Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold! or Romeo & Juliet, or anything that sounds like I could make some money off of it.

Summary: What If: Mr. Simmons had never done the play in Elementary school? What if he directed it when they were all in High School instead? This is an expanded take on Helga's schemes to kiss Arnold. AxH, slight AU.

Note: As much as I love the episode "The School Play" I have several beefs with it. The fact that they made such a big deal out of the final kiss is rather silly, considering there is more than one scripted kiss in the play. But yes, they were just kids so I let that one slide. But, during the episode, they don't even place the few scenes there are in order! Always drove me crazy.

So, after my most recent viewing of this episode, I was struck with inspiration. A wonderful 'What If' Scenario. This will detail the episode with the gang in High School now (with everything else in their childhood, i.e. FTi, finding Arnold's parents, etc still having happened) with a couple exceptions: Arnold and Helga had never become a couple and Arnold's parents remained in Hillwood.

I wanted to expand on Helga's quest to become Juliet, while also building something up between Arnold and her throughout the preparations for the play.

I hope you all enjoy this 'What If' story!

Previous Chapter's Soundtrack: Rip Her to Shreds by Boomkat

Current Chapter's Soundtrack: Lonely Day by Phantom Planet

Chapter Five:

"My only love sprung from my only hate."

The next day, at rehearsal.

Mr. Simmons cleared his throat before addressing the cast, "Everyone, I have an announcement to make: As of today, we have another...new Juliet. Lila will assay the role, since Phoebe has decided that she would rather be our stage manager."

Lila turned towards the cast, "Thank you ever so much."

Helga was lurking behind Arnold and Gerald, smirking to herself, when she overheard Arnold's voice.

"I thought Hamlet was supposed to be the Shakespearean play that was cursed," Arnold commented to Gerald.

The African-American teen snorted, "Maybe it ain't the play. After all, what's the one thing all the previous Juliets share in common?"

Arnold shrugged, "I don't know, what?"

"They were playing the role opposite of you. Maybe you're the problem," Gerald snickered, even as Arnold shoved him.

As Mr. Simmons called Arnold over to have them run through that stupid meeting scene with Lila, Helga muttered to herself, "Okay, you need to slow it down Helga Ol' Girl, or else someone might figure it out." She peeked out from behind the curtain and watched the two voice their lines, and scowled, "Even if it means letting Little Miss Perfect play the role for a while. I'm so close, I can't go screwing it up now!" When the sound of heaving breathing came from behind her, Helga blinked in surprise before gritting her teeth and throwing her fist up, knocking Brainy right in the face. As she heard him sink to the floor, Helga sighed in irritation before walking away to get a better view of the scene.

"'Saints do not move, though grant for prayer's sake.'" Lila sweetly recited.

"'Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take.'"

Arnold had bent down to meet Lila's lips, and as the two held for a moment, Helga cringed.

She was sick of all these girls kissing Arnold!

Luckily, like the previous two Juliets, there was absolutely zero chemistry.

Mr. Simmons made a noise of discontent before plastering on a fake smile, "Okay...well, we'll figure it all out. We've still got time! Now then, Arnold let's have you and Stinky run through a couple scenes..."

Over the next few days, rehearsals went on relatively without a hitch. Helga had taken on the project of dealing with the music aspect of the play, and was able to stay busy as Arnold and Lila attempted to play romantic opposites.

Arnold, however, was feeling completely drained. He had no idea how exhausting it was to pretend to feel the sort of passionate love the role of Romeo called for.

Sure, Lila was nice and pretty and he had had a crush on her once back in the fourth grade, but there simply just wasn't anything between them.

He'd spent the last few nights agonizing over the script, trying to understand and connect somehow with the the words he was meant to recite convincingly in front of hundreds of people.

They were already almost through their second week of rehearsals, and nothing has helped him connect with his character.

When he was younger, he was always falling for the next pretty girl. But now, it wasn't something he came across all that often. His relationship with Savannah, while a great one, had been a gradual thing. They had been friends first.

He couldn't fathom the sort of feelings Romeo had for Juliet in the amount of time they happened. Love at first sight? Arnold wasn't exactly sure he believed that was possible.

'Maybe that's the problem,' Arnold thought to himself as he sat off on the side of the stage, looking over his lines for the next scene.

He and Lila would be going over the Morning After scene, and Arnold felt his stomach tie up in uncomfortable knots.

When Simmons called him over, the two started the scene. For the moment, the prop bed was only the frame, but Mr. Simmons had informed them by next week it would be completed and they would incorporate it appropriately into the scene.

Arnold was, to say the least, skeptical of how a bed could be used appropriately for a high school play, but of course said nothing.

At one point, Lila had to wrap her arms around him from behind, and Arnold couldn't help but tense up. It was so noticeable, Mr. Simmons spoke up.

"Arnold, try not to seem so...uncomfortable. Look a little relaxed; Romeo must enjoy this brief moment before he has to leave."

Arnold sighed, "Right, Mr. Simmons. I'll try."

After a few more attempts and little progress, Simmons simply let them move on. They had reached the part where at least one kiss would happen, though they had trouble figuring out their marks on how to go about it, since the chemistry was so...nonexistent.

"'Farewell.'" Arnold recited, with his script held at his side, "'I will omit no opportunity that may...', Uh-'convey my greetings, love, to thee.'"

"'O think'st thou we shall ever meet again?'"

"'I doubt it not...' Um-" Arnold glanced down at his script again, when Simmons sighed.

"Alright, that's...Arnold, how about you take a break and look over your lines while we jump to the next scene, okay?" Mr. Simmons said wearily.

Arnold hopped down from the stage and went to sit way in the back, so he could attempt to concentrate. After a couple minutes though, he found himself feeling completely frustrated and fed up.

"Whoa, careful there Romeo. You might burn holes through the script if you keep glaring at it like that," Helga remarked as she placed her hands on her hips.

Arnold looked up at her for a moment before dropping his head down with a sigh, "I'm even more sure that I'm not cut out for this than I was when Mr. Simmons first begged me to do it."

"Well...I wouldn't expect an Oscar nomination or anything," Helga quipped lightly before plopping down in the seat beside him.

"Tell me something Helga," Arnold glanced up at her lounging form, "is it as painful watching me up there as I think it is? Because it's painful for me doing it."

Helga winced a little, "I mean..."

The young man sighed heavily, "I don't see how this is going to work. Not only am I not an actor...but, I don't even buy what my character is selling!"

"What do you mean?" Helga asked curiously.

"It's just...maybe I'm not getting it. I don't see past the surface of what Shakespeare wrote, I'm not good at that sort of thing. I've tried to understand what my character is feeling, I really have. I just...if I can't at least...understand how 'Love At First Sight' is possible, then how on earth am I supposed to act like it's how I'm feeling?" Arnold looked at Helga a little desperately.

The blonde girl shifted her eyes nervously, "Wha-what are you looking at me for, Football Head?"

Suddenly struck with inspiration, Arnold sat up and turned towards her, "Wait, Helga you're really good at reading between the lines. I know you don't like to advertise this sort of thing, but you're really insightful and...maybe you can help me with this? Maybe I'm missing the point, or maybe there's something I can connect with or relate to in here that I just don't see."

"Uh...well I-"

"Please, Helga."

Helga heaved an aggravated sigh, "Well, sheesh Arnoldo if you're going to beg and plead about it."

"So, you'll help?"

She huffed as she crossed her arms over her plain T-shirt, "I guess. What exactly would you like my coveted and desired insight on?"

Arnold bit his lip as he thought it over. After a moment, he spoke up, "Well, I guess I don't really doubt the idea of them loving each other so much as I doubt the whole 'Love At First Sight' thing." He looked over at her thoughtfully, "What do you think about it? Do you think it's possible?"

Helga was unable to do anything but blink at him for a few moments before scoffing, "What, are you nuts? Of course I don't believe in that mushy stuff! All this play is about is two horny, teenage kids who make some rash and selfish decisions that end up costing several people's lives and ruining a bunch of others in the process." When Arnold looked away in slight disappointment, Helga sighed before she started speaking again. Arnold turned to her curiously, as her voice was probably the softest he'd ever heard it, "But...if I did believe in that sort of thing, well I'd say that it's not really so much a 'sight' thing. I think that...for some people, their heart just knows. That, there's a little piece of it missing, and it just waits for the moment when it won't be incomplete anymore. So, it's not falling in love the moment you see this person, but it's your heart finding that missing piece. That moment...that discovery can happen because of a look, a touch...a few simple words," Helga said slowly as she stared in front of her, her gaze distant, "And it doesn't matter when it happens. You could be a teenager...you could ninety years old, or you could be...you could be three years old. None of that matters when it's your heart. So, that's why it doesn't often seem like it makes sense, because love-that sort of love, doesn't need to be justified for why it is. It just is." Helga paused for a moment and wiped her hands on her jeans before clearing her throat a little. In a melancholy tone, she continued, "But, I don't believe in that." She looked over and caught Arnold's entranced eyes, "And that isn't what happened in the play. I...I think it was just another case of dramatic teenage emotions in overdrive. But some people like to believe all that other stuff is true. I'm...I'm just not one of them. I hope that helped," Helga finished before getting up and walking off.

Arnold was left there, feeling more overwhelmed than he could ever remember feeling before. He realized that his heart was pounding, but he wasn't sure why. Something...something Helga had said...he had practically felt something in his head click into place. What that was, he didn't know.

There were a couple things he was fairly certain of, however, and that was, one: Helga did believe that true love was real.

And, two:...Apparently, so did he.