At home, Dan found DJ's AV club circled around the kitchen table again. Dan waved a short acknowledging wave at the kids and then motioned for DJ to follow him into the living room. Once they were in, Dan put Jerry down and Jerry
"DJ you're grounded. You know you're not supposed to have friends over." Dan was stern with DJ; after all he was still mad about what happened in St. Louis.
DJ shook his head in protest. "But Dad, if we make this movie we could use it to get into film school."
Dan became slightly confused. "Film school? What are talking about?"
DJ sighed. "There's this scholarship thing for high schools students in the Midwest. If you make a movie that is at least thirty minutes long and features at least three main characters and at least two different settings, you can send it to film schools in California or New York. If a school likes you're movie they'll give you a full ride. I'm hoping for UCLA." Dan took a few seconds to register what his son just told him. "That's the University…"
Dan cut DJ off. "…Of California Los Angeles. Just because I didn't go to College doesn't mean I don't know the acronyms." Dan glared at his son. "So you're saying that if you make this movie and someone likes it you'll go to college for free?" DJ nodded and Dan lightened up. "Carry on…"
DJ joined his friends in the kitchen and Dan left Jerry under the teenager's supervision and went to work in the garage. He hadn't worked on his boat in a while…
Becky and Mark were fighting again. Mark got home and was pissed that Becky hadn't even started dinner yet. Becky was pissed that even though she worked too she was always expected to make dinner. What was even more frustrating to the both of them was that they had never fought over this before.
"You're mom always had dinner ready when your dad got home from work!" Mark shouted standing in front of the tiny stove.
"Yeah but my dad never expected to be fed once he got home!" Becky quipped from their bedroom.
"Your dad was probably afraid to say that was expected!" Mark shouted, referring to how sometimes it seemed as though Dan was afraid of Roseanne.
Becky grew red with fury. "What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means we're turning into them!" Mark shouted louder than before.
"Oh yeah how?" Becky asked. Reminding Mark so much of Roseanne that it was scary.
"You go to work. I go to work. We get home. We fight. We make up. Go to bed and do it all over again tomorrow." Mark said loudly but not as loud as before.
Becky shook her head. "No. That's not what you meant."
Mark was breathing heavy to calm himself down. When that didn't work he lit a cigarette. "What the hell do you mean that's not what I meant?" He said with his cigarette in his mouth.
"You meant something else Mark. I want to know what you really meant!" Becky was madder than ever. Mark gave up and stormed out of the trailer, hopped in his truck and left. Becky sat on the bed and cried.
In Chicago, David sat on the couch in the apartment pondering every word that Dan had used to describe Roseanne's pregnancy. Specifically the emotional roller coaster part. That's what David was sure he and Darlene…mostly Darlene…were feeling.
"I hate my dad! I wish the alcohol killed him!" Darlene claimed one minute kicking a pen that had fell from the counter across the floor. Another minute came, "I can't believe I said that. Alcoholism is a disease…" Then, "E God Dammit! The phrase is 'Four Wheel Drive'!"
David remembered what Dan had said. Just do whatever would make your girl happy. David acted according to Darlene's mood. He was amazed that he was only the subject of Darlene's ill will once or twice. Darlene had transformed into a giant monster with her pregnancy. David struggled to find her in this new personality. Darlene was INSANE!
"You know what sounds good? St. Louis style pizza." Darlene asked and then quickly answered herself.
"What's St. Louis style pizza?" David asked, having never really heard of such a thing.
"It's pizza with provel cheese." Darlene answered pulling out the phone book and searching through for a pizza place that was advertising St. Louis style pizza. "Fuck!" Darlene threw the phone book across the room and David wondered how Dan went through this four times…
The next night Dan packed up Jerry's diaper bag and he and the boys left to go have dinner with Benny and his wife.
"Ah! So this is your young son!" Benny exclaimed taking Jerry from Dan's arms. "He looks so much like you…"
"Uh Benny. This is DJ. DJ this is my friend Benny." Dan introduced them by gesturing with his hand. Benny held Jerry In his left arm and shook DJ's hand with his right.
"Pleased to meet you son. This is my wife Sarah." Sarah was a small sized lady dressed in a green striped sweater and blue jeans. She had huge earrings dangling from her ears. The boys smiled and looked around. The house had the walls covered in pictures and awards. It was as if Benny and Sarah couldn't stand to have a blank spot on the walls.
Everybody sat down on the couch, and Dan felt immediately jealous at Benny's big screen TV. He did the math quickly in his head and figured that two and a half of his TV could fit in Benny's TV.
The boys were all uncomfortable but did their best to hide it. "So Danny, how was work today?" Dan tried to look happy. Today he had tried to talk about going to work at the hardware store with his friends but he had turned into a coward and kept his mouth shut.
"Uh it was fine; we fell short on sheet rock though."
DJ looked at his dad then noticed a Purple Heart on a wall. He jumped up and studied it. "Wow, this is a Purple Heart!" DJ jumped up and studied the award that was behind glass and hanging up on the wall. Dan joined him holding Jerry.
"I didn't know you served, Benny." Dan said as Benny stood behind him.
"I didn't, Sarah did." The boys looked at Sarah as she joined their small group.
"I was a Secretary for the Marine Corps High Command in Seoul when our headquarters was bombed by the Chinese." Sarah explained as though it were nothing.
Dan couldn't think of anything to say except, "Semper Fi." Right then the oven beeped and everyone gathered in the kitchen. Dan sat across from Benny with Jerry on his knee since there was no high chair, and DJ sat next to him. Sarah put all the food on the table and they all dug in.
"This is really good roast." Dan said really meaning it as he savored the meat in his mouth. The roast was juicy and chewy, and the flavor was unbelievable.
DJ nodded, and Dan fed Jerry a mouthful of corn. "So what line of work are you in, Dan?" Sarah asked very friendly.
"Uh right now, I'm in drywall. But in the past I've done garage work." Dan said a little ashamed of the drywall part.
Sarah smiled, "Hey you're earning a living for you and your family. That's nothing to be ashamed of."
Dan nodded and fed Jerry another bite of corn. After seconds they five were done eating. Dan stood up and began working to clear the table. He was surprised when Sarah took the plates out of hands and literally pushed him out of the kitchen. "Shoo, get out of my kitchen."
Dan knew Sarah was playing around; he took DJ and said, "Geeze the men get kicked out of the kitchen in this house. We need to come here more often."
The guys sat in the living room and talked. DJ was sure he was going to be bored out of his mind but found that he actually enjoyed talking to Benny with his dad. Sarah took possession of Jerry and acted he was her own kid. Dan didn't mind that much. Soon Dan decided it was late so he packed up Jerry's diaper bag and they left.
If it was someone else's life Dan was living he wouldn't of believed what they found at home. But it was his life so he believed his own eyes.
