5: Andrew vs. Dakota

Tom spends the day at the Johnson house for the first time and meets his family.

Andrew invites Tom over to spend the day.

Los Angeles: Colonial Park

Tom’s mother, Daisy, gives Tom a ride over to Andrew’s house.

Tom: Wow! This is a big neighborhood.

Daisy: I’ll say. So who is this friend of yours?

Tom: His name is Andrew Johnson, but everyone calls him Andy for short. He’s a bit of a shy guy, quiet, funny and smart. I was really surprised he invited me over today.

Daisy: Well it’s great to hear you’re making friends. What about your old friends in Jacksonville?

Tom: I still stay in contact with them. They still hate the fact that we just up and left Florida and came all the way here to California.

Daisy: What about Drake? How is he doing these days?

Tom(smiles): Drake, he is the same as ever. He’s still trying to get a date using his terrible jokes.

Daisy: You think you should have told him his jokes aren’t that good?

Tom(laughing): Ha-ha-ha, I have but he just didn’t listen ha-ha-ha!

Both Tom and Daisy laugh so hard they don’t realize that they drive past Andrew’s house.

Tom(still laughing): Ha-ha-ha, mom you past it ha-h-ha!

Daisy drives back around. Tom gets out of the car.

Daisy: Give me a call if you need anything or when you’re finished here.

Tom(still laughing): Ok ha-ha-ha!

Daisy drives off. Tom walks up to the front door and rings the doorbell. Andrew answers the door with Tom still laughing.

Andrew: Hi

Tom(still laughing): Ha-ha, Hey Andy.

Andrew(smile): What’s so funny.

Tom(calming down): Nothing.

Andrew’s House: Main Floor

Andrew guides Tom into the kitchen where his mother and grandfather are.

Andrew: This is the kitchen.

Tom: Wow! It’s way bigger on the inside then it is on the outside.

Andrew: What is?

Tom: The houses. They look bigger on the inside then they do on the outside.

Andrew: Yeah. Mom, grandpa, this is Tom.

Tom: Hi

Andrew’s Mother: So you’re Tom. Andrew has told us many things about you. Like you’re from Florida.

Tom: Yes. I moved here from Jacksonville, Florida.

Andrew’s Mother: Florida eh.

Andrew’s Grandfather: There’s not that much difference in heat is there then Tom?

Tom: No is feels a bit cooler here than it does in Florida. The only difference I can say is that it’s more of a party here than in Florida.

Andrew’s Grandfather: You haven’t experienced a party until you’ve experienced a bonfire.

Andrew(panicked/smile): Grandpa.

Andrew’s Mother: Relax Andrew it was just a joke.

Disregarding his mother and grandfather Andrew turns toward Tom.

Andrew: So what do you want to do?

Tom: It’s your house, what do you want to do.

The attention shifts toward Andrew.

Andrew: But you’re the guest.

Tom: But I don’t live here. I don’t know what you’ve got.

Andrew’s Mother: We’ve got a pool table or you can play videogames.

Andrew’s Grandfather: Or you could sit and think or do some yard work.

Tom(joking): Yeah, let’s do some yard work.

Andrew: Come on, were playing ping pong.

Tom: (laugh)

Andrew’s House: Basement

Andrew guides Tom to the basement.

Tom: Wow! It looks like a bar down here.

Andrew: Yeah. Help me with this.

Andrew and Tom lay two halves of a ping pong table over the pool table and set up the net. Both grab a paddle with Andrew serving first.

Andrew: Ready?

Tom: Yeah

 

Andrew serves the ball. The ball bounces onto the table into the net and bounces back to Andrew.

Tom(laugh): What was that.

Andrew: (evil smile)

Andrew serves the ball again. The ball bounces over the net onto Tom’s side of the table, out of bounds, and over the couch behind Tom.

Tom(laughing): Hey, that’s not fair. (calming down) I wasn’t ready.

Andrew(smiling): It hit your side of the table. It counts.

Tom: Whatever. I’ll get the ball.

Tom turns around and the ping pong ball flies at Tom. Tom catches the ball.

Tom(confused): Eh?

Dakota(sleepy): Can you guys keep it down.

Dakota gets up off the couch and comes around to the pool table.

Andrew(evil smile): Were playing a game here.

Dakota(awake): And I was sleeping until you woke me up.

Andrew(evil smile): It’s past noon.

Dakota: So what do you care?

Dakota finally notices Tom.

Dakota: Who is this?

Tom: Hi, I’m Tom…

Dakota(interrupting Tom): Cannon. Andy never shuts up about you.

Tom(smile): Andy never shutting up? I find that hard to believe.

Dakota: Whatever. What are you doing here anyway?

Tom: Andy invited me.

Dakota: Yeah that figures as much. I’m going to play videogames.

Dakota walks into a separate room in the basement.

Tom: Well that was fun. You never told me you had a little brother.

Andrew(evil smile): Didn’t I? He needs a haircut.

Tom serves the ball. Andrew and Tom return the ball to each other as they talk.

Tom: What about your dad? I didn’t see him today.

Andrew: He’s not here today.

Tom: Why? Is he on some business trip?

Andrew: What about you? Do you have any siblings?

Tom: No and my father died when I was young. So I don’t remember him.

Andrew: That’s terrible.

Andrew misses the ball and it bounces out of bounds.

Tom: Point

Andrew serves the ball. Tom returns the ball back to Andrew. Andrew returns the ball back to Tom. Tom swings too early and the ball bounces off the table. Tom quickly hit’s the ball back into the air before it hits the ground. Tom hit the ball so hard that it flies back over the table and past Andrew’s head.

Andrew: Point.

Tom: So the scores 2 to 2

Andrew: Next point winner?

Tom: Ok.

Andrew serves the ball. Tom returns the ball back to Andrew. Andrew hit’s the ball but it flies to his the right. Andrew quickly hit’s the ball again and it bounces behind him. Andrew hit’s the ball again and it bounces onto Tom’s side of the table. Tom misses and the ball falls out of bounds.

Andrew(smirk): What’s wrong with you. I worked hard to keep the ball off the ground and you miss it.

Tom(smile): Sorry, I guess I just slipped.

Andrew(still smirking): You better had.

Tom: So what’s next?

Andrew grabs a big sheet of construction paper.

Andrew: Let’s mess with Dakota.

Tom: Ha-ha, your evil.

Andrew and Tom join Dakota in the other room. Tom sits down on the couch beside Dakota playing Halo while Andrew stands beside the TV with the construction paper behind him.

Tom: What are you playing?

Dakota: Halo

Tom: You playing online with friends?

Dakota: Yeah we’re playing forge.

Tom: You’re the Red Trooper?

Dakota: Yeah.

The Blue Trooper charges directly at the Red Trooper.

Tom: Head on? You have the advantage of shooting and killing em.

The Blue Trooper closes in on the Red Trooper.

Just as Dakota is about to shoot the Blue Trooper, Andrew places the construction paper over the TV blocking the screen.

Dakota(mad): Hey!

Andrew: Look at that. It magically sticks.

By the time Dakota could remove the construction paper, the game is over with a score of 9 to 10.

Dakota(angry): You cost me the game.

Tom: (smile)

Andrew: (evil smile)

Dakota: Come on, you versus me. The first to ten wins.

Andrew: You lost to me the last time we played.

Dakota: It doesn’t mean I’ll lose this time.

Andrew: Alright then pass me the controller.

Dakota tosses a controller at Andrew.

Andrew(evil smile): Someone’s mad.

Tom: This will be interesting.

Dakota becomes the Red Trooper and Andrew becomes the Blue Trooper. The field of play becomes a desert ruin field.

The Red Trooper searches for the Blue Trooper once the game starts. After a while the Red Trooper enters the ruin and is then sniped and dies.

Tom: I didn’t think that would work.

Andrew: One point. You’re already losing.

Dakota: Shut up.

The Blue Trooper exit’s the ruins and steps onto a landmine and dies.

Tom: That score gap didn’t last that long.

Dakota: Who was behind Andy?

Andrew and Dakota trade off killing each other until the score arrives 9 to 9.

Tom: Who would have seen this coming?

Andrew: Déjà vu isn’t it Dakota? Don’t choke.

Dakota: At least this time you won’t block the screen.

The Red and Blue Troopers stand at gunpoint. The Red Trooper fires at the Blue Trooper. The Blue Trooper jumps out of the way. The Blue Trooper fires at the Red Trooper while in mid-air. The Red Trooper dodges. Both sides return fire to each other with both sides missing. The Blue Trooper fires at Red Trooper. The Red Trooper jumps to the right. As the Red Trooper falls, he heads straight for a landmine.

Tom: Looks like this is check.

Dakota: What?

Before the Red Trooper lands on the landmine, both players suddenly die.

Tom: Whoa! Didn’t see that coming. So who wins?

Andrew: We both lose. Come on.

Andrew and Tom depart the room.

Andrew’s House: Kitchen

Hours pass and it is almost time for Tom to leave.

Andrew: What time do you have to go?

Tom: My mom should be here any minute.

Dakota comes upstairs into the kitchen.

Andrew: Yay, Dakota finally comes into the light.

Tom: Have you been downstairs playing the entire time?

Andrew: It’s what he does.

Dakota: I’m going to take a shower.

Dakota exits. The doorbell rings. Andrew answers the door with Daisy at the door.

Andrew: Hi

Tom: Hi mom. It’s time to go already?

Daisy: Yes.

Tom: Alright then. It was fun Andy. Seya

Andrew(shy): Yeah See ya.

Tom and his mother depart from Andrew’s house.