Bookworms
August 8th, 2020
Starring: Poppa (male, fatherly age), Older (late teens), Younger (early teens)
Older and Younger are on the couch, on their electronic device of choice. Poppa enters, going up to Younger. Older doesn’t look up at all.
POPPA
Hey
Can you look up for a second?
YOUNGER
What’s up?
POPPA
Did you have summer reading?
…
YOUNGER
Yes.
POPPA
Did you do it?
YOUNGER
Yes.
POPPA
When?
YOUNGER
While you’re at work.
POPPA
What was the book?
YOUNGER
Lord of the Flies.
POPPA
What happens in it?
YOUNGER
A bunch of boys get stranded on an island.
POPPA
Ok, then what?
YOUNGER
There’s a split between the survivors over who should be leader between Jack and Ralph. And then there’s a big fuss over hunting a pig and then there’s this mystical beast they’re afraid of and they get so freaked out they kill one of the little kids and the fat kid and they all go crazy savage and then they get found at the end by an adult and they all go back to being kids.
…
POPPA
Did you like it?
YOUNGER
It was fine.
POPPA
Ok.
Just checking.
Poppa leaves. Older finally looks up at Younger.
OLDER
No way you actually read that.
YOUNGER
I did.
The Wikipedia summary.
…
Hey, all he asked is if I read it.
…
OLDER
Sorry.
YOUNGER
For what?
OLDER
Being a bad influence on you.
YOUNGER
You’re not sorry.
…
OLDER
Yeah
I’m kind of proud.
They each go back to their devices.