Hey Arnold! © 1996 by Nickelodeon/Viacom and Craig Bartlett. Hey Arnold! Where are you? 2009 by Hebo Freire

Corrected by Kitax13

Crossing the frontiers of cosmos, closer to realityHebo presents...

A is for he is my golden-haired Angel

R is for Remembering the kiss that we shared

N is for why I Never cease to love him

O is for the Obscure and pure desire that burns inside me

L is for the Lily of the valley that I idolize and love in secret

D is for the Demented love I have in my heart

The little blue book

Prologue

Once upon a time, a football-headed kid that li-ving in a boarding house with his grandparents,

in an old neighborhood where he had many adven-tures.Some time ago, an evil businessman tried to over-throw the old neighborhood to build a shopping cen-ter.

The kid named Arnold and his best friend Gerald did everything possible to avoid and finally, after

many adventures, succeeded in its mission saving the neighborhood and gave a lesson to evil man.The children would have not succeeded without the help of Helga G. Pataki, under the identity of “Deep Voice”, helped Arnold from the shadows. Helga who secretly loved Arnold since kindergarten and kept the secret, hating, helped him conditionally to the end of the mission, when she was discovered accidentally by Arnold and Helga had no choice but to confess that she loved him, although later re-canted and Arnold believed her. The neighborhood was saved and all back as was before or at least that was what they believed.

However, this was not the end of all the adventures of these children. There were many adventures that occurred after and one had to do with a diary and others with a blue book ... I shall recount these ex-periences now and tell the adventures of Arnold and his friends after having saved the neighborhood.

stage 1: the neighborhood, adventures in the asphalt jungle

The little blue book

“Arnold... Hey Arnold!” The voice of a girl called him. He rose from his desk and climbed on the shelf that was next to the window of his classroom. He looked into the courtyard, children running and playing as usual, and saw a blond girl with a pink bow on her head, skipping rope. With her back still to him, she stopped her skipping before turning toward the window, smiling. She was the sweetest and most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Like and angel, this girl was the one he had been looking for all his life.His heart beat so fast as he quickly made his way to her. His best-friend Gerald was the only thing in his way. “Hey Arnold! What are you doing?” he asked.“I looked out the window and I saw this beautiful girl,” answered Arnold. Gerald looked out the window as his friend did, searching for the “beautiful girl”. His expression changed to that of confusion.

“You mean her?” he asked, pointing to the beautiful long-haired girl, dressed in pink.“Yes. It’s her; the girl of my dreams,” he said, finding himself to be madly in love. Gerald was dumbfounded. “Arnold, you better look again.” He said. “That’s Helga.”“Don’t joke with me like that.”Arnold said before finally breaking free from the illusion.“I’m not kidding. That’s Helga.” His friend replied. The boy looked back and, to his surprise, found himself face to face with the girl. She was then watching from the other side of the window. Arnold fell back from fright as she smiled and then breathed onto the glass.She wrote with her fingertip, “I love Arnold”. Then she continued below, “And your answer is?” “Answer?” Arnold put his hands to the window, wanting to reply, “Yes … Helga, I like...” but he felt his voice choking. “I like you... I really like you, I lov...” but before he could finish the thought, he heard a noise from seemingly nowhere. His alarm clock yelled “Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold!” and brought him back to reality. Arnold ope-ned his eyes and saw the bright sun through his huge skylight ceiling. “Why? Why am I dreaming of her?” Arnold asked in surprise. The tousled-haired boy did not understand. He dreamed of Helga G. Pata-ki, the girl who picked on him since kindergarten with bitter hatred, never leaving him alone. He got up, still thinking about his dream. It was time to prepare for a new day of class at PS118, where he hoped his friends would be; including her.

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The newspaper headlines were bold, saying things like “Local he-roes save the neighborhood”, “Kids save neighborhood”, “War of Tomatoes is forgotten, thanks to a brave boy and his best friend”, “Scheck behind bars: Evil plan revealed thanks to some children”, etc. etc. etc... Newspapers were thrown in the morning by Oskar Kokoshka, the carrier in charge of that area. One of the papers was quickly picked up by a girl; ten years of age, wearing a pink dress and

a bow of the same color on her head. Helga G. Pataki, the tormenter and secret admirer of Arnold, read intently, the morning newspaper. She collected as many newspapers as she could and took them home. In the loneliness of her room she began to cut out with scissors what interested her: The photos of him to whom she had devoted her life completely, Arnold. She cut out and pasted each photo in her diary and with markers, drew hearts around him, the child she loved in secret. The last article was her favorite. The photo was of Arnold, along with Gerald, next to an overturned bus. Helga didn’t cut up this article but she underlined a few words to form a simple but allusive phrase, “Arnold & Helga save the neighborhood and declare their love”. Holding the paper, Helga gave a long sigh.“There.” She said, “I have gathered all the evidence of your great achievement, my beloved,” she pasted the sheet inside the door of closet and stared at the photograph. “Oh, my beloved, how sweet was to taste your lips; so much so that now I have more desire. I would have liked not to hide the truth but...” Helga turned and was silent for a moment. “I hope one day to confess what I feel for you, and that you accept me... Oh Arnold, my greatest desire on earth and in heaven, you are not yet mine but I’m content with that memory, the memory of the kiss that we had in that great tower whilst it was raining...”“Helga Darling, it’s time to go to school…” her mother’s voice inte-rrupted her soliloquy.“Coming, Miriam,” Helga exclaimed, exasperated, before preparing to go to school.

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Arnold save the neighborhood, all the local news revolved around him and Gerald, everyone wanted to hear the story again and again. The story of that crazy day, when a bridge was blown up, a bus over-turned on the pavement and half of the neighborhood was in ruins; all after the neighborhood was declared a national land mark. The world seemed to be working against Arnold as he searched for the correct documents.Though his grandmother was jailed for a month and his

grandfatherwas forced to pay destruction costs, Arnold was a hero and everyone admired him for that.

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In the primary 118, classroom 206, almost all the fourth graders had arrived.“Did you read the newspaper?” Gerald asked Arnold, sitting on his desk.“Yes, Mr. Kokoshka gave me several copies” Arnold replied, looking at the board.“We are the best...” Gerald took one of the newspapers “look, how good I look in this picture. I would have liked a color copy” Arnold studied the photograph, Gerald was right. He looked good in the pic-ture; they both did.they were all smiling, except one person, the girl with pigtails who was at his side. Helga scowl stood out just as it always did.“Good morning heroes!” Stinky the tallest boy in class interrupted the conversation, “How do you feel after saving the world?”“We didn’t save the world ... just the neighborhood” Arnold explai-ned.“The neighborhood is our world” Said Phoebe. She being Helga Pa-taki’s best friend.“It’s true” Said Sid, who proudly wore beetle boots “I cannot believe that the neighborhood was about to disappear in a single stroke”“But now it won’t ever be in danger seeing as though it’s a historic site,” Gerald said, before adding, “thanks to us.”“Unless there is a natural disaster” Phoebe said before receiving the disapproving eyes of all who were there. The classes was about to start when Helga made her triumphal entry to the classroom. Without greeting anyone, she sat in her respective place.“Good morning Helga!” Phoebe greeted her friend.“Morning...” Helga saluted simply. Her demeanor was grumpy as usual. Arnold’s eyes hadn’t left her since she entered the classroom as he remembered his dream he had that morning.After what happe-

ned in the building of Industries Future, something had changed. He could not specify exactly what it was but knew something was di-fferent. He could not tear that image out of his head every time he looked at Helga.“Why the hell are you looking me?” She yelled when she realized he was staring at her. “No reason...” He replied and turned his eyes toward the front. Mr. Simmons entered the classroom.“Morning, class. Today we’ll begin with science, but first I want to congratulate Arnold and Gerald for saving the neighborhood” The teacher said.“Thanks, thanks!” Gerald thanked the clapping room, feeling cool.“It was a very brave action. Not everyone could have been as brave, this was a difficult mission for…“…for the perfect pair of idiots” Helga said provoking the laughter of her companions. Gerald looked at her with annoyance; she was spoi-ling his moment of glory.“Helga,don’t say that, your classmates are not idiots” Chided Mr. Simmons.“Clumsy?” Helga corrected and once again her comment was fo-llowed by laughter. Helga had not missed the opportunity to say one of her favorite things. “Helga” Her teacher scolded.“You always have something nasty to say.” Gerald followed.“That’s what makes me so special” Helga said, smiling.“Kids!” Mr. Simmons rebuked as the door opened revealing the prin-cipal, principal Wartz.“Mr. Simmons, Can you come out a moment?” He asked.“I’ll be there immediately” Simmons said and turned to the class “kids, I’ll be back. Go over lesson 27 of the science textbook” Mr. Simmons left the room and as he did, many girls rose and surrounded Arnold and Gerald.Between them was Lila, the sweetest girl of class-room. “Perfect Lila” as Helga called her. “We wondered if you would like to go my house today” Asked Rhon-da, the most popular girl of class “I want to hear that fantastic story,

once again.”“Of course, Rhonda. Then we can go play in Gerald Field” Arnold accepted.“Very good” Rhonda rejoiced.“What you did was very brave, Arnold.” Said Lila with her angelic voice “it’s so amazing what you and Gerald have done alone”“Yes, Alone.” Arnold said feeling a cold eye accusing him of stealing triumphs. He was not wrong, Helga looked at his inquisitors.“Helga” Phoebe said sitting in the backseat.“What?”Asked Helga without leaving to see her love.“Will you tell me your version?” Phoebe Asked, confidentially.“I told you…” and Helga summed up the story again –“Industries Future want destroy the neighborhood blah blahblah, the Big Bob joins forces with them blah blahblah, I realized that they are cheating, blah blahblah, I wanted to prevent anything more, blah blah… I went to the tower of Industries Future disguised, I gave as much help to Arnold as I could, some minor experience that I can’t remember, we escaped on the bus, something else I can’t remember, The End”“It doesn’t really place any weight on one of your greatest accompli-shments, Helga” Phoebe said.“It’s not my accomplishment, it’s the achievement of that stupid foot-ball head” that was the favorite nickname of Helga for Arnold “only thing I accomplishedwas saving Big Bob’s skin.” (And that kiss that was so sweet and so hot that it makes me melt) Helga remembered the scene. Sighing romantically, she observed from afar, her great love.

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After school, the children were playing baseball in the Gerald field. It was more a vacant lot in the middle of the neighborhood, near Ar-nold’s house. Everything in the neighborhood was calm.Bulldozers had not withdrawn but would soon leave and the bridge was being repaired.“I cannot believe what you’re telling me, Gerald.” Phoebe said with emotion “Or that I missed it.”

“Can you believe it? Right now Arnold and I are heroes, we saved the neighborhood” Gerald had told his great adventure at the very last person. Now he needed to hear it from his own mouth.“That is surely a story that is worthy of a book” Said the girl in ad-miration.“Or a movie... It would be great. I’d call it, Saving the Neighborhood”“Ah, I wanted to be there” Said Phoebe“No Phoebe, it was not pretty.It was a very tense situation” Gerald said and jumped from the washer where he sat.“Really? Did anyone else help?”“We received help from a center of operations that made us agents.It was a sight worthy of a movie” Gerald Continued.“Genial and Who else helped?”“Well, nobody was very excited to help the neighborhood, save a guy named ‘Deep Voice’. I never found out who it was or what his objec-tive was, but he was very helpful” Gerald continued.“Deep Voice?” Phoebe asked.“Yes, some stranger.” Gerald said.“And Helga helped?” Phoebe asked, knowing that if a matter where the neighborhood was in danger involved Arnold, it also involved Helga G. Pataki, for obvious reasons.“Well, a little at the end, but not much. She only helped to drive the bus when we were running away” Gerald said.“A bus? For running away?”“Yes!” Gerald said visibly excited, remembering the scene. “The pro-blem was with shooting” an exaggeration “We had to jump the bridge before finally we finally finished. We handed over the tape, irrefutable proof that the neighborhood was a historic landmark.”“Helga had not told me anything” Mentioned the girl.“She must be disappointed that her family wasn’t going to become more rich and powerful.” Gerald said.“Ouch! Gerald, do you always have to shoot Helga down like that? She is not as bad as she seems” Phoebe defended.“Really?”“You said so yourself, in the end she helped a little”

“Maybe you’re right, Phoebe but that barely changes my view of her.”“Hey Hero... stop talking about how you saved the world and come play!” Snorted the funny voice of Harold, the fat pink kid.”We may owe you lot but don’t abuse that.”“C’mon, it’s time to play Phoebe.”“Have you seen Helga?” She asked following him.“No, I was beginning to miss her screams” Gerald said.“True. I thought she would come to play” Said the girl“I saw her a while ago. She said she was coming.” Someone said and the couple turned to the newcomer.“Arnold...” Phoebe said.“Man... Where were you?” Asked Gerald, executing his secret hands-hake with Arnold; something that they had done since kindergarten.“I was doing some chores at the Sunset Arm, Grandpa would not let me go until the end” Arnold said, Sunset arm, the boarding house was the sweet and eccentric home of Arnold. He lived there with his gran-dparents and some very special guests“I see” Gerald said.“Hey, are you guys playing or not?” Harold angry growl.“Alright” Gerald said and met with his teammates.Helga came half an hour later, just to see a group of girls very cheer-fully greeting Arnold.“Hello Arnold!” They greeted in unison like a chorus of cheerleaders.“Hello!” Arnold replied timidly. Helga was greatly irritated. Since becoming a hero, Arnold was popular and she did not like the girls chasing after him so strongly. As if she could kill every woman who dared to speak, Helga snapped her teeth like the tail of a rattlesnake, while her companions talked amongst themselves.“Our friend has become popular.” Stinky said as Helga passed by.“It’s true” Said Peapod, another child of fourth graders, “he has beco-me a celebrity”“Bah.That’s ridiculous.” Helga intervened joining the conversation “in a week nobody will remember”“Helga, it sounds like you’re jealous.” Stinky said.“Are you kidding? I have nothing to be envious about. That idiot

only had a little luck in becoming a hero.” Helga said starting to walk away. The boys watched her; barely seeing her emotions.

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The fame that Gerald and Arnold had acquired soon began to irri-tate Helga. Now she could not bother Arnold gladly. He always had an entourage of fans behind him, was no longer just for her, the world was tasked with demonstrating that Arnold was not for her, and that had her very frustrated. Helga was noticeably excluded from the who-le show. Children crowded around the kids and requested autographs. One afternoon, after school, Helga left running with her books.She looked down the stairs and Arnold was there. Helga let out a sigh of love and started one of her classic soliloquies when her inspiration was brokenas fourth-grade girls surrounded him.“Ugh, look how they praise him.” She said, disgusted, “This is crimi-nal!” Helga continued down the stairs, away from the show.“Look at this; the boy who saved the neighborhood.” Said a child passing by her side, behind the cloud. Helga looked down.“It cannot get worse” Helga said as suddenly a car appeared from nowhere, at high speed, and climbed onto the sidewalk right in front of her.It swept away a fire hydrant. A great stream of water shot out through the sky and bathed the vehicle, while her shaky driver opened the door.“Helga, there you are” She said, while all eyes fell on them.“Miriam?” Helga could not believe her eyes “What the hell are you doing here Miriam?” Miriam, the mother of Helga was a woman who was perpetually between sleeping and oscillating.“I was looking for my little heroine” Said smiling.“Do not call me! I’m not a heroine” Exclaimed Helga, angry.“... Of course, you saved the neighborhood” Miriam said.“I did not save anything!” Cry the girl exasperated and all was silent, she turned to her audience “What are you looking at?” All the people went away, while looking at the peculiar pair and the hydrant that looked like a fountain. Helga impatiently put her hand to

her forehead.“Let’s see, what are you doing here?”“I came to find you darling” Miriam answered“I appreciate your sudden interest in me but, number one…” Helga and count them with your index finger “I do not need that and number two, do not drive in that condition for heaven’s sake!”“Do not be like that, Helga” Miriam climbed into the car “I’ll take you up shopping”“You must be joking” Helga said with her arms akimbo “you’re de-mented if you think I’ll get in the car with you behind the Volant”“Come on, Helga!” Miriam said and Helga agreed just because she wanted out of that place as soon as possible, the looks she got exerted enormous pressure on her that she could not bear.

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Miriam led her to the mall center to one of the many shops and once they were there, she choose some clothes for Helga. Hours pas-sed and her mother showed her dress after dress. For some reason she was obsessed with making Helga look like Shirley Temple, so-mething that really exasperated Helga. She was desperate and tired. When she finally finished trying everything on, Helga decided to give a walk outside the mall while Miriam was in the checkout line.“Do not go too far, after this we’ll get some shoes” She said. Helga grinned in disgust and left, toward the main exit of the mal center, meeting with the crowd in the Street. Helga walked to the corner and met a street vendor.“Hey, young lady, looking for something?” Said the man, offering his merchandise. Helga gave a look at the merchandise and found several interesting books and notebooks. She found herself looking at one book in particularly.It was a blue cover book tied with black ribbon and on the inside, yellow moleskin pages. “It would serve perfectly for a diary or for a place to write beautiful words to a lover” Said the vendor looking for a sale. Helga smiled. The book was as blue as the hat that her beloved and hated Arnold

wore on the top of his football head. It was perfect for writingdespe-rate phrases full of love.“How much?”“Give me what you think, baby, this book has been around so long here I think been waiting for you” Said the man. Helga gave him two dollars. “Thanks. God bless you doll” Said the man, taking her mo-ney. The book made Helga so happy.

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After literally escaping from the claws of Miriam, Helga walked down the sidewalk holding her new acquisition.Stopping in front of a showcase, she looked in at the TV that was broadcasting an interview. Arnold and Gerald were being interviewed.‘Did you receive help, guys?’ the interviewer asked.“It was the two of us against the world” Gerald replied promptly. Helga made a wry face; the boy’s comments were not to her liking, stared at the interview she looked nostalgically to her lover, remem-bering her last serious conversation with Arnold. “It was the heat of the moment” was the phrase that summed up all that day. Helga felt sad, crouched in the street watching the TV. She felt a horrible empti-ness in the middle of her chest.“I would have liked not hide it anymore. I wouldn’t be as sad as I am now.” Said sigh bored pulling out her locket with one hand and with the other hand holding her book “What would have happened if I had not retracted? You probably would have rejected me. Oh Arnold! I have exalted with this triumph and at the same time I have changed, as if the whole universe separates us now” Helga stood up and moved on with her locket and book.“I am very far from my love, so far that I cannot reach you” Helga closed her eyes, very much grieved, and when she turned the corner she crashed into someone who was distractedly skateboarding. Helga fell back and the little blue book flew through the air. For a moment only, she saw stars in an immense black background.“Helga, are you okay?” Someone asked with concern. It took a few

seconds for her to react. After recoveringher vision, she saw her be-loved, contrasted gray against the blue sky. Helga pointing a finger.“Oh Arnold, I saw you near the tree and…”“Eh?” Arnold asked, confused. Helga shook her head and came to her senses.“What are you doing here stupid football head?” She questioned with her usual sullen expression.“Sorry Helga, are you hurt?” Arnold apologized, helping her up.“Sure! I almost left a mark on the pavement! Can’t you be a little more careful, hair-boy?” exclaimed Helga, before grabbing her locket that had fallen onto the ground. She stuffed it into her dress before Arnold could see it. “I’m sorry” he apologized again.“Weirdo!” yelled Helga. Arnold would have kept apologizing but a group of sixth-grade girls gathered around him.“Hey kid, want to go for a drink with us?” Maria invited.The girls pushed Helga out of the circle and she did not bother to stay. Arnold would have accept the invitation but saw Helga leaving and the book she had dropped on the ground.“Sorry...” he said and dodged around the girls, taking the book and following Helga who had already turned the corner. She walked quic-kly, feeling nauseated, when she heard her name in the distance.“Helga!” she stopped, turned and felt a great joy overwhelm her. She smiled unavoidably.“Now what do you want?” she asked, once Arnold had caught up, with a totally different expression.“You forgot this” He said.“Ah...” she said with disappointment seeing that it was her blue book “give it here” She continued trying to take it, but he held it out of her reach. Helga grimaced in disgust.“I have no time to play. Give me my stupid book”“Helga wait, there’s something I wanted to say but I haven’t had the chance to.”“What?” Asked Helga and Arnold took a step forward putting the girl on the defensive. He held the book out with both hands and then said.

“Thanks for helping me. I could not have done it without you.”Those simple phrases completely erased the weight of the world from Helga’s shoulders. It was short but so sincere, the smile on Helga’s face. It managed to surprise the messy haired boy.“Oh you don’t need to thank me. It suited me to help you.” Said she “do not get accustomed to the favors”“Whatever you say Helga” Arnold said squinting.“Well, that was all you had to say?” she asked“Yes”“Then give me my stupid book” Helga demanded and Arnold gave her the book. She took the book and felt a shock of electricity be-tween her and her love. “Oh the ray. I shudder at your touch, my beloved” were her thoughts of that moment “Anything else to give me?” she asked despite her feelings.“Nope” he replied.“Then move it football head!” Exclaimed Helga, pushing him away with her hand before going on her merry way holding the blue book to her chest. Arnold watched her go, and could not help remembering what happened on the IF on that incredible day when he became a hero. Helga said that day, that she loved him, but later said that it was a joke. Arnold believed her of course, but from that day everything changed between them. Though both denied it, that touch—that elec-tricity was the proof.

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Helga walked back to the neighborhood and sat on the stairs of her home on the last step. Drawing with her special pen, she sighed. It was time to start the blue book with a phrase out of her crazy heart. She opened the book on her knees and took the tip of the pen to her mouth, focusing entirely on the sheet in front of her.“What will I write for the start of this book? Hmmmm I think I’ll start with the name of my great love...” Helga began writing “A is for he who is my golden-haired Angel, R is for Remembering the kiss that

we shared, N is for why I Never cease to love him, O is for the Obs-cure and pure desire that burns inside me, L is for... At the end of her acrostic, Helga entered to her house to change her expression of love to a grumpy one. So was Helga G. Pataki the eternal love that Arnold secretly loved.

To be continued...