ACT II

SCENE VII

[Setting: The living room/ kitchen room of QUINN's home. It's late noon, and the family, along with CODY who'd been invited for dinner were sitting about and eating rice from their plates as they talked.]

QUINN'S MOTHER: (To CODY.) Eat up, we must do something about how small you are.

CODY: (Blushes.)

QUINN: Mum, stop.

QUINN'S MOTHER: (Laughs.)

QUINN: (To CODY.) You can have as much as you want.

CODY: (Smiles as he reaches out for the bowl across the living room's center table.)

QUINN'S MOTHER: So, what do you plan to do after graduation? Trade? Most of the boys in your year are doing a trade.

CODY: (Stays silent.)

QUINN'S MOTHER: I'm guessing you haven't decided yet.

CODY: (Nods.)

JANET: You're so quiet. (Laughs.)

QUINN: Leave him alone. (Glares at JANET.)

JANET: I'm sorry. (Laughs.)

[QUINN's father was quiet throughout the scene. He was reading a newspaper at the kitchen counter, and soon ended up talking to QUINN's mother for the most part of the evening.]

[Eventually, QUINN's mum and dad left the living room/Kitchen leaving JANET, CODY, and QUINN alone. The three had put on the TV, and it was now playing an old film QUINN's family had on DVD.

The two boys cuddled on the couch, while QUINN's sister sat on one of the wooden chairs on the small dining table by the kitchen.]

QUINN: (Looks down at CODY who had his head rested on his shoulder.) Is something wrong?

CODY: (Shrugs.) I have to head back soon.

QUINN: Oh. (Looks back up.)

QUINN: You can sleep over if you want. It's the weekend after all.

CODY: They'll wonder where I am—

QUINN: You can do what you did the last time you were here. You can sleep here, then I'll wake you up early in the morning, how does that sound?

CODY: (Sucks on teeth as he proceeded to think about it.)

[CODY didn't want to go home, and his brother might be up at this time just to taunt him when he got back — somehow, he'd picked up on the fact that CODY wasn't just wondering about the streets, but was meeting up with someone.]

CODY: Okay.

QUINN: (Turns to CODY before smiling.)

[They sat on the couch together until the movie ended.]

JANET: Oh, he's staying over. (Lets her eyes follow QUINN and CODY as they made to leave the living room for QUINN's bedroom.)

QUINN: Yeah. (Smiles at his sister.)

JANET: (Rolls her eyes before looking away.)

CODY: (Hugs himself as he walks into QUINN's small bedroom.)

QUINN: Come on. (Takes CODY's hand, before leading him to the small closet to find something to change into.)

[Soon CODY was in one of QUINN's tank tops and a pair of shorts.]

QUINN: (Looks over at CODY who's standing by the closet) Do you want to sleep standing? (Laughs.)

CODY: (Looks away.) N—No.

QUINN: Then come here. (Taps the mattress.)

CODY: (Stares at QUINN for a bit before heading to join him on the bed.)

QUINN: See, isn't this better than standing. (Laughs.)

CODY: (Cuddling up to QUINN.) shut up.

QUINN: (Stops laughing before turning to CODY.) You said something, finally. (Laughs.)

CODY: (Find's himself blushing from embarrassment.) Shut up—

QUINN: (Laughs.)

[The two boys talked for a while until they both fell asleep in each other's arms.]

Curtains fall.