Disclaimer: "Hey Arnold!" was created by Craig Bartlett and is owned by Nickelodeon. If there's one thing I don't need, it's a lawsuit. I'm barely scraping by as it is.

Chapter 1 - Prologue

(...Hillwood High...about seven years into the future...)

Many of P.S. 118's alumni ended up here, and they were, more or less, the same as they were in the 4th grade. Helga, in particular, has always had an unapproachable air about her, mainly because of the way she was always insulting and threatening people. As she got older, though, she softened somewhat, losing her bullying attitude. She grew into a fairly attractive young woman. She still wears her pink bow, but as a ponytail holder. Also, her unibrow was no more, replaced by two nice-looking eyebrows.

Helga was walking down the hallway, humming a romantic melody in her head. Oblivious to her surroundings, she nearly bumped into Mrs. Lamoreaux, who was standing outside her door.

"Oh, I'm sorry. My mind was elsewhere."

"That's all right, Helga."

The thirtyish English teacher invited Helga into her classroom.

"I wanted to talk to you about your writing."

"Oh. So what do you think?"

"Well, frankly, I'm surprised."

She then pulls out a paper from her desk.

"This piece reverberates with such life, such passion!"

"Thank you very much."

The educator produces another paper.

"But this one...it seems somewhat artificial."

"What are you getting at?

"Well, this first paper was written in October and the second one was written just two weeks ago. Has anything happened to you since then?"

"Well...I got a boyfriend."

"That could be a factor. Getting a boyfriend may have affected your creativity. Yours is some of the best writing I've read in my teaching career. You have a gift that not many other students have. I'd hate to see that gift go to waste."

Helga was beside herself. She loved her boyfriend, but she also dreamed of becoming a great writer.

(...the ladies' room...minutes later...)

Helga looked around to see if there was anyone in the room with her. After confirming the room's vacancy, she walks to an empty stall and closes the door.

"Why does life have to be so cruel?"

Helga pulls a quarter from her pocket.

"Heads, I choose love. Tails, I choose writing."

She tosses the coin into the air, waiting for it to hit the bathroom tile. The quarter lands and Helga looks down to see the result.

"Tails. Damn."