DISCLAIMER: Hey Arnold-not mine, never will be.

I walked happily back into the I.S.S. room. I had a broad smile that spread from ear to ear. Who cares if I have to spend two days more in this stupid class, I thought, at least I don't feel so guilty anymore. I twirled a few times upon entering the classroom and gingerly gave the pass back to Vega.

"You're certainly in a better mood, Pataki," she said, smiling at my sudden, and great, change of attitude.

"Yep," was all I said. I almost skipped back to my desk but remembered to control my behavior.

"Must have been some pee, eh, Helga?" Patty said, with a wink. I didn't know what THAT was about, but nothing then could spoil my good mood.

"So Patty, how was your little date thing with Harold? What happened at the cheese thing?" I sat down, not even looking once at Arnold. I felt something tugging at my heart, but I ignored it. I was doing the right thing… I knew I was…

"It was great. We rode a bunch of rides, ate cheese… I saw stinky there, but I didn't see you, where were you?" she asked, innocently. Should I tell her I was with Arnold? No, no… that would just make her start asking those stupid questions about us having sex…

"I was around…" I said, looking into my book bag for some paper.

"I see." she said slowly, winking again. What's with all the winking?! "So… I saw you with Arnold, though, did you ditch Stinky or something?" she asked, a smile forming on her lips. Oh, that's what she was winking about…

"Yeah, I was with him. We both got ditched by our dates. Stinky loved cheese just a tad more than spending the evening with me. Can't say I was disappointed, though." she laughed a little, "and Arnold's date, well, she just didn't wanna go, I guess." I looked over at him. He sat with his head down, probably sleeping. I was smarter than that, though. He could be trying to fool me to see what I might say if I thought he was asleep. I guess I was becoming a little paranoid, heh.

"Well, at least you went together, right? You had a little fun." she said.

"Yeah, I did," I couldn't lie, "even if it WAS with the stupid football head."

She smirked. Patty was just one of those people who could see right through me. She knew when I was lying. The casual onlooker might think that WE should have been the best friends instead of the complete opposites Pheebs and I were. Patty KNEW me, and I didn't even know how.

There was a sudden loud knock at the door which arose Arnold from his slight nap. "Mrs. Vega," said Principal Wartz. For a brief second he glanced at me, then looked back to Vega.

"Yes Mr. Wartz?" she said, standing up from her desk to go greet him.

"I'm here for Arnold." Wartz handed her a note.

I looked at Arnold out of the corner of my eye and saw him frown.

"Well, it says here that you're released from I.S.S.," Vega started, "get your things together and you're to be escorted to your 1st period class." even SHE sounded confused, I could only imagine what was going through his mind.

Arnold sat unmoving for a minute, "But, Mrs. Vega, that can't be possible."

"Apparently it is, football head," I said looking at him. He looked back at me for only a second before Wartz told him to hurry up, that he 'didn't have all day'.

"I'll see you around, then, Patty… Helga…" he got this things together and walked to the front of the classroom. He turned to give me one last confused glance before following Wartz out of the room.

"Well, there goes another one of my students…" Vega commented walking back to her desk to fill out the paper work.

"You did that, didn't you." Patty accused with a slight smile.

"What do you mean?"

"You got him out of this class." how could she know that?

"No I didn't," I nervously said, "Wartz probably just realized he'd made a terrible mistake, that's all."

"Sure, Helga. That's why you ran out of the classroom isn't it? You talked to Wartz."

"Ok so I did! Don't tell anyone, though, I don't want people thinking I actually like the guy or anything…" I looked away.

"It's ok, Helga I won't tell anyone. And I already know you like him so It's not like some huge surprise." my eyebrows shot up. She knows everything…

"You do?"

"I'm not so dumb after all am I?" she said with a smirk.

"Not at all…" I said astonished.

"You know, Helga, I knew you weren't really sleeping that day in class. You might have been able to fool Arnold, but not me."

"How did you know?"

"I'm not deaf, dumb, AND blind, you know…" she replied.

I smiled. I was beginning to like my time in this I.S.S. class after all.

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"Hey, Pheebs!" I said, closing my locker after school. "Whatdya say we go see a movie today, I'm just in a great mood." I sighed happily.

"That'd be great Helga, but…"

I rolled my eyes, "OK, you can invite Gerald, I guess." she hugged me.

"Thanks Helga! What time are we going?" I shrugged. "Shall we look at the movie times? Can we go to your house after I ask my parents?"

I nodded, and followed her to the bus. We stepped on and walked to our usual seats. "Helga, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why are you so happy? I mean, I understand that making things better for… 'ice cream'… is what you wanted all along, but… if you still care about him, why ruin your chances with him?" stupid Phoebe and all her stupid logic…

"I think I already HAVE ruined my chances, Pheebs, so what's the harm in helping his life to get a little better?"

"The harm is it's going to tear you apart!" she said loudly, gaining the attention of everyone on the bus." she smiled weakly, "Sorry, Helga… got a little carried away there…" she giggled nervously.

"WHAT ARE ALL OF YOU LOOKING AT?!?!?!" I shouted and all together everyone turned around and diverted their attention away from me.

"I just don't think this way of thinking is healthy for you." Phoebe looked down.

"Oh, come on, Pheebs, I'll be ok." I said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Just then Arnold and Gerald stepped onto the bus. Phoebe smiled at Gerald and he winked at her in return. They walked past us and sat in the very back of the bus. Arnold never looked at me once. He and Gerald were too engrossed in a conversation about something to notice me. Thank God. I mean, what would Phoebe have said if Arnold looked at me? I didn't need to talk about this any further with her. It was making me think twice and I didn't want to back down from my decision to fix Arnold's problems at my own expense. I was finally doing something unselfish…

She sighed, "So you think what you're doing is right?"

"Yep," I nodded.

"OKAY Helga, I guess I can't change your mind, now can I?"

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"BOB, MIRIAM!! I'M HOME!! I BROUGHT PHOEBE WITH ME!!" I screamed as Pheebs and I walked into the house. Phoebe winced at my loud entrance.

"Oh, Olga, it's you…" Big Bob said, walking out of the living room. "I gotta ask you something."

"Pheebs, go upstairs and wait for me, I'll be right up." I said to her. She nodded and walked the rest of the way upstairs.

"I need you to-"

"Uh, uh, uh," I shook my finger, "I'm not doing anything until you get my name right." I smirked.

"Look, Olga, I don't have time for this nonsense-"

"You called me Olga again." I said, "Can you say HELGA?" H-E-L-G-A?"

"That's what I said."

"No, you said, Olga."

"OK, FINE, HELGA!" he said, losing his patience, "Just go outside and take out the trash!"

"Whoo! Go DAD!" I said with sarcastic enthusiasm, throwing my hands in the air, "You got my name right! You deserve a cookie!" I rolled my eyes. He raised an eyebrow then walked back into the living room, shaking his head. I didn't care, I was still in too good of a mood to let anything bother me.

As soon as I got back from taking out the trash I walked up to my room to get Phoebe. I opened the door and saw her just hanging up the phone. "Call Gerald?" I asked, closing my door.

"Uh huh," she said, blushing, "I hope you don't mind I used your phone without asking you first."

"Don't sweat it!" I said, holding up a hand, "What did he say?"

"He said he'd be glad to go. He suggested we go see that new action movie, 'Die Another Day', or something… I don't mind really. Is it ok with you?"

I was in unusually good spirits then, so even spending the evening with Gerald didn't bother me. "Yeah, sure, that's ok. What time does the movie start?"

-----

"Come on, man, it's just a movie." Gerald pleaded with his best friend.

"No, Gerald, there's no way I'm going to that movie with you guys."

"Why not? It could be fun. And you don't even have to talk to Helga at all. You could sit next to me and she could sit next Phoebe. Please? Celebrate, man! You're out of I.S.S.! And you even get make up all your work! It's like you were never even in that class!" Gerald excitedly said, patting him on the back.

"But… what if it gets awkward?"

"How would it get awkward?"

"Gerald…" Arnold gave his friend a stern look.

"Come on, you can't hide out forever!"

"True… but that doesn't mean I have to go on a 'double date' or whatever with the person I don't wanna see!"

"It's not a date, man, it's just four friends going to see a movie."

"Yeah, except two of those friends are dating and the other two aren't speaking. You don't think that could get awkward?"

The two sat on Arnold's bed in silence. Should he go for his best friend and risk an awkward moment with Helga, or not go and potentially hurt Gerald's feelings? Arnold sighed, he knew what he had to do, "Ok, I'll go. But if things get weird, then-"

"They won't, come on man, where's that optimistic side of yours?" Gerald asked.

"I think I left it on the bus…" he groaned in reply. There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Arnold called.

"It's just me, short man," his grandpa said, opening the door, "I just waned to tell you before you go that Pooky and I were watching the news and well… It said that there could be rain tonight. Just wanted you to be prepared is all," his grandpa winked.

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By 7 o'clock it was dark out and Pheebs and I were on our way to the movie theater. It was a cool night, sort of breezy. It was perfect to me. Phoebe started telling me about her and Gerald's 3 year anniversary, but I couldn't really pay attention that well. My mind laid elsewhere.

"Can you believe it, Helga, it's been three years since Gerald and I first fell in love…" she had a dreamy look in her eyes.

"That's great Pheebs," I said giving her a smile. We approached the theater entrance and I stopped, dead in my tracks. There was Gerald and Arnold standing at the ticket counter. "Phoebe, how could you?!" I said in a frantic whisper.

"Oh, Helga, I had no idea he was going to invite Arnold!" she looked worried for me.

"Oh, come on, like he didn't tell you anything over the phone?!"

"No, nothing. I'm sorry, Helga, I'm sure he didn't mean to ruin your evening."

I took a deep breath and started walking again. "Well, if it isn't tall hair boy and football head!" I said with my hands on my hips. Oops, slipped on the name calling again…

"Hey, Helga," Gerald said, seemingly oblivious to what I'd just called him. Maybe he was used to it… or maybe he was just in a good mood like me and didn't let anything bother him. Either way, it was good for me.

"Hey, Phoebe," he said next, greeting his girlfriend with a peck on the cheek. "I got the tickets for you guys." he turned to me and smirked, "I hope you don't mind Helga, but I paid for your ticket too."

"Yeah, yeah, thanks." I said, taking my ticket from his hand.

"Well, shall we go?" Arnold asked in general, opening the door for us all. He was still such the gentleman…

"Why, that's so nice of you Arnold," Phoebe said, walking through the door with Gerald's arm around her. I folded my arms and walked after them

"Yeah, thanks, football head…" I mumbled.

"Anytime." I hated it when he was so nice to me! Wasn't he supposed to be mad at me?! After the way I treated him!? After suddenly leaving his house without so much as an explanation?!

We reached our theater after going to get a few snacks and such. It wasn't very crowded at all so we had our pick at seats. We all decided to sit right in the middle instead of at the top or the bottom. I would have preferred sitting at the top, but oh well. We all sat down as follows: Arnold next to Gerald on his left, Pheebs next to him on his right, and me on her right. Arnold and I couldn't get any further apart. I was relieved to some extent, but sad at the same time.

The movie was ok, I liked the action sequences a lot. Everything was fine until the movie was at it's final scene. The leading man was with some woman. She professed her love for him and they kissed. For some reason this struck a cord with me. I slouched in my seat. I was uncomfortable. I didn't want to see this anymore. All at once my good mood was gone. It pissed me off that one movie scene could destroy my day or what was left of it. They kissed and kissed some more. Criminey! When will they stop?! I looked away from the screen and fidgeted in my seat.

"Helga, are you ok?" Phoebe asked in a whisper.

"I need some air, I'll be outside." I said, getting up. I started half walking, half running to the exit in the theater. I burst through the doors and found myself out in the rain. Suddenly, my nice breezy night turned into a rain storm. The weather seemed to mimic my mood. All at once I felt terribly sad. I closed my eyes to hold back tears without success. Although I found myself actually crying you would have never noticed. The raindrops seemed to mix with my own tears and wash them away for me. The rain began to fall harder and heavier, almost to where it actually hurt. It didn't matter to me, though.

I stood, a few steps from the exit of the movie theater, drenched in the rain. I was wrong about Arnold… Phoebe was right… I don't want him with Lila… I even got him out of I.S.S. so she would like him! What the hell was wrong with me?!

Suddenly the rain seemed to stop and it broke my train of thought. For a second I thought it was a miracle because I could see it raining around me, but then I looked up and saw a blue umbrella. No, it couldn't be…

I looked to my side and saw Arnold standing next to me. He didn't say anything, he just simply stood there with me in the rain…

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Hope you liked this chapter. It seems Helga and Patty are sorta 'bonding'… could that mean trouble for Phoebe in the 'best friend' department?