Author's Note: I do not own Hey Arnold or any of Craig Barlett's characters. For those of you who read my other story Sleeping With the Enemy this is a prequel to that so you to see how everything went down prior to Rhonda's death in the high school years.

Each chapter will feature a different character and the story will be told in their perspective. For this chapter I'll give a segment of each character's life then from here each person gets their own chapter.

Chapter One:

Arnold

Everyone thinks I'm the Golden Boy. Truth is I'm not.

My grandmother told me my grandfather was dying on April 10 2008. He had testicular cancer and he had known about it for years. Despite him knowing, he was too stubborn to go get treatment. He ended up in the hospital for a week and they told him he had three months to live.

I've been trying to remain positive and take my mind off of the fact that the man that raised me was going to die soon.

School was hard. It was hard to focus. Even when I went to lunch with my friends it was hard to focus on who liked who and which girl my friends were hitting on next.

Everyone came to me with their problems… not knowing I was living a nightmare at home, and that my family was going to fall apart soon.

I walked down the halls, trying to get to my next class. I wasn't watching where I was going and bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm ever so sorry…" Lila picked her stuff up from the floor. I helped her to her feet.

"Sorry, Lila. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Oh it's okay Arnold. Accidents happen." I go to walk on my way after she got herself together. "Hey Arnold?"

I turned my head around to see what see wanted to say. She said quietly, "I hope you're doing okay."

I tried to act normal, tried to keep being there for my friends, but who was going to be there for me?

Helga

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Criminey! How could I be around all of these stupid people every day? Of course Ms. Perfect was the Queen of them all. Rhonda was a shallow, bitch who took every moment of her day to humiliate me. If she wasn't commenting on my outfit, she was picking apart my acne and small blemishes.

It was bad enough I was humiliated at home.

Home: where your dad can't even remember your name and your mom is too drunk to notice you.

I was constantly ignored, invisible, and insulted at home. Of course I couldn't be safe at school either. All I had was Phoebe who was completely stuck up Gerald's ass. Ever since they officially got back together I had spent less and less time with her. She was my best friend, even I couldn't lean on her. She was too busy partying with her boyfriend and wearing his jersey at all the games.

Well, at least I got to see my angel in class every day. Arnold was the only thing that kept me coming to school every day. He was my light in the darkness. I was absolutely fascinated in his head with the football circumference.

I stared at him in class as I chewed my pencil. It was English class. I didn't need to focus anyway. He looked so sad lately. I wondered what was going on with him? To everyone else he appeared fine but I knew something was wrong when he lost that twinkle in his eyes.

I looked over at Phoebe who was frantically taking notes on our Shakespeare lesson. Class was boring and did she really need the notes? She had read Macbeth a hundred times. I pulled out my phone and started texted her.

Helga: Phoebz!

Phoebe: Hello, Helga. We're in class. You shouldn't be texting.

Helga: Hmmm but look at you reading your phone right now. I'm bored and we haven't hung out in a week since you started eating lunch with Geraldo.

Phoebe: Sorry Helga. If you want to hang out we can go to a party tonight.

Party? Since when was I the type to go to a party? Since when was PHOEBE the type to go to a party?

Helga: A PARTY really?! Come on Phoebe, you know me.

Phoebe: I know, I know but it'll be fun. I think it would be good for you to get away from Big Bob and Miriam.

She was the only one who knew about her home situation. Phoebe was right. I needed to get out of the house.

Helga: Okay. Fine. I'll go.

This could be really good or really bad.

Gerald

This is my life. I want to be the best. Whatever it takes.

"Quarterback, Gerald Johansson has led our Seahawks to victory by leading to a score of 62 points." The speaker boomed through the halls as I walked to my locker.

Today was going to a great day! I was the shit. I was unstoppable.

"Good job Johansson." Mike, the wide receiver smacked me jokingly on the ass and congratulated me as he walked passed.

I was grinning from ear to ear. All the parties and the drinks and the attention I was getting from being the star quarterback had me on an absolute high.

"Hi Gerald." A flirty amorous voice came from behind me. I turned around and was immediately met with a surprise. A tall, slim girl with big brown eyes and chocolate skin was talking to me. She had nice long legs, a small waist, and had a chest that stuck out the most. Even her hips and her curves were highlighted by the pencil skirt and pink sweater she wore. To top it off she had a bright smile and long curly hair, pulled back in a ponytail.

I couldn't believe such a sexy girl was speaking to me. Of course, girls came up to me all the time after games and at parties, just on the strength that I was the star of the team but never anyone this attractive.

"Uh, hey hi."

"I'm Joan." She batted her eyelashes. "I really like watching you play in all the games." Her voice was sultry and full of warmth.

"Oh, well um thanks." I scratch my head nervously.

She took a step closer and I swallowed hard, "I hope I see you tonight Big Boy." She ran a single finger down my chest, winked at me, and walked away.

All I could do was fall back on the lockers behind me and try to breathe. Much to my disappointment, I couldn't catch my breath without Phoebe walking over to me with her books in her hand.

My girlfriend was perfect. She was petite and small with long black hair and a perfect brain to match her face. She was smart, supportive, and the girl I had crushed on since middle school.

"Uh, are you okay Gerald?" She planted a soft kiss on my cheek. "You seem a little… warm. Do you have a fever?"

"Oh, no Babe. I'm fine. Just perfect." I placed my hand on her waist. "You coming to the party tonight right Babe? You HAVE to be there."

Unfortunately, being the girlfriend of the star quarterback required some things like coming to all the games and escorting me to parties. I know she hated parties but it just came with the job.

"Yea, I invited Helga along. I feel really bad Gerald. I haven't had time to spend time with her with my school and going to all your games."

I kisses her on her lips. Clearly upset, I had to make her feel better. "Listen Babe, I know it's hard but we with me being on the team parties are just going to have to be a part of our relationship and Ms. Pataki will have to get used to it."

"Okay Gerald. I just don't want it to be just about parties. I want to go on real dates, Gerald and I want to spend more time with Helga. That's all."

"I promise Babe. After the season is over we'll go on more dates and don't worry about Helga. You'll see her at the party tonight." I give her one last kiss. "I'll see you later. I have to go to class."

Sid

I can't stop. I don't know how.

I was consequently the worst fuck up to ever fuck up. I broke the rules. I got detention and I got horrible grades. Even when I wasn't trying to fuck up, I still got detention.

I didn't mean to fight Gino but he was such an asshole. He kept talking about the holes in my pants and that I lived on the bad side of town. Screw him! So what if we didn't have a lot of money! Was I just going to sit here and let him talk shit?

I pounced on him and he punched me square in the face. As usual I ended up getting jumped and beat to a pulp and he walked away laughing. He always had his guys around but once I got him along, I would destroy Gino and take that smirk right off his face.

I had been given an icepack for my swollen eye and was told to wait in the principal's office for my parents to get here. They would be pissed. I was tired of being a damn joke though. I was never going to let anyone disrespect me.

They were here at least twice a month. Last month I put Jell-O in all of the water coolers so I got suspended for a week. The month before that I got in a fight with Pete because he told me my hat was stupid. Two weeks before that I got in trouble for cursing at a teacher because he wouldn't let me wash my hands.

Not being able to wash my hands was a major trigger for me. Everyone knew I had OCD and it got worse at school. That idiot substitute was just being a prick.

I waited for my parents to get here. Truth was they probably weren't going to come. My mom worked 40 hours a week as a waitress and my dad worked at a factory for 12 hours a day. They couldn't afford to miss even an hour of work. We needed the money, therefore they probably wouldn't come. They couldn't even afford to come to my therapy sessions, so why show up for a stupid suspension meeting.

Eventually the principal just sent me home and told me to give the letter, saying I was suspended for 4 days, to my parents. I took the letter and waited around outside of school for Harold with the melted ice pack in my hands.

The bell rang at 3:05 and there appeared my klutz of a friend Harold.

"Dude." His belly giggled as he walked. "That's nicer shiner. Big Gino got you good this time."

He was laughing and it was pissing me off. "Whatever Tubby. How was class?"

He frowned, "Boring. I'm going over to see Rhonda now. She wants me fitted for a tux or something."

He and Rhonda had been dating for five months. They argued like cats and dogs half the time and the other half of the time they were sucking each other's faces. Harold was getting regular ass from the Queen Bitch and I was a virgin who could barely touch a girl without needing to wash my hands.

I asked, "Why do you need a tux?" Harold's main outfit consisted of basketball shorts and a white shirt with a blue baseball cap. When was he ever going to wear a tux? We were only sophomores!

"Rhonda wants me to wear something nice to go to dinner with her parents. She says they want her to be with a cleaner guy. I just hope they have cake."

"You shouldn't have to change yourself to impress her parents. If they don't like you as you are they're just pretentious assholes."

"You don't understand Sid. Being in a relationship is different."

"How you can be in a relationship with Ice Queen I'll never know." Harold and I walked our separate ways.

My face was burning when I got home once again to an empty house. I threw the letter on the table with the rest of the stack and grabbed a frozen turkey leg from the freezer and put it on my eye. I had bruised on my ribs and my eye was so swollen I couldn't open it all the way. At least, I proved myself. When I was done being suspended that school would have a rude awakening. I was already scheming my next prank.

First thing was first, I needed to wash my hands.

I washed my hands and heard my phone vibrate on my nightstand in the room. I walked back into my room and picked up my phone.

Why was my best friend's girlfriend texting me?

Rhonda

I have to stay thin. I have to stay beautiful. I have to sleep at night knowing I'm famous.

I was the most beautiful, gorgeous, and popular girl at school. The guys wanted me and the girls, if they were sane, they wanted to be me. Having the most expensive tastes only helped me to be even better than most of the little girls at school.

Modeling was my passion and I was well above everyone at school. Why couldn't I just quit stupid school and model?

I was perfect enough. I was beautiful enough and I didn't need to be book smart to be a model.

I had just finished arguing with Mother about me going to Paris so I could be a real model but she detested the idea. She and Daddy thought I was too young for the industry. I wasn't too young. Didn't they understand I was meant to be famous?

I helped her set the table for dinner and slammed the dishes down to make a point.

"Rhonda, do not be rude. We know what's best for you honey. You need to be smart and get an education. Being a model can only get you so far."

"I just want to be famous! Don't you want me to reach my potential?"

"Rhonda, just be a normal girl. Wait until you finish high school. I am tired of talking about this."

"Fine, I'm going out with Harold tonight."

My Mother scoffed, "When are you going to break up with that boy? You should have better standards for yourself than Harold."

"Mother, he can change. I've been working with him. Please understand."

"There is no understanding. It has been six months and he is still deplorable. You need someone who is acceptable to us."

"I promise you. He's changed. I'll show you at dinner in a couple days."

I run up to my room to grab my phone.

Nothing was fair at all. Harold wasn't changing and being less gross and I can't escape to Paris. Everything was being ruined by my stupid parents. If I couldn't go to Paris and Harold wasn't changing, they were BOTH going to suffer.

I did love Harold. I just wanted him to wear better clothes and lose some weight and speak properly. If he loved me he would change those things. I was already perfect from him, so why couldn't he do these things for me? He wasn't even satisfying anymore.

As for my parents, they just wanted me trapped here so I couldn't reach my potential. I had a face that needed to be plastered all over magazines and billboards. I NEEDED to be seen by everyone in the world. If they didn't like Harold, I would get back at them. I would be with someone FAR worse than Harold.

I picked up my phone and sent a text then got my jacket to meet Harold at the mall. I would be famous at any cost. So what if I couldn't sleep at night. I was going to be a star.

Author's Note: Which character's chapter do you want to read next? What do you think of it?