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

They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.

Title: "Roadside girl"

In the last chapter: Friday evening, the day before the premiere of Roadside Girl, Bob decided to his Helga's celebration party, which Arnold was invited to. Unfortunately, the party ended on a sour note for the couple since everyone around did nothing but remind them that they were soon to be separated.

Arnold took a spontaneous detour to Vitello Flowers and found a bouquet of Baby Romantica roses, which he decided to give to Helga despite the late hour. Once he had come back to her house and given her the flowers, Helga kissed him and eventually, they spend the night together.

Author's 1st note: *Le big sob* The end is near! It is right here in fact. Happy that I wrote it so quickly? Yeah, I have mixed feelings about that too… xD Anyways, I hope you enjoy the very last chapter of "Roadside Girl".

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

Chapter 23: "You are also my dream"

Oh, shut up… Helga thought when a familiar beep started to echo in her room. She stretched her arm to grab her phone, but her body felt heavy and what she assumed was her duvet held her back. She stretched a little further, fighting against her bones' complaints, and managed to hit the snooze button only. "Damn." She groaned and tried to raise herself from the mattress, but a pressure on her back forced her back down. "What the fuck, duvet!" she scolded and turned onto her back, but froze when she saw not her duvet, but an arm that did not belong to herself resting on her stomach. Ok. That's new.

Helga turned her head and saw Arnold sleeping next to her. Her eyes widened in confusion for a moment, but then the memory from last night flooded through her mind and she smiled. She let herself fall back down, her weight causing the bed to bounce and Arnold stirred in his sleep. Just as he started to blink, she kissed his nose and then his forehead and cheek and continued all over his face. He grunted in confusion and his face grew tense at the unfamiliar feeling. When his eyes opened, he saw Helga's face in front of him. "Good morning." She said with a smile. He kept looking at her without saying anything, his mind trying to comprehend how and when Helga had managed to sneak into his room without him noticing.

A smile spread on Arnold's face when he saw the roses behind Helga, which reminded him of why he had come back to her house the night before. "Good morning." He replied and kissed her tenderly. "I think we may have broken the roses." He said, leaned over her and grabbed the bouquet. "Oh, no!" Helga exclaimed, pulled the duvet over her naked form and looked the roses over. "Dammit, my passion always ruins something." She muttered, but then smiled. "Most of the roses are fine. I just hope some water will make them look a little brighter."

Arnold sat up and held the flowers out for Helga to take and she did before kissing his cheek. "Thank you. Really. These… I was worried maybe you were angry with me for leaving, but these, they… they show me that you really are happy for me." She said softly and noticed that his smile grew a little tense. "Well, I am happy for you, Helga. I could… I could never be angry with you for leaving. It's just that…" he responded, but didn't finish his sentence. "It's so far away?" she suggested and he shrugged. "L.A. is further away. New York is better, I guess…" He said with no conviction in his voice. He stopped talking again and turned around to find his boxers. To his luck, they were just at his feet and he pulled them on. "Arnold." she said and he turned to look at her. She was looking at him, waiting for him to continue. He sighed. "It's just… It seems like we're repeating our old pattern here." He said and stood up. He noticed her confused frown. "Remember? Whenever we would suddenly get closer as children, something always got in the way."

Helga's frown turned into a scowl. "Mostly me." She corrected on his behalf, but Arnold shook his head. "No, Helga. I… I'm sorry." He said before he walked past her and towards the door. "Arnold!" she called, but he had already left her room. Shit. She thought and stood up from her bed. With quick moves, she grabbed a loose t-shirt from her closet and pulled it over her neck before following him. She went towards the bathroom, figuring there was no other place for him to hide. She knocked gently and heard him sigh from inside. She put her hand on the door handle and walked inside to find Arnold looking at his own reflection, his face wet from having splashed it with water.

Helga stood still in the doorframe for a bit, observing Arnold who wasn't looking at her, but then she approached him and wrapped her arms around him from behind. She looked at his face in the mirror with a severe expression. "Do you want to break up?" she asked and his eyes widened before he whipped around and looked at her in disbelief. "Do you?" he asked, but she shook her head. "Then why would you ask such a question?!"

"Because I don't know what you want from me, Arnold. You say you're happy for me, but then you get that expression on your face." Helga replied as she pointed at him for good measure. "That doesn't mean I want something from you, Helga. I just… I'd just wish I… I had more time."

"More time for what?"

"To be with you! I wish I could turn back time and told you that I was in love with you the first time I saw you on that stage instead of those mindless fights between us! I wish we could have been together for longer than a few weeks! You're going on Broadway, that's amazing and you deserve it, but I hate that I'm going to be away from you again."

"Do you think I want to be away from you, Arnold? I've been in love with you since I was three fucking years old and now we're finally together! I hate I can't be a proper girlfriend who can go and see her boyfriend every day. I don't want to do this long-distance crap, but what choice do I have?" Helga asked and waited for Arnold to say something, but he didn't. He didn't need to either, his thoughts were practically painted on his face. "Nice, Arnold." she said sarcastically as she crossed her arms. "This isn't fair. I… No, we don't have time for this. I need to get dressed and you need to get home and do the same." She said curtly, turned around and walked out of the room.

Arnold stayed behind for a bit, watching his reflection in the mirror. Had it really been so obvious, what he had been thinking when Helga asked him what choice she had? It seemed like his thoughts had just shined through even though he had done his best to hide them. He sucked some air into his lungs and walked out of the room, ready to apologize and explain to Helga. Once he had reached her room, he lifted his hand to knock on her door, but his whole body froze when he heard some whimpers coming from inside. He felt like his heart just broke when he realized he had made Helga cry and before he knew it, he felt a tear of his own fall down his cheek before a series of others followed it.

"Tonight's the night, people. You have all been waiting for this moment ever since you first got casted for your roles." The director continued and Damon leaned closer to Helga. "Drama queen." He whispered and she gave a small, half-hearted laugh. The director continued to rant on, but Helga wasn't listening anymore. After Arnold had put on his tuxedo again that morning, he had left the room with a small goodbye, which she hadn't responded to. How did this happen? She wondered, but realized it was a stupid question. She should have known that neither of them were capable of just putting on happy faces and pretending everything was ok forever. The day of her departure was still far away, but it felt as if it was just around the corner. She figured Arnold was feeling the same thing she was because he also didn't seem to be listening to the director. She nudged him with his elbow and he looked at her, but then at the director after she had gestured with her head towards him.

"I am so proud of you all. Make me even prouder of you tonight." The director said and they all started clapping before spreading out, all walking towards their places behind the curtain. Arnold was frozen on his spot though, which Helga soon noticed. "Arnold?" she asked and held his shoulder. He flinched at her touch, but his hand went to hers. "Helga… no matter what happens tonight, no matter the outcome of the premiere, you're still going on Broadway, right?" he asked and she frowned in confusion. "Yeah?" she inquired and he sighed in what looked like relief. "Good… because I'm really nervous." He admitted and she couldn't help but smile. So that's what it was. She thought, realizing part of her had thought he was planning to sabotage the play so she wouldn't have to go.

Helga wrapped her arms around Arnold who quickly did the same to her. "You are going to be fine, Football Head… You are little Mr. Brightside after all." She whispered to him, kissed his cheek and leaned back. He smiled appreciatively at her and nodded before letting go of her. She quickly went to her spot and listened to the music reverberating in the room. "Locked inside this cage, where all your world's a stage and in this silent rage, can you turn the page into something new?" Helga sung in a broken voice, hearing the small sounds of chatter in the auditorium dying down. She looked at Maria who nodded as she positioned herself next to Helga and took a deep breath before she headed outside.

Adrasteia sunk to her knees at the sight of Aiden lying dead in front of her. Everything was quiet around her; she couldn't even hear the rain pouring around her. Then, a shot of hatred shot through her, an echo of what sounded like a TV going static resonated in her ears. "I want my innocence back and if you can't give it to me, I will cut you." a voice that sounded like her own sung in her mind and as if someone else had taken over her body, she grabbed the knife tied around her thigh and rolled it in her hand, the metal shining in the moonlight.

"And I will run you through with the dagger you sharpened on my body and soul. Before you slit me in two and then devoured me whole." Adrasteia stood up per the voice's command, her mind going one-tracked as she turned around and walked away from the alley, her legs walking with imprecision. The words 'I want my innocence back' kept echoing in her head as she walked through the wet and dirty streets, back to the place she used to consider her home. She walked inside the club, the pounding music from the speakers inside doing nothing to overshadow the painful thumping in her heart.

Adrasteia walked through the door, the floor feeling as if it was moving beneath her as she approached the man who had Aiden killed. He slowly turned his head to look at her, a seething smile on his face. "I want my innocence back and if you can't pacify me, I will break your bones. You think I'm bluffing, just try me." She sang as she approached him, the smile never leaving his face. He didn't notice the knife before it was too late and she had pierced his stomach with it. "I will never forget the words you used to ensnare me till my dying day. You will suffer for this I swear." As he staggered backwards, pressing his hands down on the bleeding wound inside him, he looked at Adrasteia in disbelief. Her eyes suddenly grew wild and with a predatory roar, she lifted the dagger and penetrated his shoulder as well.

"And I demand you put my heart back in my hand and wipe it clean from the mess you made of me." The song kept resonating inside her while her mind kept showing her pictures of Aiden smiling at her, scowling at her, protecting her, holding and kissing her. "And I require you make me free from this desire and when you leave, I'd better be the innocent I used to be." She kept shoving the knife inside the man in front of her, the man who had stolen everything from her. She continued to pierce his entire body until he was nothing but a bloodied mess on the floor. The song in her head seemed to fade as she looked at the dagger in her hand, part of the blood dripping onto her hand and wrist.

Everything was so quiet one could hear a pin drop to the floor. Then, without hesitating, without even looking at it first, Adrasteia turned the dagger on herself and pierced her heart with a gasp. She could hear her own gasp echo around her in the room, but then all sounds truly died and she fell to the floor. Adrasteia had never known as much freedom and peace while she felt her life ebbing out. The room seemed as if it was spinning and a sound that sounded like raindrops falling in the water overtook her mind. She was dead, but she stood up and walked around in confusion at a place that was not the location she had grown up in.

"When we'll wake up, some morning rain will wash away our pain." A familiar, male voice sang and Adrasteia halted as she looked around. It sounded as if it came from above, but she believed she was already at the highest floor. Surely, no human could exceed Heaven? But the sound did indeed come from above her and when she turned around, she saw what could only be her very own guardian angel. Aiden was sitting on a balcony, one leg hanging lazily over the railing, and the other placed securely on it to avoid him falling and yet she knew that falling could not hurt him anymore. Nothing could bring pain any longer.

"Because it never began for us. It'll never end for us. I was looking for a place to stay. Are you looking for a place to stay?" Aiden sang and then turned his head to look at Adrasteia, a content smile on his face. He turned around to stand on the balcony, his eyes never leaving hers and then leaned over to offer her a hand. Adrasteia walked towards him somberly, her hand raising slowly with each step. Once her hand reached his, she held it tightly, hope for their eternity blossoming inside of her, and then everything turned dark.

"To our success!" the director toasted and they all clinked their champagne-filled glasses together. Helga stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly, causing some of her fellow actors to cringe at the sound, but they all laughed happily right after. "I can't believe it! We had a standing ovation that lasted, like, ten minutes!" Maria said as she bounced happily and David rested his arms over her shoulder. "Relax or you'll give yourself a heart attack." He warned before giving her cheek a kiss, which made her smile even more than before. "Oh, God." Camille groaned, but snickered with the girls next to her.

Helga smiled at the display, but noticed that Arnold was missing in it. They had been celebrating for a mere half hour and he had already disappeared. She looked around, but couldn't see him in the lobby. She was about to tell the others that she would go and look for him, but they didn't notice her at all so she simply put her glass down and left. She knew where to look, it wasn't like there were a million different places to hide inside Hillwood Theater. She went inside the auditorium, looked near the stage and surely enough, she saw Arnold sitting on the stage with his head hanging low and his feet kicking the air. "Yo." She said and he lifted his head. "Party's that way." She added, bopping her head towards the lobby. The corner of his mouth lifted a bit. "I'm, uh… not really in a party mood."

Helga bit down on her bottom lip, hoping that she was capable of keeping her thoughts to herself for once, but the anger started to bubble inside her. "You know, I'm hurting too."

"I know - - "

"But at least I'm trying." Helga continued and Arnold lifted his head again. "And I'm not?" he questioned defensively and she shrugged. "Sometimes it feels like you aren't. I mean, our premiere was a huge success and yet, you're sitting here like some fucking emo instead of celebrating with us." She pointed out. A frown appeared on his face. "Hey, I'm fighting against every fiber of my being that is screaming: 'don't let her go', so excuse me."

"I knew it! You don't want me to leave!"

"Of course I don't want you to leave! If I didn't feel like that, it would mean that I didn't care about you."

"Oh, that's really low; using your feelings as an excuse!"

"My feelings are not an excuse! If it wasn't because of them, I wouldn't care about you leaving. I am terrified of losing you again, for crying out loud!"

"Losing me - - wha-a? What?!" Helga stuttered in disbelief and shook her head. "When did you ever lose me?"

"When we were thirteen! You left to become an actress and I was left behind. This is exactly the same, only about a hundred times worse." Arnold answered and jumped off the stage. Helga watched him as he combed his fingers through his hair. He didn't say anything and so she crossed her arms and looked away from him. "Then give me a reason to stay in Hillwood." She muttered and he turned to look questioningly at her. He hadn't heard her properly, but he didn't get a chance to question her. "What proof do I have that we can change? Look at us! We're in love, we're dating, our friends are celebrating our success and what are we doing? We're fighting just like when we were kids!"

"Well, maybe that's what we do! We fight. We get pissed off at each other and is that so bad? Didn't someone once say that people who trust each other, lets the other see their bad sides? I let you see the selfish part of me that wants you all to myself. I'm insecure, I'm possessive and I hate that you can see that, but I can't hide it." Arnold interjected, his breath going ragged because of how fast he was talking. Helga didn't know what to say, but something inside her still wanted to argue against him. "What do you want from me? I have the same fears you do and I'm afraid that we won't work out and that I can't figure out a way to make us work! I'm scared we'll become one of those couples that do nothing but fight and, hell, we already are!"

"There you go again! You're blaming everything on our fighting, but we have fought since we wore diapers and yet here we are! Fighting is obviously not the issue here, so if you think that's what's keeping us apart, you're wrong. Do you want to give up before we've even tried?"

"That's my line, Shortman! You're the one moping around. I'm at least trying to put on a happy face!"

"What's the point with a happy face if it's fake? Could you try being honest with me for once?"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You heard me! Drop the mask, stop the pretending and tell me what you feel. Exactly what you feel." Arnold ordered and waited for Helga to speak, but she didn't. A tear was streaming down her face, but she quickly wiped it away. "You just proved my point." He said and she looked at him again. "How?" she asked. He gestured idly towards her. "You're hiding your tears. You did that this morning too." He pointed out and her eyes widened. "You… You saw that?" she asked, but to her surprise, he shook his head. "No. I heard that, you were hiding in your room instead of letting me in." he corrected and she frowned before looking away again. "Even after all these years, you're still hiding from me. After all this time, you still won't let me get to know you."

Helga looked at Arnold in incredulity, who had looked away himself. "You're kidding…" she whispered in disbelief and scowled. "You-You're the one who knows me the best and the one I trust the most!" she insisted, but he just shook his head with a sigh. "It doesn't feel that way. The only things I know about you, are things that are about me too. I don't know you." he said and she opened her mouth to argue against him, but then she tried thinking about it. It was true that most of the things she had ever told him about herself had all been confessions of her prior stalking. They had been hard to admit, but they had never been about her personally.

Helga starting biting on the inner flesh of her mouth. "… I'm allergic to strawberries." She muttered, but Arnold just rolled his eyes. "I know that." he retorted, unsure whether she was just making fun of him. "I like pork rinds, but they make me sleepwalk." She said and he looked at her again in surprise. "I hate corn… pigs' feet… potatoes, lima beans and smoked mackerel. Except for those, I like most foods." She continued thoughtfully. "Helga, what are you…?" he started, but she continued speaking. "I will always order an extra-large triple chocolate shake with two cherries and lots of whip cream no matter how much I have already eaten."

"Helga - - "

"I always put a heart over the I in my poems, but never in anything else. When I see a shooting star, I cross my fingers on both hands, cross my arms over my heart and make a wish. I sleep like a baby at night, but I usually wake up in some weird position, like with half my body hanging over the bed or the duvet wrapped around only one of my legs. I was forced to take ballet lessons as a child and even though I complained, I secretly loved it once I got good at it. When I choose the volume on my computer or the TV, I will always choose a number that's in the five times table and I go insane if someone changes it. I dislike frogs and spiders, but I hate rats with a burning passion. I loved horses as a child, but now I'm afraid of them ever since one kicked me off. I'm stubborn and I will go to any length to prove that I am right even when I know I'm not. There are very few people, that I like and even fewer, I would tell half of these things to. My best friend is Phoebe Heyerdahl, my ex-boyfriend is David Whitlock and the boy, I have loved since I was three years old is Arnold. Phillip. Shortman!"

Arnold choked on the air in his throat, it almost sounded like a hiccup, when Helga finished her speech. A scarlet red color scattered on his face all the way to his ears and down his chest. He had no words, no words at all to all the information that had just been thrown at him. Luckily, Helga was still capable of speaking even after all that. "I love you… I can't promise you what will happen in the future, but I promise that you'll always have my heart no matter what. It belongs to you and it always has and will." She said, her hands clenched in fists and her face scrunched in concentration. She sighed. "I've been thinking, actually…" she continued and looked at the stage with a nostalgic look in her eyes. "I've wanted you my whole life… and acting is just this random dream I got while trying to get away from you. Maybe… Maybe it's not worth it."

At Helga's words, Arnold's eyes widened yet again. "Wait… What are you…?" he started and she looked at him. "What are you saying?" he asked with his eyebrows knitted together. She smiled at him somberly. "I'm staying in Hillwood." She told him matter-of-factly, but it felt like someone had just dropped an anvil on him. "Wha… What? Why? Why would you… Why would you do that? This is your dream, isn't it? Why would you give up on something like that? Why would you give up on your dream?" he asked in despair, feelings of confusion and relief soaring through him. She took a couple of steps towards him, took his hand and waved it between them lazily. "Because you're also my dream."

How many times does she plan to do that?! Arnold wondered as he felt his face flushing yet again. "Corny-y." he teased, prolonging the word in a singsong voice. She lifted her fist to punch his shoulder and he groaned at the pain. "Idiot! I'm being serious here!" she scolded, but she was smiling as she did so. He rubbed his sore arm for a bit, looking at the girl in front of him to look at any signs for a joking smile, but she was dead serious and he knew it. He sighed. "You shouldn't have to do that, Helga…" He said and she nodded. "I know… but I want to." She retorted and squeezed her hand in his. He kept looking her over, as he got deep in thought. "I know…" he said and sighed again. "And that's why I won't let you."

Helga frowned in confusion, but before she could insist, Arnold kissed her. His free hand caressed her neck, his fingers playing her hairline. "I can't let you give up on something like that for me even though it makes me so happy to hear you say that you would…" he said, his hand never leaving her face. She closed her eyes tightly. "I can't leave you…" she insisted and felt his forehead touch hers. "You don't have to… I'm coming with you." he said and she opened her eyes to look at him. "What?" she asked as an unsure smile spread on her face. He started smiling as well as he played with a lock of her hair absentmindedly. "There is only one Broadway so there's only one place you can be to achieve your dream…" He muttered. "Me? I can be a psychologist anywhere…"

Helga just looked at Arnold for what felt like the longest time before she made a very short, but sharp laugh. "It is New York… lots of potential clients there." She joked and he laughed as well. "You mean it…?" she asked unsurely and stepped away to look at him. "You're… coming with me?" she asked and he smiled again as he grabbed her hand. He nodded, but she still wasn't convinced. "There's also only one Hillwood, you know?" she pointed out, but he just kept smiling. "And there's only one Helga."

Helga felt her heart swell at his words, but she couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Corny." She declared in a high-pitched voice. He groaned before he grabbed her around her waist and lifted her up. She shrieked in surprise and happiness as he swung her around. "We're going to New York, baby!" he declared happily and she couldn't help but start laughing. Their laughter resonated through the auditorium and therefore they didn't notice when others started to walk inside. "There you are!" David said and the blondes looked at him. "You two just snuck off like that! Very suspicious." Damon said and crossed his arms. "You two have been looking so distant today, but now you're all happy again. Something good happen?" Maria asked with a smile on her face, which she was unaware of would grow bigger in a second.

Arnold and Helga looked at each other, both wearing very big grins on their faces. "I'm going to New York with Helga." Arnold answered. They all gawked at him and turned their eyes towards Helga, silently asking her if he was joking. She just nodded though and Maria started screaming happily. "This is amazing! Oh, one big happy ending!" she said as she stormed towards Helga. "No, it's a happy beginning!" Helga insisted before Maria whisked her away and into more of a happy bounce than a dance session. The boys laughed at the girls' display and for once, Helga seemed just as excited as Maria did. "Congratulations, man." Damon said and patted Arnold's back. "Dammit. I was hoping to steal Helga away from you." David joked and Maria gasped in mock shock. "Hey!" she scolded and he just laughed as he grabbed her. "I'm kidding." He insisted before kissing her on the lips, eliciting a happy swoon from her. Helga laughed as she quickly scooted over to Arnold, wrapping her arms around him from the side. He looked down at her even though she was looking at David and Maria. "Helga." He whispered and leaned closer to her ear. "I love you too."

The end

Author's 2nd note: The end! *Sobbing heavily* It's over! Ah, happy and corny ending is happy and cheesy, but is anyone complaining? I doubt it xD And even if you are: too bad! My story, my rules! Mwuahaha xD Before I start my next "big project", I'll per usual try to get some one-shots and short stories out of the way, like I did after ending "Let me be your hero". Please stay tuned for more! :D

Songs:

Lily Holbrook – "Welcome to the slaughterhouse"

Emilie Autumn – "I want my innocence back"

Elisa – "Rainbow"