(A/N: Sorry this too me a little longer to put out. It was originally planned for last week but things kinda got thrown at me. Made it a little longer than intended as well which is a plus though! Hope you enjoy!)

The day had managed to go pretty smoothly for Helga, much smoother than she had imagined it going. With one of her backpack straps in hand and her face planted at the sidewalk, Helga continued to think about what she could possibly get Arnold for his birthday. Ideas flashed in her mind, but everything seemed so trivial. Just where exactly was she headed? Helga looked up and noticed that her feet were bringing her to the business district of Hillwood, and she was nearing its center.

In front of her stood many shops and just as much foot traffic going in and out. With a whimsical shrug, she headed on in to the nearest one. It was a decent clothing shop that sold latest name brand fashion as well as some tech accessories.

"There's gotta be something in here he'd like…" She wondered out loud as she outstretched one of her hands to graze a rack of shirts. Helga eyed the clothes around her until she headed on towards some plaid dress shirts. All seemed to be his type but the moment she looked at the price tag, Helga's stomach churned. "Criminy! Who could afford something this expensive?!" She asked no one in particular before walking away.

Wrack after wrack, shelf after shelf and from one display to the next, the blonde girl noticed that there was no way she was going to be able to afford anything in this shop. With a scowl on her face, she left that store to the next.

It was frustrating to think that at one point in her life, money had been no object to her. Her family was well off and on occasion her father would give her a rather large allowance so long as she stayed out of his hair and let him be, but now?

"This is hopeless…" Helga grumbled to herself as she flung open another door and stepped outside. The toy store was too juvenile, the bookstore was too bland, all of the nice clothing stores were out of budget, all the trinket stores seemed stupid and lastly the candy shop she was leaving just seemed too lame. Who buys candy for someone's birthday anyway?

Helga looked over at a tall poll with a digital clock displaying the time. A little over an hour had passed since she had arrived, and the sky was already starting to get dark. With a heavy heart, Helga sighed and crossed her arms.

"Stupid seasons changing…" She griped before kicking a crumpled-up paper bag at her feet. "I need more time!"

She looked around again to see what other shops she hadn't gone into yet. An arts and craft store, a few more clothing stores, a jewelry shop and a shoe store were pretty much all that was left for her to explore in this plaza. Knowing that it was only a waste of time for her to bother, Helga growled and headed back in the direction towards the boarding house.

"Coupons!" Shouted a voice as Helga turned a corner onto the next street. "Get your free coupon!"

Helga noticed the voice was coming from a teenaged boy in some sort of pharaoh outfit. "Poor sap." She said with a shake of her head. She watched as he walked up to every person nearby and held out a piece of paper that most paid no mind to. It made her think back to their trip to hand out beeper flyers. Normally she would have purposely avoided the boy but this time, his plight gave her both sympathy and intrigue as she approached him.

"Coupons, huh?" She asked the pathetic excuse of a worker.

The boy immediately looked her way and shoved the piece of paper in her hands without a second to lose. "Yes! There is a new Egypt exhibit that just opened up at the museum!" He exclaimed before reaching down into a bag and pulling out a pamphlet. "Here! You should check it out! That coupon gives you one free admission, and these are all the other exhibits that are included!"

"Thanks…" Helga replied skeptically before walking away.

"Be sure to check it out!" The boy called out from behind her loudly.

Opening up the pamphlet, Helga's eyes skimmed through all it had to offer. She had gone to the museum of history many times due to school field trips and once because her family dragged her there to see some sort of show that Olga was a part of. It was always the same old thing but every so often, they would change a few rooms up to attract people into thinking it was something new. She turned it over to the last page and her eyes spotted something interesting, causing her to halt.

"Every visit to the new exhibit gains 1 free pass to the city botanical gardens."

"That's it!" Helga yelled loudly and clutched the paper until it had permanent creases. "All I have to do is visit the stupid museum and I can get a free pass to the gardens!" Ideas of the two of them holding hands, smelling flowers and gazing at beautiful views together began to float in her mind, causing her heart to melt. "It's perfect! I can even bring Phoebe with me so we're able to get two! I won't have to spend a dime and it's something he'd totally enjoy! Helga, you're a genius!" She turned around and ran back towards the boy handing out the coupons to grab one more.


The next day, Helga wasted no time in starting up her plan. The moment she saw Phoebe sit down at her desk, she reached inside of her backpack and thrusted the coupon in the young girl's face.

"The history museum?" Phoebe asked, looking the coupon over.

"Yeah, can you come with me after school?" answered Helga nervously, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that Arnold didn't notice. "There's something I need to check out."

"Well, of course I can Helga…" Phoebe stated awkwardly, noticing her friend's demeanor seemed off. "It's just such an odd request, coming from you."

Helga straightened herself up and puffed out her chest. "Yeah, well sometimes I like educational things. So, Sue me."

With a giggle, Phoebe placed the precious coupon inside her backpack with glee. She noticed Helga's glances at Arnold and started to put two and two together. "This wouldn't have something to do with a specific birthday, would it?"

Immediately, Helga put her hand over Phoebe's mouth to shut her up. "Maybe…" She whispered. "It's just an idea right now. I'll explain more after school when we get there, got it?"

After a compliant nod of her head, Phoebe took the hand away from her mouth and smiled. "Of course."

Helga took in a deep breath and walked back to her desk, avoiding as much attention as possible from anyone in the room. When class started, she looked up at the clock. Only a few more hours to go… She thought silently as she watched the seconds tick away. Then I'll be one step closer to planning an amazing birthday present for Arnold!


"Any plans for your birthday yet?" asked Gerald as he grabbed his backpack from the side of his desk. Class had just finished, and the bell had run for lunch. He could feel his stomach was grumbling louder than normal and winced at its loud noise.

Arnold watched as his classmates shuffled out of the room, one after another and all in deep conversations. "No. Not really."

"Really?" Gerald sounded surprised. He hoisted the heavy backpack over his shoulder and placed a handout to let Arnold walk in front of him towards the door. "You'd think with your parents back an all, things would be booming right about now." They walked into the hallway and joined the mass of students. "I mean, isn't this your first birthday with them since you were like a baby?"

Giving Gerald a sideways smile, Arnold nodded. "Yeah." He readjusted the weight of his backpack and continued to face forward in thought. Just what would his birthday be like this year? Normally it was just some sort of crazy event led by his grandparents that would turn even crazier by the boarders. Typically, he didn't really invite his friends over as the whole circus that always ensued was a bit embarrassing to say the least. Gerald had witnessed these events a few times and it was decided a few years back that they would hang out and do their own thing on a different day, as to not make the holiday more overwhelming than it already was.

Looking at the complicated expression on his friend's face, Gerald raised his eyebrow. "You don't look all that excited though." He observed. "Come on, man! You're gonna be getting double the presents! I'd kill for something like that." Gerald emphasized with a groan as he imagined the mountain of presents. "I'm lucky if I get one really cool gift since my Dad always says, 'It's the little things that matter, Gerald' or 'Think of this as an investment towards and even better gift next year.' I hate it!"

Arnold gave a small smile at his best friend's complaint. "I doubt I'm getting double the presents. It's not like my family is any wealthier now than they were last year." He considered the chance since the summer. "If anything, there is just that many more mouths to feed, more electricity being used and more water running."

"Great, now you're sounding like my Dad too!" Gerald rolled his eyes. "And you're the one who's supposed to look on the bright side."

"It's not about optimism, Gerald. I'm just being realistic." Arnold shook his head, but his smile still remained. "It will be different though… having them here."

"I wonder…" Gerald mulled over as he placed his thumb and index finger on his chin as if he was stroking an invisible beard. "Will there be less chaos than normal… or more?"

The thought made them both chuckle as they rounded the corner into the lunchroom. Arnold spied Helga and Phoebe from across the lunchroom and noticed they had already gotten a table and started eating. She was another new cog in the innerworkings of the boarding house now. What would she add to the mix?

"I can see you looking their way…" Gerald mentioned casually as he got his food. "You wanna sit with them today?"

Blinking a few times at his friends' question, Arnold turned away and looked at the array of colorful gelatin cups that were next to him and grabbed one. "No… I shouldn't." He said regretfully. "She's already said numerous times that she doesn't want any attention drawn to us. It's bad enough that we risk people seeing us walking to and from school together. If rumors got out…"

"That you two are dating?"

"Gerald!" Arnold shouted in a panic, causing more students to look his way and getting the exact opposite thing he wanted. "Not so loud!"

With a shake of his head, Gerald sighed and headed on toward the girl's direction anyway. He understood their need for keeping the relationship a secret but at the same time, he felt the whole thing was getting a little old. "Well, you can go ahead and sit with the guys then." He explained flatly. "I have a girlfriend that I don't have to keep secret."

Arnold wanted to protest but he knew he had no case. "Okay then…" He replied just as flat, watching his friend walk away. It had been some time since he sat at his other friends' usual tables and figured maybe this would be a nice change.

Looking over across the lunchroom, Arnold analyzed each table. He noticed Harold, Stinky and Sid at their usual spot and considered sitting with them, but then thought of how loud and obnoxious they could be and felt it wasn't exactly what he was looking for since he was already a little frustrated. He saw Rhonda, Nadine, Lila and Lorenzo sitting at a closer table and considered that as another viable option since it had been sometime since he joined them, but just as he inched closer, he could hear Rhonda was going on and on about some fashion blog she was a part of and changed his mind. As he continued to look around, he finally noticed Eugene and Curly sitting at the far side of the lunchroom and decided to join them.

"Well, well, well… look at what the cat barfed up…" Curly stated condescendingly as Arnold approached their table. "Gerald kick ya to the curb, huh?"

Immediately regretting his decision but knowing he had come to far; Arnold sat his tray down.

"Oh, Curly! Don't say things like that!" Eugene smiled as he turned to Arnold with appreciation. "Arnold is our friend! Why wouldn't he want to sit with us? Sit down, Arnold! Make yourself at home!"

Returning the smile to Eugene's kindness, Arnold pulled out the empty chair and sat down. "Thanks, Eugene."

"Our friend you say?" Curly asked snidely as he eyed the newcomer up and down above his spectacles. "Friends do nice things for one another. I don't remember him ever doing anything nice for me."

"I got you that meatball sub back in the fourth grade." Arnold replied plainly as he took a bite of his food.

"That was FORCED!" Curly bellowed loudly. "That wasn't out of friendship! Nay! It was out of obligation!"

"You framed me for pulling the fire alarm but we're still friends." Eugene chimed in, albeit a little nervously.

With a sharp glance towards the speaker, Curly adjusted his thick framed glasses and crossed his legs in defiance. "That's different. We had some things to sort out, see? All water under the bridge now."

Arnold couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You nearly got Eugene expelled, Curly." He reminded him sternly. "But I'm glad to hear that things are going well for you guys. Anything new?" The question was merely a way to avoid more conjecture from Curly, rather than small talk.

"We were just talking about what Halloween costumes to get for Rhonda's party, right Curly?" Eugene replied, looking over at his eccentric friend who was rocking back and forth on the hind legs of his chair. "I was thinking of maybe going as an Astronaut or a Ringmaster from the circus! I can't really decide on the two right now but there's plenty of time ahead of me. How about you, Arnold?"

"Huh?" Arnold looked up from his food and noticed the two boys staring at him with interest. "Oh… I haven't really thought about it yet."

"Haven't thought about it?!" Curly asked him with vigor. "It's only going to be the most important party of the year and you haven't thought about it? Are you crazy!" Curly quickly stood out of his seat, causing it to screech backwards. "Everyone who is anyone will be there! Boys and girls alike! Kids from all grades!" He gestured out towards the lunchroom occupants with arms wide open. "And our gracious and glorious host will be providing the sanctity of her own dwelling to us miscreants! Surely you jest, Arnold."

The two boys stared at Curly with wide and unassuming eyes then exchanged glances.

"I doubt it's going to be that much of a big deal, Curly." Arnold reassured with a calm voice as he placed one of his hands on the table towards the boy, trying to gesture him to sit down. "It's just going to be her usual party."

"No big deal?!" Curly howled again, this time causing more heads to turn. Throwing both his hands down in Arnolds direction, Curly caused the table to vibrate violently. "You're an even bigger fool than I thought!"

With a clear of his throat, Eugene turned gingerly to Arnold. "He overheard the girls yesterday talking about the possible games we'll be playing." He explained softly with his voice hushed. "Let's just say… Rhonda has a little bit more planned than just darts and pin the tail on the monkey."

"Spin the bottle, seven minutes in heaven, truth or dare…" Curly started to list off as he grabbed his seat and sat back down. "Twester and even drinking games!"

The last one threw Arnold for a loop. "Drinking games?" He asked. "Curly, I highly doubt there's going to be alcohol at this party. You're blowing this way out of proportion."

"I heard there's going to be giant Junga!" Eugene clapped his hands with excitement. "Oh, that would be so much fun!"

"You just don't know who you're dealing with, Arnold." Curly pointed a finger in the boy's face and wagged it shamefully. "My woman is sophisticated and classy. No doubt there will be high class bubbly there for us all to toast the night to!"

With a sigh, Arnold took another bite of his food and let the two continue back and forth with what they speculated would be at the party. All of Eugene's suggestions were as innocent as they come, however Arnold had a clear view at just how delusional Curly was being. Ever since their few days of dating and swift break up, Curly never really got over the idea that Rhonda was secretly in love with him. Even with confronted with the truth by the woman in question, it only seemed to drive the kid even further into his fantasies. It didn't matter who told him what or how, Curly seemed to think that Rhonda just liked to give him chase and he sought after nothing more than the thrill.

"I don't know about you two," Curly started as he finished his last slurp of chocolate milk, "But I'm going to make the best of that party! I've even picked out the perfect costume! And before either of you ask, there is no way I'm telling! I can't risk the possibility of either of you plebians stealing my idea!"

"I wouldn't dream of it…" Arnold said dully. He could only imagine it was something either completely absurd or over the top, per his usual style.

With his milk carton clutched firmly in his hand, Curly looked over at his raven-haired beauty and sighed longingly. "I've got the night all planned out and there's no way I'm leaving that party without my woman latched in my arms." As he finished his sentence, the carton crushed and a few droplets of milk spat out in various directions, causing the other two boys to exchange weary glances. A few more seconds of silence passed before Curly shot his attention back to his table mates and crossed his legs as if nothing had ever happened. "So, who are you two looking to get with, in the end?"

"Get with?" Eugene asked in confusion.

"I think he means, as in date." Arnold explained, looking at Curly who only nodded in agreement.

The ginger kid shuffled in his place. "I don't really have anyone in mind." He then looked up, rather uncomfortably. "Aren't we a little too young to worry about that anyway?"

"Are you kidding me?!" Shrieked Curly as he grasped both sides of his head in frustration. "We're in sixth grade now! This is where it all begins! Boy meets girl, girl falls head over heels for boy in hot in steamy passion, boy and girl spend the rest of their lives together! This is what all the games are FOR! To find your one true love!"

"Just because that's your goal, doesn't mean it's the same for everyone else." Arnold commented, noticing how further uncomfortable Eugene was becoming with Curly's description. "Maybe some of us just want to have fun, right Eugene?"

"Y-yeah…" Eugene smiled nervously. "I'm just going for the dancing, music and fun."

"Oh, come off it!" Curly pleaded, "Everyone knows that Sheena has been into you for years! Do you really think she just dotes on all your injuries for nothing!? You should be using this time to bag your lady in the safest way possible!" He then took Eugene's unopened water bottle and laid it on the table between the three of them. With a quick twitch of his hand, he had it spinning at full speed. "All you'd have to do is invite her to play the game, spin and hope it lands on her and when it does…" The bottle's speed started to dwindle until finally coming to a full stop between Curly and Eugene. "You just pucker up your lips and she's all yours, no questions asked." He finished with a cackle.

Quickly grabbing his water bottle, Eugene twisted open the top and gave a few gulps of water. The whole idea had his head spinning and all the fun ideas he had were beginning to fade.

"Just leave him alone, Curly." Arnold insisted with a glare from across the table. "Not all of us are looking for the same thing." He then looked over at his friend who was doing his best to stable his breathing. "Maybe he's not ready or maybe he's just not interested. Whatever the reason, no one is going to force him to do anything he doesn't want to do. Right, Eugene?"

Eugene gave a half-hearted nod at Arnold before giving into a few more gulps of water to avoid having to talk.

Curly blew a loud raspberry at the two and crossed his arms. "Those are words spoken by men who intend to be forever alone." When he noticed that neither of the two were yielding to his ideology, he let out a loud huff. "Doesn't matter to me either way." And with that, Curly grabbed his empty lunch tray and brought it over to the garbage cans, leaving the two boys alone to soak in their decisions.

"Don't worry about him, Eugene." Arnold said kindly as he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, hoping to calm him down a bit. When the boy looked up at Arnold with eyes full of worry, Arnold retracted his hand and frowned. "Man, you're really bothered…" He noted as he studied the boy's expression. "No one's gonna make you participate in any of those games. Besides, I highly doubt it's going to be as big as Curly is making it out to be. Just go and have fun in your own way. There's gonna be a lot of other kids there that probably won't participate in those games anyway."

"Are… Are you going to?" Eugene asked with a cracked voice.

"Huh?" The question startled Arnold, as he honestly wasn't expecting Eugene to ask.

"Participate in those… games." Eugene clarified as he played with his bottle cap. "Like spin the bottle and truth or dare."

The thought really hadn't crossed his mind. It was true that if Curly was right, the sixth graders would be participating and, despite Curly's hallucinations of a relationship with Rhonda, he was pretty sure that plenty of others would join in hoping to find a significant other of their own.

With a smile and a shake of his head, Arnold placed his hand back on his friend's shoulder. "No, I'm going for the same reasons you are. Just to have fun like a normal kid."

"This wouldn't be because you're already in a relationship with Helga, would it?" Eugene asked simply, opening a large can of worms unbeknownst to him.

Arnold's eyes widened and he nearly stumbled out of his seat. "How… how did you…?"

"Because it makes sense why you wouldn't want to participate." Eugene tilted his head as he observed Arnolds irate behavior. "What's wrong, Arnold? Is it supposed to be a secret? Because you know I wouldn't tell anyone if it was. My lips are sealed, honest!"

"That's… not what I'm worried about, Eugene." Arnold explained as he straightened his body back up in his seat and took a deep breath. "How did you find out?"

"I overheard Sid and Stinky talking about it after that big fight you guys had in front of the school. I was drinking from the water fountain and they happened to be passing by." Eugene explained as he painted a vivid picture of the scene.

Arnold furrowed his brow and placed his head on the lunch table with a loud groan. It was obvious that Harold wasn't the only person he should have had a talk with that day and since so much time had passed between now and the incident, there was no telling how many kids had found out the same way Eugene had. "Great…"

"Oh boy..." Eugene patted Arnold on the back. "Arnold, you don't look so good. Do you need to lay down in the nurse's office? That always makes me feel better. Do you need me to escort you?"

Unfortunately, there was nothing the school nurse was going to be able to do to ease the boy's troubles and Arnold just shook his head. It meant a lot to him to know that the kid cared and wouldn't tell anyone their secret, but there was nothing anyone could do or say to make light of the situation now. "No thanks, Eugene. You wouldn't happen to remember anyone else who might have been in the hallway during that time, would you? You know, who could have possibly overheard them talking as well?"

"Gosh..." Eugene thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "That was a long time ago. I remember there were others in the hallway, but I can't remember any familiar faces."

That news was at least good, as Arnold was confident that Eugene had a good enough memory to at least recall if there was someone he knew. "Thanks, Eugene." He sat back up and gave the boy a weary smile. "That helps a little… Just do me a favor?"

"Anything, Arnold. Just name it!" The boy smiled excitedly; his shiny new braces glimmering from the iridescent lights above their heads.

"Tell me if you hear anyone else mentioning it, okay?" replied Arnold exhaustedly as he looked around the room at all his classmates talking happily amongst each other.

"Sure thing, Arnold." Eugene agreed. "But I do have to wonder… why exactly is it a secret? It wasn't a secret when you were dating Lila…" He paused a moment while he analyzed his words. "Of course, that was more one sided on your part, but your acts of romance were not gone unnoticed then. What's changed?"

This was now the second jab at him this week at his futile attempt to woo Lila and Arnold winced. He knew he was going to have to explain the situation in a way that his friend could grasp without totally giving away the reality that Helga just couldn't handle their peers knowing in fear of the consequences. "Have you ever had something you enjoyed that you never told your friends because you were afraid of how they might react?" He asked; pulling at his brain to try and formulate the right things to say without sounding suspicious. "Something that maybe they wouldn't really understand?"

The light in Eugene's eyes dimmed a little and he found his body becoming cold at the thought. He understood completely.

"Like maybe a T.V show that they might find childish, but you really like and wish you could share it with them?" It was the best example that Arnold could think up with such short notice.

"You mean like when everyone found out that Iggy still slept in footy pajamas?" Eugene smiled sympathetically, remembering how Arnold had gotten blamed for that whole scandal and was forced to walk in the open street to model in spite of Iggy's pride.

With another wince at yet another painful memory, Arnold nodded. "Yeah, something like that." He replied with a shallow breath. "It's sad, but sometimes you just know when you need to keep some personal things to yourself in order to protect yourself from embarrassment or shame. I may be happy with my relationship but-"

"Not everyone will understand." Eugene finished with a sigh. "I get it, Arnold. You don't have to explain anymore."

Unsure if he should be grateful or worried at his friends resolve, Arnold took Eugene at his word and concluded his explanation. With unspoken mutual understanding, they both picked up their trash and disposed of it properly.

The moment they arrived at the classroom; Arnold gave his friend a smile. "Thanks, Eugene." He said from the bottom of his heart.

"Don't mention it, Arnold." Eugene smiled back before heading on in.


Class resumed with business as usual until eventually Mr. Simmons stepped out of the room and Nurse Shelly waltzed on in. She seemed peppier than usual, as this was the first time all her students were present for the class since Lila had finally returned the permission slip. To celebrate, she treated them all to a wonderful video on how to support a friend or family member who could be struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction. The class concluded with her handing out pamphlets with information on local organizations that aided in the recovery of addiction as well as a magnet for everyone's refrigerator.

"Can you believe this?" Helga asked the class as she swung around her magnet. "Does she seriously expect all of us to just put these on our fridge? The woman is losing her marbles."

"I don't know, Helga. Some families might benefit from this information…" Lila chimed in with an optimistic smile.

"Yeah, well if you knew anyone struggling with addiction, then you'd know they're probably already too far gone to care." She replied as she flung the magnet across the room without a care. "Come on, Phoebe. We've got plans."

Phoebe jumped out of her seat and rushed towards her friend's side without a word.

"Where are you two going?" Gerald asked with genuine interest.

With a scowl, Helga turned her head towards her judge and jury. "Not that it's any of your beeswax, Geraldo but we're gonna go throw rocks in the river." And before he had time to reply, she grabbed Phoebe by the arm and dragged her out of the room.

Gerald shook his head and turned towards Arnold who was still sitting in his assigned seat. "What's eating her?" He asked him, knowing full well that there probably wasn't anything specific and even if there was, this wasn't the time or place for Arnold to disclose such information. Not that he probably would anyway. "You wanna go rollerblade downtown? My brother said he heard they're converting an old lumber yard into a skatepark and I've been meaning to look into it."

Thinking between the options of confronting Stinky and Sid, contemplating all his current worries and going roller blading with his best friend… the answer was a no brainer. Arnold's brain needed a break and some old fashion hanging out with his best friend was definitely on the right track. "Sure thing, Gerald." He replied gladly. "I just gotta stop home and get my skates. I'll meet you at your place."


The bus was cramped and smelled of sweat and pleather, with a random assortment of passengers onboard. Helga and Phoebe weren't fortunate enough to grab a seat and were forced to hang on to the railing straps which hung along the bus's ceiling.

To and frow the girls were rocked back and forth until the bus skidded forward to an abrupt halt whenever someone pulled on the stop wire. It wasn't the most pleasurable ride; however, it served its purpose. What lay before them was the tall historical structure of the Hillwood Museum, clad in a tall stone staircase, pillars and large golden colored front doors with a worker standing on each side to check them in.

"Tickets?" The old lanky man said at the door as the girls approached. He held out his hands and waited patiently for Helga to open her bag up and present him with the tickets as needed. "Ah, you're here for the new Egyptian exhibit. You'll find what you're looking for on the second floor heading towards the cafeteria. If you need a guide, one can be appointed to you for a small fee. The welcome desk is just ahead. Please enjoy your stay."

Heading on in, the two friends looked back and forth around the large lobby. It hadn't changed at all since their trip last year in the fifth grade, nor from the time before that from their trip in the third grade. Always the same old thing just different wall décor always showcasing whatever exhibit they were pushing that week.

"Now that we're safely in the museum, are you willing to disclose your idea for Arnold's birthday present?" Phoebe asked as she looked up curiously at her tall friend.

Waving her to follow, Helga began to walk in the direction of their intended destination. "Well, I was in the shopping district yesterday going crazy trying to find the perfect birthday present. I was about to just give up and leave when I saw this poor sap hanging out coupons for this thing. You know the kind. Mascot outfit, waving people down. So, I figure, why not? Let's see what he's selling. He gave me the coupon and also this…" She explained as she handed the pamphlet down to Phoebe. "Look at the last page."

Phoebe did as instructed and flipped the pamphlet over to the last page. "Every visit to the new exhibit gains 1 free pass to the city botanical gardens?" She read out loud, a little surprised.

"Yeah! I figured we go to this lame exhibit, get those tickets and then BAM! Perfect birthday date and completely free! With… a little bit of effort." Helga grabbed back her pamphlet and looked over the page again. "Beautiful tropical atmosphere without the threat of river pirates or indigenous tribes who worship him!"

"You're trying to recreate the trip to San Lorenzo?" Phoebe adjusted her glasses as if seeing Helga for the first time.

"N-not exactly…" Helga stammered as she fiddled with the paper in her hands. "It just so happens that he likes this sort of stuff, and it just so happens that that's where he first acknowledged my feelings! It's not like I'm trying to recreate that intense boyish passion where he grabbed my hands and leaned in for a kiss. That moment when he realized he saw me as more than just a school yard bully, a classmate who bugs him or a tormentor that's hounded him every single day since preschool! But as a woman who adores him for all of his perfections and imperfections! As a soul mate who would follow him to the fiery pits of hell if I had to! I'm not trying to recreate that at all, Phoebe! I have no idea what you're talking about!" When she realized she was going off on a tangent and gradually getting louder, Helga stopped and blinked. She could see the other visitors looking at her and whispering, causing her to shield her face and drag Phoebe further into the museum. "As I said. Just a nice and normal birthday present. No ulterior motives."

"Right…" Phoebe agreed quietly, not wanting to invoke her passions any further.

They continued to vaguely look at the various statues and paintings that hung along the walls in each room and around every corridor. Rooms upon rooms, hallways upon hallways until they eventually reached the stairs they needed to ascend in order to get to the very room they sought. With hands on the marble railings, they walked up; every step they took echoed around the wide-open stairwell in a rather deafening tone.

Once they reached their destination, they stood in awe at the large indoor pyramid that was made.

"This wasn't here before." Phoebe observed as she approached it. The closer she got, the smaller and smaller she felt.

"How did they manage to build this in here?" Helga asked as she walked over to the podium that stood in front of the velvet ropes that blocked the public out from getting too close. On the podium stood an informative article explaining which pyramid it was a replica of, when the original was built and why it was the particular choice for this attraction.

Phoebe walked over to her companion and read over the article for herself, then stepped back once more to fully take in the sight. "I have to say, it's definitely inspiring. To think that centuries ago, massive structures like these were built by hand, and for what purpose? Once it was believed that these were tombs for the mighty pharaohs but that's since been debunked as no mummy has ever been found in a pyramid. Some speculate that they were made to contact otherworldly beings, Gods even, as their geographical location is set in a very specific way, not to mention the specific dimensions of the pyramids themselves tell their own story."

"Yeah, yeah but where are the tickets to the botanical gardens?!" Helga whined, as the attraction no longer concerned her. She began to hunt around but it seemed there was no ticket station in sight. "Was this all just a ploy to get people here? That's false advertisement!"

Looking around the oversized room, Phoebe was also at a loss. "It's possible that they already ran out and we're too late."

"We can't be too late!" The blonde girl cried as she kicked one of the metal poles that fastened the velvet ropes. "I just gotta take him to see those gardens! Our whole relationship depends on it! What kind of lifelong partner would I be if I can't even manage to celebrate one measly birthday properly!"

With a frown, Phoebe walked over to Helga and watched her throw her tantrum around the room. "I could hail down a tour guide and ask them?" She suggested in a meek voice, not wanting Helga to cause any more of a scene then she was already making. "I'm sure it's not hopeless, Helga."

The word hopeless made the girl drop to her knees and pout. "This was my chance to really show him that I want his day to be special…" She explained in a whisper as she sulked on the cold stone floor. "To show him how special he is to me."

Phoebe knelt down and made herself eye level with the sullen girl. "You've done more than enough to show him how special he is to you, Helga. We both know that." Her words were warm and comforting, causing Helga to look up at her. With a smile, she held out her hand. "Come on. Why don't we go to the gift shop? Maybe we can find something there that he'd like within your price limit."

Taking her best friends' hand, Helga nodded and followed her out of the room, damning her luck with every step that she had to take until she reached the cursed gift shop.

"See? There are plenty of good things here." Suggested Phoebe as she pointed to small replicas of some of the exhibits. "Sometimes, you need to look beyond the surface and really take in your surroundings. There's bound to be something here that Arnold would like for his birthday."

Helga dragged her feet over to look at some of the books, then trinkets, then various shirts and other memorabilia that all had logos of the museum on it. "This is all junk, Phoebe." She said through grit teeth. "This was all a waste of time!"

Ignoring her friend's pessimism, Phoebe continue to look around until eventually making her way to the counter where they had a bunch of jewelry behind a case. "Maybe a nice leather bounder journal, perhaps?" She suggested as she gazed upon a bookshelf that was to her left. "It's helpful for one to write down their innermost thoughts, specially to help them through tough times in their life. With Arnold having his parents back, I can only imagine all of the things he could be feeling. His life has completely changed."

Slumping herself beside a rack of fluffy stuffed animals, Helga sighed. "I want him to be able to confide in me with his innermost thoughts!" She whined loudly, as she grabbed a stuffed bear and poked both its eyes. "Not some stupid journal!"

As Phoebe opened her mouth to protest, her train of thought was interrupted by a large woman who entered through an 'employee's only' door and seated herself behind the front register. "I see I have some customers!" The woman smiled.

"Ma'am, you wouldn't happen to know of any tickets to the botanical gardens that the museum might be offering?" asked Phoebe as she approached the cashier. "We saw them being advertised along with your new Egyptian exhibit, that I must say, was breathtaking!"

"Why yes! I do recall something about that!" The woman replied, her voice had a slight southern drawl to it. "I heard they were originally being handed out by the tour guides but since many were getting misplaced, they're now being offered over at the front desk when you walk in."

Helga's eyes lit up. "Are you sure?" She asked excitedly, dashing from the plushy stand and over to the counter. "Like absolutely one hundred percent, absolutely, without a doubt, sure?"

The cashier smiled and nodded. "So long as my hearing is still intact, I do believe it's what I heard."

Without a second to lose, Helga grabbed Phoebe's arm and yanked her out of the gift shop without so much as a goodbye or thank you to the nice worker. Nothing could stand in her way now. All they needed to do was get back to the main entrance and demand the tickets they were due.

On their way back to the main entrance, Helga pushed her way through many families that were just starting to file in, many with young children. She could see the smiles on the young kids faces as they pointed to the paintings or giggled at the reenactment dolls that were set up behind displays. None of this mattered to her though, because they all stood in the way between her and her hot ticket to showing Arnold a wonderful time.

With a skidding halt, the two girls made it back to the front desk.

"Do you still have any more of those tickets for the city botanical gardens?" Helga asked through her labored breathing.

The lanky old man who once greeted them at the door, shuffled his body over behind one of the counters and held out some tickets with his weak and wrinkly hand. "Are these the tickets you're looking for?"

Helga quickly snatched the tickets out of his hand and grinned like a mad man. "Yes!" She shouted, so loud her voice seemed to bounce off the walls. "Finally!"

"It seems you got what you wanted." Phoebe commented, unable to contain a grin from running ear to ear. She noticed the mans startled face and simply bowed out of respect and brought her friend out of the building and into the nice open air. "So, have you decided how you're going to present the tickets to him?"

With excitement still welling in her, Helga kept her eyes on her prize. Everything was finally working out in her favor! She had heard her friends question but didn't really have much of an answer yet as only step one had been completed and that in itself was a feat. Slowly, she walked down the large steps and onto the busy pavement and shrugged. "I really haven't thought that far yet." She replied truthfully, her face not wavering from the smile. They both walked over to the bus stop and waited. "It would seem pretty stupid if I just threw it in his face and said 'Here ya go, football head. Happy birthday.' and it wouldn't seem very special if I gave it to him along with whatever other gifts his family got him."

The bus arrived and the two girls dropped their coins in the collector and sat down.

"I suppose my only real option is to wait until after the celebration and give it to him then, that way my gift is the very last and I can soak up all of the gratification for myself and in private." Helga finished her train of thought openly and the bus took off.

"Sort of like, saving the best for last?"

"Exactly." Helga agreed with a sly smile. "I don't want to mix my well thought out present in with whatever other crap he's getting."

"Very astute of you." Complimented Phoebe as she pulled her hands in front of her lap and intertwined her fingers together. "I'm sure he'll be delighted."

Blowing air through her nose loudly, Helga leaned back in her seat and kicked up one of her feet to rest on the edge of her seat. "He better be. I don't want all that effort wasted."

Her friend's words got her to thinking as the bus bumped them up and down. Had Helga always put this much thought into her birthday as well? All of the gifts she had given her usually were very practical, just as Phoebe usually liked them. It made no sense in getting a bunch of items with little uses to clutter up one's room. Clutter only leads to chaos and chaos isn't good for a growing mind, that and every year her father made it a point for them to all donate things they no longer used or found no joy in anymore. Books, School supplies and the occasional ticket to something was normally Helga's style for her. She treasured every single one down to the most used and worn item.

Did Gerald put that much effort in her gifts as well? Over the years, he gave her small things that didn't seem too noticeable. A decorative eraser to put atop her pencil, a high-quality ball point pen, a key chain... Their affection for each other was never intentionally kept hidden, however neither felt the need to really draw attention to themselves, either. Public views of affection were kept minimal as well and this is how they felt comfortable… but what about now? Things had changed a little this year and there was no doubt in her mind that everyone knew of their union, which was fine. Would his presents become more elaborate as time went on? How much thought went into them?

She recalled her own gifts to him, and her heart sagged a little. She did her best to get him things she knew he would enjoy for times and times to come but… did they seem thoughtful? He always smiled and thanked her. He would later give her a small kiss on the cheek when no one was around. Truly it always meant something to him, but would she need to step up her game? Would the quality or quantity need to increase? The questions swam through her mind and Phoebe shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Helga pulled on the stop cord and signaled the driver that their stop was nearby. "Ready to go, Pheebs?" She called to her.

"Ready!" chirped Phoebe, startled from the sudden break of her thoughts.

The bus stopped and the two girls got out. It was finally time for the both of them to go their separate ways. They said their brief goodbyes, waved and departed.

Phoebe clung to the straps of her backpack and turned the corner towards her house. She breathed a breath of fresh air as being cooped up on that bus was beginning to become suffocating. Had it been the bus? Or had it really been her insistent thoughts analyzing her current relationship where nothing bad had even happened? Her mind buzzed and she started to feel insecure.

Everything is fine… She assured herself silently and her pace quickened. You're merely being absurd, that's all. Gerald and I are perfectly happy in our relationship and nothing need be proved… Helga has just gotten in my head. Not intentionally, of course. Her insecurities are well founded in their own way. However, nothing she told herself seemed to quell the feeling that was poking at her every crevasse.

She opened her front door and locked it tightly behind her. The smell of dinner wafted towards her and her muscles released a bit of their tension. Home was a place to feel safe and secure, and that's exactly what she was. No reason to let little things bother her, especially unfounded ones.

"I'm home." She called out to her parents who she could hear talking in the kitchen.

"Okaerinasai." Her father called back before appearing from the doorway. "How was your outing with Helga?"

The familiar sight caused her heart to slow down and everything seemed right in the world once again. With a strong will and a smile on her lips, she placed her backpack down and hung up her jacket in its designated spot. "Pleasant."

Kyo looked down at his watch then motioned for her to join them in the kitchen. "Glad to hear it. Dinner is almost ready so please wash up."

"Certainly, Father." She replied without hesitation. There was no need for her to question anything about her relationship with Gerald. They were practically the ideal couple. Not going too fast or too slow. Making sure their studies and families came before anything else, after all, they were still adolescents. But still…

Dinner began and concluded. Despite all their pleasant conversations about the day, as well as her daily fencing lessons with her father, Phoebe could not get rid of a tiny little nagging feeling in the back of her head. Even her comforting shower did nothing to sooth the frustration that was budding from within.

Storming out of the bathroom, the small Asian girl threw her dirty towel in her hamper and flopped down on her bed. She stared at the ceiling for what seemed like a lifetime before finally deciding to nip this doubt in the bud and confront the problem head on.

Reaching over for her phone, Phoebe let out a deep sigh before dialing the number.


Ring…Ring…Ring…

"Timberly!" Gerald shouted from across the living room as he chased his little sister who had the remote to the T.V. "Give that back!"

"Haha! You can't catch me!" She mocked as she jumped on the couch, over to the chair and back on the floor again, sprinting into the kitchen where the phone continued to ring on its receiver. "You're too slow!"

Ring…Ring…

Gerald growled as he continued to chase her. The moment he got into the kitchen; he noticed the phone ringing. With a quick angry glance at his sister, who was now back in the living room sticking her tongue out at him, he admitted defeat for now and headed on towards the phone.

"Hello?" He grumbled angrily.

"Gerald?" A small meek voice called back on the other line.

Quickly, Gerald gathered his composure and cleared his voice. "Phoebe? Is everything all right." He could see the clock in the kitchen and noted that it was rather late for her normal calls.

He could hear her giggle on her end. "Everything is fine, Gerald. Not to worry."

"Oh, okay…" He let out a longing sigh, now completely forgetting about his sister in the other room. "That's good to hear. What's up?"

The line went silent for a moment, before Phoebe finally managed to reply. "Not much. How has your night been going?" She avoided the real topic she had in mind for a much easier one for now.

The question made the boy turn his head towards the living room where he saw his little sister bouncing up and down on the couch, watching her favorite T.V show. "Pretty normal on my end." He replied, letting more of his frustration ooze out. "Timberly, being her usual self and doing everything she possibly can to get on my nerves." He heard her chuckle again, which made him smile. "How was your day with Pataki? Throw lots of rocks into the river?"

"Oh…" Phoebe remembered the excuse Helga had given and found herself stumped. Usually, she would have kept the outing a secret since it was what her best friend wanted, but thinking about it now, there really was no reason for the act in itself to be kept a mystery; only the motive. "We didn't go to the river, Gerald." She corrected, "We actually went to the History Museum."

Shocked by the reply, Gerald found himself a loss for words. "W-what? Really?"

"Yes." Phoebe explained, "There was some business there she had to take care of and wanted me to join along. I admit, I was rather surprised myself when she asked me to accompany her but we had a very enjoyable time."

"Helga… wanted to go to the museum?" Gerald reiterated in order to fully let the idea sink in. "Now I've heard everything. What's going on with that girl? She's been so weird lately. So… not like herself."

It was true that over the last few days, Helga had been significantly mellowed out compared to her usual self. Less pushing and shoving of the other kids, keeping rather to herself and even offering to help Lila… even if that was for her own benefit. From the eyes of a bystander, Helga did seem pretty unlike herself. "I suppose I can see what you mean…" Phoebe started; treading carefully on what she could divulge. "However, I assure you that she's just had a lot on her mind as of late. Nothing to worry about."

"Oh, I'm not worried." Gerald clarified. "I'm just starting to think I've entered the twilight zone." He ended that last part with a mystical sounding voice. "Helga not bugging people as much and actually offering to help? Meanwhile, Arnold's acting weird too." Gerald furrowed his brows and recalled their recent conversations. "He's clearly keeping something from me and its really beginning to wear me down. I mean, everyone's got their personal things going on but… wanting to hang out with Brainy?"

"Brainy?" Phoebe cut him off the moment the information connected.

"I get that we've grown up with the kid but, even you've got to admit that he's on the weird side." Gerald looked down at his floor, noticed a lone crayon and kicked it aside. "Even with Curly being as mental as he is, at least has reasons for what he does… but to do absolutely nothing, pretty much ever? Now that's strange."

This wasn't something that Phoebe had been up to speed with. Had Helga informed Arnold about her suspicions about Brainy? And if so, what was he planning on doing about it? A sick feeling entered her throat, causing Phoebe to swallow. "Arnold has always been a very friendly guy, Gerald. Surely, he just wants to get to know his fellow friend and classmate. What's the harm in that?"

With an eyeroll, Gerald let out a sigh. "I guess you're right but…" He could feel a tingle go up his spine the moment he recalled the spikey hair kid's dead stares. It was almost like he was a zombie at times. "The guy just gives me the creeps. I feel like there's something going on and I'm the only one who doesn't know about it."

His suspicions were true but the girl knew she had to keep her silence. "Maybe or maybe not…" She eluded. "I wouldn't think too much about it though."

"I just wish I wasn't kept in the dark." The boy confessed. "Arnold's head has been in the clouds a lot more lately then normal and when I ask him about it, I feel like he's making up things to avoid answering me straight."

It was nice to know that Gerald could open up to her about his frustrations and concerns, and this led Phoebe into remembering the whole reason she had wanted to call in the first place. "Are you always 'straight' with me?" She casually segued in. "I couldn't blame you if you wanted to keep a few personal things to yourself."

Gerald let out a light laugh. "Nah, I'm always straight with you. I have no reason not to be, after all, you're my girl…" He swaggered.

His response caused a small blush to adorn her cheeks and she could feel her heart flutter. "I… I see."

"If there's one person you've always gotta be truthful to, it's the person special to you." He could feel the heat raise to his cheeks as well. "That's the only way things work out. It's how my parents have always survived, anyway. Even when my Mom doesn't want to tell my Dad about something she knows is going to make him flip out, she still does it anyway. Like how much the electric bill was last month, Woah! My Dad lost it!" He chuckled at the memory. "But even so, the family talked it out like we always do and found things to cut in order to lower the bill. Now, each of us are allowed only one hour of T.V time which…" Gerald looked over at his sister again, who this time was rocking back and forth on her heels in front of the appliance in question, heavily engrossed in the show. "My sister kindly stole from me…" He finished with a growl.

His honesty lightened the girl's heart. "So, you'd tell me if anything I did has bothered you?" She asked, hoping to know the answer already.

"Of course, Phoebe." The boy on the other end smiled back. "And I'd expect the same from you. I'm not a mind reader, you know."

She thought back to her honesty during the most difficult time last month and sighed. My fears really are unfounded. I'm such a fool… She scolded herself.

"Well, I'd better be going now…" She said shyly as she looked at the time. "I'll see you tomorrow at school." As much as she didn't want to hang up, there was no doubt that her parents would eventually notice the line being tied up and have some questions for her. Questions that she really didn't want to answer.

"Okay. See ya, babe."

His affection caused her to blush an even redder shade. "See ya… babe." She repeated before quickly hanging up and exploding in a squeal all over her bed.