(Original Authors Notes)

Notes: Hello again everyone. Having a really slow season at work right now (a job I HAVE to quit, I can barley make car insurance) so I thought, "what the hell, let's get another chapter out there!" I see I'm up to 64 reviews…good, good. If I can hit at least 100 and pull of 10 reviews a chapter, I'll have reached my "goal" so to speak.

Number6: Ah, so you are the person who came up with the idea of Fuzzy Slippers! Glad to see you liked how I wrote it out. Quote Now we know why he is in all the chapters, but only says "Is this chair occupied?". What? I don't get what you're saying here. By chapters do you mean episodes? And…is that exactly what he says from that episode? If so, I used the wrong wording and will have to fix that. As for your other ideas, they are quite good. Truth be told I have forgotten some of those mysteries. It sucks – HA! doesn't air on YTV anymore, and I'm starting to lose my grasp on the series and characters. Anyway, your ideas could be a good basis for another fic that if I have time, may tackle.

Amelia Badelia: Quote Dude, is your title misspelled? WTF? I'm lost here, what do you mean. Everything seems to be correct as far as I can see. Am I missing something?

Jae: Quote I'm starting to wonder if 'Steve' took a little 'ecstacy' that fateful night he fell into the HA! world! LMFAO! That's funny. Maybe there was something more in that late night pizza then I let on :) Quote but keeping the identity withheld tends to hold the reader's interest. Yeah, I can understand where you are coming from, but the whole reason for that chapter was to have a little fun with who Fuzzy Slippers could be.

Will: Quote I love how epic this story just became, it's a great transition from some guy's fantasy to the fate of the world riding on the story's outcome, lol. Um, just one grammar note, don't use "they" when referring to one person. I know everyone says "they" to mean "he or she" and you wanted to keep the figure as mysterious as possible, but it would have been better to just use "he." OK, now I'll get back to writing on my own fic

Wow – my story is an epic? Thanks for the comment; my only gripe though is I WISH I could make it longer, like 25 or 30 chapters. But I really don't have the brainpower or time (computer wise) to complete such a task. I used "they" a lot because I didn't want to spill the beans if Fuzzy Slippers was a girl or guy before I revealed the identity. Yes – go back and write more "What Is!" I'll still be here waiting…

o----o

If there was one subject that made one hour feel like three, it was definitely math. All this 'multiply by the number two divided by eight to the power of five while you subtract the total value of xyz from abc.' My math textbook looked as if it were written in Japanese, because I didn't understand a freakin' word of it. Finally, and with good relief, lunch came and I made my way out of the classroom to my locker where I was planning on eating lunch outside. Of course, Gerald pulled me over for a quick chat.

"Man Steve, you are one lucky kid. You know I just pulled your butt out of the fire known as the principal's office? You know what Wartz would have done to you if he had caught you? You'd be better to take off back home to Canada because you sure as hell couldn't show your face again in these parts!"

"I know, Gerald, I know. I was surprised you didn't let me burn. I'm sorry, and I thank you majorly for what you did. You're a good guy."

He crossed his arms and eyed me briefly, "So? Is that it?"

"Um…thank you times…a zillion?"

"No, no, I don't mean that. Was it worth chasing down Fuzzy Slippers half way across town? Did you even catch him?"

"Yeah, I caught up with him…" I didn't know if Gerald actually knew who Fuzzy Slippers really was, so I laid off using 'his' real name, "I…just had some information for him, that's all."

"Well, I'm not going to rag on you too much for that, but remember, I'm his right hand man for delivering what he knows out to the masses. I just wanted you to know that, we have a tight contract for swapping info. Next time if you have something you haveta tell him, come through me first, okay?"

"I totally respect that Gerald. Believe me, I won't be tracking him down anytime soon."

Just then Robert walked by with his lunchbox and shot me down quite the glare.

"How ya doin' there, Robert?" I kindly offered, but he just continued on his way. I turned my attention back to Gerald "That kid is such a weirdo."

"Yeah, a complete nobody. He never speaks a word. Anyway, I'll catch you later, I'm meeting up with Phoebe for lunch." he winked.

"Right on, see you later." I winked back, and made my way outside to the sunny playground. It seemed that Gerald was also in the dark about who Fuzzy Slippers really was. I guess Robert even kept his real identity hidden from his right hand man. What a strange and secretive odd boy.

I scanned the grounds for a place to sit and enjoy the perfectly temperatured day. I made my way to the jungle gym again and met up with some of the kids there. That's when I noticed Arnold talking to Lila near the swings…no doubt he was trying to have his way with her. After a bit Arnold came over to where we were to hang out, probably being shot down for the one-hundredth time. I for one had just had it. I pushed my tuna-fish pepperoni egg-salad sandwich (if you guessed Pookie made it, 100 points for you) aside. It was time to change things.

When no one was looking, I made my way over to the picnic table where Lila was eating a snack.

"Hello, Lila." I said, trying to hide the fatigue in my voice. That run around the town ran me down.

"Oh, hello Stephen." she said as she looked up from her crackers, kind of surprised to see me.

"Look Lila, I'll cut to the chase."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You have got to stop leading Arnold on like this, okay? I know you're trying to be friends with him, but every time you try to be friendly…he thinks you really like him."

She looked at me for a moment, letting what I said sink in, and gave me a confirming look. "I know Stephen, I know, I just don't know what to do."

"Look, you have to lay it on the line. Just tell him to stop. Cause you know as well as I do there's someone else for him."

"Wait, do you mean…?"

I gave her a nod of my head.

"But how do you know?"

"I just do, okay. And don't bother telling her I know cause she knows I know, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess. But how did you find out?"

"That's not important, Lila. What is important is that you have to let the football head off the hook for good so he can realize his feelings for…her."

"Okay, Stephen, I'll try ever-, I mean, I'll do my best."

o----o

The day crawled on and finally another school day came to a close. Gerald and some of the other kids went to go hang out at the arcade. While I had just left the school and was standing on the stairs of the entrance, I saw Arnold walking Lila home. Without Arnold's knowing, Lila looked up at me and I gave her a confirming nod and she did the same, as if to say, "The plan is underway". I myself had nothing to do, so I decided to go for a stroll.

I was walking only a couple blocks away from the school when I heard something…some noise coming from an alley. I peered around the corner of the building and it was Helga, going on blissfully about her love for Arnold, thinking no one was around…well I was. I crept up behind her almost Brainy style.

"Hi Helga."

"Eeep!" she whipped around.

"Pretty odd place to be in the middle of the afternoon Helga, in a dark and dirty alley. Wha'cha doin'?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. I-I, just thought I lost something here yesterday and was, uh, trying to find it, he-heh." Just then her locket fell out of her dress and onto the ground.

"Man Helga, you're really letting your game slip," I said as I picked up the locket and let its chain dangle on my index finger. "I don't know why you keep putting yourself through this torment."

"P-put myself through what, I don't know what you're talking about." she said as she swiped the locket off my finger and stashed it away, turning her back to me.

"Oh yeah," I said as I reached into my pocket, "maybe this will refresh your memory."

"Oh, my believed knight in shining armor, what has happened? Who is this boy and why does he know my deepest darkest secret?…"

Helga slowly turned around and took a look at what was in my hand. It was the microcassette recorder I had used the day she was in the janitor's closet to tape her secret adoration about her love. I knew that device would come in handy.

"…unless he was talking about that ice cream, the one I would love to hold in my arms on warm starry summer nights…"

Helga was stunned, but then got very peeved. "What is your deal Steve-o? You literally come out of nowhere, start making all these threats at me, and you somehow know my secret and start taunting me with it, making my life a living hell…" Then she started to get teary eyed. She sat down on the ground with her back up against the side of the building. "I mean, why can't you leave me alone? What do you want? Why are you doing this to me?" Now she was really starting to sob.

I walked over and sat down next to her, gently put my hand on her shoulder and spoke in the sincerest voice I could, "Helga, why are you doing this to yourself?"

She looked up at me, taken aback from the sudden change of tone in my voice.

"You know what I want, Helga? I want the best for you and Arnold. I want you two to be together, you're the perfect match. Sure, you may be opposites in every meaning of the word, but I think that you two have a deep, mutual connection."

"What? B-but, but why? You don't even know…you don't know what it's like…"

"Helga, you can't go on like this, it's making you a wreck. You have to take the bull by the horns. You know he'll never come around on his own, he's too shy. It may be years before he makes a move – because I bet dollars to donuts he feels that same mutual connection, but needs time to sort out his jumbled mess of feelings. You've got to do it, Helga. I know that sounds unfair since you already did it once, but you have to make him see the light."

"Did it once? Wait a minute, how do you know about…"

"Helga, I just do. I'm not going to go into a long winded story, I just do."

There was a moment of silence. She didn't know what to say. She knew I hit the nail on the head, but seemed to be bewildered about how I came across her secret. But she didn't fight it, and just gave in.

"But…what happens if he, doesn't accept it. Maybe he doesn't love-…"

"Helga, you're your own worst enemy! You'll never know if you don't try. Do it for me, do it for you, do it for all the other Helga's out there that love someone and long for that person to love them back."

She sighed and looked at the ground, totally distraught, mixed up in a world of feelings and compromised emotions. She took out her locket and looked at it compassionately, her thumbs caressing his picture encased within the glass covering. The tears welded around the lower part of her eyes, drops splashing on the filthy ground. I felt so sorry for her.

"All I want to do is help you, Helga. Help you to help yourself to do the right thing."

She looked up at me with such big teary, almost puppy dog like eyes. She then wiped the tears from her face and slowly got up and started to walk away.

"I don't know what I'll do Steve…but thanks for the ear, it was nice to talk to someone about it. You're a better kid than I gave you credit for."

I gave her a tiny nod of my head with a smile and she walked around the corner and out of my sight. I had faith she would do the right thing. Moreover, I had just realized what I had done. I was one of the few people that had broken that 'bank vault' like wall Helga kept around herself and tapped into her true nature. Things were definitely going my way.

o----o

It was about 4pm by the time I got to the Sunset Arms. The wind outside had picked up greatly and was fiercely blowing against my body as I walked. I was exhausted; I would sleep well tonight, despite Arnold's lumpy couch. I made my way up to Arnold's room where he was sitting on his bed, tossing a baseball around in his hand, as if he was waiting for me.

"Hey Arnold, what's up?"

"What's up? What's up! I tell you what's up Steve. I walked Lila home today and had quite an interesting conversation with her."

"Really, what about?" playing it cool as if I did know.

"I asked her to the movies and she shut me down…again…"

"Shouldn't you be used to that by now?" I said with somewhat of a smirk as I set my school bag on the couch.

"But it was different this time Steve. She then said I had to stop it, trying to make her 'like me-like me'. She said she wants me to move on – for once and for all."

"So what?"

"So what! I saw you talking to her at recess today Steve, what did you say to her!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do Steve, I know you don't like her, and you think she's a total ditz (Heh, he said it, not me). But you know what, that's not even the tip of the iceberg! I checked my Internet history Steve," he said as he got on the computer, "What the hell is this!" He pointed angrily at my Arnold's Room homepage. "There are pictures here from events that happened months, even years ago, in my personal life." He said as he went through the picture gallery, full of pictures of him with other people in numerous locations.

"Well, I…"

"What's your deal…Stephen Pace?" Oh great, now he was sounding like Helga, "You come out of thin air, act all weird and secretive, and seem to have this eerie control over the kids at PS 118. What do you know? And why is there a website with pictures of me and my friends? Who are you really, where did you really come from? Where the heck are your so called parents…?"

"Arnold, you wouldn't believe me if I told you!"

"Try me."

"You really wanna know Arnold? The honest to god truth?"

"Hit me."