Where you been Arnold! (Hey Arnold fanfic)

HelGa: People Change

Helga's P.O.V

"Tell me you and Gerald are together already." I groaned to Phoebe.

We were sitting at the counter at Slausen's eating ice cream. I was eating a banana split while Phoebe was having an ice cream sundae. Phoebe rolled her eyes at me and sighed while she shook her head.

"Helga drop it."

"Phoebe-"

"Look," Phoebe declared, "I like what's happening between Gerald and me. I like the pace it's going at and I really think rushing into it will do more harm than good."

I studied her quizzically. She was looking straight ahead with her arms stretched out with her hands flat on the counter top.

"Are you happy?" She nodded. I sighed and proceeded to apologize, "I'm sorry kid, I know I can get a little crazy when it comes to the Gerald topic but I just really want the best for you, you know?" She laughed at me.

"Oh Helga, you're such a sweetheart." Phoebe teased. I stuck my tongue out at her. We ate in silence for a few beats before she suddenly asked, "Do you like Arnold?"

Automatically I replied, "No." But I had a funny feeling in my stomach. Not like I was lying but more like I was saying I liked a food before I even tried it. Phoebe is a much better friend than I am because she left it at that. The truth is I don't know where my feeling for Arnold stand. I mean we are different people now. We've grown up some, but at the same time, I can't shake this feeling that the story of Arnold and me hasn't changed all that much.

The bell for the door chimed. In came the boys with their arms wrapped around each other, chuckling. When they spotted us Gerald disengaged himself from Arnold and walked over to Phoebe.

"I see you already ordered for me." Gerald said gleefully.

Phoebe scoffed, "You wish." Despite that Gerald stole a spoonful. "Hey!" And Phoebe and Gerald laughed while I tried not to coo and aww over them.

Arnold slipped into the seat next to me and I was painfully aware of his every movement. Phoebe and Gerald excused themselves then relocated to a more private corner by the pinball machine. And then there were two.

I swiveled my seat so that I was facing Arnold. We smiled at each other and Arnold raised his hand up to order an ice cream but I interrupted him. "Oh you can finish my ice cream if you want. I'm not that hungry and I'd hate to see good ice cream go to waste." He looked down at my hardly touched ice cream and then nodded while sliding my ice cream over to his side.

"So how was your first day?" I asked. Jeez Louise, I hated how much I sounded like a parent.

"It was good. It feels good to be back here." He looks up from my ice cream and gives my a little smirk. He asks the worker behind the counter for some water and I told him to make it two.

When we got our water, I took a sip and remarked, "I hope Lila didn't have any trouble showing you to your class."

Arnold dropped his spoon in his now empty bowl- crimeny that boy eat fast! He rubbed his hands together and cleared his throat, "Um, no we... we didn't have any trouble at all." Arnold rubbed the back of his neck. I knew it.

Lila doesn't understand that she can't flirt with every boy she meets. If I didn't know any better I would say it was just a sport for her. It's not fair to those poor guys who think they have a chance with her and I'm worried that one day one of her followers might take it too far.