Where you been Arnold! (Hey Arnold fanfic)

ArnoLd

Arnold's P.O.V

I was awoken by a persistent little beeping noise that was coming from my wristwatch. That could only mean one thing: school today. Yesterday, Grandpa helped me move back into the boarding house but we haven't done much unpacking yet.

I sat up and looked around in the dull early morning light. It was a very strange feeling looking at my childhood bedroom like this, all empty. It was like being inside a memory that had been long forgotten.

I swung my feet around to the floor, my bare touching the scratchy carpet. I pulled on some black jeans and a red flannel and shoved my feet into some tired old Chuck Taylor's (a.n. Converse). I hurried down the stairs and filled up Abner's food bowl. I was just about to go look for him when I heard a small clinking noise and the soft pitter-patter of pig's feet. "Hey boy, here's your food." I greeted Abner and gave him an affectionate rub on the head while he chowed down on his food. As I continued down the stairs I heard muttering and pans banging together. I peered around the corner and saw Grandpa.

"Oh morning shortman," he said as I jumped down the last couple of steps, "Whaddaya want for breakfast?"

I looked down at my watch, 7:15. I grabbed a piece of fruit and headed towards the door. "Sorry Grandpa not today. I gotta go if I'm gonna catch the bus."

"Do you need bus fare!" He called out as I walked out the door.

"No I'm good. See you later grandpa!" I ran to the bus stop, my backpack bouncing between my shoulder blades.

When I arrived, Gerald was already there waiting for me. "About time you got here man!" He said as we did our best friend handshake. His voice had changed as had mine. It was a lot deeper and, even though I had been there for the beginning stages of the change, it was still kinda weird hearing his voice. People sound different on the phone. The bus pulled up an we hoped to the back.

As we rode to school, Gerald basically caught me up: who looked different, which girls were the hottest, when sports tryouts were. That kind of stuff. He asked me about Maryland a bit but there really wasn't anything to tell.

When we arrived at P.S. 121 we were ten minuets early. Gerald led me out to the football field where he said the whole gang hung out. "Eh yo everybody!" Gerald exclaimed. Everyone looked in our direction, "I think it's time for us to welcome back an old friend of ours!" Gerald turned to me and smirked, "Since I'm your best friend, I'll be the first to say," he turned to me and gave my ribs a light jab with his elbow, "Welcome back Arnold!"

Then everyone crowded around me. "Nice to see you Arnold!" "Good to have you back Arnold!" "We've missed you Arnold!" I found it really hard to believe that everyone one was still friends but they were all here! Harold, Rhonda, Curly, Stinky, Sid, Nadine, Sheela, even accident-prone Eugene. I wondered where Helga and Phoebe were. Just as I thought this, I saw a girl who looked very similar to Phoebe walk up toward the bleachers and she was with a really pretty blonde girl. Phoebe had gotten new glasses. The blonde girl looked vaugly familiar but I couldn't place her face at first.

"Phoebe!" Gerald jogged over to the two girls and put an arm tightly around Phoebe's small frame. "Look Arnold's back!" He boomed. Both of the the girls' eyes cut to me and it was only then that I recognized her. It was Helga G. Pataki! Wow, she had definitely blossomed. Gone was the one eyebrow. I was taking her In as she made slow strides towards me behind Phoebe and Gerald. I still kept my eyes on her even as Phoebe pulled me down for a hug. Helga was wearing a pink and white baseball T-shirt, jeans cuffed into capris that were -whew!- amazing, they showed off her newly developed curves, and black high top Chucks, like me. Somehow I was no longer hugging Phoebe and Helga was standing right in front of me. Her thumbs were were hooked through her belt loops, the picture of ease.