Where to Begin Chapter 8: The Multitalented Helga G Pataki, a hey arnold fanfic

A/N: I am taking a break from homework and researching my English paper (we are currently working on note cards, which is the most boring thing I have done in that class this year. Wait, I take that back. My teacher once spent a whole class period, which is eighty minutes, talking about the history of basketball in my state. I had never hated school and basketball as much as I did at that moment), so I hope you enjoy this because it is coming at the expense of my sleep. ^_^ Actually, I don't care. I can function on minimal amounts of sleep. I used to stay up until two in the morning because I wanted to watch Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakoshu, and Cowboy Bebop (yes, I have no life). Also, I am, for once, in a good mood, because the other night I watched my favorite South Park episode. It was the one where Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman go to Afghanistan. Classic. Seriously.

I'd also like to quickly note that yesterday was the birthday of a great man, Chipper Jones, and another great man, Andruw Jones, had a birthday the day before. Happy Birthday boys, and keep up the division titles!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold! because if I did I would be a lot happier (well, maybe. You know what they say: Mo' money, mo' problems, though I have no money and I still have a lot of problems).

Where to Begin

Chapter 8 – The Multitalented Helga G. Pataki

"I really hate dresses." Helga looked in the mirror with a disgusted look on her face. She tilted her head in an attempt to see if she appeared this awful from every angle, and to her dismay she realized she was right.

Callie wandered over to her. "You look fine."

"I do not like fine. I look like a drag queen."

Callie also tilted her head and looked at the frowning blonde. "Now that you mention it . . ." Helga shot a dirty look at the other girl. Callie laughed. "I'm joking. You look fine."

"No, I look like a guy in a green dress." She sighed. Today the all girls were trying on dresses so they could decide what they were going to wear at the beginning of the pageant. The dress Helga had on was simple. It was a one shoulder, emerald green dress with sparkles that had an angled bottom, starting at mid-thigh on her left leg and ended below her right knee. She glared at her reflection. "I look awful."

"Hello! Have you looked at me?" Callie cried. Helga finally glanced at the other girl. She was wearing a while silk top with only one sleeve with a white peasant style skirt with lots of ruffles, and to be honest, she looked awful in it. "I look ridiculous!"

Helga smiled slightly. "Yeah, you do." Callie folded her arms across her chest. "But you still look better than me," Helga added quickly. "Really, look at my arms. I have guy arms."

"You do not have guy arms. I would love to have your arms, but I am too lazy to ever go and work out."

"What are you talking about? I look like a guy anyways, and this dress just accentuates every nonfeminine part of my body! I even have man boobs!"

Callie raised an eyebrow. She had no idea that Helga cared so much about how she looked and that she was this overdramatic. "I am only going to say this once, and I say that in a nonlesbian lover type way." The two exchanged glances. "Not that there's anything wrong with that," the girls said in unison.

"I'm glad to hear that," Helga said.

"Anyways, you look fine. Actually, you look amazing. Every guy that sees you like this will be drooling, even more than normal. And you don't have man boobs. You're pretty muscular, but you don't look like those disgusting female body builders on ESPN. Now they have man boobs."

Helga grinned and spun around in front of the mirror. "Maybe I do look okay."

A young woman walked over to them, and she was the coolest looking girl Helga had ever seen. She was small, about 5'2'', and Helga bet she was barely over hundred pounds, if even that. Her hair was platinum with hot pink and bright green highlights, and she wore it half up, half down, the ponytail directly on top of her head. Dark lashes framed her amethyst eyes, and her eye shadow was bright silver. She wore a black t-shirt that said Riot Girl in hot pink, and she wore dark green cargo pants. "Are you girls about ready? The others are beginning to get restless."

"They're harmless," Callie said.

"I was talking about the other designers, not the contestants." She looked the girls up and down. "That's not mine," she said, laughing slightly at Callie's outfit, causing the young girl to scowl. She turned to Helga. "That, however, is mine. And you look great in it. I made it really for someone your size, but the amazing thing is that it will look great on just about anybody."

Helga looked at her. "You designed this dress?"

"Yep."

"You're Reilly Dresden?" Callie asked.

"In the flesh."

"Oh my god! I love your work!" she squealed and then clamped her hands over her mouth. "I am so sorry. You must get that all the time," she said sheepishly.

Reilly smiled. "It's okay. I'm used to it."

Helga looked at her. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"Wow, you like to ask those normally barred questions. But I'm twenty-seven."

Helga smiled. "Geez. Twenty-seven and one of North America's biggest designers. That is amazing, and exhausting."

Reilly grinned. "Yeah, but I am having a hell of a time." She eyed Helga. "I know you. I've seen you before."

Callie gave Helga a strange look, but Helga had a feeling she knew from where. "Did you go to a Johnny Stitches show a couple of years ago?"

"I have only been to one of that hack's shows, when I was getting my degree." She smiled from ear to ear as she snapped her fingers. "The It Girl. I never thought I would have a chance to met you." She extended her hand.

Callie was confused, and it showed on her face. Helga shook Reilly's hand. "I was a model when I was nine."

Callie's eyes widened. "Get out!" she cried, pushing Helga.

"No, she's not. I was actually at the show when you ruined his line. Took him years to recover from that," Reilly said, smirking. "I still can't believe you were replaced by the Hat Girl. That was a shit design if I ever saw one. I mean, honestly, who wants to walk around looking like the Mad Hatter?"

"So what happened to Johnny?"

Reilly looked at her peculiarly. "He's a judge for the pageant."

Helga's mouth fell open. "Well, it should be interesting when he sees me again."

"I'll say. He'll probably want to sign you again. I have to say, you look much better with two eyebrows."

Helga blushed. "Thanks."

"Well, anyways, I'll talk to you guys later." She started to turn away, but she faced the girls. "Come to my studio this weekend to pick out dresses for the pageant. Not to be egotistical or anything, but it would be in your best interest." She looked at Callie again, and snickered. "Trust me." She waved and went in the direction of the stage.

Callie turned to Helga. "I remember now! I even had one of those dresses."

Helga groaned. "That was a long time ago. Can we just go on stage and get this over with?"

"After you, It Girl."

Helga groaned. So it's true what they say. Your past does come back to haunt you.

She stepped on stage and was surprised at how much Arnold and his team had gotten done. The steps were fully assembled, and they were working on installing the lights on the front of the stairs. Helga had to admit that it looked awesome. She was still staring at the set when she heard several gasps behind her.

"Ohmigod, that is the perfect dress!"

"I love it!"

"We have to have that one!"

"Can we get it in different colors?"

"She looks amazing in that! I want to look like that!"

Helga turned around and saw most of the other contestants rushing towards her and Callie. She turned to her friend. "They actually like your outfit?"

Callie simply stared at Helga.

"What?"

"You have got to be the most dense person in the world." Callie rolled her eyes. "They are talking about you."

Helga's eyes bulged out of her head as the girls circled around her. She noticed that some of the female set designers had also come over.

"Helga, that dress is gorgeous!" Sarah Andrews said.

"We have to have that one," Christina Hampton added.

Sabrina Verducci spoke up. "But we can't all have the same. We need different colors."

Gabriella Caulfield turned to Valencia Martinez. "You would look good in coral."

"And you would look great in a dark red."

"Helga should stay in that color," Zoe O'Shaughnessey said. "It looks great on her."

Callie noted Lila's displeased facial expression. Actually, Lila looked like she wanted to rip Helga to shreds, dress and all. "I completely agree."

Lila's lip curled in disgust. Hailey Holden was standing beside her with the same look on her face. Great, Helga thought, another carbon copy of Lila. "I think that we should go with something more elegant for the opening."

The girls turned their attention to Lila, who was wearing a tight dark blue dress that reached the floor. "Lila, we wouldn't be able to move in that dress, let alone dance," Annabella Chen said, reminding the girls that they had to dance in the dresses that they picked in the opening.

"Like Helga's dress is sweats and a sweatshirt," she snapped.

"But it's not skin tight," Katrina Hudson shot back. Helga had seen enough of Katrina to see that she deeply disliked Lila. "It's shorter, so we will be able to move easier, and we won't have to worry about tripping over the hem of our dress." The other girls agreed amongst themselves.

Arnold looked up from the music stand he was painting and saw a group of girls circled around Helga, and for once she has not fighting with Lila. A tiny blonde was glaring at Lila with a look of hatred that Lila got from many people. "What are they doing?" he asked Josh.

"According to Taryn, they are picking out dresses." Arnold looked over to his left and saw that Taryn, Kathryn, Mara, and Adam D. were watching with interest. He would have asked them to get back to work, but he was too tired to deal with their protests. He watched with interest as the girl looked like she was going to take Lila down when Mrs. Chadwick walked towards them followed by two women and a man, not one of them looking like a normal human being. He guessed they were the designers.

"So, girls, have you decided what you wanted to wear?" Mrs. Chadwick said in an overly cheery tone.

"Definitely Helga's." Isabella Rivas said. The other girls excitedly agreed. Well, most of them. Lila still looked extremely pissed.

"But we were wondering if we could have it in different colors," Rei Ono added.

Mrs. Chadwick turned to Reilly. "I believe that is your design, Miss Dresden."

Reilly smiled. "It's my favorite design, and I could easily make different colors for every girl."

Mrs. Chadwick clapped her heads. "Well, that's that. Girls please come over here and tell Miss Dresden what color you would like. Helga, would you like to keep the color you have?"

Reilly spoke up. "Actually, Helga can take that dress with her. It looks perfect, and I don't think I even need to make any adjustments." Helga beamed while Lila's eyes narrowed to tiny slits.

Helga walked to the dressing room to change into practice clothes. Callie followed her after she told Reilly what color she wanted (Reilly was coming on Saturday to measure the girls). "Well, aren't you the life of the party?"

"That? The girls just liked the dress."

"Not all of them," Callie said as she pulled a sweatshirt over her head.

"Oh, Lila? She hates me, remember? That's nothing new."

Callie did not look convinced. "Helga, I'd watch out for her. Lila doesn't seem like the type of girl who lets other people have her spotlight."

Helga shrugged. "Well, she's going to have to get used to it. A lot of these girls could easily be in the top five instead of her."

"Helga, I'm serious. I have a bad feeling about this."

"So do I, but I think it might just be the cole slaw I had for lunch. I keep telling myself that I shouldn't trust it, but I ate it anyways."

"Helga, just think about it, okay?"

"I will. I will. I'll be careful around the Wicked Witch of the West." She finished tying her shoe. "Let's go." Helga tried to shrug it off, but she could not shake the feeling that Callie was right about Lila.

¤ ~ ¤ ~ ¤

Arnold yawned, stretched his arms, and then fell backwards onto one of the Persian rugs of the Omni Theater's lobby. Josh was lying on his back on the settee in front of Arnold throwing a read bouncy ball up in the air. Helga was running late, and Josh was waiting with Arnold. The boys were exhausted. Yesterday they had to work their butts off to finish the steps for the set and today they began to set up the lights on the stairs and paint. Arnold closed his eyes to try to lessen the headache that had formed between them, but Pagliacci was playing over the intercom system. "Quando questa commedia finirà?" he said aloud.

"What did you say?" Josh asked, momentarily stopping.

"Nothing," Arnold said. Where is Helga? I want to go home. He supposed Josh could just take him home, but Helga would never see the logic in that and would be offended. Arnold's head suddenly snapped up when Josh began humming, "Hail to the Chief." The boy scared him sometimes. Just then Josh threw the ball too high. It hit the ceiling and began to bounce around the room like the ball in Pong. The two boys jumped up and tried vigorously to get it before broke anything. Josh ran after it but because he was watching the ball, tripped over a chair and landed hard on his shoulder. Arnold dove for it and ended up getting massive floor burns on his knees. Josh an Arnold watched in horror as the ball zoomed toards a very expensive-looking vase at the reception desk (which was luckily empty, though Arnold was sure that some security camera was watching them somewhere) when a small brunette caught the ball before it struck the lamp. "I never play sports and yet I caught the ball and you two are on the floor. Man, you boys are pathetic." Callie smiled at the two of them as she lightly tossed the ball.

Arnold got up while Josh remained awestruck on the floor. "Where's Helga?"

She scoffed. "You're welcome," she snapped. Her grinned reappeared. "Why do you ask?"

"Because she is supposed to take me home."

Callie closed her eyes and nodded She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I understand. You're missing your backseat lovin'!"

Josh began laughing on the floor behind them as Arnold turned bright red. "No! I just need to go home."

"Oh, so then you can go to sleep."

Arnold stared at her. "Uh, sure," he said slowly.

"Then you can dream about some back seat lovin' from Helga."

At this Josh began rolling on the floor and Arnold's face became redder. Callie's facial expression suddenly changed and she brought her hands to her mouth, looking truly sorry for what she had just said. "Arnold, I'm so sorry." Maybe she's not that bad. Callie continued. "I mean, you probably wouldn't know what to do with a girl in that situation."

Josh was now howling and banging his fist on the floor. Arnold's eyes bugged out and his face darkened, if that was possible. Callie hugged him. "It's okay, Arnold. Josh and I will help you through this."

Arnold was numb. He couldn't move, couldn't think, and Callie's embrace prevented him from breathing properly. She pulled away and laughed at him. "My, God, Arnold. I'm only joking," she said and punched him in the arm with more force then he thought she could muster.

"Callie, give the boy a break."

The three looked at Helga, who was laughing softly. "You liked that?" Callie asked.

"Yeah, but it's not true."

"What?" she asked, looking back and forth between Helga and Arnold and wondering if the two had ever done anything with each other.

"Have you looked at me? Arnold has enough sense to realize that I am so far out of his league that he can't even fantasize about me. It causes too much trauma."

Arnold's jaw dropped. Callie and Josh laughed as Helga smiled sweetly at him. Arnold tried weakly to redeem himself. "Keep telling yourself that," he said, but she was the only one who heard him. Josh was again rolling on the floor and Callie was hunched over holding her gut. "It's not that funny, is it?" Arnold asked.

"I didn't think so."

"What took you so long?"

"I was fighting with Samson. He wanted me to stay after to work on my talent act."

"So since you are here I'm assuming you won?"

"You should never assume."

Arnold's face fell. He could not believe he had to stay longer. "Can I go with Josh?"

"I was hoping that you would want to help me decide what to do."

He sighed. "I guess if you want me to."

"Great." She looked at the others. "Are you finished yet?"

Callie stopped and cleared her throat. "I think so."

"Good," Helga said as she walked back towards one of the studios. Two men were waiting there, and he guess that the one that looked extremely pissed off was Samson. Arnold smiled slightly. It tends to happen when you have to work with Helga. He recognized the other man as Julio Lopez, who was in charge of the music department at the Omni. He was sitting in front of a computer. Helga snapped, "I'm ready."

"Well, what do you want to do?" Samson asked in an equally distasteful tone.

"Well, I can play 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' on a pennywhistle while balancing a book on my head and peeling a banana with my toes."

Samson was not amused. "Can you do anything else?"

She shrugged, obviously not interested in tried to help herself win the pageant. Arnold knew that Helga would be happy playing 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' on a pennywhistle while balancing a book on her head peeling a banana with her toes. At least it would prove that she was good at multitasking. "I can juggle basketballs."

"No," Samson said shortly. "Miss Pataki, the judges want to see something elegant and refined, not some hillbilly who can peel produce with her feet."

"So strip tease is out?"

He glared at her. "How about we stick to what you are marginally good at, singing."

Helga thought about it for a moment. "Why not? I don't have any other ideas."

Samson rolled his eyes. "At least we are getting somewhere. This is Julio Lopez, and he has brought his computer, which has just about every song imaginable in its system. Pick one and sing it."

Arnold, Josh, Callie, and Samson sat down in folding chairs while Helga typed in a song that she wanted to sing. "Hmmm, this one." She pointed at the screen. Julio smiled and set it up so that only the music would play, not the lyrics. Helga curtseyed in mocking fashion, and waited for the song to start. After a short guitar and drum into, she began to sing.

"Pictures on the wall, just waiting there to fall, still remind mind me,

that painful holiday, can almost hear you say, 'Please don't miss me too long.'

What did I do wrong? Could have sung a different song. You were my tune.

Make my heart believe a want is not a need, and I'm all right without you.

The days go by, the nights don't change, the stars still spell out your name.

I will wait for you.

The world has let me down. Is it you're just not around? I've lost my reason.

All the memories and every smile you gave to me you can keep them.

The days go by, the nights don't change, the stars still spell out your name. I will wait for you.

I will wait for you. I will wait for you. I will wait for you. I will wait for you. I will wait for

The days go by and still

I will wait for you."

"That's good," Samson started after she finished. Arnold thought she did very well, and she would actually like to sing it because it was one of her favorite songs. "But I think you should try something a bit more well know. Something classic."

"Classic," she said as she skimmed the list again. "That one." She stepped away from the computer and started to sing.

"At first I was afraid, I was petrified, kept thinking I could never live without you by my side.

But then I spent so many nights, thinking how you did my wrong, and I grew strong, and I learned how to get along.

And so you're back from outer space.

I just walked in to fine you here with that sad look upon your face.

I should have changed that stupid lock. I should have made you leave your key.

If I had known for just one second you'd be back to bother me.

Oh go on, now go, walk out the door.

Just turn around now 'cause you're not welcome anymore.

Weren't you the one who tried to break me with goodbyes?

You think I'd crumble? You think I'd lay down and die?

Oh no not I. I will survive.

Oh as long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive.

I've got all my life to live and I've got all my love to give.

And I'll survive. I will survive. Hey hey."

She began to dance around during the break, and Samson shouted, "No, no, no! Not that one!"

"You wanted a well known classic!"

He growled. "Fine, pick whatever you want."

She smiled.

"Wise men say only fools rush in,

but I can't help falling in love with you."

She bobbed up and down to the reggae music before beginning again. Arnold, Callie, and Josh pretended to wave lighters in the air.

"Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you.

Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? I can't help falling in love with you.

As a river flows, gently to the sea, darling, so we go, some things were meant to be.

Take my hand. Take my whole life too.

Cause I can't help falling in love with you.

As a river flows, gently to the sea, darling so it goes, some things ere meant to be.

Take my hand. Take my whole life too.

Cause I can't help falling in love with you.

Cause I can't help falling in love with you."

"Well, that's a bit better, but I want you to try and sing something that you can connect with. Something that has special meaning to you."

"Special meaning," Helga said slowly. "I know just the one."

"Right now, I really don't care if I'm alone, or it I got you sittin' here.

Oh no, look I've done it again. Man I should think about it before I say anything.

1, 2, 3, 4, looks like I'm alone again and

I feel fine.

Doesn't really matter now cause I'm all right.

He knocked me on my ass again, but I don't mind.

Looks like I'm along again. and I feel fine.

Right now, I don't know what to say because you're mean, and I never liked you anyway.

Don't ever call because I don't want to be friends.

Excuse me now because the chorus is comin' up again.

1, 2, 3, 4, looks like I'm alone again and

I feel fine.

Doesn't really matter now cause I'm all right.

He knocked me on my ass again, but I don't mind.

Looks like I'm alone again, and I feel fine.

They come and go, and I don't feel a thing.

It's not cause I'm a jerk, and I don't care,

And I don't know what's the matter with me.

I only know the right guy's still out there, right guy's still out there.

And I feel fine.
Doesn't really matter now cause I'm all right.

He knocked me on my ass again, but I don't mind.

Looks like I'm alone again, and I feel fine.

I feel fine. Doesn't really matter now cause I'm all right.

He knocked me on my ass again, but I don't mind.

Looks like I'm alone again, and I feel fine."

"That was interesting, but try to be a bit more happy."

She shrugged. "You want it, you got it." She curtseyed again. "This song I truly from my heart."

"I met him Sunday, that was yesterday, the boy I knew from 1990.

His eyes aren't hazel. His name is Arnold.

I kissed him once, and now I'm able to run a four-minute mile, crack a smile.

He makes me want to kiss all the

Babies, hug the puppy dogs. He makes me feel like my mom

Smell the flowers and plant a tree. I gotta say that Arnold—he's the bomb.

Now it's Monday, better than Sunday. Arnold told me that he would stay.

His football head is in my mind. Boy that Arnold sure is fine.

I'm with him now, until I die. He makes me want to kiss all the

Babies, hug the puppy dogs.

He makes me feel like my mom.

Smell the flowers and plant a tree. I gotta say that Arnold—he's the bomb.

Then on Tuesday, I left Arnold. Now I'm goin' out with Charlie.

I saw his package and what do you know, I said: "That looks like a tube of cookie dough!"

Arnold's I said looks like a small pencil with broken lead.

Rabies got the puppy dogs and now he wants to buy the farm.

He bought me flowers, so woe is he.

It sucks that Arnold still thinks I'm the bomb.

Rabies got the puppy dogs and now he wants to buy the farm.

He bought me flowers, so woe is he.

It suck that Arnold still thinks I'm the bomb."

The three other teenager's faces were red, and Callie and Josh were crying from laughing so hard. Arnold could not believe she had just sung that. She was smiling sweetly, and even Samson was laughing. "That was, well, I don't think that will work," he choked out. Arnold did not say anything; he just glared at her and wondered how many more times he was going to be embarrassed today. And I thought yesterday was bad, he thought sourly.

"All right. How about this one? It might be appropriate for these times." Helga was looking at the computer screen and avoiding Arnold's eyes.

"Go on ahead," he said, still laughing.

"You and I in a little toy shop buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got.

Set them free at the break of dawn, 'til one by one, they were gone.

Back at the base, bugs in the software flash the message, 'Something's out there.'

Floating in the summer sky, 99 red balloons go by.

99 red balloons floating in the summer sky.

Panic bells, it's red alert.

There's something here from somewhere else.

The war machine springs to life, opens up one eager eye.

Focusing it on the sky, as 99 red balloons go by.

99 Decision Street, 99 ministers meet

to worry, worry, super scurry,

call out the troops not in a hurry.

This is what we've waited for. This is it boys, this it war.

The president is on the line

As 99 red balloons go by.

99 Kriegminister

Streichholz und Benzinkanister

Hielten sich fuer schlaue Leute

Witterten schon gette Beute

Riefen: Krieg und wollten Macht

Mann, wer haette das gedacht

Dass es einmal soweit kommt

Wegen 99 Leftballons.

99 dreams I have had, in every one, a red balloon.

It's all over and I'm standin' pretty in the dust that was a city.

If I could find a souvenir just to prove the world was here. . .

And here it is, a red balloon.

I think of you and let it go."

Callie and Josh stood up and applauded. Arnold sulked in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. Samson shook his head. "Miss Pataki, please stop wasting our time!"

"They're enjoying it." She pointed at the three. "Well, most of them," she corrected as her gaze fell on the blonde boy.

"Please, try something worth our time, Miss Pataki."

"Okay."

"You're here, there's nothing I fear, and I know that my heart will, go on."

"No!" the five shouted. Helga laughed. "That's what I thought."

Samson shook his head. "That's enough for today. I don't think I could stand to listen to you sing anymore."

Helga shrugged. "Fine. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

He nodded and left. Helga turned to the three, and Callie and Josh began bowing down to her. "Oh, hail great Helga and her amazing voice."

"Would you please stop?" she hissed.

They got up. "Sure. I have to be going anyways," Callie said.

"Me too." Josh grabbed his stuff. "See ya, Arnold."

"Bye."

"Bye, Helga," Callie called as she left. "Don't break any windows with those pipes."

"Bye." Helga smiled but it quickly faded when she looked at Arnold. He was glaring at her. "What? C'mon, it was funny."

"Maybe for you."

"Arnold, I was joking. Hell, how would I know how small it is?"

"HELGA!"

"Would you relax?" she asked as they headed for the exit. "I was just joshing you. Joking. Teasing." He did not say anything. She rolled her eyes and lost most of her temper. "My God, Arnold, you aren't that friggin' sensitive!"

"Well, I was embarrassed enough earlier!" He shoved the door open and deliberately tried to make it hit Helga in the face.

She caught it and heaved it open. "Will you get over it? It's just a joke!" She growled in frustration. "God, boys are such babies!"

He slammed the car door as he sat down. "I thought the line was, 'Men are such babies.'"

Helga revved the car and pulled out of the parking space. "It is, but that doesn't work for you, now does it?" she snapped. Arnold leaned against the window as the two rode in silence. After a few minutes, Helga switched to her Bowling for Soup CD and started to sing. "Eight o'clock, Monday night and I'm waiting—"

"Haven't you sung enough for one day?" he said through gritted teeth.

"No," she said as she changed the song. Helga smiled as "Life after Lisa" started playing. "He's waking up and baking, watching the parade because today's the day he got over you. Taking out the trash and the pictures that he stashed of the two of you in 2002." He eyed her carefully as she again made her own lyrics up to a song. "You stole his heart when there was a sewer king. He was with you when the timer for your pregnancy test went ding. You left him for a quarterback because Arnold wasn't on varsity, but that's okay. Cause now there's no more washing your car after it rains. No more washing the your puke on his shirt stain. No more, life will never be the same. Life after Lila's not so bad at all."

Arnold couldn't help but laugh, so she continued. "He saw you with the dude who served you the movie food, did you fuck him? Damn, that was fast. Can you believe that he's alive, got hott girls on his sides, and on varsity he's kicking some ass. So when you asked him if he hated you now. It's not you it's just all of the times he missed out on sleeping with your best friend every time you past out, but that's okay. Cause now there's no more washing your car after it rains. No more washing the your puke on his shirt stain. No more, life will never be the same. Life after Lila's not so bad at all. I bet you're saying to yourself that you'll find somebody else like him. All he's got to say is there ain't no fucking way you're getting him to say he's sorry, not today. Cause now there's no more washing your car after it rains. No more washing the your puke on his shirt stain. No more, life will never be the same. Cleaning up the house again, listening to Britney's pain, having headaches in his brain, listening to you complain, shopping at the mall again, I'm outta rhymes, and he's got to say life after Lila's not so bad at all!"

Arnold was laughing hysterically. "That's great, Helga."

"Thank you very much."

"But where are these hott girls supposedly at my sides?"

She glanced at him. "Hello? What do I look like, chopped liver?"

He grinned broadly. "And I would never sleep with Lila's friends."

"Really? Why not?"

"I hate to think of what diseases I would get from them. They're even worse then Lila!" He smirked. "I'd just make out with them."

Helga shook her head as she pulled in front of Arnold's house. "Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good. I'll see you later."

"Do you wanna work on the project at my house tomorrow after everything?"

"Sure. Sounds like a plan. We really need to be working on that."

"Yep. So you are in?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. Good night, Helga."

"Night."

Helga ran inside her house when she got home and up to her room. She decided to forget about homework for a bit and checked her email. "Oops," she said when she realized that she had left the Internet on all day. She had left in on the entire night before because she was downloading music, and she forgot to disconnect it in the morning. Big Bob would have a fit when he came home because he would have missed some stupid message. Helga listened for any noise downstairs, but she heard nothing. They must still be having dinner or drinks. Or a smoke. She sighed. Helga's mom had been sober for three years now, and that was part of the reason she went back to work with Bob, so she would get out of the house and away from the booze. However, running a beeper empire was very stressful, and because she could not drink anymore, and Bob the insensitive jerk believed that it was important to go for drinks with your partners and clients, she took up smoking (Miriam's doctor was the one who advised her to go back to work, and it caused her to take up another very unhealthy habit. He was now trying to help Miriam quit smoking, but it was not going very well). She shrugged and looked at her screen. Phoebe had left her an MSN message, but she was now offline. Another was from a friend in Seattle, but she was also offline. When she clicked the window closed she saw the one underneath from someone with the screen name, "Searching for my blonde bombshell." She looked at the address. It was Jake's. She read his messages.

Hey cutie.

Helga?

Are you there?

Hello?

Are you made at me? (Helga guessed that meant mad).

well, i guess you aren't there, so ill talk to you lata

She closed the window, very disappointed. He still had not told her when they were going to the movies. She checked her e-mail inbox. Junk. Junk. College letter. Junk. Crappy forward. Another crappy forward. Junk. Junk. She scrolled down and until she found something that caught her eye. She bit her lip nervously she clicked on the link.

To: patakih_10@hotmail.com

From: jakerich22@hotmail.com

Hey. I tried to get a hold of you, but I guess you weren't around to get my MSN messages. That's cool, I know that you're completely busy lately. Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to be a rebel and go to the movie tomorrow night after your pageant practice. We can go see whatever you want. Call me if you are still interested. Lata, Jake.

Helga felt like doing cartwheels all over her room. "Jake wants to go out on a date with me! JAKE RICHARDSON WANTS TO GO OUT ON A DATE WITH ME!" She jumped around the room before she shakily picked up the phone and dialed his number.

He picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Is Jake there?"

"That's me. Wait, Helga?"

"Yeah."

"Man, I'm glad you called. You were starting to scare me."

She laughed. "Sorry about that."

"So, what do you say? Dinner and a movie?"

"Sounds great."

"Great. Well, I'll have to talk to you about it tomorrow because I have to finish studying for my government test. I'll be seeing your lovely face tomorrow."

Helga blushed. "Sounds great."

"Bye, Helga."

"Bye." She hung up and fell back on her bed. "I'M GOING TO GO ON A DATE WITH JAKE RICHARDSON!" Helga sighed blissfully. "Well, this will make a good entry," she said as she pulled a little pink book out from under her mattress. Her cat pounced on her bed. Helga picked him up and said, "I'm going on a date with Jake Richardson!" The cat blinked and then yawned. "Well, thank you for your support," she said as she put the cat on the other side of her bed. She closed the notebook after writing a few notes. "Today was a good day," she said aloud. "And I have a feeling things are only going to get better."

A/N: Well, that was an interesting chapter. Two updates in one calendar week. That's very good for me, especially since I have been so weighed down with homework, so don't expect this to become a trend. It might be a while before I update again, though I am hoping it will be soon. Last night while I was watching Inuyasha an idea for a new Hey Arnold! story popped into my head, and I actually outlined the first four chapters (I can't help it. I like to be organized so I can remember things). Anyways, it won't be coming for a long time, because this fic is going to take forever, and I have a Yu-Gi-Oh story that I started to write, and I want to finish (I actually was going to have that story be my first, but I completely screwed it up about six chapters in. I need to rewrite it. This fic is much better, and I am actually very glad I started with this one because I really like writing it). I also plan to do a Card Captor Sakura story, so I'm just telling you that if you like this story, eventually I will write more. Anyways, next chapter might be "Starstruck", but I am not sure at the moment. . .Later days.