*Helga's POV*

I ran until all my breath and tears were out of me. I stopped, catching my breath in front of Arnold's house. Gathering up my courage, I knocked on the door.
His grandma answered, "Hello! Can I help you?" she was dressed in…well she wasn't dressed at all. I forced my eyes to stay on her face.
"Pookie, no one wants to see that!" I heard his grandpa yell before he came barging to the door.
I guess she had gotten crazier after all these years.
"H-Helga?" he asked, "Come on in. We weren't expecting you."
"I'm here to see Arnold. He's home, right?"
Please let him be home.
"Yes, he's up in his room." But it wasn't his grandpa or grandma who answered me. It was a young woman, possibly only in her thirties. The breath blew out of me again as I inspected her face.
This was Arnold's mother.
My jaw dropped slightly, "You-you're…"
She smiled, "Yes, I'm his mom. And you must be Helga Pataki. He's told me all about you."
"He has?"
"Just about. He really likes you."
I smiled too, "That's good. It's nice to finally meet you."
"Same to you. Arnold's father isn't here right now. He's out on a business trip. Make yourself at home."
I sat down on their couch, feeling like I actually belonged. It had been a long time since I'd been in this house.
"Mom, what are we having for dinner?" Arnold's voice came from on top of the stairs. I held in a swoon.
"I'm not sure yet! But your girlfriend's here to see you, why don't you come down?"
"Helga's here?" He ran down the stairs and stopped when he saw me. He gave me a smirk and a tight hug, "Can't stay away from me, can you?"
I punch his arm, "I needed to talk to you."
"Then come into my office." he lead me up stairs.

*Arnold's POV*

My office was actually just my room so I felt kind of lame when I opened the door and she scoffed, "Your 'office'?"
I laughed, "Just come in."
She sat down on my bed and I quickly picked up some dirty laundry, "What did you want to talk about?"
She squirms uncomfortably, "I just wanted to thank you for…for defending me."
"Oh, you heard about that."
"Yeah."
"I don't regret it."
She stood up and wrapped her arms around my waist, "I know. You shouldn't."
We stand there for a while, content, until she whispered, "There's something else."
"What?"
She went to sit back down and motioned for me to follow. "I-I went home today."
I frowned, "What happened?"
She sighed, "Let's just say I'm never going back there again. I'm not welcome."
I wrapped her in a hug and kissed her cheek, "That's alright. You don't have to stay there anymore. You're 18. You can do what you want."
"But where would I go? I don't have a job or anywhere to stay…"
The words came out before I could think, "You can stay here."
She stared at me, "Really?"
"Sure!" Once I started, I couldn't stop, "You can stay here until you can buy an apartment or something. We're gonna be graduating soon anyways. Maybe then we can get a house together."
She smiled and gave me a too-short kiss, "I would really like that."