I'm only going to say this once, I DON'T DO DISCLAIMERS as, obviously, if I did own anything that was even remotely like this, well it wouldn't be on a FAN SITE would it? lol

Title: Just A Girl

Summary: Helga comes to a decision regarding her affections for Arnold. After spending the summer with her grandmother, she becomes who she was meant to be. Herself.

Features: Good Olga x Helga relations, Phoebe x Helga friendship, Neglectful Bob x Miriam ect.

oOo

She tried being the girl he wanted. She wore that awful green dress, wore that wig, practiced her 'ever-so's and 'oh so certain's in the mirror, making sure to sound as much like Lila as possible.

Lila Sawyer.

Arnold's first in-class crush, and Helga's worst enemy. And sure, Lila was a nice girl; she had never intentionally done anything mean to anyone. Of that, Helga was certain. But she had stolen the affections of Arnold, Helga's own crush.

Helga had gotten caught up in the moment, she hadn't had to be Helga-the-Bully; she was just a girl Arnold was paying attention too. They had talked about the book report that was due in a few days, and laughed at Eugene's clumsiness. They were having a good time…until he called her Lila. Her smile faltered a bit in that moment. She had let herself forget for a minute that it wasn't Helga he had wished to date, it wasn't Helga he had started talking to, and it wasn't Helga he wanted. It was Lila. And she had gotten so swept up in Arnold, she had forgotten. Arnold didn't want Helga…but Helga wanted Arnold. Had ever since they were 3, and he saved her from the rain and told her he liked her bow. It had been puppy love then, and over the years, had only grown.

And so, when it came a time where she may never have seen him again, she told him. It didn't go as she had imagined it would, on top of the FTI building wasn't exactly what she had had in mind when she thought of how to reveal her love for him. It was rushed, and she had almost-sort-of propositioned him.

'I think I need to lay down.'

'Great, I'll go with you!'

And after it was all over and they had saved the neighborhood that meant so much too so many…he asked if she meant it. He had given her an out, in the heat of the moment was all it was, they had agreed. She had lied. Of course she lied, she could tell, by both the look in his eyes and the nervous and reluctant fidgeting, that if she had owned up to it and stood by her confession…the next words out of his mouth would've been "Im sorry Helga…I don't…" And if he full out rejected her, she wouldn't have been able to live with herself.

So she had laughed it off, tried to get on with her life as it was before the confession. And then he took her to that dance. They had been having fun, he danced with her so nicely, she had never guessed he would do something like that to her, as aware of her feelings as he was. She had thought the world of him; it really wasn't his fault he couldn't live up to her standards. How can any 9 year old boy be perfect, after all?

She had harbored that crush, for so long…maybe it was time to let go. Oh not completely, she knew she could never stop feeling this love she felt for Arnold. But…maybe it was time to stop following him around, time to stop building busts of his head out of everything, to stop deliberately drawing his attention by playing nasty tricks on him as they obviously weren't helping her win his heart. It was time to step back, pack away her pink love poem books dedicated and inspired by him, dismantle her Arnold Shrine in her closet, and distance herself from him. It was time to put away the locket she had carried around for so long, the locket she had spouted soliloquies too as she hid, usually behind dumpsters. It was time she remembered herself for once. Remember who Helga was; through all the chasing and smoke screens, she wasn't even sure she knew anymore. The more she thought about it, the more her resolve hardened. She was Helga Geraldine Pataki.

And it was time she started acting like it.

oOo

I know its short, but its the beginning and I felt the chapter should end here. I dont know when I'll have the chance to update, I have work and cousins to babysit. Please Review if you have the time.

TTFN!