Hey people! Here I am, back again. This was meant to be a one-shot, but after a lot (okay…very little) thought, imp gonna turn it into a 2, 3, maybe 4, part story. Manly because I found myself likening where it can go a whole lot. So I hope you'll agree!

Hey Arnold is own by Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett. The song "Starts with goodbye" is preformed and owned by the amazing Carrie Underwood. All I own is the computer imp writing this on…what a shame!!!

Enjoy!!

*Chapter One*

You have to do this…

That's all she could keep telling herself as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

It wasn't that she was nervous about the crowd, shed played gigs much bigger than this. This one would be the most difficult for her because the crowd consisted mostly of her classmates, including him…

She'd been chasing him for 15 years now. Sense the tiny age of 3. Well more like she's been chasing him for 14 years, if you decided to include the past year as actually having him.

It started the summer before senior year, or something like that. She couldn't remember all the details as clear as day. Witch surprised her, sense she thought having the chance to be with him would engrave every detail into her memory, but pain sense then was fogging her memory.

They ran into each other at the local gas station. What started as friendly hellos turned into something more like a invitation for her to attend a 'start of the summer' party.

She accepted, hoping to have time to spend alone with him. Boy did she get that. They went to the party together. By the time the night was over they found themselves holding steady conversation on top of the boarding house.

He told her about his quickly fading relation ship with Lila. She told him of her miserably failed attempts to get and keep relationships.

Then somewhere along the line, he told her he didn't understand how she would have a problem getting or keeping a boyfriend.

The next thing she knew, he lean in a dropped the most feathery light kiss on her lips. It all went down hill from there.

They would arrange nights to be alone together. Arnold continued to see Lila, telling her that when the time was right, they'd be together.

She believed him for a while, but now more than recently things where becoming more and more hard to deal with.

She had fallen more and more in love with him, and now, the thought of not having him to herself was more than she could live with.

She had confronted him about the matter, but no matter how mad it made her, she always gave into him and his plans to wait till they graduate.

That was 3 weeks ago. Still, no progress.

So here she was backstage at the local talent bar. She took up guitar lessons in 6th grade and once she convinced herself she was good enough, she began to write her own stuff.

She'd play at the lounge maybe once or twice a month. She loved it. There was also word around that a talent scout might drop in, so tonight was really her night to shine. Among other things.

She needed to break free from him, sense the possibility of finally having him seemed to have flout out of her reach. She wrote a special song for him tonight. She knew he'd be here. This was it.

She herd the other band finishing up and she knew she better start getting ready.

"Helga, your up next, ya ready?"

She turned around to face her small Asian friend with a smile.

"Yeah, Phoebe, imp ready."

She grabbed her guitar and headed towards the opening of the side curtain. She took one last breath before she herd the MC announce her.

"Alright lady and gentlemen our next performer is a recent graduate from Millwood high. Give it up for Helga Pataki!"

She let out her breath and walked on stage as the audience applause.

She waved back as she approached the Mick in the middle of the stage.

"Thank you." She said when she reached the Mick.

As the audience calmed, her eyes darted around the room until she spotted a familiar football shaped head. She turned to give the back up band the signal to start as she adjusted the Mick.

When the music stared she caught his eye.

"Imp sorry…." She whispered, over moving her lips so he could read them clearly. This caused him to look at her somewhat confused as she held his gaze and began to sing.

"I was sitting on my door step

I hung up the phone and it fell out of my hands

But I knew I had to do it

And he wouldn't understand…."

She held his gaze. She was putting her walls down, and she hoped that he was looking deep enough into her eyes to realize what was about to happen. She guessed he was, sense the look of confusion was slowly turning to something else…

"So hard to see myself without him

I felt a piece of my heart break…."

There it was, she could place a finger on his expression now…

"But when your standing at a cross road

There's a choose you've got to make…"

Hurt. That was it. He knew now what she was trying to say she was sorry for. For having to let go, and say goodbye…

"I guess its gonna have to hurt

I guess imp gonna have to cry

And let go of some things I've loved, to get to the other side…"

The look in his eyes and on his face when she sang out those words, it broke her down. She hadn't prepared herself for this part. But she knew, it was for the best.

"I guess its gonna break me down

Like fallen when imp trying to fly

They say that sometimes moving on with the rest of your life…"

She lowered her voice and went for the higher note, felling the tears well behind her lids and the words left her mouth…

"Starts with goodbye…"

She say what looked like tears welling up in his eyes. She had to break there gaze, she couldn't watch him cry. She needed to let go, and this was the only way she thought she could. She cased her stares around the room aimlessly as she continued to sing.

"I know there's a blue horizon

Somewhere up ahead just waiting for me…"

That's what she had convinced herself to believe. That this was the best things for her…for him…for them. She just had to focus on that right now…

"Getting there means leaving things behind

Sometimes life so bitter sweet…"

How true was that. She had to be cruel to be kind. She had to let him go to be able to get on with her life and live the was she deserved to live…happy.

"I guess its gonna have to hurt

I guess imp gonna have to cry

And let go of some things I've loved, to get to the other side…"

She searched for his eyes again. Only to see he was no longer in his seat.

"I guess its gonna break me down

Like fallen when imp trying to fly

They say that sometimes moving on with the rest of your life…

Starts with goodbye…"

Her eyes darted the room while the band picked up its solo before the bridge of the song. Then she saw him. Oh god, he was walking towards her. What was he doing? What was he thinking?

She caught his gaze once again causing him to slow hi pace to almost a stop.

She allowed the lyrics of the bride to openly speak for her at the moment.

"Time heals the wounds that you feel…

Some how…"

He continued towards her till he was climbing the stares by the stage, resulting to him to come face to face with her.

As she held her eyes on him she continued…

"But right now…"

She took a step closer to him. She could hear the whispers and then gasps from the crowd but she didn't care at the moment. This was the last moment she knew they would have together, and even though she was the one letting go, she wanted her last memory with him to be one that she could smile about down the road.

She looked up at him and lowered her voice as the music slowed and the volume lowered, bring out her voice more.

"I guess its gonna have to hurt

I guess imp gonna have to cry"

She raised her hand to his check, cupping it gently as his hand covered hers. She rested her forehead gently on his and closed her eyes…whispering this the most calming and genital voice she'd ever used…

"And let go of some things I've loved, to get to the other side…"

She opened her eyes to find his. As if it was planed, a tear escaped there eyes at the same time.

"I guess its gonna break me down

Like fallen when imp trying to fly

They say that sometimes moving on with the rest of your life…"

She said it the most censer way she knew how. Telling him this was it…this was goodbye.

"Starts with goodbye…"

They stood the same way for the remainder of the song. Alone in there own world together for the first and last time. That's right, for the first time in the past year, he had been completely hers for a small moment.

As the music ended the crowd was on there feet, snapping the two out of the trance they were in. The MC returned to the stage catching the audience and Arnolds attention.

"well guys give it up for Helga! She did a great job didn't she folks? Come on Helga! Come up her and take a bow!!!"

When he stepped aside to revile where Helga was standing moments before, the crowed and Arnold gasped. She was gone.

"Maybe she just couldn't handle all the emotion, so she did what she dose best, she ran. Don't worry Arnold, she'll show when she's ready to talk" said a very concerned phoebe as she put a relaxing hand on Arnolds shoulder. Gerald, phoebe, and himself had been sitting in the parking lot for over a hour now. Helga's car was there, but Helga herself was no where to be found.

"Thanks for the comfort phoebe, but this needs to be settled. I cant sit around not knowing." Arnold said in a half worried half aggravated tone. A tone that cause phoebe to switch gears completely.

Turning to Gerald, she spoke softly. "Gerald, would you mind giving me and Arnold a moment to talk?"

"Sure babe, no problem" He said with a slight smile before walking away.

When she was sure he was far enough away to not hear what she was about to say, she took a seat next to Arnold on the curb before turning to look at him.

"Arnold look.." She started in a tone that caused him to lift his head to look at her. She continued.

"I know that right now this isn't what your gonna want to hear, but I feel that sense imp her best friend I have full right to tell you that…"

Arnold raised one eyebrow at her in confusion. "Tell me what?"

She looked up at the sky and sighed before turning her attention back to him.

"She's not coming back Arnold…"

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So there's your cliff hanger. It was meant to be a one shot.. But you know how it goes. You start writing with the intention then the next thing you know you cant stop writing. Plus imp a huge Arnold/Helga paring lover. So the end the story with them parting ways is heartbreaking to me. I have to endings for this story. Reviews may help to steer me to the proper and more satisfying ending. So you know what to do folks! Read and review!!!

If things go the way I want them to chapter 2 should be up by…lets say Tuesday night??? I don't know… maybe sooner if work doesn't stress me!!

Later days,

Lc