Chapter 2 is up! Thank you for all the love so far. I'm so happy to be sharing this with you. Please leave me a review when you're done so I can know what you think so far. Also, don't forget to follow the story and favorite it.

xoxoxo Karen

Chapter 2

Bridesmaids

Helga stared back at Arnold with the rest of the world crumbling around her. Their eyes instantly locked together like magnets. He was just like she remembered him, tall, shaggy blond hair, green eyes, but now there was a tiny bit of scruff. He looked at her like he'd looked at her the last time they saw each other. Helga never wanted to see that sorrow in his eyes again, but here he was.

"What are you doing here?" Arnold asked her quietly.

"I um-"

Helga was cut off by a high pitched squeal she remembered. "Oh Helga! Phoebe! Is that really you?"

Lila ran in front of Helga and Arnold to take the girl in a suffocating hug. Once she finished with Helga she went to Phoebe. Helga was still looking at Arnold though, and his eyes hadn't moved either.

"Why good afternoon, Lila," Phoebe greeted.

"What are you two doing back in Hillwood?"

Phoebe began explaining the situation to Lila but Helga couldn't hear a word. Her mouth kept opening to say anything to Arnold, but no words came out.

"Olga's pregnant!" Lila shouted.

"Yes she is," Phoebe said.

"We had no idea," Lila added.

Arnoldn't eyes focused on Helga differently now, now they were angry, now he really looked at her. "How could we know? How could anyone know if you guys just took off and disappeared. It's not like you'd made contact with anyone over the past five years."

Arnold held the dagger that was plunging deeper into her stomach, only this time, she couldn't fight back. He was right, Helga had completely cut them all off.

"Oh Arnold stop it," Lila nudged him on the shoulder. "Helga, Phoebe you two are just in time. I have the most wonderful news for you."

Helga finally broke away from Arnold's gaze to look at Lila's hand, which she was waving around in front of them. There was a beautiful emerald ring on her finger. "Is that?"

"Yes, Helga! I'm engaged, and you're just in time for the wedding."

Lila was engaged. They were only 22, it was strange to think of them getting married, but Lila was always the romantic type. She probably hooked some sucker and refused to let him go. "That's great for you. Who's the lucky guy?"

At that moment he didn't feel like the, "lucky guy". If anything, Arnold felt like the unluckiest guy in the world. Helga's mouth dropped slightly, she brought it back up before anyone could notice, but Arnold did. She couldn't bring herself to look at him anymore. He'd wondered how this would feel like, to see the look on her face when she learned that he'd moved on, that he was happy. It wasn't as satisfying as he thought it would be.

After all these years, Helga was still beautiful, if not, more. Her blond hair was cut short and waved around her face. She wore a long pink t-shirt dress and white sneakers. So familiar, but still a stranger. She'd been gone for what felt like an eternity, he honestly thought he'd never see her again since the last time.

"You two are engaged?" Phoebe asked for her.

Arnold simply nodded, but Lila went into the entire story of their engagement. Phoebe listened respectfully, but Helga's eyes were set on her shoes. Arnold hadn't talked to Phoebe in years, due to her and Gerald breaking up before going to college, he was off playing basketball for Duke. Yet they stayed friends, she was still friends with her on social media. Helga, she disappeared off of everything

"Lila, we should get to our table," Arnold cut in.

His life had to go on, even if Helga was here.

"Oh, just one more thing!" Lila promised. She took her old friends by the hand and smiled. "Helga, Phoebe, I'm ever so thrilled you're back in town, and I would love to have you be a part of my wedding. Would you please do me the grand honor of being my bridesmaids? There's always room for 2 more."

Helga and Arnold looked at each other once again before they began to protest.

"I don't think that would be such a good idea," Arnold started.

"You know, we're not going to be here that long," Helga added.

"We really should get to our table, Lila," Arnold urged.

"We really should," Lila admitted. "But Helga, it would be the greatest honor for you to be in my wedding party, and I won't take no for an answer. I'll come by tomorrow to talk about the details more."

They walked off, but Arnold's eyes still lingered on her. The last thing Helga wanted was to be a bridesmaid for Lila's wedding, especially when the groom was none other than her ex boyfriend. Phoebe and her walked silently back to the Pataky house. Helga couldn't get Arnold's eyes out of her mind. She knew there was a chance she would run into him here, but she thought she could avoid him for the month.

Arnold and Lila were getting married.

Arnold and Lila were getting married. For some terribly selfish reason, Helga never pictured Arnold getting married, let alone with Lila. Last time they'd gone out, Arnold admitted he didn't love Lila the way he thought he would, but apparently feelings could change. Their feelings changed after all.

"Helga," Phoebe finally broke the silence, "are you okay?"

Helga simply nodded. She wasn't ready to talk about it.

Rita was quick to ask Arnold if he knew Helga was in town. Lila did most of the talking for him. It still amazed him that she found nothing awkward about the interaction they had. Helga was Arnold's ex after all, you'd think Lila would think twice before inviting her into the wedding party. Helga would never do it though, Arnold knew her all too well. He thought he knew her.

He didn't want to think about Helga, but he thought about her everyday for the past five years. Helga left to Manhattan their junior year of high school, and at the time he thought they could make it work, they were in love back then, they were blinded by it. The truth was, everything came to an end. It just so happened that Helga made that decisions for them.

"Arnold? Arnold?" Lila's gentle voice brought him back to reality.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I was just telling Rita how I've asked Phoebe and Helga to please be my bridesmaids."

Rita gave Arnold a concerned look, she knew exactly why this was a bad idea. "I'm not sure that's the best idea, Lila."

"Oh Arnold, don't be silly, Helga and Phoebe are my friends, they need to experience this with me."

"But are they Arnold's friends too?" Rita asked.

Helga wasn't his friend, Helga wasn't anything to him anymore, she was a memory, but that memory was back. How could she do this? How could she just waltz back into his life like this?

"Of course, Rita! We've been friends for years."

Sometimes Lila's innocence was too much.

Arnold sent Gerald a text telling him what just happened.

What do you mean she's back?

What it sounds like. Helga came back.

Like for good?

No, Idk. But Phoebe is here too.

...How is she?

Gerald still loved Phoebe. Arnold knew that for sure. In his time at college, Gerald never looked at another girl the way he looked at her. Arnold admired that about them. He would be home soon, at least Arnold would have him home soon.

Lila was Helga's friend in high school, she had to remember that.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to," Phoebe said.

"You're right, but you know Lila won't give us. Criminy, it's like I actually entered the circle of hell. I should have never came."

"Helga, don't think that way. I know this is rather difficult for you, but you shouldn't allow Arnold to see this side of you, you're stronger than that."

"But am I though?" She asked. "After what I did to him, I have no business being back in this dump."

"This is your home."

Helga shot up from the bed and paced around the room. "This isn't home! This was never home! I hate this place so much, and I hate Arnold!"

"Okay good, let all those emotions out."

"I can't believe he's back with Lila! He's marrying Lila! You know, if I wasn't a fucking amazing person, I would call her out for taking my sloppy seconds. Even though, yeah I technically took her sloppy seconds. So these are the sloppy thirds! Arnold was probably never over her, even while we dated. This is so like him! Well if he thinks he can laugh at ole' Helga G Pataky, he is surely mistaken. Phoebe, call Lila, we're joining the wedding party."