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."
YOU ARE READING
Oscar Glyde Won't Heal Your Pride
HumorHe won't get his class under control. He won't make friends apart from the shamelessly unique school misfit. He won't serve sandwiches to the student body without lacing them with laxatives, at least once (maybe twice). Oscar Glyde won't do anything...