Title: Misery Business

Shipping: Helga/Arnold/ Angelica

Cartoon: Hey Arnold / Rugrats

Rating: PG

Notes: I loved Hey Arnold when I was young and I loved Rugrats as well. Of course, Angelica is going to be round about the same age at Arnold and Helga in this fic, I haven't watched All grown up yet and I vaguely remember a few clips of that show.

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, you know the drill.

Summary: Well if you've heard of the song Misery Business by Paramore, it's familiar to that, and they are all in their college year. This is of course an AU one-shot.

Love was a business of misery and joy and Helga could also relate to this as well. For the moment, she was delighted. No one was going to take her beloved football head Arnold away from her. She had to wait for eight months for Arnold's former girlfriend, Angelica to break up with him. Angelica Pickles was a materialistic blonde haired girl who enjoyed the fabulous things that celebrities would use. The blonde always tried her hardest to gain as much popularity as possible by any way she can. Currently, she was trying to split their relationship up. Despite Angelica's intentions, that didn't bother Helga at all because Arnold was the type of guy, who was laid back and calm.

Exactly nine months ago, Helga started college. She knew things were going to be a huge change to the system, her only hope in college was that Arnold was going to be in the same class as hers. She wanted him so desperately for years and they had both formed a strong unlikely friendship, which Helga was very pleased for as well. The fact that Arnold was in the exact same class as her, she had felt blessed. Helga felt that Arnold was her true destiny. However there was only one person who was in her way, it was Angelica Pickles, who she quickly came to dislike the moment she came and flaunted herself onto Arnold.

"Angelica is an absolute slut!" Helga would scream to herself, with a picture of Arnold in a passionate pink heart shaped-frame between her chest. "Arnold is mine! Damn you football head, why don't you tell her to go away."

It was not surprising that Angelica felt the exact same way but there was a difference, Angelica had told a close friend that she was only dating Arnold because he was popular, that made Helga furious. Helga did used to hate Arnold and even tried to pretended to despise him to cover up her developing feelings and she was not going to allow to let herself lose Arnold to a fame hungry girl like Angelica.

What happened? Helga happened to have spied on Angelica and Arnold as soon as she tried to get alone with him and then claimed his lips. Helga gasped at the very site of the kiss; she was horrified. Just when she thought she had a great change of being with Arnold, Angelica had to take it away from her in a very bold and cruel manner. Helga's heart had truly sank and she quickly scurried back home and the minute she was in her bedroom, she dashed to the bed and buried herself in the quilts. Helga had never felt so upset and though her and Arnold had taken a turn for the worse.

To face the facts that Arnold and Angelica had actually known each other before College by a neighbor, Tommy Pickles, who was also Angelica's cousin, was also something that Helga was not hoping for. To make matters worse, something was going around saying that he fancied her for a long time. Everyday, since Angelica and Arnold were an item, she would pray that one day, Arnold would choose her to be his girl and that Angelica would be out of the picture for good. Her prayer was answered, eight months later when Angelica felt she would be much more cooler dating another person.

Of course, Arnold was pretty upset about it. Helga did seek her chance and decided not to lie to the football head. Arnold was the only one for her and she decided the time was finally right to confess her love. The moment she saw Arnold alone, she grabbed her change and hugged him in a very caring manner. "Sorry to hear that Angelica dumped you." Helga told him.

"Thanks Helga," Arnold replied in a low tone. "I thought she really liked me, but she was only doing it for the attention."

"Arnold, there's something I want to say," she told him as she tapped him on the shoulder. She sighed as she spoke out, "I can't lie, you're the only one for me. Arnold I love you so much!" Helga exclaimed almost falling into fantasy land.

"OK, I get the picture," Arnold stated. "I think you're pretty cool too."

Two weeks since that day, their relationship created an extra spark. Helga felt like she was on top of the world. The only thing that she would be most likely talking about, was Arnold this is Arnold that. Meanwhile,Angelica was single again and her eyes had been locked on Arnold and Helga ever since. In Helga's ideal world, Angelica would a million miles away and would be shot down if she even went anywhere near Arnold. However, just being by Arnold's side was enough and caused her to wear the biggest smile.

A typical normal day at college with the sun shining for Helga. Her bright blonde hair and dark eyes twirled over to Angelica, who was standing outside the gates with arms folded as if they were tied together. She could tell that Angelica's piercing eyes had a direct glare at her, almost as if she had been waiting for her. There was a sign of obvious jealousy and a spark of hatred and plotting. This didn't harm Helga in the slightest; Angelica had her chance with Arnold, now it was Helga's turn. She walked towards the gate, waved at Angelica in a very friendly way.

"Helga," Angelica called her over, grabbing her tightly with her sharp nails.

"Hi Angelica," Helga pushed her hand away as she smiled at Angelica's plastic expression.

"Congratulations for you and Arnold," Angelica told her in sickly tone of honey.

"Why thanks," Helga replied. Normally, she would never approach Angelica but since she was in a mood of ecstasy, she was happy to speak to her. "I love him so much, I love everything about him!" One thing that was certainly never going to change was her undying day dreams and thoughts of Arnold. Perhaps it was making Angelica's blood boil, but that wasn't Helga's concern, she was filled with joy and wanted to share it with the whole world. Angelica nudged her by the shoulder, trying to be as brutal as possible. Helga's back landed against Arnold's closest friend, Gerald.

"I think you annoyed her," Gerald pointed out, straightening his red shirt, his afro hair, was still waving high. "She's been trying to get back with Arnold for a while and she's always asking for a second chance."

"She is?" Helga asked, smirking. "She only dated him, just to be popular."

"Well, she is a wannabe," Gerald admitted. "Anyway, Arnold said he was going to be a little late, his grandpa's in hospital."

"OK, that's fine." Helga spotted her friend Phoebe walking towards her. Unlike herself, Phoebe got along with Angelica and wasn't bothered with her relationship with Arnold.

"Don't you think you're getting a little mean?" Phoebe asked in a voice of concern. "Angelica looks very upset?"

"No," Helga answered, "She's only trying to get Arnold back so she can be popular."

"Are you sure about that?" Phoebe asked. "I saw her crying, she was going on about how much she still loved Arnold. Suzie was having trouble cheering her up."

"Why should she have another chance at Arnold?" Helga questioned sighing in disbelief of Angelica's tactics. "She'll never change. Once a whore, you're nothing more." Of course, Angelica also made Helga livid as well, but she didn't wish to express her complete anger yet; that would just lower her to Angelica's level. Stealing Arnold away from Angelica was not her intention, in fact it was Angelica who did all the stealing in Helga's eyes. Angelica had slaughtered her dreams for eight months and it wasn't even true love. Helga knew that her feelings for Arnold was far deeper than she can sink and her love was as pure and genuine.

There's a million other girls out there, who had a plot the same as Angelica's, looking as innocent as possible to reach their goals. They use their false sweetness to claim what they want, it would be simple if they did it the correct way; but not Helga. She refused to be something she wasn't, even if it lead to getting into Arnold quicker. She was proud that she earned the privilege to be Arnold's girlfriend, the right and sensible way.

She then spotted Angelica's arm grip onto Arnold, who was just arriving to college. Helga's head was shouting to get over there and shout that Arnold was hers and to tell the whore to stay away, and her heart was saying to go over and hope that something stupid would happen to Angelica, Arnold wasn't going to cheat on her in such a manner which was humiliating. Helga marched over as Phoebe curiously followed her. Angelica frizzy blonde hair was rubbing against Arnold's chest and her hands were squeezing him in a very uncomfortable way.

"Come on Arnold," Angelica pleased. "I love you with all my heart, please dump Helga and give me another chance."

"I'm sorry Angelica," Anrold replied in a calm tone. "You're cool and that, but that would be just wrong and not fair on Helga."

"Helga's a bitch!" Angelica pointed out. "She's been really mean to me. She's been sleeping with loads of guys and sends them pictures of herself naked."

"It's not cool to spread rumors," Arnold told her. "Helga's not that kind of person. Even if it was true, I'd be the first to know."

"That's right!" Helga interrupted, secretly happy of what Arnold has spoken about her. "Get your hands off him and find someone else to bother with!" Helga ordered as she tried to get Angelica off her man. "Otherwise you'll have me to deal with, you bitch!" Angelica glared at Helga as she stormed off in a furious tone, marching like a blend between the empress of drama and a bull in a china shop. Helga sighed as she set free her blonde locks that were trapped in a band. She smiled as she hugged Arnold, just to show that she really cared for him since her childhood. "That showed her," Helga smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder.

This felt great for Helga as she got Arnold exactly where she wanted him right now. She could brag about it in her mind for a long time, but it just felt so good. She had seen important experiences to Arnold, and not one of them involving Angelica. She was going to let the whole world watch their dreams come true, and not one of them involving Angelica.