A/N: I haven't written anything for this fandom in what, a year and a half? But I've been reading. I'm always reading. I'm not sure what triggered this scenario in my mind. Normally when I ponder HA! scenarios I just do that – ponder. But the words were speaking to me so clearly today, and I was already at my computer, so I wrote them down. It's not much, and not even very likely to happen as Helga is pretty young to be coming to this realization – even with help from Brainy. None the less I hope you enjoy it. I certainly enjoyed writing it.
Disclaimer: Hey Arnold! belongs to Viacom and Craig Bartlett, this story is entirely fan made and non-profit. Please support the official release.
The Shift
"Helga?" I asked in shock, staring up wide-eyed at the girl who had just come in out of nowhere to save my skin. What was she doing here? Wasn't she mad at me? I'd treated her horribly, said such awful things. Frankly I had never expected her to come back. If I were her, I would have certainly returned to the camp and left me for dead. But she didn't. Why?
"How's tricks, Football Head?" She asked, offering me a hand - offering me a hand! – so I could get up off of the ground.
"Helga, what are you doing here?"
Not that I wasn't glad to see her. I was thrilled! She had just saved me from certain death after all. But why?
She snatched her hand away from me as soon as I was on my feet. With a huff she looked at the vine still clutched in her hand. "Not that it's any of your business, Football Head, but I've made a decision."
"You have?" I took a hesitant step in her direction.
With the ferocity of a hurricane she whirled around to face me, a fire burning in her eyes like none I'd ever seen there before. "Yeah!" she exclaimed, "You're darn right I have!"
She took a step toward me and like that evening not so long ago, I stumbled backwards.
"You know what Arnold, you may be right. Maybe, with the way I am and the way I act, no one will ever love me."
"Helga, I didn't mean-"
"I'm not finished yet!" she shrieked. "Maybe no one will ever love me. But what you don't get is that I don't care! Not anymore. Because you know what? I'm a pretty amazing person. I'm a poet and a fighter. A spy, an artist, a dancer, a warrior, all rolled into one! I've done things that none of you chuckleheads would even dream of doing! I've scaled buildings, gone under cover, explored uncharted territory by myself, risked everything that mattered to me for the one person that mattered more… I'm incredible! And it doesn't matter if you don't love me. Or if Bob, or Miriam don't and never will. Because I do. I wouldn't change who I am for anything! Not even you."
I was the one who took a step toward her this time. "Helga…"
She looked away from me then, pulling herself inwards, clutching a hand to her chest. "Brainy was right."
Had Helga ever looked so beautiful before? I never… she was pretty amazing. But here, seeing her open and honest with her wounds laid bare before me, I'd never felt so compelled to reach out and touch… To simply connect. For the first time ever, I don't know why but now for the very first time, I felt as if …
I took a step forward, and she didn't move back.
"I need to be proud of myself," she said. "I'm an amazing person, and it's time I started believing it."
She looked at me then, and though her eyes shown with a brightness and clarity and freedom I had never seen from her before, I found myself wondering if I had made a terrible mistake. Had I let go of the only chance I would ever have…? Chance at what? I don't know. But it felt like something was slipping through my fingers.
"Don't look at me like that!" she snapped, and I startled. "I don't want your pity!"
Pity? What pity? No, I…
"I'm going to believe it. I have to. And I can go on feeling however I want to feel!" she insisted, and I wasn't sure why but all of the air rushed back into my lungs. I hadn't even realized I'd been holding my breath.
"I can feel however I want," she repeated, "because I'm me and I'm wonderful and the rest of you losers are just going to have to deal with it!"
"Now come on," she said, turning away from me bust gesturing with her hand for me to follow. "We have to get back across the ravine. I don't want anyone else falling in – I can't always be there to save the day."
I watched her retreat through the leaves into the jungle, surely headed for the fallen tree that had allowed us to cross the first time. Relief was coursing through me and I was so glad that I was alright and that she had been there and that somehow she was still the same Helga I had always known, only stronger and better and brighter than before – or maybe I simply hadn't realized it then. Something clicked.
Her head broke back through the branches. "Are you coming, or what?!" I smiled.
"Sorry, Helga. I'm coming."
When this was all over, we'd have to have a talk. I had some new things to say to her.