Thanks for the replies! Anyway...

A week till Christmas Phoebe confronted Helga again.

"Hello, Helga" said the small Asian girl. It may have sounded timid to people passing by on the street; but to the kids at the school, Phoebe might as well be walking into the jungle with clothing made of meat.

"Hey Phoebe" replied Helga dully.

"You want to go to the movies with me and Gerald tonight?"

Helga looked sternly at Phoebe, trying to figure out what she was up to.

"Nuh uh, I'm gonna hang out with Frankie and the guys"

Phoebe sighed heavily, "Please Helga, I'm worried about you"

"Why are you worried about me Phoebes?"

"Because you're Hegla G. Pataki! I've worried about you since the day we became best friends" Phoebe's timid voice was stronger and fiercer than Helga had ever heard it.

Maybe I should slow myself down a bit…

"Oh, c'mon Phoebs, what could go wrong?"

"A lot of things Helga, did you know what they tried to get Arnold to do?"

"Arnold, what's this got to do with Arnold?" asked Helga raising an eyebrow.

"They tried to get Arnold to steal from this shop, Helga. But Gerald saved him from doing it. Gerald did all the same thing for Arnold that I'm doing for you now. History repeats it's self."

This was not what Hegla wanted to hear.

"See ya around" with that Helga left…

That week Helga's mind was a torrent of confusion.

She sat in her living room.

Frankie tried to get Arnold to steal? That doesn't sound like Frankie. Maybe he's just misunderstood…just like me. Is that why we get along so good? Or does he have an ulterior motive?

She walked down the street.

What is Phoebe was right with the whole "History repeats it's self"? Frankie doesn't seem like he's as bad as he was when I was in 4th grade. But then again I'm a perfect example of how deeply someone can hind their true self.

Helga stomach was in a knot even on Christmas…

"Olga!" yelled her parents happily as Olga walked through the door.

Helga sat in the living room not wanting to see Olga, or have anything to do with her what so ever.

"Hello baby-sister" she said, a little hesitant, as she walked into the room.

"Hello Olga" said Helga darkly with her hood over her head.

Miriam obviously was to tired to notice the tension between her daughters and Bob could care less. "C'mon time for Christmas dinner" said Bob.

After they said grace, Bob and Helga began filling their plates full to capacity; Olga separated her mashed potatoes, ham, and vegetables nicely and ate them politely, while Miriam hardly ate anything.

During dinner Helga noticed Olga looking at her oddly. Helga began to get paranoid feeling everytime she glanced up and saw those perfectly round, blue eyes watching her. Finally Olga said, "Baby sis- I mean Helga, why don't you take that ridiculous hoodie off for supper?"

Helga gave Olga the dirtiest look she could muster, and Olga was quiet again.

Afterwards they were opening presents; Bob gave Miriam a beautiful pearl necklace. (He had been trying to repair their marriage because he was sure that's why Olga wouldn't stay at home), Miriam had Olga bring home a new belt buckle from Sweden for Bob. The parents gave Olga a solid gold bracelet, and Helga a similar sliver one.

Then Olga handed Helga a present. Helga looked at it strangely, like it was some foreign object.

I have nothing to give, so I will take nothing…

But she didn't put it down or give it back; she just looked at it.

Then the phone rang… "It's for you Olga!" shouted Bob.

Everyone left Helga alone…she waited…and waited…and waited.

Finally she deiced to just go to bed…

Helga awoke soon after, breathing hard. She had that dream again, this time she was only inches from the hard, cold ground.

She saw the nicely wrapped present Olga had given her lying across the room on her desk. An odd feeling came over Helga, a feeling she hadn't felt since Arnold left, a feeling of real sadness. Not just that she may cry once in a while. No, this was a deep feeling of sadness, at the very center of her being.

What am I doing? She thought as tears began to run down her face.

Where is my life going? Where am I gonna be 10 years from now?...

Then and awful thought came to her… I'll still be here…Crying in my room, over a boy who's gone, a sister who betrayed me, and parents who never cared.

Then there was a tap at her window. Helga looked at it, slightly scared… then another tap. She got up and walked toward her window and opened it to see Frankie G.

"Hey you wanna go for a ride?" he said as he motioned toward his Harley.

"Sure" Helga responded, willing to do anything that would get her mind off her troubles.