Disclaimer: 'Hey Arnold' belongs to the WONDERFUL people over at Nickelodeon. So, please don't sue me. I only have about 15.00 dollars. (^_^)

A/N: This is my first Hey Arnold fan fiction, so please be gentle with my babyI've loved Hey Arnold since I saw the first cartoon at the theaters when Harriet the Spy came out, but then I was going through a bunch of 'growing up' phases for the past 2 years, but ever since I saw the movie preview when I went and saw Return to Neverland with my little sis, I've found myself reading Hey Arnold fics, and watching the show! I also saw the movie last night, and LOVED it, but I was upset at the ending. So anyway, I do hope you like this!

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Let My Love Open the Door

Prologue

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Helga G. Pataki sighed loudly, and looked up the school she had been attending for the past 5 years of her life, PS 118.

"Helga, don't worry about a thing." Phoebe, her best friend said. "We'll still write and call each other on the phone."

"But Phoeb's, It won't be the same!" Helga shouted. "I can't believe that Bob just decided to move to...LOUISIANA...of ALL places! I'll probably get stuck going to some girly school called "Sweet Apple Middle School!" She said, covering her eyes and groaning. Phoebe put a hand on her back, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Everything will be fine, Helga," Phoebe said. "Maybe one day you'll move back." Hegla just gave a scarastic laugh, and said:

"With my luck, I'll never see Seattle again." she said, before walking off towards the park.

Helga reached the park some minutes later. She found an empty bench near the side of the lake where she would countlessly push Arnold in. Helga's heart suddenly gave a leap.

Arnold.

She forgot all about him.

How would she break the news to him? How would he feel about her leaving? Would he even really care? Should she tell him how she truly felt about him?

"Oh cruel world!" Helga yelled into the air and then let her head drop into her hands.

Feeling that the park wasn't calming her nerves, Helga stood up from the bench and continued walking down the stone path. Not really watching where she was going, she smacked right into someone and fell on her bottom.

"Oww..." Helga moaned.

"Oh, Sorry Helga, I didn't see you there." A familiar voice said.

Helga looked up and saw the last person she ever thought to run into. Arnold. 'Great...can this day possibly get any worse?' she thought to herself.

"Yeah, well, I didn't really expect a football headed geek to actually pay attention to what he was doing." Hegla said, standing back up. Arnold frowned.

"Well, I said I was sorry." He said, before walking past her. Helga watched him walk on for a few minutes, before sucking up her courage and called after him:

"Hey Arnold! Wait!" she said, running up beside him.

"What is it, Helga?" he asked hotly. Helga lost her nerve.

"I...err, well. There's something I wanted to talk to you about, Arnold." she said, rubbing her cheek. Arnold's face softened.

"Okay" he said, "What is it?" he asked. Helga drew in a deep breath before speaking again.

"Well, I guess what I wanted to say was..." Could she really go through with it?

No, she couldn't.

"I wanted to tell you that I'm moving tomorrow," she said looking down at her white tennis shoes. "to New Orlenes." When Arnold didn't say anything, Helga decided to make sure that he didn't run off, and she looked up and saw that Arnold had no expression on his face.

"Your...Moving?" he asked. Helga thought he sounded saddened.

"Yeah. Bob thinks it'll be a beeper gold mine down there," she said. "He only told us JUST this morning."

"Oh..." was all Arnold managed to choke out. Helga drew in another breath.

"And, I just wanted to let you know, that I don't hate you. I think your really...neat. And I wanted to leave hear with things cool between us." she said, feeling hatred towards herself. Arnold gave her a warm smile.

"Thanks Helga," he said. "I think your really neat also."

And then to Helga's surprise, Arnold wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug.

"I'll miss you," he said, pulling away. "Who else is going to bully me around?" he teased. Helga playfully punched him on the arm.

"I guess that Harold will have too take over for me." she said.

The two of them just stood there for a few moments, smiling at each other when the City Park clock tower bell rang 6 times. Arnold shoved his hands into his pockets, while Helga brought her hand to her arm and looked the other way.

"I guess I should get going," she said. "We have a lot of packing to do."

"Yeah." was all Arnold said.

"I'll see you later, foot-I mean, Arnold." Hegla said, before turning around in the other direction and walking towards her home.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Helga!" Phoebe said, unwrapping her arms from around her best friend.

"Phoebs! Don't go getting all mushy on me! You gotta be the strong tough one around here now." Hegla said, surpassing a fake smile. She then began to look around the street as if she were expecting someone to show up.

"If he was going to come, I think he would have been here by now." Phoebe said, Helga tore her eyes from then empty streets, and looked down at her friend amazed.

"Wha-I don't...know what your talking about." Helga said, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. Phoebe smiled.

"I know you like Arnold, Helga. I've known for quite sometime." Helga was about to fight her words, but she realized that this was probably going to be the last time she would ever see her, so decided to just let it go.

"I should have known not to hide anything from you," Helga said. "Just make sure you don't tell anyone, or I'll have to come back and pound ya!" Phoebe giggled, and then the two of them heard Bob honk the car horn. Phoebe then hugged Helga one last time.

"Make sure you call me when you get there." she said. Helga nodded.

You know I will." she said. "Later Phoebes."

"See you, Helga." Phoebe said, wiping away a stray tear that managed to escape. Hegla smiled, then began to walk towards the car, and just as she opened the car door, she heard someone shouting her name from behind.

"HELGA! WAIT!" Arnold shouted, running up to her.

Helga turned around and was face-to-face with him. She smiled, then noticed he was holding a small packet wrapped up in pink shinny paper.

"I just wanted to give this to you," he said, handing it to her. Helga quietly began to study it.

"What is this?" she asked. Arnold smiled and shrugged.

"It's just a going away present." he said.

Helga thought she was going to die that very moment. Arnold got her a present? So he did care.

"But...I have nothing to give you." she said. Arnold shook his head.

"You don't need to-" he began, but Helga cut him off.

"WAIT!" she said, then un-hooked her pink ribbon that she always wore on top of her head. "here." and gave it to him. Arnold looked at her curiously.

"But Helga, this is your ribbon," he protested. "I can't keep your ribbon, It's like me giving away my hat."

"Ah, don't worry about it," she said, making a waving motion with her hand. "I'll probably have to get a red and green one to go with my 'Sweet Apple Middle School' uniform." she said.

"Huh?" Arnold said, raising a eyebrow.

"Never mind." she replied.

"HELGA! COME ON, WE HAVE A PLANE TO CATCH!" Bob shouted from the front seat.

"I guess I'll see you later." Arnold said solemnly.

"Yeah." Helga said, bitting her lip. She then did something she nor Arnold ever thought she would do, and kissed his cheek. She then quickly jumped into the back seat of the car, and slammed the door, and it began to pull away.

If she would have looked back she would have seen Arnold bring his hand to his face, and a tear roll down his cheek.