OK, let's see what's going wrong. Thanks for always reviewing, The J.A.M a.k.a Numbuh I, JoyceLaKee and Beth.

It was early February, and Valentine's Day was approaching. Trust things to go wrong on the most romantic day of the year! Sorry, strike that – trust the fights to start just before Valentine's Day. It fell on a Thursday this year, so of course things had to start getting rough that week.

It started with Curly asking my advice on Rhonda, again. "She insists on keeping our love a secret." he explained. "Can't you convince her otherwise?"

I considered, and then said "You know, you're not the only ones keeping a relationship secret. Look at the teasing me and Sid got when we went official! You've got to understand where Rhonda's coming from – she's been snubbing you ever since you started hitting on her. Be patient with her. One step at a time – you're expecting everything too quickly. Hold back, or you might lose her."

Curly nodded at my advice, but I noticed the day after that Rhonda started getting quieter. She still acted confident, but her dark eyes showed that she was distracted.

I didn't take too much notice, though. Helga only seemed to be happier, now. Even her look started changing, if only a little. Around the start of the week, she started wearing her pigtails lower, and they hung down more, instead of sticking straight out like brooms. Not only that, but ever since she and Arnold started dating, I noticed that she didn't stare at him as much as usual. She still did watch him, but not constantly. Arnold sometimes did catch her staring, but he'd usually give her a reassuring smile. He didn't seem to mind so much.

But it was the Tuesday that things really started to go wrong. Things seemed fine when I got up that day, and had breakfast as per usual. But when I got on the bus, a flurry of whispers broke out.

"What's going on?" I asked Lila as I sat down.

She was looking furtive herself, but tried to straighten her face out as she spoke. "Nothing, really." she said quickly.

I narrowed my eyes. "Lila Sawyer, don't treat me like I can't tell. I know that look. Plus everyone starts staring and whispering as I get on the bus. What is it?"

"Hey, Lila!" called Rhonda from the front. "Did you know about her?"

Lila frowned, an unusual expression on her. "Know what about who?" she asked.

Rhonda rolled her eyes. "Know that Nicole used to be a spy, duh!" she said.

I immediately stared at her. "Who said that?" I demanded. "I have no idea what you are talking about!"

"Oh, don't give me that." Rhonda sighed. "So maybe you're not doing that now, but you were, weren't you? How else would you know more than me about everyone? I pride myself on knowing everything about everyone, but-"

"You're confusing me for Brainy." I shot back. "You know, that kid who actually does lurk in the shadows? I'm a completely normal kid who happens to be orphaned. I only got here around the end of fourth grade, anyway!"

Rhonda raised her eyebrows, not believing it. "You were here before that." she stated. "I thought you were familiar, and now I know why. Anyway, now that's out, why didn't you tell me before? I thought we were friends."

"It's not true!" I snapped. "Who started saying that? Where did you hear it from?"

"I hear everything." Rhonda said evasively. "If there's anything new at PS118, I'm the first to hear it."

There was no way I could convince Rhonda otherwise. Halfway through recess, I stopped bothering to correct her, but I wouldn't let her in on anything important. I could trust Lila with secrets like this, but Rhonda wouldn't hesitate to tell. Speaking of Lila, I asked her about it.

"Who started this rumour about me?" I asked.

"I don't know." Lila sighed. "This obviously started from the truth and became exaggerated. Whoever did it must've known something to make it believable. How many people have you even told?"

"Six." I admitted. "I know you wouldn't tell. And I'm not even going to entertain the thought that Arnold would've, of all people. And if Helga and Phoebe didn't tell when I first told them, I'm pretty sure both of them wouldn't start now. Helga knows how important secrets are, and Phoebe knows how to keep quiet about things like that. The others I swore to secrecy, too. I had to tell Arnie, because he already knew, but he's not here any more. And that only leaves..." I stopped.

"Who else did you tell?" Lila asked.

"He swore whatever I said wouldn't leave the room..." I muttered. "The only person that could've told besides everyone I just listed is...Sid."

Lila blinked at me. "When did you tell him? Did you trust him with such important information?"

"I was kind of cornered, and I didn't have a good excuse." I muttered. "I don't know where the whole spy rumour came from, but I kind of had to explain something that left that part unexplained, so he kept asking and I wasn't sure if I believed he wouldn't tell, but he did promise not to say anything. I know it was stupid to trust him with my secret, but there wasn't really anything I could say. Not to mention, I think he suspected that I was a spy or something before I told him the truth."

I spent most of the morning after recess glaring at Sid. Granted, all I could see was the back of his green cap with his limp stringy hair hanging down, but I think he knew I was glaring at him from the way he tensed up after his eyes flickered in my direction. However, I decided that it wasn't something to discuss in school, so I left him alone at lunchtime and then "casually" dropped a note on his desk as I passed by, since he got to class and was already in his seat before me, now trying to look extremely absorbed in making a paper aeroplane.

The note read: "On the steps of PS118 after school. Be there."

Just to make sure, I left the classroom first to wait outside the doors of the school. If Sid hung back in the corridors, I'd see, and he sure as hell wasn't going to make a break for it while I was guarding the doors. I knew for a fact that Sid was a total scaredy-cat, but that was exactly why he'd probably run instead of obey my note.

But to my honest surprise, when Sid finally showed up, last of all the kids, he walked slowly, as if he was walking to his death sentence and accepted the fact. All the same, I grabbed his wrist before he was out of the doors and pulled him over to the side of the (now deserted) steps.

"So." I said aggressively. "Did you start the rumour, or did you just tell the truth that was misunderstood? And why did you feel the need to spill my hugest secret?"

Sid is fun to write, but the kid gets on my nerves all the time. He's mostly a cowardly crybaby who suffers from extreme paranoia (not that he can help having a clinical disorder). I couldn't help thinking that he would really be likely to spill the beans about Nicole. Please review!

Oh, and could someone PLEASE do a picture that can be the cover for this fanfic or "Hell Of A Girl"? I'd appreciate that. I was thinking of something like nine-year-old Nicole in the outfit she bought in the last fic with a plaited bit at the top of her head with the rest of her hair down with a thought bubble reading "A + H = Love", but I'm open to ideas. I just want a picture of Nicole in any situation, and I can't draw myself.