To the Fire Escape and Beyond

by Polkahotness

After years of confusion and hiding her feelings from Arnold, Helga has finally become the object of Arnold's affections. The catch? Nobody knows, and they intend to keep it that way- at least for now. But will an unexpected school group project prove to be their secret's undoing? AxH, Review and Subscribe! (rated M for language and sexual content.)

3. Faking It

Sorry for the crazy long chapter, I just couldn't find a good stopping point so i kept on with it :)

Setting up some fun stuff here, guys! So make sure you let me know what you think by REVIEWING!

xoxo

Polkahotness

---

I made my way up the familiar steps and into Phoebe's room to tell her the not-so-new news.

"Knock knock!" I announced as I opened the door to Phoebe's room without warning.

"Helga!" She exclaimed, her body jolting slightly as she sat on her bed among a pile of books.

"The one and only." I smirked and walked over to sit on the blue chair that had been in Phoebe's room for my butt's comfort ever since I could remember.

"What are you doing here? Did I miss a call?" she started to look around her for what I assumed was her cellphone but I shook my head.

"No, no, no. I didn't call. Just thought I'd... pop on by."

Phoebe stopped looking around her and instead looked at me with a warm smile on her face.

"Oh. Well it's nice to see you, Helga. Did you wish to talk about something in particular or-"

"As a matter of fact, that's exactly what I wanted to do." I leaned forward in the chair to look at her and take a sharp breath to prepare myself for part two of the conversation I had just had with Geraldo and Arnold.

"Okay." She closed the book that sat directly in front of her and nodded once in my direction. I took a moment to thank my lucky stars that Phoebe was a little easier to handle than tall hair boy.

"You see, Pheebs, I uh... Well you've been really busy with all your school junk and I have been meaning to sit down and talk to you about this but-"

"Is this about..." her voice quieted as she leaned in a little closer to me, "ice cream?"

"Ice cream? Oh right. Uh- yeah. It's about Arnold."

Her eyes widened a bit at the use of his name so casually and she scrunched her eyebrows together as a silent cue for me to explain.

"Criminy, how am I supposed to just say this." I muttered to myself before taking another breath and pulling my legs up to tuck them underneath my butt on the chair. "So you know how I hate Arnold?"

"Quite the opposite though, isn't it?"

I reached up to adjust the beanie that was slipping off of my head and cleared my throat. "Well yeah, but that's not the point. Everyone thinks that I hate him, right?"

"I suppose that would be right, yes." She said thoughtfully, and I continued.

"Well I don't."

Phoebe smiled and carefully folded her hands together and into her lap. "I've known that for a while, Helga. If you recall I was the first person-"

"Pheebs, just... just listen okay?"

She reached up to charade a zipper being zipped over her mouth and her chipper voice squeaked out, "Listening!" allowing me to blurt it all out.

"I say I don't because... even though I don't talk to Arnold at school or even bug him or anything anymore... well I mean, I uh, I kinda do outside of school."

"I don't understand."

"I've been seeing him outside of school, Pheebs."

She adjusted her weight slightly as she sat on her bed; her face now blank as she thought through what I was telling her.

"Seeing him as in spending time together?"

I nodded my head, a small smile instinctively settling on my lips.

"Well that's wonderful, Helga. I'm glad you've been able to shed some of your pride to befriend him."

I shook my head.

"No like... well. More than... more than that."

A spark of light shot through Phoebe's eyes as she processed just what I had told her.

"Do you mean to say that you and Arnold are in a relationship?" I nodded my head and she hopped off of her bed to rush over to me and envelop me in a hug. I awkwardly let her hug me before I wrapped my arms around her thin frame and hugged her back.

"I'm so happy for you, Helga!" she exclaimed, and for whatever reason, I blushed.

Yuck. What's with all the feelings?

"When did this begin, if I may ask?" She pulled away from me and stood just in front of where I was seated as we talked.

"Uh... that's the hard part. It was... It was kinda like six months ago."

"Oh." She responded, this information not seeming to phase her all that much. "Why have you waited such a long time to tell people?"

"Well, we aren't exactly TELLING people all willy nilly or nothin'."

"If you aren't telling anybody, why tell me?"

"Well FIRST, Pheebs- you're kinda my best friend. SECOND, Rhonda kinda sorta almost found out. Kinda. She's being blackmailed by Geraldo."

"Gerald?" His name fell off of her lips delicately and I cocked a brow at her.

"You got a thing for tall hair boy, Pheebs?"

It was her turn to blush, the pale pink spreading through her cheeks.

"I suppose he is someone I would say I was fond of. If I really thought about it that is." She turned around to sit back on her bed and reopen the book she had closed earlier. "But I'm much too busy for any kind of relationship right now. Yale is already taking applications for my class and I have to be prepared to send in mine within the next few months. There's just..." She sighed tiredly, "just so much to be done."

I pushed myself up and off of the chair and took a few steps towards her, making my way for the door.

"You really should take a load off. Maybe I could get Gerald to come out with us sometime and we could... I dunno. Order pizza in or something."

"Are you suggesting a double date with Gerald and Arnold?" Her eyes searched mine for a moment and I shrugged.

"Yeah. Guess I am, huh?" I reached behind my back to grip the brass handle of her bedroom door. "Thanks Phoebe."

"For what, Helga?"

"For not laughing. Or getting mad or whatever."

Phoebe smiled again.

"Of course, Helga."

"You won't tell anyone our secret, will you?" I asked, my voice coming out a little harsh.

"I won't tell anyone."

"Like, you swear on your soul and all your Yale applications and future scholarships you won't tell?"

She adjusted the glasses resting on her nose and pursed her lips slightly; a smile still hinting on her face.

"You can trust me, Helga."

"I'll seeya later, Pheebs." and I opened the door to leave her room, but her small voice called after me.

"Helga?"

I peeked my head into her room from the crack in the door.

"Yeah?"

"If I... If I change my mind about wanting to do what you were suggesting... with Gerald and all... would you set it up?'

"Well doi." I winked her way before closing the door and leaving her room and house altogether in a rush to get home.

Tomorrow I would have to face school with Rhonda's eyes following my every move until she found something better to occupy her time with.

At least Phoebe knew.

And I believed that Gerald would push Rhonda off our trails which would prove to be the nicest thing Tall Hair Boy had done for me yet.

Life was good.

Well, good-ish.

I walked in the door of my house, slamming it behind me.

"Miriam! I'm here!"

"Oh, Helga," her words slurred from I assumed the couch where she was laying. "You're home...home early."

"Not really, Mom. Its almost 6. At night. Like when the moon comes out. How long have you been sleeping?"

The couch creaked as she pushed herself to sit up and turn around to look at me as I stood in the doorway.

"Uh... let's see here," She looked down at her empty wrist and sighed. "Oh probably since... just since you left this morning."

"Right. Well, have you eaten?" I tossed my jacket onto the back of the couch and leaned on it as I looked at my tired, poor excuse for a mom, Miriam.

"I had a smoothie."

"Right. So we're gonna go with 'No.'" I pushed myself up to meander my way into the kitchen and open up a few cupboard doors.

Bob had left Miriam when I was in 9th grade. It'd been really messy and really assholey since Big Bob got the best lawyer he could and just went to town on her and all the stuff he wanted.

I hated to admit it, but I actually felt kinda bad for her.

So nowadays, instead of taking care of myself since my parents wouldn't, I was taking care of my mom because she couldn't.

And Bob was off in New Mexico with some bimbo he picked up off the internet.

My bet was some mail order bride but hey- I guess even they have standards.

They always claim on the dating site commercials that it's the best way to meet the love of your life- guaranteed.

But what happens to the one you ditch at home to pursue the 'love of your life' huh?

The one who gets left starts drinking even more than they did before, that's what happens.

I grabbed a sleeve of saltine crackers and brought them to where Miriam had gone back to laying on the couch. Tossing them her way, I turned around to head upstairs to my room. "I found some crackers so, here's that. I can order chinese tonight if you want. Will you eat?"

I thought I saw a shrug from under the heap of blankets and sighed, turning around to slowly make my way up the stairs. "Fine, but if you don't eat, don't come crying to me when you're hungry, Mom."

Flopping on my bed, I lay on back and sighed, my eyes closing softly as I took in the events of my day.

It felt good to get out the secret- at least if it was just to Phoebe.

---

Thankfully at school, it was pretty easy to be inconspicuous about Arnold and mine's relationship. Aside from the stank-eyed glances Rhonda shot me in the hallways, nobody had a clue.

And it wasn't like Arnold and I had a bunch of classes together either; just one. English.

I loved English class. And my teacher loved me. Heck, I was the only one who ever turned in a halfway decent paper in my entire grade- so Mrs. Otten practically worshiped the ground I stomped on. She was always writing these notes on my papers encouraging me to go to school for composition; she always said it was my destiny to share my words with the world.

Pssh.

Anyway, hair boy and I had that class together. He sat way far on the other side of the room from me, but we were directly in front of each other and during movies or presentations, we'd make faces at each other and mouth conversations. It was the only time we saw each other for most of the day.

It was only so hard to be AROUND the kid because of the image we had to uphold. The whole school was under the assumption that Football-head and I hadn't said a single word to each other since around 9th grade or so.

I hated Arnold Shortman. And he hated Helga G. Pataki.

That was just common knowledge around the halls.

So if Arnold and I were ever supposed to interact... I don't even think I'd know how to pick back up on being so mean to him.

So I was thankful it was just one class we shared.

Other times, Arnold and I would use free time in our classes to our advantage. We'd text each other and leave class around the same time to meet briefly in the corner of the Science Hall where this tiny little spot hid underneath the stairway going up to the Spanish Wing.

"Hey bucko," I greeted him as he approached; my arms softly crossed over my chest, "How long you got?" I asked and he smiled.

"Probably 15 minutes. Mr. K never notices where we go when we have study time. That room is so chaotic it's hard to know when anyone comes back."

I rolled my eyes.

"You always get the unobservant teachers you lucky duck."

He shook his head.

"That's not true, you're just easier to notice when you're gone." A wide grin lit up his face and I playfully pushed him away from me, although he continued towards me, soon leaning in to kiss me a few times gently on my neck.

Pleasure rippled through my body as his lips brushed against my skin.

"You have to work tonight?" He mumbled as he traced my collar bone with his soft pecks.

"Mmhm..." I hummed, my eyes shutting softly.

"Until..?" he asked, his lips now making their way up my neck and to my jaw bone. Instinctively, I tilted my head back.

"S-s-seven." I stuttered out and I felt Arnold's lips curl into a smile.

"Should I visit?"

I gently traced my finger tips up his back underneath his shirt; my cool fingers dancing across his warm skin.

"If...If you w-want to... no... n-no sweat off my back." I let out a breathy laugh; Arnold's lips now hovering against mine. I opened my eyes to look at him- his eyes intent on mine.

"I can do that." He whispered before leaning in to connect our lips together in a wild embrace.

I could never get enough of Arnold.

The way his breath cooled my skin and my boiling insides drove me wild. His lips seemed perfectly fit to mine and it was always difficult for me to stop our make-out sessions before they escalated too quickly.

Arnold wasn't ready to have sex.

I mean, of course we wouldn't ever dare at school, doi. But the subject of sex had come up before... we were only human anyway. And teenage ones at that. So right around our sixth month this month right before we had told Phoebe and Gerald, Arnold and I discussed exactly what our views were on the whole sex thing.

"I just want to make sure that when I DO have sex, I'm completely sure that I love the person."

"So you only want to have sex with one person for forever or what?" I asked, but he shook his head.

"No, I mean... life happens. People fall in love lots of times in their lives and meet people and have sex and that's... that's life. So if I ended up having sex with various people throughout my life, that's not the issue for me." He set his book down that he'd been studying and turned to face me as we sat on his bed. "The only thing that matters to me is that when I do have sex, especially for the first time, it's with somebody really important to me. Does that make sense?"

I leaned over and lay my head on his lap, and he started to absentmindedly comb his fingers through my hair.

"So you just wanna... stay clear of the whole sex stuff? Stick to just kissing?"

"Well...maybe not...I mean, we could do SOME stuff."

I smirked and rolled over to lie on my back and look up at him; his attention focusing on splaying out my hair chunk by chunk.

"Oh really? We have rules?"

"Guidelines." He decided and I raised a brow.

"Alright. Let's hear them."

He nodded his head and thought for a moment before nodding his head and beginning. "Well no... no sex in the uh- the traditional sense."

"I think they call that 'penetration', football-head." I laughed and his cheeks flushed red.

"I'm serious, Helga."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. No sex, not a bit-"

"Well maybe eventually..." His voice trailed off and I blinked a few times.

"Eventually, huh?"

Arnold looked down at me, his eyes roaming my facial features for a moment. "I think...just because I'm not ready right now, doesn't mean I won't be. Obviously one day... I'll be ready. And you?" He raised his eyebrow at me. "How do you feel about all this?"

"I just wanna hear the rest of your guidelines, bub. Then I'll tell you what I think."

Arnold lifted his arms to cross them over his chest. "Fine." He said with a smile. "Next guideline is... I don't want to be a complete prude."

"What is that even supposed to mean?" I said with a chuckle and he rolled his eyes.

"Means I'm not... against trying stuff."

"Like?" I asked, still laughing.

"Like..." He leaned down to begin kissing me, his hand resting on my neck and my hand reaching up to pull him closer.

Suddenly, he pulled away from me. "Like if that led to something else."

"You're not being very specific. That could have easily led to sex if you let it. You are old enough to use the big kid words, so just spit it out." My heart was beating against my chest after that kiss and he took a deep breath.

"So like if you wanted me to...well, t-"

"Arnold. If you're asking if you can touch me, the answer is yes. Go for it. I'm totally yours. Touch away."

He chuckled for a moment, shaking his head. "Don't sound eager there, Helga."

"Just been waiting my whole life and all. So you can do whatever, what do I get to do?" I asked, and he blushed mildly at the question and chewed on his lip for a second.

"You can do...uh...anything, if you want. But just not sex."

"Anything but sex, huh? I think I can handle that, bucko."

"So that's what you think? About the guidelines?"

"Oh I like the guidelines. When do you wanna start?" I asked with a sly grin and he rolled his eyes.

"Whenever I guess. You pick."

I tapped my lip with my index finger. "Tomorrow? I'll give you tonight alllllll to yourself. Consider it a last 'hoorah.'"

Arnold had laughed pretty hard at that one.

Anyway, since then... it wasn't like we hadn't done stuff. We were like any regular teenage couple with crazy hormones that made us all hot and bothered for each other and wanted to rip the other's clothes off at any instant. But with Arnold... things just led there- he never asked or expected anything from me or I from him. I loved that we could spend nights 'Netlfix and chilling' without anything but pizza, laughing and spending time together. In fact, I could count on both my hands the amount of times we had done any serious SERIOUS stuff, but it had become more frequent as of late.

It's just... the way Arnold's smooth hands felt against my skin in those heated moments between us... it gave a whole new meaning to the word 'ecstasy.' I craved the feel of his skin on mine, even if our underwear still kept us apart from each other. That had been another rule- no completely naked stuff. A late addition.

But as much as Arnold thought that it bothered me that he wasn't ready to have sex, the truth of the matter was I didn't mind at all.

I waited most of my LIFE for Arnold to even NOTICE me, more or less kiss me of his own free will. So waiting for sex would be a breeze, especially since we had plenty of other things to do in the meantime.

His lips lingered on mine for a moment before suddenly pulling away from me to look at me as we stood in our nook in the hallway.

"Hey," I quietly called after him as he stood before me, "we still have like 10 minutes."

"Yeah, but," he started, a sly smile slithering its way onto his face, "I really should use my study time."

"You're acing that class. I think you could spare a few more minutes on me, right football-head?"

He shook his head, leaning in to peck me on my lips and turning away from me to walk back to his class. "It's much more fun to let you sit and stew about it."

"So you're just gonna get me all hot and bothered and ditch so I have to THINK about it?" My voice was more desperate than angry, and Arnold nodded his head as he walked away from me.

"Yep."

"Seriously."

"You got it!" He held an 'ok' hand sign up above his head so I could see it as he disappeared in the hallway.

"You'll regret this, Arnoldo, you'll see!" I hollered out, and I heard him chuckle softly as he rounded the corner to leave me and my thoughts to wander about him and that beautiful oblong-shaped head.

"Whatever you say, Helga." I just barely heard him say before I too left our spot to make my way back to class.

---

"What was your DEAL today?" I asked Arnold while I put away some vinyls into their correct artist slots.

I had worked at 'Hillwood Records' for about three months now, and it was a breeze of a first job. The store didn't have many customers to deal with, but somehow the store was doing incredibly well. I figured a lot had to do with their new website that kept me busy enough. It seemed I was always packaging music and sending it off for people I guessed were too introverted to actually leave the house.

It just made it easier for Arnold to come visit me, which never bothered him seeing as he spent most of his time browsing through Jazz records I'd never heard off.

Kid was a jazz fanatic.

"What deal?" he asked, picking up a record and turning it over to read the back of the sleeve.

I stopped what I was doing and leaned against the counter while watching him.

"You. Me. The Science Hall."

A smile graced his lips. "I don't know what you're talking about, Helga."

"Seriously, football-head?"

He tucked the album under his arm and continued to thumb through the records; his attention never turning to me as he did so.

"Did it bother you or something?" He asked and I felt heat rush to my cheeks at this question.

Arnold was never the one to initiate things. At least he didn't usually.

Today was out of the norm for hair boy. Usually when we met at the science hall I was the one who was all over him. It just always made sense I was the one to start anything.

"N-no. No, it didn't BUCKO." I tried to sound mean and he laughed.

"That doesn't work on me anymore, Helga. The whole 'mean routine.' You know that." He looked at me over his shoulder and grinned, my heart swooning.

"Doesn't mean I don't enjoy giving it to you every once in a while."

"Just like every once in a while, maybe I like to start things instead of you Helga G. Pataki."

The bell on top of the door rang and I figured it was just Jim- our most regular customer. He usually came in around this time to pick up a few records, or just browse for an hour or so.

So Arnold and I continued.

"So hair boy, what exactly are you doing after this? I work till 9, now. Alice called in for her shift. Although, you'd think she'd be able to suck it up and work her two hour shift."

He shrugged and walked a few steps to another rack of sale records and searched through them for a lucky find.

"She does that a lot though, doesn't she? Anyway, I figured I'd give Gerald a call." the shadow of the person who walked into the store didn't fit Jim's. I looked over in their direction to try and see their face, but they were hiding behind a rack of weird necklaces the store sold.

"Helga? Are you listening to me?"

"Hmm?" I focused my attention back on Arnold and sighed. "What did you say?"

He smirked and walked up to the counter setting a few things down.

"I asked if you wanted to come over after work or if you were going straight home."

"Arnold?" A voice called out, the voice of the mysterious figure I had been trying to identify.

The color drained from my face as he approached us.

"S-Sid?" Arnold stuttered out and I grew rigid, straightening my posture at his appearance.

"Hey man, what are you doing here?"

"What are YOU doing here?" I spit out and his eyes glanced at me with a brow raised.

"This IS Hillwood Records, right? I was just looking for the new Mad Scadz record. But then I heard you and Arnold over here talking and I… well I had to figure out if what I was hearing was true."

I swallowed the dry lump that had grown in my throat as he spoke.

"I was just talking to Helga is all." Arnold replied calmly. I envied his cool composure.

"Really? I thought you guys hated each other."

"C'mon Sid. You know Hair Boy over here. He uh..." I tried to think of something, "He just can't keep that big head of his to himself."

"No. I really can't." his eyes met mine and I felt my blood boil again under his look.

"Riiiiiight..." Sid said, wandering over to the sale bin Arnold had just been scoping through.

"Just kinda weird cause I haven't seen you two talk in like... ever." he continued and I rubbed at the back of my neck.

"Just because you don't see us talk doesn't mean we don't." Arnold answered and gestured for me to begin ringing up his stuff.

"Yeah but... NOBODY sees you guys even interact."

"We interact plenty." I chimed in and Arnold's head snapped to look at me, Sid's focus still on the sales bin.

"Really?" He asked and Arnold crossed his arms, his eyes still locked on mine as Sid kept searching.

"You don't have to talk to interact with someone." I chewed on my lip as he looked at me with those green eyes... a whole other conversation happening between the two of us as Sid absentmindedly listened to the conversation.

"Yeah," I scoffed, now leaning on the counter, my elbows holding me up, "there's slamming into lockers, and pushing..." images flashing before my eyes as I spoke.

"Or the occasional after school bumping into."

Sid picked up a couple records and tossed them on the counter in front of me.

"After school, huh?"

"Oh yeah." Arnold continued, "We bump into each other ALL the time. Hard to escape Helga G. Pataki."

"Boy howdy, you got that right."

"I'm still right here, ya know."

"I know." His eyes were glimmering as he spoke and a smile was hiding just beneath the deadpan he was giving me.

That football-headed goon was teasing me.

"S-So you gonna pay or what, Sid?"

"Why? You need to plan some more after school bumping into?"

I raised my brow at him, "What?"

He walked towards the counter and tapped his fingers on the surface as I continued ringing up the things Arnold was buying.

"You get off at 9. That's what you said."

"You were EAVESDROPPING, you little punk?"

"It doesn't matter, Helga. It's just Sid."

"Bu-" I tried, but Arnold cut me off.

"I tutor Helga."

"You WHAT?" I almost shouted and he nodded his head.

"No use in being ashamed of it, Helga. Algebra can be pretty difficult."

"I'll show you something difficult," I muttered, but he continued as if I had said nothing.

"And sometimes Helga helps me with my english homework. I'm not very good with words. Helga has quite the knack for them. She really knows how to use her talents to get a point across."

Sid began to laugh and I narrowed my eyes his way.

"Helga?! Talents! Yeah right!"

"You know what, Sid? I should break your dumb nose for that comment-"

But Arnold kept going.

"Helga has a lot of talents. Things you wouldn't even know."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

I smirked, "Like looking at you and without even saying a word, telling you I'm gonna pound your face in." I glared and Sid's face dropped slightly.

"Helga has mastered the art of speaking without words." His eyes met mine and I realized it wasn't just me who was gifted with such a talent.

"Shut your trap, Arnoldo, or I'll do it for you."

He wiggled his eyebrows at me slightly, almost egging me on.

"How much do I owe you?" He asked and I stumbled to twist the screen so he could see his total. "Twelve eighty-three, football-head."

He handed me fifteen bucks and grabbed the bag with all of his things in it. "You can keep the change, Helga."

"Oh boy. Two dollars and seventeen cents. I'm rolling in the dough now."

"Jeez, Helga. Arnold can't seem to do a signle thing right by you, huh?" Sid asked as I began to ring up the few things he was buying.

"You got THAT right. That's exactly why I'm cancelling our 'tudoring sessions' indefinitely, Hair Boy."

"Why's that?"

"I have a REPUATION to uphold. And it can't be ruined by being associated with you and your freakish head."

He shrugged carelessly as Sid paid me and I handed him his change.

"Whatever you say, Helga."

"Well this has been... really REALLY weird. See ya later, Arnold." Sid grabbed his bag and nodded once in my direction. "Thanks Helga."

"For doing my job? Pfft."

And in a moment, he was gone.

"What the HELL was that?!" I practically screamed at Arnold and he laughed while setting his bag down. "Tudoring me? Really? That was the BEST YOU HAD?"

"It's... believable."

"Yeah right! I get better grades than YOU do, ya yutz."

"Now, now, Helga. No need to be hostile."

I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms tightly across my chest.

"People will be talking about this FOREVER. So much for our secret." I mumbled.

"Helga. We don't even talk in school. Nobody will believe SID. This is the same kid who smokes pot in the parking lot at school and trips on Acid on the weekends. You're fine."

"You don't think anyone will think anything of it?" I asked, my voice sounding vulnerable and scared.

Arnold Leaned over the counter to lightly press his lips against mine.

"Helga...we never even talk in school."

I sighed and leaned back against the wall behind the counter.

"I guess you got a point, Arnoldo." feeling my heart relax slightly, I walked around the counter to continue with what I had been doing before Sid had shown up. "That's a relief, cause that SUCKED."

"You're out of practice. Of bullying me that is."

"It wasn't BULLYING, Arnold. It was flirting."

"Flirting. Helga."

"Okay, okay, so maybe I could have been A LITTLE nicer, but I was 9 and you loved Lila so I was at a disadvantage."

"If you say so. But are you coming over tonight, or what?" he asked again and I shrugged.

"Nah. I gotta read up on that Shakespeare worksheet Mrs. Otten gave us to prepare for that lame-o presentation we're gonna do soon."

"Presentation?"

"What," I dropped a record into it's appropriate spot, "your attention elsewhere in English class, Arnold?"

"Seems so." he smiled and picked up the bag he had set down and made his way to the front of the store. "I'll text you later, Helga."

"Sure will, bucko."

the bell rang just above the door as he opened it and left me alone in the store once again.

"Sheesh," I mumbled to myself as I continued to stock the store, "THAT was a nightmare."

"I never want to do that AGAIN. Who woulda thought ME, Helga G. Pataki, could lose her edge with football-head?" I shook my head in frustration.

The rest of the night proved uneventful. And after I locked up, made my way home, worked on english, made dinner for my very out-of-it mother and called Arnold for the night, I was EXHAUSTED.

So when I made it to school the next morning and entered English class, I wasn't prepared for what was in store.

"Alright, class!" Mrs. Otten's voice rang through the tired classroom; our attention all focusing on her at the front of the room. "You'll see on the white board that I have paired you all into groups for our next assignment- Shakespeare!"

I tried to look behind her to find my name, but she kept moving as she talked, so I quickly gave up to listen to the rest of what she was saying.

"You will have two weeks to modernize one of five incredibly well-known writings. You will then film them and present them in front of the class. Up on the white board you will see who you will be grouped with and which story you have been assigned. Now this project is going to count for HALF OF YOUR GRADE, so make sure you remain focused during your work time for the next two weeks. So go ahead, find your groups, and start working on your concept! Feel free to spread out, you'll have the rest of the period to work."

Once Mrs. Otten stopped blocking the board, I found my name easily.

Romeo and Juliet I read and smirked to myself. "Fantastic."

"Oh, isn't it?" Eugene added to my solo conversation and I turned around to look at him.

"What's it to you?"

"Well I'm in your group, Helga. See?" he pointed up ahead to the board, my jaw soon dropping to see the other thwo names beside mine and Eugene's.

"Gosh, I'm just ever so excited to do Romeo and Juliet. Aren't you?"

Lila.

"Yeah.. y-yeah I suppose so.'

"Kinda ironic, don't you think, Helga?" Arnold's voice asked and I looked at him with panic in my eyes before taking a breath and changing my demeanor.

"What's so IRONIC about it, football-head?"

"If my memory serves me right, Helga, wasn't it you and Arnold who played Romeo and Juliet in fourth grade?" Lila asked as she took a seat in the empty desk beside Eugene, leaving Arnold to sit next to me.

If memory serves her right, I internally groaned, she gave me the part for pete's sake.

"Yeah... So?"

"So, I think it would just be ever so fun for you two to be Romeo and Juliet again, don't you think Eugene?"

"Of course! What a great idea, Lila! It can be like a revival!"

"G-guys... I'm... I'm not so sure I-"

"I think it's a great idea, Helga." I turned to look at Arnold.

"You're kidding me."

"C'mon. It'll be fun. Like old times."

Old times... Criminy.

Mrs. Otten approached toting Rhonda behind her.

"Guys, I'm so sorry, but it looks like I completely forgot to give Rhonda here a group... do you mind if she joins yours?"

"As if anyone could forget Rhonda Wellington Lloyd, well I never." her voice was snotty, and she tilted her head up, shutting her eyes in true conceited fashion.

"Sure!" Eugene eagerly responded, and the color drained from my face.

"Excellent." Rhonda said, her eyes lighting up. "I can't wait."

But I could.

This... couldn't get any worse.