Lila stared at her phone. Arnold wasn't in class earlier today. How strange of him, considering he rarely ever missed school. Lila grabbed her phone off the bench and closed her locker. While heading for the gym, Lila pondered over who would give her attention today. She loved that boys gave her attention, especially Arnold Shortman. Almost every boy in their grade would kill to be with Lila Sawyer, and she loved every second of it, though she tried to humble herself about it. Boys thought she was the essence of purity and sunshine, and girls wanted to be her. She knew she was cruel and shallow; she just wanted their attention and affection so nobody else could, and that was exactly what she wanted from Arnold, nothing more. She would surprise him by swinging by his house later with his homework and offering to help him with it, which she knew he wouldn't decline. Teasing and toying with him was pure fun.

So was picking on that Pataki bitch. Lila always knew she would have a rivalry with Helga. Helga was a bitch and a pain, although she had lightened up over the years, Lila didn't like Helga, just because Helga was ugly physically and personality wise. Lila was excited to see how she would toy with her prey today in gym. Lila sat down for roll-call, and sweetly chimed "here" for the oh too handsome gym teacher she was screwing just to pass gym. She didn't have to work out in this class, ruining the coaches marriage would be more fun anyways. Coach winked at her and continued roll. Helga must still be hiding in the locker room. Lila waited for roll to finish and looked around for Helga. Was she sick? Maybe she did the world a favor and finally offed herself? Lila decided to walk around the basketball court with Rhonda for class and talk about what prank to pull over on some poor unfortunate soul. Maybe they'd send a fake love letter to Curly? Nah, too easy. She'd figure something out later. Right now, her main concern was toying with Arnold. She smiled, happy she would receive all of his attention away from any other girl in school. After all, who wouldn't want Arnold Shortman, quarterback superstar of PHS.118?

Lila stood at the doorsteps of Arnold's apartment, books in her arms sweetly. She knocked on his door, waiting. His mother answered the door.

"Hello, may I help you?" Stella said kindly.

"Yes, Arnold told me he wasn't feeling well. I just wanted to make sure he got his school work. May I come in?" Lila puppy-eyed her.

"Sure. Arnold is upstairs with a friend. You may want to knock first." Stella stepped aside to allow the girl in. She wasn't fond of the girl in front of her but she had Arnold's homework.

Lila smiled and walked up the stairs, mentally panicking. 'Who would be here with Arnold?' Suddenly Lila remembered Gerald probably came over to check on Arnold too. She sighed. Gerald would leave once he saw Lila, and she relaxed. She reached Arnold's bedroom door and didn't bother to knock.

"Oh, Arnold, I was just ever so worried about yo—Helga!?" Lila dropped Arnold's books dramatically, waking Helga up from her nap.

Helga stirred "Huh? Arnold," Helga sleepily whined, "I told you to keep it down please." Helga didn't even bother looking at the door, she turned over and covered her face sleepily with the pillow.

Lila was too shocked to move. 'WHAT IS HELGA PATAKI DOING IN ARNOLD'S ROOM!? THEY HATE EACH OTHER?!' Helga even said please?! What The Hell!?'

"Hey, Lila." Arnold whispered from outside the open door. He tugged on her arm and pulled her out to the stairs. "Sorry about that. I didn't know you were coming by."

Lila collected herself "I'm ever so sorry Arnold, but I was just ever so certain you would want your school work. I didn't expect Helga to be here."

Arnold blushed "Yeah, it's a funny story."

"Do tell…" Lila cooed and challenged him.

"Uh, Not right now Lila. I'm sorry, but there's just a lot going on. I really would like to tell you, but I just can't. Half of it I don't even understand myself." Arnold respected Helga too much to just go and blab her personal business, and he thought Lila would respect that.

"Oh, I didn't know you and Helga were a thing… I'll just-" Lila began to walk away.

"Wait, what do you mean 'a thing'?" Arnold blocked Lila's escape route.

"Well, she's laying in your bed, in your clothes, sleeping ever so soundly. One can only assume you and her are together." Lila sounded disappointed and if Arnold had heard her correctly, she seemed slightly angry.

"NO! It's Nothing Like That!" Arnold began to flail his arms in panic. "No, No, No, No, No. Absolutely No. Helga and Me? NO. Just. No. Lila, I promise you its nothing like that. Helga and Her dad got into a fight and Helga came here. It was raining so badly and she didn't have anything else to wear so I offered some of my night clothes to her. My parents have known her parents for years and our families are just close." Arnold lied, but it was all he could do.

"Oh. So you and Helga aren't-? Ya know?" Lila inquired hopefully.

"Of course not. I just helped out a friend, you know how I am." Arnold smiled.

"Alright Arnold. I believe you. You're just ever so generous. I'll know who to come to first the next time I'm ever in trouble." Lila flirted and could visibly see Arnold melt into a puddle of goo.

"Yeah" Arnold blushed idiotically. "Thank you for bringing my books and homework by Lila."

"It was just ever so not a big deal Arnold, you're just an ever so good person. I'd stay to help, but I can see you have your hands just ever so full." Lila smiled

"Sorry Lila, maybe another night." Arnold walked her down the stairs to the front door.

"Maybe. Have an ever so goodnight Arnold! I just hope I get to see your ever so sweet face at school tomorrow!" Lila began to walk away.

"You too Lila! Bye." Arnold began to walk up the stairs to his bedroom.

*10 minutes ago*

Helga was asleep soundly on Arnold's bed, when suddenly she heard footsteps. She assumed it was Arnold and decided to try and continue sleeping.

"Oh, Arnold, I was just ever so worried about yo—Helga!?" Helga recognized that voice all too well and flipped into actor mode.

"Huh? Arnold," Helga pretended to sleepily whine, "I told you to keep it down please." Helga grabbed the pillow and covered her face and prayed Lila wouldn't confront her, and hadn't noticed any of her bruises.

"Hey, Lila." She heard Arnold pull Lila out of his room. "Sorry about that. I didn't know you were coming by." Helga checked to see if it was safe and crawled out of bed, eve's dropping on as to why little miss perfect was here.

"I'm ever so sorry Arnold, but I was just ever so certain you would want your school work. I didn't expect Helga to be here." Helga rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, it's a funny story."

"Do tell…"

"Uh, Not right now Lila. I'm sorry, but there's just a lot going on. I really would like to tell you, but I just can't. Half of it I don't even understand myself." Helga began to creep towards the bedroom door slowly as the voices began to soften, she could only assume they were at the bottom of Arnold's bedroom stairs.

"Oh, I didn't know you and Helga were a thing… I'll just-" Helga's eyes jumped out of their sockets!

"Wait, what do you mean 'a thing'?"

"Well, she's laying in your bed, in your clothes, sleeping ever so soundly. One can only assume you and her are together." Helga blushed and held onto his shirt, dreamily.

"NO! It's Nothing Like That! No, No, No, No, No. Absolutely No. Helga and Me? NO. Just. No. Lila, I promise you its nothing like that. Helga and Her dad got into a fight and Helga came here. It was raining so badly and she didn't have anything else to wear so I offered some of my night clothes to her. My parents have known her parents for years and our families are just close." Helga knew that was a lie, but it still hurt…

"Oh. So you and Helga aren't-? Ya know?" Helga could feel her heart about to crack.

"Of course not. I just helped out a friend, you know how I am." *crack*

"Alright Arnold. I believe you. You're just ever so generous. I'll know who to come to first the next time I'm ever in trouble." *crack* She could hear her heart smashing with every word.

"Yeah… Thank you for bringing my books and homework by Lila." Helga began to walk back towards Arnold's bed as the conversation floated away from her.

"How could I have thought he might have even slightly wanted me? Little Miss Perfect has always been his goal… He just pity's me…" Helga could feel her throat swell up and tears begin to form. She reached in her bag and grabbed her MP3 Player. She pressed the play button, not really caring what played; she just needed to escape. She laid her head back down and tried to go back sleep.

Suddenly Arnold curled up and spooned with her, not to be sweet, but to hug her and go back to sleep himself. Suddenly he felt her chest throb and quickly turned her over before she even had a chance to hide her face. Helga was crying! Arnold yanked out her headphones and hugged her as she tried to push him away.

Helga jumped out of the bed trying to get away from Arnold.

Arnold didn't understand her at all "Helga, why are you crying?"

"Why do you care? I'm just a pity case to you."

"What!?"

"Yeah, I heard you and the school "saint" chatting. " Helga was pissed.

"So? She brought me my homework! I was trying to leave your personal life out of it."

"That's wonderful Arnold. Now everyone in the school gets to know about it. Thank you for bringing her around at this time."

"Helga, I didn't tell her to come over, she just showed up and my mom let her in. She thought you two were friends!"

"Me friends with her? A route-canal would be more pleasant than being her friend."

"What is so wrong with Lila!?"

"She's a gossipy, brat who likes to screw teachers into giving her a good grade. She's shallow and selfish and dense."

"Helga… Quit. Lila is none of those things-"

"Yeah, you're too busy being blinded by her "ever so" wonderful personality, and by that I mean her stupid cheer uniform and that ridiculously fake sweetness."

"She's the sweetest girl in the school Helga."

"Yeah, she also gives teachers blowjobs to maintain her high GPA."

"You're just jealous."

"Of what? My life may be shit but at least I'm not fake."

"She's everything you're not, and that's exactly why you're jealous." Helga felt as if that was a slap to the face.

"As if, Arnold." Helga began to pack her stuff, she was through with the ridiculousness.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to Mighty Pete. I'm not a charity case Arnold."

"Stop. I won't let you." Arnold blocked the door

"Oh, you're gonna hold me hostage?"

"No, I'm just not going to allow you to live on the street."

"And I'm not going to be compared with some bimbo you're in love with."

"Helga!" Arnold blushed, "How did Helga know that?"

"Arnold."

The teens challenged each other.

"Helga, I'm sorry. I was just trying to get her to leave. I didn't want her to assume anything and get the wrong impression."

"Good going, football head. Your love interest will ruin our reputations."

"No she won't, Helga."

Suddenly, Arnold and Helga's phones began to vibrate erratically with texts and notifications, Arnold glanced down at his phone and Helga rolled her eyes.

"You and Pataki are friends!?"

"Pataki and you live together?!"

"She holding you hostage bro?"

"Ur smashin Pataki?! Lucky dawg!"

"Football Head scores again!"

Helga didn't even bother to say "I told you so" She just stood there looking at him, waiting.

"Okay, so maybe Lila misunderstood a few things. We'll clear it up tomorrow."

"I can't go to school looking like this. Bob broke most of my makeup when he decided to attack me. I'm stuck looking like a freak until I can get some make up or it heals. Besides, I'm still limping!"

"Fine, I'll go to school tomorrow and clear things up. I'm always damage control anyways."

Helga rolled her eyes, she knew he would be bombarded with questions because Lila opened her big mouth, but it was useless trying to convince him otherwise. "So what now football head?"

"We go back to sleep?" Arnold shrugged, suddenly Helga's stomach rumbled. "…or we could go downstairs and find a snack?" Arnold looked at his iPhone Clock"3:06PM" and noticed his phone still buzzing with notifications. He sighed and turned his phone off. Helga's Phone suddenly began to be bombarded with notifications and Helga could only groan. "The One Time I Want People To Not Ask Questions, They Decide to Ask! Fucking Criminey!" She threw her phone across the room, secretly hoping it broke, and buried her face in his pillow. Arnold picked her phone up, but it wasn't what he was expecting.

"How on earth did your freakish ass nail Shortman?!"

"Pataki, this better be a joke."

"What possible Blackmail do you have on Shortman?"

"Theres no way Arnold would love someone as cold as you."

"You Bribed Him, Didn't You?"

"Are you holding him hostage!?"

"I swear if you hurt Arnold I'll…"

"I didn't know Arnold had a thing for ugly freaks!"

Arnold gasped… "Helga, are people always this mean to you? They can't honestly expect these horrible things from you."

Helga scoffed and looked at him "Arnold, NOBODY at our school other than Phoebe knows the real me, not even you. Besides, half of those are just girls who hate me for being me, and because they're in love with you. You might not realize this Arnold, probably because you have your head shoved up Lila's prissy little ass," She snidely added "But you're kinda the guy any girl would kill to bring home to her parents. You are the one guy on this earth ANY girl would be lucky enough to have fall in love with them." Suddenly Helga realized she was babbling and shut up. Arnold could not know about her feelings, that was the last thing she needed.

Arnold stood there, utterly dumbfounded. "Helga, did you just compliment me?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't take it personally or anything football head. It was just a compliment." Helga acted cold, she refused to let her walls down anymore.

"Helga, you have never complimented me…" he walked to sit down beside her "thank you" he wrapped her in a hug. She didn't resist. "You're welcome, Arnold. BUT don't get used to it. Can we go get food now?" She needed the subject to change, she didn't like where this conversation was heading.

"Of course, Helga." Arnold smiled at Helga "Pancakes for a late lunch sound good to you?"

"Whatever floats your boat, football head." She said carelessly as the teens headed downstairs to the kitchen.