Scene XI: The kitchen 3 days later
Jen's in the kitchen chopping vegetables for her homemade lentil soup. She doesn't know if anyone likes it, but she's cooking it anyway. She knows that Josh'll eat it. She's quietly humming to herself. The past 3 days have been virtually uneventful since the debacle in the bathroom. Drake and Josh come in through the front door from school.
Josh: Something smells great! What are you cooking?
Jen: Lentil soup. If you think it smells good, wait till you taste it!
The boys head over to the stove and peer into the pot. Josh smiles, while Drake cringes.
Drake: It looks like someone barfed in the pot. You expect me to eat this?
Josh: Drake, be nice. It may look bad, but it's probably very good.
Jen: Hey? It's not made for lookin! It's made for eatin!
Drake: Whatever. I'm gonna order a pizza.
Jen: You will do no such thing! We're gonna eat together as a family. I put a lot of love into this soup, and we're all going to enjoy it.
Drake: Ugh. Fine. Whatever. Just don't expect me to want seconds.
Josh: Will you please give her a break? She's doing her best here.
Drake: Oh, she's doing her best, alright. Her best to annoy me.
Jen: Drake, you don't have to say another word. All I ask you to do is be respectful and sit at the table with the rest of us. Just try the soup. If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it. Please give it a chance.
Drake: Fine.
Jen: Since you're being so cooperative, would you please go set the table?
Drake: Sure. Josh, come help me.
Josh: How hard is it to set a
table?
Drake: Josh! Help!
Drake grabs the soup bowls, spoons, and placemats and heads towards the dining room table. Josh realizes that he really doesn't need help setting the table. They need to talk about something.
Josh: What's up?
Drake: It's Megan. I saw her talking to a boy after school. I don't like it one bit.
Josh: She was just talking.
Drake: I know. I used to be that age, remember? It always starts out as "just talking".
Josh: What starts out with "just talking".
Drake gives him a look as to say "you dumbass". Josh doesn't get it.
Drake: When I want to "get to know a girl", I start out just talking. Get it?
Josh: So? She's 12. What's the harm in talking to boys. She probably doesn't even like them yet.
Drake: Well, I'm gonna make sure that she's still not interested in them. Now that she's a "woman", I don't want any boy near her.
Josh: Well, if you seem to have such a problem with it, why do you pursue girls like a hungry dog rooting through the trash?
Drake: It's different with me…
Josh: Oh, really? How is it different?
Drake: Well, for one, I'm older.
Josh: When did you start liking girls?
Drake: When did I not like girls? I was born liking girls.
Josh: Exactly.
Drake: Oh. Well, it's still different.
Josh: No it's not. You're not wanting any boy near your little sister, but you'll still be the Casanova of Belleview. What's up with that?
Drake thinks about their exchange. Is he really that bad? Is he that hungry dog rooting through the trash? He never thought of himself like that. Maybe he does have a problem.
Josh looks at Drake pondering the idea, and feels satisfied with himself. Maybe he did get through to him after all these years.
At that moment, Megan comes in through the front door after oboe practice. She sees the boys near the dining room table all of a sudden shut up when she comes in.
Megan: What are you boobs looking at?
Drake: Nothing.
Josh: We're just talking. Nothing to be alarmed about.
Megan: Uh huh. Ok. What's for dinner.
Josh: Jen's making homemade lentil soup.
Megan: Gross! I'm not eating that. Drake, order a pizza.
Drake looks at Josh and gives him the "I told you so" look. Josh is about to make a comment, when Jen comes from the kitchen.
Jen: Oh, I see that you could figure out how to set a table? I may have been wrong about you, Drake.
Drake looks at Jen with a leer. Josh signs heavily, just wanting to keep the peace. Megan chuckles and heads upstairs to her room.
