*CLICK*

*FLASH*

*SNAP*

Picture after picture and pose after pose are performed as the twinkles of twilight emerged along the edges of Hillwood Park. The familiar friends had gathered for their final series of snapshots at their senior homecoming, as it had become a tradition amongst the teens. Freshmen year of high school was once a period of problems for the gang of P.S. 118 as they approached a new school and a new phase in their lives. However, the hopes that high school would last forever finally faded, and the certainty of a graduation gradually grew.

Arnold Shortman was in amazement at the moment moving around him as he meandered into the park with his best friend, Gerald Johansson. This was the one of the final moments that him and his friends would be hanging here during homecoming season to take pictures together. They actually were high school seniors, and this time next year, they would be attending a college or university or becoming somebody other than a high school student. That future was one that has not been decided yet, and Arnold had the chance to decide it all for himself. Before tonight, he was not sure if he was ready to take such a chance. Considering tonight and all the possible events that could unfold that would affect that future, he realized that it was time to take that chance, regardless if he was ready or not.

"Gerald! You finally made it!" Nadine called to the pair of pals as she galloped over to greet them, following a gallon of giggles. "I didn't think you were going to show!"

The confused Nadine crinkled though when she discovered that Arnold was the one next to Gerald. "Arnold? What are you doing here? Rhonda's blog said you had been banned from the dance!"

"Nadine, Nadine." Gerald wrapped his arm around her shoulder as he cleared his throat. "Don't you think my man, Arnold here, deserves one more chance? After all, this is his last homecoming dance."

"You do look beautiful, Nadine. I like the ladybugs." Arnold quickly added in, and admired the design of the dress. Her short, simplistic dress was stitched with ladybug patches as if they were hiding in the grass of the gown. "Did you make it yourself?"

Nadine's heart warmed from the compliments of her two friends in front of her. Her best friend degraded the design and the dress, despite the ladybug being her favorite bug of all the insects in the animal kingdom. Some people could not comprehend her craziness for the cuteness of the creatures, but she at least she was reminded that her true friends respected her interests.

However, she also could sympathize that Arnold earned one more chance to have a happily ever after, considering hers was one that would not be achieved, despite her deleting the blog post that Rhonda had once written. Besides, Arnold had always been a friend and on her side, and she wanted him there tonight with everyone else.

"Yes, Arnold. Thank you. And of course, I'm glad you are here. Your secret is safe with me." Winking, she gestured toward the man with a camera, camera crew, and crowded set up of equipment surrounding the scene of sweaty, suited up students. "Did you see that Rhonda's father paid for a camera guy and a whole crew to come here to take pictures of this year? How cool is that?"

Arnold and Gerald popped past the bug beauty to get a glimpse of the substitute studio that had been prepared for the perfect park photo shoot and only shook their heads.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm. Only Rhonda would be that extra." Gerald shuddered, as he wiggled to wrestle at the blue tie he was wearing. "I don't think I'm dressed up enough for the occasion!"

"Disagree!" The squeak of a small, silly voice suddenly spoke, and he spun to gawk at his girlfriend, Phoebe Heyederal, glowing before him.

"Phoebe?!" She blushed, as the blue waves of the dress brushed down to her ankles. Her bold, black hair had been braided back by two, cerulean chopsticks into a bun, and her everyday glasses that she wore were gone, but instead replaced by a pair of contacts and a duo of deeply dark, dangerous eyes. A certain stack of tall hair on top of a boy would crumble from the sight of the blue beauty.

"You look... You look..." A flush of fire appeared along the face of the usually fierce, but fine friend of Arnold's. Struggling to even form a sentence, maybe even a word, he slipped on the syllables of look for seconds more.

"Konichiwa, Gerald." Phoebe turned to acknowledge Arnold, and smiled at him standing next to her date for the dance. "You look handsome too, Arnold."

"Thanks, Phoebe. Have you seen...?" The emerald eyes of the football headed prince pranced past the couple onto the guests of the giant gathering. His passionate, pink princess could be sneaking in between the gaps of the group.

A single shake of her head allowed Arnold to sigh and sulk to the shoes he was sporting.

Where was she?

Where was Helga G. Pataki?

"Arnold!" A clasp of a cold-blooded claws clamped around his elbow to yank him into the vision of the villain of his medieval quest. The kelly green sucked out the shine that the short skirt of the dress had, and instead the vomit of her soul soaked the dress to a slimy shade of snot.

"Lila." He tried not to hiss the name of his new nemesis, but he still could not settle on that she was a nemesis. Seven days before, he had even had a daydream of this dance between the biggest could have been couple of P.S. 121. Now, the smell of her desperation was not enough to cover the smell of her sweat starting.

"Glad to see you've shed all your feathers, Lila." Phoebe giggled, and Arnold and Gerald restrained themselves from joining on the jousting. Lila simply smirked, but shook her head at the adorable admiration from the Asian lady in waiting.

"But I see you still haven't shaken yours, Phoebe. You better throw Gerald a bone before he gets hungry." The chilly chuckle of Lila Sawyer salted the smile of Phoebe to an expression that last appeared at one sleepover not too many nights ago.

"Fuck off, Sawyer. That's none of your goddamn business." Gerald snarled, stepping in front of his sweetheart and his fists folding before preparing to have to fly into the face of one fake foe.

"Looks like this dog has some bark. I wonder if he bites..."

"ENOUGH." Arnold surrendered and stood between the constructing conflict, hoping to put out the flames of this fight before it started. "Leave my friends alone."

Lila styled her gross grin once more, before turning to the football headed hero. "It's time for our picture anyway. We need to get a good one for the yearbook since we are going to be homecoming king and queen." She snaked her arm underneath Arnold's arm as she cackled once again at the couple cuddled beside them.

He had to stop. He could not stand up for himself or his friends. Not now. He had a plan, and it was necessary so he and his Pataki princess could have one more chance at the ending he had fought for. The forever flowing flames of the red-haired girl he once fell for would not stop him. Not tonight.

The Hunger Games of a homecoming was to start in an hour. Arnold pretended not to peer at the arms of the clock on his watch, as they climbed out to choke him while the longest arm lunged to the number seven.

The screech and siren of a microphone muted the mumblings of the whole gang of acquaintances from P.S. 121 as Rhonda LLoyd waved her hands and microphone amongst the mass.

"Excuse me! Could everyone please come over here so we can get these pictures taken? We don't have much time before the dance!"

As the shuffle of shoes and students started to slide past Arnold and his disaster of a date, he hung onto the promise that she pushed through the waves of people.

"This is going to be a night to remember! Some of you might only have one more chance."

Where was she?

Where was Helga G. Pataki?