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As far as their classmates, parents, teachers and people they met on the street were concerned, she was Helga Pataki's lackey. Quiet and meek, did what she was told at the snap of Helga's fingers, only there to carry out orders and make Helga feel important.
At times, they were right. Helga was a difficult person to be friends with; bossy, demanding, cranky, no good at showing her feelings unless they were in dire straits. At times, it could be exhausting and thankless and Phoebe had to bite her tongue hard not to lose her temper. At times, she knew Helga was using her and wasn't the least bit sorry for it.
But Phoebe was no fool, and she was no victim. She was smart enough to know she could have ditched Helga a long time ago, she may have been a shy brainiac but she was hardly unpopular.
It was just that none of the other girls were quite so bold as Helga. Helga spoke her mind, didn't let anyone stand in her way, and Phoebe got into the habit of relying on her for protection. She felt safe walking through a hall full of bigger kids knowing Helga would deck anyone who looked at her funny.
And Helga needed her. Not just to bring her snacks and help her play pranks, but to look after her emotionally. Helga's home life was a mess, Big Bob more interested in Olga and his beeper store than he was in Helga, and Miriam would've been a better mother if she wasn't constantly...under the weather.
Could anyone blame Helga for being so angry all the time?
She needed Phoebe to leave a window or a door open, to set an extra place at the table when she just couldn't stand being at home anymore. She needed someone to talk to about her parents, her problems with her sister, and a certain obsession Phoebe would take to her grave-not just because Helga would pound her senseless if she told, but because Helga trusted her.
People like Helga didn't trust easily. To betray that would be like kicking a small child into the mud.
Maybe someday, Helga would be able to show other people the good person she was underneath all the anger. But that was her choice, and Phoebe would continue to stand by her no matter what anyone said.