Chapter 2: Let's Party All Night!

The classes were done for two weeks; Helga was now walking to her house so she could finish packing. She was almost done, but she wanted to be sure that nothing was missing. Her passport and plane ticket were on the bag next with a book she was reading. It was going to be a long flight, were she could advance her lecture. It was still early to leave to the airport, she had four hours to spare. Helga went down to the kitchen passing through the living room where Miriam was pass out on the couch with a bottle of wine in her hand; even though she didn't care too much for her when she was a kid, she wasn't going to leave her like that. Helga turned her upside down, and put a trash can next to the couch just in case (if she didn't stain the carpet). Trying to forget the image of her drunken mother she entered to the kitchen, and made some salad with chicken, leaving the rest for Miriam if she wakes up sometime on the weekend. While she was eating the thought of all the things the gang could do on their trip and what would happen if Arnold finally realized that he loves her with all his heart and live happily ever after; without realizing she was getting food on the shirt.

She washed the dishes and went back to her room; when she saw the stain on her shirt. She took it off after the door was closed, when she heard that something had fallen. Her locket was under her shirt; taking it quickly to check that nothing bad had happened to it, because it was new; nothing like the past one. Instead of a gold chain it was of silver, and longer, with three white beads that represented the age when she met Arnold. The locket was smaller, filled with pink crystals of different shades and sizes. Inside of it was the same message 'Arnold, my soul, you're always in my heart. Love Helga G. Pataki' and next of it was a new picture of him with her. He was hugging her, both of them smiling, it was her favorite. Lucky of her that nothing happen. She didn't want to lose it on the airport or anything to she kept it on the luggage, just in case. She would use it tonight when they arrived to the hotel.

She still has time to spend; having all ready, she took her book and sat on her bed. She was getting on one of the most exciting parts of the story when it turned out like her relation with Arnold. Just that in the book, David and Jen never the chance to get together. He knows that she loves him, but ignores it, giving her hope that someday he will love her back, while he's about to start a relationship with some other girl. Helga had enough read for the day, she threw the book to the floor, not wanting to know more of that story and how it ends. She was facing the same situation with Arnold, maybe he didn't know her feeling for him, but that doesn't change that he would never love her back. Sooner or later she has to move on and forget all about him, without losing his friendship.

It was almost 6; all the gang was on the gate of their flight, all except Helga. Phoebe was starting to get worried about her, she didn't answer her calls and it was almost time to leave.

"Did you already call her?" Gerald saw how worried her girlfriend was.

"Yeah, I'm leaving a message. Helga, where are you? If you aren't coming in this moment you'll miss the flight, and I know how hard was for you to get the money for the ticket."

"You can now aboard for the flight 893A to Las Vegas, Nevada." The passenger made a line in front of the gate; they weren't a lot, so the line was kinda short. The rest of the gang started to get on the line while Phoebe, Gerald and Arnold stay behind in seek for Helga.

There wasn't more time to wait for her; Phoebe had already given up on calling her. "I guess, she's not coming." They hand their tickets to the stewardess when they heard someone yelling. The three of them turn to see what had happened when they saw Helga covered with luggage next to some guy.

"Can't you see where you going, bucko?" They boy was so embarrassed that left without saying a word. Helga cleaned herself and ran to Phoebe who hugged her hard.

"I thought you weren't going to make it on time. Where were you? And why didn't you answer your phone?" Helga gave her ticket and all of them were looking for their seats. She turns to see Arnold who smiles a little while Gerald nudged him.

"I fell asleep when I was reading and my phone didn't have enough battery to make a call. But as soon I saw the time I came as fast as I can, until I crash with that idiot." Phoebe noticed that something was wrong with Helga by the way she talked.

Phoebe and Helga sat behind Arnold and Gerald; minutes later then plane took off. Some of the passengers were falling asleep while they heard music with the headphones like Gerald; others were watching a movie or something else. Phoebe reassured that Gerald was asleep, and Arnold was looking through the window with the headphones on. "Now tell me, what's the matter?" Helga looked around somehow insecure. "Don't worry, nobody's listening."

"I hate that you know me to well, Pheebs. Ok, I was late because, I was packing all my books. You know, my diaries, with all the poems of him and more stuff. At first I wanted to burn them, but I didn't have the guts to do it, and neither throw them away, so I just hide them all on a box, and closed it with a lot of tape so I couldn't open it later. Then I heard you call but the battery died seconds later." Helga was looking at the floor while Phoebe tried to understand her.

"Ok, but why did you locked them? " Helga looked at her really serious.

"Because I realized that, Arnold would never love me back. So I hide all evidence of my love for him, in that way I can move on and forget about him." Phoebe was speech less. She was sure that Helga wanted to do this, but she was also sure that Arnold felt something for Helga without him knowing it. So, she just smiled as support for her friend.

Everybody was getting excited as the plane landed. The guys were cheering and screaming all over the airport 'Vegas! Vegas!' it was so annoying that the guards of the airport had to shut them. After they took their luggage, a van took them to their hotel, Arias Resort. On the way, everybody was looking through the windows; all the lights were so striking. Arias Resort was one of the most modern hotels in Vegas; it was like they were entering to a city.

One week before the trip, they had already decided who was staying with whom: Lila and Sheena; Rhonda and Nadine; Arnold and Gerald; Helga and Phoebe; Thad and Peapod; Sid and Stinky; Eugene and Brian (Brainy); and Harold and Lorenzo. This plan was for the parents, but could change without telling them of course. Helga picked up the keycards of her room and gave one to Phoebe, who look a little nervous.

"Helga, could you do me a favor? A big favor"

"Sure Pheebs, you know I would do anything for you."

"Uh…Could we….could we change roommates?" Helga coughed trying to regain her composure.

"Uh, why Pheebs?" Phoebe blushed looking away from her. "Doesn't matter, I don't want to know."

"I know I'm asking a lot, especially since you decide to forget him, but if you it from other point, if you spend more time with him, it would help you to move on, looking at him like a brother or something and…" She didn't believe half of what she said, but she really wanted to spend time with Gerald, even if her best friend was trying to get over Arnold, sooner or later they are going to realize they're meant for each other

"It's ok, Pheebs. I'll change roommate if that makes you happy."Phoebe hugged Helga quickly for giving her that chance. Mean while, Gerald was asking Arnold the same thing.

"So, what do you say, man?" Arnold looked at Helga while she was being hugged by Phoebe. He didn't have a choice.

"I guess that Helga already say yes, so…"

"Thanks man. I promise that I won't with that Helga thing…" Gerald went for his keycards. "… For now."

"So I guess we're roomies, football head. Aren't they the best friends?" Helga gave him one of the keycards just when Rhonda was trying to get their attention.

"Ok, everybody already have their keycards, right? Well it's only eight fifteen. How about if we refresh in our rooms and come back in an hour to decide where are going first."

Their room was close to Gerald and Phoebe's. They were the only ones on the same floor, everybody else were on above or below them. They found two beds on their room, which was full of chromatic tones very modern and elegant. Besides they had a great view of the main street. Even though that didn't want to share the room with him, they knew that nothing could go wrong on this trip.

"Are you gonna take a shower football head?" She asked him while she was looking what to wear that night.

"No, I already took one before the flight. Go ahead."

"Whatever floats you boat, Arnoldo." Helga grabbed all her things and closed the door. Once he made sure that she wasn't coming back, he took his shirt off and put another shirt, leaving it unbuttoned for a while. He heard the water running while he was taking his shoes off. Then he heard her sing.

I found a man I can trust

And boy, I believe in us

I am terrified to love for the first time

Can you see that I'm bound in chains.

I finally found my way

I am bound to you

I am bound to you

In all the years of friend ship with her, he never heard her sing; it was amazing how she sang with so much passion.

So much, so young

I've faced on my own

Walls I built up became my home

I'm strong and I'm sure there's a fire in us

Sweet love, so pure

He stopped what he was doing, closed his eyes, and sat on the nearest bed, letting her voice to take him away.

I catch my breath with just one beating heart

And I brace myself, please don't tear this apart

Maybe Gerald was right. Maybe dating Helga wouldn't be that bad. He had already noticed her before, how much she change over the years, and how pretty she is, but never said a thing to ruin their friendship.

I found a man I can trust

And boy, I believe in us

I am terrified to love for the first time

Can you see that I'm bound in chains.

I finally found my way

I am bound to you

I am bound to…

People say that the best relationships are when they're good friends at first. Yeah, they started with the left foot but they changed that.

Suddenly the moment's here

I embrace my fears

All that I have been carrying all these years

Do I risk it all

Come this far just to fall, fall

But what if it doesn't work? It would be like throwing away all those years to the trash. Or worse, she didn't feel the same way. She would never look at him in the same way.

Oh, I can trust

And boy, I believe in us

I am terrified to love for the first time

Can you see that I'm bound in chains

And finally found my way

I am bound to you

I am,

Ohh, I am

I'm bound to you.

The water stopped running few minutes later; he shook his head and continued changing when he saw something shinning on the floor. He bent down to pick it up; it was a Helga's necklace. He saw her wearing it before. 'Maybe she dropped it when she was going to the bathroom,' Helga came out after she dried her hair and put her make up on; just a little bit of mascara and pink lip gloss, making her look nice and natural. She looked at herself in the mirror to check if she looked ok, without noticing that she was being watched. Arnold approached from behind and putting her necklace on her then resting his hand on her shoulders. She tensed by his move and his look.

"Why to keep looking at me, football head?" His eyes were killing her from the inside.

"Sorry, it just… it's just that I never seen you like this." He felt the room getting hotter and hotter; trying to look other way so she could see that he was blushing.

"What are you talking about? You have seen me with this before." He look at her again from the top to the floor; he did saw her before with that pink blouse and those white shorts, but she look beautiful somehow, like it was for the first time.

"Yes, I know but still… you… you look beautiful." Both of them were blushing. Helga looked at her locket for a while, then he turn to him slowly. Her heart was beating faster than the usual.

"Thanks, Arnold." She looked again at her locket before hiding it on her blouse. 'Forget about it! He's and always be a friend. Your best friend. He said it as a friend, Helga. Remember that he has a girlfriend. But… his eyes… the way he was looking at me so…He's a man! But he's not like that, he's sweet and gentile … He's a man! Besides, why are you wearing that? My locket? Well it would be rude to take it off when he was so nice to put it on me. Maybe it fell from my luggage, and thought that I was going to wear it tonight. Take it off! Remember that you're moving on! I know! And I'm! Just because I'm not taking it off doesn't mean that I give up on moving on. It goes with my outfit. Hidden on your blouse? Well I don't want that something happens to it. It's new and it cost a lot. Ok, fool yourself; you're the one who'll suffer later. I'm not fooling myself. I'm not going to keep waiting for him, not anymore.' She shook her hair giving it a look more natural. "Ready to go?"

Helga seemed calmer than usual for some reason, kinda sad. Arnold knew something was bothering her, but his previews experience with these situations is was best to wait for her to ask for help. The silence on the elevator was extremely awkward. Nothing came to his mind to distract her of whatever was bothering her. He was only thinking of how pretty she looked; how could it be if he pass his finger through her hair; how soft could be her lips if he kiss her now, without anyone to interrupt. He would take her from her waist to make her closer to him as possible; moving his hand on her hand while she brushes her finger on his hair. He would corner to kiss her on the neck and then he would …

"Arnold!" Helga screamed bringing him back to reality.

"Sorry, what were you saying, Helga?"

"When you were daydreaming I asked you were you like to go? But you didn't listen, of course."

"Well I was thinking, if you would like to go to the hotel's club and have some drinks, with me?"

"Yeah, sure." A smile appeared on his face when the doors of the elevator opened. 'Great, my first night on Vegas and I'm going for drinks with the guy I love who only see me as a friend, a sister. I'm going to drink until I forget that I love him, either way was going to drink.'

Everyone gather around the lobby, talking where they going first. They all had different plans; Lila and Stinky wanted to go to Circus Circus; Sheena and Eugene were dying to see Circ de Solei. Nadine wanted to go with Peapod to the Pirate Show while Rhonda And Thad were going clubbing as Harold, Sid, Lorenzo, and Brian were playing poker. Mean while Gerald had planned to take Phoebe to the gondolas on the Venetian before a romantic dinner. Since it was the first night they all do whatever they wanted, they had other 4 days to spend time together there. Helga was better now; she was the one who pulled Arnold to the bar. Even that was still early, the place was packed.

"Let's dance, Helga." He offered his hand.

"No way, Arnoldo. At least not until I'm a little tipsy."

"Ok" he sat next to her on the bar, and called a bartender."Can you bring us two vodka shots and two beers, Mike?" Mike gave them their drinks second later. "If I'm going to wait for you to dance with me, at least we can make this more interesting. Let's play 'I never' with 'Truth or Dare' what do you say?" Helga stares at him before answering him.

"You're on, football head. Let's remember the rules 1. If one of us drinks, he/she has to tell a truth or make a dare. 2. If the other doesn't drink he/she challenge the other one. Clear, Arnoldo?"

"As the water, Helga." Both of them were smirking, something good could come because of it. "But let's make a toast. For Vegas, and the best trip of our lives." They drank the shots and began the game. "Ladies first."

The game was slow at first, but after too many drinks later they stop playing 'I Never', just 'Truth or Dare' must of all dares while they drank. Helga had already done a knot with her tongue on a cherry stick in less of thirty seconds, had dance on top of the bar, and painted her face, arms, and neck with (none toxic) fluorescent paint and Arnold had stolen some drinks of a couple, he flirted with some random guy, and had also painted his face and chest (his shirt was unbuttoned) with the same paint.

"I dare you to lick salt form any woman in this room and drink another vodka shot." Helga giggled when she gave him the salt and the shot. He kept looking at them. She was laughing so hard until he put the salt on her neck and started licking. 'Oh god! It feels so good' He stops to drink the shot like nothing weird happened. He left the glass on the bar with a serious look; he turned to her, cupping her cheeks and kissed her again. She kissed him back; her fingers were brushing his hair as he dream before. Then he lifted her, while she put her legs around his waist. They only brook the kiss for more air; it wasn't enough, they needed more. They were kissing again when they leaned on the bar; accidently threw the drinks of the people next to them. They were drove out of the club; running through the street going who knows where only stopping to kiss and dare some more.

So here it is chapter 2! you were lucky that i had most of it when i publish the story. it woul take a bit longer to uplaod chepter 3, i know i'm leaving you with all the questions of what they did and all but that makes the story more intersting, right? but don't worry you'll find sooner or later, remember that here they can drink and gamble at 18. and one thing i forgot to tell you before... i don't own Hey Arnold! that's own by the great master Craig Barlett and the original idea is from Broken Rose 24. sorry for all the grammar errors is you see anyone. if not, then i'm not sorry haha.

* the song is Bound To You of Christina Aguilera from the movie Burlesque

* here's how helga looks and how is the locket www . angiee93ha . deviantart .com/#/d48a5wm without the spaces

thanks for the support and i hope you stay tuned and REVIEW!

love you all

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(¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤ angie93