School Scene VII

Dray's bedroom. 

Dray seated on lower bunk, texting. Knock. Enter Aron.

 Dray. Looking annoyed, but a little nervous. "What do you want?"

Aron. "We need to talk about today."

Dray. Irritably. "What about today?"

Lou appears in the doorway behind Aron. "I suggest you cut the BS, William Dray Morgan, and have this conversation the easy way. What did you say to your sister?"

Dray. Snarky. "Which one?"

Lou. Impatiently. "Katie."

Dray. "Not my sister."

Aron. "First of all, Dray, I'm going to let you know up front that you're grounded for a week. I don't care what you think of Katie and what she did, what you said to her was inexcusable."

Dray. "It was just words"--

Lou. "Words are the most powerful thing in the world, Dray, and you used them to attack Katie. That's not okay. Ever."

Aron. "I want you to think about apologizing to your sister"--

Dray. "I'll think about it. I have a perfect apology, in fact. It goes like this: Hello, Katie. I meant what I said earlier. You can fuck off and find yourself a new family to piss on, because we sure as hell don't want you anymore."

Lou. "Phone. Hand it over."

Dray. "You said I was grounded. You didn't say I was losing my phone!"

Lou. "You just lost it now. Hand it over. And if you ever say words like that to any of your siblings, you can just consider yourself permanently grounded."

Aron. "Dray, we don't want to do this, but you have to understand that treating your siblings, treating everyone you meet, with respect is important."

Dray. Muttering. "Whatever."

Lou. "Dray, we are having a conversation, and that means you need to show some basic respect."

Aron. Quietly. "I'd like you to apologize to Katie. Not right now, not while you're still angry. But when you've had a chance to think about it, I think you need to talk to her, okay?"

Dray. "Fuck. Off." Instantly looks nervous at having said it aloud. Aron sets his jaw, but doesn't react otherwise, Lou instantly angry.

Lou. Dangerous. "That is not how you talk to anyone, Dray, especially your father"--

Dray. "He is not my father! He doesn't belong here, he can't tell me what to do, why the hell did you think you could replace Dad with this ass hole?"

Lou. Furious. Aron touches her arm gently, pulls her out of the door. "I think we need some space, love. We can talk this through later, okay? When we've all had a chance to breathe."

Lou turns away coldly.  Aron pauses. Speaks softly. "Dray, I was never trying to replace Jason. No one can. And I'm sorry."

Dray looks devastated. How can you be angry at someone who won't respond with anger? Drops numbly, spent with anger, onto his bed as Aron closes the door behind him.