Here's the link to that picture I promised. I had the day off today and was able to finish the art and this chapter.

http:/ twelvepercent .deviantart .com/#/d2w3ua4

Characters are not mine, they belong to Mr. Bartlett.

The two 16-year-olds entered the restaurant. It was decorated in many different license plates, neon signs, guitars, vintage posters, brass knickknacks, deer heads, old unopened Yahoo bottles, and sports jerseys. It was intended to have the atmosphere of a famous southern eatery but instead, seemed tacky. It was a bit overwhelming for the two, being their first time at this particular restaurant.

They were seated by a brunette with braces. Arnold couldn't put his finger on it but he recognized her from somewhere. He pushed it to the back of his mind, deciding he'll remember her later. They were given a romantic table for two next to the window facing the street. The waitress asked for their drinks and soon she took their meal orders.

Helga, out of nervousness, made herself busy by unwrapping her silverware from their black cloth napkin and rearranging her plate, drink, and its coaster. She bit her lip as she did so. Meanwhile, Arnold observed the tacky décor, trying to ignore the awkward silence.

"So what have you been up to lately?" Arnold could sense her unease and needed to have her feel comfortable. He thought that by engaging in small talk he could calm her and easily progress to phase three. This was the stage in which he would subtly bring up their break up, attempt to reconcile, and be a couple once more. He spent hours planning on what he would say. He and Gerald decided that the restaurant would be the ideal setting for phase three because if it went well, they would go to the scary movie as boyfriend and girlfriend where they could make out in the back row. If phase three was a failure, he would at least save twenty dollars that he would have spent at the movies. Though he would gladly pay millions to have Helga in his arms again, he wouldn't be discouraged by failure. He could always try again.

Helga, a little distracted, replied, "Not much."

"Seen any good movies lately?" Arnold asked hopefully.

"Nope," Helga stated.

"Read any good books?" Arnold asked optimistically.

"Nope," Helga said.

With a hint of annoyance in his voice, Arnold asked, "What's your favorite song?"

"Don't have one," she reached for the dish full of sugar packets that sat neatly between a ketchup bottle and the salt and pepper shakers.

"I could help you find one," Arnold offered.

"No thanks," she dumped the packets on the table.

"What do you think of our English teacher, Mr. Lee?" Arnold was getting irritated.

"He teaches English." Helga stated. She was attempting to assemble a house of cards with her sugar packets.

"Helga," Arnold said quite annoyed.

"Yeah?" Helga said as her structure fell to the table.

"Would you mind trying to engage in conversation with me tonight?" Arnold's brow was furrowed though he was trying not to glare at her.

She looked away from her project to the annoyed teenage boy, "Arnold. You know my feelings. I love you and I want what's best for you. We've been over this."

Arnold was shocked with her blunt statement. He was hoping to "subtly" bring out their break up but Helga just threw it on the table like the twenty or so sugar packets she had been playing with.

"You're not being as selfless as you think." Arnold looked from the table cloth into his love's eyes, "I feel that you are disregarding my feelings entirely."

"I want what's best for you-" she began.

"Helga, I love you so much that I am in no way giving up on our relationship that easy. I'm only 16, I could leave you, find another girl, and try to be happy with her but I know what I want and that's not it. I want you. Please, let's do this again." He said this with as much seriousness and sincerity as he could. His half-lidded eyes were full of passion and longing.

Helga nearly choked as she took in his words and the look on his face. He said them with such confidence. He really does love me! My dear handsome prince, always coming to save me. Oh, how I've dreamed of us together again. She almost swooned. A smile of pure bliss appeared on her face before she quickly hid it with her usual frown.

"I caught that!" Arnold exclaimed as he nearly jumped up.

"What is your problem, football head?" Helga shouted defensively. Her eyes were a little fearful.

"I've known you for almost fourteen freak'n years. That was one of your smiles I've only seen you do when you think of me! I've been dying to see one of those for three months. I caught that, don't deny it!" Arnold's voice was loud and full of excitement. When he realized people were starting to stare, he quickly sat back down in his seat and tried to regain his composure. His face was red from embarrassment.

"Criminy, Arnold." Helga looked away blushing.

"I really do have deep passionate feelings for you Helga, believe me." Arnold pleaded. His face was turning incredibly red. "I don't care if you are messed up, depressed, or damaged. I know life has given you some pretty bad hands but I want to help you. Not because I feel obligated to but because your heartaches destroy me as much as they do to you. Come back and be my girlfriend, I promise things will get better. We can do this. I want to spend time with you. These last three months apart have been killing me. I want us to go through the rest of life's challenges together!"

The gravity of Arnold's last statement just hit the two of them. Helga's jaw was dropped and Arnold's eyes widened to the size of softballs.

"Here's your dinner!" the overly peppy waitress exclaimed. Oblivious to the words that were just exchanged between the two, she set Arnold's meal in the space in front of him and faltered when seeing the pile of sugar packets in front of Helga. She decided to brush them away with her free hand before putting the plate of grilled BBQ chicken in their place. "Can I get you anything? BBQ sauce? Extra napkins?"

"Uh, no, uh." Arnold gulped, "I think we're good." He turned his direction to the window.

"Okay then," the waitress said in an annoyed yet fake perky voice.

He was watching Helga out of the corner of his eye. She could only stare at her meal. The shock still didn't completely wash away from her face. Did he just say what I think said? She thought to herself. He wants to marry me?

I can't believe I said what I just said. I just got so enthusiastic and lost all reason but, He smiled to himself, I really do feel that way. Arnold almost fell out of his chair upon realizing this.

It took about three seconds for Arnold to take his mind away from his current predicament to realize his new one. As he stared absentmindedly out the window, he realized he met someone's gaze. It was a certain someone who he recognized from the other day in the cafeteria. This person was wearing a green shirt and a blonde mullet. His right eye was black and his cheek was swollen. Realizing who this was, Arnold quickly started to panic. Wolfgang was outside and making his way into the restaurant towards where he and Helga were seated.

Yeah, I know it seems silly for two high schoolers to fall in love and get married and live happily together. 99.9% of the time high school relationships fail. Considering what Bartlett said about how these two characters were meant for each other, I guess I know why I can relate to Helga and Arnold so much. I, like them, are in that .1%. I met my husband seven years ago in my freshmen year of high school. Cute, isn't it? We got married in November.

Okay, enough with the sappy lovey-dovey stuff. I'll get back to that in chapter 7. Next chapter we get to see some action!

-Twelvepercent