Where you been Arnold! (Hey Arnold fanfic)

ArnoLd: A Better Person

I think I just used up all my good karma points. That was the only explanation for having the literal girl of my dreams sprawled across me right now. Her breath brushed gently across my neck. The weight of her was warm and she felt so soft.

I thought back to a few minutes prior when I was standing by my window, talking on the phone with Gerald. "Why do you even want your date with Phoebe to be a double date?" I asked him.

"Arnold, man I'm just trying to make the transition from friends to boyfriend and girlfriend as smooth as possible. You know dip my toe in the water a little bit, that's all."

His answer still didn't make much sense to me. Gerald and Phoebe have been unofficially dating since the sixth grade. A double date seemed too much like a group hangout in my opinion. But he's my best friend, and as much as I thought he was being a chicken, I knew I was going to try and help him any way I could. I told him I'd be there for him if he really needed me but that he didn't need a double date in order to date Phoebe.

"Besides, who would I even bring?"

We were both quiet for a bit and then Gerald said, "Why don't you ask Helga Pataki?" As he spoke, a voice from down below called out for me which somehow lead to this moment.

I should do something, say something to her right now while the moment is right. Before I could, Helga lifted her head from my shoulder and asked, "What's this about a double date I heard you talking about with Gerald?"

"Oh um, Gerald asked my opinion about taking Phoebe on a double date." I said, "He said something about how more people equals less pressure or something." Her arms were still loosely wrapped around my neck and she smelled like coconut. It made my head spin.

She removed her arms from around me and slid back to fix me with that blank gaze of hers. I was weirdly sad to lose that closeness. "That is literally the stupidest thing I've ever heard. They've liked each other for too long for it to be awkward. If Pheebs wasn't so crazy about the kid I'd knock some brains into his skull."

I chuckled. "That's exactly what I said. Well the part where he shouldn't be nervous not the knocking his brains part."

She huffed a laugh. "Our friends are completely hopeless. When are they going to just get their act together and kiss already?"

"I guess our friends can be pretty dumb sometimes." I shot a smirk in her direction and she blushed then looked away. I wasn't sure if I was still talking about Gerald and Phoebe anymore.

"So who are you gonna take?" She asked, looking up at me from under her eyelashes.

I blinked at her. "Take who where?"

She shook her head and rolled her eyes at me. "The double date, football head. Try and keep up." She sighed.

"Oh right," I said. "Well between now and when Gerald first told me about the double date I hadn't really had much time to consider my options."

Her gaze raked over my face before returning her back down to look at her hands. "I thought for sure you would say Lila." she said softly.

I smile, gently. "Lila is cool and all, but... it's kind of hard to keep her attention, you know."

She nods. "You want to date someone attentive."

"I guess." I look down and rub the back of my neck before continuing, "It sounds lame but I want to feel special to the person I date."

Helga crosses her legs and adjust herself so she's faced towards me. "Yeah, I get that."

I glance at her from the corner of my eye. "You don't think it sounds stupid?"

"No. I mean at the end of the day everyone wants too feel special even if it's just to one person."

"Is that what you want?"

"Sort of. Mostly I just want someone who makes me want to be a better person."

A better person, I thought. How could Helga Pataki possibly get even better than she already was? It was weird talking about this kind of stuff and not just because it was Helga. I couldn't imagine saying anything like this to anyone yet here I was, telling her things that I had never admitted out loud, even to myself. But somehow, talking with Helga, really talking, felt as natural as breathing.

"So how exactly did you think Paul was going to help make you into a better person?"

"Okay one, I didn't expect Paul to do anything and two, even if I had wanted that from him I'm pretty sure I burned that bridge. Or maybe flooded it would be the correct term." We both laughed.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, sighing deeply. "I guess I should probably head out now. I need to get a head start on this poetry project now that I'm doing it solo."

She got up from her spot on the couch and started towards the window. "Helga," I laughed, "You know you could just go out the front door."

She blushed. "Oh yeah."

"C'mon I'll walk you out."

We walked downstairs, slipping past my grandpa who was sleeping in front of the tv and stepped out the front door. We stood facing each other, unsure of how we should say goodbye. "I guess I'll see you on Monday." She said, putting her hands in her jacket pockets.

"Mhmm."

"Thanks for the company I guess. You know, you're a good listener Arnold."

"Thanks Helga, and just so you know I think you're a pretty good person. You know, deep down." I joked.

She laughed. "Well if you tell anyone I'll be sure to make you a nice knuckle sandwich but I think you're pretty special. You know, deep down." She smiled at me one last time and waved bye before turning around to head home.

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A/N: *shows up 3 years late with a cup of Starbucks* I'm back from the dead I guess.