So here is chapter tres… took me a while to figure out what direction I wanted to go next. Now that introduction-ish things are over it is time to start an adventure! A high school adventure of course. So here it is… hope you enjoy, follow and review please… it makes me happy ^_^

NOTE: Every fourth chapter will be a "Misadventures" chapter chronicling the life of a different character, since next chapter will be the 4th once why don't you message me or tell me in your review which character should be first. Harold? Rhonda? Stinky? Sid? Arnold's Grandma O.o? Someone else? Up to you!

Chapter 3

Ghosts

It was the Saturday after Arnolds return to Hillwood. His first week of High School had gone well but he was definitely ready for the weekend. Returning to the life of a "normal" kid was going to be a challenge. After working with his parents for so long in San Lorenzo, he had gotten used to being away from the hustle and bustle of towns and cities.

He was sitting in his room sorting through some new CD's he had been given as a welcome home present from Gerald. Casey Abrams by Casey Abrams, the Best of Steely Dan, Al Stewart, and Home by Ben Williams were the best. He had listened to them all twice through. They all had exactly what he loved, that smooth jazzy feel full of saxophones and bass riffs.

Arnold tapped out the percussion on his windowsill, looking outside at the street below. He saw Mr. Green the butcher putting fresh meat out on display, Harvey the mailman making his rounds, and even frail old Mrs. Vitello tending her flowers.

"Hey Short Man," said Arnold's Grampa as he came into the room.

"Oh, hey Grampa, what's up?"

Phil Shortman was in his late 80's and was still as fit as he had ever been. The man loved his grandson and was probably, with the exception of Helga, the happiest person to see him come home.

"How come you're not out there with all of your little friend's?"

"Just taking in the neighborhood Grampa," Arnold said, "I missed sitting up here letting the music play out what I saw people doing."

"Well I don't know about all that boy, but I do know that I got a $50 bill here for ya that's just itching to be spent," Phil said with a wink.

"Wow thanks Grampa!"

"No problem, now get out there and have some fun ya crazy kid."

Arnold flew down the stairs and out the front door of the boarding house. Phil watched his grandson from above in the attic room, a tear in his eye of happiness. Arnold was home.

Arnold was running around a street corner when he ran straight into something and they both went tumbling over each other.

"Jesus fuckin' criminy , watch where your goin you clumsy little…" Helga trailed off as she realized she was cussing out her boyfriend.

"Hi Helga… love you too" Arnold said, smiling as he rubbed the growing lump on his forehead.

Helga laughed, "You really should watch where you're goin Football Head." She helped him up and they shared a hug and a kiss. "So why exactly were you running at Mach 4?"

"To find you, Gerald and Phoebe," Arnold replied. "My Grampa gave me $50 and I thought we could all go do something together."

Helga thought this was a good idea, and the two of them walked down the road to the Johansson residence. When they got there they saw a sign on the door at the top of the stoop that read, GONE FOR WEEKEND.

Arnold pulled out his cell phone and dialed Gerald's number, surely he must've stayed behind at a relative's house.

"Hello," came Gerald's voice from the other end.

"Hey Gerald, where are you?" Arnold asked.

"Man I'm in Philadelphia for the weekend. Jamie-O is getting an award for something he did at college so my parents decided I had to come, so I brought Phoebe with me."

Arnold and Gerald said goodbye, and he and Helga began walking down towards the pier. Helga slipped her hand into Arnolds and felt the warmth that flowed between them where there skin met. It filled Helga with more emotions than she even knew she had.

"So Arnold… what are we gonna do? With no best friends to go on a double date with we're pretty much on our own" Helga said. She was silently glad that she now had her boyfriend all to herself for the first time since his return.

"Here let me stop and use the restroom really quick," said Arnold.

As soon as he was out of sight Helga gave out a loud high pitched sigh, "Oh Arnold my love, the reason for my existence at last at last I have you away from all those others, the staring eyes, the pointing fingers. What will we do my love, a quiet romantic movie, a dinner at the most fancy restaurant in town, a trip to the moon? Oh I know you'll be able to think of something.."

Behind her, Helga could hear a shallow, raspy breathing. Flinging her fist around, it collided right in the middle of Brainy's forehead, knocking him out cold.

Arnold walked out of the bathroom and looked at his girlfriend. "So I think I know what we should do" he said.

What could it be Helga thought to herself? The movie, the dinner, the moon?

"Let's go for a walk in the park, I'll buy you lunch and a present," he said with a smile.

Helga's heart dropped momentarily as her lavish dreams fell down around herm but perked back up because she was still going to be with her man.

"Okay," she said simply with a smile. They held hands all the way there.

Darkness. That was what Arnold saw when he opened his eyes. He looked around sleepily and noticed he was in the park still. He saw Helga's still form next to him, sleeping deeply. Arnold looked at his cell phone, it was 11:30.

"Oh man," he thought aloud, "we must've fallen asleep sitting in the sun."

He nudged Helga awake.

"Huh? What's going on," she muttered tiredly as Arnold helped her up.

"We fell asleep; come on my house is closest."

They both walked in the dark towards the Sunset Arms Boarding House. Arnold pulled the fire escape ladder down and they both climbed until they were at Arnold's lofty attic bedroom.

"Do you want to maybe call your parents?" Arnold asked.

"Nah," said Helga, "Big Bob is probably asleep in his chair and Miriam is more than likely passed out in the bedroom. It's not like this would be the first time I haven't come home at night."

Arnold gave Helga a pair of shorts to change into and left to tell his grandparents that he was home. Helga stripped down to her underwear and put on the shorts. She really didn't know what was going on, but she did know that she was in her boyfriend's bedroom, and nearly naked.

"Shut up estrogen," she said to the room at large as she grabbed a blanket from under Arnold's bed and laid down on the fold out couch. When Arnold came back in, Helga was already sleeping soundly. He smiled at the beauty of this girl he had waited five years to be with. Arnold changed into his boxer shorts and looked at Helga again, sleeping on that uncomfortable old couch. He walked over and picked her up. The blanket fell away and Arnold was met with the sight of his girlfriend's lacey pink bra. He put her down in his bed and covered her with his quilt. Arnold went back over to the couch and grabbed the blanket and pillow off the floor. He lay there for a few minutes thinking about the day and what he had just seen. The image of Helga in his arms with nothing but underwear covering her top half was enticing to him, and his mind started to play games with him. He shook his head and rolled over onto his side.

"Shut up testosterone" he said quietly to himself as he closed his eyes and fell asleep, unaware of the smile that had spread over Helga's face.

HA! I saw that look on your face. OMG is Kyle really going to have these two high school freshmen that have been dating barely a week have sex only three chapters in? Of course not! That will have to wait quite a while. Too much stuff to explore, but I think this is setting up a good precedent for their relationship don't you? Remember to please rate and review. And don't forget to tell me who's "Misadventures" chapter you want to see next update… if no one gives their input then it's going to be Curly ;P