Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold or any of the characters. Hey Arnold is the property of Nickelodeon and Craig Bartlett.


Megan in love

Chapter 4: The Shortmans

The Next Morning

Megan Gertrude Shortman had woken up, unceremoniously by her mother.

Usually, she had to wake up early due to her alarm clock since she had her earliest class at 8. However, when she's on vacation and on weekends, she prefers to sleep in. However, her mother wasn't having any of it.

"Rise and shine, Megan!..."Helga said as she barged into her room and opened the curtains to let the sunshine in.

Megan groaned, as she was forced to wake up.

"Mom...seriously? It's a long weekend..."The blonde girl complained as she rubbed her eyes.

"Long weekend or not, breakfast is in 30 minutes and you always take a long time getting ready..."Helga said.

"But it's not even 7 yet..."Megan whined.

"So, what? I haven't slept in in over 22 years, since your big brother was born and I've already had my first cup of coffee today..."Helga said. "Speaking of which, I hope you aren't sleeping in like this at college..."Helga said in a nagging kind of way.

"Mom, I'm 18 and I'm fine. My grades are almost back to straight A's again..."Megan muttered.

" No excuses, now quit whining and get ready..."The blonde mother ordered.

Megan sighed but gave up.

She went to get ready for her day, since she pretty much didn't have a choice. Even on vacation, her mom was pretty strict when it comes to waking up for breakfast and stuff like that.

She ALWAYS wants them to have breakfast together as a family whenever they are all under the same roof, no exceptions. So, she didn't really have a choice here.

Still, Megan recalled the events of yesterday and whom she would be seeing later today. That was enough to snap her out of her bad mood and smile.

"I wonder how Albert is going right now. I wonder if he's thinking of me..."She thought in a lovesick manner as she went to the bathroom to get ready for her day.


30 minutes later

Megan, now showered, fully dressed and her hair brushed into her usual ponytail, went downstairs to join her family at the table, where her mother was already serving breakfast.

"Morning, Angel..."Arnold said as he was glancing at the paper.

"I see you still take forever in the bathroom. For your roommates sake, I hope you don't hog and fight over it it like you used to do back here..."Henry said.

Megan frowned in annoyance.

"I don't HOG the bathroom and Gina and I don't fight over the bathroom back at our dorm..."She said, arms crossed.

"Well...maybe a little but not too much..."She mentally added, but refused to say to her snarky little brother.

"That's enough you two, now sit down and eat up..."Helga said as she placed an omelette in front of her children.

Well, two of them that is. However, her eldest child had just walked in.

"No worries mom, we know the drill..."Andy Shortman, age 22, said as he walked into the room.

Helga smiled.

"Glad to see you're finally up and dressed..."She said.

"How could I not? You woke me up and kept telling me to get ready..."Andy said.

"Of course, if I didn't, you three all would sleep into noon and that's not how we do things here..."Helga said in a motherly kind of way.

"I see Mom hasn't changed at all..."Megan thought as she ate the cheese omelet and smiled.

It was just as delicious as she remembered. One of the things she missed the most of home was her mom's great cooking, and after almost a year of living on her own and living on her own cooking and store-bought meals, this was heavenly.

Especially last's night dinner, which was a full-course dinner of garlic bread, her mother's delicious home-made lasagna, steamed vegetables, etc. And as promised, there were three different kinds of pies that her mother had made from scratch. They were all so delicious that Megan couldn't resist getting seconds of pretty much everything.

Anyway, the family of 5 were sooner seated together at the table and began eating breakfast and talking, just like old times.

"It's so nice having the whole family here together again..."Arnold said, happy to have all three of his kids home for the time being.

"So, what's the plan for today?..."Henry asked as he kept wolfing down his own breakfast.

"Well, I'm going over to pick up Kiara and we're gonna try and see the old gang..."Andy said, referring to his long time girlfriend and recently turned fiance.

"Alright, but be sure to come back early. We're all gonna have a nice dinner at Chez Paris tonight..."Helga said, wanting to go all out as she was happy that both her oldest children were home.

"Alright, this is gonna rock!..."Henry said, excited since they only go to that place on special occasions.

"Yeah, thanks Mom. I'll try and be there on time..."Megan said, barely paying attention.

"Oh, you have any plans before then, Meggie-pie?..."Arnold asked and his only daughter frowned.

"Dad, I'm already 18...can you please stop calling me that? It's sounds so baby-ish..."Megan complained, hoping that her folks won't call her that if Albert was within ear-shot.

However, her mother shook her head.

"Sorry, Angel but you know how it works in this family. Once we give you a nickname, it's for life...right, my little Andy-kins and Henry-kins?..."Helga said in a doting kind of way as she turned to both her sons.

Andy cringed and so did Henry.

"Just please don't say that when Kiara is here...or my friends..."Andy said, still embarrassed by his mother's pet-name.

"Yeah, Mom..."Henry said, feeling the same thing.

Megan rolled her eyes.

"To answer your questions, not much...me and...Albert...are just gonna get some coffee later..."She said.

Helga heard this and frowned.

"What?..."She asked.

"Oh...well, he invited me and since most of my friends from here are either on trips or doing there own thing...so, I figured...why not?..."Megan said, being vague.

"Ooh...looks like Megan has another boyfriend...and he's a total nerd!..."Henry said with a chuckle.

Megan frowned.

"So not, shut up you little mutant! Albert's not a nerd...or my boyfriend..."She said, irritated. "Yet..."She mentally added, while her little brother rolled his eyes.

"You're so obvious..."Henry taunted, getting under her sister's nerves.

"Am not! Shut up!..."Megan yelled.

"You shut up!..."Henry taunted.

"Both of you shut up! I'm trying to eat!..."Andy said, annoyed, while their parents shook their heads as they felt a sense of deja-vu.

"Enough, you three! No yelling at the table!..."Helga said, trying to break up the squabble between her kids.

"Yeah, this really is just like old times..."Arnold said as his wife tried to get things under control.

"Anyway, Albert and I are just friends and we're just getting coffee. It's no big deal..."Megan said, downplaying things.

"Well, good..."Helga said, preferring that it's like that. "I mean...like I said, we're all having dinner at Chez Paris later at 6:00PM, so I don't want anyone to be late, got that?..."Helga said.

"Yes, Mother..."All three of her kids said, knowing not to argue with her over stuff like this.

As the family continued to have breakfast together, Megan's mind was on Albert and her latest plan to get his attention. She didn't tell her family about her feelings for him since her mom still seemed to have mixed feelings about him and because things aren't exactly official between her and him yet.

She didn't want to bring it up...at least not until after she made Albert fall head over heels in love with her, like she is with him.

"I really can't wait to see him later...us...alone...together...getting coffee...oh!~..."Megan thought in a dreamy way as her thoughts went to her beloved, not that they had strayed from that topic.

She briefly imagined them alone together at the coffee shop, Megan using her latest plot to get his attention and it worked..following that, she'd imagine Albert asking her out and in no time falling absolutely in love with her.

Fast forwarding that would be them dating for the rest of college, her setting up her own media empire and Albert starting his own law firm as they both had dreamed and once that was done, they would become engaged, get married and have 2.5 kids together and would grow old together, and their love would grown along with them, just like with her parents and grandparents before her.

That was her dream and what she always wanted. To find the right guy for her, fall in love and get married and start a family as they lived their dreams, just like her Mom and Dad did.

She's already found the right guy and fell in love with him, all that's left is to make him fall in love with her and the rest would all fall into place.

"Oh, Albert~..."She thought dreamily as she kept eating her breakfast slowly.

"Hey, Megan!..."Henry shouted, snapping her out of her fantasy.

"Ugh! What?..."Megan asked, annoyed.

"I said pass the salt..."The young blonde boy said, pointing at it.

Megan rolled her eyes and did so.

"Here, happy..."She said.

"Very. Thanks..."Henry said as he added more salt to his omelet.

The family went back to their breakfast, while Megan secretly went back to her scheming to win Albert's heart.

One way or the other.


Later

After an entire morning of breakfast and family bonding, Megan was now ready to go get coffee with Albert.

Her older brother and parents went to go meet with Kiara and her parents to spend the morning together, while Henry was hanging out with one of his friends, leaving Megan to her own scheming.

She made a quick call and knew that they would be meeting at the coffee shop which coincidentally was near his parents house.

"Okay, Megan. This is your chance. You're gonna get coffee with your cute, possible future-husband...you gotta make the most of it and get him to notice you as more than just someone he tutors and show him just how utterly perfect you are for each other. DON'T BLOW IT!..."She mentally added as she was soon out the door.

She soon left her home and went to meet up with Albert, with full confidence that by the end of this trip, he would be all hers!

-To be continued-

Next time on Megan In Love

Coffee with Albert


A/N: I would like to dedicate this chapter to my loved ones :)


REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewers:

The J.A.M. a.k.a. Numbuh i: I'll think about it. Thanks :)

RonaldM40196867:

1) I'd say that Megan is the most similar to Helga, only more down-to-earth...to an extent. Andy is more similar to his father, the only difference is that he has his mother's temper and he refused to be pushed around.

2) The Journal and The Jungle Movie were my all-time favorites.

Invader Johnny: Yeah.


:) Till next time beautiful people, remember to read and review :)