Arnold and Gerald get to know Connie and Maria, who are in the sixth grade, while they are at the pool. The girls invite them to a school dance. What the boys don't know yet is that Connie and Maria are doing this to make their respective/"real" boyfriends, Tommy and Burt, jealous.
Plot[]
The episode begins at a public swimming pool. Arnold and Gerald are on the low diving board when they see two older girls watching them from the deck of the pool. Arnold wonders if the girls are checking them out, and Gerald is positive they are. The girls, Connie and Maria, say that Arnold and Gerald look like "goofs," but are at least not jerks like their boyfriends. The boyfriends, Tommy and Burt, are wrestling and arguing on the high diving board, which causes both of them to fall in the pool, splashing the girls. Maria beckons Arnold and Gerald over to her, so they can introduce themselves. The girls ask Arnold and Gerald what grade they are in. The boys lie about their age and tell the girls that they are in the 6th grade. The girls tell them that they were kind of small to be in the 6th grade. Arnold covers it with another lie, saying that he and Gerald never ate their vegetables. At that moment, Tommy annoys the girls when he whines for them to come to the diving board. The girls refuse and tell them to come to the deck chairs. The boys get mad and tell them to forget them, then jump into the pool, splashing the whole group. Annoyed, Connie gets an idea and whispers it to Maria. Maria then asks Arnold and Gerald if they can escort them to the school dance. The boys agree, and Maria gives them her address, telling them to not be late picking her and Connie up. Arnold and Gerald leave, and Maria says that Tommy and Burt will be jealous of their cute new dates.
Later, Gerald gets an old case from his attic to bring to Arnold's house. The case is full of his father's fancy clothes from the '70s and a guidebook called Cool Moves Fo' Happenin' Dudes. Arnold is nervous about the dance, and feels bad about lying to the girls. He thinks they should cancel the date. Gerald convinces him to go through with it, saying that they would be doing something no other fourth grader will be capable of doing (not to mention, they may get kisses). Arnold and Gerald consult the book, learn some dance moves and choose their outfits.
On the night of the party, Arnold and Gerald pick up the girls at Maria's house and have a tense conversation with Maria's dad. When the girls are ready, the four of them pile into a cab and go to the community center. Arnold and Gerald quickly realize they do not have money to pay for the fare. But, they are glad to see Maria pay the cab driver. Once inside, Tommy and Burt notice Maria and Connie with "some shrimpy guys." They confront their girlfriends, but Maria and Connie sternly say they are with their dates, and head to the dance floor. Tommy and Burt angrily go to the refreshment table. Arnold and Gerald dance with the girls, impressing them (and the rest of the crowd) with their wild disco dancing.
When Connie and Maria go to the bathroom, Gerald says that things are going well. Arnold is confident that Maria will kiss him by the end of the night. The envious boyfriends overhear, and grab Arnold and Gerald. They drag the fourth graders outside to beat them up. A crowd gathers to watch the brawl, while Arnold and Gerald try reasoning with them. Just before Arnold and Gerald get black eyes, Connie and Maria come back and interrupt. They order Tommy and Burt to let the younger kids go, and the boys comply. Maria demands that they wait by the bus stop for her and Connie, then tells the crowd to go away.
The girls check on Arnold and Gerald, then explain that the only reason they had asked them to the dance was to make their boyfriends jealous. They add that Arnold and Gerald are too young for them to date, and they still have feelings for Tommy and Burt, but can't explain why. Arnold and Gerald are naturally are disappointed at being led on. Maria and Connie cheer the boys up by saying that they will get older eventually, and if they stay as nice as they have been, they'll have lots of female admirers. Connie adds that she and Maria may be two of those admirers one day. The girls then thank Arnold and Gerald for being their dates. As a token of their gratitude, the two girls grab the boys and pull them closer before giving them a kiss on the cheek. Connie's kiss leaves a pink lipstick mark on Gerald's cheek, while Maria's kiss leaves a red lipstick mark on Arnold's cheek, which leaves the boys in complete bliss. The girls head to the bus stop and scold Tommy and Burt for being annoying. Arnold and Gerald look at each other's lipstick marks, and smile.