A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I actually would've updated sooner, but I've been kind of down for the last couple days. Actually I still am, but today I'm motivated so here's chapter 13. :

It was a long walk from Helga's house to the park. A very long, tiring walk…but to her it was worth it. She could see her favorite bench from a distance, completely empty, which was a good thing to her. It became her thinking spot back in 4th grade, where she had an encounter with Arnold right after Lila broke up with him. She sat down closing her eyes, smirking only slightly at that memory…but the smirk was quickly replaced by her frown.

Helga let out a hollow chuckle, mumbling to herself, "Wow, these past couple of days have been just so wonderful." First it was the whole Arnold incident, then she had gotten suspended for something that she believed she had every right to do, and then she had a fight with her dad. Not that that was unusual to her, but nevertheless, when it all tied together, it was a bit too much for her to handle.

'Oh no, Helga. You're not gonna start crying again…you've done enough of that already.' But regardless of how much she tried stop the tears from spilling out of her eyes, it didn't work. 'You've become way too weak over the years. Way, way too weak.' She placed her hands against her face, trying everything she could to stop. After all, she didn't want any bystanders to see her cry. Again.

"Helga?" She recognized the voice that was coming from beside her, and even though in the past this voice might have been reassuring to her, right now it was the last voice that she wanted to hear.

Arnold's.

Without even knowing it, Helga glanced up at him, her eyes still shiny from the tears. But she remained completely silent, quickly casting her gaze back towards the ground.

"Helga, have you been crying?" Still no response. Arnold sighed, a bit hesitant to sit down beside her. Even though Phoebe had told him that Helga was willing to talk to him, he was pretty sure that now wasn't a good time. 'Just ask her if it's okay if you sit there.' No, I'm the last person she wants to see right now. I'm better off just leaving her alone.'

"Do you mind if I sit here, too?" 'Idiot.' Arnold completely regretted those words as soon as they came out of his mouth. He waited for her to yell at him to get lost, or to punch him in the face just like she had done to Rhonda earlier that day. However, there was silence once again, giving Arnold the notion that she really didn't care either way. He sat down beside her, leaving only a bit of room in between them.

"I didn't say you could, Arnoldo." Great, there was the bitterness in her voice…just what he had expected.

"B-But you didn't say anything at all, so I just—"

"Assumed it was okay?" Helga scoffed, now looking at him. "You really have to stop assuming everything's okay to do, Football Head. It's been getting you into a lot of trouble lately, hasn't it?"

Arnold tilted his head slightly, a bit confused by what she meant. But it suddenly hit him…he had assumed it was okay to write that note, to get Phoebe involved, (which she didn't seem angered by just yet,) and now, to sit next to her when she clearly wasn't in the mood.

"Helga, look. I know you probably want nothing to do with me right now, but I just…thought I'd see what's wrong. Maybe I can help."

"Help? You? Boy, that's something new and exciting." She rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed. "What do you care, anyway?"

"I do care. I mean, you should know I don't like to see anyone upset." For the second time not even within a minute, he regretted what he said.

"It's a little bit too late for that, isn't it?" Helga's voice was much louder now. She wasn't raising her voice out of anger, though. In fact, Arnold couldn't even really pinpoint what it was. "These past few days have been a living hell for me, Arnold."

"Past few days? What else happened?"

Helga sighed angrily, putting her hand to her forehead. "Nothing. Nothing happened. Everything's been just so peachy keen!"

"Helga…"

"What!" Now she was mad, he could see it in her eyes. "You want to know what's been going on? You want to know why I socked Rhonda today, why I walked such a long distance here just so I could be by myself, that is, until you came along?"

Arnold simply nodded, taken aback by her sudden outburst. It wasn't everyday that she would tell him everything that's on her mind. She almost never let her guard down…besides at dinner, anyway.

And the incident on top of the FTI building, too, but he preferred to ignore that thought.

"It's because…" Helga stopped, losing eye contact with him. She didn't want to tell him, but a part of her did. "Forget it. It's none of your business, anyway."

"It's okay, Helga. Y-you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I don't."

There was an awkward silence between the both of them, as Helga sat with her arms folded across her chest, and Arnold sat nervously, finding his knees interesting at the moment. After what seemed like an eternity, he spoke up. "It's getting really dark, and I have to study for a test tomorrow. I should probably—"

"Don't."

Arnold now looked at her, confusion evident on his face. "What?"

'I said don't. I-I don't want to be here alone…in the dark. Crazy things happen, you know." That was a horrible safe, Helga. Absolutely horrible.'

"Well…do you…want me to walk you home?"

Arnold saw her cringe a bit as he said that last word. "Actually, I'd rather stay here if those are my only two options."

"But don't you want to go home? I mean, you do need your sleep and—"

"This bench is comfortable. Trust me, I've slept here before." Immediately, Helga bit her tongue to make sure she didn't say anymore than that. Maybe with a little bit of hope, he wouldn't even think about what she had just said.

"You've slept here before? Helga, you just said yourself that crazy things happen! Why would you sleep here?"

'Damn.' "Because…it's really comfortable."

"I find it hard to believe that a hard bench could be more comfortable than a bed." He wasn't about to buy into her lies this time, like he had many other times.

"Uh, yeah well, my room is really hot. I can barely breathe in there sometimes so…uh, sleeping outside is more comfortable…temperature-wise."

"And you expect me to believe that?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm not." He scooted a bit closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me the real reason why you don't want to go home."

Arnold felt her shiver a bit when he touched her, and he tried his best to hide his smile. "I-I already did."

"Those are all lies, and you know it."

"Didn't you just tell me before that I don't have to explain to you if I don't want to?"

"Well, yeah…but this is serious, Helga. Most people would want to go home…so, why don't you?"

"I'm not like most people, Arnoldo."

"I know." This time, he did smile, but he wasn't about to give up any time soon. "Helga, just tell me, please?"

Helga knew that she shouldn't look into his eyes at this point. On every other occasion that she did that, she caved in and did whatever he wanted her to do. However, she did anyway, and saw the pleading look in his emerald eyes. "Fine…if you must know…" Her voice trailed off, and she sighed once again. "I can't face my dad, Arnold."

"What do you mean? What did he do?"

"He didn't do anything except talk to me like I'm worthless, and compare me to Olga. When he found out that I got suspended, he practically exploded. I can't face him because I know that I'm not good enough."

"What are you talking about? You are good enough, Helga. Nobody's perfect, not even your sister."

"Oh, she's perfect, Arnold. Trust me. And you know, I should technically be used to all of this crap by now, but I'm not. Every year it seems like it just gets worse. Maybe…maybe Rhonda was right…nobody could ever love me."

Arnold was shocked, and his mind immediately went back to the party where Rhonda said something exactly like that. He felt a rush of anger flow through him, and without even realizing what he was doing, he took one of Helga's hands into his own. "Since when do you care what Rhonda says?"

"I don't. That's not the point." She looked down, seeing that their hands were together. Thank goodness it was dark, because she knew for a fact that she was blushing madly. "The point is, she's right."

"No, Helga…she's not." He gave her hand a slight squeeze, all the while wondering why he was doing so. "Just because some people don't appreciate you for who you are—"

"Some people? No one does, Arnoldo…get your football-shaped out of the clouds for a minuite."

"So I guess I'm a no one then, huh?"

Helga's head snapped up quickly, shocked by his remark. As much as she wanted to believe the meaning behind what he ha just said, she found it hard to. "Please, Arnold. If you really 'appreciated me,' you wouldn't have even thought about doing what you did, and you know it."

"Forget about the note for a minute. Forget about what happened at Chez Paris. Focus on what I'm saying to you right now, Helga. I do care about you, and so do a lot of other people, whether you realize it or not."

Yet again, there was another awkward silence, but this time it didn't last nearly as long. "You really mean that, Arnold?"

Arnold as surprised by the sudden change in her tone, but he didn't let that preoccupy his mind right then. "Yeah, Helga. I do mean it."

Neither of them knew what was going to happen next. The conversation that went on between them was surprising enough, since Helga didn't believe that she would spill her thoughts, and Arnold certainly didn't believe that he would be able to get that much out of her.

"Helga, I know you probably still hate me, but—"

"I never hated you."

"You didn't?"

"Well, I thought I did. But deep down I knew that I could never hate you, regardless of how much I may have gotten hurt."

Although Arnold was relieved, he couldn't help but apologize to her for the billionth time. "Helga, I'm really sorry…"

"I know, Arnold, I know."

Lost in the conversation, they both didn't realize that it was almost past 9:00, that they did in fact have school in the morning.

Or, that they were leaning closer and closer together, until their lips finally met. It wasn't a long kiss, it really only lasted less than a minute, but it was enough for Helga's stomach to do back flips, and enough for Arnold's mind to start racing.

As the two separated, Arnold drew his attention back to his knees again. "I-I really need to get home."

"W-what?"

"I'll see you at school tomorrow. Or uh..well..when you come back. Yeah. Bye." He got up really quick, and turned his fast-paced walk into a swift run. He felt like a coward, but he didn't know what else to do."

'Why did I kiss her? Why did I let it last so long? Why couldn't I face her anymore when it was over?' Arnold stopped dead in his tracks, and sighed. "Wow, this has been one heck of a night…"

Back in the park, Helga was still sitting on the bench, dumfounded. 'He kissed me. Arnold kissed me. And then he ran away? Like he was ashamed of it or something?'She started feeling the same emotions that she felt back at Chez Paris: embarrassment, confusion, sadness, and most of all, anger. "I should've known he would pull a stupid stunt on me again…I should've known. God, I'm so stupid."

She felt a drop of rain land on her head, and then gradually, the rain started pouring down on her. 'Damn. I can't stay here now. I wonder if Phoebe's still up.'

Making her way out of the park, she found herself being blocked by someone.

"Hello. Helga."



A/N: Ah, I love cliffhangers…only when I'm writing them, though, haha. This chapter turned out to be longer than expected, which is good. I think. Hopefully. I hope I didn't drag it out too much for you guys. Anyway, chapter 14 will be posted soon. And feel free to make guesses about who this person at the end of the chapter is. I hope you all enjoyed this. :