"Ah, the sweet smell of victory." Helga thought to herself as she walked down the hallway with Arnold, a triumphant smirk on her face as she reveled at the shocked expressions on her friends' faces. As if this moment wasn't spectacular enough, Lila was also one of the many shocked observers. Life could be oh so sweet sometimes.

"Hey, Helga, I've got to stop by my locker real quick." Arnold's voice broke her out of her bliss. "I'll see you in class, okay?"

"Okay, Arnold! Bye!" She waved him off, struggling to maintain normality as she could hear her friends' frantic footsteps approaching.

"Helga!" Rhonda was the first to reach her.

"Oh, Hello, Ladies. What a beautiful morning we're having, don't you agree?" Helga grinned as she continued to walk down the hallway.

"Very funny, Helga. Quit joking around! Why did you and Arnold come to school together?"

"I'm sorry? I'm ever so sure I don't know what you mean." Helga added as she walked past Lila, who was so obviously green with envy, her green shirt seemed yellow in comparison. "Who is this Arnold? I don't believe I know anyone by that name."

"Helga...If you don't start talking-" Rhonda began, but Phoebe's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"It's fine, Rhonda. Come on. If we leave now, we can make it to the library before homeroom starts, and print out those pictures of Helga we took last night. I'm sure Arnold will find them most amusing."

Helga stopped immediately and turned to face the two girls. "DON'T YOU DARE!"

"I'm sorry?" Phoebe said confused. "I thought you didn't know anybody by the name of Arnold, so why should you care if this random boy sees your photos?"

Helga sucked her teeth in disappointment. "You guys never let me have any fun..."

Phoebe laughed. "So we will discuss this at lunch?"

"Um...how about we talk after school?" Helga said quickly. "I have...um...homework to do, so I won't be eating lunch today."

"Hm... okay then," Phoebe said as the bell rung.

"See you later, Helga." Rhonda and Phoebe waved her goodbye, as they walked the opposite direction to homeroom.

Helga smiled as she watched her friends depart before leaving the hallway as well.

A look of pure hatred spread across her face when she saw who was also in her homeroom class.

"Good Morning, Helga. It's ever so nice to see you. I'm ever so happy to see that we're in the same homeroom."

"Oh, really, Ms. Sawyer? And why is that?" Helga said sarcastically as she walked past her seat. Like she was going to willingly sit next to Lila. Heck no.

"Please, don't be like that Helga. I really want us to get along. Maybe we can be friends!"

Helga snorted as she took a seat in the back. "Fat chance of that happening, darling."

Lila opened her mouth to protest before pausing in thought. "…Don't tell me you're still in love wi-"

Helga lurched out of her seat like a bat out of hell. She knocked over some desks on her way to cover Lila's big mouth. Luckily, she made it just in time before Lila could reveal her big secret in front of everybody in the room.

"Lila…" Helga growled under her breath. "Do you remember what I told you when I asked you to drop out of Romeo and Juliet?"

"Um...Which part are you particularly asking about Helga?"

"The strangle you with my bare hands part."

Lilia paled and gulped. "You said that you would...um...do just that if I told anyone."

"Yes...and just so you know, I never go back on my word. So if I was you, I would tread lightly and speak ever so softly."

"I'm ever so sorry, Helga." Lila finally said after she recovered. "I was just ever so surprised that you still liked...um...Romeo." Lila quickly added when she saw the murderous look in Helga's eyes.

"Well, I do."

"I see...That's ever so pathetic." Lila said casually with a sigh and a shook of her head. She said it so casually that Helga didn't even react right away.

"Yeah, I kno- Wait a minute! What did you just say!?"

"Oh, I didn't mean any disrespect, Helga. But I was just oh so certain that you would be over him by now. I mean, how many years has it been? Don't you think nine years is an awfully long time to like someone?"

Helga wanted to defend herself. She wanted to say she was wrong. Heck, she even wanted to say that she was pass liking Arnold. Her feelings for him have grown into something indescribable, and the more she talked to him the more those feelings grew. However, she couldn't even admit that, because in all honesty, her situation was pretty pathetic. Why is she still in love with Arnold? Why can't she move on? Why did her love for him grow instead of fade while he was away? How did one simple compliment turn into an unstoppable obsession?

"Helga?"

Lila's voice broke her out of her trance of self-pity. "I want you to know that I'm not saying this because I like Arnold. I do, of course, but I'm really saying this for your sake. I really think you need to move on and forget Arnold. It isn't healthy."

Lila threw a curveball that Helga wasn't ready for. What she said knocked her off her feet, and had her falling back into her trance. It probably wouldn't have bothered her so much if Lila was the only one saying it, but Doctor Bliss also said it too. She never said it as bluntly as Lila, but she did hint that Helga should move on. And maybe she should? Why should she continue to be single and helplessly in love with a boy who would never see her as more than a friend? Should she really give up on Arnold?

That was the question that lingered in Helga's mind, and nothing, not even Brainy's sudden appearance or the bell ringing, could make that question go away.

Arnold had to stop himself from turning around to glance at Helga. He had done it five times already, and he wasn't about to do it for the sixth time. She looked fine and healthy, and if anybody else was watching her as much as he was, it looked like she was having a normal conversation with her lab partner, who just so happened to be the one who tried to give him a knuckle sandwich during lunch yesterday. But he could tell, ignoring the glares coming from Vincent, who noticed that Arnold kept looking at their table, that there was something off with Helga. For one thing, she didn't say anything to him when she first came into class. She just walked right past him, ignoring his hi, and sat in her assigned seat with a faraway look in her eye. That look remained all throughout class. Arnold knew. He checked six times, and he mentally lectured himself for looking for the seventh time. He tried to be as discreet as possible, which seemed to work moderately well considering the fact that neither Lila nor the teacher said anything. Helga also didn't seem to notice, which he supposed was a good thing, but he secretly wanted those sparkling blue eyes to meet his; even for a second. It wasn't meant to be. The bell rung, and the girl with the blue eyes walked out of the door without sparing a glance at the boy who was worried sick about her.