I know, I know...I SHOULD be working on Hidden World... but, hey, what can I say?
I'M A PROCRASTINATOR! (um, sp?) Besides, this story came to me, and I just had
to get it down! Hehehe...I'm starting my second Hey Arnold Fanfic. I'm so proud!
Disclaimer- If I owned Hey Arnold... You would've seen my Fic's on the show!

Understanding Helga
Chapter one- Bring her Shelter from the Rain

I can't even look at him right now.
He's off in the corner, fawning over Lila as she wraps him around her finger. I, however, simply
try and ignore this pathedic show, look down at my lunch and do my best not to puke.
"Look girls, Arnold's making a fool of himself with Lila again!" giggled Rhonda cruely,
"You'd think he could take a hint." sighed Nadine sympathedicly,
"He certain does seem enamoured of her." Phoebe chimed in,
"I sorta feel sorry for him," was Sheena's reply. I remained silent. Pretended not to hear what
they were saying, maybe if I just make myself out to be invisible for now, they'll go on
to the next topic and leave me out of this one
"What do you think, Helga?" Rhonda asked me. Damn. Now I'd have to speak against my Love.
I shrugged, "He's a Footballheaded idiot, whadda'ya want me to say?"
Rhonda was about to respond when who should walk near our table with Lila, carrying her lunch
tray like the brainless servant Lila turns him into every time she's near him. He gives her
the tray, they exchange a few words that I can't hear, and he jogs off to the boys table
while Lila takes her seat with us. Rhonda covers her mouth, trying to make her laugh not too obvious,
"Don't you ever get tired of Arnold tagging along beside you everywhere, Lila?" she asked, Lila looked at her,
"Why, I'm just ever-so sure that I haven't the silghtest idea as to what you're talking about, Rhonda."
"Where talking about how Arnold seems to bow to your every whim." explains Phoebe,
"Oh, he's just ever-so kind, isn't he?" Lila says. For some reason, she's looking at me. What does she want
me to say? She has this look in here eye's, I've seen it once or twice before. This sort of smug, I-have-something-
you-can't look. Normally, this would bother me. But today, I feel drained. Lila see's this, so she tries harder,
"Why, he's just ever-so sweet, he asked me to the movies after school today!" she said, sweeter then
sugar, and more annoying then nails down a chalkboard. Steady, Helga ol' girl, just keep on looking
at the table. There is nothing but the table. Just breath, it'll be over soon.
"Ohhhhh...you mean like a date?" Rhonda inquires,
"It sound's like it." put in Sheena
Lila giggles, "Girls, you know I don't like Arnold that way." I want to scream, 'then why are you leading him
on like that, Ms. Sunshine n' Lollipops?!?!' I want to grab her by the pigtails and give her one, good kick
for messing with my Love's mind and making me feel so low.
That's what I want to do. But if I do it, Lila'll spill my secret faster then I'll be able to transfer schools, I'm sure.
So I just sit there, perfectly quiet, not listening to anything but the blood pounding in my ears. Until I feel
a tap on my shoulder. It's Phoebe. I turn to her, the rest of the table is eyeing me strangly,
"Are you feeling alright, Helga? You've been rather quiet throughout this whole conversation."
"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired." is my answer, and everyone goes back to what they were doing.
The rest of the day passed normally, I was mean to Arnold, Arnold flirted with Lila, it was a huge, never-
ending doom-circle. I know, I'm a huge downer. Pescimistic doesn't even begin to describe how I' ve
been feeling lately. All my recent poems are so depressing, even I cant read them. Hiding my secret has
become a full time job, and I'm exhausted. I get on the bus with Phoebe and start joking and laughing about
something. It's not my real laugh, it's the mean laugh I use when I really don't find anything funny, but have
to make out like I'm amused anyways. I don't think I've really laughed in a while. Haven't cried, either. But then
again, I'm not supposed to cry, am I? I'm Helga G. Pataki, I have no emotions, I'm the meanest girl in fourth grade.
That's what I hear people say, and I actually take it as a compliment. If they can't see who you are, if you don't
let them in, then they can't hurt you. Take my parents, for example. Why do you think I distance myself from them?
Sure, it hurts that Bob loves Olga more then me and Mirium's a smoothiecholic, but THEY don't have to
know that. I say bye to Phoebe and get off the bus when It reaches my stop. My walk is slow, I'm in no hurry
to get where I'm going. When I finally reach my house, I notice there are some carmara van's outside. Hmmm...
maybe this day is gonna be interesting after all. When I get to the door, someone opens it. It's Bob,
"Oh, Olga, you're home."
"It's *Helga*, Bob."
" Right right..." he turns back inside the house, still blocking the doorway, "Dammit, Lenny, I said I want the
lights back to the left! PUT THE LIGHTS WHERE I SAY IF YOU DON'T WANNA GET CANNED!"
"Uh...Bob?" he looks down at me,
"Oh, yeah. Listen Olga, I'm shooting a comercial here. You know, the Beeper King's 'Family' and crud like
that. Murray said the consumer's would eat it like yesterday's pizza. Well, anyways, I've decided to spotlight
Olga as our daughter, so since we only need to shoot one child, you're gonna have to stay at that friend of
yours' house." Bob looked over his shoulder again,
"But Bob...
"Oh Baby Sister!" I hear, It's Olga, talking to me over Bob's shoulder, "Isn't it just wonderful?!"
"But..." I try to say, but Olga walks away, sqealing something about makeup,
"Well, you'd better get going Olga, you can't be in the way here." says Bob blunty,
"But!" I say one more time, but it's to late. Bob slammed the front door closed, at it locked with finality.
"...Phoebe's out of town for the weekend." I mumble to the brass knob. I trudge my way down the
steps and begin walking. Where am I going? I don't know. I can't stay at Phoebe's, and no one else likes
me enough to let me stay for the night... I shake my head, I can't worry about that now. I'll worry about it when
I have to. Right now, just concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other...and not crying. This train
of thought continues for a while until I see Harold, Stinky Gerald and Sid. I keep my head down, pretend
I haven't seen them, but it's usless,
"OHHHH LOOOK! IT:S HEEEELLLLLLLLLGAAA!" Ah, Harold, alway's the one with inteligent comments.
"WHERE YOU GOING, HELLLLGAAA?! AWAY FROM YOU'RE STUPID FAMILY?!?!"
"Can it Pink-Boy!" I shout back
"AHAHAHAHA! I BET THEY DON'T EVEN WANT YOU BACK!!!"
I look at him, straight in the eye. He suddenly looks terrified. I snapped. I pounced on him and, somehow,
throw him agaist a wall. I curl my hand around his throat and push as hard as I can, blinded by rage,
"What did you say?!?!" I snarl, "Say it again, Pink-Boy! C'mon, I DARE YA!"
"Helga, man, let him go!"
"You're gonna kill him!"
"Dang, girl, whadda'ya doin'?!" Is what I hear in the background. I just growl in return and keep my gaze steady on
Harold, who's having trouble breathing. What am I doing? Why arn't I letting go? My mind is tellling me to,
but...my pride... my pride won't let me. What Harold said is right, and I can't take it.
"Helga?" I hear I gentle voice from behind me. I wince. No, not him, anyone but him.
"Stay out of this, Footballhead!" I sneer at Arnold. I feel his hand on my shoulder,
"You don't want to do this, Helga." he inform's me, "You're really hurting Harold."
"I said stay..."
"HELGA!" he order's, pushed beyond his natural limits, "Let him go...please?" I cave. My death grip loosens on
Harold and he can breath again. Then, my hand slips away totally. Arnold pulls his hand away. I don't even look
at any of them, I just walk away as fast as I can. No one follow's me. Good. I at last end up in the park, It's
around sunset, but there's no sun, the sky's as black as coal smoke, and it start's raining. I just stand there, in the
middle of the park, watching everyone run back to thier warm houses until the place is empty. I look around. Benches.
Trees. Grass. Well, I suppose I could make it my home for tonight. I have no where else to stay. The rain
start's comeing down harder, seeping through my skin, deep into my bones. Every part of me drips and it's
pouring so much now that I can't even open my eyes without tilting my head down. But I stay where I am.
A dangerously close bolt of lighting pierce's the sky, but I stand my ground. I hope I get sick, I want to get
sick, I deserve to get sick. I hurt Harold today, out of my own hate. Maybe no-one thinks I care. But I do.
I don't want to hurt anyone...it's just that they all hurt me.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As I'm walking back home from dropping off Lila at her house, I pass the park, and that's whe I see her, Helga.
Why is she just standing there like that? People are running past her, but It's like she's in her own world. She's
getting soaked all the way through, but she just keeps on standing there. Like she's wearing an invisible shield so
that the rain won't affect her. Something must be wrong. I had never seen her like she was today. She was ready to kill
Harold, and the guys said he didn't even do anything but the usual. I realize I've stopped walking, so I begin to
make my way over to her. The rain's seriously starting to come down now, and my hair is plastered to my head.
I knew I should've brought an umbrela! Suddenly, a loud streak of lighting illuminate's the sky. I jump, but Helga
just keeps still. What's going on with her? Part of me says to stay out of it--that Helga'll just pound me if I try
to help her...but then there's this other part. I guess you could say I sort of have a soft spot for her, I don't think
she's what she appears to be. When I finally get there, I stand beside her,
"Helga?" I ask, she has her head down, and truns to me coldly,
"What do YOU want, Arnoldo?" she say harshly, I look her squarly in the eye, trying to find somthing other then hate,
"What are you doing out here?"
"None of your business." she replies bluntly, shifting her eyes back to the ground,
"It's pouring, you're gonna get sick." I try to reason. She scoffs,
"What do you care, Footballhead?"
"I--"
Look," she inturupts, "Go home, Arnold, I can take care of myself." that's when I notice what's under the venom
in her voice. She sound's so sad. I touch her arm, trying to comfort her. God, she's freezing! She pulls away from me,
"Helga, you're cold!" I tell her, "Where's your coat?"
"I didn't bring it with me this morning, Doi!" What? How does that make sence?
"Didn't you take it when you left your home?" I question, just what was going on?
"I--I--" she start's, but doesn't seem to know how to finish,
"Did you even go home?" I don't really feel the rain now, at least I have my jacket.
I just want to know what's going on. First Harold, now this, they must be connected.
"What's it to you, Footbal--"
"Did you?!" I demand. It's always so frustrating talking to her. She only let's so in so far, and then you hit a wall.
"Yes, ok! Crimany!" she yells back, "I just didn't go in the house 'cause Bob wouldn't let me!" her eyes widened,
like she had just told me a dangerous secret. Maybe that's because she had,
"Why wouldn't your dad let you in?" I asked her, after a long pause. She looked at me and rolled her eyes,
"He's taping a family commercial." she stated, okay, now I'm really confused.
"So...arn't you his family?"
"How clever of you, Head-boy. Boy he doesn't want me there. He wants the focus on Olga." I see what looked
like the shimmer of tears in her eyes, but she shook her head and it was gone before I could really notice it.
"So, he told me that I had to stay at Phoebe's for the night so I could stay out of thier way." I feel my mouth
drop open as realization finally dawns on me,
"Phoebe's out of town." I whisper to her.
"Doi." she says flatly. I look at her. Her soaked clothes cling to her body and her skin had lost all it's colour. Her
matted hair sticks to her neck and her eye's look dead. Helga, the everlasting pilliar of strength...has crumbled.
"Where are you going to stay?" I ask her. She smirks ruefully and looks down at me,
"I'll worry about that when I have to."
"You can't stay here!" I exclaim, don't ask me how I know she was thinking of it. She crosses her arm's,
"Yeah?" she says, "And why not?" she abruptly turns and walks away. I run after her, taking off my coat.
When I catch up to her, I grab her by the arm and she whips her head around,
"Helga!" I say, trying to sound stern, "You're coming home with me, I can't let you sleep here." She looks
at me oddly, like that was the last thing she expected me to do. I take my coat and put it over her, but
she just continues staring act me, awestruck. Hasn't she ever had an act of kindness done to her?
"C'mon," I say, guiding her away gently by the arm, "Dinner should be almost ready."
Her eyes glow with an emotion I can't quite place, "Arnold...I--Well I-- I mean..." she tries to say,
I just hold up my hand to her and chuckle,
"You're welcome, Helga, You're welcome."

When we got to the Boarding House, we were looked like the definitions of 'what the cat dragged in.'
It had been a pretty silent walk to Sunset Arms with Helga, but I didn't really think anything needed to be said.
I actually found myself angry at her parents. Why would they do that to her? Didn't they care?
"Hey Shortman!" Grandpa said. Then spotting Helga, who was actully sort of shying behind me, looked at me,
"Who's you're little friend?" he asked with a gleam in his eye. I looked at him sckepticly, he knew who Helga was!
"Umm...Grandpa, you know Helga, don't you? She's going to sleepover." I feel my cheeks burn. Am I blushing?
"Ohhh...well good to see you, Helga." he says to her with and odd little grin,
"Thank you." she says back. My mouth nearly hits the ground. Why was she acting so timid?! That's not the
Helga I know!...But, then again, do I know the real Helga? My Grandma decided to make her grand entrance
then.....Oh God. She's wearing a Toga.
"Kimba, you're home! Did you have fun with Lady Godiva?" Lady Godiva? I guess that mean's Lila.
"Uh... Yeah Grandma." I answer, Helga tilt's her head in confusion,
"Kimba?" she asks to no one, looking my Grandma over. Oh no, this can't be good. Grandma looks at her and smiles,
"Why, Helena! I wasn't expecting you!" She say's to Helga, "How is Demitrius? Are Hermia and Lysander well?"
I look over to Helga, and she seems to be trying to put the pieces together. I was expecting the worst
possible snide remark when...she suddenly...smiles?!?!
"They're well, thank you. But I'm afraid I haven't seen Bottom the Weaver since He was the noble Pyrimus in
that hilarious Comedy-of-error's shown at the wedding. Nor Oberon, nor Puck, I'm sad to say." she said
in a kind, noble-ladies voice. Grandpa and I almost collapsed on the floor.
She was playing along?!?!
Grandma nodded and curtsied, and I was floored when Helga did the same. Grandma then looked at me,
"You and Helena had better get changed, Kimba. You'll catch your death in those clothes." she said.
"Your Grandma's right, Shortman...as insane as that may sound." Grandpa said. Helga pealed some
of the fabric off her skin and grimaced, "This is sorta the only change of clothes that I had." she said to
the floor. I smile at her and lead her upstairs,
"Don't worry, you can borrow some of my stuff." I say sheepishly. Am I blushing again? She looks at me for
a moment, searching my eyes to see if I'm telling the truth and...wait a second... is she blushing too?!
"Yeah, ok." she says softly. We climb the attic stairs and I open the door to my room,
"By the way," I ask, rumaging through my closet, "What was all that Puck and Oberon stuff?" Helga laughed,
a laughed I had never heard from her before,
"Your Grandma was taking character's out of the play 'A Middsummer Night's Dream'... you know,
William Shakespere? I've read it a couple of times... so I kinda knew what to say."
"You read Shakespere?" I say, climbing deeper into the doom pit that was my claset,
"Uh-huh. Oh, and do you know who Lady Godiva is?" She says, again laughing.
"No...who?"
"Well...I think it was some girl who rode her horse naked around the villiage she lived." I fell out of the
closet and looked up at Helga, who was standing in the middle of my room, drip-drying
"WHAT?!?" I said, laughing a little,
"Hey, I'm only telling you what I know...Footballhead." We both laughed. I tossed Helga a pair
of jeans that were too big on me and one of my flannel shirts. I take my change of clothes and go to the door
"You can change in here, Ok?"
"No problem."
"After you're dressed, just come downstair's...I'm sure dinner's already done. And besides, if you
don't to the table a bit early...you sort of have to fight for your food."
she quirks a grin, "Got it." she says, "And...Arnold?"
"Yeah?"
"Really...Thank you."
I nodded and shut the door, folding my clothes over my arm as I headed for the bathroom. I smiled at
nothing as I headed down the hall. Helga G. Pataki was sleeping over at my house, and she had thanked
me for it. She played along with Grandma and made me laugh. She read Shakespere. And there was somthing
about her laugh...
I shook my head and chuckled silently. I wasn't quite sure what would happen tonight. But I knew it would
be anything but ordinary!

~*~End of Chapter One~*~
Wheeeeee.....Yes people, I am Insane. Starting two stories at once! Oh well, gotta get cracking for
the next two days! I only plan to do one mor chapter of this story cuz'... well, look at the size of this Baby!
Chapter five of Hidden World'll be up soon, cross my heart!
DON'T FORGET TO R&R! FLAME IF YOU GOTTA, JUST DON'T FORGET YOUR SAFTY GOGGLES!
Wishin' u'
Luv
Life
Luck
n' Lafta'
~*~C.D~*~