Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.

They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.

Title: "Leave the lights on"

In the last chapter: On his way home, Arnold met a girl who intrigued him more than any girl ever had, but he didn't get her name before she was already off the bus. At home, his dad Miles told him that he had met and fallen in love with another woman. Arnold had ambivalent feelings about the situation since he found out his mom Stella was dead only a year ago, but decided to show his support and agreed to meet both Miriam and Helga tonight at dinner.

At the restaurant, Arnold was surprised to meet the strange girl once more and they started talking again. On their way into the restaurant, Arnold attempted to ask her out, but was shocked to find out that the girl was Helga, the girl who was his stepsister-to-be.

Author's 1st note: I don't know what to say and you probably don't care - Enjoy! xD

[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]

Chapter 2: "Apples and oranges"

Arnold was still gawking at the girl standing next to him. His brain just couldn't wrap around what had happened. This was a girl he had met this afternoon, one he'd say he might just have started to develop a crush on, but now she was introduced to him as his stepsister to be. He couldn't move even when he heard his dad talking to him.

"Arnold, my boy. What's wrong?" Miles asked, trying to wave in front of Arnold's face, but he was too far away.

"Oh, I think he's just in shock." Helga said and sat down in front of her mom. "He was, after all, just about to ask his stepsister out on a date."

"What?!" Miles and Miriam asked in shock and that finally snapped Arnold out of it.

He moved to sit next to Helga, moving his head close to her in order to whisper. "Why did you say that?"

"Am I wrong?" Helga asked defensively, but Arnold kept his mouth shut. He knew it was the truth after all and so he just looked apologetically at Helga's mom. "I didn't know who she was. I'm sorry."

"Oh, sweetheart, don't apologize. I'm flattered on Helga's behalf and you didn't know who she was after all." Miriam said, waving her hand dismissively.

Arnold sighed in relief and looked at Helga who didn't even seem surprised anymore. I wonder what she's thinking. He thought and moved his head when she looked at him. He coughed awkwardly and stood up again to give Miriam his hand. "Good evening, I'm Arnold. It's nice to meet you." He said and heard Helga snicker. He shot her a bit of a confused glare.

Miriam chuckled and took his hand. "Hello, Arnold. It's nice to finally meet you." She said, shook his hand and then let go so he could sit back down.

Helga looked over at Miles who was looking back at her. "Hey, I'm Helga and I'm not a suck-up." She said, shooting Arnold a mocking look.

He looked back at her with a frown. What's with this attitude of hers? He thought and shook his head dismissively.

Miles simply chuckled though and looked at Miriam. "You were right, honey. She sure is a pistol." He said.

Honey? Arnold thought and couldn't help but feeling queasy. He looked at Helga, almost snickering as he saw her sticking her tongue out in obvious disgust. She noticed his look and smirked at him and he couldn't help but smile back.

"So, what would you two like to eat?" Miles asked and grabbed a menu from the table. They all copied his action.

Arnold frowned. "This is all in French…" he observed.

"It is French cuisine." Helga said. Arnold looked at her, expecting an arrogant look due to her comment, but she looked pissed off instead. "Don't tell me this is why you brought me here, Miriam?" she asked with a sarcastic smile.

Miriam smiled. "Oh, honey. I'm just so proud of you, that's all."

"Incredible." Helga muttered under her breath before putting the menu back on the table.

"What's wrong?" Arnold asked in a whisper while Miriam and Miles looked over the menu together.

Helga sighed. "I know French. Like, fluent French and my mom just can't get over it." She whispered back at him.

"Well, it is impressive."

"After three years?" Helga asked in disbelief.

"Helga, what is… Les Escargots?" Miles asked in broken French.

Helga smirked. "Oh, it's delicious. You should definitely have that." She said.

"Isn't that snails?" Arnold asked in confusion, remembering watching a movie where a girl ordered les escargot without knowing what it was.

Helga huffed. "You're no fun." She said to Arnold before looking back at Miles. "My mistake. Yeah, it's snails."

"I will not be having that then." Miles stated and looked back at the menu.

Helga rolled her eyes. "Just tell me what you're in the mood for." She said and looked back at the menu.

"I'd like some soup, dear." Miriam said.

"Vichyssoise it is. Miles?"

"Something with meat, like a steak maybe?"

"Steak tartare. Arnold?"

"Uh… what will you be having, Helga?" Arnold asked and looked at the menu with her.

She smiled. "Coq au vin."

"Which is…?"

"Chicken braised with wine, lardoons and mushrooms. Garlic too, if you choose it, which I usually do." Helga explained.

Arnold smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'll have that too." He said.

"Good." Helga said and turned to look at the waiter. "Jacques."

The waiter, apparently named Jacques, looked at Helga, smiled and walked towards her. He started talking in French to her and she answered back perfectly. Arnold watched as she moved her finger across the menu, as she spoke the items on the menu and he wrote them all down, nodding while listening to her. He gave her one last comment before bowing for her and walking away.

"Pompous asshole." Helga stated in a whisper as she readjusted herself in the chair.

"That was really impressive, Helga." Miles said and looked like he was about to clap, but Miriam stopped him by putting her hand on his.

Helga smiled at her mother in appreciation. "Thank you, Miles. I only ever used it when I go to French restaurants, which is rather often because my mom just adores hearing me speak French." She said with a sugary smile only Arnold noticed was fake.

"I'm so happy that you achieved learning another language, Helga."

"Too bad I can't use it for anything."

"Th-That's not true; you just ordered in French, didn't you?" Arnold said, starting to sense some tension between them all.

Helga turned to look at him. "The man may be a arrogant Frenchman, but he does understand English. You would have been fine on your own." She insisted.

Arnold looked towards their parents who were unsure of what to say at this point, so he was on his own. "Uh… w-where do you know the waiter from anyway?" he decided to ask, hopefully changing the subject.

"Nice Segway." Helga said sarcastically, but sighed in surrender at Arnold's pleading look. She leaned back in her chair and started playing with her fork absentmindedly. "I worked here for one summer." She answered.

Arnold smiled, hoping the new subject could lift the mood. "Was it fun?"

Helga smirked sarcastically at him. "Hi-la-ri-ous." She answered and looked back at her fork.

Arnold looked at Miles for help, but the man simply shrugged. Miriam sighed, holding a hand to her forehead.

"Uh…" Arnold muttered. "When, um… when did you find out about our parents?"

Helga stopped playing with her fork, but still held it and looked at Arnold curiously. "What do you mean? I knew from the beginning." She answered nonchalantly, unsure why he had felt the need to ask that question to begin with.

Now it was Arnold's time to go sour. "Oh." He said and looked accusingly at Miles. "I was told today."

Helga's eyes widened and she dropped the fork back on the table. "You're kidding." She said and looked at Miles questioningly.

Miriam slapped her hand on Miles' arm. "This is why I told you to tell him earlier." She said a little accusingly, but also a little lazily, Arnold noted.

"Well, to be fair it's not really the same situation, Miriam." Helga said and looked at Arnold who looked questioningly at her. "You told me earlier, right?"

Arnold continued to frown confusedly.

Helga sighed. "That your mother's eyes were brown?" she reminded him and his eyes widened.

"Oh… yeah." He said, realizing he had in fact indirectly told Helga that his mom was dead. He didn't think she had caught up on such a small detail, but she obviously had. He could feel Helga's eyes on him despite him not looking at her.

"Uh, Miriam, mind if Arnold and I go get some air?" Helga asked, but stood up before he mom could answer.

"S-Sure, honey." Miriam answered in a stutter.

Arnold looked at Helga questioningly, but stood up compliantly when she moved her arm under his and started pulling him out of the restaurant. He followed her clumsily until they reached the bench. She finally let go of him once they had sat down and she moved her feet up to the bench, crouching on it.

"Sorry about that." Helga said casually. Arnold simply shook his head, telling her it was fine and watched her as she took a cigarette out of her pocket along with her lighter. It was black with a pink skull on it, but that's not why Arnold was frowning.

"How long have you been smoking?" he asked.

Helga hummed thoughtfully as she turned the cigarette on and took some small breaths on it before exhaling. "Uh… since Miriam divorced Bob, I think." She answered, but she seemed unsure of her answer and she shrugged. "Maybe before, I don't know."

Arnold decided not to ask any further; he didn't want to risk angering the girl. "Why did you pull me out here?" he asked instead, hoping it didn't sound like he was dissatisfied because he really wasn't.

Helga shrugged. "I needed to get outta there and I thought you might feel the same. It's tense as hell in there." She said as she pulled her leg away from under her and sat down properly on the bench.

"Yeah… it's weird. I've been an only child my whole life… I wanted a sibling when I was a kid and now I kind of have one."

Helga smirked. "You have two, bucko. Olga just isn't here." She said, pronouncing her big sister's name in an odd way that made Arnold chuckle.

"Is it weird?"

"What is?"

"Knowing your mom is going to get married again?"

"Not really. I feel bad for your dad though."

Arnold blinked in surprise. "Why?"

Helga looked at him with a somewhat cold, indifferent look. "She's going to break his heart." She stated confidently without a single shred of doubt in her mind.

Arnold stared at her for a moment before he started frowning. "How do you know that?" he asked in incredulity and shook his head. "You can't possibly know that."

"I know my mom. I admit, it surprised me that she had the balls to leave my dad, but Miriam will always go back to her old ways no matter how long she pretends to be someone else." Helga said. Arnold was about to say something, but she beat him to it. "You see, Arnold, most people have this thing called a sixth sense that tells them when they are facing a person who is probably going to break their heart. You don't have that sixth sense, we established that when you tried to ask me out earlier. And now we can establish that your dad doesn't have one either."

Arnold kept scowling at Helga. He was furious at her; not for saying he and his dad were in need of a sixth sense, but for being so negative about the whole situation. People changed, people grew; she didn't know if Miriam really had changed. He was about to tell her that, but then she stood up and threw the cigarette down to the ground.

"Take my advice, Football Head." She said as she stomped on the cigarette. "Advise your dad not to marry my mom… for his own sake."

Arnold felt sick to his stomach. The dinner last night was an absolute disaster. After his stepsister-to-be had advised him to get his dad out of the marriage, he had felt so awkward around them all. It didn't get any better once his dad and he were home. Miles had tried to ask him why he had gone so creepily quiet, but Arnold had told him he was tired and he would tell him tomorrow. That was a lie of course and Miles realized that when he woke up and Arnold had already left for school.

I feel bad… Arnold thought as he imagined what his dad must be thinking about him right now. I wanted to support dad in this, but what Helga said really bothers me.

Arnold could feel his classmates' curious or worried stares and he finally sighed as he looked at them. "Who dares ask first?" he asked a little jokingly.

Rhonda, the class gossip, was quick to sit down next to him. "What was the big news your dad had to share with you?" she asked with a smile and Arnold sighed.

"Bad news?" Sid asked as he sat down on one of the tables with his feet on the chair.

Arnold shook his head. "Not bad news, more like… bad content."

Sid and Rhonda looked at each other. "Isn't that the same thing?" Rhonda asked.

Arnold looked at Gerald for help and the dark-skinned boy sat down next to him, patting his back. He wasn't informed of everything yet, but he knew the essence of the ordeal and so, he decided to tell the others what Arnold had told him yesterday.

"What?!" Nadine shrieked in shock, pulling on her blonde afro in the process to show how surprised she was.

"I don't get it. Isn't that a good thing? Your dad is moving on." Sheena said matter-of-factly.

"You don't get it, do you?" Nadine asked and started to explain to Sheena why she thought it was horrible.

Arnold heard the chair next to him move and he looked at the red-haired girl who had now sat down next to him. "Arnold, are you ok?" Lila asked, putting her hand on top of his.

Arnold smiled at her and held her hand in his. "I'm kind of ok… It's just a lot to take in." he answered, deliberately hiding the last few details from last night. He didn't have it in him to tell everything to them all just yet and he didn't have any plans to tell them that he had almost asked his stepsister-to-be out. He could do without the humiliation. Also, he didn't want Lila to know. She seemed to have changed her mind, maybe?

Lila and Arnold were what you'd call an on-and-off couple or more like they couldn't decide whether they wanted to try and be together or not. Lila always changed her mind and Arnold would be left either feeling hatred for her or wishing she could at least make up her mind. For now, that hadn't happened yet and there was a part of him that still hoped she would come around and they could get together for real.

Arnold then started to think about Helga. That was perhaps the first time in a couple of years he had attempted to try with someone else besides Lila. Lila had in fact not at all been on his mind whenever he talked to Helga and he hadn't once compared the two girls to each other. He snickered at the thought; they were total opposites, so how come he had felt attraction towards them both?

When the class started, Arnold decided to focus on the lesson even if just to keep his mind off things for now. It barely worked and when it was lunch, he felt like his brain was fried.

"Arnold?" Lila's sweet voice said and he looked up at her. "Would like to join me for lunch?"

Arnold smiled, nodded and followed her to the cafeteria. They were quiet as they grabbed their food and eventually sat down near a somewhat secluded table. Lila seemed to be waiting for Arnold to say something first, but he refused.

"Is there something you haven't told the others about your dad's fiancé or something?" Lila decided to ask.

Arnold flinched. Lila had always been an observant girl, sometimes more than to his liking. "Uh… yeah, there is something else." He admitted and watched as Lila nodded, trying to probe gently at him. He sighed. "Uh, my dad's fiancé has a daughter who's, uh… I don't think she's too fond of the marriage."

"And what makes you say that?"

"She basically told me to tell my dad to break off the engagement. She insisted Miriam would break dad's heart."

"Did she say why she thought that?"

"Uh, something about…" Arnold said and frowned thoughtfully. "Something about Miriam pretending to be someone else, but would go back to her old ways at some point."

Lila hummed thoughtfully. "I assume you haven't told your dad about this?" she asked and Arnold shook his head. "Perhaps you shouldn't."

"You think?"

"I don't know if Miriam's daughter is right or not, but by telling your dad to break off the engagement, he might misunderstand and think you don't want him to get married. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"Of course not! But who knows if she's right?"

"Do you trust this girl? You just met her after all; she might just not want her mom to get married for her own reasons."

Arnold groaned and let his forehead fall to the table. "It's not that I don't trust her… It's just that my dad seems so happy." He insisted as he thought about the way Miles had smiled at Miriam last night. He had never seen his dad smile like that before he didn't want to be the one to take that smile away from him.

"The most important thing is your dad's happiness, but also that he doesn't think you're against this marriage. Just tell him you'll support him as long as she makes him happy. Your relationship with your dad is what's important." Lila said and patted his hand.

Arnold smiled at her; Lila never failed to make him feel better. "Thanks, Lila." He said.

"You're ever so welcome." The redhead answered only to cover her mouth with her hand. "Oh, sorry." She said in a muffled voice.

Arnold sighed. "You shouldn't care what Rhonda thinks." He said.

It had happened about a month ago when Rhonda had been in an exceptionally bad mood and Lila, in her kindness, had tried to calm her down. Lila had this special habit when she spoke; she would add 'ever so' into as many sentences as she possibly could and Rhonda had, in her anger, told her that was ever so annoying. Ever since then Lila had tried to get rid of that habit, but sometimes she would forget.

Lila shook her head. "No, no. It's not only Rhonda. I've been told it was annoying before." She insisted.

"You still shouldn't care what others think, Lila." Arnold maintained half-heartedly. He had to admit that sometimes Lila's speech habits could annoy him as well in certain situations, but she should be allowed to talk any way she wanted to.

"You're so sweet, Arnold, thank you. I always feel like I can be myself around you." Lila said kindly and Arnold smiled brightly. He loved it when she was like this; sweet and honest. He understood her when she was like this, but other times she was confusing. She couldn't make up her mind half the time and that was perhaps, rather than her speech pattern, what annoyed him about her the most.

The rest of the day went by in a flash and before Arnold knew it, it was time to go home. He was walking with the boys, who were all relieved to see Arnold in a better mood.

Sid suddenly wolf whistled. "Yowsa. Hottie, 12 o'clock."

The boys turned to look in front of them and noticed a girl standing near the gates. She was wearing a pair of black stockings, which seemed too thick for the summer weather, and a much too big hoodie that went down to just above her knees. She was obviously hot because she was pulling the collar on her hood back and forth in order to create wind around her.

Arnold recognized the blonde girl instantly. "Helga?!" he shouted in shock and she looked at him.

"You know this girl?" Sid asked with a sleazy grin and readjusted his clothes when he saw the girl heading towards them.

Gerald smacked Sid at the back of his head. "That's Arnold's stepsister." He hissed and looked at the blonde boy worriedly, but he didn't show any signs of discomfort.

"Hey, Football Head." Helga greeted.

"Football Head?!" Harold repeated in incredulity and started laughing manically.

Arnold sighed, shooting Helga a bit of a displeased look. "Hi, Helga. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"What? Can't I visit my new bro?" Helga joked. Arnold was about to apologize, but she waved him off. "Naw, Miriam thought it could be fun if we all pretended to be a nuclear family from the 60's and go on some cheesy picnic so she tied me to the backseat of the car and here were are. She already called your dad so we are just here to pick you up."

"A picnic?" Arnold questioned.

"Oo-de-lally, that sounds like fun!" Stinky bellowed in his thick southern accent. "Are you gonna have lemon pudding?"

"How nice; to have a picnic with your whole family." Eugene said, wearing his signature naïve smile on his face.

"Yeah, enjoy it while it lasts." Helga said and nudged her shoulder against Arnold's before she started walking. "Come on, slowpoke. We're gonna go bond like a family."

Arnold frowned at Helga's words, waved his friends goodbye and quickly caught up with her. "Why is it your so negative about this marriage?"

"Because I saw what Miriam was like during her first one." Helga answered matter-of-factly and looked at him as she shoved her hands into her pockets.

"How do you know she hasn't changed?"

Helga stopped walking and waited for him to stop and turn to look at her before she spoke. "Have I understood you correctly when I say this means you won't tell your dad to break off the engagement?"

Arnold crossed his arms stubbornly. "Yes." He answered.

Helga shook her head. "Even after I, out of the pure kindness of my heart, went out of my way to warn you, you're still going to let your dad get hitched to my mom?"

"Yes."

"Whoa, selfish much? I misjudged you."

Arnold frowned deeply at that. "I am not being selfish! Quite the opposite, I'm not going to stand in the way of my dad's happiness because of your gut feeling."

"What would I gain from them not getting married, bucko? Have you thought about that? Why would I bother warning you unless I cared just a little bit." Helga said, gesturing between her index- and middle finger for effect. "Yes, I'm telling you this because of my gut feeling, but you're the one being selfish for not at least warning your dad, but fine, it's his funeral. Don't come crying to me when you see him do the same thing in the living room all by himself." She said and walked past him.

Arnold's eyes widened as he looked at her; his eyes were practically burning holes in her skull. Now he didn't know what to think anymore; he had been so sure that the selfless thing to do was to not tell his dad about Helga's warning, but now he wasn't so sure anymore. He sighed as he followed her obediently, not at all looking forward to the family picnic.

Arnold was surprised at how nice the whole scenario was; Miriam had gone out of her way to make some sandwiches for them all, called Miles and invited him for the picnic and then gone to pick both Helga and Arnold up from school so they all could go to Hillwood park and eat their food there. The scenario was great… the execution, not so much.

Don't say anything. Ignore it. Arnold chanted inside his head as he chewed on the very chewy sandwich Miriam had given him. He had asked for one with egg salad, but now he was starting to wonder if the eggs were rotten.

He noticed Helga looking at him, but didn't say anything as she smirked at him. "How does your sandwich taste, Arnold?" she asked with a gleam in her eyes.

She knows. Arnold thought and forced a smile. "Heavenly. Why don't you have a sandwich too?" he asked, the smile fading into a challenging scowl.

"Hell no. I know my mom's cooking." Helga said and looked at Miriam.

"Please, Helga. At least try one little bite? I did my best." Miriam said, seemingly not hurt by the words at all.

Helga looked at Arnold's sandwich and then grabbed his hand. The boy didn't have any time to react to what she was doing until she had already taken a bite of his sandwich. He would have started blushing if it wasn't because of the way Helga started looking at him.

She chewed for a second and then scowled at Arnold. "Liar." She whispered.

"S-Sorry…" he whispered apologetically as she leaned back, took a tissue and spit the food out in it.

"Miriam, mind telling me if you checked the expiration date for those eggs?" Helga asked and choked a bit as she grabbed her water bottle. She hadn't even dared drinking any of the lemonade her mom had made.

"Oh, yes, of course. I have the carton right here in fact." Miriam answered and started rummaging through her bag.

"Why did you bring the carton?"

"I was planning to throw it out on the way here, but I forgot." Miriam explained as she handed it to Helga who turned it around until she found the expiration date. She licked her lips, feeling her insides churn at the sight of the number and then moved it towards Arnold so he could read as well. As soon as he saw the date, the taste of rotten eggs went straight to his nostrils and he felt himself puking before he knew what was happening.

"Arnold!" Miles said worriedly and patted his son's back as he threw up on the grass next to him.

"Miriam, the eggs expired like two months ago." Helga said, her nose scrunched and she visibly shivered as she put the carton away.

"That's impossible!" Miriam bellowed unhappily and took the carton. "See? It says expires in June." She said and showed it to Helga.

The blonde girl shot her a slanted look. "We're in August, Miriam." She groaned irritably and rolled her eyes.

Her mother hummed in realization. "Oh, Arnold, I am so sorry." Miriam said and her shoulders fell.

Arnold shook his head. "No, no. It's ok." He insisted. "It could have happened to anybody."

"Yeah, but it seems to happen to Miriam a little too often." Helga commented and offered her water bottle to Arnold. He grabbed it thankfully and took a small sip. He was about to give it back to her, but she shoved it back to his chest. "Chug it all." She insisted and he smiled gratefully before drinking of it again.

Miles was consoling Miriam who tried to smile at him, but it didn't work. Arnold looked at Helga who seemed rather indifferent and that bothered him. Why was she so harsh towards her mom? He just didn't understand. Ok, so Miriam had made a mistake, big deal. No one was perfect after all.

Miriam suddenly perked up when Miles had whispered something in her ear. "Oh, yes. Helga! I have some news for you. Well for you and Arnold actually." She said excitedly.

Helga looked at Miles. "You didn't knock her up, did you?" she asked, earning a playful slap on her shoulder from Miriam. "That's a no, right?" the blonde girl confirmed and sighed. "Fine, what is the news?"

"Remember how you told me you wanted to switch school?" Miriam asked with a big grin.

Helga perked up at that. "Yeah?" she asked, not daring to believe it just yet.

"Well, congratulations, sweetheart. I've done all the paperwork and you are now officially not a student at P.S. 219 anymore." Miriam explained and barely managed to open her arms before Helga had thrown her arms around her.

"Oh, thank you so much, Miriam! I've been waiting to get out of that hellhole since I started!" Helga bellowed happily.

Arnold was shocked at the sight, but couldn't help but smile as well. She does care about her mom after all. He decided.

Helga sat back, seemingly a little embarrassed about how happily she had reacted. "But, Miriam, what made you change your mind?" she asked.

Miriam was all giddy after having been hugged by her daughter and she smiled broadly at Miles. "Well, I talked to Miles about it, you see and he told me that Arnold really likes his school P.S. 218 so I thought it'd be the perfect opportunity." She explained, still grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Helga's smile faded a bit. "Wait. What does that mean? Have you registered me at P.S. 218?" she asked as she pointed at Arnold. "The same school as Football Head?"

"What's wrong with my school?" Arnold asked insulted.

Helga waved her hands. "Nothing." She insisted as she looked at him. "But isn't it a little awkward that we'll be going to the same school? I remember when Olga worked as a student teacher at my middle school; it was a nightmare."

"That's kinda apples and oranges, isn't it?" Arnold asked and successfully annoyed Helga, but the girl didn't get a chance to respond.

"Oh, it'll be fun, Helga. You two will get lots of chances to get to know each other as classmates." Miles insisted.

"Classmates?!" both blonde teenagers bellowed, only to then stare at each other and groan. Helga started growling like an unhappy dog as she massaged her head while Arnold simply sighed, attempting to listen to Miles' and Miriam's excited banter about how fun it was going to be to have their children at the same school. Great. Arnold thought. I've gone from crushing on her to disliking her within 24 hours and now she's going to be my classmate… This is awkward.

Author's 2nd note: Ok, before anyone bites my head off due to the Lila thing… it's for the sake of the story later on, ok? I get the creeps just writing about Lila in that sense, but to everyone else feeling the same: don't worry. It's just for the sake of development ;)

Also, I wasn't sure what to call their school since they are in high school now and not middle school, but I figured P.S. 218 would be realistic enough xD