Heather's mother stopped her car in front of Arnold's house and put the car in park. She turned her body slightly and looked out the passenger side window to look at it and liked what she saw. It was a nice house, well maintained, and the lawn was manicured. She saw Arnold reach for the door handle.

“Goodbye, Arnold.” She said.

Arnold changed directions and his hand grabbed the back of the seat in front of him to pull himself forward. Before Heather's mother could react, he snaked his hand behind her head and kissed her like he had been taught to when saying goodbye. He even included a little tongue.

One... two... three. Arnold counted in his head and broke the kiss. “Goodbye.”

Heather's mother had a shocked look on her face. “Arnold!”

“What?”

“You... you shouldn't kiss me like that.”

“Why?” Arnold asked. “Was I bad at it?”

“No, not really.” She said. It was actually pretty good, to be honest. She thought and didn't say it, in case it encouraged him. Not that he needs me to encourage him!

“I must need more practice, then.” Arnold guessed from her response. “I only just learned what a proper kiss was today.”

Heather's mother blinked her eyes for a moment. He just learned it today? She asked herself, surprised. “Arnold, I'm Heather's mother.” She said to try and clue him in on what he just did.

“I know you are.” Arnold said. “What does that have to do with it?”

Okay, maybe he is a blockhead. He's not understanding it at all. Heather's mother thought. “Look, Arnold.” She said and he gave her a blank stare, which meant that she wasn't going to be successful in trying to explain things to him. “I... you....” She decided to wait and would try to explain it again later. “Just don't kiss me in front of Heather.”

“Okay.” Arnold said and sat back, then opened the car door and stepped out.

Heather's mother watched him walk up his driveway. That boy. She thought and touched her lips. If he's that good after only a day... She let the thought trail off and laughed as she drove away.

Arnold stepped into his house and went to the kitchen. “I'm home.”

“ARNOLD!” His mother yelled and then he was taken into a tight embrace. “Where have you been?!?” She exclaimed. “We've been worried sick about you!”

“I went to Heather's house to check out her computer.” Arnold said and he noticed that his father didn't come out of the living room to see him. “You wouldn't believe the things it can do.”

“Arnold, you shouldn't be wandering around town this late at night.” His mother said and let him out of her death grip. “You should have called if you were going to be late getting home. We could have come and picked you up.”

“I didn't even know I was going until lunchtime, then we went right to her place after school.” Arnold said. “Her mother drove us there and drove me home. I didn't wander anywhere.”

His mother sighed. She always had a hard time trying to instill proper behavior into him. “Next time, you are to call me as soon as you know you're going somewhere that's not school. All right?”

“Okay.” Arnold said.

“Did they feed you at least?” His mother asked, and he nodded. “I'm glad.” She said and relaxed. “If you're done scaring me for tonight, go on up to your room and do your homework.”

Arnold nodded and went up the stairs. He wasn't sure why his mother acted that way, though. He only went to Heather's and came right home. He hadn't thought to call though, so he had to assume that was the reason. He would make sure that he would call home from now on. Arnold quickly did his homework and went to bed.

The next morning he got a shower and dressed in the next outfit in his closet. Every week he would spend several hours arranging his clothing for the next school week, so he wouldn't have to worry about it each day. His mother always inspected him to make sure he wasn't going to offend anyone with his clothing choices, and today wasn't any different, except that she had an apologetic face.

“Arnold, I'm sorry for how I acted last night.” His mother said and checked him over.

“It's my fault. I didn't know that I should have called. I do now and I will from now on.” Arnold said.

“You're a good boy, Arnold.” His mother said and hugged him. “Now eat and get ready for the bus.”

Arnold ate breakfast like he normally did, without really tasting it, then he grabbed his backpack. His mother walked him to the front door.

“Are you going out after school today?” His mother asked.

“No. Heather's friend Kelly is coming over.” Arnold said with his hand on the door knob. “I'll be home on the bus after school.”

“If that changes, let me know.” His mother said.

Arnold nodded and opened the door, then walked out to the street. Ever since he was little, the bus always picked him up across the street from his house. No matter what school it was or how many times the bus driver changed, it always stopped for him in the same spot. He heard the bus approaching from down the street and looked at the front door of his house.

“Goodbye!” His mother said and waved.

Arnold heard the keyword for kiss and quickly calculated how much time he had, then he ran across the street and up the driveway.

“Arnold!” His mother exclaimed. “What...”

Arnold put a hand behind her head and kissed her like Heather had taught him. One... two... three. He counted in his head and broke the kiss. “Goodbye.” He said, then ran down the driveway and across the street just in time. The bus arrived and the door opened and he stepped inside.

“ARNOLD! GET BACK HERE!” His mother yelled; but, he didn't hear her as the bus pulled away with a loud roar of its engine. “Where the hell did that come from?” She asked of no one in particular as she rubbed her lips.

Arnold was oblivious to his mother's questions as he rode the bus in the same seat he always sat in. The bus picked up other high school students and quickly filled up, then drove them to school. Arnold always waited for everyone else to get off the bus before he moved, then he left the bus as well. For the first time ever, he didn't go right into the school when the bus left. He turned around and quickly scanned the parking lot for Heather's mother's car and saw the black vehicle.

Arnold walked towards the parking lot and he saw the rear door open. Heather stepped out with a backpack in her hand and she wore a nice oversized shirt and skirt combo that was both tight and loose at the same time. It definitely caught the eyes of a lot of the boys that were around. A few of them commented about it and one guy made a rude and suggestive comment.

Heather frowned and glared at the boy. “You shouldn't say stuff like that, Brad!”

Arnold knew he needed to do something, so he changed the direction he was walking and headed right towards Brad.

“Ha!” Brad said. “What are you gonna do? Hit me for telling the truth?” He laughed. “Don't act like you haven't done it.”

In the next moment, Brad felt something smash into the side of his head and fell to the ground.

“FIGHT!” The guy next to Brad said.

“Fight! Fight! Fight!” The chant was taken up immediately and Brad looked up to see what idiot had dared to punch him. His eyes widened when he saw that it was the stoic and usually reserved Arnold.

“Arnold, no!” Heather said as she ran over to him and took his arm. “He's not worth getting suspended over.”

“Good morning.” Arnold said and kissed her for three seconds like she told him to do yesterday. The fight chant got louder as Brad stood up. He was a couple of inches taller than Arnold and he saw that Arnold wasn't intimidated by that.

“Are you going to fight or let that bitch tell you what to do?” Brad asked Arnold.

“Don't puss out!” Someone said.

“Heather doesn't want me to fight.” Arnold said, his slight excitement started to wane.

“Pussy!” A guy said loudly.

“She got him whipped already.” Another guy said. “She works fast.”

“Well...” Brad said with a smile. “...she does suck a good co-”

*SLAP!*

Heather's hand stung from hitting him so hard. “I told you not to say things like that!”

Brad made a fist and started to swing, then he was suddenly on the ground and tasted pavement. Arnold had hooked a foot around his and pushed, which used his own punch's momentum to drop him to the ground. Nearly everyone winced as Arnold used his foot and stomped on the back of Brad's head and his nose broke with a loud snap.

“ARGH!” Brad yelled and tried to roll over to grab his nose, then Arnold kicked him in the crotch and he didn't know which pain to grab first. He received two more kicks to his gut and a hard stomp to his groin. The pain was so intense that he couldn't see straight through his tears. No one stepped forward to try and interfere because they were too shocked by the turn of events.

“My girlfriend said not to say those things.” Arnold said without inflection. “You should listen to her.”

“I'll... get... you.” Brad managed to say through his gurgling breath as the blood flowed from his nose and down his throat.

Arnold leaned over slightly and looked down at Brad's bleeding face with cold dispassion. “I wonder how many times I can stomp your face into the pavement before you pass out?”

“Hey.” Someone said. “Hey, man. Don't do it.”

Arnold turned the same cold eyes to him and the guy held his hands up.

“He asked for the fight, so we won't report it.” The guy said. “You won, so leave it at that.”

Arnold looked at Heather and she nodded several times. “Okay.” He said and walked towards the school and took Heather with him.

“Arnold, where did you learn to fight like that?” Heather asked.

“Squirrels.” Arnold said and she stared at him in surprise. “They are brutal when they fight.”

Heather looked back at the parking lot and saw the guys pick up Brad. His face and shirt were covered in blood. Yes, they are. She thought as the guys loaded Brad into a car and drive off. Her eyes drifted over to her mother's car and to her shock, her mother looked like she was laughing and gave her a thumbs up gesture.

The pair entered the school as if nothing happened and Arnold led Heather to her locker and her friend was waiting for them.

“So, how was the date last night?” Kelly asked with a smile.

“It was great!” Heather said, more than ready to change the subject from what just happened.

“Do tell.” Kelly said. Let's see if you lie about it.

Unbeknownst to them, Kelly had been watching them from nearby. She hadn't been able to see into the upstairs bedroom; but, she had a nice view of their dinner and the kiss when Arnold had left.

“Arnold, this is girl talk.” Heather said to him. “We'll meet you in class.”

Arnold nodded and left to go to class. He already had everything he needed in his backpack and didn't have to go to his locker. He always made sure that he had the next day's things and it saved him so much time between classes that he could always be the last person to leave one classroom and still be one of the first people to enter the next one.

Arnold sat down and waited for nearly ten minutes before the bell rang for the students to go to their first class. Almost five minutes later, Heather and Kelly came into the room and then the second bell rang. Kelly sat down in the seat behind Arnold and Heather walked to hers that was beside his, then she bent down and gave him a quick kiss. He looked at her with a question on his face and she smiled.

“I'm just making sure everyone sees that we're together.” Heather said and sat down.

“Wouldn't it be easier to just say that you're my girlfriend?” Arnold asked.

“She's marking her territory.” Kelly said with a grin from behind him.

“I wouldn't get to kiss you if all I did was say it.” Heather said, her face slightly red.

“All right, settle down.” The teacher said and rapped her ruler on her desk. “We covered the Napoleonic Wars last week and finished them yesterday.” She said and looked at their partially bored faces. “What did we learn from them?”

“Don't piss off short people!” Someone said loudly and most of the class laughed.

“Actually, I think that's a good observation.” The teacher said to their surprise. “Shocking, I know.” She smiled. “Now, open your books to page...”

The class passed quickly, as did the next and the next. When lunch started, Heather didn't rush out like everyone else did. Kelly was halfway to the door before she realized Heather wasn't beside her. She stepped aside and let the other students pass by, then went back to her seat.

“Come and eat lunch with us.” Heather said to Arnold.

“I'm supposed to go to the lab and...”

“...catalogue the specimens for the teacher.” Heather finished for him. “They are already catalogued or he wouldn't have them.”

“It's practice.” Arnold said. “If I can name all the parts for...”

Heather sighed. “How long will it take?”

“I only have three hundred more to memorize.” Arnold said. “Based on my performance so far, it should only take another two weeks.”

“Two weeks where I can't eat lunch with my boyfriend.” Heather said, sadly.

“You can always come in there with me.”

“Blah.” Heather said and stuck out her tongue, then she laughed. “My stomach's not as strong as yours. There's no way I could eat with all of those things floating around in their jars.” She said and stood up. “I'll just have make due with kissing you goodbye before lunch.”

Arnold understood the hint and stood as well, then he kissed her like she wanted. Kelly stood there with an open mouth as they kissed each other like she wasn't there, then she was surprised when when the kiss ended barely three seconds later.

“Let's go, Kelly. Arnold needs to get to work.” Heather said and left the room. Kelly looked at Arnold for a moment, then followed her friend.

Arnold waited for another minute, so that the hallway would be relatively clear of traffic and went to the lab. Like Heather had stated, he had work to do.