A/N: Happy 3 year anniversary for The Hey Arnold Jungle Movie! I'm posting the last chapter of this story on this day, isn't that cool?
"It's the aggressive girl." Some random student said.
"I'm here for you. You got this." Arnold said to me.
"You're just one of those people who judges others based on one thing some idiot said about them. I pity you." I said to the student who called me agressive.
"Okay, don't hurt me!" The student said.
"I'm not like that anymore. But I don't give a damn what you think about me. Because I'm Helga G. Pataki, and I know I changed and I know there's more to me than meets the eye. It doesn't matter what you guys think. The only thing that matters is what I think."
I must've been loud because suddenly, more people arrived in the hallway I was in.
"You go Helga!" Patty called out for me.
"As long as you don't mess with Olga again, I can handle you." I said.
"I don't care about her anymore. You broke my arm, you asshole. I'm at this school for you now. I demand you to apologize." Summer said dramatically.
"Okay, I'm sorry...
Sorry that you're a little bitch!" I clapped back.
"OOOHH!!" Some people in the hall called out.
"I'm leaving this hallway. Later everyone." I said as I walked away with Arnold. I wasn't sure what side people were on, but it didn't matter to me. I didn't care what any of those random people thought.
One week later...
Summer has been bothering me for the past week.. But I haven't been letting it get under my skin. She wasn't messing with my sister anymore, and I was thankful for that. I didn't let Summer get in between Arnold and me either. She may have tried get in between us before, but it didn't work because Arnold and I had built such a strong bond.
For the past week, each day has started out pretty much the same. Summer would come up to me and say something to try to get under my skin. But I didn't lash out at her like I would've before. It seemed like Summer was still trying to bother me, even though I was ignoring her for the most part. I guess she couldn't take any hints or was just pathetically persistent.
"Hey Helga, I-" She started to say.
"Has anyone seen a girl named Summer?" I heard, interrupting whatever Summer was going to say.
It was a police officer holding a flyer of what appeared to be a picture of Summer.
"She's a seventeen year old girl with blonde hair, and she is missing. We think she ran away from home, and we also think she may be here." The officer said.
"Oh crap!" Summer said.
She seemed to be saying that too loudly, so the officer made eye contact with her.
"Come with me!" Summer said to me.
"Why would I follow you?" I asked.
"I said come with me, damn it!" Summer said in agitation and then ran off.
I decided to follow her even though I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
I followed her as she made a beeline to the janitor's closet, and closed the door once we were inside.
"What do you even want Summer, your ass is busted for running away, there's nothing you can do." I said.
"I'll go with them, but I need to tell you something." Summer said.
"I'm listening."
"After you broke my arm back home, everyone was saying I deserved it and they turned on me for bullying your sister. Even my parents turned on me. I was angry at you the whole time. I saw you in Anaheim in December, and my rage increased even more. And I didn't want to be there anymore, and I wanted to get revenge." Summer explained.
"And? Why are you telling me this? None of this wouldn't have happened if you had just left my sister alone."
"Let me finish. I actually started to feel guilty about the times that I bullied Olga. But instead of trying to improve myself, I let my resentment get the best of me and I got really mad at you."
"What were you even thinking? You literally left your damn state just to get revenge on me? That's too far, even for you. It's just batshit insane."
"I know... I regret it, and even though I don't wanna go back home, I guess I should. I've recently realized how pointless this is... and I need to get help for my issues..."
"Well uh, thanks for telling me this... I'll think about it."
"Summer. I know you're in here. We found you. You're coming with us." I heard from outside of the door.
"Well, I'm leaving. This doesn't mean I like you or anything, but I know I wasn't exactly the best for you. So goodbye." Summer said as she opened the door, leaving the closet.
"Goodbye, Autumn." I said.
As I exited the closet, I saw Arnold waiting by the door as Summer left the building with the police officer.
"What did Summer want?" Arnold asked.
"She was basically explaining why she came here... And she's going home and getting help." I said.
"How do you feel about this?" Arnold asked.
"I'm ready to put that part of my life away. I'm going to move on from it once and for all. I'm going to move on from my past once and for all. I'm going to focus on my present and future. Which is you, Arnold."
"I'm so proud of you, Helga. I love you." Arnold said, reaching his hand out to mine.
"I love you too." I said, grabbing his hand and interlocking my fingers with his.
"I know this is a few months away, but I want to ask now... do you want to go to junior prom with me?" Arnold asked.
"Of course." I said.
"I'm so excited." Arnold exclaimed.
Three months later...
"I can't believe you're going to prom, baby sis! This is so exciting!" Olga said while she was styling my hair and I looked in the mirror.
"Must you make a big deal out of everything I do?" I asked.
"I'll be doing that for the rest of your life, baby sis! Cause I love you."
"I love you too. Speaking of prom, you're going too, aren't you?"
"I sure am. I'm taking Mai. We've gotten pretty serious." Olga said, still styling my hair.
"I'm really happy for you, Olga. Also, how long is this gonna take? It's just my hair." I said.
"I'm almost done! You've always been so impatient. And... done!"
"It's about time. Also, it looks great."
"You look so gorgeous, baby sis! Arnold's gonna love you in that pink dress!"
I then heard our doorbell ring. I was about to go to junior prom with the boy that I love. I rushed over to the door to answer it. I opened the door, and Arnold was standing there, and I was in absolute awe of how amazing he looked.
"May I escort you to prom, my beautiful girlfriend?" Arnold said, holding his arm out to me
"You may." I said, locking my arm with his.
Arnold and I then walked to his car.
"So, since we're showing up to prom together, are we making our relationship public?" Arnold asked skittishly once he started driving.
"I'm totally okay with that. We've been keeping it a secret for too long." I said.
"I'm so excited to announce you as my girlfriend."
"I'm excited about it too."
About twenty minutes later, Arnold and I arrived at our prom. There were a bunch of cars in the parking lot already. Arnold and I got out of his car, and walked hand in hand to the ballroom. When we got inside, everyone saw us walking in with our arms linked.
"I have an announcement. Helga and I are a couple. She is my girlfriend." Arnold announced.
"Yeah, we already know." Rhonda's friend, Nadine said.
"See, I told you they were dating! You owe me five dollars." Some random girl said to her friend.
"They made a bet on our relationship?" I asked, confused.
"It was so obvious that you guys were dating. Did you really think you could hide it?" The girl said.
I looked over at Arnold and his face was red as a tomato, and I felt myself blushing too.
"They're blushing. They are an adorable couple." Rhonda said.
"Let's go to the dancefloor now, pink bow." Arnold said.
"Okay, blue cap." I answered confidently with a smile.
Arnold and I started dancing, and since we were out of the shadows, we didn't care if people saw. Everything was at peace in that moment, and I was so in love with him. I didn't have that much experience with dancing, but I got the hang of it while I was following my love's lead. My head was resting on his shoulder, and I looked around the room while it was. I saw Lila and the strawberry blonde girl, Jill, from the class trip. I'm glad she was comfortable bringing her girlfriend to prom out in the open after all that happened. I also saw my new friend Patty, and her crush Harold. Harold never got serious enough with girls to being them to prom, so I had hope for their relationship. And finally, I saw my sister and her girlfriend, Mai. I loved that my sister was having a happy night too.
I lifted my head from Arnold's shoulder and started looking at him and only him, still following his lead while our hands met. Suddenly, this one song that I recognized came on, and it was the song Mr. Brightside.
"I love this song." Arnold said.
"It sounds really good. I think I love it too." I said.
There was one lyric in the song that had my attention. That lyric being "It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?"
My relationship with him started with that kiss at Rhonda's party, and I felt amazing and relieved to hear that it meant something to him too, even if it was initially a dare.
I was wondering how I got so lucky to be in a relationship with him in that very moment, and holding him as we danced. I looked into his eyes, and he was my lucky treasure.
Arnold leaned over to me, our faces not very far apart at all. Arnold stopped dancing, and he kissed me. It felt like we were the only ones in the ballroom at this point, because he was all that mattered to me in that moment.
"I love you Arnold." I said after we broke our kiss.
"I love you too, Helga." Arnold said.
As the rest of the night went on, all I felt was pure bliss. It would be a night that I would remember for the rest of my life.
3 years later...
"Did you have fun today?" Arnold asked me as he walked me to my house.
"Of course I did." I responded.
I started to feel cold as I started shivering. I should've been used to this, as my mom always forgot to pick up my jacket from the cleaners.
"Are you cold, Helga?" Arnold asked.
"No..." I lied.
Arnold proceeded to take off his jacket and he handed it to me.
"I know you're lying. Take this." He said.
"Thanks." I said as I put on Arnold's jacket.
"Can you hold me?" I asked.
"Because you're cold or because you want me to touch you?" Arnold said, jokingly.
What he said made me blush, and that certainly wasn't the first time that something he said made me blush.
"Uh... both!" I said while I was still blushing. I swear to god, this boy has made me so soft. And I love him so much.
"I was just teasing you. Of course I want to hold the girl who I've fallen in love with." Arnold said.
What he said there made me smile and blush like an idiot. I felt like I was so lucky to have found him, and in that moment, all that mattered was him.
"I love you too." I said.
"I left something in the pocket of that jacket, actually. Can I get it?" Arnold asked.
"Sure."
Arnold then reached to the pocket of the jacket I was wearing, and unzipped it. He then pulled out a small red box.
Arnold then knelt down on one knee, and opened the box, revealing a gorgeous halo engagement ring.
"Helga Geraldine Pataki... will you do the honor... of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?
Um... I hope this ring is good enough."
"Football head, you could propose to me with a ring pop and I'd still say yes."
"So is this a yes to the marriage proposal?"
"Yes! I love you so much."
I went over and hugged Arnold tightly after he put the ring on my finger. I was in disbelief and bliss as he was really my fiance.
A car passed us, and that car was playing really loud music. Not just any loud music though. The radio in that car was playing Mr. Brightside.
"That song is such a comfort song for me. It brings me back to our junior prom night. The best night of my life." I said.
"Yeah, I feel the same. We were so in love in that moment. And we still are and always will be." Arnold said.
The end.
A/N: it's finally done! This is such a bittersweet feeling.
Okay, so I hate Summer and I love making jokes about how much I hate her. But the reason why I had her say that stuff to Helga instead of just leaving is because this isn't a story where supervillains are just thrown off. So I had her say that stuff to Helga and left it kind of ambiguous of what will happen to Summer after. And it gave Helga closure :)
And yes, the title of this story is indeed inspired by Mr. Brightside :)
I'm planning more fanfics after this, so stay tuned!