Scene: 1
Nicole walked out of the kitchen and into the family room with a glass of tea in her hand. She saw the sunshine pouring in from the open window and smiled to herself. It was a beautiful morning and she hadn't felt this good in a long time. She sat down on the couch to sip her tea and thought about the previous evening with Chris. Just as she was getting lost in her thoughts, the doorbell rang.
"Hi," Chris smiled at her as she opened the door. "How's my baby today?"
"Hey there sweetie." Nicole put her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm doing great now that you're here. I wasn't expecting to see you this morning. I thought you had to help Ted with that fence today."
"Well, I was on my way over there when I thought I would stop by and see my girl." Chris grinned. "I was also wondering if you would like to come with me and visit with Renee while Ted and I are building the fence. She's a great lady and I know she'd love to see you."
"Sure, I'd love to come with you." Nicole replied. "Come in and sit down for a moment. I need to go get my shoes."
"Okay." Chris walked through the door and sat down on the couch as Nicole disappeared down the hallway. Suddenly he heard whistling behind him. "Gee, that was fast Nicole."
"I'm not Nicole." Shannon scowled from behind him.
"No, but you sure are fast, aren't you?" Chris muttered to himself as he turned around to face Shannon.
"Excuse me?" Shannon retorted. "I didn't quite catch that."
"Maybe not, but I'm sure you've caught something the way you act." Chris remarked.
"What is your problem?" Shannon asked coldly.
"My problem is you." Chris hissed. "Don't think I can't see what you're up to, Shannon. Ryan and Dean are my good friends and I don't like to see them get hurt."
"And when exactly did my personal life become your business, Chris?" Shannon's face was turning red with fury.
"When you started playing Dean and Ryan against one another." Chris retorted.
"Look here Chris..." Shannon started.
"Uh, what's going on here guys?" Nicole interrupted Shannon as she walked back into the room.
"Nothing." Shannon replied coolly at looked right at Chris, "I was just leaving. I'm going over to see Dean now."
Shannon walked out the door and slammed it behind her.
Nicole turned to Chris who had his teeth clenched together in anger, "Sweetie, what's wrong?"
"I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean for you to witness that." Chris started. "It's just that she keeps playing Dean and Ryan against each other and I don't like it."
"Shannon can be like that sometimes, but really she's not all that bad. She's just under a lot of stress right now and she thinks that getting a lot of attention will make her feel good about herself." Nicole replied. "If it will make you feel any better, I'll have a talk with her. Maybe she doesn't realize what she's doing."
"All right, if you think that will help." Chris answered, not totally happy with Nicole's suggestion. "I hope that's all she needs because Dean and Ryan have been best friends since they were in grade school. I don't want to see that ruined."
"I know you don't sweetie." Nicole could tell that he was still upset and decided to change the subject. "Why don't we get going now? I'm sure Ted's wondering where you are."
"Good idea." said Chris. He stood up and put his arm around Nicole as they headed for the front door.
Scene: 2
Ryan was sitting on the sofa in the apartment he shared with Dean and Chris watching Breaker High on television.
"There's never anything on Saturday afternoons, is there?" Ryan muttered to himself. "But I guess it's either this or Saved By the Bell. Hmm....I wonder if there is any of that pizza left over from last night?"
Ryan got off the sofa and nearly tripped over a stack of sports magazines sitting on the floor. He kicked the stack and scattered them all over the already messy room. He smiled as he thought of what Dean would say about that. Dean was a neat freak and it drove Ryan up a wall.
He opened up the refrigerator and found nothing but an empty pizza box. He clenched his teeth because he knew that Dean had left the box there just to taunt him. He started looking for something else to eat when he heard a knock at the door.
Ryan opened the door and saw a nice looking woman with shoulder length, brownish-red wavy hair. "Hi, may I help you?" He asked.
"You are Ryan, aren't you?" She smiled and dimples appeared on both of her cheeks.
"Yeah." Ryan looked at her gray/blue eyes and tried to think of where he had seen this woman before.
"I'm Alexis, you know, Chris' friend? We had a date this afternoon, remember?" She replied.
"Oh right. Come on in." Ryan couldn't believe that he forgot about his date with Alexis. He had meant to cancel it, but it had totally slipped his mind. Dean would have a field day with this if he knew.
"Uh, nice place you have here." Alexis remarked as she stepped into the cluttered apartment.
"Well, with three bachelors living together it can get messy sometimes." Ryan grinned.
"Are we still going to Sorbo's for lunch?" She inquired.
"Actually, I thought we might try someplace different." Ryan didn't want to chance accidentally running into Shannon, or Dean for that matter. "I know a great pizza place down on 3rd and Main Street. It's nice a quiet there and I'm sure we won't be disturbed."
"Okay, sure. That sounds great." She responded.
"Let's get going, shall we?" Ryan opened the front door and Alexis walked through it.
As soon as the door shut Dean came out of his room. He had been napping all morning and Ryan didn't even know he had been home. "This is very interesting, isn't it?" he chuckled to himself. "I wonder what Shannon would say if she knew that Ryan had a little date? I may just have to call her up and find out."
Scene: 3
"And exactly what are we supposed to do with him, madam?" Alfalfa asked as he gazed at Bruce's unconscious body. He and Lilith had managed to drag him to the couch and tie him up, but he still hadn't come back to consciousness yet. "Would you like me to have him bronzed perhaps?"
"Very funny Alfalfa. How should I know?" Lilith retorted, "You can't expect me to think of everything, can you?"
"You certainly knew how to ruin my best frying pan." Alfalfa responded.
"Would you just shut up about that damn frying pan!" Lilith sounded frustrated, "Honestly Alfalfa, I think you're obsessed. Didn't you think for one moment about what Bruce was trying to do to me? He could have totally ruined me and you would have stood there and let him."
Alfalfa turned around and faced her. "Humph! I know when my work isn't being appreciated. If you don't need me anymore, I guess I'll be leaving now." He started for the door.
"Wait." Lilith cried out. "Look, I'm sorry Alfalfa. I didn't realize that your frying pan was so important to you. I'll buy you a brand new one, okay? Will that make it better?"
"One of those fancy new ones with the unique three coat, nontstick system reinforced with stainless steal?" Alfalfa asked hopefully.
"Yes, and I'll even make sure that it is easy to clean and safe to use with metal utensils." Lilith added. Lilith really needed Alfalfa to help her get out of this mess and decided to humor him with his request.
"Well, okay then." He agreed. "What do you need me to do?"
"I need you to stay here and keep an eye on him." she answered. "I need to go out and find Jett. He'll know a way out of this one. He still owes me a favor."
"Jett?!" Alfalfa couldn't believe his ears. "You know that guy is crazy. Why would you want his help?"
"Jett may be crazy, but he has a crafty mind. He'll know what to do with Bruce." Lilith walked to the door and opened it. "You stay here and keep an eye on him, I don't want him getting away."
"What should I do if he wakes up?" Alfalfa asked.
"Knock him over the head with another frying pan." Lilith joked as she shut the door behind her.
"Fine. Just leave me here all alone with him." Alfalfa stared at Bruce again. "It's not like I have anything better to do." With that Alfalfa sat down on the reclining chair next to the couch and promply fell asleep.
Scene: 4
"Thanks for coming over Chris. I want to finish this fence as soon as possible. There's a dog roaming the neighborhood, and I don't want him getting too close to the house, with the baby coming and all." Ted explained.
"Sure Ted, glad to help. What can I do?" Chris inquired.
"Could you grab that pile of wood over there?" Ted said, pointing.
"No problem." Chris answered, taking off his shirt in the afternoon heat.
Renee and Nicole sat on the porch as the guys worked. "Lemonade?" Renee picked up a pitcher and offered. "I freshly squeezed it myself!"
"No thanks. Chris...he's soooooooo HOT!!!. Isn't he?" Nicole sighed dreamily, not taking her eyes off Chris' bulging biceps as he carried the wood over to where Ted was standing.
Renee laughed. "Ah, young love. I'm still the same way about Ted."
Nicole didn't hear a word she said because she couldn't keep from looking at Chris.
"Can you hand me a hammer? There's one on the ground over there." Ted asked Chris.
Chris bent over and picked up a hammer and Nicole's eyes got wide.
"So how is your sister?" Renee asked. "Is she dating Ryan? I know he really likes her."
"I'm not sure." Nicole said softly, her eyes not leaving Chris.
"Oh." Renee said, realizing that the conversation wasn't going anywhere.
The guys continued to work, but the sun started beating down on them even more.
"It's really hot out here!" Ted wiped his forehead.
"Yeah it is." Chris answered, sweat dripping off his chest.
"Let's finish this post and call it a day huh?"
"Sounds good." Chris looked over at Nicole at smiled and waved at her. "Hi Baby!" He yelled over.
"Hi sweetie, I miss you!" Nicole yelled back at him.
"Almost done!" Chris grinned from afar.
Chris and Ted finished putting up the post and walked back to the porch. Nicole leaped up and embraced Chris.
"I think these two want to be alone." Ted grinned at Renee. "Thanks for helping me with the fence Chris!"
"Anytime." Chris smiled with his arms around a beaming Nicole.
"Please come over for dinner sometime, we'd love to have you. I can make my Swedish meatballs! And invite your sister and Ryan too, Nicole!" Renee exclaimed.
Chris' smile quickly faded.
"Thank you we'd love to." Nicole answered, thinking it best just to accept and let the subject be dropped.
Ted and Renee smiled at them both and then walked inside. "They are just the cutest couple!" Renee announced.
"I think it's love!" Ted responded as he looked out the window at Chris and Nicole kissing passionately.
Scene: 5
Twanky walked into Sorbo's cafe, very tired after her long day at the studio. She sat her bag down at a booth and went to order her food. As she was bringing back her tray, she saw an attractive woman with long blond hair and brown eyes, dressed all in black, sitting in her seat and reading the obituaries section of the newspaper. Twanky's bag had been thrown on the floor, the contents scattered all around. Twanky, being tired, was in no mood for this.
"How RUDE! That seat was taken young lady!" Twanky yelled.
"Want it? Come and get it." The woman replied.
"And my bag!" Twanky sat her tray down at a nearby table, and began to pick up her things.
"Hmm, interesting." The woman said, still reading the newspaper.
"Excuse me missy!" Twanky scolded. "I believe that an apology is in order!"
The woman looked up from her newspaper and glared at Twanky. "I can't believe you have disturbed me for this!"
"Humph. I will not allow myself to get into such a petty argument. I am a sophisticated woman, with class and manners. You my dear, need to learn a thing or two. One is called tact. Now you see..."As Twanky went on her spiel, Willard snuck out from under a table and poured the potion into her drink. He then ran back to the arcade section to watch.
The woman just rolled her eyes. "Don't you have something to do, a diet to go on perhaps?"
Twanky was astounded by such a remark. "Well I am just horrified! I am a dance instructor! And we take great pride in keeping fit!
"Hmm. Well then I don't believe you should have ordered that soda over there.
The woman rose, and grabbed Twanky's glass of soda off her tray.
"Security! Security!" Twanky began yelling, floating across the cafe. However, everyone just looked at her like she was nuts.
"You lose." The woman said and put the glass to her lips.
"NOOOO!" Willard screamed from the arcade section, seeing that it wasn't Twanky about to drink it. "THAT'S A LOVE--"
The woman interrupted before he could finish. "Love is a trick that nature plays to get us to reproduce. I want no part of it." And with that she drank...
Scene: 6
Shannon walked into Sorbo's cafe, and saw Dean sitting at a table. He got up and walked up to her. "Hi. Thank you for coming."
Shannon sat down at a table and glared at him.
"Um, I guess you're still upset?" Dean asked.
"Damn straight!" Shannon screamed at him.
"I'm really sorry Shannon. I wanted to explain that night but--."
"No I'm glad you weren't able to smooth talk your way out of it." She interrupted.
"It really hurt me to see you leave so upset." Dean replied.
"It's ok. I got over it." Shannon said with a bit of a grin.
"Um you did?" Dean asked surprised.
"Yeah, Ryan helped me." Shannon announced proudly.
"Oh, um, see you don't want Ryan. He, um has a weird social disease."
Shannon rolled her eyes.
"Don't believe that one huh?" Dean asked.
"No." Shannon answered annoyed.
"Oh. Well anyways, he's on a date." Dean exclaimed.
"Nice try, but I don't believe that one either."
"No, it's true. Her name is Alexis. They're at the pizza parlor down the street. I'd take you there but I...I don't wanna see you hurt again." Dean said very seriously.
Shannon got a sad expression on her face when she heard the seriousness of Dean's tone. "A date? But I thought--we--UGH!" She pounded her fist on the table and screamed. "What the heck am I chopped liver!?"
"No, you are a beautiful woman who deserves better than Ryan. Now will you let me finally explain about Lucy?" Dean pleaded.
"And why should I believe anything you say?" Shannon questioned.
"Because of that night at the Riverfront." Dean replied very sincerely. Shannon remembered how sweet he'd been that night and softened. "Ok, you can explain."
"I should have told you about Lucy, I'm sorry. I was going out with her. But then I was with you and I realized how wonderful you are. So I asked her to meet me here so I could break it off. You're the woman I wanna be with."
"Really?" Shannon asked, flattered.
"Yes really." Dean said and grabbed her hand.
Shannon smiled at him. "Ok, I forgive you."
"I'll make it up to you, I promise." Dean grinned at her. Shannon grinned back and squeezed his hand.