"I don't know what to say.Arthur I'm not even sure how I feel about you."
"So what does that mean for us?"
"It means that I need time to figure everything out."
"How long do you think that will take?"
"I don't know the heart is complex."
- - - - - - - - - -
"It your first date."Said Mrs. Read taking a picture of D.W and her date with her Kodak easyshare digital camera.
"Mom why do you have to be so embarrassing?" D.W rolled her eyes.
"Ahh, my little girls growing up."
"Bye mom, bye dad." said D.W trying to escape her parents as fast as possible
"So Arthur what are you up to tonight?"
"Nothing," Arthur sighed.
"Nothing," responded Mr. Read surprised.
"You and Buster aren't hanging out?"
"Nope he has homework."
"Alan."
"Huh," Arthur took a while to figure out who his mom was talking about, though they were older nobody called Brain, Alan except his parents, "He has work.
"Muffy."
"At the mall with Francine."
"So why aren't you and Francine hanging out."
"She said she needs time to figure out what's going on with me and her."
"What happened."
"I don't want to talk about it."
"You sure."
"Mom can I speak to dad alone?"
"Sure." Mrs. Read left the living room and headed to the kitchen.
"Okay here's what happened. You know the party I went to on Saturday?"
"Okay when we we're at the party some tall 10th grader bump into me and I ended up kissing Francine."
"You got yor first kiss and didn't tell me." Yelled Mrs. Read from the kitchen
"So since the kiss Francine's been ignoring me."
"Did you talk to her?"
"Yeah I told her I like her and she told me she needed time to figure things out." Arthur Paused " Girls are confusing."
"Arthur I got news for you they only get harder to understand."
"Great."
"Well I would say to just give Francine her space but if you really want advice I think you should ask your mother."
- - - - - - -
Arthur told his mom the whole story starting all the way from when Prunella first told them about the party to that day at the school and what Francine said, Arthur's mom seemed to understand what Arthur was saying and seemed to know what Arthur should."
"Well Arthur You should really give Francine her space, when she's ready to tell you her answer she'll come to you."
"But if she never ready."
"Trust me she will be sooner or later."
"When will she be ready?"
"It depends on her arthur."
- - - - - - -
Francine was across the hall almost brought to tears at the sight of Sue Ellen at Arthur's locker flirting with him. Francine finally was ready to tell Arthur that she had feelings for him and he had already moved on, she could vividly remember that just a couple days ago he said straight to her that he liked her but now he's flirting with Sue Ellen , Arthur was just like every other boy a player, if he couldn't get a girl he would move one to the next one.
"Francine, wait up, " called Arthur as Francine began to walk away. "What's wrong?"
"You're what's wrong."
"What did I do?"
"Just a couple days ago you told me you liked me and now you;re flirting with Sue Ellen."
"I wasn't flirting with her she was just asking me about the homework."
"Trust me, she was flirting with you."
"Well I don't like her."
"Well before I say you flirting with Sue Ellen I came to tell you that I like you as more than a friend," Francine paused, " Arthur I think I love you."
Love. How does Arthur take the 4 letter word?