Hello all! I hope you enjoyed the prologue and are looking forward to the first chapter! I don't foresee this one being quite as long but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Expect a lot of character development over the next couple chapters, hopefully it doesn't come across as too droll. We will start getting into some M-rated content as well. Dark Arnold will start making an appearance in this chapter, something to be mindful of, and is pretty Arnold heavy in general. Lots of dialogue in this one. Not sure what else to say! All cast and characters of Hey Arnold! belong to creator Craig Bartlett.

Chapter one: We're not kids anymore

Helga gently stirred as her mother placed a gentle hand on her shoulder from the front seat. "Wake up Helga dear, we're here," she heard Miriam's tired voice call to her from the front seat. Helga tensed into a stretch, unbuckled her seatbelt and groaned as her combat boots hit the asphalt. Night time had enveloped their new home in darkness, obscuring its facade, but the building appeared to be a two-story brownstone, and was nestled in between structures of similar architecture.

"Finally. I can't feel my ass after that drive," she muttered as a large yawn took her over, her sleepy blue eyes half-lidded in exhaustion from the monotony of her travel.

"Here we are girls, home sweet home," Bob Pataki declared, lazily stretching his arms out in front of him before scratching the back of his head in exhaustion.

Helga was thankful her father had hired movers for once to haul their furniture across state lines. She was already exhausted as it was, and she was grateful that she only had some minor unpacking ahead of her. As he unlocked the door and turned on the lights, Helga felt a chill hit her bare legs.

"Cripes Bob it's f-freezing in here!" She held her arms tight to her chest as she shivered in the cold air. Her father ignored her complaints as he walked around to inspect every room in the house, checking to make sure the light switches were in working order. Miriam made her way to the thermostat by the staircase in the front entry and flipped it up. Helga immediately could feel some relief as the warm air circulated out of the vents.

She investigated the front room, it was a simple entryway, almost a split level as stairs to the right provided access to the second floor. She could see a large flat screen in a room off to the left in what she assumed was the living room. She walked through the living room and from there was a connected dining room and open kitchen. As she meandered through the kitchen she made note of the granite countertops and large chef's pantry. A hallway extended from the right-hand side of the kitchen where a main floor bathroom and a laundry room were located. Most of the house was painted a steely gray in color, save for the downstairs bathroom that was the lightest shade of buttercup yellow. Damn he actually did pretty good.

The hallway circled back to the front entry and she caught sight of Bob marching up the stairs as he spoke. "Alright girl, your room is down this hallway, first door on the right. Bathroom's across the hall. I'm getting me some sleep after that god forsaken drive and I suggest you do the same. Movers should have already got the furniture all set up," he motioned down a hallway to the right as he peaked the staircase. Bob and Miriam retired into their bedroom on the second floor and Helga willed her slender legs to make the journey up to her room.

Her room was fairly simple, a decent size but not too big. Her walls were painted a very light shade of cotton candy pink, and she saw several boxes of her belongings stacked in various parts of the room. Bob had finally caved and bought her a queen sized bed for her new room, and she threw herself down on the naked mattress with glee before digging through boxes to find her clothing and bedding.

She happily looked up to see her TV sitting on a table in front of her closet near the foot of her bed and her bookshelf placed against the wall to the right. She had donated her old dresser when Bob told her that the closet in her room had built-in drawers. She opened up the sliding doors and admired the much larger closet her new bedroom offered. Welp not gonna be building any shrines in here with this honking dresser, that's for sure, she thought as she silently chuckled. Once her sheets and blankets were in place on her bed and she had changed into an black oversized Sex Pistols t-shirt, she felt a bit of a second wind and started going through the contents of her boxes.

She placed her rolled up posters around the perimeter of her room, flattening them with large books. She pulled her video game consoles out, stacking them under the table her flat screen was housed on, before placing books and movies on her bookshelf. She felt like giving herself a pat on the back for folding all of her clothes before having stowed them away in the cardboard boxes. She hung some of her more important garments from the dowel in the closet before organizing her dresser drawers. She had a few decorations she left packed away, a tapestry and some knick knacks that could wait till morning. She was pleased with how much she was able to accomplish in the couple hours she had been home.

Helga had emptied most of the boxes by now, but reached into the last one, pulling out a small wooden chest. She had had it since before they left Hillwood and it had earned some dings from the couple of moves and her unpredictable temperament over the years. She sat on her bed and opened it, finding several small trinkets and some papers. One piece of paper in particular caught her attention. The assembly of it was familiar, it was folded the way they typically were back in the days of note-passing at P.S. 118. Her fingers picked it up and she looked at it curiously before carefully opening and reading the small scrawled blue ink on the page in her hand.

"Hey Helga

Sounds like you had fun at Rhonda's sleepover. I'm glad. I wanted to let you know your hair looks really pretty today, did you do something different? Course you always look beautiful to me. :)

Xoxo

Arnold"

Helga's eyes were wide at the sight of the note. She read it ten or twelve more times before finally stopping to make sure her heart was still operating properly. She had to keep telling herself to breathe or blink as the shock had made these simple functions feel like complicated drudgery. A slight ringing echoed in her ears and she felt a tight knot gripping the beating organ in her chest. What. The. Fuck. First the Packard and now this lame note?! This is too damn weird.

She flew off the bed, grabbing her phone fiercely to look at the time. 10:27, please still be awake Pheebs! she thought as she tapped the name and sat through the trilling ring of the phone line. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Answer your fucking phone Phoebe," she begged out loud until a small voice answered from the other line.

"Oh hi Helga! I didn't expect to hear from you until tomorrow and certainly not at this hour. What's goi -," Phoebe was interrupted by Helga's panicked voice.

"Yeah, yeah sorry to call so late Pheebs yadda-yadda-yadda...Listen, remember that thing from five years ago? That we promised not to ever talk about again?" Helga was pacing restlessly around her room, her wavy blonde hair trailing behind her wildly.

"Um, well certainly Helga. Am I correct to assume you are speaking of ice cream?" Phoebe replied, her voice lowering as she uttered the last words. "Ice cream" was merely a code word she and Helga invented and had used over the years to refer to the blonde-haired, wide-headed boy Helga had been infatuated with since pre-school.

"Yes Phoebe, ice cream," she hissed. "I found a note from back in sixth grade from him and I swear to fucking god I saw him driving around earlier. I know it all sounds crazy, okay? I know what I said five years ago but Pheebs we need to break the pact. I want you to tell me about ice cream," Helga finished. Phoebe paused for a moment before sighing heavily and clearing her throat.

"Alright very well Helga, if you're sure," she replied, "but I think you should sit down first."

"Arnold...changed a lot, Helga. After you left. It wasn't so noticeable at first. We knew you guys were no longer speaking, so Gerald and I had figured he was simply experiencing some sadness following the breakup," Phoebe generally spoke very matter-of-factly, and Helga immediately detected the hesitation in her friend's voice. She felt a small wave of nervousness wash over her.

"What exactly do you mean by 'changed', Pheebs? What does that mean?" Helga tried to keep her voice as normal as possible as she questioned her.

"Truthfully...we really didn't notice much of a difference to be quite honest. He was still present for neighborhood baseball games and weekend ventures to Dino Land. Except that, as I said, he was uncharacteristically morose. Once fall semester began, he really started struggling with his studies. He appeared very distracted during classes, almost out of touch," she explained. Helga couldn't help but snicker softly at Phoebe's last statement.

"Football Head's always had his head in the clouds. That's nothing new."

"Well you certainly have a point, but his grades started slipping as a result. Things gradually got worse and about halfway through the year he was chronically tardy for class. There were several days he didn't bother showing up at all," Helga frowned at that and a slight felt heat rising to her face, she felt like arguing with her friend but wasn't sure why.

"Well so what? Not like he hasn't played hooky before."

"Sure, but he was also being frequently reprimanded and regularly earning himself detention. His homework wasn't being completed and he wasn't participating in classes," Phoebe explained.

"So?"

"So...it was very out of character. In the past Arnold had always held decent grades and made school a priority. Gerald's concerns were only exacerbated when Arnold was absent for two weeks during spring semester," Phoebe paused expecting a response, but when Helga didn't break the momentary silence she continued.

"Our teacher requested that Gerald go over our lessons with Arnold and deliver his schoolwork. When Gerald went there after school, Arnold's grandfather explained that he wasn't feeling well and was hopeful that Gerald's presence would cheer him up. He said he had a bad feeling about it and when he entered his bedroom, Arnold was sobbing and laying in bed in the dark. Gerald tried his best to console him but Arnold barely acknowledged that he was even there," Helga didn't like where this was going and could feel the heat in her face increasing as Phoebe spoke.

"Okay so the kid hit a rough patch. Big deal."

"A rough patch in a sense, yes. Gerald went back several days after school and said Arnold never moved from that spot and was still refusing to acknowledge him. Phil told him that he stopped coming down for dinner and Gerald said that was it, he'd had enough. He said he pulled him out of bed and told him to...ahem - get his shit together. He explained that he was worrying his family and friends to death, and that his focus needed to be on school. He said that you weren't ever coming back and that it was time to get over it," Phoebe seemed uncomfortable explaining these events, feeling the air grow tense.

"Well did it work?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, Helga."

"I mean, did it work? Did he get his shit together?"

"Surprisingly, yes. Gerald's words seemed to have resonated with him. For a while, anyway," Phoebe adjusted her glasses before beginning again. "The rest of the school year played out fairly normally and Arnold appeared to be back to his old self. He brought his grades back up and even started dating a bit," she felt herself wince a bit at her own words.

"Well good. Great. Good for him. So who was the lucky gal? Actually, wait no. Let me guess. Lila Sawyer," Helga's eye roll was almost audible and she spoke the girl's name with a venomous sing-song.

"Er, that's correct. Lila Sawyer.

"So he gets the girl and they ride off into the fucking sunset. Gotcha."

"N-no not quite. They started dating at the beginning of our eighth grade year, but their relationship was tumultuous to say the least. Arnold sort of fell back into his slump, and was suddenly spending a lot of time with Sid, Harold and Stinky. She was upset because he wasn't dedicating enough time to the relationship and had taken up partying. She apparently had had enough after one night in particular. She told Rhonda she spoke to him over the phone and that he was extremely inebriated and wouldn't stop crying, he was inconsolable. She wasn't strong enough to navigate those hardships and the next day they agreed to break things off," there was something Phoebe has said that didn't go unnoticed by Helga.

"Why was he crying?"

"Helga I'm not really sure if tha -" but Helga cut her off.

"Just answer the damn question Phoebe," she demanded through gritted teeth.

"He was crying because of you, Helga. Lila said he just kept screaming your name over and over."

"Wait are you fucking serious? W-why would he do that?"

"Because his heart was still broken," Phoebe answered firmly. "He never got over you. He tried to masquerade his feelings for a while and did the things he thought he had to do to move on but he couldn't. These realizations were likely only expressed because he was blacked out."

Helga was overheating at that point, and she felt something in her brain snap. "What an absolute loser. I mean, how pathetic. Like, honestly get over it, it was five years ago. Who cares? I know I sure as hell don't. I mean why would I? Don't get me wrong, I always knew he was a bumbling fucking idiot but I didn't realize he was a pussy on top of it."

Helga was absolutely seething into the phone, but Phoebe could read her like a book. She knew that it wasn't rage that Helga was expressing just then.

"You shouldn't let yourself be overcome by guilt, Helga."

"Guilt? Oh that's rich. I don't feel guilty. What do I have to feel guilty about?"

"Perhaps you regret the ways things ended. Maybe you blame yourself for Arnold's emotional hardships," Phoebe tried to respond as directly as possible without it coming across like she was pointing the finger at her. Phoebe knew how much regret and heartbreak Helga had been harboring over the years. Even if the emotions weren't always expressed verbally, she could read between the lines well enough to know.

"Listen here Phoebe, I don't regret a damn thing. You got that? Now can you hurry and wrap this up? I-I'm getting really tired, okay?" Helga's voice softened as she felt the tears building up in her eyes. An uncomfortable weight was pushing down on her chest that was challenging her breathing.

"Hurrying! Honestly Helga things have only progressed and not in a good way. Last year he was once again racking up unexcused absences, and even got suspended for drinking on school property. When he isn't with Gerald he's at the skate park or party hopping with Sid, Stinky and Harold," Phoebe waited for more of Helga's fiery quips but they never came.

"What's he really like now, Pheebs? Like his personality," her voice was low and there was unmistakable sadness woven into the words.

"The same but...different I suppose. He's been in a dark place for the last few years, Helga. A lot of what made him Arnold has vanished. Where he used to go out of his way to help people, now he isolates himself. His bright and positive attitude has become dark and morose. He even quit the baseball team over the summer. He appears to use partying as a means to numb himself. I can only hope that since he has started seeing Dr. Bliss he can learn to cope with his feelings."

"Arnold's been seeing a shrink?! Criminy I never knew things would have gotten this bad." Helga replied softly and felt the tears leaking from her bright blue eyes. She felt like the whole world had come crashing down around her. She imagined Arnold, who always looked on the bright side, who always sought a silver lining, suddenly shut in his room being crushed by the crippling effects of depression.

"What about his parents?" She choked out quietly.

Phoebe hesitated for a bit before answering, "Gerald said right around the time Arnold started dating Lila in eighth grade, they decided to seek psychiatric care. They were great for a while when they came back, but I assume once the adrenaline of surviving the jungles of San Lorenzo and the sleeping sickness wore off, they needed a lot of help. Their experience traumatized them. So while yes, Arnold has his parents back -"

"It's like they've left him all over again," Helga finished almost breathlessly and Phoebe quietly mumbled an affirmation.

So it wasn't just me, she thought, well that's a fucking relief.

Helga and Phoebe talked for a while longer. The conversation had thankfully turned more light-hearted, as everyone else had pretty much been doing exactly as Helga expected.

Rhonda and Nadine were as popular as ever, staying on top of trends, pining over boys and seeking homecoming royalty nominations. Sheena and Eugene had been participating in the school's theater program, though Eugene was currently on hiatus due to a broken toe that occured during a tap dance routine. Gerald and Phoebe's relationship was going as strong as ever. She was in charge of the school's robotics program and he had earned himself the quarterback position on the JV football team. Lila had transferred schools last year, much to Helga's relief, when her father was offered a job in a smaller town that afforded them a better quality of life, and had even remarried. Sid, Stinky and Harold despite their inclinations to get into trouble, were all doing fairly well in school and even started a band together.

They discussed their plans for the weekend and decided they would meet at Slausen's for ice cream the next following day.

"Alright you sure you're good to meet me here? One o'clock gonna work for ya?" Helga asked as she pulled her blanket over her and settled into bed. Her and Phoebe decided it was probably for the best if they met her at her house. Her five year absence had rendered her useless at trying to navigate the streets of Hillwood now.

"Yes Helga, that shouldn't be a problem. Oh it's just been so long I'm awfully excited to see you again," Phoebe squealed, "Sleep well and I'll be sure to contact you in the morning."

"Me too Pheebs. See you tomorrow," Helga answered and hung up the phone. She thought about the conversation she just had with Phoebe but tried to shift her mind into looking forward to their plans the next day. She rolled onto her back and tucked her hands under her head, lacing her fingers together. She stayed like that for a bit until her eyelids slowly shut and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Arnold Shortman awoke that Saturday morning believing it was average as any other. He saw a few text messages from Gerald and Sid, inquiring about his plans for the day. He laid in bed for a bit, trying to make heads or tails of a familiar dream he had. In his dream there was a pink blur he was trying his damnedest to catch but it kept eluding his hands. He didn't know what that meant or why the blur seemed important but something in his mind told him it was. The dream had been recurring for a while but he was no closer to making any sense of it. He grabbed his remote to turn on the Cure while he laid in bed, his head throbbing. He finally texted his friends back, telling them they were welcome to come over to discuss their plans for the afternoon. He didn't really want to see anyone, he would have preferred laying around in his room, but his therapist had been telling him to challenge himself the days that he felt like isolating himself.

He finally swung the blanket off of him, turned off his music and decided to get ready for the day. He grabbed a black pair of jeans, some boxer shorts and a red flannel, slipping off the clothes he had slept in. He wrapped a towel around him and made his way down the stairs into the hallway. He patiently stood outside the bathroom door of the boarding house, awaiting his turn to shower. Based on the melodious baritone drawl coming from the other side of the door, Mr. Hyun was the resident currently occupying the lavatory. No sooner had Arnold started standing there that the door swung open and warm, heavy steam met his face. Mr. Hyun nodded at him in acknowledgement as he made his way to his room down the hall, never missing a beat of whatever nameless song was coming from his mouth.

Arnold entered, locked the door and laid his clothes out on the floor before turning on the shower, using his hand to test the temperature then stepping inside. He had a splitting headache, granted to him from the libations he enjoyed the night before, and pressed his hands to the tile to steady himself as the hot water rushed over him. He quickly shampooed and rinsed his hair, not really caring how clean he got. He took his body wash and was hastily working the suds over his chest and back.

His mind kept trying to recall the dream he had, but his hangover conquered and he groaned in exhaustion. He recalled the bonfire he was at with Sid and Stinky the night before. There was a blonde there with a pixie cut that Arnold felt an immediate attraction to, though he knew that was probably the alcohol talking. He could feel his member in between his legs twitch as the thought of the girl wearing a low cut black shirt that was cropped and fashionably ripped. He saw the light of the flames licking the exposed parts of her breasts, while the rest of her caught in a flattering orange glow. They had barely even spoken a few words to each other, but Arnold didn't need much to pave the foundation of his fantasy.

His hand fell and he started stroking himself slowly, remembering her ample breasts and pouty lips. He always liked blondes ever since her and the one he met at the party bore a striking resemblance. He thought of the tight leather pants she was wearing that perfectly accented her perky ass, and how her legs seemingly went on forever. He would have loved the feeling of them wrapped around his waist, if only he didn't get so hammered. The girl had been rather shapely, and Arnold appreciated women with certain generous assets. He remembered at one point his eyes caught sight of her spilling cleavage and he moaned as he gripped himself with more fervor. He worked his hand in longer and faster strokes, recalling her bare stomach and naval piercing. Fuck you're so beautiful, he thought and imagined his lips crashing into hers. He thought about his hands tenderly caressing the sides of her abdomen, slowly working upwards, pulling her shirt off of her. His mind imagined her in a black lace brassiere, his hands gently squeezing her large breasts and his tongue battling hers. He squeezed himself tighter and worked his arm faster, feeling a tingling sensation building up from his groin. His mind made the bra come off, and he could see the creaminess of her bare skin and sensuous breasts. He felt his mouth around her pink nipples, and his tongue meeting the erect nub in the middle as he gave into his senses. His moans turned into a gasp as he climaxed and the warm white liquid swirled down the shower drain.

Arnold let himself rinse off for a bit before turning off the water and stepping out of the shower. He dressed himself, brushed his teeth and sat himself in the dining room. His grandmother had prepared a breakfast of eggs and bacon for him and he sat in anticipation as he smelled the freshly cooked breakfast food swirling from the kitchen as she prepared his plate. The other boarders were absent, being that it was after 11:00 a.m. they had probably finished breakfast hours ago. His parents were now missing from mealtimes as they had decided to fully check themselves into psychiatric care a few weeks before school started. His eyes drifted over to their usual seats and he couldn't help but feel sadness overtake him at their absence. He felt stupid to have believed that he could live his life out in normalcy, and that the people he loved the most might finally stop leaving him. The voice of his grandmother suddenly came from behind him, interrupting his thoughts and making him jump.

"Chow time, Kimba!" She exclaimed as a plate suddenly appeared before him.

"Thanks for breakfast grandma. You really didn't have to wait around for me to get up," he cast her an appreciative smile and started digging in.

"Nonsense! You're a growing boy, and frankly you could use all the help you can get!" She laughed wildly and stepped back into the kitchen. He could hear the shifting of cutlery and glass as she washed up the dishes and cookware. Arnold simply shook his head to himself and started eating.

"Well hey there Short man, glad you decided to join the realm of the living," he heard his grandpa Phil say. Arnold turned and saw him coming down the stairs in approach. "How'd ya sleep Arnold? Still having those strange dreams?"

"Hey grandpa. And yeah I can't seem to figure them out. They always start the same, I'm standing on the roof of the boarding house and the sun is setting. Soon there's this pink blur flying around me, almost taunting me like it wants me to follow it. But every time I try to catch it it just flies away, so I try to chase it. What could that mean grandpa?" Arnold asked. He had been having the same dream almost every night for the last couple of months. No matter how many times he dreamt it, he never could catch the fleeting pink blur that he pursued. His grandfather was now standing next to him, and he scratched his chin in thought.

"Well dreams are a strange thing Short man. It's the unconscious mind desperately trying to communicate with the conscious one. If I had to guess though, it's probably Pookie's cooking. Always screws me up one way or another!" His stomach started gurgling as if on cue, "Speaking of which, duty calls!" His grandfather straightened up and hastily marched back up the stairs towards the bathroom.

Arnold chuckled to himself, pondering his grandfather's words and brought his empty plate to the kitchen. His grandmother was drying dishes and gave him a wink and a smile as he left the room. It was 11:30 now, and Gerald and Sid were set to meet up with him in a half hour. All of a sudden he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. It was Gerald.

"Hey man just leaving the house. I was thinking maybe we hit the skate park with Sid for a bit. I told him to meet us there. Cool if we take off a little early?"

"Yeah, skate sounds good. I'll get my board. What's your ETA?"

"Idk 10 min?"

"That works, see ya in a few."

Arnold called a thank you out to his grandmother before making his way back up the stairs to his room. He grabbed his board out of the closet and set it on ground next to him while he scrolled on his phone for a bit. He sighed after a while before setting the cellphone down next to him, unable to distract himself from his thoughts. There was a part of him that really just wanted to cancel so he could go back to sleep, but with his parents gone he felt the attention of his grandparents shifting back on him. He had already disappointed them enough over the last couple of years, the least he could do was get out of bed in the morning. He felt even lonelier than he had before now that his parents were on some ranch doing shit like group therapy together. The loneliness was insufferable, but being around people was almost worse yet. He heard a quick rapping on his door, pulling his attention from his thoughts.

"Come in!"

"What's up my man?" Gerald greeted. They grabbed each other's fists, wiggling their thumbs in a handshake that was characteristic of their long friendship. "Ready to hit the pavement?"

Arnold simply nodded and grabbed his phone and skateboard. They descended down the stairs, Arnold calling out a goodbye as they did. He could feel Gerald's eyes on him as they walked, he could feel himself growing annoyed.

"What Gerald?"

"I was just thinking you looking a little rough today. You go out last night?" Gerald asked with an eyebrow quirked. Arnold didn't enjoy these conversations and really wasn't in the mood for a lecture.

"Yes I went out with Sid and Stinky. I didn't even drink that much, I just got home kinda late so I'm tired," Arnold was hoping his friend would drop it, but much to his dismay Gerald didn't waver.

"Huh, that's not what I heard."

"Well what exactly did you hear, Gerald?"

"That you got shit faced and Stinky had to drive you back to town in your granddad's car and carry your ass to bed," he answered, a little mockingly and Arnold didn't appreciate the tone.

"Okay so if you knew then why did you ask?" Arnold shot Gerald a look and he held his hands up in surrender.

"Just trying to get the story man. I think you should start reining it in though, now that school's started."

"Gerald look, I really don't want to fight. But it's none of your business. I'm fine and there's nothing to worry about," Arnold felt redness spread across his face. Gerald wasn't usually someone he found himself getting upset with, but he was already in a bad mood because of his hangover. Gerald just shook his head, he clearly wasn't in the mood for a fight either.

"Look I'm not gonna sit here and argue with you, Arnold. But just think about what I said."

Arnold couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed getting called out like that, and the heat on his face remained for a few minutes as they walked. He liked drinking, it made things feel a lot less complicated. He didn't have to think about the shitty things going on in his life. He actually felt some semblance of happiness when he was drunk, even though realistically it was sort of a gamble. Recently, some of the worst, most unbearable thoughts he had had greeted him whilst drinking. Worse yet, he was only aware of most of his drunken episodes of hysterical crying and panic attacks because his friends made sure to relay the information to him the next day.

Arnold and Gerald were approaching the skate park when they heard a familiar voice calling out to them. He saw Sid's face and waved in response before hopping on his board and gliding towards his friend.

Helga was double checking herself in the bathroom mirror awaiting Phoebe's arrival. She decided to take advantage of the sunshine, knowing the Indian summer clinging to the September days would soon be over. She was wearing a black denim jacket over a light pink floral dress. The front was cut short with ruffles that cascaded to the long, trailing hemline in the back. The neckline plunged into a deep v, showcasing her large breasts. She had curled some loose waves into her waist length blonde hair, and paired her black combat boots with her outfit. She had awoken fairly early that day, and decided to add a touch of mascara and a dark pink lip gloss to her ensemble.

Her phone buzzed signalling Phoebe's arrival and she slung a small studded black leather backpack over her shoulders. She called out to Miriam who had found her usual place on the couch with a bottle of whiskey, and opened the front door. She saw Phoebe and instantly the two girls wrapped each other in a giant hug.

"Helga it's so wonderful to see you! My, what a lovely outfit you're wearing today!" Phoebe said as she pulled back from their hug, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Helga's dress. It was familiar but different, more feminine and mature.

Helga smiled, "It's great to see you too Pheebs. Killer earrings by the way," she motioned to the silver hoop earrings Phoebe had dangling from her ears. She was wearing a cobalt blue t-shirt dress that hung in a way that complimented her small stature and slim frame, along with brushed suede ankle boots with a kitten heel. The look was completed with the addition of her signature turquoise cat-eye glasses. Phoebe beamed at the complement. They started walking down the street, discussing what classes they were taking and which subjects they were most looking forward to. They joked and laughed and Helga was so unbelievably enlivened being in the presence of her lifelong friend in a way she hadn't been for a long time. Helga could feel some sense of recognition as they walked down the street towards the ice cream shop that only added to her elation.

"I'm finally fucking home Pheebs!" She exclaimed loudly, twirling on the sidewalk earning some strange looks from passersby. Her small friend simply laughed at the spectacle.

After a few blocks they found themselves outside of Slausen's, Phoebe held the door open and Helga gawked at the interior.

"Cripes this place hasn't changed a bit! I wonder if my name is still carved under our old booth?"

"I can confirm that it is in fact still there Helga. With a few additions, I might add! Seems you started something of a trend," Phoebe giggled a bit as Helga looked down at her, an arrogant crooked smile spreading over her face.

"Yeah yeah wouldn't be the first time. Wanna go grab the booth? I'm buying. You still like that green tea flavored stuff?"

Phoebe nodded and took a seat at their old booth, and soon Helga joined her with two large ice cream cones. Helga peered under the table and saw her name still there, along with several other names now floating around it. There was a certain set of initials that caught her eye. The letters A.P.S. were etched into the wood and she touched a finger to them. I wonder, she started thinking, but jolted upright as Phoebe received a text message. Helga saw the look on Phoebe's face and the corners of her mouth went up into a smirk.

"Old Geraldo sending you his love?" Helga asked and wiggled her eyebrows at her friend, enjoying her chocolate ice cream. A light blush overcame Phoebe's face before she answered.

"Y-yes he was just leaving the skate park. He wanted to stop over and say hi. Is that something that you're comfortable with, Helga?" Phoebe bit her bottom lip while Helga frowned a bit. She thought for a second and realized she may be acting a bit irrational. I guess it's just Gerald, she thought, noting Phoebe's obvious inclination to see her boyfriend, it's not like he's going to run off and tell Arnold where I'm at, right?

"He's not with Hair Boy, is he?"

"Currently yes, but they're just leaving the skate park. Trust me, he won't be coming here."

Helga all of a sudden felt very awkward in her own skin. God what is wrong with me, get it together ol' girl. Before Helga could give a yes or no, she heard the bell of the door ring and she whipped her head to look behind her. A tall boy with a small afro and a dark complexion entered the ice cream shop holding a skateboard and Helga felt herself sink down into her seat. She quickly averted her gaze, trying to make herself as small as possible. The boy's voice called from the door and he approached the table to sit next to Phoebe.

"Hey baby! Oh I didn't realize you were with a friend. My name's Gerald, it's nice to meet y - Helga G. Pataki?!" He asked incredulously. His jaw dropped as he awkwardly let fall the hand he held out for her to shake. Helga offered a small tentative wave and felt her cheeks flushing. The tensity of the encounter was making her heart beat uncomfortably and she tried to avoid eye contact at first. Gerald however didn't take his eyes off her, examining her like some sort of alien dropped to Earth. She felt a small kick under the table, her eyes went to Phoebe who just nodded her head towards Gerald, signaling Helga to say something.

"Uh h-hey there Tail Hair Boy. Long time no see, huh?" She chuckled awkwardly as Gerald's eyes slightly narrowed.

"Pataki, just what the hell are you doing here? It's been what, five years since we've seen your ass?"

Helga swallowed before answering, "Surprise," she muttered with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm, "I'm back Geraldo." Gerald raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"You're back?" He asked and Helga simply nodded. "Like back back? What, are you living here now or something?" Helga sighed.

"Yes Geraldo, back back. I start school on Monday. Why, is there a problem?" Helga didn't appreciate the not-so-warm welcome and found herself getting a little annoyed. She felt relieved when Gerald simply shook his head and chuckled.

"Course not, but damn girl I didn't see that coming. Phoebe, you know about this?"

Phoebe smiled and gave a small nod. Gerald laughed again before looking back at Helga.

"So what, you trying to keep it a secret or something? Isn't everyone going to find out Monday anyway?"

Helga sighed, "Yes Geraldo I guess you have a point. There's just...some people I don't wanna see," she shot him a glance and Gerald immediately frowned.

"Well if you're talking about who I think you're talking about, he won't be so keen on seeing you either. Wait, is this why Rhonda's having that party tonight?" Gerald suddenly turned toward Phoebe, and her face immediately flashed scarlet. Helga whipped her head at Phoebe, her eyes were daggers.

"Party? What party? Pheebs what the fuck?" Helga's mouth was agape, she could feel her hands trembling as anger started to take her over. Phoebe had planned for this in a sense. She was intending to surprise Helga that night by taking her to Rhonda's without disclosing the party. While she respected Helga's wish to keep everyone in the dark leading up to her moving there, she knew in the long run this would only positively affect her return to school. She knew Helga would have been much more uncomfortable being swarmed between classes or at lunch. The party would afford everyone the chance to reconvene, but with the added benefit of alcohol. Of course she knew there was a chance that Helga could find out, and her words were carefully crafted for such an event.

"Yes Helga, Rhonda is having a party tonight. But you weren't technically invited. She's simply throwing a party to kick off the school year, for classmates you haven't actually joined yet. Of course, you're more than welcome to attend, now that the cat's out of the bag," she shot Gerald a glare and Helga cocked her head, the anger dissipating.

"Not invited? Who the hell does she think she is?" Helga muttered. Gerald caught a very small and impish smile on Phoebe's face.

"I'm sure if you wanted to attend, Rhonda wouldn't have a problem with it. She was probably being courteous in withholding an invitation seeing as how you've only just arrived yesterday," Phoebe knew she had her with that, implying that Rhonda Lloyd had somehow grown to care about the feelings of others was bait she knew that Helga would snatch up.

"Oh come on Phoebe, like Rhonda gives a rats ass. She probably didn't invite me just to piss me off! Well it worked, so what time are we going?" Gerald's eyes widened, he couldn't believe how easily Helga fell for that. He was impressed with how seemingly little effort that was for Phoebe.

"Party starts at 8:00 p.m. If you'd like, we can get ready together at your house. Gerald was going to give me a ride anyway, I'm sure it wouldn't be any trouble for you to tag along?" Phoebe looked at Gerald in a pleading way that made his knees feel a little weak. Damn I guess she got me too, he thought as he nodded.

"Course not. Phoebe, I'll text you when I'm on my way. See you girls later," he said as he kissed Phoebe on the cheek, stood from the booth with a smile and left.

"Well that settles that, Pheebs text princess and let her know I'm your plus one," Helga smirked and Phoebe took her phone out obediently to inform Rhonda that their plan was a success. Helga continued to enjoy her chocolate ice cream in ignorant bliss.

Sid and Arnold were making their way home from the skate park, sharing a flask between them. Gerald had left saying he wanted to go home to get ready for the party and was going to stop off to say hi to Phoebe along the way. Sid unscrewed the silver top to his flask and took a swig before offering it to Arnold with a smile. Arnold took a long drink, and felt the warmth of the bourbon sting his throat. He coughed a little and handed it back.

"Where'd Gerald take off to, anyway? Party doesn't even start for another like six hours" Sid asked as he took another drink from his flask. Arnold simply shrugged.

"I think he wanted to hang out with Phoebe for a bit. Plus he's gotta battle his sister for the bathroom. He said she practically lives in there."

"God the guy's whipped for that girl, isn't he?"

Arnold laughed and nodded, "Yeah, yeah I guess he is. But I dunno I guess I think it's kind of sweet." Sid shuddered and handed the flask back to Arnold.

"Dude if I ever start acting like that over some broad, please beat some fucking sense into me."

Arnold simply chuckled and shook his head. He looked up to see a couple of familiar faces in the window of Slausen's as they started to approach from the other side of the street. He pointed as their faces came into view. "Oh hey, there's Phoebe and Gerald right there."

"Yeah but who's that chick they're with?" Arnold craned his neck to see who his friend was talking about but her back was facing him. Sid didn't seem too keen on giving up his vantage point either. "God damn she's fucking hot. I wonder if Phoebe's bringing her to the party." Sid jabbed his elbow into Arnold suggestively. Arnold pushed him a bit playfully with a laugh and was able to get a good look at her.

Her long golden hair was practically gleaming in the sunlight coming through the window. She had full, dark pink lips and her skin was flawless. She had a slightly sunkissed glow to her that made her look bright and healthy. She held her ice cream close to her mouth and her tongue gently rimmed the frozen chocolate. His eyes ogled her breasts for a while, as they were practically spilling out of her dress onto the table. Here's hoping, he thought with a chuckle. He felt a very strong craving from his groin, and didn't even realize he was holding his breath until his body forced him to exhale and his gaze fell back to her face. He saw strong dark eyebrows framing sapphire blue eyes, when she abruptly furrowed her brows into something of a scowl, his heart did a backflip. His eyes widened, realization slapping him in the face, and he grabbed Sid by the arm and whipped them around the corner out of sight.

"Arnold what the fuck was that?" Sid asked, "I was trying to enjoy the view, her tits wh -," his words were interrupted as he was forcefully lifted by the shoulders of his jacket and slammed into the brick wall behind him. His chest heaved a little from having the wind knocked out of him. He looked down at Arnold who was staring at him wildly, his green eyes were almost feral. "Wh-what...what did I do man?"

Arnold didn't take his angry eyes off of Sid, but slowly lowered him down to the ground, and released his grasp. Suddenly his eyes softened and he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Sid I'm really sorry I don't know what came over me," Arnold muttered. Sid was giving Arnold a very strange stare, he knew the kid was having a hard time but what did he care if he was checking out some random girl. Arnold looked up at him as if hearing the question, and as the next three words came out of his mouth, Sid made sense of his friend's outburst. His eyes widened in disbelief as Arnold spoke.

"That was Helga."