Family Matters - E6

EXT. WALKING TRAIL – MORNING

What the trail has lost in snow, it has made up in green grass and other plant life alongside. It is also a bit more active this time, with at least one or more other joggers visible nearby or in the distance throughout the scene. Father, DJ and Fat again walk side by side with children and dogs kept close, all are dressed warmly but not overburdened. One of DJ's dogs veers off to the side of the trail and sniffs around, the three stop to watch him.

- Father
I swear someone told me that the season was over.

- DJ
It was, for us. Haven't you at least seen the signs?

- Father
Only a display at the grocery store the other day, which is why I asked about it today. I suppose that's why Daughter was inviting her friend from the anger management class over, to watch it. She did say they would be taking over the TV room.

- Fat (to Father)
My eldest invited her friends over too, along with what must be every boy in her grade. Pretty sure I saw your son on the guest list.

Father and DJ both give commiserative looks at Fat, who laughs uncomfortably.

- Fat
Oh, but it's been so long since I swore off football that I'm actually looking forward to this evening, if only for the novelty.

- Father
If they ever get to be too much, don't hesitate to ask Son to help you toss them all out.

- Fat
And ruin my reputation as a cool dad?

- DJ
You have to set the noise level by example. Speak just loudly enough to be heard, and they'll match you.

- Fat
Wife's been worrying much more than me about this party. She's cooking a feast that I'm sure could feed thirty, for us and the ten or so others who will be there.

- Father
You're dealing with teenagers, you know how much they eat. Better to overestimate than underestimate.

- Fat
True. I even had a few parents call yesterday to suggest their kids bring food and make a potluck of it, but we had already done the shopping.

- DJ
And the game itself, are you looking forward to that?

The other two look at DJ in confusion, and he sighs.

- DJ
I'm curious, are either of you actually planning on watching the game? You seem more interested in the food preparation.

- Fat
In our defense, food is a big part of the event. I certainly remember that part most fondly from back in my childhood. As for the game, from start to finish if my stomach doesn't clench up.

- Father
From kick on to kick off, but I'm really looking forward to the commercials. I've heard they're always a bit crazy but I always forget to look them up afterward. I'll be watching them in their natural state for the first time.

- DJ
So really, neither of you care much for the game. It's the food, the commercials and the memories.

They nod, and DJ grins.

- DJ
I thought so. I'm the same, except that it's also somewhat my job to do all that. For a second there it sounded like you two might have become more serious about the Super Bowl than I am about my job.

- Father
Not likely!

- DJ
Impossible.

- Baby
Oui oui!

DJ and Fat look to Father with identical smirks.

- Fat
So you trained her to tell you when she needs to be changed?

---

EXT. WALKING TRAIL– MIDDAY

Mother and BUTCH LESBIAN jog along the trail at a relatively quick pace, speech is difficult but not impossible. Butch is a tough woman with short military cropped hair and a sleeveless shirt that shows off her muscular arms. Mother is the smaller of the two, but seems a bit less winded by their pace.

- Butch
You watching the game today?

- Mother
No. You?

- Butch
Wouldn't miss it.

- Mother
Couldn't watch the game oversees?

- Butch
You kidding? Couple days late, but we got a free cigar.

- Mother
So that's where your lung strength went.

Butch sends a playful punch at Mother's shoulder, but Mother glides away from it then returns back to Butch's side.

- Mother
Too slow, Butch.

- Butch
Dodge a bullet, then I'll be impressed.

Butch throws another surprise jab and Mother slips away again, they continue their fast jog, Butch occasionally throws a punch and Mother ducks away then returns to Butch's side every time.

---

INT. FAMILY HOME TV ROOM – EARLY EVENING

This room has a large number of comfy modular couch parts, no windows and a large flat-screen TV. Daughter and BAD INFLUENCE enter the room, Daughter carries a large bowl of popcorn, Bad has two plastic bottles of Carbonated brand soda and an opaque cup filled with water. Bad is a girl about a year older than Daughter, she wears a too-large leather jacket. Daughter quickly puts the popcorn down and turns on the TV, then switches to a channel where two sports broadcasters are in pre-game commentary. She keeps the TV muted, and the two arrange the chair parts in the room to form two large throne-like arrangements. Daughter speaks as they are form the thrones, and sometimes models a feature of the couches for Bad.

- Daughter
Exactly like I said, right? A perfect viewing room for the game. Oh, if you  use the foot rest part make sure you leave a space there, and put another one behind it like this.

- Bad
Jeez, yeah, I'm not stupid or something.

- Daughter
Neither am I, but I made exactly that mistake a few times when we first got these. Here, pass me my Carbonated.

Bad flips the bottle around in her hand and hands it top-first to Daughter with a raised eyebrow.

- Bad
Well okay, but don't complain to me if you finish it before the game even starts.

- Daughter
Look here, the right armrest parts have cup holders and bottle-sized storage compartments, it'll keep a little colder in there. Lift on this part and, there it is.

Bad opens the compartment of her couch part and her eyes light up. She pulls out an empty wine bottle.

- Bad
Whoa shit, there's a giant bottle of wine in here!

- Daughter
Gross. Mom and dad must have been watching one of their old sappy movies in here, they usually drink a little wine with those. Is it … ?

- Bad (disappointed)
Yeah, totally empty. Least they could have done was leave us some, right?

- Daughter (slowly, not sure if it was a joke)
Yeah, sure. Here, let me take it.

Daughter takes the bottle from Bad with care and holds it far away from herself, then walks to the door.

- Daughter
The recycle bin is down the hall, give a shout if the game starts.

Bad nods and turns around to settle in to her couch throne and waits for the door to click closed. The moment it does, she drinks the cup of water in one gulp then opens the Carbonated, pours it in to the water cup until that is about half full then pulls a small hip flask from an inside pocket of her coat and fills the cup the rest of the way. She quickly returns the hip flask to her pocket, seals the soda bottle and places it in the couch compartment just as Daughter re-enters the room.

- Bad
Hey, so, where did you put the remote - ?

Daughter walks over to Bad's chair, leans down and takes a deep sniff over the cup. She recoils and wrinkles her nose.

- Daughter
Rum and coke huh?

- Bad
Hey! Now wait just a damn minute, how did you - ?

- Daughter
You were impressed by my detective skills last week, and now you're mad when they get used on you?

Calmly, Daughter walks over to her own throne and sits, she scoops up a handful of popcorn and pops one in to her mouth.

- Daughter
Relax, I don't care. To be precise I do care, but I'm not going to stop you. If you want to drink and smoke, I can't exactly stop you if I'm not nearby when you do it. Therefore, I'm not going to stop you when I am nearby, even if I think you shouldn't.

- Bad (angry, curious)
How did you know I smoke?

- Daughter
I saw you behind the building the other day. That jacket of yours is pretty distinctive, even at a distance.

- Bad
And you really don't care?

- Daughter
No, I do care. But if I can't stop you all of the time, why should I stop you some of the time? It would be pointless. It's your body, yours to protect and yours to hurt.

- Bad
So … if I let myself get raped, you'd be okay with that?

- Daughter (with a grin)
And that is exactly what I like about you Bad. You immediately go dark.

- Bad (also has a grin)
You didn't answer the question.

- Daughter
Right, okay … first, it wouldn't be rape cause it would be consensual in some weird sense. You said you LET yourself get raped. Second, even if I couldn't stop you, I would still feel sorry for you. Sorrow is what you're supposed to feel after something tragic happens; it's pointless to feel guilt. So I feel sorry for you and your lungs, but I don't feel guilty for not stopping you from smoking your first cigarette back in … let me guess, fourth grade?

- Bad
Whoa, yeah, dead on! Hey, so do you mind if I smoke as we watch the game?

- Daughter
In an enclosed room, normally I would mind cause of the second hand smoke. But you're in luck.

Daughter pulls out the universal remote and presses a button on it, which causes a soft WHIR from above.

- Daughter
My dad smokes too, so they modified this room with a stove vent fan. The smoke goes up and out as long as you don't blow it in my face.

Bad slowly takes a small pack of cigarettes from an inner pocket and pops one out for herself. She offers another to Daughter, who politely declines. Bad grins, lights the cigarette with a practiced flip of her lighter, and settles back in to her chair.

- Bad (satisfied smile)
Best Super Bowl party ever.

- Daughter (nods, eats a piece of popcorn)
You're welcome.

---

INT. MAN HOME LIVING ROOM – EVENING

This room looks like many traditional living rooms, with soft carpet and a few couches. A short banister to the side separates this area from the kitchen, where Fat Man is helps his wife WIFE MAN with the last minute dinner prep. The most obvious feature of the living room though is a giant TV, set in its own custom-made cabinet. There are more people than seats at the couches, but somehow they all fit in the area. Some watch the TV, which shows the game, while others talk with each other. Son is on the floor and right in the middle of a group of girls his age and older, who seem enraptured by a story he tells. Brother enters the room from another as he returns a cellphone to his pocket, and he gestures to Son. After a few more sharp gestures, Son notices him, nods and extricates himself from the circle, he smiles apologetically at them as he leaves. He and Brother walk a short distance down the hall, where it is quieter.

- Son
Hey Brother, what's up?

- Brother
Cousin called, she's done editing the interview.

- Son
She was working on that today?

- Brother
Indeed. She is not a social person, or interested in sports. Can you meet on Monday to view it, in case we need to re-shoot anything before Wednesday?

- Son
Sure, sounds great! And speaking of social, before you took that call you didn't seem to be talking much with anyone when you were watching the game. Want me to send a few of mine over to sit closer to you?

- Brother (small smirk)
Ah, no. They are not exactly … my type. Know what I mean?

Son turns around with a puzzled look, and waves back when one of the girls there waves for him to return.

- Son
The hot chick type isn't your type?

Brother's eyes narrow dangerously, then he gives a small laugh.

- Brother
Something like that.

Son looks confused, then a flash of insight seems to hit him as Brother shoulders his way past him. Son now watches Brother return to the couches with a covert look of appraisal.