Arnold told her he was taking her to a restaurant, so Helga asked Rhonda to come over and help her pick out something and get her ready.

"Criminy princess you're gonna poke my eye out with that thing!"

She felt Rhonda's skinny fingers grip at her chin firmly, forcing her not to move. "I won't poke you if you stop fidgeting and sit still."

Helga stuck out her tongue childishly. "I'm not used to all this girly shit and those curling irons made it boiling hot in here."

Rhonda continued to fan out her rather long lashes. "Alright, you can stop being a brat Pataki and relax, I'm done with your hair and makeup."

"You, Rhonda Wellington Lloyd is calling someone else a brat?" Rhonda exaggeratedly rolled her eyes and Helga in response offers her a rueful grin. "My bad, I'm just, uh... nervous."

"I know, now it's time to check out my fine work." She gave Helga a hand mirror. Rhonda, like promised, hadn't gone overboard, she applied light pink eyeshadow, nude-pink blush, berry stained lipstick. "You like?" Rhonda asked her with a big smile and a high pitch to her voice.

Helga stood up; she's wearing a striped light pink dress with spaghetti straps, strappy sandals with her nails berry colored to match her lipstick. Her sun golden hair is straightened flat and curled at the ends, and swooped over her right shoulder. She glanced over at her friend. "It's a look. I haven't worn a dress in I don't know how long." She smoothed her hands over the dress and turned to check herself out at different angles.

Rhonda clapped her hands dramatically, she knew Helga was being nonchalant. "Great! That dress works with your tall frame and shows off your curvature perfectly. Arnold's going to die! You look like a Barbie doll!"

Helga groaned at the description even if she kind of liked the look.

She stepped outside to see Arnold, in a baby blue button up, white pants, dark blue dress shoes and sunglasses, his hair its usual unruly style, but it looked like he combed it and applied some kind of hair product.

His enlarged eyes went from her feet and slowly up to her face. "Wow Helga, you look-"

She folded her arms. "You better soak it up because I won't be dressed like this again anytime soon."

Arnold only kept smiling. "Fine with me, Helga. I like how you normally dress. Not many girls could pull it off, but then again, you'd look good in a potato sack."

Her lips pressed together to form an awkward expression. He took off his sunglasses and slipped them on his collar. A broad smile on his lips that made her face heat up.

Rhonda lightly pushed Helga. "Have fun kids, my ride should be here soon." She looked past Helga and down at him. "Arnold!" He looked up at her ,his eyes slightly bigger due to her tone. "You better take care of my girl."

Arnold shook his head. "Now Rhonda you know Helga is always in good hands with me."

Helga gave Arnold a smirk, but turned to the raven-haired girl behind her. "Thanks Rhonda for the help, tell your boy Curly I said heeeey."

Rhonda rolled her eyes, but her the corner of her lip also turned up a bit.


At the table, there was a small white candle in between them and a single rose. Arnold wouldn't peel his gaze off her. It made Helga giddy. She wanted to swoon but decided to focus on the menu.

"So ..." He drummed his fingers lightly against the clothed table. She looked up at him and his eyes lower, half-lidded with a light smile to his lips. "Tell me about the job. You said you start tomorrow, right?" He drank some of the water through the straw and then rested his chin on his hands looking at her.

"Yep. It's at a law firm, um... one of Bob's contacts; who's actually a really decent man helped me get an interview. It's true what they say... its all about who you know." She made eye contact with him and he was nodding with an intensity in his stare she found both thrilling and intimidating. Her gaze hit the table as a result. "It's an office desk job; clerical work, filing, making coffee things like that. Hopefully, I'll get to meet some interesting people that can maybe help me with my career if I ever decide to go into law."

Arnold subtly rubbed his hands together and listened to her. "I'm sure you'll get to network with the right people. But you'll be successful no matter what field you go into with or without help because you have that... tenacity to make whatever happen for yourself."

She gave him a nonchalant glance. "Meh, it's nothing, I just have an impatience streak..."

He studied her for a second. "Well, you make it work for you. I wish I could be a little more like that sometimes." He picked up his glass of water and lifted it to her and so did she. "Congrats."

"Thanks." She replied meekly and looked him over. "What about you, you got any plans for the summer?"

He leaned back into his chair. "Aside from spending time with this amazing girl." Helga releases a breathy giggle and looks away from him. "I applied to a few places and I actually have a job interview a the park district for one of the day camp staff positions. I'm hoping I'll get something where I can do something sort of rewarding, but still, have a good time in the process."

As their food arrived and they began eating, every time Helga peeked over she caught his eyes on hers and he would look away with a sheepish smile. Eventually, after it happened more than a few times Arnold sighed.

"Spit it out football head." She impatiently demanded.

"What?"

Helga rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I know something is going on in that head of yours, I can see your wheels turning."

"Sorry ... I can't get over how I let all this time go by and we're only now getting together. We've known each other our whole lives. All this time you've been right in front of me I've been too blind and idiotic to see..." He looked away thoughtfully, rubbing his hands together and folded them. "I was thinking particularly about that day back in the fourth grade when Lila told me she didn't like me, like me by the tree at the park. Do you remember that?" She nodded. "If I hadn't been so fixed on her I would have realized you were the one that truly cared about me, I mean thinking back you even very kind and sympathetic. I just wish I'd done things differently..." He shook his head and takes his knife and fork to cut into his food and takes a few bites.

Helga pushed back in her seat with some annoyance in her eyes. "Pttff... oh stop your self-loathing, I could easily sit here and cry about how I wish I hadn't been such a spastic bully but what's the use in that? And anyway, it's not like you were alone in that thing of a weird relationship we had going on. I was there and I'll admit, even though it makes my throat ache to do so." She laughed breathily. "That I didn't exactly make things simpler." She put down her fork and rested her chin on the backs of her hands. "Even though it annoyed me like hell that you said you wanted to kiss me back in 9th and didn't because I was left thinking I was a delusional basket-case or something." She shot him a glare and he looked apologetic but she lightened up. "I'm cool with you and I getting here now rather than back then because I was a hot mess, a complete nightmare to be around." She saw him shaking his head. "And you know I'm right Arnold." She shrugged. "I'm far from flawless now, but I've got my head together and I think I can be better... um, company to be around for you or anyone." Sighing, her mouth felt dry so she drinks more of her water.

She peeked over at Arnold, who was nodding in agreement. "That's true and you can't change the past anyway, right?"

"Noooope."

"So why even beat yourself over it..." He continued and with a smirk played on her lips, she peeked up from eating her food. He sighed, rolling his eyes. "Alright, no more self-loathing from me, I'll just try to enjoy the now."

She took in a small bite of food and then pointed her fork at him. "Yeah, you do that Shortman." She mumbled after swallowing a bit and grinned slyly at him.

Arnold grinned back at her until someone caught his eyes. This someone was staring back and forth between himself and Helga; who was oblivious, too busy enjoying her meal. When this person realized they were caught staring, she averted her eyes and Arnold sat back in his chair, "Speaking of..." and began to laugh nearly obnoxiously for him.

Helga frowned at that. "Aye, what's with the rude chuckling at the dinner table you goofball. At least let a girl in on the joke, I wanna laugh too."

Arnold leaned over so he could whisper to her. "Behind you to the left, turn slowly around and you'll see." Helga started to turn that way. "Hold on," Arnold whispered. "Okay, now look."

Helga grew impatient with Arnold telling her to stop - look - wait - now look and pulled out an old trick. Pretending to drop something and reached down to pick it up and allowed her eyes to wander in that direction. When she sat back upright, she covered her mouth laughing. "Is that... O M G, she looks miserable. Do you see that dope she's with? I didn't notice how birdbrained he looked before. He looks like more of a blank slate than your weird cousin Arnie." She cringed at her words. "Oops. No offense."

He shook his head, snickering. "None taken. Yeah, Rivers is definitely worse than my cousin. I've always blamed it on too many football injuries over the years, he's been playing pretty hard his whole life."

They each finished their meals and Arnold just paid the bill waiting for the receipt. Arnold and Helga were engrossed in their conversation, his hands were over hers and his gaze is intensely on her. The two were definitely in their own little world.

So they both jumped at the sound of a perky voice. "Arnold, Helga." Looking up they saw Lila there, her eyes darted back and forth between the two. "I'm surprised to see you here... together. Is this a date?"

Arnold's hand was still over her's as he gave her a polite smile. He glanced at Helga who looked like she was fighting to bite her tongue. "Yes, she and I are on our first date. We were just about to leave."

Lila's wide eyes raced all over the blonde seated in front of her. "Helga wow you look ever so ... pretty. Wow, I've never seen you look like that before."

His fingers stroked her knuckles. "Well, Helga's always pretty. And from where I'm sitting... not that it matters because she's so much than her appearance. But she's definitely the most attractive person present in this restaurant."

One side of Lila's mouth drooped slightly. "Right. That's ever so sweet that you hope you and Helga could be successful together. Especially since she use to bully you mercilessly."

Helga tried to pull away and was biting so hard on her lip that she nearly broke the skin while Arnold gripped and squeezed her hand. She had no plans to physically hit anyone, it was more of a reflex, no way was Helga going to allow Lila to ruin her date.

Helga finally made eye contact with her. "Keywords, there Miss perfect are used to, as, in the past-tense. I believe you should have learned that in English class." She bit her lip and put her eyes back on the table.

"Helga sure has that ever so wonderful way of using words doesn't she Arnold? I wish you two much luck."

Arnold smile shifted into a more mocking one. "I'm sure you do, but." He pulled his eyes off Lila and to Helga with an affectionate smile. "I don't simply have hope that she and I can work. After everything, our past and now, I know we will." Arnold could feel Helga's tension ease and her face completely softened. He looked back up at the redhead. "Thanks for the luck, though, even if it isn't needed. But anyway, uh..." He points over to the table she vacated. "I think James over there is getting lonely, so you should return to him and enjoy your date." Putting his gaze back on Helga. "You ready to go?"

Helga watched her long enough to see her fold her arms and walk away with a pout, she put her arm around his shoulder and he found her waist. She threw her head back slightly and cackled. "Oh man, football head, you're good at that whole staying calm while dealing with condescending jerks. How do you do that?" He shrugged and pulled her into him more. "The look on her face, priceless. You got to teach me the technique, one of these days."

Arnold beamed. "Really, I get to teach Helga G. Pataki something? This is new!"

Helga rolled her eyes at his excitement. "Don't get so geeked up, cause it'll only be a one-time thing, Arnoldo."


The party at the lighthouse was the last time the original gang from PS 118 had been together.

Arnold and Helga thought of a way to get everyone together and have clean fun. It was something they hadn't done since childhood, at least as a group and that was to go to an amusement park.

Arnold parked his car and jumped out to open the door for Helga. She stepped out and held her hands over her brows to block the sun.

He took her hand and he pulled her closer. "This is going to be fun."

"Yeah, this place is tops." Clarita chimed in while nudging Levi. "I'm hungry, I hope you brought dough to get me some snacks."

"Sure Clarita." He moved closer to whisper to his cousin. "Helga, your refrigerator was pretty bare. I wish you would have let us stop at my house to eat something other than stale cereal I threw out."

Helga placed a hand over his mouth and glanced at Arnold not waiting him to hear. She didn't want him worrying and it spilling into a conversation about her family. Fortunately, he was focusing attentively on his phone. She lightly tugged at Levi's hair, which was getting longer. "Eh, you don't eat much before going on rolling coaster anyways. We'll get some snacks once everyone's here." She moved to bump against Arnold playfully. "This better be fun or-"

He put his phone away and grinned at her. "It will be, no need for old Betsy and the five avenger threats, they can stay in hiding."

Helga lightly hit him in the shoulder. "Actually, for once that's not what I was going to say..." Her voice trailed off and her eyes searched around the parking lot. "Anyway, where is everyone? I feel like I'm gonna bake out here, it's so freaking hot."

"We can get back in the car with the air conditioning." A second after they got in and Arnold turned on the radio, they listen and hear the song Poetry Man playing which is a rarity. Helga's eyes widen and she looked over at Arnold who was gazing at her half-lidded with a gentle smile. Wordlessly he leaned over to her to run his fingers through her hair and he pressed his lips against hers. Just when they kiss between them was deepening and intensifying. There was a loud knock on the window which made them both jump part.

"Would you love birds knock it off! All that lovey-dovey stuff save it for later!"

Helga scuffed with some annoyance as her eyes were still focused on Arnold. "Pink boy..." she mumbled. The two of them get out of the car to see of course Harold but an unexpected guest with him. Her whole face lights up. "Patty!" She pulled the equally tall, bulkier girl into a hug. When she stepped back she looked her over. "What are you doing here?"

Patty pointed with her thumb at Harold. "I got an invite from Harold, kind of out of the blue." Harold shrugged and then lightly glared at the knowing smile Arnold was giving him.

Helga smirked at him, "Well I guess you did one thing right today pig boy. Good looking out on bringing Patty."

"It's been a while, what have you been up to Patty?" Arnold asked after greeting her as well.

"Just working... nothing special, a city job."

Helga nodded. "Working girl huh, eh a jobs a job."

Patty shrugged and averted her eyes from them. "It gets the bills paid. But I'm considering going to community college or something in the future. The jobs kind of dead in. I'm thinking of majoring in education and becoming a PE teacher or something."

Arnold smiled with enthusiasm. "That's great Patty, hey, if you need any help with applications or anything like that you can always call me."

Patty turned to look at Helga with amusement, she was informed of them finally dating and wasn't surprised in the least. "He hasn't changed a lick has he?"


"Okay, we're all here, I say we split up guys with guys and the girls with the girls... at least for a little while."

"Why?" Arnold asked.

Harold huffed at him. "What you can't bear to stay away from Madam Fortress Mommy for more than one minute?"

Arnold rolled his eyes at Harold's teasing. "Oh come on Harold, I just want us all together."

"Yeah, right."

But then he looked over to Helga who was standing a few feet away talking with Patty and the other girls and gave her a look over. His eyes came back to Harold with a wide eye grin. "I guess you are right, I can't."

Gerald placed his arm around Arnold. "Bubba, when you get a girl you will understand where my man here is coming from."

Harold scoffed at that. "I've had girls."

"Yeah, it's been like months since you sealed the deal."

"Well, I'm trying to..." he glanced at Patty. "Look, forget all this love stuff and let's just have guys fun without having to hear Rhonda complaining about her hair and nails."

"Hey, I heard that Harold," Rhonda yelled. "C'mon girls, let's go have fun without all these obnoxious meatheads."

Helga was staring at Arnold with half-lidded eyes. "I..I like meatheads..." She says dreamily and Rhonda huffed and pulled her arm. Helga stomped her foot and scowled "Alright, princess ... when you stop denying your burning desires for Thaddeus then you'll understand the predicament Pheebs and I are in."

Rhonda glanced over at Curly who was being especially animated while talking to Arnold. "Whatever, let's just start walking before my makeup starts to melt."


"Why would you want to get on a lame Ferris wheel when we can get on that big monster ride again?" She says while using her hands.

"It's nice and peaceful way of ending a day of riding all the craziest rides." He said with the smallest shrug.

Helga sighed and smiled. "Well, alright."

Once it was their turn, Arnold takes Helga's hand and they sit down.

"Guess you were right..." Her eyes followed the younger kids down below as they ran around. "That was fun. Good suggestion."

"Thanks, I'm glad you had a good time."

"Levi and Clarita have been having so much fun. They're kind of cute together."

He looked at the people below from up on the Ferris wheel. "They are good together. They kind of make me think of you and me when we were younger." She gave him dry smirk. "You know the nice clean-cut boy." He pointed himself. "And the tough tomboy. But unlike us at that age, they aren't as clueless."

That earned him a snort from Helga. "Speak for yourself football head."

He laughed. "Anyway, I've been thinking in general about how much fun I've had with you since we're starting and it may be an obsolete thing to ask nowadays, but I have to ask anyway in order to make things official between us." He lowered his face to kiss her hand and grins at her. "Wanna be my girlfriend?" He said in a jokey toned but his expression showed sincerity.

Her eyes fluttered all over his face. "Is this why you dragged me up here?" He nodded and she giggled. "Your boys are right, you are old fashion." She smiled at him and bumped his shoulder. "Lucky for you, I like that quality in a boyfriend." She rolled her head over and kissed him.


It's the fourth of July, very early in the AM. Instead of spending the whole day with his family or in the city looking at fireworks. Arnold, Gerald, Helga, and Phoebe will be driving out of the city to attend a large outdoor concert.

The three of them are over at Arnold's house, waiting for it to be time to start driving out. But for now, Stella and Miles forced them to sit down and enjoy a hearty breakfast before they hit the road.

"You three, be safe, Arnold you make sure you drive safely."

"Stella, Arnold is a very responsible driver, you learned from the best. You."

Stella smiled at her husband and nodded to Arnold. "Call us, if you need to. Have fun."

"Clean fun," Miles added.

"Right, we will mom, dad." He takes hold of Helga's hand and the three of them head outside.

"Just so you know tall-hair boy, you're riding in the back because I got shotgun." And jumped into the car. "Now let's get this van moving and turn on some AC I'm dying in here."

"Pataki, you complain too much sometimes, you know that?" Gerald said somewhat grumpily.

Helga scowled initially, but that changed into a comic smile before she started to sing obnoxiously. "Maybe I'm just like my father too bold, maybe I'm like my mother, she's never satisfied, why do we scream at each other, this is what it sounds like when doves cry!"

He squeezed Phoebe's arm. "Not you too." He laughed when she started singing the song again and Helga joined along.

Gerald shook his chair slightly. "Arnold you got a lot of patience my buddy."

"Ah, Arnold and I can't hear you from way up here in first class Geraldo."

Arnold chuckled at them and turned his attention to the scenery of the outdoors. He glanced at Helga next to him, her hair blowing in the wind with the most carefree expression on her face he'd ever seen. Looking through his rearview mirror at Gerald and Phoebe who were leaning against each other, whispering. "You know what guys. This is going to be the best summer ever, it's already been amazing, I just have this feeling, don't you guys?"

Helga smiled and Arnold turned to smirk at Gerald and they both bursts out into laughter. "You can always count of Arnold to come out of nowhere and say something corny, eh Pataki?"

Helga finished laughing and ran her fingers through Arnold's hair. Kissing his cheek, noticing he blushed profusely and tried to keep his eyes on the road. "Yeah, and I hope that part of him always remains the same."