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Not exactly the ugly duckling	By : DancingBear Category: +G through L > Hey, Arnold! Views: 5459 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold, nor any of the characters. I do not, and will not make any money from this story. (Original creator: Craig Bartlett)

Chapter List
- 1-Not exactly the ugly duckling
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9
- 10-10
- 11-11
- 12-12
- 13-13
- 14-14
- 15-15
- 16-16
- 17-17
- 18-18
- 19-19
- 20-20
- 21-21
- 22-22
- 23-23
- 24-24
- 25-25
- 26-26
- 27-27
- 28-28
- 29-29
- 30-30
- 31-31
- 32-32
- 33-Epilouge
- 4
- 5
- 6
"So Arnold," Gerald drawled as he pulled his shiny convertible into the parking lot of PS118 "I hear you and the lovely Ms Pataki indulged in a night in yesterday evening?" He raised a dark eyebrow at Arnold, who grinned at him from the passenger seat.
"Yeah, I know." Arnold said softly, his cheeks reddening. "You said to leave it. But we had a good time."
Gerald laughed. He turned the ignition off and pulled out the key. "A GOOD, good time?" he asked, nudging Arnold with his elbow.
"Fuck. I wish." Arnold groaned, leaning his head back against the seat.
Gerald spluttered "You gotta be kidding me. The Short Man finally wants to do more with a lady than admire her from afar?"
"Very funny, Gerald." Arnold closed his eyes, then snapped them open again when the first thing he saw was Helga's full mouth, her massive eyes... he sighed.
Gerald settled back into his seat, they still had a twenty minutes before the game started, a few minutes for Arnold to vent, then inside for hotdogs and basketball! "So what are you gonna do, my brother? She's gonna be a handful!"
"I don't know. I know what I WANT to do, fucking almost drove me crazy last night... But she doesn't really seem like she would be up for a bit of how's-your-father, does she?" He gritted his teeth. "God, I sound like Sid. Shoot me."
"I dunno Arnold, sounds like it might be good for you." Gerald paused, but Arnold was just staring into the distance. "If you aren't passive about her, then she might not get all flaky on you, which, to be honest, seems to be a theme with you."
Arnold nodded, his face dour. "I can't do the aggressive macho stuff. God knows I thought about it last night, I almost asked her to stay..." He trailed off, remembering how sweet Helga looked when she had started getting sleepy. Her long legs curled up on the seat of his sofa, her heavy eyelids falling closed, then darting open. He had wanted to pick her up and put her in his bed, or stretch her out and lie next to her on the sofa, or just put her feet in his lap... anything! But he had just sat there, nervous and anxious. He shook himself, cleared his throat.
"But even if she had, it's not like I would have done anything with her. Not that I care about that really, but... fuck, if I just had more time! I thought a month here would be plenty, but now it feels like the next three weeks aren't enough. Especially if I wait till Friday to... That only gives me two weeks to..."
"Woo her?" Gerald laughed, then laughed harder as Arnold nodded, grimacing. "Dude, you'll get it sorted. What's the rush anyway, she'll still be here when you get back."
"I know she'll be here, but what if she meets someone?" They sat in silence for a second before Gerald dissolved into laughter. Arnold smiled, shaking his head. "I sound like a kid, huh?"
Gerald nodded, grinning. "Don't pay it no nevermind, Arnold my man... Phoebe seems to think that Helga would most definitely be interested in being courted by a suave young man like yourself."
Arnold baulked. "You told her? Aw shit man... Aren't they hanging out tonight?"
"Of course I told the mother of my future children something that pertains to her best friend, regarding my best friend! Give the lady some credit, she'll be tactful. Now get out, I want hot dogs."
"God I hope you're right." Arnold groaned. "Phebe's wouldn't just blurt something like that out, would she?"

Before Helga could even press the doorbell, Phoebe flung open her front door and grabbed her friend by the wrist.
"OhmygodHELGA!" her small, pretty face was lit up with an enormous grin. "ARNOLD!"
Helga stood gaping, her heart having leaped into her throat at that name... Arnold? Was he here? She ran a hand nervously down her ponytail. She started to mentally catalogue the shortcomings in her appearance. She hadn't put on any make up, nor taken to her eyebrows with tweezers. Her jeans weren't clean and her top was thin, making her instantly paranoid that her nipples were visible.
"Helloooo? Heeeelgaaaaa!" Phoebe tugged at her arm, dragging her inside. Helga cast her eyes around, no sign of Arnold or Gerald in the kitchen / dining area, and she couldn't hear any noise coming from the lounge...
"HELGA!"
The blonde jumped at Phoebe's bark. "What?"
"What's with you! Jesus!" Phoebe grinned, then bounced up onto the balls of her feet and wrapped her arms around Helga's neck. "It's been so long!" Helga smiled and returned her little friends hug. She still smelt the same, and the scent took her straight back to childhood.
"Ah fuck Phebes!" She choked, knowing that she didn't have to explain how much she missed her best friend when she was away.
Phoebe giggled. "Alright alright. Get your ass up to my room. I'll bring up the tea in a minute and you KNOW I want to hear all about what you and Mr Shortman have been up to!" She tugged herself out from Helga's grasp and ran on tippy toes into the kitchen. "Go!" she yelled when Helga didn't move...
... "I don't know Phebes!" Helga groaned, clutching a stuffed bear to her chest. "He's so NICE! I mean, he insists on walking me home and tries to buy my drinks and food and stuff, and he even gave me his jacket to wear... but it's Arnold, you know? He's nice to everyone! He hasn't made a move, or whatever..." She plucked nervously at the teddy bear's ear and chewed on her bottom lip. After being on a high all day from his gentle attention, she started being attacked by doubts. "He probably doesn't even like me like that."
"That's not what Gerald said!" Phoebe practically exploded, her voice raising an octave with excitement. She giggled as Helga turned bright pink. "Apparently Arnold couldn't stop talking about you which is why Gerald just turned up at your place for the movies and the next day Arnold was all confused and didn't know what to do because he LIKES YOU! Gerald told him to be cool and wait for the party on Friday to do anything, he was so miffed when I told him that you guys were watching movies last night!" She giggled again, clamping her hands over her mouth, her eyes shining.
"Are... are you sure? I mean... um..." Helga faltered, she could feel her skin burning as her blushing skin changed from pink to red. She thought back to the night before. She had spent the entire evening wishing she had the courage to do something outrageous. Even just snuggling up against him while they watched those crappy old sci fi's would have been amazing. But he had made no indication that he wanted to do anything in that vein... She had almost asked if she could stay the night with him, she was so tired and desperately just wanted to be close to him. But fear of rejection had won over in the end, and he had walked her home again.
"Totally sure! It was the only thing Gerald wanted to talk about on the way home from the airport last night! He asked me to find out if you like Arnold back today... don't worry, I didn't tell him anything." She added quickly as a look of terror flitted across Helga's face. "But Gerald said that Arnold's 'got it bad'! GOT IT BAD! You know what that means in Gerald speak! What are you going to do?" She waited for a second for Helga to answer, gritting her teeth as her blonde friend stared silently at the ceiling, her knuckles white as her fingers dug into her soft toy. "Are you going to go for it?" She cried before growling, leaning over Helga's legs, tearing the bear from her arms and whacking her in the stomach with it. "ARE YOU?"
"Well shit Phebes! I DON'T KNOW!" Helga struggled to sit up, putting her arms over her face to protect herself from the teddy assault. "He's not staying! You know I'm not... like... I haven't..." She sighed and shuffled back, sitting up against the headboard, suddenly feeling teary. "I like him. I really, really like him. It's not just all that nostalgia crap either, I mean... I KNOW it's crazy that I've had this massive crush on him all these years."
She sighed, thumping her head back into the wood. "Fuck, I just don't know. This is so confusing! I can't... do... stuff... with someone, if there's no..." She faltered, her mouth turning up at one corner as she groaned. She pressed her palm flat against her stomach, trying to push out the butterflies. "I don't want to do stuff with him, then him to just leave and never talk to me again." She rushed in a whisper.
"Well." Phoebe sighed. "You are obviously mental. This is Arnold we are talking about. But I do see what you mean. No fleeting summer romances for you!" She grabbed Helga's socked foot and squeezed it. "He'll understand that... if, or when, he goes in for the kill, just tell him."
Helga just put her head in her hands and groaned.
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Not exactly the ugly duckling