A/N: Wow, these last two chapters came out close together… Thank you to everyone who's stuck with this story, and thanks very much for all the reviews! –Sky.

Chapter 16 – Loser

Phoebe couldn't help but notice that her best friend was a little distant as she returned to lunch. Far be it from Phoebe to pry into her private business, she just had to know what could have jolted a girl as headstrong as Helga into such an absent state.

"Um, Helga? Are you ok?" Helga was still very lost inside her own head. Her number one rule when it came to day to day life was to never let her guard down. If people knew that this bully had a sensitive side they would see it as an opportunity to take her down a peg or two, and though she never planned on being sugary sweet when this bet came into play she never thought she would end up being genuinely nice. Especially not to Lila, her number one adversary in all things Arnold.

"Oh… just fine…" she said frailly, scratching her head. Without a word from Helga Lila had known that what had passed between them was never to make its way into public knowledge, but that didn't really leave Helga feeling any better about the whole thing.

"Did something happen?" Phoebe asked knowingly. She had always been a little tentative around Helga, lest she suffer her terrible wrath when she asked something too personal, but that didn't change the fact that Helga was her best friend and she would be leaving soon. Phoebe knew what a last ditch attempt was, especially when she was committing one herself, but she was still determined to get Helga to open up to her one way or another.

"Happen?" Helga said, as though she didn't understand the word. Phoebe nodded slowly, yet absently, taking a sip of her juice and trying to act like it wasn't such a big deal. "No," Helga said, her eyes flicking to Lila. "Nothing happened."

Phoebe growled inwardly, knowing full well that Helga was holding back. Sometimes it hurt Phoebe to think that her best friend didn't even trust her, but then she would remind herself that it wasn't that, Helga was just a very private person. It was times like these that Phoebe would question her friendship with Helga. What was it that made her like the scowling bully so much? She had worried, more than once, that it was based on nothing more than fear, but one look into Helga's fierce blue eyes would dispel the thought immediately. The saying went that you could pick your friends, but when Phoebe was enjoying Helga's company she wasn't so sure.

The bell rang once more, the oh too familiar noise making the students groan as the threat of more education was presented to them. Much scraping of lunchboxes could be heard as the kids got to their feet, shuffling their way back to class to finish the day. Helga walked a pace behind Phoebe, wrestling with her conscience and her reputation, trying to decide what would be the best thing to put on the line. Gently, she nudged Phoebe in the ribs, making the small Asian girl slow her speed, despite her usual tendency to be the first back to class. "Phoebe," she whispered. "I'm… scared."

"Scared?" Phoebe repeated in a high pitched yet quiet voice. She wondered if it was going to start raining frogs, such was the rate of rare occurrences that day. Helga was the bravest person Phoebe knew, what could possibly frighten her?

"Yeah, of Rhonda, and what she's plotting. It's not easy to be a marked woman you know." Helga gave Phoebe a sheepish grin, running her hand around the back of her neck in a way she had seen Arnold do a million times. Phoebe allowed herself a small chuckle. Of all the things Helga would fear Rhonda was the last thing she would have suspected. She would have thought that Helga's deep dark secret, (which Phoebe was smart enough to have her own theories about), would have been what caused Helga the most concern. Or, of course, the fear she had revealed to them that night they got stuck on the subway. Her fear of rats.

"Oh Helga, what could Rhonda possibly do to you that you couldn't survive?" Phoebe said fondly.

"I don't know…" Helga said with a small laugh, feeling stupid. Still with the ominous feeling hanging over her, Helga entered her classroom and sat down at her desk. She couldn't explain it, but she could just sense that something bad was going to happen. Helga didn't really believe in sixth senses or any of that supernatural junk, but this was the one time she thought that maybe they held a little weight. She plunged her head into her folded arms and closed her eyes, sighing deeply. She felt a gentle tap on her shoulders.

"Helga?" It was Lila. Helga had been so wrapped up in this sudden dark mood that she had forgotten all about Lila's apology.

"Oh…" Helga said gently, before kicking herself into character. "Um, I mean… Oh, Lila. Can I help you?" This was the polite nice tone that still reeked of Helga's resentful nature.

"Er, yes," Lila said, trying to pretend that the exchange between herself and Helga hadn't happened. "I wanted to tell that I'm just ever so sorry for being cruel to you this morning. I've not been feeling myself lately, and though I'm over it now I'm ever so certain I never meant to hurt you." Helga rolled her eyes, she sure was layering it on thick, but then she coughed and smiled politely, trying to pretend that this was some sort of refreshing surprise. "So anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I'd hate for us to be on bad terms and it would mean just ever so much to me if you could find it in your heart to forgive me."

All eyes were on Helga now following Lila's simpering apology. She sat up a little straighter in her chair and pulled at her braids, before fixing Lila with a serious stare. "Hey sister, everyone has bad days," she said with a gentle shrug, an indication that everything was right once more. Lila smiled gratefully and went and sat back down in her seating, acting as though she didn't feel Rhonda's murdering stare fixed in between her shoulder blades.

Arnold's eyes were trained on Lila once more, his faith restored in her unwavering country charm. Helga sneered at him quickly before anyone noticed, and then returned her head to her folded arms. She wasn't left to her depressing thoughts for too long however, as another tap on her shoulder followed mere moments after Lila had gone. Helga raised her head once more, her eyes barely open, and was very surprised to find Rhonda standing over her with an apologetic look in her eyes. "Helga?" she said softly, her voice laced with a phoney sympathy that everyone else in the class mistook for real.

"Yeah?" Helga said bluntly, suspecting a trick.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry too. I've been totally out of order about this whole bet thing and maybe you don't really deserve it…" Helga raised her eyebrow, a sceptical look on her face.

"Really?" she said sarcastically. "Why the sudden change of heart?" Rhonda played with her shirt nervously, hamming it up no end now that everyone's attention was caught.

"Well, you are leaving and I guess you're not all bad. So, you know, I'm gonna stop with all this tormenting you. You don't really deserve it. I know we've had our disagreements in the past but… oh, I don't know, Maybe there's just something about you I simply can't stay mad at." She barked a very fake laugh and waved her hands about prissily, beaming at her audience.

"Um, thanks?" Helga said gently, knowing that everyone was watching her but not believing Rhonda for a second. After all, Helga was the expert on feigning feelings; how many times had she told Arnold she hated him? Rhonda gave her another small grin and went and sat back at her seat.

"Wow, that Rhonda sure is gracious," Stinky said in a hushed voiced to Sid. Helga rolled her eyes. How thick could you get?

Mr. Simmons entered the classroom in his usual blaze of optimistic energy. If Arnold was a teacher… Helga thought, clearly becoming more spiteful inside the nicer she was on the outside. He pulled the familiar map down over the chalkboard and cleared his throat for their attention, nowhere near as good at is as Rhonda was. Ok class, settle down please," he said delicately. Slowly the class gave him half of their attention, bored with the lesson already and wishing they could escape. "Today's geography lesson will be all about the fjords of Norway!" The class all groaned, finding it difficult to stir up as much enthusiasm as Mr. Simmons. "Everyone, books out!"

Helga pulled her geography book out of her desk and stared at the cover. A thousand 'A + H's outlined in little hearts adorned the surface, all of them viciously scratched out in heavy pencil. Sighing, she opened the book and began making notes on the boring lecture Mr. Simmons was giving.

Even his teacher didn't notice Curly rising out of his seat and stalking across the back of the classroom. Everyone in the class was in a very distant stupor, all lost in their own little daydreams. Even Phoebe looked a million miles away. Helga's pencil danced elegantly across her paper, her eyes never leaving the blue lines as she traced the carbon lines over them.

It all happened very suddenly. Rather expertly Curly managed to pull at the neck of Helga's white t-shirt with one hand while delicately dropping the slimy rat down her back with the other. Rhonda snickered into her book, already watching before anyone else as she knew what was about to happen. At first Helga wasn't sure what was going on, but as she felt the cold wet drops running down her back she leapt to her feet. "What the..!" she cried, scratching her hands all over her t-shirt trying to get whatever it was out. Rhonda had burst into noisy laughter by this point, making everyone turn to stare at Helga.

In her panicked fidgeting Helga had managed to shift the rat around top her front, and she plunged her hand down there, curling her fingers around the rat tail and flinging it out of her clothes. It landed with a wet splat on Helga's geography book, bringing with it Helga's prized possession; her Arnold locket. In between her horror at the rat and her embarrassment if anyone saw the locket, Helga was rooted to the spot. Luckily for her Lila was quick on her feet and she dashed forward and grabbed the locket before anyone else had time to notice it. With that dilemma out of the way Helga turned her attention back to the dead rat that was slowly oozing down her desk. For a few seconds she did nothing, before letting out a very terrified high pitched scream and darting at Rhonda. Rhonda had expected, or rather hoped that Helga would snap, but she still wasn't quick enough. Helga grabbed her by her shirt and pushed her up against the wall before Mr. Simmons even knew what was going on.

"RATS!" she growled menacingly through clenched teeth. "I hate rats."

"Oh," Rhonda said smoothly, trying to hide her slight tremor of fear. "I know." Helga was infuriated. The bet was just a faint mental note lingering on the edges on her mind as her rage took centre stage. It took her just a second to swing her fist back and give Rhonda that black eye, and the satisfaction lasted just as long, instantly replaced with a feeling of regret as she let go of a yelling Rhonda's t-shirt. Rhonda was in a fair amount of pain but that was nothing compared to the reverie she felt as Helga hid her face in her hands, well aware of what she had just done.

"You lose, Pataki," she said with a grim smile, touching her fingers gently to her swollen eye. "Right Gerald?" Gerald, who looked absolutely stunned at what the bet had escalated to, simply nodded, clearly relieved that this whole nasty business was over. It was then that everyone remembered a teacher was present and fearful, both Rhonda and Helga looked to Mr. Simmons. Curly had fled through the window a long time ago.

"That's it! Now I hate to have to do this but Rhonda? Helga? You will have detention for the rest of the week starting tomorrow and your parents will be called. Now Rhonda, you go to the nurse's office and get that eye sorted out. Helga, please clean up that mess at your desk." As Rhonda left the room with that superior smile still plastered on her face, Helga blanched.

"I, er-" She was feeling a little sick at the idea of having to go near that rat ever again. Her clothes were damp from the chemicals the rat had been pickled in and she was desperate to go clean herself up.

"I'll do it Mr. Simmons," Arnold volunteered. Helga flashed him a grateful smile and with a nod from Mr. Simmons, she went to clean herself up.

-

Helga stood by the famous 'Wall' after school had let out with tears in her eyes. She didn't know exactly how much winning the bet had meant to her until after the opportunity was gone. A stormy feeling was beginning to settle over Hillwood, and Helga, who usually loved the thunder, was dreading the time when it would start raining. The names were still visible on the Wall, but the rain had beaten them down quite badly. Delicately, Helga stroked Jimmy K's name with her fingertips. It was the first, and the most faded of them all.

"Are you ok Helga?"

Helga dropped her hand to her side and looked up at her football-headed companion

"Yeah," she said sadly, and to her surprise she actually felt it a little. "It's just a dumb wall," she said with a small laugh.

"Yeah," Arnold agreed, nodding. "You won't be so easily forgotten you know." She hated the way he was always able to tap into her feelings no matter how hard she tried to hide them.

"You think so?" she said hopefully.

"Of course not," Arnold said, smiling widely. "In fact, this whole bet thing has made sure that's the last thing that'll ever happen." Helga grinned at Arnold. He was right, and if Gerald saw it the same way she would become legendary. "I know I've said this before Helga," Arnold said, looking to his feet. "But when you're being nice, you're pretty cool. I haven't forgotten what you did for me." Helga looked at him, puzzled. "The science project?" he said with an air of faint amusement.

"Oh yeah," she said, bursting out with laughter.

"Walk you home?" he offered. Helga smiled.

"Whatever floats your boat, football head."

-

Helga arrived home that night with a lot to think about. After dinner she excused herself straight away and went up to her bedroom. She sat in her pyjamas, cross-legged on her bed, resting her chin in her hands. She'd had enough of running around being everyone else's lap dog, just to earn a place in their memories. She was going to reach out and get what she wanted. Arnold. Just because the bet was over, it didn't mean she was going to give up this nice act. Only now it wasn't going to be forced, she wasn't going to be scripted by Princess Lloyd.

If Arnold liked her nice, then nice she would be.