Chapter 1: Pick Me

It was the middle of their eighth grade year. Something all the students were looking forward to was the idea of summer and finishing grade school. Another exciting event that had the students overwhelmed for weeks, was the fact that the magazine Pre-Teen Miss would be coming to P.S. 118, giving them a chance to audition for the cover. All the girls were ecstatic. All except one…

"I simply cannot believe it! Preteen Miss, here at our school! What are the odds?" Rhonda exclaimed, holding the latest edition of the magazine in her hand.

"It sounds just ever so exciting! I wonder who they'll pick?" Lila turned in her chair, looking at all the girls the magazine people would have to choose from.

"Maybe they'll let us hold a few things in the picture? I could bring the new insects I found after school yesterday!" Nadine said excitedly, while Rhonda gave a repulsed look.

"I regret to inform you, photographers such as these, often prepare a certain way for the people interested in the activity to audition. Therefore, it is highly unlikely you'll be allowed to bring in anything that isn't required of you." Phoebe explained.

"I don't know why you would even want something so disgusting on the page beside you, Nadine? Not that you'll win that is." Rhonda smirked.

While the boys listened to the girls rant about auditioning for the magazine cover later that afternoon, Stinky said "I don't reckon I recall being told to try out for a fashion magazine."

"I think it's just for the girls. It's not like when Johnny Stitch came, and everyone got to try out." Sid explained.

Arnold couldn't help but overhear his friends mention the memory of his girlfriend's modeling job, which gave him the urge to turn around and ask "Are you going to try out for the magazine, Helga?"

After being interrupted from doodling in her notebook, she glanced up with her head still in her hand. Cocking her brow, as if she had just been asked the dumbest question ever, she replied "Pttss...are you kidding? Why in the heck would I do that?"

Shrugging his shoulders, he replied "All the other girls are. I just thought it might be fun for you."

Rolling her eyes at his poor judgement of her interests, she replied "You might want to rethink your definition of the word fun, football head."

Reaching over the desk to place his hand on hers, he said "They need as many pretty girls as they can get."

Although Helga began to blush terribly, a weak smile came to her face. Arnold rubbed her hand back and forth with a sweet smile on his face.

"Yes, you should come to try outs Helga…" a voice called out, as Helga and Arnold quickly whipped their heads in it's direction.

"We'll need someone to make the rest of us look good." Rhonda smirked as Helga began to grit her teeth. Arnold could feel her beginning to clench her fists tightly beneath his hand, while he started to rub it.

Before either of them could say anything, Mr. Simmons walked in. "Good morning class! I'm sure you're all excited about Pre-Teen Miss coming to visit our school this afternoon!"

"Unless you're a girl, I don't think there's too much to be excited about." Gerald pointed out.

"Yeah! Why would the guys want to be on a stupid girl's magazine?" Harold frowned.

"Uhhh well, you could always go to the auditorium to watch the girls try out. I'm sure they would appreciate any extra support given to them." Mr. Simmons began, before being interrupted

"Especially Helga. Now that Arnold has encouraged her to aim for something entirely out of her league, I believe she's going to need all the emotional support she can get." Rhonda added, while the class began to laugh.

Arnold could hear the loud, angry grunting of his girlfriend behind him. Before he could say anything, the teacher said "Class, please settle down. The magazine people will be here after school this afternoon. You're all welcome to either go and audition, or watch those who are trying out."

Once class started and Mr. Simmons began his History lecture, Arnold heard a deep sigh release from his girlfriend.

Rather than drawing pictures of her beloved while daydreaming about the wonderful times being shared with him, she drew pictures of herself that she happily x'd out.

Before letting out another depressing sigh, she glanced up to see her boyfriend passing back a note to her.

Don't listen to Rhonda! You're the prettiest girl here! Johnny Stitch picked you for his magazine!

Helga almost began to tear at these words. Nearly reciting a monologue to herself about how amazing she thought it was to have someone so wonderful think so highly of her, she just couldn't ignore that last sentence.

Arnold, Johnny picked me because I'm NOT pretty! He liked my bad girl attitude. The complete opposite of what Pre-Teen Miss is looking for!

Reading the response his girlfriend had written, Arnold knew how badly she felt. Not just because she politely tapped him on the shoulder to give it to him, but because she used his actual name. Helga didn't show her sensitive side too often, but she definitely had one. The idea of the rest of their classmates having such a hard time believing it was true was emotionally devastating for her.

When morning classes ended, Arnold turned around to see the frown hadn't left his girlfriend's face. With a weak smile on his, he asked "Are you ready for lunch?"

Before she could respond, Rhonda walked over and said "If so, try to keep it in your mouth as opposed to on your face. We don't need anyone scaring away the photographers."

"Mm, mm, mmm! That girl just can't get enough of herself." Gerald shook his head, while the kids watched Rhonda proudly leave the room.

Arnold helped his girlfriend out of her seat, hoping lunch would help take her mind off of the auditions.

Once they made it to the cafeteria, Arnold took notice of Helga standing with a frown on her face (looking in the direction of Rhonda's table) and said "You and Phoebe go sit down while Gerald and I go get us some food."

"That sounds lovely Arnold." Phoebe smiled, while directing her friend to their usual table in the center of the cafeteria.

Helga sat with her head in her hands, thinking about everything Rhonda had said about her that morning. Although Phoebe knew it may not be the best thing to bring up, she felt she should break the tension the silence was causing between them. "I gather you won't be coming to the auditions?"

Rather than scowling at her friend for asking what she once again found to be a ridiculous question, Helga folded her arms and asked "What's the point, Pheebs? Just so I can be humiliated by being reminded I'm the complete opposite of Princess over there?"

"Just because Rhonda tends to know a thing or two about fashion, doesn't mean she has an advantage when it comes to modeling."

Helga cocked her brow at her best friend, thinking to herself That's EXACTLY what is means!

"Johnny picked you because he felt you had personality. Rhonda may have looked nice for her audition with him, but there was nothing about her that made her appear to be unique, as there was with you." Phoebe explained while the boys came to sit at the table.

Arnold handed his girlfriend a burger, two chocolate milks with two bendy straws and some tapioca pudding. "Here you go Helga."

A warm smile came to her face, as she felt him wrap his arm around her. Rubbing her shoulder, while watching her eat, he asked "So, do you think you'll be auditioning for the magazine Phoebe?"

"Yeah babe, we need someone to make us rich!" Gerald's eyes lit up at the thought while watching his girlfriend blush.

"I'm afraid I haven't made up my mind yet." Phoebe replied, glancing at her best friend.

Helga felt it was obvious Phoebe was holding back on the thought because of her depressing state. "Do it Pheebs. That magazine won't be getting its voice of reason from Princess. Sheesh." she scoffed.

Phoebe began to smile at her friend's encouragement, while Arnold noticed her pushing aside her pudding. "Are you finished already?"

"I wasn't that hungry I guess."

"That's a first." Gerald said wittingly, while Arnold couldn't help but glare at him.

While the group was finishing up their meal, Rhonda began walking past their table to put away her tray. Arnold hoped for Helga's sake, she would continue walking without speaking to them. Of course, that was too much to ask for.

"Only three more hours before you get to grace us with your presence on stage Helga." Rhonda teased her, as she turned to scowl "What makes you think I would even consider wasting my afternoon on some cheap runway?"

"I suppose you do have a point. I just felt it would save you the embarrassment of walking in tomorrow, having to say to yourself, 'I wasn't good enough to try out.' Like you said though, why bother wasting your time when we already know that you're not good enough." Rhonda sneered, while Helga gritted her teeth, clenching her fists mercilessly.

Before Rhonda could walk away, Helga stood from her seat and threw the remainder of her tapioca onto Rhonda's sweater.

"AAHH! What have you done?! I just had this dry cleaned!" Rhonda cried, looking at the huge stain on the front of her sweater, as she listened to the cafeteria laugh uncontrollably.

"Now who can't keep their food in their mouth, Princess?" Helga smirked, standing with her hands on her hips.

"Look everybody! Rhonda eats like a baby!" Harold began to tease her.

"Bow Howdy! Good luck auditioning like that!" Sid exclaimed.

Arnold watched the furious look in Rhonda's eyes, while his girlfriend continued to stand with her hands on her hips, not seeming to care.

"You'll pay for this, Helga!"

"Pttss...If you mean by having to put up with you every day, I think we're already there." Helga smirked.

Restroom

"What am I going to do Nadine?! I can't audition like this!" Rhonda exclaimed, staring at the stain on her sweater.

"It's not that bad Rhonda. Maybe they won't take a picture of your entire outfit. Maybe they'll just take a picture of your face?"

"NOT take a picture of my OUTFIT?! Nadine, what do you think this magazine is about? Food?"

Nadine watched Rhonda sulk over the sink, not knowing what to do.

"This is all Helga's fault! She doesn't know anything about dressing nice or looking good!"

"To be fair Rhonda, you were teasing her quite a bit today. She never would have thrown it at you if you had just left her alone."

"I was just stating simple facts to her. I can't help it if she doesn't know anything about style. I was simply doing her a favor by warning her to prepare for the worst whether or not she did audition." Rhonda explained, while Nadine began to roll her eyes.

"Well, there's not much you can do about it now. The good news is, even with your stained sweater, you don't have to worry about losing to Helga. She's not going to audition."

These words gave Rhonda an idea. Suddenly, winning didn't seem like the most important thing in the world.

Classroom

"Well, I don't think we'll be hearing too much more from Rhonda about having this audition in the bag thanks to your girlfriend losing her appetite, buddy." Gerald said, looking at his best friend.

After hearing this, Arnold turned to glance at his girlfriend who still appeared a bit gloomy, despite having taken care of her enemy.

Before he could ask if she was okay, he heard Nadine walking into the classroom.

"Mr. Simmons."

"Yes Nadine?"

"Rhonda wanted me to tell you she isn't feeling well. She decided to go to the nurse's office for awhile."

"Oh, oh my! Is she going to be alright?"

"I think so. She just has a headache."

As Arnold watched Nadine take her seat, he couldn't help feeling there was something a bit suspicious about Nadine's story. If anyone should have had a headache by that point, it was Helga. Rhonda had been nagging her all day about auditioning for a part she also told her would be pointless to do to begin with.

Auditorium (After School)

"Young lady, these tryouts are for everyone. We haven't even seen the girl you're telling us about?" The Pre-Teen Miss photographer said, while listening to Rhonda's proposition.

Rhonda anxiously pulled up a picture of Helga on her phone as she said "This is her! Now, I've already spoken with my family and they are willing to pay a monthly fee if that's what it takes for you to pick her."

"Does, she even know about this?" The photographer asked, while an evil grin came to Rhonda's face.

Classroom

"Well, you ready to go try out babe?!" Gerald asked, anxiously turning towards Phoebe.

After seeing her nod, Arnold turned to look at Helga, unsure of what to say. There was a chance she would have liked to do it, she just didn't have any confidence in herself thanks to the lack of support her classmates were giving her.

As he laid his hand on hers once again, he asked "So, would you like to go watch Phoebe audition?"

"Eh why not? Now that Princess' scene has been excluded, it shouldn't be such a pain to watch." Helga smirked, standing up from her seat.

Arnold happily held her hand down the hall as they came to see their classmates standing outside the doors of the auditorium. "What's going on?"

"I don't know man? They're still not letting people in." Gerald explained.

"Criminy! How long does it take to set up a few cameras and and lights?" Helga scowled.

"It shouldn't be too much longer. After all, class did just let out." Phoebe pointed out.

"Maybe we don't need to wait for them to open the doors. We can just go in." Sid shrugged his shoulders, while Gerald lifted an eyebrow and pointed. "Uhh Sid, read the sign."

WAIT OUTSIDE PLEASE

Ten minutes later, Rhonda stepped outside the door and the class all gave perplexed looks.

"Hey, how'd you get in there?" Harold asked.

"Not important. What IS important is that Pre-Teen Miss has made their decision for the cover of this month's magazine."

"Wait a minute. How is that possible when they haven't even seen anyone yet?" Gerald asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Rhonda's smile continued to grow as she turned to see Helga with her arms crossed, looking away, thinking to herself What do you think, hairboy? It means she bribed them into letting her be on the cover! Doi!

"You're right, they haven't...yet. Helga, would you please come with me?"

Cocking her brow, Helga turned to the stylish preteen with the stained sweater and asked "What for Princess?!"

"I just have something to show you is all."

Arnold knew to be skeptical when it came to Rhonda. He also wanted his girlfriend to be just as happy as the other girls in the class however.

"You should go with her Helga."

Looking into his hopeful eyes, ones that seemed to be the only ever capable of seeing past her rough exterior, Helga sighed and said "Fine. Let's go."

Auditorium

Helga stomped down the center of the auditorium beside her said to be stylish classmate, as she asked "So, what is it you just had to show me?"

"Helga, I would like you to meet Bruce. He is the head photographer for Pre-Teen Miss."

"Weren't you Johnny Stitch's IT Girl?" Bruce asked, getting a good luck at Helga.

Rolling her eyes at the memory, Helga replied "Yea, yea. If the guy was that obsessed with bad behavior, I don't know why he didn't switch to Psychology Today Magazine. Sheesh!"

"Well, luckily for you, this magazine has nothing to do with behavior." Rhonda began before being interrupted.

"Even more lucky for me, I could care less about being in it. See ya!" Helga started turning around, before Rhonda placed her arm around her shoulder, turning her back to face Bruce.

"Now Helga, Bruce has agreed to let you be on the cover for the next month. I've told him about your interesting sense of style. For instance, not choosing to take any interest in it whatsoever." Rhonda began as Helga started clenching her fists.

"I don't want to be on your stupid cover! Criminy! You've been bragging all day about how perfect you are for it. You and your tacky stained sweater can have the part! Sheesh!" Helga began marching away, as she heard…

"And how do you think Arnold will feel about that?"