I held my breath and forgot to breathe for a moment as I waited for the diagnoses. I was scared and sad and about to cry. I've never been good with emotions, I kind of like to bottle them up inside so no one can see what I'm feeling. I'm supposed to be strong for everyone else, so everyone can depend on me and I can help them through their problems. I'm not supposed to cry, or be sad, or have these overly strong emotions so close to the surface. I clenched my fists at my side not wanted to listen, but knowing I had no other choice.

"He has a cancer tumor," the vet said, pointing at the x-ray. "It's in his femur and it's growing and it's spreading in the bone and causing the bone to split. He also doesn't have any ligament in his knee left because of it. He's a tough little pig, but he is probably in a lot of pain."

I avoided eye contact with him and shoved my fists into my jacket pockets. I knew what was coming, and I didn't want to hear it, and I didn't want to deal with the emotions that were already trying to force themselves out.

"It's time," he finally said.

I sucked in my breath and looked over at my grandpa, the tears already welling up in my eyes mirrored in his own.

My sweet little pink friend. A friend of many, many years was ailing and needing to be put to sleep. My pet pig, Abner.

Abner, who had always been with me, who was always there to play with me, who was always making me laugh with his little snorts and his playful, dog-like manner. My little friend who had even been there each night that I had cried myself to sleep missing my long lost parents-crying with Abner there in my arms, snuggling close and breathing comforting sounds in my ear.

Grandpa put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it slightly.

The vet looked to us. "He is still a little sedated from the x-rays, but he is awake if you want to say good-bye while I...while I get things ready."

I stepped forward toward the table, Abners large, round eyes looking at me sleepily. I put my hand in his head and patted him gently. He nuzzled his snout into my hand and I felt a tear trickle down my cheek and land on my hand. I leaned down and rested my face on his little pig-belly.

" Oh, Abner," I cried, more tears streaming down my face now and onto his smooth skin. "You've been with me for fifteen years. Fifteen years and I love you so much! You've always helped me and been there for me when I needed you. Thank you." The sobs I had been fighting back came now, tears spilling from my eyes. "Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for making me smile. Thank you for playing with me. Thank you for comforting me when I cried. Thank you for just always, always, always being there. I'll never forget you, Abner. And you'll always be in my heart. And I'm going to miss you so much-so much more than you'll ever know. You were a good pig, Abner, and the best pet and friend a kid could ever ask for. You were more than a friend, you were family, Abner. I love you."

And before I knew it I was crying even harder. How could I just say good-bye to someone who had been with me for so long, who had always helped me through my darkest hours-times I would have felt all alone if it hadn't been for him. My mind couldn't seem to comprehend a boarding house, a bedroom, a life without him. I watched with a broken heart as the life slowly left him and his breathing stilled.

Later, I sat on the boarding house steps watching the sunset and thinking about Abner, buried there in the backyard under the old elm tree with fresh purple irises planted on top of his new grave. Sniffing, I wiped a tear on my sleeve angrily.

"Hey ya, football head," I heard a voice behind me say.

I blinked my eyes tightly closed hoping they weren't too red from crying. "Hi, Helga."

There was a small pause as she came and sat next to me. I didn't look her way, embarrassed of the tears. I'd never been one for crying in front of people. People expect me to be strong and I don't like to be seen as weak. I especially didn't want to cry in front of someone like Helga who was always strong and capable even with all that life threw at her.

She was quiet, thinking, and finally in a soft voice asked, "Everything ok, Arnold?"

I didn't speak for a moment. Not sure if I could control my emotions enough to make words to answer her. She waited patiently, gazing at the setting sun while she did so.

Finally I blurted out, "Abner is dead."

She didn't say anything, and I finally looked into her face to see the heartbroken expression painted there. "I'm so sorry, Arnold. I know you really loved him." She put her hand softly on my shoulder, the comforting warmth making me shiver for a moment.

"He was really old and had cancer," I managed to mumble, sniffing softly.

"At least you know he's no longer in any pain," she whispered softly, putting her arm around me for a moment and giving me a quick side-hug.

"Yah."

We sat for a moment as the sun sunk a little lower in the sky, casting light rays shining through the oranges and reds of the sunset. Abner would have liked that sunset-we always watched sunsets together.

"Vi died a few years ago," Helga suddenly said quietly.

"Vi?" I questioned quietly, still gazing at the setting sun.

"Yah, Vindication. My monitor lizard. The one who uh...well, who ate your parrot in 4th grade," she finished, rubbing her arm awkwardly.

"Vindication?" I asked. "That's an interesting name." Interesting but definitely Helga.

She shrugged. "Yah, well, she vindicated me once, so yah, Vindicated. Vi for short." She gave me a quick cheesy smile and then looked back down at her pink converse.

"Uh-huh," I said, guessing there was more to this story and wanting to figure it out, but feeling much too worn out. The sky was becoming full of soft fluffy pinks and purples as we sat on my stoop quietly contemplating.

"You know..." Helga began again. "I have an Abner story."

I looked at her in surprise, forgetting about my tear stained cheeks for a moment. She gave me a sad smile and reached her hand up to wipe a tear off my cheek. I watched as her cheeks pinked slightly and she quickly pulled her hand away and placed it on her lap.

"Sure I do," she shrugged. "I bet everyone in town has an Abner story."

There was a pause as she leaned her elbows back on the step behind her and let her hair cascade down behind her.

"Will you tell me your Abner story?" I asked quietly, looking at her once more.

"Sure," she nodded, staring off into the sunset. "I had this locket once. With a picture of someone I love-" she looked at me with wide eyes for a second and quickly said, "with a picture of someone I loved in it when I was nine."

I smirked at her and her cheeks pinked up brightly and she looked away. "You were nine?"

She rolled her eyes and looked away. "Yes."

"You? The Helga G. Pataki carried around a locket with somebody's picture in it?" I teased.

"Pipe down, ya wise guy, will you? I'm telling a story here." She crossed her arms and glared a me playfully.

I laughed softly. Helga always knew how to make me laugh and feel even a just little bit better. I put my hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, go ahead."

"Anyway, I had this locker, see? And I had just paid $19.95 to have it-" she stopped suddenly, her mouth hanging open. "Aw, crap! I think I forgot to pay the guy!" She smacked her forehead dramatically. "It only took me almost ten years to realize that. Criminey!"

I stiffled a small laugh.

"Anyway, I had just accidentally pilfered my newly inscribed locket back-"

I stared at her in disbelief. "You were nine years old and had your locket inscribed?"

She shrugged. "Hey, when I'm in, I'm all in-100 percent." She shot me a look, "anyway, I'm a cute little twitterpaited nine-year old girl gazing at my newly inscribed locket when little Mr. Abner comes along and starts bugging me and like I don't know asking for attention like he's a dog or something. So I started to climb the fir-" she stopped and glanced over at me for a second before saying, "I started to walk...by your house and Abner started following me. And then I slipped on a puddle and dropped my locket and the darn piggly-pig ran into your house with it. And well, I had to get it back, and-"

I stared at her. "Wait a second, Helga. A heart-shaped locket?"

She twitched her lips from side to side before finally saying, "maybe..."

I gave her a knowing look.

"Fine, Arnoldo, yes, a heart-shaped locket," she said in a sing-songingly mocking voice.

"With my picture in it?" I asked her, staring her down.

She threw hands up in the air. "Okay, football head, fine! Yes, with your picture in it. For cripes sake, it was eight years ago, lets move on from that detail already. I'm trying to honor Abner here and you're messing it up by trying to embarrass me over my childhood crush." She looked away, her cheeks pinking up again.

My smile fell at the reminder of my late friend, Abner. "Ok, Helga, go on."

"So long story short," she began, her voice speeding up at each word she said, "I may have snuck into your house and tried to get it back, sat in the rain on your roof waiting for you to go to sleep so I could steal it, dressed up as an antique collector to fool your grandpa into letting me have it, and snuck into your basement and turned off the lights so I could steal it back...all because Abner had gotten a hold of it for me."

I stared at her. "I'm suddenly feeling very unsafe in my own house. Maybe I should tell Grandpa to get better locks."

She waved me off. "You're safe. I snuck in your house plenty of times and you were never...been...in...danger. Aw, criminy!" She shrugged at me sheepishly as she realized what she'd said. "Kid stuff, you know." Her cheeks were now a very bright pink.

I continued to stare at her.

"Did I mention the second I got out of the basement with my locket Abner stole it again and I had to chase him all across town?" She flashed me a silly, awkward grin and waited for my response.

I chuckled. "No, but that sounds like Abner. Since that was eight years ago, I'm going to assume that you no longer sneak into my house, right?"

She smiled. "Nope. Scouts honor. I'm much too sophisticated for that kind of thing now," she teased and held her hand up.

I grinned at her, appreciating all she was telling me-revealing to me-to help me feel better and maybe not miss Abner quite as much, even for just a moment. "That's a nice story, Helga. Thank you."

She shrugged. "Yah." Helga turned to face me full on again and her big, blue eyes gazed sadly at me. "I'm sorry Arnold. I really, truly am." She leaned over gently and pressed a light kiss on my cheek. I felt my eyes widen slightly, but quickly returned them to normal before she stood up. "I'll see you Monday, Arnold." She turned and slowly started to walk away towards the almost set sun and the twilight shades of night blazing across the sky.

"Helga?" I called after her

She paused and slowly turned around to face me with a soft smile, the sun's last lights casting a golden halo to frame her hair and figure softly. "Yes, Arnold?"

"Thanks," I said quietly, smiling at the pretty girl in front of me who had broken down walls, if only for a moment, to help me feel a little bit better.

Her smile grew bigger as she looked at me. "Don't mention it. Just promise me one thing," she added, brushing her long bangs out of her eyes.

"Anything," I answered, without even a thought.

"Don't stop looking on the bright side." And with that she started walking away toward the darkening horizon.

I slowly walked up the stoop steps and opened the front door. Before going inside I turned around one more time and watched Helga's retreating silhouette in the soft twilight. I felt a small smile on my face, and for the first time that day, for a moment I knew everything would be okay, that Abner was in a better place, that I would still always have a part of him with me-best friends never really part. And I also knew there were many more wonderful things on the horizon and that Abner would want me to listen to Helga and always look on the bright side.

Helga G. Pataki.

And I smiled as I gazed once more in the direction she had gone.

A/N: Today we had to put down my cat of almost19 years...I've had him since I was 10 years old. He was literally the best cat I've ever seen and the best pet for a little girl who loved kitties, and cuddles, and kisses. A cat who was a wonderful friend to a little girl, a teenage, girl and even a grown woman when she needed one, who would let her lay her head on his tummy and cry if she was sad or if the world has been cruel. He was there from the beginning of my Hey Arnold! love and sat next to me while I wrote my first fanfiction and drew my first fanart. My heart aches and I'm gonna miss his sweet little face forever. So I wrote this story for him, and so it's dedicated to him, my sweet angel kitty.

~Arnold's Love