It was May, the time of year when a little boy's fancy turns to thoughts of the
end of school and the subsequent vacation. Arthur, on the other hand, was
thinking of something entirely different.
Across the playground from him, Francine was frolicking with a jump rope, trying to break her record of five hundred skips. He didn't move his eyes from the girl. For some reason, he felt something when he looked at Francine that he didn't feel when he wasn't looking at her. It was a good feeling, a little scary, but...no, it was a good feeling that was really, really scary.
Getting married was what people did when they grew up. Arthur had always assumed that Francine would still be there, that they would still be the best of friends, that marriage would naturally follow. He never imagined that he would actually feel something for her, at least not until he was about ten years older.
His friend The Brain walked up, seeing his glum expression. "Hey, Arthur, anything wrong?" he asked, smiling innocently.
"Urgh," grunted Arthur as Brain sat down next to him. Then it occurred to him that if anyone knew enough to help him sort out his feelings, it was either Brain or Muffy, and Muffy was a girl, which might make her less objective.
"Hey, Brain," said Arthur, slowly turning his head, "have you ever been in love?"
Brain seemed startled at the question.
"Uh, once," he replied.
Arthur looked in Francine's direction again.
"Are you in love?" Brain asked him.
"I dunno," answered Arthur. "There's this girl, and I kinda like her..."
"Francine," Brain interjected.
Arthur gaped. "How did you know?"
"Because you've been staring at her since the beginning of recess," said Brain.
Arthur looked down at his hands.
"You should tell her how you feel," Brain advised.
"But...what if she feels the same way?" Arthur could feel the sweat forming on his forehead. "What if...what if she tries to...kiss me?"
"I kissed a girl once," Brain revealed. "Nothing happened. I didn't get girl cooties."
"You...you didn't?" said Arthur in astonishment.
"There's no such thing as girl cooties," Brain told him. "They're a myth."
Arthur became thoughtful. The kids were starting to leave the playground, as the beginning of class was near.
He straightened up and clenched his teeth. Rising boldly to his feet, he said, "Thanks, Brain," and marched away.
He caught up with Francine in one of the hallways. "Hey, Francine," he called out, "can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure, Arthur," replied Francine.
As Brain sat on the bench, feeling proud of what he had accomplished, Fern walked up to him. He quickly jumped up when he saw her.
"You have done well," Fern commended him.
"Thank you, my lord and master," said Brain emotionlessly. "Soon the aardvark boy will become one of us."
Then Fern kissed him again, and they started to walk toward the school entrance.
Across the playground from him, Francine was frolicking with a jump rope, trying to break her record of five hundred skips. He didn't move his eyes from the girl. For some reason, he felt something when he looked at Francine that he didn't feel when he wasn't looking at her. It was a good feeling, a little scary, but...no, it was a good feeling that was really, really scary.
Getting married was what people did when they grew up. Arthur had always assumed that Francine would still be there, that they would still be the best of friends, that marriage would naturally follow. He never imagined that he would actually feel something for her, at least not until he was about ten years older.
His friend The Brain walked up, seeing his glum expression. "Hey, Arthur, anything wrong?" he asked, smiling innocently.
"Urgh," grunted Arthur as Brain sat down next to him. Then it occurred to him that if anyone knew enough to help him sort out his feelings, it was either Brain or Muffy, and Muffy was a girl, which might make her less objective.
"Hey, Brain," said Arthur, slowly turning his head, "have you ever been in love?"
Brain seemed startled at the question.
"Uh, once," he replied.
Arthur looked in Francine's direction again.
"Are you in love?" Brain asked him.
"I dunno," answered Arthur. "There's this girl, and I kinda like her..."
"Francine," Brain interjected.
Arthur gaped. "How did you know?"
"Because you've been staring at her since the beginning of recess," said Brain.
Arthur looked down at his hands.
"You should tell her how you feel," Brain advised.
"But...what if she feels the same way?" Arthur could feel the sweat forming on his forehead. "What if...what if she tries to...kiss me?"
"I kissed a girl once," Brain revealed. "Nothing happened. I didn't get girl cooties."
"You...you didn't?" said Arthur in astonishment.
"There's no such thing as girl cooties," Brain told him. "They're a myth."
Arthur became thoughtful. The kids were starting to leave the playground, as the beginning of class was near.
He straightened up and clenched his teeth. Rising boldly to his feet, he said, "Thanks, Brain," and marched away.
He caught up with Francine in one of the hallways. "Hey, Francine," he called out, "can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure, Arthur," replied Francine.
As Brain sat on the bench, feeling proud of what he had accomplished, Fern walked up to him. He quickly jumped up when he saw her.
"You have done well," Fern commended him.
"Thank you, my lord and master," said Brain emotionlessly. "Soon the aardvark boy will become one of us."
Then Fern kissed him again, and they started to walk toward the school entrance.