Snippet for Chapter 29, and the girls are giving Helga a hardtime for her crush on Arnold lol
“Nothing happened,” I lied and found myself searching a random corner to escape their gazes. “I just figured it would get you guys off my case if I accepted his request.”
Rhonda lifted her brow. “Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“You were only doing it, because you were thinking of us?”
“Yep.”
“And you weren’t, at all, doing it because of Arnold himself?”
“Nope,” I popped the ‘p’ there. Crossed my arms. Tried to look nonchalant.
Rhonda scoffed. “You’re such a liar.”
And I frowned. “I am not!”
“Yes, you are! A big, stinky liar!” she made a face. “It’s so obvious that you—”
“You should let us know when he messages you!” Lila interrupted and grabbed my hand. My gaze bounced to hers. “I know that boy like the back of my hand, I can help you formulate the perfect response that’ll get him thinking about you for weeks.”
I pressed my lips together. She looked at me, like it was simple, like it really was a possibility that could happen. Had happened. Him liking me. She genuinely wanted to help me. And I genuinely wanted her help. I was surprised to feel those words tangling in my throat—yes, please, anything, do you really think he could ever like me?
“Or—” Rhonda held up a finger. “She could send him a nude.”
“HUH?!”
“Oh, yeah, that could totally work!” Lila dropped my hand and beamed at Rhonda. “Obviously, with consent.”
“Duh,” Rhonda nodded then turned to me. “Oh, don’t look so surprised Helga—he’s a teenage boy! It’s not going to offend him or anything!”
“A straight teenage boy,” Lila added.
“I’m sorry, didn’t you make it a rule that we’re not allowed to message boys?”
“No. I’m making it a rule that we’re not messaging potential romantic and/or sexual partners,” Rhonda corrected me. “Not all of us are into men y’know, you homophobe.”
My jaw dropped.
“Hey, I’m into men,” Lila said. “Just not full time.”
“And I admire the multitasking, babe,” Rhonda gave her a grin, raising her wine glass, which I hadn’t even noticed she’d filled up again. “But back to your one and true love, Helga.”
That made me face palm.
“You could send him a picture in that lingerie he gave you!”
Rhonda, who had gone back to drinking said wine, promptly spat it out at Lila’s exclamation.
Phoebe’s jaw went slack.
And I wished that the ground would open up and swallow me and then, hopefully crush my bones into powder so I wouldn’t have to be here right now.
“Wha—”
“Helga,” Phoebe raised her eyebrows, genuinely stunned. “I hadn’t realised that you two had become so serious.”
“We’re not!”
🦋◽️🦋◽️🦋◽️🦋◽️🦋◽️🦋◽️🦋◽️🦋◽️🦋
You can read the full fic here!
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