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Family Matters - E30

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INT. PAINTBALL PARK OFFICE – MIDDAY

The office is a bit more clean and organized this time, and the wall of banned patron pictures is entirely gone. Son sits behind the front desk, he looks bored as he flips through the stack of banned patron pictures in his hands. The bell over the door CHIMES as a group of three Students enter the office, already in their paintball gear, their helmets off and clipped to their sides. SONNY enters with them and stands nearby; he is a tall teen with bright yellow hair and an easy grin. The students approach Son, one looks angry as the other two try to calm him.

- Students (angry one first)
What's this supposed to mean? Come on man, it's nothing. Yeah, don't get angry about nothing.

The angry student slaps a paper down on the front desk as Son puts the banned patron pictures away and smiles up at him.

- Son (innocently)
The injuries and lawsuits form? That's so we can't be sued if someone shoots someone in the eye.

The angry student points roughly at a specific passage.

- Students (angry one first)
This part here, hidden at the bottom, "Park patrons agree by signing this document to forgo the ownership rights to any and all footage filmed on Park premises." It only means we shouldn't use our phones to take video. Not like we would, so chill.

- Son (smiles brightly)
Your friends are right, Mr. Vet feels that it is better to discourage rather than outright ban filming. Also there was a few problems with patrons using helmet-mounted cameras back when that section was only a warning to patrons saying they shouldn't film here.

- Students (angry one first)
Why? Let it go man. And chill!

- Son
Unsafe practices. Anyone filming is not as focused on their surroundings, which causes injuries. And if a camera was broken by a stray paintball, we could be liable without this section, meaning it's really a bit like the injuries section.

- Students (angry one last)
See, totally explainable. I said it was nothing. My parents are lawyers and they would not advise anyone to sign a document this unnecessary!

- Sonny walks up behind the angry student and puts one arm around his shoulders in a friendly manner and the other around one of the other two students.

- Sonny
Dude, so there's no problem at all!

The angry student strangely becomes suddenly calmer, as the other student Sonny has an arm around grins and the third looks confused.

- Students (angry one first, confused one last)
Yes there – whoa, don't I know you? Dude, of course we do, it's him! Him?

- Sonny
It's me dudes, Sonny! From that time?

Sonny reaches out and rests a hand on the third student's shoulder, who suddenly grins like the second one did.

- Students (angry one last)
Yeah, of course dude! Dude, how could I forget Sonny! Yeah dudes, I think I – wait, what about my complaint?

- Sonny
We're all rebels here, right dudes? So what if your parents wouldn't like it! That's more reason to do it!

- Students (angry one last)
Whoa, dude! Dude, Sonny is so right! Oh dudes, what was I thinking!

- Sonny
Don't stress it dude, as long as you understand now. Hey, why don't you dudes go back out to your game?

The students nod and laugh as Sonny takes his arms off them, they turn and head for the door as one, after the student who was angry offhandedly signs the bottom of the document. The door bell CHIMES again as they leave.

- Son
Now that was decently impressive.

With an air of calm, Son files the document and smiles up at Sonny, who grins happily back at him.

- Sonny
I'm glad I could help dude, but I've got no idea what you mean.

- Son
Manipulating them like that? It obviously wasn't normal.

- Sonny
Maybe I'm just a natural positivity inspiring dude.

- Son
You could be completely natural and still be, as someone I know puts it, a bit freaky. I don't have a problem with that, but I don't like you manipulating people into signing legal documents.

- Sonny
Isn't that what you've been doing too? You've been pretty guilty recently, for lying to dudes about why they need to sign that document.

- Son (curious)
How did you do that? I've been thinking about hospitals since you -

- Sonny
Oh, that big mental block you have? Yeah, I have my ways around it dude. So, this guilt: wanna talk about it?

- Son
Not especially.

- Sonny
Then … you wanna feel better about it?

Sonny holds a hand out, palm up, for Son to take.

- Sonny
Remember, I'm a natural positivity inspiring dude, I can have you feeling better about everything.

- Son
No thanks.

Son shakes his head with a sad grin, and Sonny pulls his hand back with a shrug.

- Son
If anything, I'd like to feel worse about what I do. Can you do that?

- Sonny
Sorry dude, positivity only. But why you gotta be so harsh on -

The door bell CHIMES again as Grizzled Vet enters the office in his usual camouflage pattern fatigues, a little grumpy as usual.

- Grizzled
I've shown them kids the starting positions, you take over at the screens and I'll – who are you?

Grizzled scowls angrily at Sonny, who grins back.

- Sonny
I'm Sonny dude, I'm just -

- Son (interrupts)
He's a friend of mine, Mr. Vet. A friend who was leaving soon.

Grizzled scowls at Son now, he looks displeased.

- Grizzled
And how much does he know?

- Son (pointedly)
About our Friends of the Park Discount? That's all I've told him about.

- Sonny
Yeah dude, I'm all excited to be a Park Friend!

- Grizzled
Well, if he's leaving … you, kid, you talk like one of those hippie types. Are you a hippie?

- Sonny
I don't know dude, what's a hippie?

- Grizzled
Hippies are idiots who believe peace can last without the occasional war to reinforce it.

- Sonny
Oh, okay dude, but I don't know much about peace and war. I'm just kind of a positive dude, know what I mean?

- Grizzled (to Son)
Is he for real?

- Son (to Sonny)
Hey Sonny, sorry I have to cut your visit short, but I really need to get to work now and -

- Sonny
I understand dude. Hey, we should hang out some time, maybe later?

- Son (nods)
We'll talk. See ya!

Sonny nods and waves as he walks toward the door, he pats Grizzled on the back as he walks past and Grizzled stands a little straighter, a puzzled look on his face. The door bell CHIMES as Sonny leaves.

- Grizzled (slowly)
You know … that Sonny's an okay kid.

- Son (shrugs, nods)
He seems to have that effect on people.

Son stands from the desk chair and walks toward the back room, as Grizzled takes his place at the desk.



EXT. CRAG HILL PARK – EARLY EVENING

A short montage of Son and Sonny, who merrily skip through the park's trails hand in hand. The world around them is bright and vibrant, with almost a happy rainbow feel. Sonny nearly glows with joy and Son looks happier than he has in a long time. Finally they come to a stop at a park bench; Sonny sits and releases Son's hand, then Son lays down with his head in Sonny's lap. Son sighs happily, and looks up at Sonny.

- Son
When did you … Dude, how? I feel great, but this is all wrong.

- Sonny
Is it really? Dude, why is it wrong to be positive?

- Son
Happiness isn't all there is to life, it's not something anyone can or should feel all the time.

- Sonny
Positivity is all I ever feel.

- Son
Well that's … if I didn't feel so happy right now, I would be feeling a little sad for you dude.

- Sonny
But dude! It's great to be positive all the time! It's … so great!

- Son
If all you ever feel is happiness, how can you know it's great? You have nothing else to compare it with.

- Sonny
If I ever felt … uh, something besides positive, what would I gain from it dude? Would it feel even better, with something to compare?

- Son (slowly)
Dude, that would be the idea.

- Sonny
I think there are experiences you don't need to have dude. Like maybe there's some … not-positive feeling that, if I felt it, would make my positivity feel a little better. But why should I feel not-positive for even a little while dude? What a waste of time that would be!

- Son
Aren't you at least curious? To know what sadness is like?

- Sonny (slowly, admits)
A little.

- Son
What if someday - say, a week before you die - you feel sad? And then you felt how great it is to be happy after feeling sad. Wouldn't it be better to have tried sadness sooner?

- Sonny
Dude, feeling not-positive could also make me wish I had never tried it. And then I'd feel not-positive for my last week of life, for ruining that perfect record.

- Son
So dude, feeling sadness even once would either make you feel even better or much worse, and not feeling sadness is what, avoiding the issue?

- Sonny
I guess. You're feeling my positivity energy now, isn't it great dude? And I could do this forever, we could stay like this … forever.

- Son
You know, not so long ago I was a lot like you. I worked really hard to always be positive, and it felt great! But then my dad had this big revelation moment with me. And my little sister had some bad stuff happen to her. I thought I found someone I liked, but he was really a bad person, then I found someone I really liked and I still can't tell them. Dad got taken, my mom was shot … Cousin was shot and I couldn't even visit because I'm too scared of hospitals! Assassins came to my school, just to kill me!

Son sits up, stands and walks away from Sonny, he looks pensive.

- Son
And now I've got this job, where I have to lie to people. I don't like lying, but Mr. Vet isn't hurting anyone with what he does.

Son turns back to Sonny, who looks at him with hopeful eyes.

- Son
So thanks, but no thanks. I want to feel sad sometimes, because life isn't all happiness. I want to feel guilt for my lies, I want to still know that it's bad to lie.

Sonny stands from the bench and walks to Son, he offers his hand palm-up again.

- Sonny
Dude, you could take my hand and feel positive for the rest of your life. Or, I could reach out and make you feel it.

- Son
But would you? Would you take me against my will, to live and die in that happy dream?

- Sonny
I might. I may be positive all the time dude, but I'm not always nice. In fact, I'm pretty practical. And I want you to be positive like me dude, because … I like you dude.

- Son
That … should probably be scarier than it is. But I think I trust you. You might be practical, you might not always be nice, but I believe you're a good person. And -

Son leans forward, past Sonny's hand, and awkwardly kisses Sonny. The kiss turns real after a moment, then they part.

- Son
- and I maybe like you too. It's a little hard to tell, what with the positive energy thing.

- Sonny (amazed)
Whoa. Dude, that was … whoa. That was my first kiss dude, it was … even better than how I normally feel.

- Son (surprised)
That was your first kiss? I kissed Eldest once, since we still believed in cooties and I was trying to infect her. I guess this was my first kiss with a guy … Oh for, ARRG! With your positive energy thing, I still don't know if I'm bi or what!

Son stomps around angrily for a moment, he looks furious with himself. Sonny meanwhile looks completely confused.

- Sonny
Whoa, dude, hold up, what?

- Son (a little bitter)
Sorry, too much information?

- Sonny
You're not gay?

- Son (shrugs)
Oh, that … I don't know. I think I'm still attracted to Cousin, even after that kiss, so I'm at least bi. Actually, I could still be straight.

- Sonny
But we kissed! You kissed me dude!

- Son
And you constantly give off positive energy, which could explain why I enjoyed it.

- Sonny
But dude, you kissed me! I wasn't touching you and you kissed me!

- Son
So I'm straight and just really, really open to trying new things. And come on, that was such a kiss moment. If I had that kind of moment with Cousin, I'd kiss her in a heartbeat.

- Sonny
YOU KISSED ME!

- Son
Now that's interesting. Frustration is a non-positive emotion, this is a big moment for you!
This is ... a hard one to comment on. Say one thing and I'm a bigot, say another and I doth protest too much. For simplicity, here's my position: I am not Son, Son is not me. I can empathize with (from a certain distanced perspective) his position, confusion and frustration, but I do not have them myself. I think I mentioned back in an earlier episode's description that Son being bi was a spur of the moment thing based on my wanting him to be a more nuanced character, and I'm certainly happy with all that has happened because of it. But I am not Son. For one thing, I'm nowhere near as popular.

Today there's some light sexual themes going on, with just a bit of ideologically sensative material, and really this whole series may have any number of things wrong with it, things that should really make me consider putting up the Mature Content warning. If you feel that I should for this particular episode you should tell me, I look forward to discussing the matter with you!

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