Hello everyone! Sorry for the extreme delay, school and work was hard, but I have a bit of a break to update this story for you all, so here we go!

Spring Break (Part 4)

Arnold and Helga sat quietly across from one another at a fancy restaurant not far from their hotel. Helga's eyes gazed downward, saddened that this was their last night in France. They had a wonderful time. They went swimming in the Mediterranean, went on a yacht trip across the bay, dined at lovely venues every night, and enjoyed complimentary French sweets. It was the time of Helga's life, and it was coming to an end.

Arnold looked at her with sad eyes, but also filled with hope. They had grown even closer during their time in France. Helga, for the first time, seemed genuinely at ease around him. He guessed it was because they were away from their friends in Hillwood, and in no danger of being exposed. Arnold prayed Helga would carry some of her ease back over to Hillwood, but even Arnold knew that was unlikely. Helga had a hard time letting go of her mask she wore around their peers. There were cracks in it before, when she would show honest kindness, but those were quickly filled in by the next day.

Arnold shifted his gaze downward to match Helga. He caught a look at her shoe. Her feet were a bit larger than an average ten-year old's. In fact, much larger.

"Wait a minute." Arnold said quietly.

Helga turned her eyes towards the fellow blonde. "What?"

"Your feet. They're… the same…" Arnold started, piecing together a puzzle he had left unsolved for almost two years.

"Yeah football head, one left, one right. Feast your eyes!" Helga joked.

"I should've known." Arnold then turned his head and smirked.

"Well yeah, you should've. You have two feet too, criminy." Helga rolled her eyes at Arnold.

"Did you really get your hair done at a dog salon?" Arnold asked.

"Wait, what?" Helga still didn't quite understand.

"I must be really dense to have taken this long to figure it out. Maybe it's the lighting. It's very similar to that night." Arnold compared.

"Arnold what are you…"

"Cecile."

Helga's eyes widened. She froze in her seat.

"You know, it's so obvious now. I wish you would've told me then. You know, for the past two valentine's days, I waited outside that restaurant, hoping to see you. Well, your alter ego." Arnold explained.

"I know." Helga said, "I saw you waiting."

"Helga, you never had to pretend in front of me. I do think I fell in love with you that night." Arnold put his hand over Helga's on the table.

"I didn't hide from you. I was hiding from everything else. You're the only one I've ever felt like myself around. Well, you and Phoebe. But you've always been there. No matter how badly I treated you, you never gave up on me." Helga smiled.

Arnold was surprised by this sudden outpouring of emotion. Arnold blushed and smiled.

"I could never give up on you. You're too important to me."

Helga smiled, "You're cute when you blush."

Arnold turned even redder.

"So, you ready to head back and pack?" Helga asked.

"Well, we've gotta wait for the check." Arnold said as Helga rose from her chair.

"Arnold, it's free, Stella's company paid for it." Helga said.

"Oh, right." Arnold blushed again.

"You keep that up your cheeks will be worn out by tomorrow!" Helga laughed.

0o0

Arnold and Helga had gotten though security and boarded the plane.

"You know, I'm sad that we're going home. I love it here." Helga said, staring out the window.

"We'll be back. I'm sure mom will have more business trips eventually." Arnold smiled.

"Oh we will!" Stella said across the aisle, "In fact, they're sending me to Germany for a couple weeks in June!"

"Sweet! What do you say Helga? Germany sound fun?" Arnold asked.

"Yeah! Count me in!" Helga said.

"Flight attendants, please prepare for departure." A voice chimed over the radio.

"Wait, what exactly does your mom do?" Helga asked.

"I don't know." Arnold said.

"And you don't need to know!" Stella winked.

Helga pondered this as they took off.

Meanwhile, in the private jet behind them.

"Passengers, please fasten your seatbelts, we're about to take off." A voice chimed over the radio.

"I hoped you enjoyed your trip honey." Mrs. Lloyd told her daughter.

"Oh I did. It was very…" She pulled out her phone, and scrolled through pictures of Arnold and Helga together, "enlightening."

The jet took off.

0o0

"Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold!" Arnold's alarm chimed. He threw his hand over it to shut it up.

"Ugh. Jeez. That time jump really messes with ya." Arnold said to himself.

Arnold got up and went immediately down stairs, before instantly coming back upstairs to get dressed. While in France, Arnold got used to sleeping just in his boxers, and he found it much more comfortable.

After he was ready, he ate breakfast, and went off to school.

Once he arrived, he was greeted by Nadine.

"Hey Arnold!" Nadine called out.

"Good morning Nadine. What's up?" Arnold inquired.

"I need to warn you about something." Nadine said.

"About what?" Arnold raised his eyebrow.

"Well…" Nadine started before being interrupted.

"It's none of your business Rhonda!" Harold bellowed.

"Yeah, leave them alone!" Sid chimed in.

"Gee willikers. These are some mighty pretty pictures though." Stinky complemented.

"Excuse me Nadine, I better break this up." Arnold ran over.

"Arnold, wait!" Nadine cried out.

"I know, Stinky. And yes, it is my business Harold. If those two think they can pull the wool over our eyes, they're…" Rhonda began.

"Rhonda? What's going on? Are they bothering you?" Arnold asked.

"No, she's bothering you!" Sid exclaimed.

"What?" Arnold asked.

"She has pictures of you!" Harold explained.

"Of me?" Arnold asked.

"In France." Stinky said.

Arnold paused. "Rhonda, you can't."

"Why not? The public has a right to know." Rhonda smirked.

"Because it's not the right time." Arnold tried to explain.

"You're right, it's passed time. If you had told me before, I would've kept it a secret, but now I'll tell everyone." Rhonda explained.

"You can't!" Arnold exclaimed.

"Why not?" Rhonda said.

"Because it'll destroy Helga! Don't do this. Please. She means too much to me. Please, don't. For me." Arnold pleated.

"I'm sorry Arnold. But lies only eat away at relationships. And you cannot keep this one from us." Rhonda said simply.

Arnold looked up and saw Helga approaching.

"Should I tell her first what I have? A little warning." Rhonda said.

Arnold imagined what would happen.

"Love him? No, I don't! I used him for a free trip."

"I'm sorry Arnold, but we can't see each other anymore."

Arnold looks at himself in twenty years all alone. Again.

"No!" Arnold grabbed Rhonda's cell phone and smashed it on the ground.

"Oh no!" Rhonda cried out. "Arnold! You'll pay for this!"

Rhonda ran away with the bits of phone that used to be hers.

"Do you think she downloaded them onto the cloud?" Sid asked Harold.

"No, her family doesn't use it. Those pictures are gone." Harold said.

"Guys, thank you, for not saying anything." Arnold said.

"No problem man. It's none of our business." Sid said.

Arnold smiled and looked up at Helga, who was looking at him with confused eyes.

Arnold smiled back, and motioned to the door as the class bell rang.

Arnold and Helga moved separately to the classroom.

Rhonda was nowhere to be seen.

FIN

There we go! The Spring Break arc is wrapped up! Thanks again for reading and be on the lookout for more episodes coming soon. (Audience: Yeah, soon for him is six months from now.) -_-

R&R!