Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold! and associated characters.

Note: This is my first Hey Arnold fic, and yeah, I know the plot's probably been done a zillion times, but I thought like writing my version of it, like it or not! ^.~

The Cruise

"And the winner is…" all the kids of P.S. 118 were all seated in the gymnasium, waiting to see who would win the latest unknown prize.

"Helga Pataki!" Mr. Simmons called from the stage. The kids erupted in applause.

"Come on down, Helga, and get your prize!"

Although Helga was somewhat surprised, she made her way to the stage.

"Congratulations, Helga!" Phoebe smiled.

"Yeah yeah," Helga got up from her seat.

"Probably something cheap and useless…" she mumbled to herself, while reaching the stage.

"Congratulations, Helga! Here's your prize! Four tickets to board the special Sunset Cruise, for a week, for free! This includes meals you have on the cruise, and the whole cruise itself!" Mr. Simmons grinned, proudly handing the tickets to Helga.

"Your poetry was worth, it, huh?" Mr. Simmons whispered, nudging Helga. "Ms. Anonymous?"

"Yeah, yeah, I guess so," Helga snapped, grabbing her four tickets.

"This is just what I need," Helga mumbled sarcastically, walking back to her seat. "Wait a minute!" she realized. "This is just what I need! This is how I can confess my undeniable feelings for Arnold! Ha! This is perfect! But how do I invite him, without actually inviting him?" she asked herself, sitting down.

"Here, Pheebs," Helga said, giving Phoebe one of her tickets.

"Thank you, Helga!" Phoebe said politely, trying to hide the fact that she was so surprised.

"No problem," Helga shook it off like it was nothing.

"Hey, Helga," Gerald addressed her. Gerald and Arnold were sitting behind Helga and Phoebe.

"What do you want, Geraldo?" Helga snapped, turning around to face him.

"You still have two tickets left," he stated the obvious.

"Yeah, so? What's it to you?" Helga raised her brow.

"Who else are you going to invite?" Arnold finished innocently.

"Hmm, that's a good question, football-head! I haven't given it much thought…" she lied.

"Well, we could go!" Arnold put on his best smile, trying to convince her to let Gerald and him go.

"Hmm, lemmie think," Helga said sarcastically.

Gerald and Arnold exchanged glances, and lifted their hands to high-five, when -

"NO WAY!" she yelled in their faces. Gerald and Arnold sadly put their arms down.

"Well who else are you going to invite? Harold? Lila? Stinky…" Gerald began to list names of his classmates.

"Listen, bucko," Helga cut him off. "I'll invite whoever I want!" she yelled in Gerald's face.

Gerald and Arnold frowned. "Fine Helga, fair enough," Arnold said reasonably, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Fine," Gerald said, not getting ready to give up anytime soon.

Later, at recess…

"Hello Helga," Gerald approached Helga as she sat on the bench and talked with Phoebe. "Phoebe," he added.

"Hi Gerald," Phoebe greeted.

"Tall hair boy," Helga grumbled.

"What's up?" he tried to be innocent.

"Listen, geekbait, you're not gettin' those tickets anytime soon!" Helga said, pointing an accusing finger at Gerald, as she yelled.

"Oh, is that so?" Gerald asked coolly.

"You better believe it!" Helga yelled.

"We'll just have to see about that," he said walking away and discussing something with Arnold.

Later, after school…

Helga picked up her books and was walking down the hall when Arnold approached her.

"Hey Helga," he said, walking with her down the hall.

"What do you want, Arnoldo?" she demanded. 'This is just what I need,' she thought sarcastically.

"Nothing, just thought I'd talk to you, that's all," Arnold said.

Helga looked at him sceptically.

"Listen," he stopped walking and she stopped beside him. "Gerald and I would really like to go on that cruise, but if you don't want to invite us, be sure to have a fun time for us, okay?" Arnold said walking off.

Helga frowned as she watched him walk down the hall. He had gone and done it again. He had made her do the right thing. She sighed in defeat. "Wait up, football-head!" she called.

Arnold turned around. "Yeah, Helga?" he asked doubtfully.

"I…the cruise…" she began nervously, not making eye contact and rubbing her arm. "You guys can come with us," she finally said, looking up.

"Really?" Arnold asked, surprised but ecstatic.

"Yeah," she gave in, handing him the two extra tickets.

"Thanks Helga!" he said, hugging her.

'Ohh' she sighed happily to herself, as she melted. She soon snapped out of it. "Yeah, well, you better get going quickly before I change my mind!" she yelled.

"Okay," Arnold shot her a winning smile before running down the hall to tell Gerald. "Thanks again!"

She watched him leave, and walked down the school stairs outside. When no one was looking, she ran into an alleyway and unleashed her locket, looking lovingly at her little photo of Arnold.

"Oh Arnold, how I love you. I love how you have a sense of right and wrong, how you're constantly helping others, how you smile, how your little football-head head is so unique," she swooned, as she placed her locket back in her dress. "But most of all, I love how you're coming on a cruise with me! Ohh!" she said happily.

A familiar wheezing sound came from behind her. Helga groaned and instinctively punched Brainy in the face. He fell over, and Helga walked away.

**

Helga opened her door to hear Big Bob's cheers of "Yeah, this is the best one yet!" Helga guessed that he was watching another one of his beeper commercials. She dropped her bag and walked up stairs.

She flipped on her light switch in her room, and walked to her closet, pulling out a stepladder. She climbed the stepladder, and reached her Arnold shrine in the attic. (A/N: Yeah, she moved it – remember? See "Hey Arnold! The Movie").

"Oh Arnold!" she bowed down to her shrine. "I will make sure that this will be the best cruise ever!" she said, before taking a deep breath and exhaling. "I will try to be nice to you."

**

"Hey short man!" Arnold's grandpa greeted Arnold as he walked through the front door.

"Hi grandpa," Arnold said excitedly.

"Where have you been all day?" Grandpa demanded with his hands on his hips.

Arnold rolled his eyes. "School, grandpa," he replied.

"Oh right, right!" Grandpa said as he chuckled, releasing his hands from his hips. "It's a school day!" he reminded himself.

"Anyway, I need to call Gerald," Arnold practically sang.

"Okay," Grandpa smiled. "Why are you so excited?"

"Helga gave Gerald and me tickets to go on the Sunset Cruise with her and Phoebe!" Arnold exclaimed happily, reaching for the phone. He picked it up but Grandpa's hand pushed the phone back on the receiver.

"Helga? Is that the mean little girl with the pink bow and the one eyebrow?"

"Yeah…"

"Well lucky you, short man!" he high-fived Arnold, taking his hand off the phone and walking away.

Arnold picked up the phone and called Gerald.

"Hello? Gerald? I have the best news in the world!"

"Hey, what is it man?"

"I got the tickets!"

"Really? How'd you get 'em?"

"I don't know, actually…"

"Hehe, put on your charm?"

"Ha, ha, very funny."

"So you got them? Wow! That's great!"

"Yeah, I'll give you your ticket tomorrow at school, okay?"

"Okay man, sounds great."

"Bye!"

"Later!"

Arnold hung up the phone.

**

Arnold pulled his bed covers over himself and snuggled down into the warm welcoming bed. He looked up at the darkening sky through his skylight, before his eyelids grew heavy.

Dream Vision: On >

Arnold looked around. He appeared to be on the Sunset Cruise. Everyone was dressed up fancily though. He looked down at himself, noticing he was wearing a tuxedo and a tie. He appeared to be in the dining room. He was sitting beside Helga, across from Gerald and diagonal from Phoebe.

"Uh, what's going on?" Arnold asked Helga.

"We're having diner, Arnold," she replied softly. Arnold was surprised she referred to him as 'Arnold' and refrained from using 'football-head', 'hair boy,' 'paste-for-brains,' or 'Arnoldo.' He smiled at her kindly.

Helga put an arm around Arnold. Arnold was a bit taken back. "Uh, Helga? What are you doing?" his smile faded.

"Well now that we love each other, I thought putting my arm around you would be a nice gesture of love," she said, scooting in closer to him. Arnold's eyes widened.

"Wha – love?" was all he managed to spit out.

Helga chuckled heartily. "Yeah, Arnold!" she said before leaning in. "Now come here, ya big lug, I'll show you another gesture of love," she moved in to kiss him, as Arnold's eyes widened even more and he tried to move away but Helga caught him off guard, right on the lips.

Dream Vision: Off >

"Ahh!" Arnold woke with a start. What a strange dream! What was it all supposed to mean? Maybe it was some sort of sign for the Sunset Cruise, approaching? He shuddered at the thought. Hopefully not…it seemed a lot like the time she had confessed on the top of the FTI building, and kissed him. But that had been the heat of the moment…right? Part of his mind told him she meant every word, but the other half screamed 'no way!' He sighed, before clearing his thoughts and drifting off.

Hey, whadja think? Don't forget to R+R! A/H in later chapters. ^_^

~ Satokasu Suki