#with this series | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rickie-the-storyteller · 1 year

Text

Steph's Crew - Part 11: Moving on

Intro

And we're back with the dialogues! It's been a while…

I promised last time that we'd have more Steph and Mel stuff, so here we are. We also get a bit more of Dylan and Alice's dynamic now that he's moved into her place.

Enjoy!

Dylan and the Johnsons

(Dylan knocks on the door nervously)

Alice's Mum: (opens the door with a warm smile) Hello there! You must be Dylan. Dylan: And you must be Mrs Johnson. Alice's Mum: I am! I'm Alice's mom, Jenna. Come on in! Dylan: It's lovely meeting you, Mrs Jenna. Jenna: (giggles) "Mrs Johnson" and "Mrs Jenna…" There ain't no need for formalities, Dylan. You can just call me Jen. Make yourself at home, honey. Can I get you something to drink? Dylan: Water would be great. Thanks, Jen. Jenna: Coming right up! (walks towards the kitchen)

(Dylan waits in the living room and Alice's dad, Victor, enters the room)

Alice's Dad: Dylan, right? Dylan: Mhm. Alice's Dad: I'm Victor, Alice's dad. Glad to have you with us. (extends his hand) Dylan: Nice to meet you. (shakes Victor's hand) Victor: Pleasure's all mine, Dylan. But just so you know, we have a few house rules around here. Nothing too crazy… just that we never keep our shoes on in the house, because we want to protect our lovely new carpets. Dylan: I see. (notices that he's still wearing his shoes and gasps) I'm so sorry! Victor: (laughs) It's ok. You didn't know. But there are other rules, too. No shoes, rooms must always be kept tidy throughout the week, no phones at the dinner table, and no phone calls or loud music of any kind after 10. Clear? Dylan: Crystal clear, Mr Johnson. No shoes, tidy room, no phones at dinner, and no late-night jam sessions. Victor: Or phone calls! But don't you worry too much, I'm not all about rules. We'll have some fun too.

(Just then, Jenna comes in with a chilled bottle of mineral water)

Jenna: There you go, darling. Dylan: Thank you so much! Do you know where Alice is? Victor: I'm sure she's in her room. It's upstairs, third door to the left. Dylan: Oh, ok. Thanks, you guys! (he leaves)

(He is looking around for Alice, and he stumbles into a bedroom. Mary is inside, drawing up plans for her robotics project and getting her equipment out. Dylan stares at her in silence for a while, intrigued by what he is seeing.)

Dylan: Um. Hey. Mary: (looks up from her work) Oh, hello! You must be Dylan. It’s nice to meet you. Dylan: Thank you… what are you doing? Mary: My robotics homework. Dylan: Wow. So, your Alice’s twin? Mary: Indeed, I am. Dylan: She’s mentioned you before. But I always assumed that she was lying, because I've never seen you at school before. Mary: That’s because I don’t go to your school. I used to, in year 7, but I got selected to go to Brexham the following year. It's a school for gifted students. Dylan: Cool! Mary: Yeah. It is cool. It is quite far away, though, so I have to wake up early to get there on time. I wish I could just take a bus like you guys can. Dylan: What’s your favourite subject in school, Mary? Mary: I don’t know. I enjoy everything… but I think maths is the best. I feel like once you get really into maths, everything else becomes super easy. Dylan: That explains why I suck at everything. Mary: (laughs) Oh come on, it can’t be that bad. Dylan: No, it’s not. Don’t worry. It’s not like I’m failing or anything - I try my best, I get good grades. But I don’t know… I can’t help but think that I could be doing more. Mary: I get it. I’m often hard on myself when it comes to producing good work. Like, I was having panic attacks last year because I was worried that I would fail my Astronomy assignment. Dylan: Oh, no… Mary: It was so bad. Luckily, I didn’t fail. But if I just chilled out for a second, it probably would have been an easier process for me. Dylan: I don’t think I have ever freaked out that much over an assignment. Mary: I guess I’m just weird, then. (laughs again) What sort of stuff are you into, Dylan? Dylan: I don’t know. I like video games. I like sports. I like chess. So games, mostly. I’m a competitive person. Mary: Nice, nice. What sports do you like to play? Dylan: I played football for the school up till GCSEs. Outside of that, I like basketball and running. Not like cross-country running, but running on the tracks. Mary: That’s really cool. Good for you, Dylan. I personally hate sports, but I have a lot of admiration for super sporty individuals such as yourself. Dylan: (laughs) Thank you very much! (At this point, Alice walks in) Alice: Hey! Dylan! I finally found you. Dylan: Hi. Sorry, I got a bit lost. Alice: I can see that you’ve already met my twin. Dylan: Yeah, Mary’s great. Kind of a nerd, but cool at the same time. Mary: Aw, thanks. (blushes and smiles) You're cool too, Dylan.

The Nightmare

Stephanie sat alone on the couch, scrolling through her social media feed. She looked up and saw Melanie coming in, wearing a pretty new dress.

"Wow. That's a cute fit, Mel," Stephanie said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her tone.

"Thanks, Steph. I got it for the dance next week," Melanie replied with a smile (clearly unaware of what was coming).

Stephanie looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You really have to wear it now?"

Melanie shrugged. "I just wanted to show it to you. Do you like it?"

Stephanie's smile faltered. "It's nice, I guess. But it's not like it makes you anything special."

Melanie's face fell. "I thought it was pretty. You're the one that said it was cute…"

Stephanie sighed. "It is. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just…I don't know. It's hard to explain."

Melanie looked at her suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

Stephanie hesitated, then blurted out, "It just feels like you're always trying to one-up me, you know? Like you have to be the best at everything, and it's exhausting to me, honestly."

Melanie's eyes widened. "That's not true! I'm not trying to do anything!"

Stephanie shook her head. "It is true, Mel. You always have to have the best clothes, the best grades, the best everything. And people can't be happy for me when something good happens to me because the attention is always on you."

Melanie looked hurt. "I am happy for you, Steph. You know how proud I am of you. We all are. I just…I don't know. I guess I just want to be successful too."

Stephanie nodded. "I get that. But you don't have to bring others down to do it."

Melanie looked down at her lap, quietly.

"Nobody's out trying to bring you down, Steph."

Stephanie sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't want to fight. Let's just drop it, okay?"

Melanie nodded. "Okay."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the tension between them palpable. Then, Melanie spoke up.

"You know, I'm really excited for the dance. I think it's going to be so much fun."

Stephanie smiled. "Me too. And hey, maybe we can even get some cute pictures together."

Melanie grinned. "Definitely."

Suddenly, Stephanie's phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and frowned.

"Ugh, it's mum. I have to take this. Be right back."

She got up and walked into the kitchen, leaving Melanie alone on the couch.

Melanie sat there, scrolling through her phone, when she heard a crash from the kitchen. She jumped up and ran to see what had happened.

"Steph, are you okay?" she called out.

But there was no answer.

Melanie walked cautiously into the kitchen and saw that a plate had fallen off the counter and shattered on the floor. Stephanie was nowhere to be seen.

"Steph?" Melanie called out again, her voice trembling.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around and saw Stephanie standing behind her, a look of anger on her face.

"I'm sick of your shit, Mel," Stephanie spat, her rage apparent with every word. "You're always trying to make me look bad. Well, not anymore."

Melanie took a step back, her heart racing. "What are you talking about?"

Stephanie stepped forward, her fists clenched. "You heard me. You think you're so much better than me, but you're not. And I'm going to prove it."

Melanie backed up again, her back hitting the wall. "Steph, what are you doing?"

But Stephanie didn't answer. Instead, she lunged at Melanie, tackling her to the ground.

They rolled around, punching and clawing at each other. Melanie fought back, desperation fueling her movements. But Stephanie was relentless, landing blow after blow.

Finally, Stephanie struck Melanie with a powerful punch, and she went limp.

Stephanie rose from the ground, breathing heavily. She stared at Melanie's limp, motionless body. Realising what she had done, she quickly covered Melanie with a blanket. Then she looked around the room, unsure of what to do next. The room, now suffocating with an eerie silence, offered no solace as her panicked eyes darted around, quicker and quicker, searching desperately for a way out. She knew she couldn't stay. So, with a heart still pounding like a funeral drum, she fled the house, leaving Melanie behind.

(Stephanie startles awake, realising this was all just a bad dream. She reaches out for her phone to call Ben, but his phone goes straight to voicemail. She starts to cry.)

Asking for permission

(Dylan is texting Bret about prom. He's settled into the Johnson house and is finally all moved in, so he feels ready to ask Alice to be his date to prom. He texts: "Any advice bro?" Bret's response is: "You'll be fine, man. Although, if I were you, I'd check in with her parents first. You know, so they know what's going on." This is what gives Dylan the idea to ask Jen and Victor for permission to prom-pose to Alice.)

Dylan: Ahem. Mr and Mrs Johnson... Uh, Jen. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a second. I wanted to ask Alice something. I mean, you. I want to ask you something… about Alice. Is that ok?

Jenna: Sure thing, honey. What's on your mind?

Dylan: Well, as you know, prom is coming up. I was wondering if it would be ok if I asked Alice to go with me.

Victor: You want to take Alice to prom?

Dylan: Yes I do. As friends. I just want to show my gratitude for allowing me to stay with you guys. She really saved me with that. I'm really grateful for everything that she and also you guys have done for me. And she’s one of my best friends, so I know that it’ll be fun if we went together.

Jenna: Aww, that's sweet. Alice will be thrilled, won't she, dear?

Victor: I think she will, definitely. It was nice of you to think of her, Dylan. You guys are going to have a great time.

Jenna: And you’ll make such a cute couple, too!

Victor: What?

Dylan: (taken aback) Wait, what? No, I just want to go as friends. I just said so! I-I'm not interested in dating Alice.

Jenna: Oh, I know... But sometimes these things can turn into something more. We wouldn't mind if you two started dating.

Victor: Honey, speak for yourself! Alice is not ready to be in a relationship right now!

Dylan: Um-

Victor: She is still so young! Far too young to be thinking about dating.

Jenna: Oh, here we go… Alice is turning 18 in July, honey! She’s not a little girl anymore!

Victor: Ok, but look-

Jenna: At some point, she’s going to start going out with people, and we have to be able to deal with that.

Dylan: (mutters to himself) I really didn't think it would be this complicated… (normal voice) Uh, guys-

Victor: I mean, it’s not just about our little girl going out with people, it’s about who those people are. Whether or not they are going to be good for her. I’m just saying. I have nothing against Dylan, he seems like a good guy. But we can’t just ignore the fact that he’s a deeply troubled individual.

Jenna: Victor! Dylan is our guest!

Victor: Oh come on! It’s the truth! He’s only our guest right now because he was too depressed to stay in his actual home!

Dylan: (laughs nervously) Look, I never wanted to make a big deal out of any of this… honestly. I’ve been thinking of asking Alice to go to prom with me, and I wanted you guys to hear about it first. That’s all. I promise!

Victor: Hold on a second. Are you sure that's all you want, Dylan? You're not trying to get with our girl?

Dylan: No, no, no. I mean, Alice is great and all, but I'm not really looking to be in a relationship right now. (Long, tense pause. Dylan starts to feel like he's in one of those overly dramatic romantic comedy films.)

Victor: (sighs) Well, we'll have to think about it. We want to make sure Alice is comfortable with the idea.

Dylan: Yeah, yeah. Of course, I understand. I just wanted to ask you guys first. I think it’s just polite to ask for permission from parents…

Jenna: (smiles) Thank you, Dylan. That’s very thoughtful of you.

Victor: (nods) We appreciate your honesty, Dylan.

Dylan: (pauses, and smiles) I really care about Alice, and I value our friendship a lot. I wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardise that.

The "P" word

Dylan: Wow guys, this is a really lovely dinner. Compliments to the chef!

Jenna: (beams) Now that would be me. You are very welcome, Dylan. I’m glad someone appreciates my cooking around here…

Victor: Oh, we appreciate your cooking, love. (leans over to her and kisses her on the cheek)

Alice: Yeah, Mom! The food is great.

Jenna: (laughs) Aw, thank you.

Victor: So… Dylan, are you planning on inviting Alice to any big events soon?

(Everyone at the table has different reactions. Mum facepalms, Mary starts to laugh, Dylan sighs and Alice just looks puzzled.)

Alice: Er, what?

Mary: Gosh, Dad. Is that you trying to be subtle?

Victor: What? It’s not like I straight-up said the “P” word.

Alice: “P” word?

Jenna: Alright, Victor. I think you’ve said enough.

Alice: (confused) What are you guys talking about?

Mary: Have you been thinking of asking a certain somebody to prom, Dylan?

Dylan: Oh, God…

Mary: See, Dad? That is how subtle you were being just then.

Victor: Oh, come on. I wasn’t that bad… (whispers to his wife) Was I really that bad?

Jenna: (exasperated) I can’t believe…

Mary: (smugly) I think that answer says everything you need to know, Dad. Oh, but Dylan, if things don’t work out with my sister, you can always go to prom with me. I’ll show you how to have a good time!

Jenna: Settle down, Mary. Let’s let the poor boy talk. Dylan, why don't you just tell Alice what you wanted to say?

Alice: Yeah, Dylan. Please explain… whatever the hell this is. I still have no fucking clue.

Victor: Language… (Jenna gently elbows him at this comment, trying to get him to be quiet so that she can listen to Dylan)

Dylan: I wasn’t going to say anything! I was not the one who started all this talk about prom.

Mary: (slowly realising) Oh yeah…

Dylan: I don’t even know how this conversation got to that point!

Alice: Me neither!

Mary: I do. It’s all Dad’s fault. Shame on you, Father. Shame on you.

(Victor rolls his eyes at this comment.)

Dylan: But since you all demand to hear something big from me for some reason, I was going to ask Alice after dinner tonight. There. I said it. Now, please just leave me alone, will you?!

Alice: What the- ask me what? I don’t understand… What is going on right now?

Dylan: I’ll explain later. Don’t worry about it. (goes back to eating his dinner)

Mary: (whispering to Alice) He wants to take you to prom, silly.

Alice: (whispers back) Oh- (she glances over at Dylan, but quickly looks away when he meets her gaze)

Jenna: Very well then, Dylan. We’ll drop it.

Victor: Yeah, let’s change the subject.

Jenna: How are we getting on in school, everyone?

Dylan: Oh, it's going well for me. I'm ok with my progress, generally, and I joined the debate team with El last week. It's a lot of fun.

Alice: (awkwardly) Cool!

Mary: Ooh, a debater. I love a fit man who can argue like a champ-

Victor: Mary, please.

(later on, after dinner)

Dylan: Hey.

Alice: 'Sup.

Dylan: So, explanation time?

Alice: Shoot.

Dylan: I really want to go to prom with you. If that's ok. We can go as friends - it really doesn't have to be a big deal. It's just that you mean a lot to me, and I think we could have a really great time if we went together.

Alice: (smiles) 'K... how did literally everyone else know about it before I found out, though?

Dylan: I asked Jen and Victor for permission. So that's how they knew about it. I don't know how Mary found out about it, though. Maybe she's been spying on me.

Alice: (giggles) I wouldn't be surprised...

Dylan: What do you mean?

Alice: When you first moved in, she told me that she thought you were cute.

Dylan: Oh. Oh! Wow.

Alice: Yeah.

Dylan: Well, I'm very flattered. But I'm honestly not looking for anything with anyone right now...

Alice: Same here. I appreciate this offer though, Dylan. I think going to prom together will be tons of fun. Get me a corsage that perfectly matches my dress, and I'm totally in.

Dylan: Deal. (pause) Do you even have a prom dress yet?

Alice: Nope. We can go shopping for one together this weekend!

Dylan: (forces a smile, trying to hide his annoyance at the idea of shopping all weekend) Ok. Great! Looking forward to it. Goodnight, Ally.

Alice: Goodnight! (heads off to her room for bed)

(Just then, Dylan's phone starts ringing)

Sam: (calling Dylan) Dylan? Hi, it's Sam.

Dylan: (sighs) What do you want?

Sam: I just wanted to say sorry. I know things have been tough between us and I shouldn't have been such a dick. Dad's been extra mad since we got invited to Mum's wedding. I think it's just making things worse. Can you come back home? Please! I need you here.

Dylan: I don't know. I've been thinking about it, but I just don't know if I can go back to the way things were before.

Sam: I know, and I'm sorry. But please, just think about it. We can work on things together. I promise.

Dylan: I'll think about it. But I can't make any promises.

Sam: I understand. Just please, think about it. We miss you. Even dad misses you. And he probably would apologise too, if he wasn't preoccupied with work and stuff…

Dylan: I'll talk to you later.

Sam: Ok. I love you.

Dylan: Love you too.

After school (the following Monday)

Bret: Hey, Dylan!

Dylan: Hey man, what’s up?

Bret: I’ve got some movie tickets for this weekend. I was going to see the new Dragon Hunter film on Saturday, and I was wondering if you could come with me.

Dylan: Oh no… I’m sorry, Bret. I’m not available this weekend. I’m going to be pretty busy.

Bret: Aw… oh well. It’s still going to be a good time. Plus, I’ve already asked El.

Dylan: Wait, you invited Elise? I thought you two weren’t talking anymore.

Bret: Oh yeah, we patched that up. We’re good now. Mostly.

Dylan: That’s great, man! Is anyone else going to go with you two?

Bret: No, nobody’s interested… idiots.

Dylan: Ok. Huh. That means the two of you are going alone… to see a movie…together…

Bret: Yeah. So?

Dylan: It’s like a date. You guys dating now, or what?

Bret: No! God, Dylan. Not you too…

(Bret’s phone buzzes in his pocket. He picks it up and sees a new text from aunt Rachel that says: I’m getting ready for barbecue night! I’ve got all our favourite foods. Come home quickly to help me prepare. You can invite your friends if you want. And that girl you’ve been seeing.)

Bret: Ughhhh… I’m not “seeing” Elise, Aunt Rach! I’ve got to go, mate. See you later.

(Bret leaves. Alice and Stephanie both walk in together)

Dylan: Oh, my days… hey girls, what's up?

Stephanie: Nothing much, Dylan. How about you?

Dylan: Oh, I'm good, I'm good. Just confused.

Alice: Why?

Dylan: I just had this weird conversation with Bret.

Stephanie: Doesn't every conversation with Bret qualify as "weird"?

Dylan: Not like this. This is like a new kind of weird. (sighs) He's so touchy about the idea of dating for some reason, I don't get it.

Alice: Wait, wait. What did you guys actually talk about?

Dylan: Well, he wanted me to go see a movie with him on Saturday, and I said no because you and me have that thing, remember? (he says this to Alice)

Alice: (nods) Yeah, yeah.

Stephanie: What thing?

Alice: Dylan and I are going to prom together, so we planned to shop for our outfits on Saturday.

Stephanie: Oh wow! That's so great!

Dylan: (smiles) Yeah, it is. Anyway, he mentioned that he was already planning to go with Elise, and I asked if anyone else was going with them. He said no.

Stephanie: So they're going to go together to see a movie on their own? Aw. Sounds like a date.

Dylan: That's what I said! And then he got all defensive and left.

Alice: He asked me to see that movie with him too. Ages ago. I said no, because I hate fantasy stuff. But I feel like he's only trying to invite more people so that it doesn't count as a date, you know? He wants to take the pressure off.

Stephanie: Wait, guys. Do you think… that they are… you know-

Alice: Do I think they're a thing, now? I don't know. Honestly, I've been trying to figure that out for weeks.

Dylan: You've wondered too? Thank God. Thought I was the only one.

Alice: I wonder what their relationship would be like if they were together for real…

Stephanie: Oh, God, could you imagine? They'd be like, THE most awkward pairing ever.

Alice: Oh, really? I think they could be cute. Opposites attract and all that.

Dylan: I see what you mean, Ally, but I agree with Steph on this one. I mean, imagine Bret trying to be all romantic and stuff. It's just not his style. You know that.

(Stephanie laughs at the idea)

Alice: Come on, guys. They'd be interesting together, for sure. They're so different, but they could be compatible in that sense. I feel like they could maybe bring out the best in each other. I mean, think about it - Elise is always so serious. She needs someone to loosen her up, and maybe Bret can show her how to be more laid-back.

Stephanie: True, true. Ok, so maybe they have potential. (pause) It'd still be awkward, though.

Alice: Yeah…

Dylan: But you know, we have no idea if they're actually into each other. Let's not jump to conclusions.

Stephanie: Ugh, where's your sense of fun, man?

Dylan: I'm just saying. We could be super wrong with this.

Alice: And if we are, then let's agree to never speak of this again.

Stephanie: Agreed.

(long pause. Then they all start laughing)

Stephanie: (still laughing) God, I can just imagine it…

Alice: (trying to calm down) No, stop it!

Stephanie: They could have a montage where they go on all these crazy dates around the city. Like in one of those shitty romcoms.

Alice: (starts laughing again) STOP!

Stephanie: And have these silly petty arguments about what shows to watch or where to go on dates.

Alice: No…

Dylan: (still laughing) You guys are hilarious. But seriously, do you think they're actually dating?

Alice: I have no idea. They're always so on-and-off, it's hard to keep track.

Stephanie: Yeah, they're always kind of arguing about something. But maybe that's just their way of flirting. I mean, me and Ben were like that in the really early days. I think sometimes throwing cheap insults can be a way of telling someone you love that you love them, without actually saying that you love them. If you know what I mean.

That, I think, is where I'll leave it off. Thanks for reading!

(Btw, have you noticed that a lot of these titles are song references? Totally not done on purpose lol)

I really tried to put a little something for every main character... but Elise and Ben unfortunately only get mentioned. Oh well.

(We'll definitely include them more next time!)

Dylan's all settled in with the Johnsons, but he can't fully escape from his old world. Also, Alice's twin seems to fancy him (love triangle, perhaps?)

Btw, who is your favourite member of the Johnson family? (I think I quite like the mum, Jenna. She's so cool!)

Stephanie's dreams are getting more and more horrific... and she can't just reach Ben at any time. This long-distance relationship is starting to take its toll on her. I tried to incorporate a different style for the nightmare scene, to make it feel different and give a unique vibe.

Let me know what you think!

(It feels really good to have this series back!)