This is my first Hey Arnold! fanfic! =^.^= so please be nice! Also, it was going to be a one-shot but as the words and creative nothings kept flowing, I added a little more to it.

Enjoy!

It was late November and the Christmas decorations were just beginning to be hung around the offices and walls. Students were bundled up in scarves, logo hoodies, and boots in anticipation for the stiff mornings and chilly evenings awaiting them.

It was the 5th period for Mrs. Matice's Health Science and Development class. She scanned the class as the students strolled in chattering admirably about the weekend ahead of them. As they piled in she marked a check next to their names and greeted them from her podium.

"Hello Rhonda," Check, "Lila, my, what a lovely scarf," Check, "Hello Harold…Gerald…" Check. Check.

Mrs. Matice's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the argument going on outside the hall… "Move it Football Head," Went an engrossing hiss about 30 feet from the outside of the door.

"I'm sorry Helga," A polite response answered. Two students walked in, one scanned the room for his friends, and the other took her usual seat in the corner.

"Helga…Arnold…" Check. Check. She hid a smile from behind her bulletin board and returned her pin to the desk her right.

Helga and Arnold both liked Mrs. Matice; she was a fair teacher and was known to go above and beyond for her students. When Arnold's car battery died on afternoon in the previous year she was the first to help jump him, and when Helga couldn't bear anymore from her home-life she often went and spoke with her.

"Hello class," She pulled her curly brunette hair from her face as the mumbles of greets and smiles returned to her, "I see we are enthusiastic…" She smiled and pulled her desk chair over to her, "Fine, I'll play along," Mrs. Matice sat down and propped her legs up on the desk to her right.

"Oh Matice," Rhonda remarked, "Those boots are so last year!"

"I think they're ever-so darling with that skirt!" Lila chimed.

"You think so? My husband is like 'Oh God…You've had those since we gotten married!" She waved her hand.

"I think you look very nice today, ma'am," Arnold smiled from his agenda book.

"You think everything is peaches and cream, Arnoldo," Helga shot him a look.

"Well, life does seem so much better once you learn to compliment someone, Pataki…" Arnold muttered, at once he realized his mistake. The class, including Mrs. Matice, went silent in fear of Helga's rebuttal.

"Someone decide to put on their boxers instead of briefs today, hair-boy? Your balls must be hanging a little too freely for that remark," Helga smirked to herself. Arnold sucked in his breath and shot her a challenging look which only made her smile more.

"Helga, is there something wrong?" Matice asked peaking over the rim of her glasses.

"No ma'am," Helga calmed and leaned back in her chair. Arnold glared at her his mind wandering between dismay at her insult to sadness. He knew about her home-life and that's what made her exterior shell so heavy and tough.

"Now then," Matice cleared her throat, "I want to get out of here, so to be curt how about I just give you your assignment and you can go and frolic with it? Of course I will be here to answer any questions until the dismissal bell," She smiled, "Okay, every year in this class students have to look after their 'child'," The class groaned.

"Yes, yes I know!" The teacher groaned in return, "But this year instead of making you all do an electronic game of seeing if you can house, feed, diaper, or withstand a baby, we're going to be doing something a little different. Remember all those unofficial surveys I had you all fill out last week?" She fanned through a stack of twenty or so papers, "I lied to you when I said they were harmless. They were personality tests."

She chuckled to herself as the students stiffened and looked from side to side, "So we are going to be doing the Egg Study. Some of you have heard of this, or seen it on your cool afternoon sitcoms… or whatever it is you guys do, Gerald, hush!" She threw up her hands in defense as he shot a look over to Phoebe.

"So, I will hand out these slips," Matice waved a few skinny pink slips of paper over her head, "And then I will return with your egg…which you will love, and care for, and be completely bonkers about for the weekend, okay?" She scanned the class then smiled.

Arnold tried to think back to the personality test but nothing stood out. He also scanned the room thinking for potential people to mother his egg beside him.

'Lila would be good,' He thought, 'Rhonda… bleh…Nadine…Phoebe…Hmm…' He finally snapped back to reality when Mrs. Matice quickly put the slip on his pile of books then watched his classroom eagerly wait for her to leave to explode with questions about partners.

She took her time to step out as Arnold turned to Gerald, "Who did you get?"

"Nadine…"

"She'll be good; she puts her all into everything especially this class!"

"Yeah but Phoebe and I would've used that time," Gerald watched as she stood next to a senior boy with a blue hoodie. They were making miniscule small talk but looked like they were happy in each others company. Arnold could see this disappointment in Gerald's voice and face.

"Hey don't worry, it's only the weekend! Ask her out next weekend, and we'll do that double date you've been talkin' about for a while now," Arnold said before his friend's downer thoughts could go any further south.

"Thanks man," Gerald smiled, "Who did you get?"

"Oh! I haven't even looked!" He grabbed the paper and unfolded the slip only to stare in horror.