love."
"Why?"
Helga smirked. "That's a story for another day." She walked ahead of him. Arnold followed her.
"Can you at least tell me who it was?"
"You're so nosy." But then she smiled slyly. "Harold."
Arnold stared at her, shocked. "That's why you stopped him from beating me up!"
"Wrong. I mean, I do have a soft spot for the big lug, even though I don't love him anymore. Nope, Arnold-o, I stopped him to save you and your little, well, large oblong head." She flicked his ear.
"Ouch! Quit it!"
Helga laughed. "C'mon. I'll walk you home."
They spent the rest of the walk talking about the movie Helga saw, Umbrellas of Cherbourg. She said it would be the perfect film for his broken heart. Arnold promised he'd rent it.
Arnold walked up his stoop, fishing his keys out of his pocket. "Well, see you around Helga."
"Yeah, yeah."
Arnold unlocked the door.
"Hey Arnold, wait."
He turned around. Helga was looking at the ground, rubbing her arm nervously. "Try not to be too hung up on Lila, okay?" She looked up. "There are plenty of other fish in the sea."
Arnold smiled. "Thanks, Helga."
Helga smiled back.