Everyone grew up and will be attending senior year in high school. Their ages start at 17.

Arnold is dating Rhonda. It has become a dead end relationship, but Arnold hangs on only because he hates hurting others. HE ISN'T IN LOVE WITH RHONDA. I have to put that in all caps to let others know and to read that. Quite honestly, Rhonda isn't in love with him either.

Helga returns back from England where her father ships her off to shortly after she returns from San Lorenzo. She'll explain why she suddenly had to leave. When Arnold sees her again he notices a huge change within her. While she still can be snarky, she also displays her much softer side. The side she kept hidden due to early ridicule from her classmates. Also with a neglectful family how else are you supposed to act?

I do have a surprise concerning Helga in the next chapter. Something that will make Arnold unhappy and jealous. Who knows? I might even bring Dark Arnold into the picture.

This will be in all caps again: THIS IS NOT A RHONDA AND ARNOLD PAIRING. THEY WILL NOT BE TOGETHER FOR A LONG TIME. DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE THAT AT ALL.

If you don't like this then I'm fine with you reading another story. Please don't flame me for my personal choice. I wouldn't do that with anyone else's stories. If you don't get the general theme here. I am a complete Arnold and Helga shipper all the way. I mean look at all my previous stories. :D

Hope you all have a good day or night.

There must be spiderwebs on him by now. Moving his hand around there were none, but he felt there were. Listening to Rhonda inside her dressing room complain about the colors he rolled his eyes. He tried to leave but gave she him a massive guilt trip. Life isn't just about shopping. What made him get into this relationship? As beautiful as she is and sometimes was nice, it quickly got tainted once she opened her mouth on subjects that tended to get him to slap his own face.

"Oh we are so out of here." Rhonda left her dressing room with dramatic flare. "Arnold we are heading to Cacy's at this very moment. I hear they have the latest line."

Growning Arnold couldn't take it. "Rhonda we've been here for an hour."

"So what is your point?"

Arnold knew she won't listen to reason, but he tried to say something. "I'm highly tired and this is pretty boring for myself. I would like to do something different so can we go now."

Rhonda rolled her eyes. "Not until I find something. This is the first day of school after all. I need a whole new wardrobe." Waving her hands around in front of him, she added, "Come to think of it. Since we are together it would be wise for you to update yours as well. You are popular too. We are the It couple after all. We must keep up appearances."

Opening his mouth up to object to that it was soon shut with her immediately striding away signaling the end of discussion. Sighing, Arnold followed like the loyal lap dog she resigned him to.

Now in Cacy's, Arnold wandered around the men's section just to try to pretend to look. Lifting up a plaid red shirt had him immediately placing it back on the rack. $400.00 for a shirt was just too ridiculous. Finding the clearance rack had him not enjoying the price there either. Groaning, Arnold began to walk out of the store when he received a text from Rhonda to come upstairs.

"I turned into a stinking butler." He groused as he headed to the escalator to head up.

Going towards the dressing room, Rhonda immediately stepped out wearing her favorite color. It was a red slinky number that looked more like a cocktail dress. While the dress was actually nice in itself, she appeared actually desperate in it.

"So what do you think?" She posed before scoffing at a woman passing by. "Oh what hideous shoes. Makes her look so chunky all over. Oh and don't get me started on those pants she's wearing."

Turning his head towards a blonde, Arnold could see a slim very in shape person. Nothing was wrong with her from behind. Rhonda was probably jealous. She normally got even more pettier when a more attractive woman passed her line of sight. Turning back to face, Rhonda he knew what to do about the dress she had on. "It does something to your hips, Rhonda. I don't want you looking wrong when there is nothing wrong at all to you."

That did it. Rhonda went to the mirror to further examine herself as she checked herself at all angles. "Oh dear you are right. Oh this oh so wrong. Oh Arnold be a dear and grab me a diet soda. I am just so thirsty."

Nodding his head, Arnold turned away from the dressing room happy to leave. Perhaps he'll take his time getting her one. He just knew he wanted to leave. He wished he could be one of those rude people, but it was so hard to be like that. Going down the escalator he really did have to wonder why he was with her so long. He was bored out of his mind. This was about as equal as him going out with, Lila. That bored him and so did this. Still he was the person who stuck it out mostly trying really hard to work it out. At least Lila readily agreed saying she had a hard time hurting him. She didn't hurt him. He celebrated that union breaking up. It was one of those break up's that had him running around doing things that he wanted to do.

Getting off the escalator, Arnold turned the corner to almost knock himself into a blonde. "Oh I'm sorry about that." It was the blonde from upstairs. He was sure of it. Same outfit, but this time he could see her face and what a face it was. She had this very unique beauty about her that captivated him. He loved the dark eyebrows contrasting with the blonde hair. The way it brought out her blue eyes had him almost turning on his heel to go upstairs to break it off with, Rhonda.

An amused expression crossed the girls face. "Well it isn't us if we don't smack into one another, Football Head."

Stepping back to really take her in more, Arnold couldn't believe it. "Helga?"

"One in the same, bucko."

"Wow! You look gorgeous."

Blushing, Helga brought her fist up to playfully punch him on the arm. "Awe shucks. You don't look so bad yourself."

"So are you shopping?"

"Pssh. This place is stupid. I will make a purchase just to shut my Bob's yap up, but not much else. What are you doing here? Dying of sticker shock?"

Laughing at that, Arnold moved a little past her happy that she was following him. "Rhonda is here shopping. I'm tired and bored."

Nodding her head, Helga said a little too quietly. "Yeah I heard you were dating Princess. I had a feeling that was coming so I wasn't surprised by it."

Arnold was surprised. "Who told you and why aren't you surprised?"

"Criminy. I do talk to Phoebe on a regular basis. As for that bit of information well you always were mostly attracted to vapid pretty things and this includes Lila. Yeah I know you dated her and the part where she is vapid is her wanting you to do everything she wants to do." Walking out of the store, Helga found he really wasn't in a hurry to walk any faster.

He was silent for a bit before responding. "Well the only interesting girl I was truly wanting left out of the blue. The day after we come home from San Lorenzo and you were gone. Did you want me to wait for a ghost?" He felt bitterness rise up at that.

She barked out a laugh. "Sarcasm sounds cute on you. You obviously weren't that interested when you asked Phoebe once about me, but not no more. I would of written you, but since you didn't dare ask again where I was, well I figured you didn't truly care. I know you would of kept asking if it was anyone else. Think about it, Arnold. It hurt and yes I could of wrote you, but think about it from my point of view when you didn't ask her again."

He'll gloss over that for now. "So what happened?"

She sighed. "Bob already packed up the house while I was gone. The moron forgot he actually signed the permission slip. When he asked and was told I was in San Lorenzo because you won a trip well the second I was home I was made to leave. It was so fast that I didn't have a chance to say good bye."

"Where did you go?"

"Moved to Nevada. After that move he thought it was time for me to learn manners and stuff so he actually sent me to England to some boarding school. At first I really hated it. I was lonely for most of the year. No friends and no family around. I called Pheebs finally to talk to her to tell her where I was. This was obviously after the first and only time you asked her where I was. After that I began to make friends. I grew up there. Told my dad he could make more money manufacturing his own cell phones. He did and starting selling those fast." She explained.

"Did you date anyone?" Arnold didn't really want to ask her that. He just wanted to know if he was the only one who graced those lips.

Helga nodded her head. "Yeah. One guy. I was with him for a while until I couldn't see myself with him anymore. I didn't love him. He was just this nice guy that I found myself mostly just wanting to talk to than do anything else with. Not his fault. You would of actually liked him."

Nearing a vending machine, Arnold readied his change. "So are you coming back to school?"

"Yep. I hear you are on the football team."

"Yeah." Paying for a diet soda he waited for it to come down almost hoping it was shaken. "So is Gerald."

"That one I definitely know since Pheebs practically swoons over the phone. She gets really into it when it comes to him." She told him as they headed back towards the department store.

Stopping, Arnold placed his hand on her arm. "There is a reason why I didn't ask a second time. I was afraid of asking her and her still saying the same thing. I also thought after you saying you loved me that you regretted it. You regretted me kissing you."

Kissing him on the cheek, Helga smirked at his cute stunned expression on his face. "I'll accept that as a reason for now. I don't want to argue over stupid shit. I never regret the kisses. You are one special guy, Arnoldo."

He wanted another kiss. He felt alive just by that one kiss. Recharged even. "Can I have your number?"

Grabbing his phone, Helga punched the number in. As she was giving it back she almost laughed. "I'm sorry but it lit up as I was handing it back. I didn't mean to see that."

Looking at the picture on his screen, Arnold groaned. There was Rhonda standing there in her underwear. He knew once she sent those it meant for him to come to her quickly. This was normally a sex ploy but this time it was her with an angry expression on her face. "I should go." Texting Helga a kissing emoticon he was greeted by another kiss on his cheek.

"I can't help myself. Now go off and be Princess's slave some more. I'm sure I'll catch you at school." Turning away from him, Helga breezed down the walkway away from him. Was she upset that he was seeing someone? Sure. She just won't let it get to her. Years of therapy worked wonders on you in the long run.

Arnold couldn't help but watch her walk away before turning unhappily back up to Rhonda. Thinking about Helga on his trip up, he approached the dressing room to find Rhonda standing there tapping her foot. "Sorry about that. The vending machine was stuck so I had to find another one."

Taking the soda from him, Rhonda pointed behind her. "I'm getting all of that. Be a dear and carry them."

His eyes focused on ten bags full of clothes. She did a marathon while he was gone. Seeing her storm past like royalty, Arnold grabbed the bags just groaning away. She became his mule. When did that happen?