A/N: Sorry this update took so long! There were some issues in my personal life.
"Ugh," Helga said, as she pushed a weed puller into the ground. Her chore today was to pull weeds in the backyard, but fortunately, it wasn't hot out. It was actually sweater weather.
As she plucked out weeds and stuffed them into a bag, Helga tried to come up with a game plan. She had no interest in reading Destiny's diary, but she would need to do some snooping. Nearly every girl had a crush on someone, and if Destiny was anything like Helga or Phoebe, his name or photo was somewhere in her bedroom. Helga could sneak in there during dinner, under the guise of using the bathroom. She just hoped the guy lived in Hillwood—celebrity crushes were worthless as blackmail.
Arnold had suggested getting dirt on Wolfgang, but Helga doubted she'd find anything. Wolfgang didn't strike her as a hopeless romantic, or a plagiarist or anything. And searching his room for an embarrassing photo sounded dangerous—the guy probably had a bear trap or something, if only to keep out his annoying sister.
Helga laughed and shook her head. I think I watch too many cartoons.
She found a dandelion with a seed head, and wondered if maybe she should wish on it. They never made Arnold fall in love with her, but maybe they had some genie-esque rules. If she wished for Wolfgang to become a pacifist, maybe the seeds would actually work magic.
Or maybe she watched too many cartoons.
She finished the chore right before dinner, and Wolfgang's mom served spaghetti. It was Wolfgang's turn to wash the dishes, which was likely why his table manners had improved overnight.
"Delicious," Helga said between bites. "Just as good as last night's chilli."
"I'm glad you like it!" Wolfgang's mom said. "You must be hungry after all that work."
"Mm-hmm." Helga swallowed another bite. "Can I use the bathroom?"
"Of course!" Wolfgang's mom said. Destiny glanced at Helga, but said nothing.
Helga's heart raced as she entered a hallway, which had a bathroom to her right. Across the hall was Destiny's door, but Helga hesitated before opening it. Is there any chance she has a security system? Anything was possible, but there should've been a warning; Wolfgang's door had a Keep Out sign, but Destiny's didn't.
I'm NOT a coward, Helga decided. She turned the doorknob and walked right in.
The first things she noticed were lilac walls and white curtains. One set was hanging on a canopy bed, and the only picture on the wall was a photograph of the Eiffel Tower. Thankfully, there was no security system.
The floor wasn't cluttered, but that arguably wasn't a good thing. Sure, it meant she could root around without leaving a trace, but it also meant she had to root in drawers, cabinets, et cetera. This could take forever, Helga thought.
She checked the closet first, since that was where Helga hid her Arnold shrine. Below Destiny's clothes were a bunch of shoes and books, but nothing notable. There were no sketchbooks or photographs of boys, and certainly no sculptures made out of gum.
Helga walked over the Destiny's dresser, which had a pink jewelry box sitting on top of it. Maybe she has a locket, Helga thought. She opened the lid before realizing that the jewelry box was also a music box—one that played "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy." She slammed the box shut, her heart racing. Did the family hear that? She had kept the bedroom door open, in case she needed to make a quick exit.
Considering how fast those footsteps sounded, Helga did need a quick exit. She attempted to dash into the bathroom, but was stopped in her tracks by a glaring Destiny.
"What were you doing in my bedroom?"
"Uh...I...I was just..." Helga couldn't think of a good excuse.
Destiny turned red. "Were you trying to STEAL from me?"
Helga sighed. "I was trying to find out your secrets, so I could blackmail you into leaving me alone."
It took a moment for Destiny to comprehend this. She scoffed. "Nice try."
Helga returned to the dining room and quickly finished her spaghetti. Was there another way to one-up Destiny? Helga would have to do some brainstorming.
