Soon, Monday came, and some of the snow had begun to melt. Seymour had gotten Agnes' permission to go to Brooke's house. To his surprise, she didn't live in a house at all; Brooke was residing in the local orphanage, as her parents had died in a car crash when she was nine years old. Seymour knocked on the orphanage door; a young lady, about 25, opened the door. "Can I help you, young man?" she asked. Seymour nodded.
"I'm here to see Brooke Shapiro, ma'am," he responded. The young woman nodded and let Seymour in. Brooke walked downstairs, smiling. "I'm glad you could make it, Seymour," she said.
"I didn't know you were an orphan," Seymour stated. Brooke simply nodded.
"Hey, why don't you join me for lunch? They're making macaroni and cheese. You're not lactose intolerant, are you?"
"No, I just have a peanut allergy. Lunch sounds great," Seymour smiled. Brooke smiled back at him, and the two if them entered the cafeteria. They got their lunches and began to eat. Brooke struck up a conversation with Skinner while they were eating.
"I heard you and your mom were originally from Capital City. When did you two decide to move to Springfield?"
"Well, we moved to Springfield very early in my life, actually. I was only three years old when Mothe- Mom came here. The rent prices were getting too high in Capital City."
"What about your dad? Whatever happened to him?"
Seymour shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. Dad left when I was a baby. Mom said he was fighting in the Korean War. I don't know why he never came back." He sighed. "Maybe I would've turned out better if I had a father figure."
"Yeah, you wouldn't be such a butt kisser," Brooke quipped. Seymour glared at her. "I'm sorry, that was mean. I'm trying to be less mean. Seriously, though, you have to stop being such a mama's boy."
"Well, my Mom is the only real family I have. That's why I'm so close to her."
"Yeah, but you can't always do everything she says. You need to be more independent, Seymour. If you keep acting like this, you're going to be still living with your mother when you're 44 years old."
"But she needs me," Seymour said.
"Well, if you ask me, I think sometimes she just takes advantage of you," Brooke said as she finished her lunch. Seymour sighed.
"Maybe you're right, Brooke." Both of them started to walk out of the cafeteria.
"I like you a lot, Seymour. I don't want to see you become a loser for the rest of your life," Brooke told him, blushing slightly.
"I like you too, but... I have to think about my Mother. I'll see you later. Goodbye, Brooke."
"Please stop putting her before everyone else. Before me... bye, Seymour. See you at school tomorrow." And with that, Seymour went home. Agnes was waiting for her son at the front door of her house. She glared at him.
"Yes, Mother? What is it?" Seymour asked.
"You're three minutes late, Spanky. What took you so long?"
Seymour sighed. "Mother, please call me Spanky indoors and not outdoors. And I wasn't gone that long."
"Seymour, I didn't raise you to talk back to me. Go to your room! And you're not getting any dinner, either."
"Yes, Mother," Seymour replied. He walked upstairs and into his room, doing his homework for the night. He thought about his new friends, especially Kieran and Brooke, as he was closest to them. Seymour couldn't help but think that Brooke had a crush on him. He didn't feel the same way, however, and even if he did, Agnes wouldn't let them hook up with each other. Would his mother get in the way of his friendships? Would he turn out as a loser, like Brooke told him?
