Maybe you should go home and take a shower,” Cory sweetly suggested to Eddie. “Forget it,” snapped Eddie. “I’m taking a shower right here!” Furiously, he climbed the staircase. “‘Help me, Eddie, the bag is full!’” he said, mimicking Cory in a whiny little-boy voice. “You little Oompa Loompa!” Cory snickered and turned to Chelsea—

Oh-no, she thought, Mr Slick is back!

Pulling out his breath spray, Cory spritzed his mouth, then headed for Chelsea with his lips puckered.

Chelsea did her best to stiff-arm the charging kid, her hand firmly planted on his little forehead. But she didn’t know how long she could keep it up!

“Raven, when are you coming home?” she cried into the phone.

“Pretty soon if I keep messing up on this date,” said Raven.

After she and Matthew had ordered their food, Raven had left the table to visit the restroom. Now she was standing outside the women’s room, talking on her cell in an attempt to regain some confidence.

“He is so mature,” she told Chelsea, “and I’m acting like such an idiot. You should have heard the lame things I said about his car. He’s going to figure out I’m not seventeen.”

“Look, Rae, just be honest with him and tell him your real age,” advised Chelsea. “He’s a nice guy, I’m sure he’ll understand.”

Raven rolled her eyes. “You don’t get out much, do you?”

“Look, Rae,” Chelsea tried again, still holding off the lovesick Oompa Loompa, “just let him do all the talking. You just . . . you just . . . you just sit there and look old!”

After Raven rejoined her date, she decided she wasn’t just going to look old — she was going to sound old, too.

“So, do tell me about your life,” Raven purred in a deep voice as they ate their appetisers.

“You gonna finish that?” asked Matthew, pointing at her plate.

That wasn’t the reaction Raven had expected. “Uh, I was going to put it—”

Before Raven could finish her sentence, Matthew snatched a big piece of calamari from her plate.

“Okay, well, you can take it,” said Raven, since he already had.

“Hey, I do love calamari!” he told her. “You know, calamari is just a fancy name for squid.”

Matthew took the squirmy piece of seafood and waved it in front of Raven’s nose. “Oh, look!” he teased in a high feminine voice. “Save me from the squid, Matthew. He’s big. He’s trying to get me, Matthew!”

Raven stared at her date — what was up with this?

“I’ll save you, baby,” he finally said in a deep, macho voice. Then he popped the piece of calamari into his mouth and began to chew.

Continues next week

Based on the popular TV series created by Michael Poryes and Susan Sherman.

Illustrations: Uday Deb