Chapter 24

Helga's POV

"Rise and shine, Helga!" Bob barked, marching into Helga's room. "Just because you stayed out until the middle of the night doesn't mean you can sleep till three." Helga groaned, rolling over to block out the sun. "You were out drinking last night, weren't you? When I was your age I could handle a drink much better than this."

"No...what time even is it?" Helga mumbled.

"One o' clock in the afternoon, little lady! You got some letters in the mail, looks like they're from those fancy colleges you applied to. I'll let you open those but me sure to come and tell your mom and I where you got in."

"If I got in that is." She replied.

"I'll have none of that negativity in my house. We're Patakis! We achieve greatness. I expect you to report to us in the next hour. Now get your keister up and at em'." He barked, leaving the room with the chuckle.

"Criminey." Helga whispered under her breath. "I feel like I got hit by a bus. What the hell-" She gasped sitting up as the memories of the night before flowed back into her mind. "Did I really? No way." Her phone buzzed, she reached out for it and looked down at the screen. "Oh, my god."

"Hey, Helga :). Hope you slept well. I was hoping we could get together and talk tonight?" Arnold had texted.

"Sure." She replied hesitantly, throwing the phone down before she could read more into it. She screamed into her pillow, elation and anxiety washing over her body. She and Arnold had sex last night, sex. They had rung in the new year in each other's arms. The thought sent chills down her spine and she found herself releasing a happy sigh. They hadn't been able to talk afterwards the night before because the party had been broken up by the cops. Helga giggled at the thought of Rhonda's parents coming home to find their house had become a scene out of a teen drama. To be honest, Helga felt grateful for the excuse to leave after. Insecurity had taken over her wondering if Arnold had just been lying or if having seen her naked had made him want to run for the hills. She wondered if he wanted to talk tonight to let her down easy. Standing up, dramatically throwing her covers back onto the bed, she shook off her negative thoughts and cautiously approached the letters that were splayed across her desk.

The letters were strewn over her desk, she eyed them, trying hard not to take in the size of each letter. She sat down and stared down at them, taking a deep breath as she picked up the one on top. The words Yale University written in soft font stared back at her, clasping the large envelope in her hands, the size of the envelope made her catch her breath. She gingerly peeled back the envelope's opening, taking out the thick stack of papers within, the feeling in the pit of her stomach was confirmed. She'd gotten in. Into Yale. The euphoria caused her to tear into the other letters revealing that she had a tough choice to make. Not accepted into Harvard. Accepted into Columbia. Not accepted into Brown. Accepted into Duke. Accepted into NYU. Waitlisted at Princeton. She was in shock as she climbed down the stairs, laying the letter out in front of her parents who were sitting at the kitchen table. They silently thumbed through the letters, hems and haws intermittently escaping from their mouths.

"So where are you gonna go?" Bob barked. "Looks like you've got your pick of the litter here. Living up to that Pataki name! Just like Olga." This earned an eye roll from Helga.

"I don't know." Helga shrugged slowly, the thought of her future smacking her in the face.

"Oh, honey." Her mom cooed, swatting at Bob as he mumbled under her breath, "Take your time. This is a big decision."

"Sure as hell is a big decision. We're talking about your future here little lady. Columbia seems like the obvious choice." He nodded approvingly towards Helga, hoping she'd accept his choice.

"We'll see. Give me a few weeks to think it over."

"We're proud of you, Helga! Your fathers just being…" Miriam glanced at Bob "...himself." She rolled her eyes. "Take all the time you need, within reason that is."

"Yeah, yeah. We're proud of ya." Bob mumbled, "Now how much is this gonna run us…" Bob trailed off as Helga tuned him out. Her head was spinning as the options went through her head, she couldn't shake the thought in the back of her mind, where would Arnold be next year? She didn't want that to impact her decision, but part of her knew if she knew where he was going she wouldn't be able to resist wanting to be near him.

Helga strolled down the street towards the boarding house, taking her time, not ready to see Arnold again. The night before had been something out of a dream. Her mind couldn't bear the thought of Arnold regretting that night. Was he about to just let her down easy? Tell her that it was the biggest mistake of his life? What if they did date, but it wasn't what she thought it would be? The fears swam through her mind and she found herself standing in front of the boarding house, staring at the door. She knocked on the door, hearing the boarders clamoring behind it before it flung open. Phil stood there absentmindedly yelling at Oscar who'd just thrown mashed potatoes at the wall.

"It's been awhile since we've seen you here." Phil quipped. "We thought you'd gone off and joined the circus!" He laughed.

"Good to see you too Phil," Helga said sarcastically with a chuckle, "Is Arnold in his room?"

"Yup, now don't do anything I wouldn't do!" He called out as Helga climbed the stairs up to the top of the boarding house. It had been awhile since she'd been here to just see Arnold and it brought back all the butterflies she would feel every time they would hang out. It felt like an eternity had passed when she finally reached his door, the faint sounds of jazz drifted from under the door. She held her breath as she knocked on the door, a faint "Come in!" came from the opposite side of the door.

"So what do you want, football head?" Helga spoke nonchalantly, avoiding looking at Arnold as she plopped down on his couch. She almost kicked herself as the words came out of her mouth. She wanted to avoid reverting to her old ways at all costs. Arnold spun his desk chair around to face her, rolling closer to her.

"Well, I was hoping we could talk about last night…" Arnold started, but as he spoke, Helga felt fear bubbling within.

"Heat of the moment, am I right?" Helga laughed sheepishly, resisting the urge to get up and leave.

"Heat of the…" Arnold flatlined.

"Yeah. Heat of the moment. I mean, us? Us?" Helga laughed, "That's rich. Can you even picture it? Let's face it. You belong with someone like Lila, without all the unpleasantness, and I belong with, well, no one." Helga felt the words coming out of her mouth like vomit. Her brain yelling at her over and over again to stop. "Does that cover it, Arnoldo? Can I leave now?" She stood up, turning on her heel, bolting out the door. "That did not go as planned." She muttered under her breath as she bolted out of the boarding house, making her way towards the park, it was the first time she had run in months and she was grateful that she was wearing leggings and a crop top. Without thinking she found herself standing at the end of the pier, catching her breathe, wondering how she managed to fuck this up. She sat, allowing her legs to dangle just above the water. How was she supposed to be with Arnold after all that had happened? She wondered how she could be with someone she loved that much without completely self-destructing.

"To answer your question, yes. Yes, I can picture us together." Arnold spoke breathlessly, joining Helga at the end of the pier. "I've been picturing it for a long time." He turned his head to look at her, "and I will not chalk last night up to the being the heat of the moment. It was the best night of my life. Can we talk about why you do this cause I would like to avoid it in the future?"

"Do what?" She whispered, still refusing to make eye contact with Arnold.

"You always lash out at me instead of telling me what you're feeling. You've been doing this since we were four and you know it."

"It's just hard to say how I feel." She glanced up at him. "I'm really sorry. I don't know what came over me. When you told me you wanted to talk, I just thought that you were going to say that we should forget what happened last night."

"But why?" He asked, clearly confused. "I think I made it pretty clear that it was something I never wanted to forget." He chucked. "So you've really loved me all these years, huh?"

"Hey, what're you getting at?" She sneered, earning a laugh from Arnold.

"I mean you've always been mean to me. If you really hated me you probably would have ignored me, but I get the feeling that maybe you actually wanted me around even before we became best friends? Also, all those times we kissed and we chalked things up to being the 'heat of the moment'? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking for an out. To be honest, I did feel something for you all those years, but I would push anything that came up away because well, I thought you hated me and what kind of guy likes his bully?"

"A masochist?" Helga mumbled sarcastically.

"Jesus, Helga." Arnold rolled his eyes, laughing. " And yes, I was with Lila because, like you, I thought we would be perfect for eachother but I've learned that the person who's perfect for you is sometimes the person you suspect the least. What I'm trying to say is that I asked if we could talk tonight so this wouldn't become another situation where we chalk it up to heat of the moment. I want us to give this a shot."

"Give us a shot?" Helga stared up at the sky as she felt a drop of water hit her face. Of course it would rain, she thought to herself.

"I want to be your boyfriend, Helga." He stared at her intently and Helga finally returned the glance. Her stomach flipped as she felt the electricity surge between them. "I also want my best friend back. It's pretty cool when your girlfriend can be both, right?"

"Yeah, I guess I could be your girlfriend, football head." She smiled at him, feeling her cheeks grow warm as he smiled back. "You are right, you know. I have loved you for a long time. Ever since you held that umbrella over me on the first day of preschool."

"I kind of wish I had an umbrella right now." He chuckled, looking up at the sky where the light drizzle had quickened. "But if you liked me then, why were you so mean to me?"

"As you know, I've spent a lot of time in therapy figuring this shit out." They both laughed. "My parents are pretty shit. You know this. Especially when I was little. I had to grow up quickly and be my own rock. When I even just for a moment gave you attention in preschool, Harold and the rest of the gang started teasing me and it just flipped a switch." She sighed, annoyed by the memory. "I realized that if I showed you how I really felt, it'd make me vulnerable and I needed everyone to know that I was not someone to be fucked with. Then, Helga G. Pataki was born." She held up her fists fondly, remembering the fear and respect they earned her. "You know, it's funny. For a while I really hated myself for being 'the bully', but wouldn't say I regret it at all. Sure, sometimes I wish I could have communicated with calm words instead of my fists or insults. But I learned how to stick up for myself, to hold my ground and to get through tough situations while thriving. I could have taken all the crap life threw at me and rebelled, but I honestly feel pretty damn successful." He nodded as she continued. "My only regret is how I treated you and still do treat you when I feel vulnerable. It was somehow easy to be your best friend when you were dating Lila. It's like I knew my feelings were off the table so I could just be there for you without feeling like I was constantly thinking about being with you. I guess it makes sense?"

"It does. I always liked being around you. Looking back, you were always there. Not just because we shared the same friends, but because we actually liked doing everything together. Then when we did become close, it just felt natural. It's like we are polar opposites that just don't work without the other? I swear when you started ignoring me, it drove me crazy. I felt like I couldn't function."

"Life was really dull without you. Except for the whole thing where my crazy ass boyfriend who tried to kill me. I do think we deserve to give us a fair shot, but promise one thing, okay?" Arnold nodded in response. "Even if things don't work out romantically between us, let's always be friends. I don't want to lose you again."

"I agree, but I for one can't see us not working out." He bridged the gap between them, gently placing his hand under her chin, and drawing her lips to his. Helga smiled against his mouth. The feeling of his lips against hers once again sent fireworks through her body and she forgot about the rain that was now pouring down on them.

Epilogue

Arnold's POV

Arnold stood in front of his full length mirror, he finished tying his tie and zipped up his gown on. Briefly slipping the blue cap on, swinging the tassel from side to side, each woosh making him more nervous for graduation. Today was the day, the last day of high school. He felt consumed by bittersweet emotions. It was like the past four years of his life had just flown by and now he was just stepping into the unknown. In just a few months he wouldn't be seeing the people he saw everyday for the past thirteen years as often, he wasn't going to live with his grandparents anymore and he didn't know where Helga would be. His spiraling thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

'Hey Shortman! Big day today! Graduating high school. Heck, I remember when we were changing your diapers. I remember the day your father graduated high school. He certainly looks a lot happier than you do right." Arnold's grandpa said, placing a hand on Arnold's shoulder.

"Yup…" Arnold's voice was full of nerves.

"What's wrong Arnold? When I was your age, I was already knee deep in bureaucratic red tape in the military. You should be ecstatic at the possibilities ahead of you. The world is your oyster. You can do anything you want! Especially where you're going to college..." Phil mused.

"I think there might be such a thing as too many options. I almost wish someone would just tell me if I'm making the right choice. Why would Helga think it's a good idea to not tell eachother where we're going to college." He sighed.

"Ah, you're going to miss the girl with the one eyebrow." He quipped as Arnold flashed him a grim look.

"Helga, Grandpa. Her name is Helga and she has two eyebrows now."

"Yeah, yeah I know. I just like to bust her chops. She likes it. Your grandma and I have really liked having her around. Safe to say you're in love with the girl, huh? Arnold, the only person who can make the right choice for you is you. I think Helga has the right idea. If you made your choices based on eachother then you might resent each other forever!" Phil chuckled.

"But how could I resent her for wanting to be near me? I want my future to be her. Honestly, I don't think I'll even feel the same about anyone else. I know I'm young, but I know I want to marry her one day. But then there's this part of me that wants to chase these dreams I've buried beneath wanting to feel safe." Arnold ranted. "We didn't want to make our decisions based off of the other's choice. Let's face it, I probably would have followed her around the globe if I knew where she was going."

"I'm sure she would have too, which is why she didn't tell you. I wish you two luck, long distance can make or break a relationship. Your grandma and I always managed to find our way back to each other and boy did I have some adventures! Well, good luck!" He chuckled.

"Thanks for the warm wishes grandpa. Your words are all at once comforting and disconcerting." Arnold muttered sarcastically.

"Of course. What else am I here for?" Phil laughed. "You better go pick up Helga. We'll all meet you at the auditorium for your death sentence...I mean graduation." His voice trailed off as he left the room.

The brakes squealed as he pulled up in front of Helga's house. He couldn't help but feel nostalgic staring up at the tall row house. The many times they'd talked, fought or kissed on the front steps. How just a week ago, they'd gotten donuts and sat on her front steps and talked until the sun came up. He tried to stay calm at the thought of Helga possibly being across the country from him in just a few months, but if he was completely honest with himself he was terrified. Being with Helga was everything he'd ever wanted and more. It was like giving yourself to someone who filled in all of your holes. The past six months were filled with late nights, double dates, beach trips, and knowing Helga G. Pataki inside and out. Each day he wanted more of her.

"Hey Football Head." Helga called out as she closed her front door behind her before climbing into the car. "Well don't you look sexy in that gown." She raised her eyebrow and giggled before taking in the sad expression he couldn't hide. "Oh no. He's sad and nostalgic. Should I get Big Bob to drive me?" She joked.

"Hey beautiful." He replied. "No, no. I'll be fine. Today's just going to be a sad day."

"Sad day? Look at it like this, Arnold. We never have to see some of those chuckleheads ever again. Plus we get to spend the next four years focused on what we're actually interested in! The world is our oyster." She beamed.

"Maybe you feel that way, but I'm going to miss everyone including you. All I want is more time for us to be together. Don't forget that we're telling each other our college choices tonight. I sent in my dorm deposit last night so it's set." He declared.

"Yup. I know, I know. I also want to spend more time with you, but the past six months have been awesome. Didn't think I'd like being around a dork like you so much." She ruffled his hair before staring out the window as they passed all the spots they visited over the years.

"I feel like we haven't played in Gerald field in forever." He sighed. Helga placed her hand on his thigh, giving it a squeeze.

"It's going to be okay, Arnold. I promise. I'm fully confident that our futures are going to be full of adventure beyond just what Hillwood has to offer. The best thing you can do right now is shift your perspective. Look at all you've accomplished up until now and all you will accomplish in the next few years." She promised.

"I don't think you should make promises that you don't know you can keep." He remarked.

"I'm honestly shocked that you, Arnold the eternal optimist, can't see this as a glass half full situation. Oh how the tides have shifted. It looks like I'm going to have to be the optimist for both of us this time. Don't become one of those guys that peaks in high school, Arnold." She winked at him.

He feigned a smile as they pulled into the parking space, taking a deep breath before getting out of the car and walking towards the school. They separated as they found their place in the alphabetically sorted line. Arnold noted the faces around him, faces full of joy, fear and anticipation. He wondered if he looked as petrified as he felt. He could see Gerald standing tall, looking cool as a cucumber, not to his surprise. Standing there staring at all the familiar faces, he realized that he wasn't alone with what he was feeling. He could see beads of sweat trickling out from under Sid's cap. Eugene was nervously squeezing his boyfriend's hand. The future was unclear for everyone. Regardless of if their futures were beyond their wildest dreams, it still felt like he was diving into the mild of the ocean, at night, during a storm, but maybe just maybe that was ok.

"Why am I not surprised that my beautiful girlfriend gave the best valedictorian speech to ever grace anyone's ears?" Gerald beamed. "I don't think you left a dry eye in that audience. Way to kill it, babe!" He gave her a kiss on the cheek, her face quickly becoming the color of the milkshake she was slurping. The gang sat in Slausons, grad robes unzipped and caps strewn on the table, celebrating that they were now high school graduates.

"Thank you, Gerald. I'll admit I did get a little emotional while writing that speech." She smiled. "Maybe a bit more than emotional, but pleased to see that all my friends are moving on to something greater than themselves. I love you guys." Her eyes grew glossy.

"Geesh Pheebs. You might even make me cry if you start going on like that again." Helga quipped. "But seriously, Phoebe, I don't think I could be more proud to have the smartest best friend on the planet. A full ride to Princeton? My dumb ass could never." She chuckled.

"Yup! Just an hour drive away from me at NYU." Gerald cheered.

"Or! If we want to meet in the middle, I've already found some great cafes for us to try." Phoebe smiled proudly. "So, tonight's the night the two of you tell eachother where you're going next year?"

"Yup…" Arnold sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, "I'm going into it as optimistically as possible." He forced a smile, shoving a spoonful of chocolate ice cream into his mouth to avoid further conversation.

"So you're not optimistic at all?" Gerald laughed.

"Believe me, guys. He's trying. I swear he was about to fall out before the ceremony. I think the king of optimism needs to try to reclaim his throne." Helga elbowed him playfully, giving him a wink. The group laughed. They sat there at the place they'd been to hundreds of times over the years and yet it felt so different. Arnold couldn't help but feel like he was looking at a new normal and he was the first one to realize it. Instead of piping up with his fears, he ate his ice cream and laughed along with the people who'd made him feel whole since day one.

"I guess this is our spot now." Helga looked at the familiar sight of the water in front of her. The stars twinkled above the water she let her toes graze.

"Not for much longer." Arnold smiled, but the tone of his voice didn't match.

"I don't think that's fair to say. Let's vow that if we ever lose our way, we'll find each other here." Her voice gradually grew more serious. "Okay?"

"I promise." He whispered. "Deep down, I know we'll always find our way back to each other, but I don't want to have to."

"Arnold." She stammered. "I love you more than anything in the world. I believe with each and every fiber of my being that we were made to be two halves of a whole. As cheesy as it sounds, I know that whatever's meant to be will happen in the end."

"Helga, just say it." He insisted. He refused to look up at her, but could hear her take a deep breath.

"I'm going to Yale." She sighed, relieved. "See that's not so bad, I'll over be like a couple hours away from here-"

"Helga." Arnold cut her off, "I'm going to Berkeley." His eyes stung and his stomach flipped.

"Berkeley?" Helga deadpanned. "Like California Berkeley?"

"Yup." They stared at each other, both struck with the feeling that everything was about to change.

Author's note: I know, I know. You all probably hate me for leaving it like that. But a sequel will be coming soon after I take a bit of time off so stay tuned :). Thank you everyone for all your reviews and support over the years. I'm glad to wrap up this part of the fic!