Disclaimer: Hey Arnold! belongs to Craig Bartlett. Not me. But I did write the story

The Pink Book Predicament

Prologue:

An Unexpected Meeting

For exactly five years Arnold felt like there was something missing; It all started that night atop the FTi building, where Helga had dropped that devasting L-bomb on him, and now, five years later, try as he might to forget it, it was all he could think about.

The memory occupied his very waking existence. Every thought he had, it somehow crept in, every feeling in someway revolved around it. And lets not forget the dreams..

Those damn dreams..

Let's just say, sleep was a rare commodity. Arnold had become an insomniac most nights, unless he wanted to sleep and dream of her..again.

It was one of those nights in particular, as he burned the midnight oil, that he lay on his back on the roof of sunset arms, staring up at the stars, and contemplated his life all to that moment. He was fifteen now, just fifteen. It was a good age. Things had been good for him.

He was a pretty popular kid; that shouldn't have come as a big surprise to anybody. He was always , enjoyed all the typical kids' sports, and saving the neighborhood tends to net you a couple brownie points as well. Arnold did not want for a social life..

With that life girls came and went. Currently he was dating his own childhood crush, Lila. That itself was good. But maybe, in itself, that was the problem. That's all it was.

Expected maybe? Was he dating her out of obligation? Because she had turned him down when he finally admitted to like her like her? She had come up to him one lazy summer afternoon and suggested they give it another try. Being a people pleaser, Arnold agreed, and the two intertwined hands, and kissed chastely.

But they were two months in and so far there were no sparks. Actually, it was similar to the others that had come and gone, but she seemed oh so happy, and it made Arnold depressed to think about having to break her heart. So for now, he went against his own good advice, stayed silent, and hoped things would change, he would change. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could like her like her again.

..and maybe he could stop thinking about her..

…yeah right..

'Bzzzz' 'Bzzzz'

In the silence of the night, and ripping him from his thoughts, his phone buzzed besides him, indicating a text. Lazily, he held it up in front of his eyes, swiping the screen with his thumb and squinting to see the message sprawled out in urgent caps before him.

"MEET ME AT THE TREE AT ONCE. IT'S URGENT"

Arnold rolled is eyes; as if the caps didn't stress that enough. Either way, he stuffed the phone in his pocket and stood to oblige the message. What else had he to do anyway? It was a little after midnight, and no sleep was to be had that night.

-oOo-

He saw her at the base of the tree as expected. She was still in her day clothes, indicating that she, like him, most likely couldn't find sleep either. She stood with her back to him, her arms over her chest, and a heeled foot tapping impatiently in typical Rhonda fashion.

She turned at the sound of Arnold clearing his throat.

"Gosh, Arnold. What took you? It's not as if I had all night to stand out here and wait for you."

He stared at her through half lidded eyes, clearly unphased by her aggravation. Hands were stuffed lazily into his pockets as he approached.

"I came as fast as I could." He reasoned in his typical Arnold fashion, without offering a retort at her annoying entitledness. "So what's the problem?"

Rhonda did not beat around the bush: "You have to do something about Helga, this is ridiculous now." Her arms never uncrossed from her chest, but it was at that moment Arnold noticed she clutched something, a book it looked like, under one of those arms.

"What do you mean? We haven't talked in years.."

Arnold replied, finding this declaration of Rhonda strange, given that situation. He and Helga hadn't had a single good moment since the FTi incident. At first life commenced as normal come the fifth grade; she harassed him, spitballs, name calling, etc. But it dwindled, and eventually died out completely. They had become strangers. Now that he thought about it that was a thought that kind of stung.

Rhonda clicked her tongue against her teeth and rolled her eyes. It was that moment she chose to take the book, a little pink one, and thrust it against his chest. He reared back in surprise, but reached up and took it, eyeing it cautiously.

"She's going downhill, and fast Arnold. I stole that from her room. Ugh don't look at me like that. Everything in that book she told me in confidence. It's all vital information that you really do need to know. But this way, I don't have to violate the girl code with gossip. I can simply provide you with a way to find out for yourself."

He looked back to the book, fingers running over the pink cover. It had no title or anything, just a plain pink book. It reminded him of the one that had magically fallen in among his own books in the fourth grade, that had all those poems about him in it..

Thoughts then moved to the girl in front of him; Helga was all BFF with Rhonda now? Arnold 'tch'd' at that. Things really were messed up more than ever now. And Helga must really be weakening if she confided in Rhonda of all people.

"I have no idea what you expect me to do. It hasn't as if I hadn't tried to get through to her for years…"

"Oh Arnold, Denser than ever." She put her hands on her hips and cocked one to one side. "Just read the book, and then talk to her. She told me all about what happened on the FTi building that night. So it's not like she's forgotten."

She started to sashay off before she paused, and glared at him over her shoulder.

"Plus, it's not like you're very happy where you are, or where you've been. You've been going through girls like Harold goes through pie. And now you expect us all to believe that you're happy with little miss perfect?"

Arnold actually winced; was it really that obvious? Was he really that transparent?

He turned around to respond to her, but noted she was already on her way, waving her had dismissively at him.

"Go talk to her, Arnold. You owe it to her." And she was gone, leaving him in the silence of the night once more with himself and his thoughts, and now, with her thoughts as well apparently.

He stared at the book, somewhat horrified. He knew the difference between right and wrong, and how invading someone's utmost inner, personal thoughts was probably one of the wrongest of the wrong, besides murder anyway.

Still…

Curiosity piqued, he tilted his head to one side. Haunted by Rhonda's words, and his own incessant thoughts that plagued him for the last five years, he figured maybe one small peak might tie up some loose ends for him. Slowly, almost carefully, he peeled open the cover to the first page, and sucked in a breath as soon as he read the first line.

"For one, let me write that I, Helga was not simply lost in the heat of the moment... "

The first day of 9th grade found the girl tearing through her room like a tornado through a poor, unsuspecting town. Much devastation was left behind in its wake, in the form of bookshelves turned over, clothes ripped from the closets, pillows and bedding on the floor, etc.

She hopped over the wreckage, screaming and shrieking bloody murder.

"Where is it?! It was here yesterday and it's gone! WHERE IS IT!?"

Little did she know that the item she had lost was in the possession of the last person on the planet who should have it in his possession, and was currently reading it like a pleasant summer reading, as he rode the bus to school.

Hope you enjoyed the prologue. What oh what will happen next? Muaha. I would like to thank in advance to take the time to leave a review :) Much love.

-xSerenity