Chapter 35: Incident (Part 2)

Ryan, Mitchell, and Dede then follow Claire into the living room.

Ryan - "where did Phil and Haley go? They were right here."

Claire - "After you left, Phil and I wanted to go after you, but Haley immediately stormed upstairs, so Phil had to head upstairs to console her."

Ryan - "I see."

Dede - "See, I was right. You never were good with kids. You should have aborted."

Ryan - "Aborted?"

Claire - "Wow, you sure are helping your case right now."

Mitchell - "Mom, let me do the talking."

Dede - "Fine."

Mitchell - "So anyway, mom wants to smooth everything over with dad and Gloria. So I was thinking would it be okay if she maybe joined us for dinner tonight."

Dede - "Because it may be the last time you ever see me."

Claire - "Okay, wait. What are you talking about?"

Dede - "Well, I am moving to a far and dangerous place."

Mitchell - "Canada."

Ryan - "Canada isn't dangerous. Correct me if I am wrong I am pretty sure it's one of the safest places in the world."

Dede - "Oh, have you ever been to Canada?"

Ryan - "No, but I have some Canadian friends."

Dede - "I see."

Mitchell - "Ah, besides. She met a man named Chas."

Dede spoke while taking a seat, "He is a logger."

Ryan - "Like a lumberjack?"

Dede - "No, he logs blood samples into a cholesterol study."

Claire - "I see."

Dede - "Anyway, until I am past this wedding fiasco. I can't be intimate with him."

Claire quickly grabbed onto Ryan's head and covered his ears.

Dede - "We do things to each other. We use our hands."

Claire - "Come on, not in front of Ryan."

Haley suddenly appeared downstairs in the hallway and gasped, "Ryan? Uncle Mitchell? Nana? When did you guys arrive?"

Dede - "Come on here and give me Nana a hug."

Haley comes and hugs Dede.

Dede - "Look at you all grown up."

Haley - "Say that to mom. She won't even let me go to a concert."

Dede - "I know Ryan told me about it."

Dede then started laughing suddenly while returning to her seat.

Ryan - "Why are you suddenly laughing?"

Claire - "Yeah, mom, what's so funny."

Dede - "Oh, karma is a funny thing that's all."

"Remember Ricky?"

Claire - "Oh god."

Haley - "Ooh, who is Ricky?"

Claire is visibly distressed and tries walking away as if running away from her past.

Dede - "Ricky was your mother's boyfriend. He looked like Charles Manson, and one night, she didn't come home until 4 in the morning."

Haley - "Oh wow. Mom, what were you and Ricky doing?"

Claire - "Nothing. We were doing nothing."

"What do you even know about him? He was a sweet boy."

Haley - "Dylan's a sweet boy."

Claire - "Dylan is no Ricky. Ricky was a poet."

Haley - "Dylan writes songs. Awesome songs, and maybe you would know that if you bothered to get to know him."

"Just ask Ryan."

Ryan - "Dylan's songs are indeed straight-up fire."

Dede - "haha"

Claire - "Okay, you know, first of all. I am not my mother. I don't judge people before I get a chance to know them."

Ryan gives Claire a stern and doubtful look.

Claire - "Fine, you know what, you invite Dylan over to dinner tonight, and if he is as sweet and kind as you say. Then I have no problem considering letting you go to the concert."

Haley - "Thank you, thank you, mom."

Haley immediately heads over and hugs Claire.

Haley - "I will go call him."

Dede - "That's very revealing."

Claire - "That's my parenting style."

Dede - "No, I meant your blouse."

Claire - "Mom."

Claire leaves the room for the third time since her mom's arrival.

Mitchell - "Not making this easy are you?"

Ryan feels awkward being left alone with Dede, so he quickly follows after Mitchell.

Mitchell - "Claire, come on, stop, stop, stop."

"Let her come to dinner, apologize to dad and Gloria, and she and Chas can live happily ever after."

Claire - "In Canada"

"Wait, why don't you make her fix this instead of you doing it as usual."

Mitchell - "What's that suppose to mean?"

Claire - "You know mom makes a mess, and there is Mitchel to clean it up."

Mitchell - "That's so not true. If anything, you are the one with a screwed-up relationship with mommy."

Claire - "Wow, you heard that right, Ryan? Mommy"

Mitchell - "No, I didn't say it. Damn it."

Ryan - "Can I say something?"

Claire - "Yeah, please go ahead."

Ryan - "I don't think this is a good idea."

Mitchell - "Here he comes butting in again."

Ryan - "Look it's been a month, but Gloria still brings up the time when I disappeared during that football match."

"How do you think she will feel about someone who ruined one of the happiest moments of her life."

Claire - "You know what, I think Ryan is right. You have to get a clearance from daddy."

Mitchell - "Daddy?"

Claire - "No, I didn't."

Mitchell - "You said, daddy."

Claire starts heading upstairs in embarrassment. As Ryan was heading upstairs to meet with Alex, he gets stopped by Mitchell.

Mitchell - "Where do you think you are going?"

Ryan - "Upstairs."

Mitchell - "No, you are coming with me to help convince dad."

Ryan - "Now, why would I ever do that?"

Mitchell took out a ten-dollar note and stuffed it in Ryan's front pocket.

Ryan - "Did you just try to buy me over with a ten?"

Mitchell then took out a one hundred and stuffed it into Ryan's front pocket.

Mitchell - "Is that enough?"

Ryan - "Wow."

Mitchell - "What?"

Ryan - "I didn't expect this to happen at all."

Mitchell - "So you in?"

Ryan - "No, keep your money. I won't sell out for a hundred."

Mitchell - "How much do you want?"

Ryan - "At least a couple thousand."

Mitchell - "A couple thousand? Are you crazy?"

Ryan - "What, you want me a millionaire to sell out for a hundred?"

Mitchell - "Millionaire?"

Ryan - "Yeah, I am a professional writer and have earned around 4 million on my own. Not to mention my dad, who is a billionaire."

Mitchell - "Alex is dating a billionaire's son?"

Ryan - "You know, just cause of that, I am head to Jay's place and convince him against you."

Ryan quickly headed for the exit.