"Erik," Gerald shakes his head, giving an approving hum. "He even looks like an Erik."

Arnold kept his head bowed and didn't bother to look up, eyes focused on scattered Advanced Algebra revision papers.

The boys pretended to busy themselves as Helga waltzed past with her new Finnish boyfriend Erik, hand in hand.

"They're perfect for each other," Stinky observes. "All that blonde hair."

The conversation was awkward to sit through, but Arnold knew it was best to ignored it, lest he blew up.

After all, he was the only person who knew Helga had kissed him. Him and ... "Hi," a monotone soft voice came from across the table.

Gerald's girlfriend Phoebe perched beside him.

"I guess she finally found her match," Herald concludes with a mouth full of food.

...

Arnold and Phoebe shared Math period with a higher grade.

They never exchanged more words beyond the necessary pleasantries. However, today Arnold needed to ask her something important.

"Pheebs, I don't know what to think anymore," Arnold confessed. "She kissed me and said claimed to have feelings for me. But now she's dating him...?"

Phoebe sat quietly, patiently listening to him vocalize his confusion.

She nodded "Arnold, I'm not the person you should be asking. All I know is that when you didn't do anything about the kiss she was heart broken."

Arnold felt guilt and defensiveness rise within him.

Him not making a move on Helga was not intentional. He had been processing bigger family issues and honestly, she caught him off guard.

Lately, he found himself wondering if he liked her back.

How could he, when all she lived for (since they were kids) was to bully him?

"Heart broken," Arnold repeats. "Hm."

Phoebe understood his hesitation "Look, I know she can be difficult. But she has a heart too."

Arnold catches a glimpse of Phoebe's soft expression and it quells the anger of injustice rising within him.

"We all do Phoebe," Arnold states matter of factly. "But we deal with our insecurities. Being unkind to others is not something I could never overlook."

Phoebe nodded, it was a sound point.

She had wondered for weeks why Arnold suddenly became distant and cold towards Helga after she confessed her feelings.

In their teenage brains, things were not meant to play out that way. He was suppose to confess to a crush on her too, and ride with her into the sunset.

The bell rang, and Arnolds tall frame towered over her.

"Don't let her Stockholm Syndrome you," he half joked. "The two of us, we take too much shit."