Love So True Prologue

It was pretty inevitable, from what Brian "Brainy" Jehoshaphat Williams knew. He knew it all along.

He watched as the girl he loved, Helga Pataki, shared an ice cream sundae with Arnold at Slausen's. It had been a month since their return from San Lorenzo, and she and the football-headed boy have been together since he had confessed he felt the same way about her. The two had been very much in love, and although kept their relationship low key and more of a secret at school, but Brainy knew of their love, he knew it since their return from San Lorenzo.

He knew it was going to happen.

Despite it, he was happy for her. Very happy for her. Helga had been a lot happier and lighter since they'd returned from San Lorenzo, since she and Arnold began dating. It was great seeing her on Cloud 9, and how she was able to openly express to Arnold that she loved him instead of hating him. Yes, she did kind of continue her usual facade in front of their classmates, which was a tough thing to do since she just wasn't in it. He was sure their classmates noticed how less genuine Helga's negative attention toward Arnold was. They seemed to suspect something was going on between them.

Brainy watched from across the street as Arnold leaned over to wipe Helga's mouth, smiling and saying something to her as he did so. Helga blushed at his gesture and gave a playful smirk, saying something to him in return. The boy laughed and placed his hand over hers on the table, looking at her with adoration and love, that Brainy couldn't help but smile at. Helga must have been feeling the same way because her smirk melted into a lovesick smile as she said something to him, and he replied to it. The two then leaned across the table toward each other and rubbed their noses together in an Eskimo kiss. Too cute.

Heaving a wheeze, Brainy then continued on his little walk, hands in his pockets as he went along. Maybe now was time to stop keeping his eye on Helga. She didn't need him to be there to snap her back to reality during her dramatic monologues anymore. Well, that chapter of his life ended, and he was going to move on like any good person would

After all, when you love someone, you let them go when it's for the best. And this was for the best, he knew that all along. Maybe he couldn't help how he felt, but he could help what he did about it.

For a while Brainy just simply walked along the streets of Hillwood, taking in the fall air, which although was cool and crisp, was still a perfect day to just go on a stroll. He was in a good mood, just as he usually seemed to be, as he walked along with a smile on his face, a toothy grin in fact.

He decided to head on home, maybe catch up on some extra credit homework, read some more of The Odyssey as he'd been planning to do, or maybe help out his mom with the chores. Brainy liked to keep busy and build up his academic skills when he wasn't trying to "stalk" Helga, and he did like to help his parents out with the chores around the house.

The Williams family were an average middle class family living in a decent-sized and cozy condo. His father, Ken Williams, was a journalist/columnist for the Hillwood newspaper, and his mother, Ilene Williams, was a nurse. Brainy also had a little sister, Sara Williams, who was six years old, and also went to P.S. 118. Although since Brainy didn't talk much except amongst his little group of "braniac" friends, so no one knew that he had a sister, let alone that she attended the same school.

Brainy felt he was pretty blessed. Maybe he didn't have Helga's affections, but that was okay. He still had a good family, a good home, and just overall a good life. He would be fine. He knew someone else was out there for him. And when he'd find her, he would just know.

But then, at that moment, Brainy didn't even come close to knowing that within a few moments, his life would be changed forever.

Brainy stopped in front of a building, which resembled that of an old Victorian Era home. What was strange, was the front door slowly swinging open, even though there wasn't a breeze strong enough to push it open. He heard a strange...noise coming from it. Like the sound of someone exhaling...loudly, like the wind.

It was like a force calling him in...

A strange sense of fear, and yet, curiosity ate at him. Brainy stared up at the house, having not seen it there before. Or perhaps just never took the time to notice it? He wasn't sure.

Slowly he walked up the front steps, which creaked under his feet. His gray eyes widened behind his glasses, with curiosity and a touch of fear, wondering just what was going on. Of course, it was probably nothing more an an empty house that was long ago abandoned, given its desolate appearance, boarded up windows and damage to the foundation, roof, and paint along the exterior.

But there was something amiss. Brainy could tell.

Stepping inside, it was dark, except for the light coming in through the cracks in the boarded windows, and it was very dusty, as well as infested with cobwebs. Brainy held back a sneeze, as if doing so would make the house collapse. He took another step, and then another. It was so quiet, except for the whisper of the wind.

About to turn back and forget this whole thing, that was when a voice spoke up to him.

"Welcome, young Brian Williams."

For the first time in his life, Brainy wished he had the lung power to scream.