Everyone changes with time. A day, a week, a month, a year... they all count. So how much can a group of rag tag 4th graders from P.S. 118 change with junior high, high school, and a whole bunch of history between those seven years? A whole lot.

Years Later

Locks of Midnight

It was one of those lazy Sunday afternoons, where a person should be able to lie in bed all day and do nothing, worry about nothing, and simply be nothing. Helga G. Pataki was lucky enough to be one of those people who were nothing, at least almost. Patty did not give her the graveyard shift the night before, but Patty did bestow onto Helga the prized early bird shift earlier that morning... which was probably why Miss. Pataki was stuck in the limbo of the waking world and the sleeping world.

Helga knew what she was supposed to be doing in the waking world; she was supposed to be starting her health homework. However, Helga she found it more entertaining to lie on her back, on top of Phoebe's bed and stare at the star painted ceiling. Helga had put in her favorite mix of disco and oldies songs in Phoebe's stereo without permission, again, but she knew Phoebe wouldn't mind. In fact Phoebe would probably be more worried than pissed, a highly rare occurrence to those who knew Phoebe G. Heyerdahl. Phoebe had a theory that Helga was not from this era and sometimes she even went so far as to say Helga was not even from the Earth... which was always promptly answered with a pillow connecting with Phoebe's face.

At any rate, Helga did not have to worry about Phoebe for a little while because her friend was downstairs gathering some snackage, snacks in Phoebe Speak, while Hilda watched a plethora of Princess Powder Puff DVDs straight from a combination of Sid's and Phoebe's collections. Helga shuddered to think what her younger sister would be like after she watched all of the episodes— the words hyperactive, explosive, and downright scary came to her mind.

Helga had finally surrendered to the weights pulling down on her eyelids when she heard the familiar sound of Phoebe's door creaking open.

Helga scrambled to sit up on sit up on the bed, but continued to keep her eyes clamped shut. "I promise Pheebs, this is not what it looks like, I'm just letting my eyes have a break... really. Page one of the health worksheet is almost done."

When Helga did not hear a snide reply from Phoebe, she figured that either her best friends bought her crappy excuse— a very low and unlikely possibility— or was bestowing sympathy upon her tired best friend— also a very low and unlikely possibility considering the fact that Phoebe was a dictator when it came to doing homework. Whatever happened to be the case, Helga definitely did not care, because that meant she could relax and catch up on the sleep that she was sorely missing. She settled herself back into her prior position on the bed and was continuing to doze of to the sleeping world when she felt the bed dip at Phoebe's weight.

'Did Phoebe gain some pounds? She seems a bit heavy, the bed is dipping more than usual... guess that means she should stay away from all that junk food she's brought... and let me have it instead.' Helga smiled inwardly at the pleasant thought. She did not stop smiling until she felt something or rather someone over her face and felt that person tugging her legs.

Her blue eyes whipped open to catch the sneaky grin settling on Sid's face.

Helga frowned, "You're not Phoebe."

"By Scot, you're right! Helga, with your deductive skills you could be a great detective."

"Oh, shut up." Helga playfully punched Sid in the arm. "Now what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be out partying at some airhead's birthday party?"

Sid pouted. "I get bored very easily... no one to talk about fun stuff with, no one to make fun of people with... no fun period. So I decided to come over and steal you and Pheebs' health answers."

Helga rolled her eyes. "Well aren't you a sweetie."

Sid took the opportunity to bury his face in the nape of Helga's neck before he nuzzled it. "I know I am." Sid also decided to take the time to conveniently place Helga's legs by his waist. "Well, since you and I are all alone, why don't you and I have some fun."

Helga merely raised an eyebrow.

Sid raised his head from the comfortable position he was in to look Helga in her eyes. "You know you wanna." Sid wiggling his eyebrows suggestively to put an emphasis on his point.

Helga smirked before she wrapped her legs around Sid's waist and used them to pull him closer to her. She dropped her voice to a husky level and licked her lips slowly. "Like this?"

"Yes, very good. Now," He placed his palms by the sides of Helga's head. "For some well warranted fun." Sid began to lower his face closer to Helga's.

The door opened to reveal one very amused Phoebe Heyerdahl. "Now, now, now, what have I told you two about having wild monkey sex on my bed?"

Sid and Helga shared a look before they turned their attention to the small teenager holding the treasure dubbed snackage. "Um... not to do it?"

"Exactly, so if you don't mind Mr. Gifaldi, can you please remove your body off of Miss. Pataki's?"

Sid immaturely stuck his tongue out. "Uh-uh. She was willing to play today and I, for one, will not let this golden opportunity pass by!" Helga laughed before she let her teeth graze Sid's earlobe. Sid growled. "Woman, don't do things like that when I am trying to talk some sense into Phoebe!"

"What did Helga do?"

"Nothing Pheebs, I think Sid's imagining things." Helga said as she unwrapped her legs from around Sid and pushed him off her. She rolled off the bed and walked over to grab a handful of triple chocolate cookies. "Did you bring the scissors?"

Phoebe produced a pair of silver hair scissors with golden finger holes. "Tada!"

Sid stretched out on Phoebe's bed like a cat sunning outside. "What's that for?"

Phoebe turned around with a small knowing smile. "Helga's gonna cut my hair."

"What…you're kidding me, right?"

Helga shook her head 'no'.

"But Phoebe, you've always said that your hair is like a treasure to you!"

"Well," Phoebe shrugged her shoulders carelessly. "Things change and it's time to let go of the past... plus I need a new hairstyle."

Sid threw Phoebe a look but said nothing more.

He knew what this was about.

Helga knew what this was about.

He also knew that there was nothing that could be said or done by himself or Helga— who had apparently already surrendered to do Phoebe's bidding.

"Alright Brat, go sit in the chair in front of the mirror."

Phoebe silently followed Helga's order before she felt something leaning against her back and head. She looked up into the mirror in front of her and saw Helga resting her elbows on her shoulder with her pale chin resting on her head as Helga's pale blonde locks mixed with her own dark hair. "Are you sure about this?"

Phoebe drew in a long breath before she exhaled. "I've never been so sure about something in my life."

Helga gave Phoebe's shoulders a supportive squeeze before she took the scissors from Phoebe's pale hands. "Alright then."

Phoebe tilted her head and directed her gaze at the ground as she heard the sharp snipping of her the scissors meeting her hair. "How short do you want?"

Phoebe pointed to desired place and there was an audible intake of breath from Sid. "But Pheebs I understand why, but don't you think that this a little drasti–"

"No, Helga... I want my hair that length. It's time from me to move on from this haircut. This one is getting old and boring."

"Whatever you say, my dear." Helga sighed. "I mean, after all, it is your hair."

Locks of midnight fell to the ground hazardously. Curling. Twisting. Bunching together. And even with all her pride and bravado telling her not to, Phoebe could sense the tears dwelling in her eyes. She clamped her eyelids shut, blocking out whatever her conscience was telling, instead she took deep and shallow breaths letting her pride and joy fall to her feet in large bulks.

Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into a whole half of an hour before Helga said, "Done."

Phoebe looked in the mirror and twirled what was left of her hair that at some areas could probably not even wrap around her pinky. The tears were coming and there was nothing she could about them. Helga enfolded the smaller teen in her arms from behind and rested her head next to Phoebe's. "It looks beautiful on you."

With red puffy eyes, a pink nosed, and rose colored flushed cheeks, Phoebe smiled brightly. "It does, doesn't it?"

(Y/L)

Her hair was short... possibly the shortest it had ever been since she had left elementary. Hell, it was even shorter than it had been when she was in kindergarten. Phoebe Heyerdahl never thought she would ever see the day that her hair was short again. Unfortunately for her Lady Fate had other plans.

Her hair was now shaped into a boyish feminine shag. Her bangs—yes Helga gave her bangs— swept across her forehead, but they kept falling into her eyes every opportunity they got. The only real advantage Phoebe could see with her new haircut was the fact that now her studded ears could be seen more clearly... which wasn't such a bad plus.

Phoebe walked into Crinshaw High School with her head held high and many people staring at her. Her hair after all was notorious for being the longest within the school.

Nadine looked at Phoebe shell shocked. "You finally cut your hair?"

Phoebe shrugged her shoulders slightly. "It was a spur of the moment thing."

"Oh. Short hair looks real nice on you."

"Thanks." Phoebe smiled and continued on the way to her locker, but not without many stops because of very curious people who wanted to know about why she cut her hair. And to which she always answered, "It was a spur of the moment thing." and everyone believed her.

When she finally got to her locker she saw Helga leaning against her own locker, looking highly amused. Helga crossed her arms over her pink 'LunarLanding' t-shirt and smiled brightly.

"Enjoying your newfound fame?"

"Hahaha! A pun about my shirt. You have really outdone yourself this time, Pataki." Phoebe said, knowing that her best friend was referring to her shirt from the company named NewFoundFame, NFF for short. "Where do you get these burst of genius that you so frequently get?"

"It's absolutely pure and unadulterated talent. It was bestowed upon me when I was just a young wee babe, don'tcha know." Helga said as she smirked at Phoebe. "Plus you know how much I despise NFF."

"Yea I know... But that doesn't mean a thing to me! But all this hullabaloo about my hair is starting to get to me."

Helga raised an eyebrow. "Did you just say hullabaloo?"

Phoebe thought back to what she had just said and grimace. "I did... I think I really need a cig."

"Tut, tut, tut, I thought we were going to quit together!"

"Oh please. I saw that new, freshly opened pack in your room last night."

Helga fingered her newly cut hair– which she cut for Phoebe's sake. Although her hair cut wasn't as extreme as Phoebe's, it was still an appreciated gesture. Helga's hair was no longer two different lengths, now the blonde and pink haired girl's hair fell about one inch past her shoulder. Her pink streaks were getting pale and her hair was going back to its original blonde 'Looks like this weekend I'll be doing my hair.'

"Yea, I couldn't be bothered to this weekend–"

Phoebe opened her locker. "Or the last–"

"Or the one before that–"

Phoebe gathered her books and closed her locker with a loud slam. "Oh well."

"But I can understand your annoyance. With everyone basically saying, 'Phoebe, like, your hair, it's like gone. Did you cut it!' I mean what do they expect you to say? 'Really, I hadn't noticed that I'm missing 24 inches of hair... but thank you for noticing and telling me! Now I may go mourn my loss properly.' Give me some semblance of a break here. Never mind, it would be easier to ask for some air, considering we go to a school full of airheads. Being in this school in this school is very frustrating!"

Phoebe laughed, or rather giggled— at least that's what Sid and Helga accused her of. "Now, now, Helga please do remember not to get worked up. Do think about your poor blood pressure."

Helga playfully elbowed Phoebe in her side. "Now, now, Phoebe please do remember to thoroughly think about what you say before you open your mouth. Do think about your poor mouth."

"Do shut up."

"No, I think I'd rather not."

"C'mon, Pink Punster, we should start heading to first period."

"Alright, Blue Brat, drag me off into Airhead Central, shows how much of a friend you really are, you traitor!"

Phoebe grabbed Helga's book free hand and began to tug her down the hallway, towards room 204. "It isn't that bad."

A blonde eyebrow shot up. "Would you like to replay those unwise words within your head? Certain persons within our class think that 1984 is some brand name for clothes, Oedipus is a college frat boy movie, Hamlet is a type of expensive food, and A Canticle for Leibowitz is just too big of a title for them to understand. And this is not even skimming the surface of the problem. How in the nine layers of Hades' Underworld did they get into Language Arts Honors?"

"Helga," Phoebe said with her voice tinged with a forbidding warning. "If you keep talking like this I may get very, very, upset. Don't make me sic Pink Princess Puff on you."

Helga simply rolled her eyes and dragged her heels. "Oh please," She paused for a moment in deep thought about something. "And I would just like to let you know that, that crap has spread like a vile, infectious, evil, malevolent, viscous disease to my younger sister. I am now officially burning in the ninth layer of hell, thanks."

"No problem, anytime! Now stop dragging your damn feet."

"But I don't wanna go."

"Too freaking bad, you're going, so there!"

"The only thing redeemable about the class is our projects... and the books we read... and Mr. Simmons is not a half bad teacher. I've always wondered if his first name is Richard."

"You're so random."

"I know. Do you think Principle McNielson will let me paint my locker pink? "

"Argh!" Phoebe gave up trying to pull Helga all the way to their first period class and stomped away with the taller teen laughing at her as she trailed behind her. Phoebe cursed Helga under her breath.

"Now, now, now, Pheebs you very well know that I am a legitimate child and am not a female dog with some stick stuck up the hole of my behind... and I would rather you did not talk about the hole in my behind like that."

"You are so arghalicious!"

"I know and you love me for it." Helga laughed at Phoebe's frustration as they kept on walking, neither of them noticing the two pairs of eyes watching them.

(Y/L)

I do believe by now that it is obvious by now that I don't own Hey Arnold! (But I will own the world one day). Thank you Thea, xandiira, Smoking Panda, Starry-Eyez888, BellaMay76, XxXCocoPuffXxX, Sonia, Demile, Justin T. Melanson, Angel Lily, Ryoko2025, Amber Stag, Yumes, Leona, and Linda for all the wonderful and encouraging reviews.

PS:

Justin T. Melanson, are you tapping into your other 90 of your brain and reading my thoughts and ideas? And if you are, can you teach me how to do it?

Click the shiny review button, it's nice and shiny and red... well maybe not red– but it is shiny.

S.L. Cipher (Who will gladly accept all criticisms, advice, reviews, praises, and flames with a large Cheshire Cat like smile just because she can)

Published: Yo no se...

Edited: 7 22 05