Michael walked with Marcie into the diner, taking a seat close to the door. "It's nothing spectacular" Michael said. "I'm kinda broke. Just had to cover the rent... with Ronnie out of town..."

"Oh it's fine," Marcie said. "It's perfect."

"We haven't really had... all that much time together."

Marcie picked up her menu. "We've been pretty busy... I was going to call you..."

"Marcie," Michael said. "Come on. You were angry with me."

"Yeah" Marcie said. "Of course I'd be angry. This is... important to me. My family is important to me."

"I know," Michael said. "Marcie I understand that. I know how much you love your brother, I know that you believe in what he's doing and I respect that. I respect the way you feel, Marcie. I'm not trying to change that."

"Thank you"

"But now at the same time, why can't you just respect the way that I feel? We don't have to agree on every single detail of our lives."

"Eric is an important part of my life, Michael"

"I'm not asking you to shun him. I am actually really looking forward to meeting him." Michael paused. "Marcie...just because I don't agree with you, doesn't mean I don't love you. Because I do Marcie. I do love you. More than anything in this world."

Marcie looked at him, setting her menu down. "Then why can't you have an open mind about this?"

"Why do you have to keep pushing it on me?" Michael said. "God, Marcie, I said I'd try. I promised to be civil and I have been. I may not support gay marriage but I'm not going around trying to get everyone to change their point of view. I'm not trying to convince you that it's wrong, why are you so set on convincing me that it's right. Why can't we just agree to disagree on this? It's a difference of opinion here."

"It's more than that, Michael."

"You're making it more than that Marcie! You're making it into something that it doesn't have to be and it's tearing us apart."

"I am not going to turn my back on my brother," Marcie said.

"I never asked you to. Can't you see that? Can't you accept that I don't believe in this like you do? I'm not looking to make trouble for him. I'm not going to convene a group of protesters to picket at his wedding. I'm not going to call up churches and have congregations pray for their souls. But at the same time, I'm not going to be dancing around in the streets singing praises either."

"God, Michael, at least have a little respect."

"I have plenty of respect," he said. "I respect you. I don't know Eric, but I respect him. I can say it a thousand times, Marcie. I don't agree with what he's doing, but I'm not going to stand in his way. I don't want to fight about this anymore."

"We shouldn't have to fight about this at all." Marcie said. "You just don't get it."

"I don't get it?" he said "What's there to get? You feel one way, I feel another. I'm not going to go out and rally for gay rights just because you believe in it. I don't."

Marcie shook her head. "God... " she said "You sound just like Ronnie."

"No" Michael said. "It's not that I sound too much like Ron to you. It's that I don't sound enough like Al." He could see her face. Knew that the minute the words had left his mouth that he should have never said them and he was reminded by the stinging slap that met his face. "Marcie..." he said as she pushed herself up from the booth. "Marc.... Marcie" She didn't say a word, storming out of the diner.

>>>>>>

Shannon made her way up to the SDD Sorority house. "This is stupid" she said. "I might as well find something to do while I'm stuck here another year." She went up, greeted immediately by one of the sisters.

"Shannon?" She said looking her over. Shannon must have seemed acceptable to her, because the sister moved aside. "I'm Heather." She led Shannon inside where another of the sisters sat. "And this is Kristy."

"Right..." Shannon said. "Heather and Kristy. You're cheerleaders to, aren't you?"

"Yeah" Kristy said. "You planning on joining the team too?"

Shannon laughed. "I have to draw the line somewhere."

Heather and Kristy looked at eachother. "So you want to pledge SDD?" Heather said.

"That's... why I'm here." Shannon said. "My cousin John... he thinks I need to experience more." she rolled her eyes.

Heather and Kristy looked Shannon over, whispering among eachother for a moment. "You need to do something before you can pledge" Heather said as Kristy tried not to giggle. "You know Nick Messina."

Shannon laughed. "Know him." she said "We've been living together for the past three months."

"Oh..." Kristy said "then it should be no problem. Not that you'd have a problem."

"A problem.... what?" Shannon said.

Kristy smiled. "Seducing him."

"Hold on," Shannon said. "You want me to sleep with Nick. Hasn't he already had almost everyone that moves? Is that supposed to be a challenge?"

"Nick?" Kristy said "Nick is all talk. He hasn't touched a cheerleader and has only been with one of the sisters," she looked at Heather.

"And it was a disappointment" Heather said. "He was done before we even hit the sheets. So are you up for it?"

Shannon was shocked. They couldn't possibly be talking about the same Nick Messina. This was a challenge she was willing to take just to prove them wrong. "You bet" she smiled.