( I know I will strive to make sure that you can trust me and you know the reason why that I say: I can love you a little better than she can. I know that you wish that you can be my man 'cause I can love you better than she can.) (Helga's thoughts for Arnold about Lila)

The title of this chapter is named after a song by Mary J. Blige & Lil Kim

There were only three people in the world who knew Helga's deepest, darkest secret; in fact, four people knew, if Brainy counts. Phoebe was Helga's best and most loyal friend in the world; she'd carry the secret to her grave if need be. Dr. Bliss was under professional obligation to keep Helga's secret confidential. Lastly, Lila was one of the sweetest human beings in the world; backstabbing was not in her nature. The only problem with Lila is that she is Helga's indirect rival for Arnold's heart. That was all the more reason why Helga wanted to talk to her; face to face, woman to woman, just as Scarlett wanted to do with her. Though the reasons were different, the same principals applied.

So, when 10:00PM came, Helga gave Arnold a call; he answered after two rings.

"Hello?"

"Hey Arnold, I'm just calling to let you know that I'm going to pick Lila up from work," Helga told him." You've done a lot of driving today anyway. So, don't worry. I'll get her."

"Well, thanks Helga," Arnold said." I don't mind picking her up but if you insist, then thanks. I assume you're taking one of your parent's car?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"So, I'll see you tomorrow," Helga said.

"Well, before you go, I just want to ask you something," Arnold told her.

"What?"

"Why did you seem so upset earlier?" Arnold asked." You wouldn't let me drive you home. You claimed you needed some 'air'. This was all after you had a conversation with Scarlett."

"What's your point?" Helga questioned.

"Scarlett is Miles's wife, isn't it?" Arnold asked.

"Were you eavesdropping on the conversation, Arnoldo?" Helga demanded.

"No, it was just too obvious," Arnold insisted." I saw that look on her face even when she was smiling and being polite with me and Lila. She looked like a woman who had her heart broken."

"Again, Football Head, what is your point?"

"My point is that you seemed upset after Scarlett left," Arnold stated." She obviously told you to end your affair with her husband and you got upset about it."

"I wasn't upset about that," Helga retorted." Criminy! I already told you that I wanted to dump the two-timing loser anyway."

"Well, I hope so," Arnold said." I was afraid that you were in love with him or something….do you love him?"

"No, not even remotely," Helga responded, truthfully." He was a fun guy while it lasted but I didn't love him."

"So, what were you upset about then?" Arnold asked.

"Why do you care so much if I love Miles or not?" Helga responded, with a question of her own.

"I asked you a question first, Helga."

"So what," Helga snapped.

"Fine; the reason I care so much is because…." Arnold stated then paused.

"Because what, Arnold?"

"Because I already told you that I think you deserve better than to be his toy," Arnold said.

"Well, I do not love him, Arnold, and that's the honest truth," Helga stated, sincerely." I didn't care about being his 'toy' as you put it. In all actuality, I benefited from the situation more than he did. Love never crossed my mind when Miles and I hooked up; he was free to go whenever he wanted to. Now, it's over."

"Okay, so can you answer my other question?" Arnold asked.

"What other question?"

"What were you so upset about when you walked home from the mall?" Arnold asked.

Arnold, you just don't freaking get it! Helga thought. I was upset about your little smooch with Lila right in front of me. I get upset and jealous and pissed every time I see you and Miss Perfect kissing, holding hands or even LOOKING at each other. Get it through your football shaped skull! I love you, Arnold! I love the SHIT out of you! YOU and only YOU! Not Miles! Lila doesn't love you HALF as much as I do! Criminy!

"Helga, did you hear me?" Arnold asked.

"Yeah but look, Arnold, just drop it, okay?" Helga said." The point is, I'm not upset anymore. If I was still upset, do you think I'd go out my way to pick your girl up from work?"

"Okay, I guess not," Arnold sighed.

"So, we'll talk tomorrow."

"Okay Helga, goodnight and thanks for picking Lila up."

"No problem; goodnight."

After they hung up, Helga grabbed Miriam's car keys and headed out the door. While she was driving, she connected the earpiece to her cell phone and dialed '411' to connect her to Starbucks.

"Thank you ever so much and oh so kindly for calling Starbucks. This is Lila speaking; however may I help you?"

Is this bitch serious? Helga thought, rolling her eyes at Lila's over the top politeness.

"Hey Lila, it's Helga. I told Arnold that I will come and get you. So, I'll be waiting outside by the main entrance in a silver car."

"Gosh Helga, thank you ever so much."

"Yup."

When Helga pulled up into the mall parking lot and waited for Lila to come out, she connected her Ipod to the car stereo and blasted her playlist. Being very diverse, she listened to anything from Korn and Slipknot to Pink and Lady Gaga to Nicki Minaj and Beyonce to Michael Jackson and The Beatles to Eminem and Lil Wayne. Helga wasn't picky with music. When she saw Lila exiting the mall, she turned the music off. Smiling brightly, Lila hopped into the passenger's seat.

"Hi Helga," Lila said.

"Hey."

Helga put the gear back in 'D' and then drove off of the mall grounds onto the road.

"It was ever so kind of you to come get me instead of Arnold," Lila told her.

"Well, to be honest, I was hoping you and I could have a talk," Helga stated.

"Sure Helga, whatever could it be?"

"Did you remember when I told you a certain 'secret' back in fourth grade?" Helga asked.

Lila pondered it for a second and then asked." About Arnold?"

"Yeah."

"I remember you telling me that you loved him," Lila responded." But since that was over seven years ago, I was oh so certain that you've gotten over him."

"So, you're telling me that while you thought I'd be over him seven years later, you suddenly start having feelings for him seven years later?" Helga questioned.

"Helga, things change in seven years," Lila replied, nervously." Arnold has grown a lot. He's a lot more attractive in addition to being that oh so sweet person he's always been. I assumed that you might have moved on."

"Lila, I had no choice but to move on when Arnold spent five whole years traveling the world with his parents," Helga told her." If I didn't move on, I would have driven myself insane! But I never got over Arnold. Moving on and getting over someone isn't always the same thing. Anyway, next thing you know, Phoebe unexpectedly calls me bright and early in the morning to tell me that Gerald is throwing some party to celebrate Arnold's return. So, what do I do? I get all dolled up like a hooker and show up to see him. We chat for a bit and things seem to be going well until you show up! Once he saw you, he was sniffing up your ass for the rest of the night. So, I started thinking you would give him your infamous 'I don't like you-like you I just like you' line, but noooooo…..you start dating Arnold. The only guy I ever loved and wanted!"

Helga realized that she was getting heated and her tone was a bit loud. Lila couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Gosh Helga, I didn't know you still had such strong feelings for him," Lila said, sympathetically." I'm ever so certain that I never would have wanted to hurt you. That's not the reason why I'm dating Arnold."

Helga sighed heavily. She wanted to cry but not in front of Lila.

"Now that you're dealing with an ever so sad situation with your sister," Lila continued." I can certainly understand how you're falling deeper in love with Arnold."

Helga just glanced at Lila and then refocused her eyes on the road. She wasn't sure what Lila was getting at.

"Arnold told me that he's been spending a lot more time with you lately," Lila said." He even told me that he comforted you and held you…..all night long, while you were crying about what happened to Olga."

"He actually told you that?" Helga asked, surprised.

"Yes, Arnold is just ever so honest," Lila replied.

"Did it bother you?" Helga asked.

"To be perfectly honest…..no," Lila responded.

"So, you're telling me you knew that a chick who was secretly in love with your man slept in his bed…in his arms all night long and that doesn't bother you?" Helga questioned, disbelieving." How the hell can that not bother you?"

"Well, I'm ever so sure that it's because I trust Arnold," Lila insisted." We all know what kind of guy he is. He's sweet, charming and ever so kind. Besides, it's not like you two were having sex."

"We may not have been having sex but still…..there ain't that much trust in the world, honey," Helga told her." Trusting a guy so much can get you screwed over. Two perfect examples are Olga and Scarlett."

"Scarlett? That oh so delightful pregnant woman that Arnold and I met earlier?" Lila inquired.

"Yup."

"What's going on with Scarlett?" Lila asked.

"I'm sure you've heard all the rumors about me and my married 'sugar daddy' as people like to refer to him as," Helga stated.

"I've heard about it but I certainly don't like to participate in gossip," Lila assured her.

"Well, the point is Scarlett is his wife," Helga told her.

"Oh gosh," Lila gasped.

"But we're not going to talk about me," Helga said, firmly." It's over between me and him now. My point is that Scarlett trusted her husband too much and he took it for granted by cheating on her. If he hadn't done it with me, it would have been with another chick. So, this is the kind of cost so many women pay when they put so much trust in a man. But not you, Lila. You're not like Olga or Scarlett. You're a lucky girl. In fact, you're the luckiest girl in the whole fucking world!"

"What makes you say that?" Lila asked.

"Duh! You're with Arnold!" Helga exclaimed, emotionally." Arnold is amazing! It's easy to trust him. How can anyone not trust him? That's why I say you're the luckiest girl in the world."

Helga couldn't control it any longer; a tear rolled down her cheek as she started to sob a little. But to her surprise, Lila suddenly had tears in her eyes as well.

"Wow Lila, why are YOU crying?" Helga asked, with a soft chuckle.

"Because, I'm not so sure what it means to be the luckiest girl in the world anymore," Lila told her, sadly.

"I don't understand," Helga said.

"I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world…when I was with Wesley," Lila admitted.

"Oh yeah, I remember when you were dating Wesley," Helga said." You guys were so inseparable. I still don't understand why you two broke up."

"No one understood why we broke up," Lila told her, tearfully." Even Arnold doesn't understand why we broke up, especially after he met Wesley for the first time. Helga, you're not the only one with trust issues."

"What do you mean?"

"Wesley and I didn't quite trust each other," Lila explained." He and I had oh so much in common and our relationship just seemed ever too perfect. We were so in love with each other. I thought he was my soul mate. But it seemed too good to be true. We both began to wonder, what's the catch? So, we started arguing with each other and seeing awful things that weren't even there. Then one day, it just all fell apart and we agreed that it was best to break up."

Lila wiped the tears off of her face.

"It sounds like you're having regrets about the break up," Helga commented.

"Maybe," Lila sighed." But please don't make mistake me. Arnold makes me ever so happy and I love him just ever so much but…I still think about Wesley every day. I think I still love him. Sometimes, I think Arnold knows that I still haven't completely gotten over him. Oh gosh, I feel so awful."

"I know it hurts but you have to face the truth, Arnold is your rebound," Helga said.

"I'm ever so certain I don't want to look at it that way," Lila said, softly.

"Well, it is what it is," Helga told her, bluntly.

Lila sighed and stared down at her lap.

"So, you're still in love with your ex-boyfriend yet you jumped into a relationship with the guy I love in a pathetic attempt to forget about the pain of your break up," Helga stated, angrily." I'm very disappointed in you, Lila."

Lila couldn't bear to look Helga in the face. She felt really bad.

"But it doesn't matter," Helga continued, with tears in her eyes." The fact remains Arnold loves you, not me. In time, he'll probably help you get over Wesley. I suppose I ought to start feeling more happy for you and less sorry for myself."

For the rest of drive, Helga and Lila didn't speak another word. They both simply sat quietly and let their tears roll freely down their cheeks. Finally, when Helga pulled over in front of Lila's house, they uttered a simple 'goodnight' to each other and parted ways. Lila headed inside of her house while Helga drove back home.