My second Hey Arnold fanfic! Forgive my English, I'm Argentinian. Anyway I'm sure you'll like it :D Maybe there'll be a second part... I'm not sure yet. Thanks for reading and please review.

When Rhonda opened her house's door, she almost fainted with the sight.

Helga was standing there, wearing a short lilac dress filled with cotton, red high heels, a weird hairstyle, earrings, artificial nails, her eyebrow depilated, and too much make-up.

- Helga? – asked the brunette in disbelief

- Rhonda, darling! – greeted Helga and she kissed her cheeks before entering the house with feigned elegance

And that's how Helga G. Pataki got into Rhonda Wellington Lloyd's girls party.

It was already late when Helga decided that she had nothing more to do in that party. She went out of Rhonda's house alone, with her dress and high heels still on, but her hair all tousled and the make-up messed up.

The night was getting cold so she walked faster, but then, a heel broke.

- Crimeny! – She sat on the stoop of a house to take it off.

Fantastic. Now how was she going to walk home? For last straw, she couldn't ask Bob to pick her up in his car because he and Miriam had gone to visit Olga.

She turned her head to see the number of the house and to know how many blocks from her house she was. Then she realized something she hadn't noticed.

- I'm sitting at Arnold's stoop! - She exclaimed observing the entrance of the familiar house – Oh, Arnold, my love, tell me if this is not fate…!

- Helga? – asked a voice behind her; Arnold. Helga, as every time she started with her monologues about Arnold, hadn't paid attention to her surrounds, neither to the door when it opened.

- Arnold! – It was definitely fate – what are you doing here, football head? – She added in her usual friendly voice.

- Eh… this is my house.

Touché.

- I mean what were you doing listening to what I was saying, standing behind me, you rabble!

- Oh, I wasn't listening – thank goodness – I was just going to take out the trash – He showed her the garbage bag, he went down the stoop's stairs and threw it away. Then he turned around – And what are you doing here? Weren't you at Rhonda's party?

- I was. I got bored and left, but this damn shoe broke!

- That sucks. Do you want to come in and call your parents?

- They went to visit stupid Olga. Besides there's not a single cab on these streets at these hours… I guess I'll have to walk – said this, she started to get up, but when she tried to set foot on the ground, she felt a large and sharp pain and she screamed.

- Helga! – Arnold run the meters between them – What happened?

- I think I bent my foot – she answered with pain in her voice.

- I would tell my granddad to take you in the car, but he took it to the mechanic and he hasn't come back yet…

- Don't worry, Arnoldo – she interrupted – I can go by myself, it's only a couple of blocks.

But when she tried to walk, she felt that deep sharp pain again and Arnold noticed.

- Helga, don't be ridiculous – Arnold told her, holding her to keep her from falling – You cannot even take a step.

- And what do you want me to do, football head? Wait here and freeze to death?

Arnold looked at her arms and noticed she had goose bumps.

- Let's go inside – proposed the boy – We wait for my granddad and then we take you home. You're not going to walk to your house like this.

Helga sighed.

- I can't even go up this stairs anyway.

- Get on my back – said Arnold going a step lower so she could get on.

- What? Are you crazy, buddy?

- C'mon Helga.

As there was no other option, Helga climbed on the blonde's back, although she had to admit that she liked the idea. She hugged his shoulders and Arnold held her legs. His hands felt warm against the girl's cold skin.

Arnold went up the stoop's stairs, went through the door, and when he passed beside the sofa at the living room, he stopped and deposited her softly on it.

- I'm going to call my granddad, be right back.

Helga couldn't believe it. She had had the bad luck of breaking her high heels and bending her foot, but what the hell, Arnold was taking care of her!

Two minutes later the blonde came back.

- My granddad doesn't answer… let's wait here.

But then the door opened and Phil walked in.

- Hi, Arnold – greeted the old man, and then she saw the girl lying on his couch – Who is your friend, huh? – said this he winked his eye. Helga and Arnold blushed a bit.

- It's Helga, grandpa. You know, from school. – Answered Arnold and Helga waved hello – She bent her foot while walking to her house. Can we take her in the car?

- Oh, I'm sorry, but that can't be. The useless mechanic told me that it was going to be ready for tomorrow.

- Great! Now what I'm going do? – exclaimed Helga staring at the ceiling.

Arnold doubted a couple of seconds.

- Grandpa, can I talk to you for a moment?

- We are talking, shortman

- I mean in private, grandpa – answered Arnold between his teeth and they went to the kitchen – I'll be here in a sec, Helga

- Take your time, hairboy.

Minutes later, Arnold came back.

- Helga… - he sat on an armchair near her. Helga looked at him. He looked nervous. – I asked my grandpa, and he agrees… uhm… I think that the best thing would be… eh…

- Spit it out, Arnoldo.

- Yeah, eh… that you spend the night here?

Helga remained quiet for a couple of seconds.

- What?

- You know uhm… Like, there's no way to take you to your house now, so we could wait until tomorrow when my grandpa gets his car… And this night you could sleep here.

Spend the night at Arnold's? Helga was starting to thank fate.

- You mean in one of the guests rooms, right? Cause I'm not planning to sleep on this couch.

Arnold stared at the floor and scratching the back of his neck, answered

- Actually… the rooms are all busy… - Helga saw that he was red like a tomato. She had never seen Arnold blushing. He had never been so cute. – What I meant was… that you'd sleep in my room.

It took Helga a whole minute to respond.

- Me… s-sleep… in your room?

- If you want to – added Arnold quickly – There's enough space, don't worry.

Helga didn't even think about it. Of course she wanted! But she didn't know how to answer.

- Eh… okay. Thanks.

- No problem. Uhm… you can't move your foot, can you?

Helga tried but it was impossible because of the pain. Arnold noticed so he went to her.

- Let me help you – he carried her in his arms. Helga held on his shoulders, afraid of fainting over excitement.

- Wait. First I have to go to the toilet; I need to clean all this make-up from my face.

Arnold took her to the bathroom and waited outside. When she went out, with her face clean, he carried her upstairs to his room. There, he placed her carefully on his bed.

- Lie down here – he said – I'll go changing my clothes to the bathroom.

He grabbed his pajamas and went out. When the door closed, Helga let herself fall happily onto the bed.

- I can't believe I'm going to spend the night at Arnold's room! I wonder where I'm going to sleep… there's not another bed or a couch here… I hope that in his arms, ahhh! – She sighed and hugged the pillow.

Then she heard steps on the stairs, so she settled as she was before.

Arnold walked in, wearing a pajama with little bears on it. Helga had to bit her tongue to keep herself from laughing.

- I brought ice for your foot.

- Thanks.

Arnold sat at the edge of the bed, facing Helga, and took her foot.

- What are you doing, pal, I can do it by myself.

- Whatever you say, Helga.

Helga grabbed the ice but she dropped it in a second.

- It's freezing!

- It's ice, Helga. – Arnold rolled his eyes and took the ice – Let me do this.

He put the ice against her ankle's skin, and two seconds later she pulled off her foot.

- It hurts!

- It's going to hurt more if you let your foot swell. Bear it. – He put the ice again a couple of seconds. Then he pulled it off and massaged the zone. – Better?

Helga nodded. Arnold's warm touch healed the cold of the ice. That's how Helga felt with Arnold. His warmness and gentleness made her cold heart melt. Beside him she felt fragile. More fragile than her ankle or her high heels. But she couldn't let him see that.

- Nice pajamas, football head.

Arnold raised his eyes from her foot and looked at her.

- Thanks. Nice dress.

Helga didn't know if he meant it or not, so she didn't answer.

Arnold kept on with the ice, until Helga sneezed.

- You cold?

- Let's say that with this dress and that ice, I'm not very warm.

Arnold opened the blanket and sheets of the bed.

- Get in.

Again, Helga became speechless.

- Huh? Aren't you going to sleep here? - she asked

- Of course not, I'm gonna sleep on the couch – he answered taking a remote control and pressed a button. A red couch appeared practically from the wall – You can sleep here.

- Arnoldo you don't have to act like a gentleman with me. You sleep here, it's your bed.

- No way, Helga. I want you to be comfortable. Get in.

Helga obeyed and got into the bed, with a little help from Arnold because of her foot. He covered her with the blankets, except for the foot, to which he put ice again.

- Better now?

Helga nodded. Nothing could be better! Thanks Rhonda and her stupid party, thanks damn shoes!

- Helga… can I ask you something? – Arnold interrupted her thoughts while he was massaging her foot.

- What?

- Why did you go to Rhonda's party… dressing like this?

Helga blushed. She didn't want to explain that to him.

- None of your business, football head.

Arnold looked down, disappointed, and placed the ice back against her skin.

- Sorry.

Helga looked at him for a couple of seconds while he didn't look away from her foot, which he had been taking care of for more than 10 minutes. It wasn't fair to treat him so bad.

- Alright, I'll tell you, just because I'm not ungrateful and I appreciate what you're doing for me – Arnold looked at her – I went like this because… I wanted to show everybody that they were wrong about what they had said… you know… that I'm not "feminine".

- All because of that? You're not the kind of person that cares about what others say

- You don't understand, Arnold. Everybody loves you, nobody messes with you. Nobody criticizes you or mocks you. But they do it with me. And I do have feelings too, in case no one knows…

- I know.

Helga looked at him.

- Yeah, you were the only one who didn't laugh at me. Even Phoebe, my best friend, was laughing about what Rhonda was saying… I mean, it's not that I care what they think of me, but, I don't know… I wanted to prove them wrong, to prove them that I could be the most feminine girl around if I wanted.

- Helga, you don't need to prove anything to anybody. You're a smart girl; you know that those things are not important. You are who you are, and there's nothing wrong with that. You're clever, funny and with a strong character and personality… that is worth more than any dress or make up.

Helga looked in his eyes, blushing.

- I guess I wanted to feel… pretty.

Arnold saw a sad sparkle in her blue eyes.

- Helga – he said, placing a lock of her blond hair that was falling over her face behind her ear. – You are pretty. In fact, if you ask for my opinion, you are way prettier looking like you do every day, simple, than trying to look "feminine". I prefer the real Helga, without a hint of make-up, her hair in two pigtails and with her pink dress and bow.

Helga remained in silence for a couple of seconds, trying to retain what she had heard.

- Really, Arnold? – She asked smiling shyly.

- Really. – He affirmed smiling as well – Especially when you smile at me like that. And when you call me Arnold. That's when I feel like I'm with the real Helga. The Helga I like pretty much.

Helga felt like her heart was about to explode. This was the moment. Now or never.

- Arnold, I… - she said, leaning closer – have to tell you something

- Tell me – answered the blonde with a smile

- Well, I…

Then the door opened

- Kimba I brought the remedy for… - entered Arnold's grandmother, and the two kids separated quickly – Oh…

- Grandma!

- Did I interrupt something? – she smiled accomplice

Well yeah, sister. You did. – thought Helga.

- No but you scared me!

- Whatever you say, Arnold – she winked and approached Helga – Here, Mrs. Roosevelt, take this home-made remedy, it will make your foot feel better.

- What's that? – asked Helga, looking askance at the bowl.

- Ask no questions and you'll be told no lies. Just drink it!

Helgra drank the remedy and almost threw up.

- What did you expect, my friend, fruit juice? Goodnight. Tex, give her your bed, and you sleep on the couch.

- Yes, Grandma. Goodnight.

The old lady went out and closed the door.

- Eccentric your grandmother, huh?

- Yeah… - Arnold turned around and smiled to Helga – What were you going to tell me?

Helga looked at him. He was beautiful. And sweet. He was taking care of her; he had even given his bed to her. She loved him, and for the first time she was having a real moment with him. She couldn't ruin it. Not now.

- Nothing – she lied, and Arnold's smile disappeared – Just… thank you. Nobody has ever done something like this for me. I… You're a great guy, Arnold.

Arnold smiled again.

- And you're a great girl, Helga. – said this, he got up to go to the couch, where he was going to sleep. Helga laid her head on the pillow, letting out a sigh.

Arnold turned around and went back to Helga, whose eyes were closed. He leaned over her and kissed her on the forehead. The girl opened her eyes, surprised.

- Sweet dreams – said Arnold, with a smile on his face.

And he turned off the lights.