Gerald saw Arnold walking home melancholy after school.

"Hey man what's up, you didn't take the bus?"

"No Gerald I wanted to walk a little, I feel like my mind is under water" Replied Arnold looking down.

Gerald scratched his neck trying to think what to say. "You know Arnold if you come clear with your feelings, you'll feel much better"

Arnold stared at him confused.
"That is it, I don't know what I feel"

"Okay Man, tell me everything and I mean all of it, since the beginning at FTi" Asked Gerald

"What is it to tell, you know what happen, you were there" Said Arnold.

By this point Gerald was getting upset.
"You see man that's your problem, you can't tell me anything.. I don't know if you do it to protect yourself or if it's something else"

"I'm opening up, where talking right now." He insisted.

"Man, Just Tell me why don't you want me to know about FTi? What are you hiding?!" Asked Gerald upset as he continue to walk next to Arnold.

"I'm not hiding anything, it's just that it's complicated" said Arnold trying to think what to say.

"What about today in the cafeteria. You were acting so eager to her...what did you talk to Helga about?" Asked Gerald.

"I just told her to watch out for Andrew"

Gerald rolled his eyes. "And you took almost 2o minutes to tell her that!?"

"Really Gerald? Did I took that long with her, it didn't feel like it"

Gerald was frustrated and didn't know what to do anymore. "I thought we we're best friends! I guess you don't trust me then!"

Arnold wanted to express what he felt, but he couldn't think straight, his mind was full of doubts about everything.

Gerald has enough of his silence.
"You know....why am I even wasting my time with this!? I don't need this!" He said as he walked away upset.

Arnold wanted to tell Gerald about his encounter with Helga  and FTi and how it was Helga's idea to find the tape that ended up saving the entire neighborhood and everything else that was troubling him but he couldn't...it was like he couldn't understand his own feelings, something inside his heart was changing or maybe the feeling was always there and he couldn't see it till now.

He finally arrived at the border house.
"Hey Shortman! Uh...you look horrible...what's going on Arnold do you want to talk?" Asked his grandpa.

"Yes grandpa I need help" Said Arnold as he was walking to the living room.

They both sat quietly and prepared for a long talk.

"Okay Arnold what happen?"

"I don't know how to begging?" Arnold had his hands over his head with his elbows over his knees.

"I have time, come on Arnold I'm here for you start at the begging"

He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind. "Well...remember grandpa when I told you. Gerald and I were at FTi building getting the tape that showed the document stating the neighbor was a national mark. Well what I didn't tell you was that Helga was there and the tape was all her idea... as we were trapped on the roof top, Helga confess something to me..."

"Go on Arnold I'm listening" his grandfather encourage him.

Arnold sighed "Helga confess how much she, loved me,  she said money wasn't everything. Grandpa she and her father were going to get rich off the whole deal!...but she left it all to help...me and then...she kissed me"

At that moment Arnold's face turn as his heart began racing. His Grandpa noticed Arnold's face expression had change as he was saying this.

"And how was the kiss Arnold?" Asked his grandpa staring at his green confused eyes.

"Grandpa!" Shouted Arnold with his cheeks red.

"Shortman it's a questions did you like the kiss or not?" His Grandpa asked again.

Arnold shyly answers. "I guess you can say that, I liked it...well actually I more then liked it...hmm..I loved it"

His Grandfather was staring at Arnold.
"You loved it ah...that's good to know you enjoyed something about FTi... then what happened?"

"After that we got off the roof and....after we saved the neighborhood I felt very strange around her" he was remembering that morning.

"How did you felt?" Asked his grandpa.

"I don't know, confused, awkward, timid and....happy." He blushed as he was saying ."Then I told Helga you didn't really meant what you said, you don't really love me right, we let ourselves get carried away right... Helga replied that was right, that we were just carried away from all the excitement..."

"Did she admitted that she didn't love you?" Asked his grandfather.

"Well she said, right" Replied Arnold

"That's not the same Arnold, the way I see it she admitted she loved you, but never said that she didn't. It sounds like you put the last words in her mouth and she just followed through...Okay tell me how you two been treating each other since then."

Arnold explained about all the bullying she did in Elementary school and now in Middle school, she bully him less since they had less classes together. His grandfather was about to fall asleep when Arnold talked about how he felt when he bumped to Helga on the first day of middle school and about the boys that were teasing Helga when she was bending down in front of her locker...and how angry he felt about that.

"And now there's this boy who is trying to talk to Helga and invite her out but, I don't like him I think he just wants to..."

"Okay Shortman stop right there, I know your problem."

"You do Grandpa!"

"You have feelings for her... actually I think you may even love Her."

Arnold felt his heart accelerate and his face started to heat up.
"Grandpa! How is that possible if she has always bullied me, besides it's not like she likes me"

His grandpa laughed....

"Oh Shortman! you are just to easy to fool."

His grandpa continued laughing while Arnold was serious staring at him.

"Okay That was good, let me tell you a little story about me when I was a young lad, their was this girl who bug me with no end..."

"Grandpa you already told me the story, about a young blond girl who bullied you in school.."

"I did?... well maybe I forgot to mention that, that little girl is your grandma"

Arnold eyes widened in surprise, he couldn't believe his ears.

"That's right Arnold, you see Helga likes you and the way I see it she has liked you for a long time. You know, I remember Mr.Hyunh told me this long ago...he when to see Mr.Bailey the cities Archivist to thank him for helping find his daughter and Mr.Bailey replied not to thank him, that a little blond girl with one eye brow offer him her new fancy snow boots in exchange for him to find Mr.Hyunh's daughter...."

"Grandpa That can't be! what you're saying is that Helga gave her new snow boots in exchange for Mr.Bailey to find Mr. Hyunh's daughter! But why!"

His grandfather was scratching his head thinking.

"Well if I remember correctly Mr.Hyunh mention that Mr.Bailey had told him the little girl gave him an impassioned speech about you needing a Christmas miracle"

Arnold couldn't comprehend what he was hearing, Helga did that for him, as a Christmas miracle. His heart felt warm with feelings toward Helga, his breathing become heavier.

"I can't believe Helga did that for me, she was my Christmas Angel! and why didn't you tell me about this Grandpa?"

"Hmm.. I was going to Arnold I guess I just forgot... but you see Arnold you have someone out there who loves you, you just need to let go of the feeling of not opening yourself to loving or caring for someone, fearing you will lose them someday... like your parents"

He remember his father telling him those exact words in his dream 'you have someone who loves you'. What his Grandpa said penetrated his chest, something inside him snapped and as he looked down his eyes started to get watery.

"I know it hurts Arnold but it's best to let all that out instead of keeping it inside or it will consume you..."

Arnold got up and hugged his Grandpa.
"Thanks Grandpa, I needed that...I'll be in my room."

"Anytime Arnold." His grandpa walked towards the kitchen and saw chili for dinner."Not chilli again Pookie! Oh my poor stomach!

Arnold went up to his room and closed the door gently. He lay on his bed and wonder about the conversation he had with his Grandpa, about the dream and about all the encounters he had with Helga.

He closed his eyes and he could see Helga smiling at him, looking at him with her beautiful blue eyes, he could still heard her say I love you, love you I've always loved you. Arnold's heart felt full of warm memories as he was remembering the way she confess her love for him and seeing her calling him Football head and Arnoldo.

"Only Helga can call me that" he told himself with a goofy love smile on his face. He finally understood what his heart has been trying to tell him all along.

"I love Helga." he said it softly to himself almost as a whisper. "Grandpa believes Helga still loves me...I guess I'm going to have to find out....but first...I need to get my best friend back." As Arnold said that he when to his desk grabbed a notebook and a pencil and started to write.

Author Notes
It was a challenge for me to write this chapter, I had to really dig in to Arnold's heart and see his fear and love. I'm really happy with the ending of this chapter... what will happen next.