Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold!

The Day You Will

By Moonlight

Too Good

Still holding tightly to the girl's shirt collar, Helga glared at the football-headed boy who stood between them and the door to the street, where her goal was to round the corner and rip Macy a new one. The girl deserved it. She had insulted her, like she usually does, which normally wouldn't phase her at all. However, this time it was different. This time she had broken the last string on the already out of tune guitar named The Life Of Helga G. Pataki.

"Back-off, hairboy!" She said aggressively, trying to walk around him, but he only stepped towards her. She could feel her whole body tremble as she glared at him. White knuckles and face going red, her chest tightening to the point where she felt she would burst in the worst of ways.

"Please, Helga. Let her go." his voice shook a bit, which caught Helga off guard. Her grip loosened and Macy slid free of her, backing herself into a nearby table and nearly stumbling over it.

The whole room went silent, as the two looked intently at each other. The guy behind the counter had moved around it to stand next to Phoebe, who could only watch in worry as Macy gathered her belongings and waited for something to happen. The only sounds they could hear were the low hums of the freezers, and the soft jazz music which played through the speakers around them.

Feeling as if she were holding her breath for too long, Helga finally exhaled slowly and hesitated to step towards Arnold, who stood quietly and patiently before her. "Helga...wha-" before he could say more, she took his hand and dashed out of Slausen's with him. She didn't even turn back to see Phoebe, who called out to her with all of the worry in the world. She didn't want to. She felt betrayed.

Who's side was she ON anyway?!

What made her say what she did? DO what she did?

Questions filled her mind as she sped down the street, dragging a concerned Arnold behind her. "Helga! Slow down!" he tried, but she didn't hear him. "Helga!"

"Helga. What flavor are you having?" Phoebe asked calmly, looking over the options before them.

The blonde folded her arms across her chest, and humed briefly before pointing at the sign that read 'Very Berry Strawberry'. "Who does the naming around here, anyway?!" She spat.

Looking confused, Phoebe protested her choice "But you're allergic to strawberries, Helga."

"You think I don't KNOW?"

"Then why pick it?"

"Maybe I want to DIE of strawberry poisoning or something. DOI!"

Even more confused, Phoebe took her friend's hand. "What are you saying, Helga?"

Helga rolled her eyes and gave her friend a sarcastic sort of look, "Can't you take a joke, Phoebs?"

An amused chuckle came from behind them, and they turned to see Macy had decided to join them at the bar. Helga immediately turned back around, not wanting to look her in the eyes. Her gaze returned to the list of flavors, as she pretended to read them.

"Hey Pataki."

"WHAT. NOW?!" Helga responded through gritted teeth. Her hands balled into fists.

Macy took a seat next to her, leaning over the counter and propping her head up with a nicely manicured hand. She gazed at Helga with a spark of hate in her eyes, yet there was a pleasant smile on her lips. "I've heard some odd rumors about you, you know?"

Helga ignored her, and silently cursed the girl.

"Like, I heard that you ran away from home or something…" Macy said playfully. "Which I was thinking might be true, since… well, you're kind of a delinquent."

Gripping the menu in her hand, Helga closed her eyes tightly. 'Don't let her get to you…' she thought to herself.

Phoebe leaned over the counter to look at Macy, "Helga isn't like that, Macy. She just needed to get away from her family." she tried to state peacefully.

"Oh! My bad. Did I say 'KIND OF'? I meant that she IS. Phoebe, face it. Helga isn't a safe person to be around. I don't know WHY people like you or Arnold hang around her."

Helga bit her lip to keep herself from saying anything. Macy wasn't entirely wrong. She wasn't like the rest of their classmates. But it wasn't entirely up to HER to leave her family.

Phoebe cut in again, taking a deep breath, "Macy. Helga's been my friend since-"

"Oh! I remember, Phoebe. I guess THAT I can understand. But, I mean, at THIS point you two have NOTHING in common. So why bother anymore, Phoebe?" The girl spat with a mocking tone, shooting the small girl a look from around Helga.

Adjusting her glasses, Phoebe inhaled as if to say something, but then… didn't…

Macy laughed, "See? What'd I tell ya?"

"Helga is-" Phoebe started and then stopped to think for a few seconds. It was quiet while she thought, and Helga gritted her teeth, wanting her friend to say something-ANYTHING to defend her. But then she said something that Helga wasn't expecting… and it made her wish Phoebe hadn't said anything at all. "-Y-you're right, Macy. We have...nothing in common."

Helga's eyes widened.

"She has completely different interests... her values are completely different from mine... and she's always getting into trouble... however-"

Macy cut her off, thankfully, as Helga began to feel a lump growing in the pit of her stomach.

"Exactly!" the girl's eyes widened as she agreed, "Arnold, though. I mean, seriously. That boy's an angel. I'm surprised Helga hasn't totally devoured him and spat him back out like everyone else." Macy played with her hair as she teased menacingly. "The guy gets special treatment from you, if you ask me." she shifted her focus to Helga. "It's strange, you know? You were avoiding pretty much everyone- including Phoebe- for a while now. And then, what? You waltz into Slausen's with BOTH Arnold and Phoebe, suddenly." Macy pretended to think deeply for a moment, before shooting both of her arms into the air in mock excitement, "Oh! Could it be that you LIKE him?!"

Helga jumped in surprise at her question, dropping the menu in the process.

"You do! No wonder!" Macy said sarcastically, and giggled the most annoying giggle in the world. "Oh… that's so sad, Pataki. I guess I can see why. I mean, so many people like the guy- me included, you know. But you know it won't work out, right? He's probably only hanging out with you, because he feels SORRY for you."

"Macy, please stop." Phoebe said quietly, trying not to escalate the situation further.

Patting Helga's shoulder, Macy delivered the final blow. "He's just too good for someone like you, Pataki."

That was it.

Helga had enough.

Pushing the girl off of her, and nearly knocking her out of the stool, Helga took her by the shirt collar and leaned in to look her directly in the eyes. "Too good for me?! You think I don't KNOW that?! Why do you INSIST on saying such meaningless crap?!" she said through gritted teeth. The pain that she was trying so hard to hold back, began to flow freely from her blue eyes.

At that moment, the lonely employee came over to the group and raised his hands in protest of the situation, "Girls, don't do that here, please." he said, trying to stay calm.

Macy continued to tease, regardless of the situation she was in, "Ah. I'm glad you're aware. Maybe now you can give up? ...Like Gerald did." she finished, glancing over at Phoebe, who stood silent and confused.

Gripping tighter at the girl's collar, Helga's eyes widened, "WHAT... did you say?!"

"Give up, Pataki. Gerald did. He didn't want to be with someone like Phoebe anymore. I guess maybe now, you and her can grow a little closer. It's a good thing for you, right? I mean, it'll never work out with Arnold, so you need someone to comfort you, right? I'm only doing you a fav-"

"SHUT. UP." Helga said in a most vicious tone. How DARE she say such things?! How DARE she belittle Phoebe like that?! How DARE she try to completely ruin something that had been precious to her friend?! Her relationship with Gerald meant the world to Phoebe. And this girl just comes in and…

"But it's the truth, Pataki. Didn't you know?" she looked over Helga's shoulder, at Phoebe who only watched in complete surprise. "Gerald and I-"

"You want to take this outside?!" Helga cut her off before she could say anything more. Her heart fighting to keep Phoebe safe as much as she could.

Phoebe. Why had she been so calm through the whole thing? Why couldn't she speak up and help her?

"Girls, please, not inside the store." the concerned, teenage, server did his best to deescalate the situation.

Helga was beginning to feel her insides become knotted as she glared at the girl before her. Without even realizing it, she had raised her fists into the air, and prepared to land a 'finishing blow' on Macy's smug face.

"I swear I will make you regret what you said."

Macy giggled, "Oh dear. That reputation of yours, Pataki."

Grabbing Macy by the collar, Helga began to drag her towards the door, but was stopped by Arnold suddenly blocking her path.

"Helga!"

"Helga! Please stop!" Arnold's voice sounded out of breath as he continued to be pulled along behind the blonde girl.

She finally slowed down and inhaled shallowly, letting go of his wrist. Her grip had been tight enough to leave a bright pink mark. Arnold inspected the mark, taking breaths that were just as shallow as hers, before gazing up at her bright red face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gasped for air and nearly collapsed on the sidewalk.

Arnold moved quickly enough to catch her before she fell, and helped her to a nearby bench. Her eyes darted around, trying to see where she'd brought them to in her complete daze.

The park.

Adjusting her breathing, she leaned back expecting the back of the bench, but instead felt Arnold's arm wrap around her shoulders. Startled, she tried to get back up, but he held tightly onto her arms and gently pulled her back down.

"Relax… " he said softly, through deep breaths.

She could hear her heart pounding in her head, loudly. Her hands, which had become numb, began to feel warm as he entwined his fingers with hers. Gazing out towards the landscape before them, Helga fought the urge to face him. The urge to look into his calming eyes and forget the events of just before. She didn't want him to see her like this again.

Scared.

After finally forcing herself to talk to Arnold again, Macy had replanted that seed of doubt in her mind. That he didn't want her. She wasn't good enough. He was just being kind, because that's who he is.

He was just being… Arnold.

Her grip on his hand loosened, and she took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. She didn't want to say anything. Not yet. She wanted to wait for him to talk. To ask her if she was alright. To ask what Macy had done to deserve her rage.

She waited patiently. Feeling like her heart would explode right then, from the anxiety she was feeling. Her eyes felt as if they were burning from how long she'd been holding back her tears. For the sake of her image.

For the sake of remaining the Helga G. Pataki that everyone knew.

Macy was right about that reputation.

She could have been right about everything she said.

Helga couldn't take it anymore. The silence between them was excruciatingly painful. Her mouth opened as she turned towards him.

"Arnold, I-"

But he only hushed her gently, and she finally realized that she had done a horrible job with her tears. His thumb traced her cheeks, wiping away the wetness.

"I-" she tried again, but this time, he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close to him. His warmth radiating through her as she tried to process his movements.

Speaking softly, Arnold stroked her back, "You don't have to say anything right now… Just relax, okay? Don't think about anything… "

At that moment, she buried her face into his shoulder and let herself be overcome by the emotions that were bubbling up inside her. She sobbed loudly, as if crying would help her make sense out of everything that Macy said.

However, as he ran his fingers through her hair, and whispered her name so softly… she didn't care if he was just… 'sorry' for her...