So, this is my first story on my new account. And the last time I had an account was, what, five or six years ago, maybe more? So hopefully this doesn't turn out too badly. And hopefully I finish. Well, we'll see.

Anyway. To start with, I just want to put it out there that most of the destinations in this story are ones I have not visited. So I may get a few (or a lot of) things wrong, despite my research. Just bear with me. If there is a mistake about a place you are familiar with, let me know, and if I can without hurting the story I'll change it.

Well, here it goes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold! or anything affiliated with it, but I do have claim to this story.

Chapter 1

The end of the school year usually seems to fly by for me. In my experience, it was the warm spring days that felt the shortest, though in reality they grew longer every month. It's not that springtime was my favorite time of the year- Autumn held that title- but I longed for the days when I no longer needed to think about school, work, teachers. No school bells ringing, the sound reverberating in my head. I didn't have to deal with the people who annoy me on a daily basis, only taking in small portions of their personalities when I felt I could handle it.

For instance, there was Lila. She could still annoy the crap out of me, but I didn't hate her. I have to admit, she is one strong girl. On normal days, she is way too chipper for my tastes, but she's good. She's nice. Basically the opposite of me.

It's our senior year. The whole PS 118 gang (pretty much our class from elementary school, which got a little split up in middle school but reunited in high school) was almost out of the public school system, and free to ascend into higher learning or join the workforce. Patty was even going to join the military, which honestly didn't surprise me one bit. I'm not all for that patriotic stuff, but there's no denying that she's one brave girl.

I, Helga G. Pataki, am still deciding which university to attend. My grades, as well as my dedication to softball and the school newspaper, among some other pursuits, have earned me spots in a few Ivy League schools: Columbia and Yale, that is. It was almost an impossible decision. I'm just grateful I had the options that I did. Phoebe, of course, got into all her top schools. Princeton, Harvard, probably every top school you can think of. But, as a Pre-Med student, she decided to go to MIT. Sure, she wouldn't be all too close to me, but we promised to stay in touch next year. I really don't know what I'd do without Phoebe. After years and years, we still endure as best friends.

We're not the only ones who have come this far. Gerald and Arnold were still as tight as ever, though they have branched out a little. Surprisingly, Gerald had applied and gotten accepted to a culinary arts school. I had never realized what a passion he had for cooking, but when Phoebe told me I couldn't help but be impressed. Arnold, on the other hand, had been accepted to a few different colleges around the country, but- just like me- was undecided.

Arnold… I had tried so hard to get over that little, football-headed bastard. Okay, so maybe I couldn't really call him little anymore, since he stood around half a foot taller than I did. And though he was still football-headed, he did grow into it quite well. Not that I ever thought he couldn't pull it off…

So I hadn't made a huge amount of progress in forgetting about him. How could I when fate so cruelly tortures me! Or maybe the fact that he's been in more than half of my classes since the fourth grade is a sign. At the very least I can say I no longer define myself by him. I don't center my life around him. My puppy love for that kid has been surviving on glances throughout the day, the few times we bump into each other and chat, or when Phoebe drags me to hang out with some other kids from school- which almost always includes him, since everybody loves him. Who wouldn't? He's funny, charming, always nice, not to mention attractive…

Just an objective observation.

The thing is, those glances and little chats really helped get me through my days. In between problems at home and all the stress from school and work, those moments let me indulge on my guiltiest of pleasures. My home life wasn't always a nightmare, but it definitely was enough to leave me in a bad mood most days. Miriam had joined AA, but she was gone a lot of the time now with her new friends (and I had a sneaking suspicion that she may not be as sober as she wants us to think). Meanwhile, Bob had been throwing himself into his work more now than ever. After Olga had eloped with Ricardo ("the love of her life," a guy she met at acting school and dated for three months) to London, he had been even more temperamental than normal. I rarely saw my parents, and when I did I was either forced to listen to my mother chat away about people I never met, barely leaving me a word in edgewise, or being yelled at by a pissy Bob.

Maybe it was a nightmare.

But I hadn't completely given up on my family. Though we didn't have a great relationship, I would still occasionally sit with my father to watch his evening soaps or go out with Miriam for a smoothie.

All that didn't change the fact that I can't wait to go to college. The one problem was that yellow-haired "freak," whom I still teased and made fun of, but on a more friendly scale- at least, that's how I liked to think of it as.

And that's exactly who I was thinking of when I rounded the corner, walking home from my last exam of the year. Senior year, over. High school, over. But Arnold…no longer did I have an excuse to see his face every day, hear his laugh, just be near him…of course there was always Phoebe and Gerald's "relationship," or whatever that was. All this was running through my mind when I collided with a warm but hard…something. I toppled backwards, landing straight on my ass, my books scattering across the ground in front of me. I heard an "oof!" and something crash into the ground somewhere near me. This whole sequence played out as if in a movie, the same as every other time it had happened. I knew I would see his blonde hair when I opened my eyes. I knew he would offer to help me up. I knew I would blame him. This time, though, with a smile, something I was more accustomed to wearing nowadays.

"Sorry, Helga," he said as I opened my eyes and saw him. Just like always.

"No problem, Arnoldo, just watch where you're going. I swear, it's like you're trying to make me break my tailbone," I smirked at him as he lifted himself up and dusted off his pants.

He smiled and held his hand out to me, which I lightly pushed away. "It's not my fault we're always going in opposite directions." He said as he lowered his hand, still smiling. I wish I could take a picture. Arnold bent down to help pick up my books.

"I guess that's just life, huh?" I grabbed a notebook and folder from the pavement and took the ones he held out to me before getting up myself.

"I guess so." He gave me a weird look, one I couldn't quite read. And I prided myself on being able to read people pretty well.

I blew a few strands of hair out of my face and glanced at him again, but the look was gone. "Well, happy summer, Arnold." I walked around him to continue on my way home.

"Bye, Helga." I heard from behind me, along with the soft sound of footsteps moving him farther away.