Chapter 1: Thing's Change

Disclaimer: I still obviously don't own HA even though I wish I did

The PS 118 gang was all grown up now. This year they were entering their final year of high school. They were not the children they had been all those years ago. Time has a funny way of changing things and leading people down paths that they'd never expected. Some for the better, some for the worse.

Let's start with Arnold. He had since grade school shot up quite a bit in height. He had grown into his odd, but trademark football shaped head and was no longer shorter than all the girls in his grade. This change made Lila take notice. The two have been dating since mid-junior year. The couple looked as if they had been plucked right out of a story book. They were almost too perfect. Arnold was your typical blonde haired prince and Lila was his beautiful princess. Arnold was also just promoted to captain of the football team, and taking into consideration his head shape, it was a pretty fun coincidence. Arnold had everything a teenage boy could dream of, but he never let it go to his head. He was still your everyday kind-hearted optimist, but he did have a tendency to party a little too hard.

Along with Arnold, Harold was also on the football team as well. He was still a pretty big guy, but not because of an abundance of fat. Rather he had built up an excessive amount of muscle due to football practices and cutting down on Mr. Fudgie bars. Harold's physical appearance indeed changed quite drastically. So drastically that he was able to win the heart of Miss Rhonda Wellington Lloyd. Rhonda's general personality remained intact over the years. She was still an egotistical queen bee, but being with Harold had softened her heart, even if just a little bit.

Gerald and Phoebe of course were an item as well. They started dating at the beginning of middle school and were still going strong. Gerald was on the baseball team and Phoebe was busy writing up her applications to Harvard along with many other high brow institutions. Gerald and Phoebe knew after graduation that they'd be separated due to their drastically different goals. However, they planned to give a long distance relationship a try. They'd been together for about six years and weren't just going to throw it all away because they went to school in different places.

Sid and Stinky were now co-hots of the school's radio station. Ever since grade school they had been quite a pair and on radio their charisma and chemistry was clearly evident. Not to mention they also enjoyed a nice blunt together before each radio show. They weren't into hard-core drugs, just pot. They had started thinking it would help spice up their personalities for their show and were quickly hooked. Plus they figured they would only be young once, so why not live a little?

As for Helga, these passed years had been surprisingly good to her. Sure her family life may not have been great, but at least she had the safe and positive environment, which was Hillwood High, to turn to. Although she may not have been the most popular student at Hillwood, Helga did have friends. It was probably due to the fact that she was no longer labeled as the school bully. She still would playfully tease her classmates, but it was all in good fun. Helga also was the editor in chief of the school newspaper and had written several plays the school had produced. The one thing that hadn't changed was Helga's feelings for Arnold. Even though she knew Arnold was deeply in love with Lila and had been since they were nine, there was something that still gave Helga hope that she and Arnold were going to wind up together. Call her crazy, but Helga just had a strong feeling that she and Arnold would be bonded forever.

Life for everyone appeared to be going they was they wanted it to. They all entered their last first day wide eyes and bushy tailed with high expectations for the year ahead. Energy filled the halls as the teens all scattered about excitedly hugging each other and discussing their summer vacations. A familiar face came out of his office and shooed them off to class. This face was Mr. Wartz's who had just been transferred to Hillwood High from PS 118. They claimed he wasn't "sensitive" enough to be in charge of young children in grade school. Regardless, the students all scurried to their designated homerooms upon Mr Wartz's commands.

Helga entered her homeroom class to see none other than Arnold and Lila in the front corner of the room making kissy faces at one another. Although she'd be witnessing their mushy public displays of affection since last year, part of her heart broke each time she saw it again. She tried to be stealthy and walk passed them unnoticed, but was caught anyway.

"Hey Helga", Arnold said turning away from Lila. As he spoke Lila continued to plant kisses on Arnold's cheek. "You really thought you could sneak by without saying hi me and Lila?"

"N-no. I-I just didn't want to disturb you two love birds", Helga replied as she nervously folded her arms across her body and tucked into herself.

"Well it's party hard not to notice you with your pigtails and signature pink bow", Arnold laughed.

"You're one to talk, football head!" Helga teased back.

"Why were you heading back there? We'd be ever-so happy if you sat up here with us, Helga", Lila sweetly offered as she nuzzled up even closer to Arnold. Helga really did want to sit with them. She was happy she was on good terms with the both of them and thought that it'd be nice to catch up with friends instead of sit alone in the back, but being a third wheel would only cause her pain.

"No, really, it's okay. Maybe I'll catch up with you guys at lunch", Helga said before she motioned herself to the back of the class and slouched down in an empty seat. She'd actually grown quite accustom to eating lunch with Arnold. Ever since Phoebe and Gerald got together Arnold and Helga had been forced to spend time with one another. Originally it was just to make their best friends happy, but after a while they'd grown to like one another. When Arnold and Lila got together, though, things changed.

Homeroom was such a joke. Students ran around like mad men as Principal Wartz made announcements over the loudspeaker. You could barely even hear anything he said of the talkative teens gossiping about silly nonsense. Helga desperately watched the clock hoping time would go a little faster, but unfortunately the more she stared the slower the hands seemed to move. She wanted so bad to get out of this lousy class so she didn't have to watch Arnold and Lila's love fest anymore. Soon enough the bell rang and they all went their separate ways.

Thanks for reading! The next chapter should be up soon enough. :)