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

"Wow, does the time fly by in here, or what?" Vega said sarcastically, greeting Patty and I as we walked into the classroom. It was Tuesday morning… so much had happened in the last week, you would think it'd be time to get out of the class already… part of me didn't want that time to come, though.

"Helga, what are you doing today?" Patty asked as we sat down.

"Eh, nothing." I shrugged, "Probably hang out with Pheebs or something, why?" I propped my feet up onto my desk.

"Hmm, well Harold and I were supposed to go to the movies today but he has wrestling practice after school. I was wondering, would you want to go with me? You know, go see that movie that Harold and I were supposed to."

"Why not? Phoebe will probably end up going somewhere with tall hair boy, anyway." she smirked.

"So… did you go see Arnold yesterday? Like I told you to?"

"…yeah…" I blushed.

"Well?"

"It seems things are pretty good right now. We talked a lot yesterday…" I blushed more.

"Just talked?"

"Yes, just talked! Jeeze does everything have to be about sex with you?!" I said trying to defend myself.

"Pataki! What did I say about irresponsible talk about sex?!" Vega shouted.

"It's not me, it's her!" I pointed to Patty. Patty looked at me blankly then started laughing. Now I know how Arnold felt when I laughed at him about the pregnancy. "What?"

"Nothing… I just think it's funny how you get mad every time the subject comes up." she relaxed in her seat, "If I didn't know better I'd say you were as jumpy as HIM about it…" she winked.

"So? I'm a tightly-wound kind of person, I'm always jumpy about things."

"So, how was he?"

"Come again?"

"Helga… you know what I mean."

"Look Patty," I started off strong, then softened, "Ok, you're right, fine, you know… I… I just don't, well…" I couldn't find the exact words.

"You don't want to talk about it?" she finished.

"…Yeah," I hung my head. It hurt my image to be uncomfortable talking about sex, in my opinion. I didn't think it was appropriate either, for some reason. I guess it was just one of those things that was too personal, even for me…

"That's ok," she said sympathetically, "I understand. I mean, I wouldn't want to go around telling people about my sex life either."

"So why did you pump me for information like that?" I raised an eyebrow.

"It was funny, I guess. I wanted to see if I could get you to admit it, though I knew deep down that it was the truth anyway. I'm sorry, I won't talk about it-"

"Hey, it's not like it's the worst thing in the world. Come on, I'm not THAT sensitive."

She smiled. Then it struck me. I knew it made me uncomfortable to talk about it, yet I put my feelings aside so she wouldn't feel awkward, or hurt… that's not me. That's not how I act. I never put people's feelings in front of my own! Helga G. Pataki would never do that!

"Vega, may I go to the restroom?" I asked, urgently.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Oh, come on!"

"Pataki, if I let you go will you promise to be back within the hour?" She looked up at me, tearing her eyes away from her book.

"Yeah, can I go now?"

"Yeah, sure… go…" she said flatly, and went back to reading.

I jumped up from my chair and walked up to her desk to get the pass. I gave Patty a sheepish smile as I left the room. Right then I had to see Phoebe. I had to see someone who could tell me that I was still me… that I was still the same person I always was.

I found myself on the other side of the building at Miss Evans' A.P. English Lit. class. She was pretty strict about things, I knew, so I had to be careful about getting Pheebs' attention. I tiptoed to the door and peeked in. Evans sat at her desk grading papers, I presume, considering the amount of work she assigned to her students. Phoebe sat in the front row, big surprise there, in the desk closest to the teacher. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"Pst!" I whispered. I saw Eugene sitting in the back of the row in a desk pretty close to me. He was going to have to be my chance at getting Phoebe's attention. "Yo, over here!" I whispered again, waving my hands.

"Oh, hello Helga." he said in a normal voice.

"Shhhhhhhhhut up!" I whispered.

"Oh, sorry," he whispered back, "What are you-"

"You gotta get Pheebs for me." I said, getting to the point.

"How?"

"I don't know, trip over her or something," I said impatiently, "make it so she has to leave the classroom without getting her in trouble."

"Why?"

"Don't ask questions, just do it!" I whispered a little too loudly.

"Um, Eugene, is there someone at the door?" Evans asked in her professional, I'm-smarter-than-you voice.

"No, I was just…" he shifted his eyes around the room.

"Hm, yes, you were just what?" she pressed.

"Going over the assignment out loud, it helps if you do that."

"While I don't object to a student finding his or her own way of doing things as long as they do them, I do NOT tolerate one student making it so OTHERS cannot do their assignment period," she paused, taking off her reading glasses, and simplified it, "you're disturbing others, keep quite."

"Yes Miss Evans."

"Carry on with your work," she dismissively waved her hand and went back to grading papers.

"Y-yes."

"Good job, Einstein." I rolled my eyes, "Now, get Phoebe!"

"Miss Evans?"

She sighed in obvious annoyance, "Yes, Eugene?"

"Can Phoebe help me with the assignment?"

She rolled her eyes, "I don't know, can she?"

"May she?"

"She may… as long as you two stay quiet."

Phoebe turned in her desk to look at Eugene. She got her English book and quietly walked to the back of the room and sat in the desk next to him.

"Yes, what can I help you with?"

Eugene pointed to the door where I stood with my arms folded, "That."

"Oh, I see," Phoebe said to him then looked at me, "Helga? What's up?"

"Phoebe I have to talk to you."

"About what, Helga? Right now? I'm busy at the moment, as you can clearly see; Eugene needs my help." I rolled my eyes.

"Phoebe, I told him to do that!" I whispered loudly.

"Um, no, I believe that was my idea, Helga," Eugene said proudly.

"Oh, well, hmm…" phoebe paused, "Oh! Miss Evans!" she exclaimed gaining the attention of the class.

"Yes, Phoebe?" asked Evans, attentively. Is it just me, or are teachers only nice to the genius students?

"I left my grammar book in my locker and we need it to answer questions 6-11." she pointed to her book to prove it.

"Well, doesn't Eugene have his?"

I glared at Eugene and he gave a small smile, "Nope, must have left mine in my locker as well," He shrugged and she rolled her eyes.

"Phoebe, I guess under the circumstances you may go." Phoebe nodded, then got up and walked to the door. I took her by the arm and led her to the bathroom with me quickly. I didn't say a word to her as I did so.

When we reached the girls bathroom I burst through the door with her. She yanked free then straightened her clothes and glasses. "What's the matter?"

"Phoebe, have I changed?" I asked bluntly.

"No, I don't think you-"

"You can tell me the truth, Pheebs, have I?"

"Well, what exactly do you mean?"

"I mean am I still Helga? Am I really? I, I, I, I don't know what to think anymore!" I threw my hands up in the air and walked over to rest on the bathroom wall, "I mean first Stinky pays attention to me, I know he was looking at someone else because there's really nothing special about me, right? Right? He said I was pretty and-"

"You are, Helga," she said softly. I could tell she was having trouble following me as I was speaking a mile a minute. This didn't faze me, though.

"Let me finish. See there was him, and then I saw Lorenzo; he said I changed. He said, maybe in not so many words, that I was a decent person now. I grew up, he said. Arnold KNOWS I've changed or I'd still be making him mad. He tolerates me now; I know that a few years ago he wouldn't have. I don't understand myself anymore," I slid down the wall and raised my knees to my chest, "I don't feel like Helga anymore. I'm not her. I'm even friends with Big-err-Patty and she's like a sister to me, even though I probably can't admit it really. She's so much like me; how I want to be. The only difference between me and her is she's a nice, decent, person when it counts. She knows the limits of what it is to be appropriate and crossing the line. I want so much to be like her. Can you believe it? Me and Patty, good friends? She's a wonderful person and I don't understand why I'm all of a sudden noticing it now. She's like a best friend now, and I don't even know why. She knows me, Phoebe, better than anyone!" I finished, slightly out of breath. She looked hurt. What did I say?

"I know you too, Helga. I've known you longer than she has and I've never ONCE heard you say such great things about me. Helga, you ARE my sister almost," she small voice cracked, "I had no idea I was being replaced by Big Patty," she said, sounding spiteful.

"No, that's not what I meant, Pheebs!"

"You can't lie to me, Helga, I know you well enough to know when you're heart is in something."

"But you don't understand, I was just babbling, I didn't know what I was saying!" I pleaded, standing up.

"But… I know you… and…" she lowered her head, "if this is really how you feel, then…" she looked at me then back to the floor, "I have to get back to class, Helga… see you around." she walked to the door and left in a hurry.

"I'm sorry, Pheebs…" I said, although she'd left already. She was right to some extent. Patty and I were closer now… but… I wouldn't go so far as to say she was my NEW best friend… would I?

-----

"BOB!! MIRIAM!!! I'M HOME!!! BROUGHT PATTY WITH ME!!" I screamed, walking though my front door. Patty didn't seem to react the way Pheebs had to my yelling. She didn't seem bothered at all.

"Helga," Bob said, coming out of the living room, "Go down to the store and get me some more potato chips."

"Aww," I tilted my head, "You called me Helga… I didn't even have to yell at you… quick, someone get the Kodak camera!" I patted Bob harshly on the back then rolled my eyes.

"Um… right." he eyed me strangely, "Just go to the store."

I looked at Patty and she nodded, "Ok, Dad, but I'm probably not coming back for a while, I'll see you tonight-"

"Right, right. Just get the chips," he walked back into the living room. I guess I couldn't get my hopes up too soon. He only got my name right, I couldn't ask him to suddenly be a caring father…but still, it was kinda like, 'One small step for Man; One giant leap for Mankind'…

"Later!" I slammed my front door closed. Patty and I walked down my stoop and headed for the movie theater. I still hadn't discussed with her what I had talked to Phoebe about. Although the conversation was on my mind and troubling me, I didn't let it show. I wanted to have fun. I wasn't going to let it get to me.

"Something wrong, Helga?" dammit, how did she know?!

"No, just tired, I guess" I shrug it off.

"So what did you run out of the classroom like that for?" she asked, bringing the topic right where I didn't want it to go.

"I needed to pee?" I said, sounding unconvincing. "Look Patty, I have to ask you something," I suddenly sounded serious. We stopped walking and she looked at me.

"Yeah?"

"What kind of friendship do we have? Like, how would you characterize it? Sisterly? Best friend-like? Close friends?"

"Hm… I would LIKE to think we're close. I don't know about best friends, though. I mean, granted, we've NEVER been THIS close in our lives, but… maybe it's because of our history that I can't quickly say that we're the best of friends," she scratched her head, "you know?"

I smiled, "Yeah, I know…"

"What about you?" she asked in return as we started walking again.

"I think… I think we're about as close as we'll ever be." she smiled back at me.

"You know, that means a lot coming from you."

"I know,"

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This is kind of a shorter chapter, sorry. I had to do that because in the next chapter a lot of things are going to happen. This chapter was kind of like the 'lead in', you could say. Hope you liked this one, even if it didn't have much of Arnold in it ;)

Keep the reviews coming! I wanna know what you think!