Oscar Glyde Won't Heal Your Pride

34: A Million Miles Away

Chapter 34: A Million Miles Away

[Front porch, His House, 5:12 PM, What Brings Him Here]

(an unexpected snowstorm had hit the city; outside flurries of snowflakes fill the air as icicles form beneath gutters; wearing only a mild winter jacket for protection, Fender walks up Oscar's driveway and rings the doorbell)

OSCAR'S DAD: "Hi?"

FENDER: "Hi." (extends his hand) "I'm Fender, Oscar's friend."

OSCAR'S DAD: (shaking his hand) "Oh - hi. What - um - what can I help you with? This isn't very good weather to be outside in."

FENDER: "Yeah. Well, I just had a gift to give him. Just because I'll be in England during his birthday, so I thought I'd give it to him now."

OSCAR'S DAD: (sees the shape of the gift) "Oh shoot."

[Enter Oscar's Mom]

OSCAR'S MOM: "Who's this? Hi - I'm Celine."

FENDER: (shaking her hand) "Fender. I'm a friend of Oscar's. I just wanted to stop by and drop off a gift for him."

OSCAR'S MOM: "Why... Why? Why a gift."

OSCAR'S DAD: "Early birthday present. He'll be in England in June."

OSCAR'S MOM: "But it's March - you didn't have to get one so early."

FENDER: "It's okay. It was an impulse buy." (starts inching away to leave)

OSCAR'S DAD: "Fender - you look like you're about to get hypothermia. Come warm up inside for a bit."

FENDER: "Oh - it's okay - walking warms me up."

OSCAR'S MOM: "You walked here in this weather? Where do you live?"

FENDER: "Regormal Hills."

OSCAR'S DAD: (under his breath) "Shoot."

(Oscar's mom gasps)

OSCAR'S MOM: "Come inside right now - right now. We have the fireplace going."

(they drag Fender inside)

OSCAR'S DAD: "I'll go make hot chocolate."

OSCAR'S MOM: (pulling the frozen jacket off Fender) "OSCAR! YOUR FRIEND IS HERE!"

[Enter Oscar]

(he's surprised to see Fender being seated in the living room, complete with wet snowy hair, an extremely flushed face and blue hands; nevertheless, Fender smiles uncomfortably)

OSCAR: "What's happening? Is this about that time I stayed over at his house too long?"

OSCAR'S MOM: "He walked all the way here from Regormal Hills, just wearing a jacket. It's absolutely ridiculous outside. And - he brought you a present."

FENDER: "It's an early birthday present. Just... yeah."

OSCAR: "I'm so confused right now - holy - what - Fender." (he takes the untidily wrapped present in his hand; it's in the obvious shape of a longboard that's larger than his own; he takes the wrapping off easily) 

FENDER: "It's a dancing longboard. Because I saw these videos online of people 'longboard dancing' and it looked really cool. So. That's your next adventure."