Perception
"You know, I think I need new boots," Carly said, helping Sam scoop cookie dough onto a tray in the Benson's kitchen.
"Yeah? The other thirty pairs in your closet getting lonely?" Sam asked.
"I do not have thirty other pairs," Carly said, rolling her eyes. "But anyway, you wanna go to the shoe store with me tomorrow?"
"Sure, why not," Sam shrugged. "I have to buy Tyler new football cleats anyway."
"Hey, hey," Gibby said, letting himself into the house.
"What's up, Gib?" Carly smiled. "You seem like you're in a good mood."
"I am," Gibby said. "You remember back in high school when I opened that awesome restaurant in the basement of the school?"
"Gibby's?" Sam said. "Yeah, I remember that. What about it?"
"Well, its always been a dream of mine to rebuild one day," Gibby said. "So that the students of Ridgeway High School could always enjoy delicious food at a slightly-inflated price."
"Okay…" Carly said slowly. "So what's that have to do with you being in a good mood?"
"Well guess who's going to reopen Gibby's in the school?" Gibby asked. "Quincy!"
"Oh my God," Carly said, shaking her head.
"Wait, wait, wait, you really convinced him to restart your restaurant?" Sam frowned.
"Uh-huh, it's gonna be called Quincy's," Gibby said proudly. "He's gonna start the planning today after school so I told him we'd meet him there and help him out."
"Hey, as long as he plans on serving tater tots again, I'm down," Sam said.
"But you guys, this is crazy!" Carly said. "Are we really going to be helping a sixteen-year old boy open a restaurant underneath a school?"
"Wow, so it wasn't enough to crush my dreams, now you're trying to crush my son's dreams?" Gibby said, crossing his arms.
"No! I'm just-"
"Carls, relax, Gibby's restaurant actually did pretty well back when he had it, remember?" Sam said. "And Quincy's ten times smarter than Gibby, so it's bound to be even better this time around."
"Thank you," Gibby said. "See, at least someone is supportive of a young man's wishes and dreams."
"I'm gonna go back to these cookies now," Carly said. "And try to block out the rest of this crazy talk."
….
"You're starting a restaurant?" Ashton frowned.
"Continuing a restaurant," Quincy corrected her.
Him, Ashton, Emma and Clarissa were sitting at their usual lunch table at Ridgeway High School, where Quincy had just told the girls about his plans.
"Oh yeah, I remember my mom saying something about your dad having some crazy restaurant when they were in high school," Clarissa nodded.
"Yeah, and my mom helped him with it, didn't she?" Emma said.
"Yup," Quincy said.
"But still, don't you think it's a little…weird to have a restaurant in the basement of the school?" Ashton said.
"She's got a point," Clarissa agreed.
"It'll be cool!" Quincy defended.
"Emma," Ashton said. "Can you please convince your boyfriend that he's being insane?"
"I dunno," Emma shrugged. "A restaurant in school that will have decent food…Sounds pretty good to me. And I do get free food, right?"
"Of course," Quincy grinned.
"Then forget these downers!" Emma said. "Open that restaurant!"
…
"We need to get new lighting in here," Freddie observed, looking around the basement of Ridgeway High School. "Other than that, this place looks perfect to put a restaurant in again."
"Yeah, and since stupid Mr. Howard isn't here anymore, there shouldn't be any problems this time," Sam said.
"I know!" Gibby said. "Quincy's is going to be the best underground school restaurant ever! I'm welling with fatherly pride!"
"Swelling," Carly corrected him. "And I still say you guys are crazy."
"Well then, no fancy hot lemonade for you," Gibby said.
"When are the kids getting down here?" Freddie asked.
"They should be down here any minute," Sam said, and sure enough, at that second, they heard the door at the top of the basement stairs open, and the four kids walked down.
"Wow, this place is better than I expected," Quincy commented.
"Yeah, I didn't even know we had a basement," Emma said.
"We think that with a little work, you can have this place up and running in a week, Quince," Freddie said.
"Yeah, and we have a bunch of old card tables in our garage you can use," Sam said.
"Whoa, are you guys actually on board with this?" Ashton frowned.
"Shoosh yeah, it's good food!" Sam said.
"Don't worry, I'm on your side," Carly told her.
"Emma and I are going to start making the menus tonight," Quincy said.
"Yeah, I'm really liking a deep-fried theme," Emma said.
"Don't you think that's a little unhealthy?" Clarissa cringed.
"Have you just met me?" Emma frowned.
"You really think we can have this place open by next week?" Quincy asked, looking around.
"Yup, and the legacy of this beautiful place can continue," Gibby said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Shoot, I promised myself I wouldn't cry."
"Yeah, I don't think I wanna see that," Emma said. "I've got to get to soccer practice. I'll be home around seven."
"I'll walk you up," Quincy said.
"So this is really happening?" Ashton asked. "A restaurant is really going to be put here?"
"It's actually not as crazy as it sounds," Freddie explained. "See, there's a high demand among students for quality, non-cafeteria food during school hours, and since Quincy will be the only supplier, he's bound to do a good business and-"
"Yo, could you not nerdify this?" Sam asked.
"I'm not nerdifying it, Sam! I'm simply explaining the economic reasoning behind-"
"That's nerdifying, baby," Sam said.
"It's educating!"
"Children," Carly said. "Just because we're back at Ridgeway doesn't mean you get to act like high schoolers again."
"He started it," Sam mumbled.
…..
"I'm so nervous," Gibby said, pacing back in forth in front of the couch where Sam and Carly were sitting.
"Dude, stop walking in front of the T.V., I'm trying to watch this shark attack show!" Sam snapped.
"What if the restaurant didn't go well?" Gibby asked.
"Well then you guys will just have to pack up all your restaurant stuff," Carly said. "I mean, it's not like you had any real attachment to it."
"It was my dream!" Gibby said.
"When you were seventeen," Carly reminded him.
"Why does she do this?" Gibby asked Sam. "Are Gibson's not allowed to have dreams?"
"I'm not saying-" Carly began.
"Eh, Carly's just bitter because you wouldn't give her that chicken Parmesan for free after we finished up yesterday," Sam said.
"I was starving!" Carly exclaimed.
Just then, the front door to the Benson's house opened up and the four teens walked in.
"How'd it go? Did everyone love my lasagna recipe?" Gibby asked at once. "I had a feeling I may of said to put too much salt in it…Dang it I did!"
"Dad, relax, the restaurant did amazing," Quincy said. "We had to shut down early because we ran out of food."
"Yeah, it was actually pretty successful," Ashton admitted. "Plus, Clarissa and I are going to be the restaurant's new publicity managers."
"Which means we're going to need some new business clothes," Clarissa said.
"You two are the daffadilliest girls on this planet," Emma said.
"You didn't even do anything at the restaurant," Ashton snapped.
"I was the bouncer!" Emma defended. "I kicked five kids out!"
"Aw, just like you did to that Billy Boots kid," Carly smiled at Sam. She turned back to the kids. "Did any of you happen to bring me back some extra chicken Parmesan?"
"No, but I snagged some free onion rings," Emma said, pulling a bag out of her backpack.
"Hey, give me some!" Sam said, grabbing the bag from her daughter.
"Man, this is great," Gibby said. "My restaurant dream lives on!"
"Actually, dad, I wanted to talk to you about that," Quincy said. "See, running the restaurant was fun and everything, but I don't think I really want to make it a permanent thing."
"W-What?" Gibby stammered.
"Yeah, it was an interesting experience, but I think I'm done with it," Quincy said.
"Wait, so Clarissa and I don't get to be publicity managers?" Ashton frowned. "Dude! Not cool!"
"Sorry," Quincy said.
"Emma, do something!" Clarissa said.
"You still gonna make me those onion rings when I go over to your place?" Emma asked Quincy.
"Sure," Quincy shrugged.
"Then I'm good," Emma said.
"You are useless," Ashton hissed at her twin.
"Well," Gibby said as the four teens headed upstairs. "My heart's broken in twenty places."
"Because your son didn't want to have a basement restaurant?" Carly asked. "Gib, if that's your perception of heartbreak, you've got some intense romance movies you need to watch."
"You know what?" Gibby said, ignoring Carly's comment. "I'm not giving up on this! I'm gonna go quit my job right now so I can put all my effort into opening a real restaurant!"
"Um, Gibby, you may-" Sam started, but Gibby was already out the door.
"I don't know about that guy sometimes," Carly said, shaking her head.
"I know, someone needs to have him on a leash or something," Sam said.
