Chapter Text
Chapter One: The Last First Day…
The first day of senior year felt strangely familiar.
The same hallways…
The same lockers.
The same classroom.
Yet somehow everything felt … different.
Maybe because everyone knew this was the last year.
Arnold and Gerald were the first to arrive.
The classroom was mostly empty.
Gerald dropped into a chair with a dramatic sigh.
"Man, summer went by way too fast."
Arnold laughed!
"You say that every year."
"Because every year it's true!"
Arnold set his backpack down.
"I don't know. I'm kinda excited."
"Of course you are…"
"What does that mean?"
"It means you're Arnold."
Gerald pointed at him.
"You probably spent the summer helping old ladies cross streets and rescuing kittens from trees."
"I rescued one kitten."
"See?"
The classroom door opened…
Phoebe walked in carrying a stack of folders.
Helga followed behind her.
"...and statistically speaking, students who begin planning for college applications before October experience significantly less stress."
Helga groaned.
"Phoebe."
"What?"
"You started talking about college three blocks ago."
Phoebe blinked.
"Oh."
Helga spotted Arnold…
Arnold smiled immediately.
"Hey."
Helga smiled back.
"Hey yourself."
The two exchanged a brief look.
Nothing dramatic.
Just comfortable…
Easy.
Gerald smirked.
"Oh brother."
Helga rolled her eyes.
"Nobody asked you."
Arnold chuckled.
The door opened again…
Rhonda entered elegantly.
Nadine walked beside her.
"I'm telling you, Nadine, autumn colors are making a comeback."
"They never left."
"They absolutely left."
"They absolutely didn't."
Rhonda gasped.
"Nadine!"
The two continued debating fashion as they sat down.
A moment later Eugene rushed inside…
"Good morning, everybody!"
He immediately tripped over absolutely nothing…
Somehow, he caught himself before falling.
The entire class stared.
Eugene grinned.
"Nailed it."
"Morning, Eugene," Arnold said.
Lila entered next…
She smiled warmly.
"Hello everyone."
Several students greeted her back.
Lila waved at Arnold…
Then Gerald.
Then she noticed Helga.
"Hi, Helga."
Helga looked mildly surprised.
Then smirked…
"Hey, Lila."
Lila smiled…
"Nice to see you."
"You too."
Gerald blinked.
"Okay, that's still weird."
"What is?" Helga asked.
"You and Lila being friendly."
Helga shrugged.
"People grow up."
"Terrifying."
More students filtered in…
Sheena.
Iggy.
Curly.
Curly entered carrying three notebooks.
One slipped…
He caught it.
The second slipped…
He caught that too.
The third hit him directly in the face.
"Good start."
Then the door burst open!
Harold walked in…
Sid beside him.
Stinky right behind them.
The three were already laughing about something.
"I'm tellin' ya," Harold said.
"That fish was bigger than my arm!"
"No way!" Sid laughed.
"It was."
"It absolutely wasn't."
"It absolutely was!"
Stinky nodded.
"Yep. Big ol' fish."
"You weren't even there!"
"Didn't matter."
The three nearly knocked over a desk!
"Watch it!" Rhonda shouted.
"No promises!" Sid replied.
"Senior year, baby!" Harold yelled.
Several students groaned.
Then the doorway became quiet…
Patty walked in.
Her gym bag rested over one shoulder.
She smiled when she saw everyone…
But it wasn't her usual smile.
Something was missing.
Phoebe noticed immediately.
Helga noticed too.
Patty looked around the room…
For a second…
Just a second.
Like she expected someone else to walk through the door behind her.
…Nobody did.
Helga glanced at Phoebe.
Phoebe glanced back.
They both knew…
Then Helga raised a hand.
"Hey."
Patty looked up.
"Yeah?"
Helga casually pointed toward the empty seat beside them.
"Get over here."
Patty blinked…
"What?"
"You heard me."
Helga crossed her arms…
"Come sit with us before Sid starts talking."
"Hey!"
"Too late," Helga said.
Patty laughed!
…A genuine one this time.
"Okay."
She walked over and sat down…
"Thanks."
Phoebe smiled.
"We're happy you're here."
Patty smiled back.
For the first time that morning, she looked a little better.
A little less alone.
A little more like herself…
Across the room Arnold watched the exchange.
Then leaned slightly toward Helga…
"You know..."
Helga glanced at him.
"What?"
"I always hoped you two would become friends."
Helga raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
Arnold smiled.
"I'm glad it happened…"
Helga snorted.
"Don't get all sentimental on me, football head."
Arnold laughed!
"I'm serious."
His voice softened slightly…
"I think Nal would've liked seeing this."
For a moment.
Helga's smirk remained…
…But her eyes moved.
Almost instinctively.
She looked around the classroom.
The desks…
…The windows.
The students.
The empty spaces…
…No quiet girl sitting near the back.
No thoughtful expression.
Nothing.
The realization settled over her again.
Nal wasn't here…
Not anymore.
Helga looked away.
"Yeah."
Before Arnold could respond…
…The classroom door opened.
Mr. Simmons entered…
The room immediately quieted.
Mostly…
Mr. Simmons was carrying a stack of papers.
And wearing glasses.
Everyone stared.
Harold pointed.
"Whoa!"
Sid gasped dramatically!
"Mr. Simmons became a scientist!"
"They're glasses, Sid."
"I know what I saw."
Mr. Simmons adjusted them…
"They help me read."
Harold squinted…
"Can I try 'em?"
"No."
"Aww."
Mr. Simmons set his papers down…
"Please take your seats."
Sid immediately sat backwards in his chair.
Mr. Simmons looked at him.
Sid slowly turned around…
"Good choice."
Mr. Simmons smiled.
Then looked around the room…
His students.
His final-year class…
His expression softened…
"Well."
The room grew quiet.
"Senior year."
Nobody spoke.
Mr. Simmons folded his hands.
"This is an important year."
Harold groaned.
"Here we go."
Mr. Simmons pointed at him without looking.
"Harold."
"Sorry."
"No you're not."
"Fair."
Several students laughed!
Mr. Simmons continued…
"This year many of you will begin making decisions about your futures."
Phoebe immediately opened a notebook.
Gerald groaned.
Harold groaned louder.
"This year you'll think about colleges, careers, goals, and the people you want to become."
Harold slowly lowered his head onto the desk…
"Too much future."
Mr. Simmons closed his eyes.
"Harold."
"Yes, Mr. Simmons?"
"Please stop dying during my speech."
"I'm trying."
The class laughed!
Even Mr. Simmons couldn't help smiling.
Then he adjusted his glasses…
After class…
The bell rang!
Instantly the classroom exploded into noise.
Students stood up…
Chairs scraped.
Conversations resumed.
Harold was already halfway out the door.
"Food!"
"Harold, wait!" Sid shouted.
"Why?"
"I dunno!"
"Then hurry up!"
Arnold laughed as he and Gerald headed toward the cafeteria…
A few minutes later they found themselves standing in line.
Gerald grabbed a tray.
Then sighed dramatically…
Arnold glanced over.
"What's wrong?"
Gerald looked ahead.
"I think Mr. Simmons got to me."
"The speech?"
"Yeah."
Gerald frowned.
"Everybody keeps asking what I wanna do after high school."
Arnold nodded…
"And?"
"And I got no clue."
Arnold smiled.
"You'll figure it out."
Gerald groaned.
"That's what everybody says."
"Because it's true."
"Arnold."
"What?"
"You say that like it's easy!"
Arnold shrugged.
"It kinda is."
Gerald stared.
"It absolutely isn't."
Arnold chuckled.
"Gerald, you've always figured things out."
"That's not a plan."
"No."
Arnold picked up a tray…
"But it's a pretty good track record."
Gerald reluctantly smiled.
"Yeah, I guess."
Just then Phoebe appeared behind them.
"Technically speaking, uncertainty regarding future educational pathways is common among students your age."
Gerald jumped.
"Phoebe!"
"Hello."
"Do you just appear places?"
"Frequently."
Phoebe adjusted her glasses…
"In any case, I have already begun organizing study schedules."
Gerald's smile vanished…
"...What?"
Phoebe nodded.
"I'll be helping both you and Helga prepare for entrance exams."
Behind her…
Helga froze.
Just slightly.
Very… slightly.
But it was enough.
Phoebe didn't notice…
Arnold did.
Gerald definitely noticed.
He slowly turned toward Helga…
The look on his face resembled a man witnessing his own funeral.
Helga immediately understood.
A smirk appeared…
"Yeah."
She crossed her arms.
"We're doomed."
Gerald nodded solemnly…
"We had a good run."
Phoebe blinked.
"I don't understand."
"Exactly."
Phoebe seemed pleased.
"Good."
Gerald groaned.
Arnold laughed!
Then he glanced at Helga.
For a second…
Something caught him off guard.
Maybe it was the confidence.
Maybe it was the smirk…
Maybe it was seeing her step naturally into her final year.
Whatever it was.
Arnold felt his face warm slightly…
Helga immediately caught it.
She raised an eyebrow…
"What?"
Arnold blinked.
"What?"
"You just made a face."
"I did not."
"Yes, you did."
Gerald leaned over…
"Oh, this oughta be good."
Arnold looked away.
"It was nothing."
Helga smirked…
"Sure, football head."
Before Arnold could defend himself…
Patty appeared behind them.
"Hey guys."
Everyone turned…
"Hey Patty," Arnold said.
Patty smiled.
Phoebe immediately brightened.
"Oh, Patty."
Patty looked up.
"Yeah?"
"What are your plans for this year?"
Patty thought about it…
"Well..."
She shrugged.
"I'm still going to the gym."
"Of course, you are," Helga said.
Patty laughed!
"And Dad found me a private teacher to help with studying."
Phoebe's eyes lit up.
"Actually, I was going to ask if you'd like to…"
"No."
Phoebe blinked.
"What?"
Helga picked up her tray.
"No."
"Helga…"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because Patty enjoys happiness."
Patty snorted.
Gerald laughed!
Arnold covered his mouth.
Phoebe looked confused.
"My study sessions are perfectly reasonable."
Helga pointed at her.
"Last year you made me solve practice exams on a Saturday."
"They were timed."
"Exactly."
Phoebe looked proud.
Helga sighed…
"See?"
The group finally reached the food counter…
A few minutes later they gathered around one of the larger tables.
Everyone settled in…
Arnold.
Gerald.
Helga.
Phoebe.
Patty.
The cafeteria buzzed around them…
For a while they simply ate.
Then Gerald leaned back.
"You know what?"
"What?" Arnold asked.
"I kinda miss when things were simpler."
Helga immediately looked suspicious.
"Uh oh."
"No, seriously."
Gerald smiled.
"Remember when all we worried about was getting home before dark?"
Arnold laughed!
"Yeah."
Patty smiled.
"I remember…"
Gerald pointed his fork dramatically.
"And all those games we'd play."
"Which ones?" Patty asked.
"Manhunt."
Arnold nodded…
"That was fun."
"Kickball."
Patty grinned.
"Definitely fun."
"Tag."
"Classic."
Gerald laughed!
"And baseball."
Arnold paused.
"So much baseball…"
Helga rolled her eyes.
"You two sound eighty years old."
Gerald pointed at her.
"You played too."
"Against my will."
"No you didn't."
"No evidence."
"You literally kept score."
"Fake news."
Everyone laughed!
Then Helga shrugged.
"Doesn't matter anyway."
The table quieted…
Helga stabbed a french fry.
"Those days are gone."
Arnold looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean we're seniors."
Helga gestured around.
"We're about to graduate."
"Eventually…"
"Exactly."
She shrugged.
"We don't get childhood back."
Something about that sentence lingered.
Arnold sat quietly for a moment…
Thinking.
Then suddenly…
His eyes widened.
Gerald immediately recognized the look.
"Oh no."
"What?"
"You got an idea."
Arnold smiled.
"I got an idea."
"There it is."
Helga sighed…
"Let's hear it."
Arnold sat up straighter.
"What if we bring it back?"
Gerald blinked.
"The childhood?"
"The baseball!"
Everyone looked at him.
Arnold continued…
"What if we start a baseball team for the school?"
The table grew quiet…
"We don't have one," Arnold continued.
"But we could."
Gerald's eyes widened.
"Oh!"
Arnold nodded.
"We start it this year."
"And after we graduate?" Patty asked.
"The next students keep it going."
Phoebe considered it.
"That is actually a sustainable long-term model."
Gerald grinned…
"Dude."
Arnold smiled.
"What?"
"I like it."
Patty nodded.
"Me too."
Even Helga looked impressed…
Though she tried not to show it.
"Not bad, football head."
Arnold grinned.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should."
Phoebe adjusted her glasses…
"If we're adding baseball to our schedules, proper time management will become increasingly important."
Everyone immediately groaned.
Phoebe ignored them.
"Arnold already has his volunteer activities."
Arnold nodded.
"Helga has her job."
Helga nodded.
"Gerald requires study time."
Gerald nodded reluctantly.
"And college preparation…"
Gerald slowly looked at Helga…
…Helga slowly looked at Gerald.
Both shared the exact same expression…
The expression of two people who knew what was coming.
Phoebe continued.
"…which means I will be preparing a structured schedule for everyone."
Gerald closed his eyes.
"There it is."
Helga rolled her eyes…
"We're dead."
Phoebe smiled.
"Wonderful."
Patty laughed!
Arnold laughed too!
Then Arnold looked at Patty.
"What about you?"
Patty brightened immediately…
"Oh."
She smiled.
"I'm gonna focus on kickboxing this year."
"Nice."
Patty nodded.
"And Alex is helping me train."
Gerald immediately smirked…
"Ohhhhh."
Patty nearly choked on her drink.
"Shut up!"
"I'm just saying."
"Gerald!"
"I'm just saying."
Patty pointed at him.
"Stop saying."
The table burst into laughter!
Arnold smiled.
"Good luck, Patty."
Patty smiled back.
"Thanks."
For a moment…
The conversation settled.
The future still felt uncertain.
College…
Careers…
Growing up.
Leaving…
But sitting together in the cafeteria.
Laughing about old memories.
Making plans for new ones…
It didn't feel quite so scary.