Kory, Blake, Lucas and Karen eating dinner Sunday night.

B: More pasketi.

Karen: Please?

B: Prease?

L: (Laughing at the sight of his red-faced cousin.) Why don't you try to actually get some of the food IN your mouth? You must be feeling better.

B: I still gots a few bad coughs.

Kory: How about you Luke? No more hangover? (Smiling and giving him a wink.)

Karen: It's not funny Kory.

Kory: Sorry sis. Hey Kare, I might have class late tomorrow night, can you pick up Blake from day care if I need you to?

Karen: Sorry, I can't. I have to be at the cafe @ 5:00.

L: I can do it. I'll be out of practice by 5:00. I can go get him after that.

Kory: They close @ 5:30, will you make it?

Luke: Just to make sure, I will have to get my car back from Haley.

Karen: Ummm, NO. Drinking and driving, no car for a month. Ring a bell?

L: But you don't want me to be late picking up Blake do you?

Karen: It's 5 blocks to the center from your school, you will have plenty of time to walk there, or run if needed. After you pick him up, you can bring him to the cafe for dinner, while you bus tables.

L: (Groaning) When is the whole cleaning duty gonna end?

Karen: It's just begun. I told you, school garage or with me at all times.

Kory: Karen, you remember I need you to take Blake to day care in the morning right?

Karen: Oh yeah, that's right. I'll drop him off on my way to take Lucas to school.

L: I don't need a ride mom. (Remembering his breakfast date w/ Peyton.)

Karen: What did I just tell you? School, garage or w/ me...

L: (Interrupting)... it is school. (Not wanting to lie to Karen, but not wanting to cancel w/ Peyton either.) I have a study session @ school w/ Haley at 7:00 for our history test. (Making a mental note to tell Haley at school so she can cover for him if she talks to his mom.)

Karen: I can't bring you @ 7:00. I have to open the cafe and I can not leave until Cheryl gets there @ 7:30.

L: Haley's giving me a ride.

Karen: I don't know Luke...

L: (Interupting)... mom it's seven in the morning, what am I going to get into trouble doing at that time of the day?

Karen: With you lately, the possibilities are endless.

L: Fine, I just won't go. I'll fail my test and then it will be all your fault.

Karen: Speaking of grades...

L: I know, meeting w/ my guidance counselor Wednesday. Can I go to the study seesion tomorrow morning?

Karen: I guess. Take your cell phone w/ you so I can call you and let you know for sure if you need to pick up Blake after practice.

L: Cool, I get my phone back.

Karen: Temporarilly.

L: I'll take what I can get. Hey Kory when do you start helping Whitey?

Kory: (Cleaning up Blake.) Tuesday night's game it will be official.

L: (Getting up and putting his plate in the sink. He walked into the living room, laid on the couch and flipped on the TV.) We have 3 games this week. Saturday's game is w/ the team that we are tied for first w/. If we win, we take sole possession of first place.

Kory: I know, Whitey said the last time you guys played them, Nathan was only 1 point away from tieing his dad's record.

L: Yeah, but the idiot was on anphedimines that night. We will see if he cracks under the pressure again.

Karen: (Walking over to the living room.) How about supporting your brother and teammate instead of putting him down? (Turning the TV off)

L: Hey, I was watching that.

Karen: Go do the dishes and then go to your room.

L: It's like 6:30.

Karen: I told you at the cafe that you were spending the evening in your room. You are not off the hook for last night. Some quiet, alone time will do you good. Maybe you can figure a few things out.

B: (Coming into the room and handing Luke a color and papers.) Will you draw me a cool car?

L: Can't, your mean Aunt Karen won't let me. Maybe if you say please really nice, she will let me play w/ you.

Blake: Prease Karewen?

L: That worked yesterday Lucas, not today. Sorry Blake, Lucas has been naughty and has to go to time out in his room.

B: What did you do Lucas?

Kory: (Coming into the room.) He drank beer.

B: EWW! Beer is yucky.

Karen: Did you hear that Lucas? Maybe you should listen to your 2 year old cousin.

Kory: Come on Blake, you need to get a bath and then daddy will draw you a car. (Picking up the dark haired toddler.)

Phone Rings.

Kory: Hello?

Brooke: Can I talk to Lucas?

Kory: Hold on. (Putting his hand over the receiver.) Karen, it's for Luke, can he talk?

Karen: (Looking at Luke.) 2 seconds.

(Luke hopped up and grabbed the phone from his uncle.)

Luke: Hello?

B: Hey boyfriend.

L: Hey.

(No one said anything for a minute.)

B: I'm sorry Lucas.

L: That's what you said last night.

B: I love you.

L: You said that too. And then you cheated on me.

B: It meant nothing.

L: Oh and that is suppose to make me feel better? (Angry but trying to be quiet so his family did not over hear.) You threw away everything that we had over something that meant nothing?

B: God Luke I messed up. I was drunk. Please, can you forgive me?

Karen: Time's up Lucas.

L: I have to go.

B: Luke please....

L: Bye. (He hangs up the phone and joins his mom doing the dishes.)

(There is silence the whole time they were working.)

Karen: You have been awfully quiet since that phone call.

L: Tired.

Karen: Wanna talk about it?

L: Not really. Do mind if I just go to bed? (Putting the last dish away.)

Karen: No, go ahead. I love you.

L: Good night.

Deb and Nathan walked through the door w/ their hands full of groceries. Nathan sets his bags down on the counter and hits the play button on the answering machine.

Message: Hey Nathan, it's Haley, Karen let me off early toda, so I was just calling to talk. I should be home the rest of the day. Call me.

(Nathan picked up the phone and started to dial.)

Deb: Not so fast Nathan. We are going to chat first.

Nathan: (Hanging up) You mean that you are going to lecture and I'm going to listen.

D: However you want to look at it, we are doing it BEFORE you call Haley back.

Message: Deb the flight leaves @ 8:45pm on Wednesday. Keith is going w/ us. I will pick you up @ 6:00.

Nathan: (Looking at his mom) Where are you going?

Deb: That's one of the things that I needed to talk to you about. Grandpa Scott had a mild heart attack yesterday. He's going to be OK, but he needs to have surgery on Friday.

N: You're going w/ Dad?

D: Your dad has not told your grandparents about our separation. I think he is scared.

N: Dad scared? That's sort of funny.

D: (Smiling) Yeah it is.

N: Well at least Keith is going w/ you, to keep the blood shed to a minimum.

D: Cute. We do know how to be civil Nathan.

N: (Sarcasstic) Yeah, I saw how CIVIL you could be last night.

D: Sweetie, I know things are rough right now, but once the divorce is final, things will start to settle down. There is just lots of emotion right now. All you need to know is that me and your father love you.

N: I know mom. I don't have to go along do I?

D: For the surgery?

N: Yeah. I have 2 games this weekend.

D: Which brings up a few more issues we need to talk about. I'm very aware what team you play Saturday night. Do I need to take you in for a drug test?

N: You would not really do that would you?

D: In a heart beat if I thought you were taking drugs.

N: I'm not, I swear.

D: And I am suppose to believe you after you lied to me about staying at Tim's last night?

N: Sorry about that.

D: Sorry doesn't cut it Nate. Grounded and no car for 2 weeks.

N: Two?

D: Lying and drinking? Yes, two.

N: (Shaking his head yes as he played w/ the attenae on the cordless that he was still holding in his hands.) I understand why you wouldn't trust me. If you want me to take the drug test, I will.

D: Call me nieve, but I don't think you would make that mistake again. Anyway, I hope you learned your lesson from the trip to the ER.

N: I did! It scared the he!! out of me.

D: Good. Now about the trip. You don't have to go, but you are not staying home alone.

N: I'll stay at Tim's.

D: (Laughing)Like you did last night? I don't think so.

N: Haley's.

D: No, especially since that is most likely who you were w/ last night. (Nathan quickly looks up surprised and Deb smiles.) Nathan, she has your truck, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure it out.

N: So who am I staying w/?

D: Karen and Lucas.

N: (Standing up and slamming the phone on the counter.) HELL NO MOM! (Yelling)

D: Calm down Nathan.

N: NO! I WON'T STAY W/ THEM!

D: OK, then you do not have to. (Staying calm)

N: (Sitting back down.) Then who?

D: That's just it Nate. It's Karen or no one.

N: You told me I could not stay home alone.

D: You can't. If you don't stay w/ Karen, you have to go w/ your dad and me.

N: (Back on his feet.) What about my games?

D: You will have to miss them.

N: That's not fair. I've stayed home alone before.

D: Yes, you have. And that is exactly the reason that you will not be doing it again for a while. I know that those unsupervised weekends did not have their problems, your dad just let them slide. I'm not going to do that.

N: Maybe I should just go talk to dad about this.

D: (Being very firm.) That, young man is one thing that you are not going to get by w/? You will NOT be playing one parent against the other. If you don't like what one of us has to say you will not be running to the other for an answer you might like better. If you know what is good for you, that will be the last time that you use that threat. Got it?

N: Yeah.

D: Anyway, I already talked to your dad and he knows who you will be staying w/. I gave you your choices son, you decide.

N: Some choices. Giving someone a choice of death by electricution or death by lethal injection, in the end the result is the same-death.

D: Being a little over dramatic aren't we?

N: No. Let me stay at Tim's.

D: Nathan you took care of that option last night. We all have to do things that we do not want to do sometimes, do you think that I want to go on this trip w/ your dad right now?

N: You don't have to go.

D: And you don't have to stay w/ Karen. Think about it and let me know what you decide.

N: Please mom?

D: I'm not budging on this.

N: I promise that I will stick to my grounding at Tim's.

D: Yeah right. NO!

N: GOD THIS S UCKS!

D: I'm sorry. I thought you and Lucas were getting along better?

N: Just because we do not fight everytime that we see each other, does not mean that we want to have a slumber party.

D: I don't know what else to say Nathan. You know the deal. You need to decide soon though, so I know whether to get you a plane ticket or not.

N: Whatever. Fine. I'll stay at Luke's.

D: I don't want there to be any problems between you two while I'm gone.

N: I can't make any promises.

D: Nathan, if that is going to be your attitude, then you can just come w/ me.

N: It's not just up to me. If Lucas starts something, I'm not just gonna stand there and take it.

D: I'm sure Karen is taking care of Lucas. I'll make you a deal.

N: What? (Still angry.)

D: You stay at Karen's and if there are no problems, I will take a week off your grounding.

N: Fine. (still mad)

D: If there are problems, I add a week.

N: Whatever.

D: Why don't you go call Haley, maybe she can cheer you up.

(Nathan leaves the room w/o a word.)