Chapter Seven: Chez Paris

"… and that's when Bob yelled at Rhonda for about twenty minutes for giving me strawberries as a 'get well' present." Helga laughed as she told Arnold the story of when she got the flu for a few days.

"What's wrong with strawberries?" Arnold asked.

"Nothing, except for the fact that I'm severely allergic to them." Helga stated while Arnold's arm was still linked to Helga's. They stayed like that until the arrived at Chez Parris.

"Here we are." Arnold stated while admiring the detail in the side of the fountain that separated Chez Parear from Chez Paris. As they walked to the door Helga was remembering the time she was pretending to be Arnold's pen-pal Cecil and had the best Valentine's Day she ever had.

"Helga?"

"Huh, oh, thank you Arnold." Helga said as Arnold held the door open for her.

"No problem." Arnold said. The door slide shut as Arnold and Helga walked up to the waiter standing at a podium off to the side of the entrance. The restaurant had its usual dim lighting, giving it a more romantic atmosphere. The dining area itself was not at all big. Even to the two short ten year-olds it was a more tight seating.

"Ah, welcome to Chez Paris. Do you have a reservation?" Asked the waiter to the two blondes standing in front of him.

"Yes, it's under Shortman for two." Stated Arnold while trying to see over the tall podium.

"Ah, yes right this way." The tall French man said as he led them to their table. Ironically it was the same table Arnold and Cecil (Helga) had on their dinner date. This irony wasn't lost by either of them; however both of them decided not to bring it up. Arnold, being the gentleman he was, pulled out Helga's chair for her.

"Oh, thank you Arnold." Helga said in a very sweet voice.

"You're welcome Helga." Arnold said in a very sincerer voice.

"So, we have some time to kill. Why don't we talk?"

"Alright. What about?" Arnold said as he was about to take a drink of his water

"Why did you kiss me in the jungle?" Helga said accusingly.

Arnold in return swallowed his drink wrong and coughed a little.

"Well, I… um… I was very sad and in distress and I needed that kind of comfort. You understand how that feels right Helga?" Arnold said while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, well yeah, I guess. So, got any pets?"

"One, his name is Abner. He's a… pig." Arnold started to blush more (is that was even possible) at the species of his little, pink companion.

"Oh, that's cool. I've always wondered what it's like to own a pig."

"Do you have a pet?"

"I did a pet parrot, but I lost it." Helga can remember when she got that parrot and it almost blew her secret. Luckily, before it could finish telling the class the poem Helga wrote, a monitor lizard ate the parrot. Helga wanted to keep the reptile, but Bob wouldn't let her so, she had to take it back to the pet shop.

"Did you leave its cage open?" asked Arnold as Helga thought about the parrot.

"What, oh, yeah. I left its cage open."

"I once had a parrot, but it got eaten by the monitor lizard Phoebe brought to school."

"I remember that."

"Yeah that was the day that you came to school late and you had a limb. When I came home that day there was a huge hole in the celling that Grandpa and I had to fix."

"Oh, how did that happen?"

"I don't know. It was probably Grandma or Mr. Potts.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Yeah I'll have the Chicken and fries." Helga stated.

"Yes ma'am. And for Mon 'sir?"

"I'll just have what she's having."

"Alright sir. I'll be back with your orders."

"Thank you." Arnold said as the waiter walked away.

"So, Arnold what kind of music do you listen to?"

"Jazz. I listen to a lot of jazz."

"Interesting, I've listen to that to. It's very relaxing."

"Yeah, what kind of music do you listen to?"

"All kinds of stuff. Rock, metal, pop, classical, jazz, you know that kind of stuff."

"That covers a lot of music Helga."

"Yeah. So have you ever kissed a girl?"

"Oh! Um. Other than my Mom, Grandma, and you no, however when I took that lifesaving coarse at the UWMA I had to give mouth to mouth to a girl who was pretending to be knocked out. Every year I get a Christmas card from her signed with far too many 'x's' and 'o's'."

"That doesn't count! You're so funny Arnold. Never change."

"Whatever you say Helga. So, what kind of T.V. shows do you watch?"

"Mostly comedy like: How I Met Your Father, Barry's Law, The Big Burger Theory, and Florida Shore."

"I like those shows to. I do like sci-fi though. Like: Star Wreak, Found in Space, and Baby'a'long 5."

"You're such a dork."

"Hey, my Dad watches those shows to."

"Oh, so the dorkness must run in the family."

"HAHA, Very funny. So, Helga do you like poetry?"

"Not really I'm not into the romantic stuff."

"Me either. Most of the time I can't understand them."

"Your orders Mon 'sir and Madam."

"Thanks mister…?"

"Jock, call me Jock."