Author's Note: I do not own Hey Arnold or any of its characters, except for some I may create. Thanks for reading!

( I heard from a friend today and she said you were in town. Suddenly, the memories came back to me in my mind. How can I be strong? I've asked myself; time and time I've said that I'll never fall in love with you again.) (Helga's thoughts about Arnold)

The title of this chapter is named after a song by Janet Jackson

It was near the end of the summer, so the days were still awfully hot. Helga G. Pataki, now seventeen years old, has blossomed into a gorgeous young woman. She was tall and curvy with her infamous uni-brow now neatly plucked into two. However, she remained feisty and tough as ever. Since she was never much of a morning person, the aggression was often brought out of her quite easily shortly after sunrise. Her cell phone rang, waking her out of her sleep. Helga groggily looked at the caller ID which read "Pheebs".

"Criminy, Phoebe!" she answered, annoyed." It's 709AM; what the hell is so important right now?"

"Oh, sorry Helga," Phoebe apologized, in her high, cheery voice." I just thought I'd take the liberty of informing you that Gerald is planning a huge bash tomorrow night. He invited me and he said that you are certainly welcome as well."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Helga muttered." So, Tall-Hair Boy is throwing a party just like he did last week and the week before. Well, whoop-dee-doo! If I don't have any plans tomorrow night then I might come. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep."

"Wait, Helga! Don't hang up!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"What is it, Phoebe?"

"Silly me failed to mention the occasion that Gerald wants to celebrate," Phoebe stated.

"What? Is he cutting his hair and donating it to charity?" Helga cracked.

"Nooo," Phoebe responded." It is a welcome back party for Arnold."

Helga nearly dropped her phone." Arnold?"

Phoebe giggled at her friend's surprised reaction." Yes. Arnold."

"Wow, what's bringing the old Football-Head back?" Helga asked, pretending to sound nonchalant.

"I'm not sure but I knew you'd be rather ecstatic to know that he's returning," Phoebe told her, with another giggle.

"Okay, Phoebe, you don't have to tease me," Helga groaned." Plus, it's been five whole years since I've seen Arnold and frankly, that immature crush I had on him was a thing of the past."

"Helga, I must say that the word 'crush' is an understatement," Phoebe insisted." You were undeniably infatuated, perhaps obsessed with Arnold."

"Whatever Phoebe."

"Well, I thought I'd let you know about the party," Phoebe said.

"Well thanks, Pheebs, but I'm tired," Helga said." Can you call me back later?"

"Certainly….disconnecting!" Phoebe replied.

After hanging up with Phoebe, Helga fell back onto her pillow and closed her eyes but she couldn't fall asleep. She was surprised to hear that Arnold was coming back from his long global travel. Although Helga has gotten over Arnold, she could never forget the day he left. Arnold's long estranged parents had finally paid him a visit five years ago and made him a huge offer. It was a tough decision for Arnold to leave his grandparents, the residents of the Boarding House, his best friend Gerald and his schoolmates. However, seeing his parents again has been a long-time hope and dream for him. So, he decided to live with them and travel around the world along with them.

Helga wanted to reveal her deepest, darkest secret to Arnold before he left. She wanted to tell him how much she really loved him but the words wouldn't seem to come out due to her fear of rejection. So, she had no choice but to let him go. In time, she made a conscious effort to forget about him. She disposed of all her shrines and poetry journals dedicated to Arnold. However, she did keep her locket with his photo inside of it.

Helga stretched and yawned, climbing out of the bed. She walked over to her closet and reached the top shelf. She pulled down the gold locket and blew the dust off of it. This was a recent photo Arnold had sent her along with his other schoolmates. Helga smiled at how handsome he's gotten since he grew up.

"Arnold, what a loser, what a disappearing dingbat! I don't even miss him," Helga grunted and then her tone of voice softened." And yet…..I miss him so much. The way we grew up together and I would torture and insult him to disguise the true passion I felt for him deep down inside. I joked about his oddly shaped head and that oversized shirt that looked like a skirt when I really wanted to tell him that I admired every inch of him. And now, he is coming back."

She let out a girly, lovesick sigh and daydreamed for a mere five seconds. After that, she snapped back to reality.

"Well, it's nice he's coming back but I'm so over him," Helga stated.

She put the locket away and left her bedroom. She brushed her teeth, washed her face and headed down into the kitchen. Her parents Bob and Miriam were eating pancakes. Miriam has been sober for two years after joining Alcoholics Anonymous. However, she was still often very forgetful; it was hard to tell that she had given up drinking. Big Bob was still Bob; enough said. Dressed in his businessman suit, he had to leave for work soon.

"Hey Bob, hey Miriam," Helga said, indifferently.

"Hi honey," Miriam mumbled.

"Hey Olga," Bob muttered.

"I'm seventeen years old and you still can't get my name correct," Helga scoffed.

"Fine, Helga," Bob said.

"Um honey, there should still be two pancakes left for you," Miriam told her.

"Thanks."

Helga walked towards the stove and peered disgustedly at the pancakes. They were charred almost completely black.

"Great, Mom, you left me the burnt leftovers," Helga muttered." How typical."

"You ungrateful little hussy!" Bob exclaimed." All you do is complain! I get up early in the morning to work my ass off all day, seven days a week. I'm the one who needs a hearty, well-prepared breakfast, not you! You had a whole goddamn summer to relax. Until you get a job, missy, you better start showing your mom some more appreciation. You may hear me bitching and moaning when she screws up my breakfast, but I can do that because I wear the pants in this house! And because of that, no wife or daughter of mine is going to step out of line with me!"

"Okay Dad, shut the hell up!" Helga exclaimed." Criminy!"

However, Helga still apologized to her mother.

"It's no big deal, Helga," Miriam insisted.

"I can make my own breakfast anyway," Helga said.

So, Helga threw the burnt pancakes away and proceeded to prepare some bacon, eggs and French toast.

"Make enough for me too, Olga; I'm still hungry," Bob told her.

"It's Helga, dad," Helga groaned.

"Whatever."

When Helga finished cooking her breakfast, she served herself and Bob. She offered some to Miriam but she declined. When Helga finished eating, she headed to her room and got dressed. She was still quite a tomboy but there were times when she liked to look feminine and gorgeous. She decided to take a trip to the mall to pick out a sexy yet casual dress to wear to Gerald's welcome back party for Arnold. Although she hasn't thought about Arnold in a very long time, she was determined to get his attention. At the same time, she wasn't too sure that she wanted to revive any old feelings she had for him. After all, she was heartbroken when Arnold left, mainly because she never told him how she truly felt and they never had a chance to have the romance she dreamed of with him. How will it work out?