A/N: (Hey everyone! HoshiAM here introducing a new story into the fanfiction world. I got this idea after watching "Weird Cousin" which is one of my favorite episodes. Also from watching too many Korean Dramas which is one of my guilty pleasures. Anyways, hope you enjoy the idea/story and don't forget to leave a review in the end!)

Summary: Helga blurts out Arnold is her boyfriend much to his dismay, but when Lila starts to date Arnie, he gets an idea. He agrees with Helga to be in a romantic relationship under contract to make Lila jealous to conquer her heart. Meanwhile, Helga tries to conquer Arnold's heart as she refuses Arnie's advances.

Tagline:

Helga loves Arnold.

Arnold loves Lila.

Lila loves Arnie.

Arnie loves Helga.

Let the love chaos begin!

Love Chaos

Chapter 1: The Pink Bow

There were so many reasons why Helga loved Arnold. He was nice, handsome, funny, outgoing, smart, honest, brave, and he liked her pink bow. It had been more than twelve years to be crazy about him but it didn't matter. All the years longing for him continued to give Helga hope, and a reason to look forward to every morning.

Arnold, the boy she met on her first day of preschool during a rainy day. The boy who first noticed she was real and complimented her pink bow. The boy who through this day still made her girlhood tremble. Three words stupid: Arnold, Arnold, Arnold. The one person who clung onto her heart and wouldn't let go.

Finally the day had arrived where Helga would be brave enough to reveal her feelings. It had taken years of practice, months of perfection, and one day to test it. It was time to confess to her object of lust that her heart belonged to him.

It was now or never. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life wondering what if? What if she stayed silent and continued to admire him from a far? He would never discover his true love and move on to another girl who wasn't going to be Helga. What if she did admit her love to him and got the chance to stay by his side? He would be surprised but feel flattered and then they will finally be together.

The chance of a lifetime was near and Helga needed to jump onto the opportunity. It was a risk she was willing to take. Life was full of them and at the moment she was feeling courageous to move forward with her plan. There was no turning back once she approached Arnold. The clock had struck 12:00 and before Helga's bravery faded away like a spell, she needed to confess her deep dark secret.

"Arnold?"

"Hey Helga."

"I'm the one who…" Helga paused looking away then back at him. "I love you."

"What?"

"I Helga G. Pataki am madly in love with you."

Arnold shook his head, "Really? You're joking right?"

"You have been the love of my life since we first met," Helga confessed smiling shyly. "You are my destiny, my one true love, my everything."

"Helga I…"

"I can't live without you Arnold and you can't live without me."

"You're right Helga," Arnold admitted grabbing her hands. "I can't live without you either."

There was a big smile on Helga's face. She had finally gotten her wish to come true. Arnold was finally going to be hers and hers only. Nobody and nothing could possibly separate the two. Everything was going to be perfect from now on. They were going to live happily ever after just like in the fairy tales.

Helga threw her arms around Arnold, "I love you Arnold."

Arnold smiled hugging her back, "I love you Helga."

"Oh Arnold, Arnold, Arnold," Helga whispered giggling hugging him tightly.

Suddenly she felt a huge bump on her head and her whole body ache. There was a ringing in her ears and not the soothing sound of Arnold's voice. Helga's arms were not around Arnold anymore but around a big rag doll. She felt the coldness of the hardwood floor and her feet tangled among the bed sheets. She slowly opened her eyes to the blur of her own room and not the presence of her love.

It was all a dream. A silly dream. The stupid silly romantic dream she always had every night for the past twelve years. The only place where she felt secure to confess to Arnold her deepest feelings. It was the only time he will never reject her but offer all his love. The one emotion Helga yearned to receive from her football headed crush.

Helga G. Pataki was sixteen-years-old and had a good social life but not a good romantic life. For the past sixteen years of living in Hillwood, she still remained the same. She had a liking for poetry, wrestling, and ice cream. Not just any ice cream of course. The same went with things she hated which were rats, homework, and little Miss Perfects. Nobody was supposed to be perfect anyway. Life was full of mistakes.

She sat up tossing the rag doll across the room. She untangled the bed sheets around her feet and slammed her fist on the floor. It had been the perfect dream where she finally confessed her feelings to Arnold. The one boy who sent her into a total meltdown in a few seconds. The one boy who kept her tossing and turning at night until he appeared in her dreams. The one boy who will never know how she feels about him because she always teased him.

Arnold, the nicest boy in the neighborhood who would go any length to help out someone in need. Helga had loved him since the moment he noticed her with her pink bow. The years had gone by but Arnold never suspected a thing about Helga's secret. Of course, as they grew up there were moments, but Helga always chickened out before revealing too much. Now they were in their junior year in the middle of January and time was running out.

There was only one year left of school then everyone was off to college. Helga dreaded that supposed day when Arnold would say goodbye to live his life. He will go on his journey without her by his side. She needed to put aside her fears and tell him the truth.

It was a school day and Helga needed to get ready. She glanced behind at the clock by her nightstand and gasped at the time. It was already past eight o'clock and she was late for school. So much for dreaming with Arnold. He was making her late which was something she did not need.

Helga bolted through the door to rush to the bathroom. She brushed her wavy long blond hair and washed her face at the same time. Then, she put toothpaste on her toothbrush and brushed her teeth as she tweezed some new hairs from her two eyebrows. After a dare during one of Rhonda's sleepover parties, Helga finally got rid of the unibrow. She admitted that she looked better and Harold didn't have to tease her anymore, about having a big hairy caterpillar. Although, he still had his.

She dashed back to her room not wanting to glance at the clock. Helga wasn't big on fashion since that was Rhonda's job. She always wore the same type of clothes which consisted of faded blue jeans and a pink t-shirt combined with a black sweater. She was also not a big fan of make-up but only applied lip balm. Helga laced up her black sneakers, grabbed her books, and sprinted down the stairs.

The house was still the same and her whole family still lived together. Big Bob the "Beeper King" still owned the business but moved on to other technology. Miriam still took care of the house but sometimes helped Big Bob in getting good business deals. Olga lived in Alaska working as a teacher but visited during vacation time.

The Pataki family might've not been as united but Helga still appreciated them. Even though, the appreciation she felt was somewhere hidden inside her heart. Helga jumped off before reaching the last two steps and retrieved her scarf from the coat hanger.

"Helga is that you?" Miriam called from the kitchen.

"Yes Miriam," Helga replied tying the pink scarf around her neck. "Bye I'm already late."

The clock was racing against her and she needed to get to school. She was already missing her first period class but at least she could make it for second. Helga scurried out the door and down the streets. There was no time to smell the flowers, greet the neighbors, or ponder why her romantic life needed help.

The city of Hillwood had grown larger with more houses, parks, and businesses. The main attractions were still there like Tina Park, the pier, Elk Island, Dino Land, and Geraldfield. Mr. Green and Mrs. Vitello still operated their businesses but now with the help of the gang. It didn't matter how much Hillwood changed because it was still the same for everyone.

Helga continued to run trying to ignore the pain in her legs and shortness of breath. She dashed across the street as cars suddenly braked and honked at her for being careless. There was no time to wait because three tardies in a week was a guaranteed detention. If she recalled on her record she already had two. She couldn't afford to arrive late for second period which started in six minutes.

At last, turning the corner she spotted her school in the distance. She sighed relieved not wanting to glance at her watch and sprinted through the main doors. The main office was on the right side with an open counter to attend visitors. There was a chubby woman chatting away on the phone. She was distracted and Helga took the opportunity to crouch slowly past her.

She turned the corner into the empty hallway with closed doors and green lockers. There was a sudden drop in her stomach as she stood up slowly. The hallways should've been crowded with students heading to second period. Except, there was nobody in sight. No, it couldn't be that she was dreaming again. Maybe, her time was wrong and second period had already started. Uh-oh, she was in deep trouble.

"Excuse me young lady," a stern voice uttered next to her.

Helga gasped meeting the gaze of the chubby woman from the office, "Hello."

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Helga mumbled pushing herself against the wall. "I lost track of myself?"

"Are you a junior?"

"Yeah," Helga answered letting her defenses down.

"All the juniors need to report to the auditorium for an assembly."

"Oh," Helga said relieved. "Thanks for the heads up."

Helga smiled awkwardly and turned away to walk down the hallway. The auditorium was on the other side of the hallway, all the way in the end.

"Are you late to school missy?"

Helga stopped cringing on the inside, "No I was using the restroom."

She hurried down the hall before the woman asked any more questions. Could it be that the assembly had started since first period? The auditorium doors were closed but a muffled sound could be heard from the inside. Helga opened the door slowly but it still made a creaking sound. She smacked the door handle trying to silence the door and peeked inside.

The auditorium was lightly lit and the school counselor was speaking on stage. All the juniors were scattered in different seats but there were some seats available in the middle section. There were some teachers standing in between the aisles and Helga needed to find a seat quickly. Certainly, she did not want to get in trouble.

She sneaked past some rows and finally took a seat with a random class in the middle section. Luckily, no faculty caught any notice of her and detained her for questioning. The school counselor, who was a middle-aged man with a shaved head and beard, continued his lecture. There were some students whom were listening intently to each word, but others were too distracted.

Helga settled comfortably into her seat and started to scan the crowd for any familiar faces. Everyone in her group of friends continued to live their lives in Hillwood. They had practically grown up together and they always shared their experiences. Now there was only one year left before everyone was going to choose their own destiny. It was best not to think of the future but enjoy the precious moments in the present.

On the right section towards the front rows, Helga spotted her best friend Phoebe. She was sitting next to Nadine and Sheena. Phoebe was the smartest girl in the gang and the shortest. She had her black hair cut into a bob which she styled with two hair clips on each side. Phoebe continued to wear her glasses since she didn't like wearing contacts.

Nadine had gotten a little taller and still had a fascination with insects. She was the president of the Bug-Eyed club that meet each week during lunch. Nadine wasn't stylish but did straighten her blond hair when it was too frizzy. On the other hand, Sheena was the tallest girl in the gang with shoulder-length brown hair. Once classified as a geek, anyone wanting more exposure on the school newspaper needed to speak with Sheena.

The most popular girl was sitting on the left section in the middle rows. Rhonda Wellington Lloyd was beautiful, stylish, and rich. She had cut her hair in layers to reach her shoulders. Always wearing the most expensive and in season clothes, she knew how to work any style. Rhonda had worked her way up to become the class president, and the good thing was she treated everyone equally. Of course, there were times the power did go to her head but she was still considerate of her friends.

Now what kind of gang would it be if it didn't have any boys to drool over? Helga continued to check out the crowd until she found Gerald, Eugene, and Curly. Gerald was the coolest guy in the school with tall curly black hair. Eugene was the unluckiest guy in school with short red hair. Curly was the craziest guy in school with short black hair he combed to the side.

The three knuckleheads whom did everything together from pranks to activities, were sitting on the right section in the back rows. Stinky, Sid, and Harold were known for their little school pranks. Stinky had short spiky brown hair and was the tallest boy in the group. Sid had long stringy black hair and always wore his green baseball cap backwards. Harold had a black buzz cut which he covered with a blue baseball cap and was the chubbiest boy in the gang.

Everyone in the gang had their own personality and that is why their gang was unique. Unfortunately, through time and hormonal changes, everyone's mentality started to change. They all went through the phase of cooties and silly crushes but now it was different. Love was in the air and with the discovery of dating, everyone was on board.

Phoebe was in a relationship with Gerald since the end of eighth grade. They were the first people to admit their feelings for one another and start the dating craze. Sheena and Eugene followed next and started to date in the middle of ninth grade. Harold and Big Patty met during one of Rhonda's many parties back in fourth grade. They stayed close friends but began dating when Harold asked her out during his sophomore year. Now they stayed in touch while she started her first year in college.

Stinky got his girlfriend when he started dating Gloria in tenth grade. There was one thing he was thankful for Helga rejecting him because he ended up meeting Gloria. Sid finally got the courage to ask Nadine out on a date, at the start of their junior year. They finally clicked when he showed her how to catch frogs and she showed him her bug collection. The couple to barely start dating during the Christmas break was Rhonda and Curly. They were complete opposites, but they were making it work. Since Rhonda accepted a dare to date Curly for a week, she started to miss his antics afterwards.

Helga sighed disappointed as she averted her attention back to the lecture. It was nice that everyone had their significant other but she felt left out. Romance refused to be in her destiny and it was the one thing she really wanted. That and world domination but the latter could wait. Where on the earth was her knight in shining armor?

Almost, like clockwork her eyes landed on her crush, her dreamboat, her football headed love. Arnold, he was more handsome in person. Helga knew all his features even with her eyes closed. He had gotten taller, his blond hair was spiked and messy, and he still wore his tiny blue hat. He wore a blue plaid shirt underneath a black jacket and blue jeans. Arnold was sitting in the middle section just a couple of rows ahead from Helga.

It had been twelve years of crushing on Arnold. No other boy could take his place inside Helga's heart. There had been opportunities to confess her secret but she was afraid of rejection. Arnold had gotten used to her teasing and would've never figured she loved him. If he found out the truth and did not feel the same way, Helga would be devastated. She tried to be nice around him but it never worked to a full potential. She always went back to being Helga G. Pataki. If only there was a way to make him start liking her more.

"So remember to sign up for the SAT's and if there's any questions you can go the College Center," the school counselor concluded as everyone clapped.

The bell rang commencing the stampede of students heading for second period. Everyone started to gather their things and start exiting the auditorium. Helga's second period class was on the second floor of the main building. She wanted to run into Phoebe to get the notes from yesterday for class.

Helga rarely paid attention in class and was a lousy note taker. Unfortunately, Phoebe was stuck with the crowd flowing slowly through the aisle to the exit. Helga squeezed through the row and made it through the aisle. She pushed herself through the crowd with hopes of reaching Phoebe.

"Hi Helga," Phoebe greeted with a smile. "Where were you? You weren't at your locker this morning."

"I was late," Helga replied turning around to flow with the crowd. "Do you have the notes from yesterday?"

"Yes," Phoebe said opening her binder to retrieve the notes.

"Thanks Phoebs," Helga said relieved. "You're a lifesaver."

"What happened did you oversleep?"

"I…" Helga paused avoiding to mention any details from her dream. "Crud! Look at the time. I'm going to be late for second period."

"But it's upstairs."

"See you at nutrition," Helga called pushing herself through the crowd to rush out the exit.

As soon as she reached the exit she bumped into Arnold making him drop his books. It was an accident but any chance to spend a few minutes with him, was well worth it. Besides why was he standing by the exit?

"Watch where you're standing football head," Helga shouted placing her hand on her hip.

Arnold scoffed, "Well why don't you watch where you're going?"

"I don't have to," Helga replied annoyed. "Everyone has to move out of the way when I'm coming by."

Arnold picked up his books, "An 'excuse me' would be nice."

"Nope," Helga said shaking her head. "A 'move it or lose it bucko' is better."

"You were late huh?"

Helga stared at Arnold surprised, "Yeah how did you know?"

Arnold smiled, "You forgot to wear your pink bow."

Helga touched on top of her hair and barely noticed she forgot her pink bow. The one thing she made tradition to wear because it held an important significance. In the morning rush she must've forgotten to tie it around her hair. Now, she felt plain without her special bow. At least, Arnold who never paid attention to her finally noticed a detail in her miserable life.

"What's your point?" Helga remarked looking away.

"No reason," Arnold said shrugging.

Helga's heart sunk with Arnold's answer. She hoped he would say that he liked when she wore the pink bow. Also, to recall when he first noticed her during that rainy day. But like always, Arnold was oblivious to Helga's feelings. If only she could make her way into his heart. She wanted to occupy that space and be with him for eternity.

"We better get to class," Arnold announced looking past Helga's shoulder.

"Doi! Arnoldo we're going to be late thanks to you," Helga said not noticing Arnold grinning slowly.

"Yeah late," Arnold mumbled running past her making her stumble backward.

"Watch it football head!" Helga shouted turning around. "Why the sudden rush?"

There were things in the world that were best left unseen. Nobody's heart liked to be tortured by witnessing tragic events. Especially a fragile heart that needed the affection of a certain someone. Helga's heart was in critical condition and on the verge of a heart attack. She wanted to start screaming and crying in the school's halls but it wasn't worth it. Arnold wasn't going notice when he was already enthralled by a goddess.

Lila Sawyer who had wavy long auburn hair, perfect curves, and dainty size six feet. She was the envy of all the other girls who wanted to be beautiful. She was the dream girl for all the guys who wanted a girlfriend. She was the ideal student for all the teachers who wanted good pupils. She was little Miss Perfect.

Ever since, Lila joined the gang in fourth grade, she had been a constant nightmare for Helga. There was nothing that Lila could do that will make Helga finally like her as a friend. She continued to torment her as she reeled Arnold into her clutches. Lila was occupying the space inside Arnold's heart and she refused to leave.

Helga gripped her books tightly against her chest. She wanted to turn away before becoming a total train wreak. Arnold was laughing with Lila as they walked together down the hallway. There were still some students exiting the auditorium but Helga still stood there.

So much, for wanting a romantic life. Obviously, she should've been wishing for world domination. She'll have better luck with that than getting Arnold's divine affection. As long as Lila was around, Arnold was never going to notice Helga.

Helga's heart has been broken oh so many times! Hope you have the liked the beginning of the story. I'm sorry if it wasn't too detailed or if it was plain. I'll make it better in the upcoming chapters. Now then, don't forget to review and keep reaching for the stars! This is HoshiAM saying, thanks for reading :).

Stay tuned for Chapter 2: Little Miss Perfect!