Sarah: Will you hurry up, Cho? We’re all starving here.
Dale: Don’t worry, dinner is ready, where are Kelly and Lauri?
Sarah: They’re coming, they’re pretty hungry too.

Dale: Great, cause you’re all gonna love this.
Sarah: Goopy Carbonara?
Dale: Yep, it’s one of my specialties.
Sarah: Well, it better be good.
Dale: It is.

At first everyone eats quickly and quietly, not only because of how hungry they are, but because none of them can get Sarah’s possible job in Lucky Palms out of their minds.
Sarah: *Munching*. You were right this is very good.
Lauri: Yeah, it’s delicious.
Sarah: Some men are not useless after all.
Dale: Uh – thank you?
Kelly: Dale is anything but useless, hun. He does everything right, believe me, I can tell.
Sarah: Yeah, don’t tell, I don’t wanna know.

Dale: So, you’re thinking of accepting Terry’s job offer?
Sarah: Mm, I haven’t decided yet.
Kelly: I thought you already had.
Sarah: Not yet, but I’m seriously considering it.
Lauri: You shouldn’t, the guy’s a mobster – no offense, Dale.
Sarah: Ok, let’s drop the subject for now, you’ll get my verdict after graduation. If I get to graduate, that is.

Dale: Come on, Sarah, of course you’ll graduate.
Kelly: Yeah, you’re the genius of the group, aren’t you?
Sarah: Nope, Lauri is.
Lauri: I am not.
Sarah: Yes, you are, you should be the one to work with Terry the Terrible.
Lauri: Thanks, but no thanks - no offense again.
Dale: None taken.

Sarah: Where did the nickname ‘Terry the Terrible’ come from, anyway? Who baptized him like that, his mob friends or himself?
Dale: Neither. The boys in the gang we were in started calling him that, Terry loved the nickname and adopted it.
Kelly: But of course he did.

Sarah: So you and your brother were in a gang?
Dale: Yes.
Sarah: And what did you gather for, to commit crimes?
Dale: Nah, we were kids, we just hung out on the streets, fought with other boys that’s all.
Sarah: Did you have a nickname too?
Dale: No.

Sarah: Sure you had one, what was it, huh? Something like ‘Dale the Dealer’ or ‘Dale the Big D.’?
Dale choked on his mouthful of goopy carbonara, Lauri, Kelly and Sarah laughed.

Kelly: Hm, ‘Dale the Big D.’ would fit him perfectly given his natural ‘attributes’.
Sarah: Eww, spare us the details please.
Kelly giggles, and so does Lauri, Dale turns tomato red.
Dale: Girls, knock it off, will you?

Sarah: Kelly started it, I meant ‘D’ for Dealer, not for the other thing; I had to guess since you wouldn’t tell us your nickname.
Dale: Cause I don’t have one. Terry does because the boys gave it to him, and he went along with it.
Lauri: And it fits him, he sounds like a very bad person.
Dale: Can we quit talking about my brother’s nickname, please?
Sarah: Okay, let’s talk about his stunning wife then.

Now it’s Kelly who chokes on her dinner. Dale remains awfully quiet.
Sarah: Hey, did I say something wrong or is talking about Cynthia Vanderburg a taboo around here?

Lauri startles and shoots a killer look at Sarah.
Sarah: What? — Ohh. Right, I remember now. Riley mentioned here once that, before she was Terence’s wife, Cynthia was Dale’s…
Dale: Sarah, that’s enough, okay?
Sarah: Okay. I’m sorry. I’ll shut up now.

Dale is done with this conversation; Kelly looks quite uncomfortable too. Lauri doesn’t even know what to say anymore.
Sarah: *To Kelly*. Sorry, girl. I completely forgot that ‘little’ detail.
Kelly: It’s okay, just do yourself a favor, if you go to Lucky Palms, don’t even think about hitting on Cynthia. Terry the Terrible won’t appreciate it.
Sarah: Don’t worry, I wouldn’t want to end up shot and dumped in a ditch.

Kelly: I’m glad you know the risks. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get to my yoga class.
Lauri: I have to study for the exams. So if you’ll excuse me…
Sarah stays quiet, wondering how Lauri will feel as the ‘new kid in town’, with all that’s unfolding around her. They’ll both have plenty to talk about at bedtime.

And not just them…
Kelly: *To Dale, quietly*. You and I need to talk later.
Dale: Talk about what?
Kelly: Come on, Dale, you know what.
Dale: If it’s about Cynthia, that topic is closed.
Kelly: Doesn’t seem so to me.
Dale: It is, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

Kelly: I hope so, darling, cause another deception I won’t put up with.
Dale: She’s in the past, believe me. Plus, she’s my brother’s wife now, so –
Kelly: Okay, I’ll take your word for it, but if you let me down one more time, D…
Dale: I won’t, I swear.
Kelly sighs and walks away to the kitchen. Sarah overheard their conversation but prefers not to intervene. Dale has already had enough with her stupid remarks.

Dale: May I pick up your plate?
Sarah: Thank you, I’ll take it, but first I’d like to apologize. I’m an idiot, I never remembered there had been something between you and Cynthia Vanderburg. Now I see Kelly why went so quiet when I mentioned her earlier. I mean, I have a big mouth, but I never meant to upset you guys.
Dale: I know, and I accept your apology, just please, from now on, let’s leave Cynthia’s name off this table, okay?

Sarah: You can count on it. Dude, you’re my best friend, I don’t want there to be any conflict of interest between us. By the way, kudos to Kelly, a year ago she would’ve thrown a fit about all this. The angry little girl grew up, she’s making a big effort to change, and it’s for you, she must really love you a lot, so you better not let her down.
Dale: I won’t, I promise. And thanks for considering me your best friend.
Sarah: Anytime.

Everyone returns to their respective activities and, for the time being, the dorm is once again at peace…

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