its a bit late but better than never.
Hey arnold credit obviously doesn't go to me...
"...3! 2! 1! Happy New Year!" Everyone yelled on the roof of the boarding house as fireworks shot off into the sky. Everyone was there, Phil, Gertie, Ernie and his new wife, Mr Hahn, his daughter and husband, Oskar and Suzie, Gerald, Phoebe, Harold, Pattie, curly, Rhonda, Lila, stinky, ...you name it, everyone was there...everyone except for Helga that is.
Arnold, though yelled out happily with everyone was disappointed that his best friend/secret crush wasn't there to celebrate.
It wasn't that Helga didn't want to be there, it's just that she couldn't. Her sister had asked her to come visit her in Alaska. When her sister asks for something, she normally gets it, to Helga's dismay.
Phoebe shared a kiss with Gerald as the clock struck midnight, as did all the other couples.
Arnold was happy for his best friend. He glanced at them before looking out and leaning over the ledge watching the cars go by. He took a swig of his beer when he noticed a young figure holding a small suitcase with blonde hair and a large trench coat on. A smile crept on his face but he dared not hope.
Instead of yelling out to the figure, he ran down the fire escape hoping to catch up to her.
The figure stood in front of the board house's front door. She didn't know whether she should have came. It wasn't like anybody was expecting her. She had told everyone, she would be away for New Years.
Before she could even knock on the door, a hand touched her shoulder from behind.
"Helga!"
"For f sake!"
Arnold and Helga yelled at the same time. Helga jumped and landed in Arnold's arms.
"Football head! You freakin gave me a heart attack!" Helga yelled with her arms wrapped around Arnold's neck.
"Sorry Helga. I saw you from the roof and quickly went down the fire escape." Arnold replied with a goofy smile. Helga rolled her eyes but then smiled as well.
"Thought you were gonna be in Alaska?" Arnold asked. He still had her in his arms.
"I managed to convince my sister into letting me come home early." Replied Helga, still oblivious to the fact that she was still being lifted in Arnold's arms. Arnold holding Helga with one arm, her suitcase in the other, walked into the boarding house. His eyes never left Helga's.
"You missed New Years." Arnold commented softly.
"Only by a minute." Replied Helga.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too." Arnold with Helga still in his arms lowered his head so their foreheads were touching. Just an inch closer and their lips would meet.
"Helga! You're back!" A high pitch voiced cried happily.
Both Arnold and Helga shook their heads and looked up to see Phoebe and Gerald standing there.
"Oh dear! Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself? Is that why Arnold's carrying you? Did you slip?" Phoebe asked worriedly.
"Uh..." Helga couldn't think of what to say.
"I frightened her when she got here and lost her balance." Arnold quickly said as he placed Helga down. Immediately both Helga and Arnold felt a bit sad having to let go.
"Well, Rhonda said she's gonna have an after party at her place, so the whole gang is heading there now, did you guys wanna come?" Asked Gerald.
"Prob not, I literally only just got off the plane and came straight here. Not sure where I'm staying yet, you know since mum and dad sold their house." Replied Helga
As soon as Helga had turned eighteen and was heading to college, her parents and decided to retire and sell the house. When Helga did come to Hillwood to visit, she would normally stay at Phoebe's house, but this time it wasn't an option as, Phoebe had recently moved in with Gerald.
"You can still stay with me." Phoebe replied.
"And put up with you and tall hair boy making smoochy face every ten minutes. No thanks." Answered Helga.
"Why don't you stay here little lady." An elderly voice suggested. Everyone turned around to see Grandpa Phil standing on the stair case. He had heard the conversation as he was going down the stairs.
"That's a great idea grandpa." Arnold grinned at the idea of Helga staying over.
"But you don't have any rooms left." Helga pointed out. It was true, the spare room that was normally for guests was now taken up by susie and Oskar's nephew. They had taken in their nephew after susie's sister had passed away in an accident.
"You can bunk in with shortman." Replied Phil giving a sly wink to Arnold. Arnold rolled his eyes.
"Are you okay with that?" Asked Helga as she turned to Arnold.
"Yeah, it's cool. Rather you stay with us then you trying to get a motel room or something." Arnold replied as he placed his arm around Helga's shoulder in a friendly manner.
"Well, we're gonna head off to the party." Gerald replied as he and Phoebe headed out the door. Phil went towards the kitchen leaving Helga and Arnold standing there.
"Uh, so I guess I'll get my things to your room then." Helga said awkwardly as she rubbed her arm up and down.
The room was as she remembered it, the bed, the couch and even the potato powered alarm clock. She crashed onto the couch as Arnold placed the suitcase down on the floor.
"You can take the bed, I'll take the couch." Arnold replied as he grabbed a spare pillow and sheet from his closet.
"Don't be silly, I don't mind the couch. I'm your guest, this is your room." Replied Helga as she took her shoes off. Arnold rolled his eyes then threw the pillow at Helga's face.
"Hey!" She cried muffled from the pillow.
"What?" Asked Arnold innocently.
"Okay buddy, that's it, ol betsy is coming out." Helga said grinning as she stood up holding the pillow and aiming for Arnold's head, before she could hit him with the pillow though, Arnold who was now taller than her ever since the growth spurt back in high school, grabbed Helga by the waist and snatched the pillow off her.
She was now in one of his arms, the other arm holding the pillow.
Arnold looked down at her smiling. "You can't threaten me anymore, you know that, I'm a lot bigger than you are now. I'm not that short nine year old boy that you used to torment." Arnold dropped the pillow to the floor.
"Ha, you think just because you're bigger than me, I can't torment you?" Asked Helga smirking.
"Oh I didn't say that. In fact you torment me every day. Every single day, when I see you in that short skirt and tight top, when you talk to other guys but me, when you stand this close to me, you torment me every single day." Arnold said huskily lowering his head.
"Arnold..." Helga whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Arnold placed his hand onHelga's cheek and their lips were about to touch.
"Arnold!" Oskar's voiced boomed as he opened the bedroom door.
Helga and Arnold jumped and quickly stepped aside from each other.
"Yes Mr Kokoshka?" Asked Arnold slightly annoyed at the interruption.
"Have you seen Suzie? I'm getting hungry and I need her to make me a sandwich." Explained Oskar oblivious to what he had just encountered on.
Helga couldn't help smiling. She couldn't help chuckling at the irritated look on Arnold's face.
"No Mr Kokoshka. I haven't seen her." Arnold replied grumpily.
"Why don't you go help Oskar look for Suzie while I get changed and settle in, then afterwards, we can continue our earlier conversation." Helga suggested looking at Oskar sympathertically.
"You're a good girl." Oskar commented then looked at Arnold. "You should keep her."
Helga chuckled while Arnold rolled his eyes. He reluctantly agreed to Helga's suggestion and followed Oskar out the door.