Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold!

The Day You Will

By Moonlight

Anonymous

"5:12pm

Helga, please call me. I feel like we have a lot to discuss."

The blonde girl eyed the message on her screen, giving it serious consideration for a few moments. It was sort of unbelievable to her that she would get 3 phone calls and 5 messages in the span of an hour. It was especially unbelievable that they would all be from the same person.

Phoebe.

Feeling her hand begin to tremble as she held up the pink phone, she closed her eyes tightly. Conflicted between returning her best friend's call, and ignoring the girl's somewhat out-of-character plea for attention, Helga felt like screaming. She wanted so much to help Phoebe through the confusion and anguish she must be feeling. Macy must have been happy to finally break the awful news to her. That Gerald was going behind Phoebe's back to see Macy. She must be absolutely broken about the whole thing, Helga thought. And to have just abandoned her back there to deal with it on her own…

Of course Helga felt guilty.

Phoebe had been there for her through everything. She had listened to her complain and agonize over "ice cream" countless times. She had helped her find herself through the short, yet straightforward words of wisdom she gave Helga. Phoebe never abandoned her.

Today was different, however. And Helga didn't know what to think. Watching her friend agree with Macy's words… and even explaining why Macy was right! Of all the things Phoebe could have done or said, this was definitely not something Helga had anticipated. And it hurt. Of course it hurt. To have one of the only people who meant so much to you, to just turn on you…

"I think… you should call her, Helga."

Startled out of her thoughts, the girl turned to see Arnold standing in the doorway to his room. She hadn't even heard the door open, as she was so lost in her contemplations. Flustered, Helga set the phone down next to her in a clumsy fashion, as she nearly dropped it onto the couch.

"A-arnold!" she exclaimed, "Why are you always CREEPING up on me?!" Her face flushed a deep crimson, as she avoided his worried gaze.

He sighed in response before taking a seat on the couch beside her. Picking up her phone, he glanced over the message. "I didn't mean to scare you, Helga." Arnold watched as her expression softened and she slowly turned to face him.

"Phoebe is…" she started, but couldn't find the words to express her feelings towards his earlier comment. She felt as if she were going mad from the conflict happening in her mind.

Shaking his head and giving her a small, reassuring smile, Arnold reached for her shaking hand and placed the phone in her palm, before giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "You don't have to." he said considerately, "But you can't just avoid her for the rest of your life." He let out another sigh as he watched her face sink into a look of genuine guilt, "Look… I don't know what happened between you three back there, and you don't have to tell me if you don't want to… but if she's calling you like this, then… I think she really needs you, Helga."

He was right. She didn't want him to be right. Phoebe was supposed to be this wise, carefree girl who had a perfect life set for herself. Helga didn't want to see her hurt. But Arnold didn't know what happened. Maybe if he knew… he would see why she was so torn.

Taking a deep breath, Helga looked up at the boy next to her. "Phoebe failed me today, Arnold. She tossed me aside and left me to fend for myself!" was all that could come out of her before she surprised herself with her own words. Was it really right of her to say that? Before she could allow herself to spiral down that rabbit hole of a thought, Helga urged herself to continue speaking. "...Macy said some things...about me and yo- a-and about Phoebe…"

Arnold only nodded for her to continue.

Balling her free hand into a tight fist, Helga looked back down at the phone. Anywhere but his eyes. They seemed to be piercing through her soul. "She said these...things, and-" searching for the words, Helga gripped the phone in her hand, "-a-and Phoebe… AGREED with her! Threw me under the bus! Left me for dead! Told her I was TROUBLE!" she gasped for air as she frantically flailed her arms around, and found herself standing in front of him.

He continued to nod, taking in her words carefully.

"I mean, haha! Of COURSE I'm trouble!" she continued to rant, pacing the floor of Arnold's room, "Of COURSE we're polar opposites of each other! But she didn't have to ADMIT IT! To MACY of all people!"

Before she could say more, Arnold spoke up, "Helga… can we talk about what happened between you and Macy?" his fingers fidgeting nervously, "I mean, you seem to really dislike her, and I've been wondering why."

"...Are you serious?" she responded, trying to hold back her 'bite'.

"I mean, it's obvious you dislike her because of what's happening with Gerald, but before… You and her started fighting before this all started, right?" he eyed her inquisitively.

Helga narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, "'Dislike' is a huge understatement, Football head." She turned to face away from him, wondering if it was a good idea to tell him about what happened or not.

Having waited for quite a while, Arnold stood and walked over to place a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. I didn't mean to pry. I was just curious." Letting her go, he walked towards the door, but paused for a moment to glance at her once more.

"Wait." Helga said softly, as she turned to face him. "Do you remember that… poetry contest last year…?"

Blinking a couple of times, Arnold thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. Macy won first place."

Helga shuddered in response. Her eyes rolling as she took a deep breath. "See, that's just it. She DIDN'T win first place."

Confused, Arnold moved to sit on his bed and give her his full attention. "What do you mean?"

"I MEAN, the poem that won was by… Anonymous!" Her arms shot up into the air.

"...So she didn't want to put her name on it? It doesn't mean she didn't win. And what does that have to do with you?" he asked carefully.

Feeling as if she wanted to pull her hair out, Helga quickly dug through her backpack, which sat on the floor by the couch. After a few moments of rummaging, she decided to dump its contents on the floor, making a mental note to clean it up later. "Here!" she finally grabbed a piece of paper and held it up.

Arnold couldn't read the contents of the paper, but could tell it was her usual pink pen. "What's that?"

Rolling her eyes once again, she walked the paper over to hand it to him, "The winning poem. By yours truly." She pointed at herself proudly, before remembering what it said. A blush filling her cheeks, she looked away.

"I've been...writing for a long time. I just didn't want my writing associated with me… I never wanted anyone to find out, so I didn't say anything when my poem won. Macy ended up taking credit." she said carefully.

"Helga. You're anonymous?" he questioned, "Are you the one who's been writing those amazing poems that Simmons read aloud?" his eyes grew wide and a smile played on his lips.

She didn't respond, but only pointed to herself as she continued to stare at the wall.

"You're amazing!" he said happily, "Why wouldn't you take credit for that, Helga?"

"It's not...who Helga G. Pataki IS, hairboy."

"But it IS who you are." he placed a hand on her arm, reassuringly, "I know that you've been putting on this act… for me…" he added, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, "...but you didn't have to hide something like this." Looking back down at the writing, he let the words sink in again. "This poem...is about me, isn't it?" He blushed.

Helga jumped at the comment, "I-I… err… y-you were...uhh…The POINT IS-" her voice grew to that of a yell, "-That MACY took credit, KNOWING that it wasn't hers. When I confronted her, she acted like she didn't know WHAT I was talking about. And NOW she's head of the literature club!"

Taking her hand, Arnold brought her back to a sitting position. "I guess I understand now…" he smiled at her, causing her to hold back a swoon.

"Ye-yeah...I HATE her… Even more after what happened today." she finished. "By the way, where WERE you when that was happening?" She looked at him with a raised brow.

Arnold placed two fingers on his temple, and internally groaned as he remembered the conversation with Gerald. "I found Gerald."

Helga's eyes went wide, "And?!"

"He's… he's breaking up with Phoebe, and… after what he said I-"

"WHAT?!" Helga stood once more. Her face looking like she was ready to hurt the nearest living thing.

Taking hold of both of her hands, Arnold looked her in the eyes, "Helga, I-I feel like this is all my fault."