A preview of sorts in the making. Read at your own enjoyment. Don't forget to review!

All characters are the property of Mr. Craig Bartlett.

It's funny how much can change in three short years. It all seems to go by in the blink of an eye...

"Are you certain about this Helga?" Phoebe asked, facing her friend, her face lit up by the computer screen. "This all seems very unsafe."

"Ah, don't sweat it Pheebs." She continued typing, finishing the ad up on Craigslist. "I don't know 15 types of jiu jitsu for nothing."

Phoebe frowned, still not certain about her friend's methods. "I believe it's a method of luring the public to their premature deaths."

Helga faced her friend, almost in disbelief. "Deep, Pheebs. Criminy, I'm not an idiot that walks into traps. I'll be careful, I promise."

"If you say so, Helga." I just hope she won't get hurt...

"Damn straight," Helga responded with a slight smirk, clicking 'enter' with a flourish. Time to show Bob I can make just as much money he does without his help.

Some Time Later

"How did I get in the middle of this?" Arnold asked, struggling to get out of the ropes that bound he and Helga together. This certainly was not how he had planned to spend his weekend.

"Gee, I just don't know?" Helga said in a fake optimistic voice, struggling herself in an attempt to weaken the ropes. "Maybe it was when you said, 'I'm coming with you'?" If she could put her hand on her chin she would have. "Or was it 'Don't leave without me'?"

Arnold sighed. "I'm sorry."

"You should be, Arnoldo! I'm supposed to eat fish, not be fish food!"

Arnold looked down to the genetically mutated piranhas getting bigger and bigger each minute. The rope holding them up was getting lower and lower each second.

I might as well ask her. "Helga, there's something that's been on my mind for the past few years now."

Helga inaudibly gulped. Not THAT... she exhaled sharply. Ok, Helga o' girl, steady yourself. A lot of things happened three years ago.

"Sure Arnold," She let out after a few moments of tense silence between them, "What's going on that football headed mind of yours?"

"Well...It's about when we saved the neighborhood."

"I'm not getting any younger here, football head." she rose her feet to avoid the deadly snapping fish. "Or any closer to being metal proof!"

"Do you love me, Helga?" Arnold bluntly asked.

5 Hours Earlier

Twas another boring, educational school day here at Hillwood Middle School. More importantly, a Friday. So basically, everyone wanted to go home, no one more so than Helga G. Pataki.

She sat at an empty discolored lunch table as Phoebe sat with Gerald and Arnold was nowhere to be found at the moment.

Helga drummed her fingers sleepily, looking up at the clock. 11:10 AM. Just 3 more hours in in this crappy excuse for an 'educational facility'.

Now 12 years old, her view of life still didn't change much from 3 years ago. She was still the badass of the P.S. 118 class of oddballs and she still liked it.

She had started to pluck the unibrow a few weeks ago, along with a wardrobe change. Pink shirts and blue jeans had replaced her white shirt and jumper.

But one thing remained and most likely forever will...her love for a certain football headed boy.

"Hey Helga." Said boy sat down next to her. "Aren't you eating?"

"Let me guess...Gerald kicked you out again so that he could besmooch Pheebs, didn't he?" Helga asked, putting her face down on the table.

"How did you know?" he asked, mildly surprised as he bit into his pizza.

Without raising her head, Helga pointed in the direction of the couple's table, with Gerald and Phoebe mid-kiss.

"You're good."

Her heart fluttered at the complement. "I try."

Despite her pessimistic attitude, Helga was quite happy for her best friend, whom had been seeing Gerald for the past couple of years after a few 'outings' and such.

At least there relationship is going somewhere, she thought, looking over to Arnold. He was currently contemplating whether or not to eat the school pizza, poking the cheese. He finally settled on taking a small bite, and, once deeming it edible, took a larger bite.

Looking down to the empty table spot Arnold asked, "Are you sure you aren't hungry?"

"Positive, Arnoldo."

The sound of a growling stomach proved otherwise. Helga rose her head, blushing as she slowly took a french fry off his tray. "I'm fine, really."

"I'll buy you something, don't worry." he started getting up.

"But you don't have to, Arnold."

He smiled. "I know I don't have to, I want to." And with that he walked back into line.

Helga let out a swoon. My sweet prince, always helping others...even the person who tortured you for the worst part of 7 years...

"Here you go." He slid the plate to her. It was filled with her favorites; pastrami on rye, tapioca pudding, and a bottle of yahoo soda.

"Thanks, Arnold. I'll pay you back." She took a bite of the sandwich and started chewing.

"It's OK, Helga. What are friends for?"

She could feel both warmth and heartache at the statement. Oh, Arnold, holder my heart, if only you could see how much it pains me to be only your friend and nothing more! If only you could see that I'm the one for you, nobody else-

"Helga?"

She blinked back a few times, attempting to regain her composure. "Oh, sorry."

"And you say I dream too much." He smirked.

"I was thinking, not dreaming." She rolled her eyes. "And, yeah, cause you do, football head!"

"Sometimes, but not always."

The bell rang, ending their conversation.

"Well, football head, I'll catch you later." She tossed her tray into the trash, Arnold following behind.

"You too, Helga."

AFTER SCHOOL

"Are you absolutely certain you want to accept this task, Helga?" Phoebe asked after telling her about the extremely important task that needed attention. "It's not compulsory that you do so."

"Trust me, Pheebs. Did you really think that I wanted to babysit a bunch of snot-faced brats? This is way more my speed."

Phoebe took a deep sigh. "Ok then. I've been working on some inventions lately that involves testing of this magnitude, and since you're certain you want to accept it, you leave me no choice."

Phoebe walked over, opening up her closet full of equipment and Helga's eyes widened to those of saucers.

..."...When did you do all this while kissing Geraldo?" She finally choked out.

Phoebe just smirked.

Present Time

"Do you love me, Helga?" the words echoed through her mind at the worst possible moment.

Helga would have pulled her collar if she could. "Criminy, Arnoldo, you jump straight to the point, don't you?"

"Helga..." Arnold deadpanned, raising his feet just in time to avoid the razor-sharp fish teeth. "Just answer the question."

"Umm..." Helga gulped, suddenly really noticing how tightly trapped they were, back to back, slowly being lowered to their deaths. She could have sworn she could feel his heartbeat racing, whether from her or the aspect of untimely death the cause, she had no clue. "Well, I..." She trailed off uncertain, pondering a way to prevent death and the revelation of her deep rooted love. Then, something hit her.

"That's it, Arnoldo!" She started wiggling her arm faster until the ropes loosened just a bit, enough for her right arm to get pulled away from it's constraints. "I've got it!"

"So...what's your answer?" Arnold asked, a bit of hope and anxiety coating his voice.

"Not that, paste-for-brains!" That persistent little football head of mine... "I got my arm out!"

"That's great, but...how will that stop us from being eaten?"

Helga rose her right middle finger up. A faux diamond ring glimmered in the pale light. "This."

Arnold shrugged -or did the best semblance under the circumstances- at the new discovery. "It's only a ring."

Helga smirked, pulling her other arm out. Luckily, Arnold's still constrained body was enough to hold her torso bound. "Unbelieving much?" She turned the ring, and a thin, pale red beam emitted from it. Arnold's eyes widened.

"Why-How does it do that!?" Arnold exclaimed, bewildered by the strange turn of events.

"Phoebe's been experimenting with miniature laser technology." Helga responded nonchalantly. She aimed it towards the ropes, and soon a sizzling sound was heard, burning them bind by bind.

"We'll fall!" Arnold said, trying to put some sense into his companion.

Helga stopped as the last bind loosened to just one string, then pulled out the hair dryer.

"Helga, that's just a hair dryer!"

"Still doubtful, football head?" Switching it to the 'high' position, a hook shot out towards the wall. His jaw dropped.

"Well then, Arnoldo, hold on."

I think I'll stop here. Short, I know. Give suggestions for the name. Not good with titles.

Don't forget to fill that box with your comments and suggestions and hit 'Post Review'!

Bye!

**Edited 7/14/13**