Hey Arnold! belongs to Craig Bartlett and Nickelodeon. I own none of these characters.

(A/N: Heeeey! Guess who's back, back again? And with a new (probably better) story! Tbh I'm not sure if I'll continue The Magic Show because I tried redoing it all together but I feel like what it's about to turn into has been done to death already. Even though I fucking loooove Hey Arnold fanfics like those I felt like I would need more of a heavier plot to make it really stand out, you feel me? XD So yeah dark fics are my thing especially for Hey Arnold; because Arnold is just so sweet and to see Helga uncanon-ly open up to him in so many different ways (you guys have no idea how much fan fiction I read) makes my heart just absolutely melt! Also I have never been so excited for a movie EVER in my life, TJM is just 2 weeks away I'm fucking screaming. I didn't even grow up with this show and I am obsessed with it. OBSESSED. So now I'm gonna stop rambling and just start the fanfic. Wish me luck.. *nervous lol*)

Helga awoke to the sound of her alarm clock. Irritated, she slammed her fist on the 'snooze' button, and dragged herself off her suddenly very comfortable bed. She trudged over to the bathroom to start her daily morning routine. While doing so, she figured she would have heard Bob or Miriam or even the TV downstairs, but the house seemed completely silent expect for the running sink Helga was currently using. After brushing her teeth, she started to brush her blonde, wavy hair, contemplating if she should put it up or leave it down. It takes her a lot longer to get ready for school now than back when she was in elementary; she was in the 8th grade now, and everyone knows kids become extra mean and judge-y in junior high. So she learned how to keep herself looking cleaned up, but not like a try-hard like that one time in 4th grade when she invited herself over to Rhonda's sleep-over party looking like a smoker mom. She mentally cringes every time she suddenly remembers the stupid memory. Let's just say she did a lot of things she wasn't proud of in the 4th grade, don't even get her started. Going back into her room, Helga rummaged through her closet to find something to wear. Once she found an outfit that would satisfy her for the day, she quickly threw it on and went back into the bathroom to grab her iconic pink bow. With the bow, she tied her hair up in a messy high ponytail, then added mascara and non-colored lip gloss. Looking back at herself in the mirror, she felt confident that she had gotten herself to look decent in the amount of time she took.

After heading downstairs, Helga walked into the kitchen where her mother was to grab her hopefully packed lunch bag.

"Mornin' Miriam, did Bob already leave for wo-"

Not to her surprise, her mother was passed out on the dining table with a spilled cup of wine in her hands. Helga could tell she'd been in that position for hours, due to the spilt wine stain being all dried up on the tablecloth. She sighed and grabbed her lunch bag which actually seemed kinda heavy, this got her a little excited. Will she actually get something to eat other than oxygen today? She walked out of the kitchen, grabbed her book bag, and headed out the front door on her way to school.

Helga was about to turn a corner on the sidewalk, but whenever she went this way she would literally bump into Arnold, and she just didn't feel like dealing with that right now. So she stood behind the corner for a few seconds, just waiting for Arnold to run up and turn the corner any moment, but alas, nothing happened. She sighed a little in relief and a little in disappointment, and she finally decided to turn the corner.

"Abner!" Helga heard someone shout.

Bad timing. Once turning the corner, she was almost knocked to the ground by a pink, squealing flash.

"Crimin- ah!" Helga started, but was immediately knocked onto the ground caused by Arnold, landing hard on her bum, "oww.."

"Sorry, Helga! Are you okay?" Of course she knew turning the corner without bumping roughly into Arnold was too good to be true. Arnold stuck out his hand, offering Helga help back up on her feet. She accepted his hand and practically jumped back up, quickly letting go of his hand.

"Ever thought of a leash for that pig of yours, Arnoldo?" Helga said in a snarky tone while dusting off her bottom.

"Well, yeah," Arnold replied, "but then this happened.." He revealed a bright red leash, chewed up and in half.

Helga's eyes widened, "dang.. He must have steak knives for teeth or something," she crossed her arms, "I feel pretty sorry for the person who angers your pig, football-head."

Arnold chuckled, "yeah, but Abner doesn't bite people, he's nice."

"Oh yeah?" Helga smirked, "you just wait until the day he finally snaps and goes on a human-biting-spree!" She suddenly gasped.

"What?" asked Arnold.

"Oh no," Helga put her palm to her mouth, muffling her 'no'.

"What?" Arnold asked again, this time in a more panicky tone.

"Do you realize what you have just done, Arnold?"

"N-no.."

"You have just let a rouge pig out on the streets to roam!" She grabbed his shoulders and started shaking him, "you've already killed hundreds with your pink killing machine!"

Arnold laughed and lightly shoved her off him, "Helga! He's just a pig, he can't do anything."

"That's what he wants us to think.. I smell evil bacon!"

"Whatever you say, Helga."

Helga chuckled to herself, "ah yeah, good stuff. But seriously Arnold, go get your pig."

Arnold's eyes widened, "Oh right.. ABNER!" He ran past her and she smiled watching him go.

After a few moments of just staring with a love-sick gaze she quickly realized where she needed to be and darted towards the school.

"Welp, guess Hair Boy's gonna be late." She thought and snickered as she headed to her first class of the day.

Helga and Arnold's relationship had changed drastically at the beginning of 7th grade. Helga finally decided that being rude to everyone just wasn't good for her image anymore, and even her health. She realized as times had changed, bullies are now more likely to get hurt than those who don't bully, because in the end, the bully always gets stood up to, leaving their confidence completely drained and their emotions completely empty. So Helga kinda just turned into the girl with a sarcastic humor. Helga was also suddenly reminded of all the times she acted nice to people when Arnold was around, and he always told her he'd wish she would be nicer all the time and after this realization, Helga knew exactly what she had to do. And it worked perfectly, Helga and Arnold have considered themselves friends for about a year now, and that's one giant step closer than she would ever get to if she was still as mean as she was back in the 4th grade.

(A/N: I hope I ended the first chapter at a decent place! I'm so tired it's like 4 am rn so I had to stop writing. Anyways, I have high hopes for this story! Stay tuned!)