starry, starry night














Happy and Ben, on the sofa in the family
room, have also just finished watching 
the DVD.

The opened box sits on the coffee table.

Ben turns off the DVD player, "That
was amazing. If I wasn't so busy with
SAT's I would so do this game."

Happy reaches into the box and pulls 
out a Greyhound ticket, a Dunkin Donuts 
coupon and a typed note.

Ben grabs the note and reads it out loud,
"If an Ordinary Man needs a cup of coffee
and a donut, what should a Sammeee do?"

Happy opens the ticket, "It's for Chicago."

Ben half laughs, "On a greyhound bus?"

Happy nods, "Tomorrow morning at 9:25."

Ben grimaces, "But you're not going."

Happy takes the note out of Ben's hand and
grabs up her box, "If you were playing,
wouldn't you go?"

"I'm not you - or rather you're not me.
You're a Mom."

"Don't worry.  I'll have Jayne come over and 
make dinner for you.  You know, we need to be 
thinking about poor Peeps, Ben."

"Do you hear yourself? You realize
that Peeps is an imaginary person?
He's a character in a game."

"I am going."

"You are too old to do this."

Happy walks out of the room on
that remark and heads upstairs.

Ben follows, "What if you get killed? 
Dad's going to freak when he hears
about this."

Happy stops, "Dad is not going to hear
about this. It'll be fine. I'll be fine. I'll
be in a public place. Nothing bad is
going to happen at a Dunkin Donuts."

"What happens to me if you vanish?"

Happy half laughs, "Dunkin Donuts.
Think about it, Ben."

"Promise me you won't go anywhere
but the Dunkin Donuts."

Happy walks into her bedroom, 
"Good night, Ben."

"Mom."

Happy shuts her bedroom door, 
"Good night."