A/N: Hey, guys, gals, and nonbinary pals! I was surprised to see the amount of attention this story is already getting, and for that, I am so very thankful. I appreciate the comments and insight so much. I'll try my best to keep the quality of my writing consistent the whole way through. Let me know about your triggers in the comments that I may have missed so I can add them to the list. I'll be doing a little bit of a flip-flop between POVs in this, but not excessively so. This chapter may be a little shorter, but I wanted to get this story rolling. Thank you for reading!

Trigger Warning: Mentions of transphobia/harsh language/self-harm

Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold, doy.

It had been almost four years since Helga's unexpected disappearance, nearly four years of a Hillwood without Helga. Arnold and the gang were now in their senior year of High School, and Arnold's 18th birthday had passed just a little over a month ago. The cool November air whispered through the trees as Arnold and Gerald, accompanied by Phoebe, walked down the street to their school. Arnold shoved his hands in his pocket, twiddling with a small, folded piece of paper. He slumped his jacket further over his shoulders and trudged into the school, drowning out the sound of the other students with slow jazz melting through his headphones.

He opened his locker, staring at the photos pinned to the inside of the door. There were little Polaroids of him and his friends scattered here and there, but the centerpiece was a photo of him and his ex-girlfriend, Helga, that he had taken of them the day before she left. He felt his heart twinge in bittersweet pain as he stared at her. It was an image of them sitting on top of Sunset Arms, her head leaning on his shoulder as the sunset lights glossed over the two of them. He sighed forlornly before shoveling some books into his bag and shutting his locker. He turned to see Gerald and Phoebe chatting happily, the latter leaning against the taller boy.

"Did you hear P.S. 218 may be getting a new student from out of town? They moved in next door yesterday," Gerald chimed.

Arnold's ears perked up at this; it had been a long time since anyone new joined their class. He almost got his hopes up for a second that it might be her. He just as easily dismissed the thought as quickly as it had popped up. Gerald and Phoebe had begun to talk about something else that roused him from his thoughts.

"Slausen's and the arcade tomorrow, right Phoebes?" Gerald implied a relaxed grin gracing his features. Phoebe gave a curt nod of agreement before lightly elbowing her boyfriend. His eyes widened in momentary confusion before his expression changed to an eager smile, "We were wondering if you'd like to come with us, Arnold?''

"On your date?''

"Yeah, well," he paused to search for words, "Phoebe and I would really like you to come tomorrow.''

Arnold thought it over a moment before smiling softly, "Alright, I'll go. It could be fun." He understood where they were coming from; he had become more of a homebody since Helga left. He figured he could appease them just this once and be their third wheel.

"That's the spirit, man!" The tall boy did his signature handshake with his blonde-headed friend as the warning bell pierced through the halls, signaling the students to make their way to the first period.

The three walked to class, speculating what the new student might be like. They all took their place next to each other in their corner of the first-period class, quieting down as their longtime teacher, Mr. Simmons, stood up in front of the class. With a large smile, he settled the high schoolers down, "Now, now kids. Settle down. I can tell from all the chitchat you've heard the rumor about a special new student joining our class today. So, without further ado, Hugo! Would you please come up to the front of the class and introduce yourself a bit?"

A grumble from one of the seats in the solitary back row breached the excited chittering and hushed gossip of the classroom. A tall, skinny, blonde-haired boy sauntered to the front of the class. His features were sharp, and his eyes a piercing blue. A proud monobrow sat on his forehead, scrunched up in slight annoyance, paired with a small dark patch of scruff on his chin. He turned to face the class, combing his messy hair with black-painted nails before fixing the wrinkles on his dusty pink jumper with the other. His eyes traveled along the classroom, earning a little louder chatter from the girls until they stopped to rest on Arnold's. The football-headed boy felt his face grow hot as the other boy's eyes widened and cheeks dust pink. The new student coughed nervously before quickly moving his eyes away to meet the teacher, "What do you wanna know, teach?"

"Well, anything special you'd like to tell the students about yourself!"

The new boy pondered for a moment before speaking, his voice gravelly and light.

"My name's Hugo. I moved in from out town with my aunt. I like baseball, my favorite subject is English, and I'm particularly fond of the color pink...," he paused a second before meeting Arnold's eyes a moment,"...and green."

Arnold felt his heart lurch strangely but quickly shook off the feeling. As he studied the boy, he couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity when looking at him, from which Arnold had no clue.

"That's all very wonderful, Hugo. Since you're new, why don't we move you a little closer to the front so you can mingle better with your classmates,'' he scanned the room for an empty chair, "There, why don't you take a seat next to Arnold."

Arnold gave a little wave, which Hugo returned. He walked over nervously and set his things next to the flaxen-haired boy. Arnold smiled at him and reached out his hand, "Hi, nice to meet you."

Hugo hesitantly took his hand, shaking it lightly, "Hey."

The two turned their attention back to Mr. Simmons, who was happily chatting away about the day's lessons. Arnold couldn't help but notice his attention turning to Hugo every once in a while, their eyes catching a brief moment each time before hurriedly looking away again. The period flew by quickly, and the next was filled with the same chattering about Hugo.

The voice of Nadine popped up from the front seat of the science lab, "I think he's so dreamy, with the piercings and painted nails and such. You don't see too many boys around here that dress like that."

"Yeah, well. I think he's a pansy. Wearing pink and all that makes him look a bit like a fag," chimed Harold as he fiddled with his pen. Lila gave him a stern pop on the arm with the back of her hand, "Oh, hush. That's an ever so terrible thing to say."

A scattered mumble of agreement came to a quick hush as the center of their gossip made his way into class. He searched the room before meeting his eyes with Arnold. The football-headed boy waved in a 'come here' manner, to which Hugo complied; his cheeks were lightly rosy and his eyes nervous. He plopped down in the seat next to Arnold, setting his things beside him. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Gerald chimed in from beside him, "Hey, man. I'm Gerald, and this is my girl Phoebe."

The three exchanged a small handshake, and Hugo gave a polite "Hello."

"I know this is kind of sudden, but Arnold, Phoebes, and I plan on goin' to get some ice cream and stuff tomorrow since it's Friday. Would you wanna come with us so we can show you around?"

Hugo thought for a moment before giving a slight nod, "Sure, I'd like that. I just gotta finish unpacking my things."

"Cool, man. Cool."

With that, the bell rang to begin the period. The rest of the day up until lunch flew by quickly. Lunch period's signaling bell reverberated loudly throughout the room, and the students all rose to make their way to the cafeteria. Arnold, Gerald, and Phoebe exited the room with their newfound companion trailing slightly behind.

"You mind if I stop by Mr. Simmon's classroom for a moment? I'll meet you all there in the cafeteria in just a little."

"Of course,'' they all chimed. Three took their places at a table, talking about random things and enjoying their meal. Less than ten minutes had passed before Rhonda burst through the cafe doors and made a b-line for Arnold's table. The three stared at the out-of-breath girl for just a moment, eyes wide with confusion.

"Spit it out, Lloyd. You look like you're dying to say something,'" Gerald chuckled.

The girl caught her breath and regained her composure, "Oh, you have no idea."

She took a seat between them, a malicious grin splitting her face,'' You wouldn't believe the hot piece of gossip I just picked up from outside the first-period classroom."

They raised a collective eyebrow at her. Her grin grew wider at their inquisitiveness, feasting off the curiosity. She leaned in a bit closer, speaking in a hushed voice," Hugo. Is. Gay."

"What?" Arnold exclaimed as his friends let out a surprised gasp.

"Keep it down, you idiot. Someone will hear. I'm only telling you-" she shoved an acrylic-nailed finger into his chest, "-because you are involved in this bit of tea."

A heavy, confused blush spread across his cheeks, "H-how so?"

She waved her hand flippantly, "He's only got a crush on you, is all. I heard him talking to our very own local flamer, Mr. Simmons. I stood outside the classroom where they couldn't see me while I snooped. He thanked him for "keeping his secret" that "he knew only Mr. Simmons would understand,'' and how ''Arnold could only find out when he was ready to tell him,'' and such. He's gay, and he's definitely gay for you."

The blush on Arnold's face grew deeper for a moment, and he barely managed to sputter out a response, "W-we don't know that for sure! It could be a simple misunderstanding."

"Yeah, right, Arnold,'' the raven-haired girl huffed arrogantly, "Have fun with your new little boyfriend.''

She left the table to sit down with the rest of her clique, no doubt spreading the same rumor to her group of friends. Gerald and Phoebe looked at Arnold, but both were dumbfounded about what kind of response to give him. Before either of them could open their mouth to speak, Hugo took a seat next to Arnold, shining a toothy grin his way, "What's the haps, Arnoldo? You look a little freaked."

Hugo's morning started all too quickly. He was nervous about being back in Hillwood, scared to be recognized by his former classmates, and more so, terrified to be recognized by his beloved, Arnold. Four years had passed, and Hugo had left Hillwood to live with his aunt in a neighboring big city. The place was much more liberal and open than his hometown, and he was somewhat grateful for that.

He had attended a smaller public school for a few years, where he could undergo steps in his transition from Helga to Hugo. One of the first things his aunt had done was take him to gender gender-specialized therapist, where his concerns revolving around himself had been confirmed. With that, his aunt had made determined efforts to help her nephew transition. She helped him pick out a new name, got his records and I.D. legally changed, and got him on testosterone shots. She even set him up for a top surgery date his junior year to remove his unwanted chest.

Hugo had undergone many changes throughout the past few years, making him almost unrecognizable. Now, when he stood in front of his mirror, he saw himself. He took pride in the surgery scars that adorned his chest, felt happiness surge through him at the slight stubble on his chin, and found enormous joy in his Adam's Apple and deepened voice. What a miracle worker testosterone was. Admiring all the changes gave him a feeling of euphoria but didn't dwindle the nerves that erupted inside him as he made his way to his new high school.

His morning went by smoother than he expected; no one seemed to recognize him as the once-terror of P.S. 118, Helga Pataki. When it came time for lunch, he realized he had forgotten to mention to Mr. Simmons his last name. While he may have been dense, there was no way he wouldn't recognize the last name Pataki. All his other teachers didn't know him, so he felt no obligation to speak with them about it. After parting ways with Arnold and the rest of his group, he made his way to the first-period classroom. He gave the door a slight tap, to which he was greeted with a friendly, ''Come in.''

Unbeknownst to him, a person stood just within earshot beside the adjacent lockers, pretending to dig something from her bag.

"Oh, Hugo! How lovely to see you. What brings you here during lunch?"

"Well, there's something I want to discuss with you... Something I'm sure you must have noticed already." He took a step closer to his teacher and spoke in a hushed voice just so Rhonda couldn't make out his words,'' I'm Helga Pataki, er, was Helga Pataki. My father kicked me out a few years ago when he found out I was transgender...Can I trust you not to tell anyone it's me?''

"Oh, of course, Hugo! I had a suspicion it might be you, but I didn't want to make any rude assumptions," he pulled him in for a small hug. Rhonda Lloyd hid behind the closed door, pulled out her phone to record, and inched closer to better catch the conversation.

Hugo spoke a little louder and rubbed his arm abashedly, catching Rhonda's ears, ''Thank you so much, Mr. Simmons. I knew I could trust you with this secret. I especially don't want Arnold finding out...not until I'm ready to tell him, at least."

He gave a nod of understanding, "Of course, your special secret is safe with me."

The two hugged once more before the student left his room. As he stepped out the door, he squinted his eyes in confusion as Rhonda sprinted down the hallway ecstatically. He shrugged his shoulders, chalking it up to something unimportant before grabbing his lunchbox and shuffling to the cafeteria. His eyes perked up when his eyes fell on the object of his affection, happily chatting away with Gerald and Phoebe. He noticed the differences Arnold had undergone in the years he'd been gone. He was taller and more muscular. He was well dressed as always, but she could sense a dark sadness looming behind his emerald eyes.

Hugo clutched the locket stowed away in his black jean's pockets, "Oh, Arnold, my love. What great fortune to be once again in your presence, but how far we are still due to my own permanent and drastic changes is torturous. If only I could be the object of your passions once again..."

A heavy, nasally breathing disrupted his thoughts. Tucking his locket back into his jeans, he threw his fist back into the familiar face of Brainy. He dusted his hand off and made his way towards the table, pausing when he noticed Rhonda speaking closely to Arnold, a grin split across her face. His mind raced. What if they were together? Had Arnold moved on and found a new love in Rhonda? Preposterous. He shook his head to clear it of the thought before taking a seat next to his beloved. Hugo admired Arnold's features a moment, feeling his face grow warm. Oh, how lovely he had gotten. He smiled and broke the silence after a moment of the other three sat a few seconds silently too long,'' What's up, Arnoldo? You look a little freaked?"

He gave a nervous laugh, "It's nothing. Rhonda was just blabbing about her latest gossip. I didn't follow half of it, to be honest.''

Hugo gave a small smile of understanding before turning to face the rest of the group, ''So, what are the plans for tomorrow again?"

The group chatted about their plans for Saturday, and Hugo gave them each his new number so they could text him the following day. The rest of the day went well. Hugo was sure some deity was looking down on him that day, as most of his newly assigned seats were placed next to Arnold. Why Rhonda found this something to giggle about, he was unsure. The rest of the day passed smoother than expected; the end of school came about with the shrill ring of a bell. Instead of piling on the bus, Hugo waited at the stoop for his aunt to pick him up.

The familiar little, red smart car zoomed up to the sidewalk and came to a sudden stop. The window rolled down, and his aunt called from the driver's seat, "Get in! I wanna know about your first day!"

Hugo dashed to the car with a grin, loading the car with his bag and plenty of gossip throughout the day, namely stuff about Arnold. The blush on his cheeks as she spoke about him earned cheeky "ohs" and teasing remarks from his aunt, which he brushed off quickly. Still, the smile on his face revealed his emotions to be otherwise. Hugo was hopeful that his day tomorrow with Arnold would be fantastic. Still, he couldn't push away the pressing nervousness that his drastic secret would be revealed.

A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed this first official chapter! I promise chapter two will be much longer. I couldn't write much today because I had my wisdom teeth removed this morning, so I was a little too out of it to write. Anyway, I digress. Please give a favorite/follow if you enjoyed it, and please leave a comment if you liked it, or if you want to give your commentary or suggestions. See ya next chapter!