A/N: So there's been a lot of people asking me to write a sequel to "Hell Of A Girl". I did write the oneshot "We'll Breakaway Together", but people still want one. So, since an author admitted that they liked the little relationship that was developing, I thought I'd focus a bit more on Nicole's life after that.

Plot: After the Jungle Movie is over, Nicole's life is changing. Having Arnold's parents settling down at the boarding house for at least a few years is enough deal with at home. But out of the house, Rhonda's having trouble with her not-so-secret admirer admitting to his actions, Helga trying to deal with her new relationship after Arnold kissed her in the jungle, and hardest of all, Nicole's unofficial relationship with Sid is getting impossible. Life in fifth grade is confusing, but Nicole is sure that she can deal with it. After all, it's only the TV show she used to watch...right?

Disclaimer: Craig Bartlett and Nickelodeon (make The Jungle Movie and The Patakis!) own Hey Arnold! I own Nicole.

So, you're back, huh? You're really back to hear the next part of my life in a TV show? OK, recap for newcomers. I'm Nicole Emma Kidston and I'm ten years old. Well, if I was in my old world, I'd be seventeen, but in this world, I'm just an incredibly mature ten-year-old. But that's OK, everyone else in the world of Hey Arnold is incredibly mature. Yes, you got that. I'm in the world of a Nickelodeon cartoon. Long story short, a wish from one of the characters pulled me in, and I decided to play matchmaker with our title boy, Arnold, and obsessively pining tsundere Helga Pataki, who's now one of my friends. She's still a little cold with me at times, but I'm used to her moodiness.

I live in the same house as Arnold. You see, he lives in a boarding house, run by his grandparents. There WAS a "no kids" rule, but they let me in. Besides, in the show, they let in the Lloyds for a few days, and their daughter is one of mine and Arnold's classmates, so that rule is bullshit. Yes, I'm now ten and I swear like a teenager. I don't do it out loud, OK? My best friend still has virgin ears. Anyway, yeah, Arnold and I are like siblings now. We're probably closer to our best friends than each other, but we often hang out at home, and collect the rent from the other boarders together (I do a lot of housework so I can stay at reduced rates – I've got a job after school to pay the rent and for clothes and stuff). The boarders are a bit annoying, and Arnold's grandparents are pretty kooky, too, but I like them anyway. Plus, we finally have Arnold's parents with us. More on that in a minute.

For school. Right. Well, Arnold and I are both in fifth grade. We have pretty much all the classmates we had last year. I'm glad the two of us are in the same class, ourselves. Then there's my best friend, Lila Sawyer. She can be a bit annoying sometimes because she's as sweet as sugar most of the time, but mostly we get along fine. In fact, she's kind of the one who got me here, but that's really complicated. If you didn't read the last story, go back and have a lot at the penultimate chapter – that should tell you everything.

I'm on pretty good terms with most of the girls in my grade, really. Helga I mentioned, but then there's also her best friend, Phoebe Heyerdahl, as well as fashion victim Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd and her second in command, Nadine, plus geeky Sheena. Again, I'm on good terms with the boys, but I don't talk to them so much, apart from Arnold. OK, two more guys.

I'm not going to say I've become friends with Thaddeus "Curly" Gammelthorpe, as such. I always said, no way, I don't make friends with nutcases. But this particular nutcase happens to be obsessed with Rhonda, so I decided to give him a little help on how to get positive attention from her. Right now, he's just sending her romantic unsigned notes and occasionally some small presents anonymously, and what's more, I think she likes them. I can't wait to see what happens when he admits to being her secret admirer. So now, I sometimes talk to Curly more than I thought I ever would. I mean, he was hilarious in the show, but I thought him in real life would warrant backing away slowly...but he's not that bad, sometimes. As Rhonda said in one episode, he's an OK guy.

The other boy I talk to is Sid. No last name, according to the show, and I've never bothered to ask. We're kind of in an unofficial relationship – nothing serious. I mean, we've been on dates, just the two of us, but they're usually getting a milkshake at Slausen's or hanging out at the arcade. At school, we're usually divided, but that's because Sid's two friends tease us. I managed to shut Harold up since he's unofficially in a relationship with one of the ex sixth-graders (they're still hanging out on weekends – I've seen them!), but apart from that, we just have to put up with it. I did worry that Sid was still crushing on yet another ex sixth-grader that Arnold used to have a crush on (this bubbleheaded brunette), but when I asked him, he claimed "She's pretty, but she never talked to me anyway. I think you're prettier, and you're a lot more fun." He also has, once or twice, referred to me as his "girlfriend", and in this world, we were basically each other's first kiss.

Back to Arnold's parents. There was a story going around about a movie that was supposed to take place in this world. You see, Arnold's mom is a doctor, and they both worked in the jungle, in a place called San Lorenzo. Just after Arnold was born, they went back to Hillwood so he'd grow up in a stable environment. But just after he turned one, they had to go back to get medicine to a tribe called the Green-Eyes, because they were the only outsiders the tribe trusted. But they disappeared, and Arnold grew up knowing them by only a picture – and he constantly wears a tiny blue hat they gave him, even now.

Anyway, the movie was about Arnold and everyone getting a chance to go to South America and, by extension, to find Arnold's parents. A lot went on. Rhonda absolutely hated the jungle and was being a total diva, while Nadine was in heaven, finding out all about the spiders and insects – she's really interested in them. Sid's gang was pulling pranks and doing stupid things. Eugene, our jinx, nearly got eaten by piranhas, and most important of all, Gerald (Arnold's best friend) and I saw Arnold and Helga kiss! Actually, I heard Arnold telling Helga that he was ready to return her intense long-lasting love for him and kiss, and then Gerald decided to interrupt them. It couldn't have been more annoying if we'd both started on the "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" immature rhyme (For the record, I was pleased to join the central trio characters of the show – it made me feel like an important character, too, although if it was anyone else it really should've been Phoebe).

But we did manage to get the jungle pirate La Sombra jailed, and now Miles and Stella, Arnold's parents, are back in Hillwood and although they'll probably go back to San Lorenzo with Arnold one day, they definitely won't be leaving before the end of middle school.

So, I guess this means the exposition is over. So let's set the scene for today. School's starting up again after the winter break, so when Arnold and I get on the bus, I go and sit with Lila as usual. OK, I'll be talking in past tense, starting – now.

"How was Christmas?" I asked.

"It was ever so lovely!" Lila said. "I got to Skype my auntie back in Pleasantville and the church service was oh so beautiful, too."

I winced. "I can't sit through singing carols in church." I admitted. A gang of us had done door-to-door carol singing, but we sang more catchy, less preachy songs, like "Silver Bells" and "Snoopy's Christmas" (although I secretly liked "Silent Night").

"Oh, I went to the early Christmas Eve one." Lila said. "You know, the one when they have a Santa come down and some of the carols are easier to sing."

I hadn't gone to that one myself, but I knew what she was talking about, because I'd been to those myself in my old world.

"Anyway," Lila continued, "How was your Christmas?"

I shrugged. "Well, Oskar tried that trick that when we picked Secret Santas that we all picked his name, but the boarders can't keep secrets, so we worked that one out pretty quickly. It was fun, though. And we actually had a regular Christmas dinner, which Arnold told me has never happened before."

The bus stopped at the nearest stop to the Pataki house to let Helga on. I nudged Lila as the blonde paid her fare. "Hey, bet you a dime she hesitates where Arnold and Gerald are, but doesn't talk." I whispered.

Lila grinned. "You're on. I bet she'll say something."

We waited. Helga did hesitate, as I hoped. Pause...

"Hey, Arnold." she said awkwardly, then slipped into a seat next to Phoebe. Damn it! But she'd called him by name, which was rare. When school let out for the winter break, she'd definitely been on pretty good terms with Arnold (they sometimes hung out after school, unofficially dating), but at school, it had usually been "Football Head" this and "Arnoldo" that.

Arnold looked up and smiled, saying "Hi, Helga."

I faicepalmed and handed over the dime in my jeans pocket. Lila smirked and pocketed it.

"This happens every time I do this!" I whined.
"What can I say? I'm a natural." Lila teased.

We both giggled, getting weird looks from a few of the boys. I pulled a face at them so they stopped, and soon enough, the bus got to school, and it was time to get to class.

Sorry, exposition had to be done. The next chapter will get into the story, though.

Most importantly, is there anyone out there who will do fanart? I would love someone to draw Nicole for me. She's tall for her age, and most likely wears a dark tight-fitting T-shirt with silver swirls on it and dark jeans, sometimes with a sweater similar to Rhonda's. She has one layer of chestnut-brown hair which is mostly free with a little plaity bun directly at the top of her head, and the hair underneath is mostly mouse. I'd draw her myself, but I can't draw. Please, could someone draw Nicole for me?