[Beth & Lujack have just spent the day swimming at Laurel Falls. She essentially dragged him there to get his mind off of the news that Alexandra was his mother. While there, they shared their first kiss. They come stolling up to the boarding house porch--laughing. Beth is wearing Lujack's leather jacket over her shoulders.]
Beth:
I did drive better on the way home, right?
Lujack:
Are you kidding me? The way you drummed that engine, I thought we were gonna die.
[Beth laughs, then catches sight of Phillip watching them from the porch swing.]
Lujack: [notices something's up]
Beth? [He turns & sees Phillip.]
Phillip:
Well, well, well, if it ain't the newest member of the Galahads.
[opening credits]
Lujack:
Don't start with her, Spaulding.
Phillip: [to Beth]
Can you do me a favor? Could you leave us alone for a couple minutes, I gotta talk to him about something.
[She starts to leave but Lujack stops her.]
Lujack:
No, no, no--you stay right here. You're not his property anymore.
Beth:
I'm not anybody's property.
Phillip:
I wasn't giving her an order, Lujack. She knows that. [Turns to Beth] This is something private, Beth.
Lujack:
Hey, that bugs you doesn't it? Seeing me & her together.
Phillip:
Don't push me Lujack.
Lujack: [steps up to get in Phillip's face]
I'll do anything I damn please, man.
Beth: [stands in between them]
You aren't gonna fight--not here, and not over me.
Phillip:
Hey, don't look at me--tell it to your buddy.
Lujack:
Hey, I didn't start that trouble the other night [at the Spring Dance].
Phillip:
Right--your friends did. I forgot.
Lujack:
They were just trying to have a good time, man.
Phillip:
Uh-huh, by driving a motorcycle all over the dance floor.
Lujack:
Well, you shouldn't have taken the keys.
Phillip:
They shouldn't have been there in the first place.
Lujack:
Hey, that was none of your business, pal.
Phillip:
Oh, I think it's my business if somebody's out to get me.
Lujack:
I wouldn't waste my time.
Phillip:
Why don't you tell that to your band of merry men.
Beth:
Phillip, what are you talking about?
Phillip:
His, uh, girlfriend, came by Company earlier today...
Lujack:
Darcy?
Phillip:
Yeah, I think that's the one. She had a message for you--she said that the Galahoods were gonna have a meeting later tonight to decide on how to even the score with me.
Beth:
Lujack, they're not going to start anything are they?
Lujack:
Hey man, I can't blame them for wanting to. [He walks off to the side.]
Phillip:
Beth, do you want to explain to me why you are hanging out with this jerk?
Lujack:
Maybe because she thinks I'm cute.
[Phillip shakes his head.]
Beth:
We're friends, Phillip.
Phillip:
See, that just beats the hell out of me, because I don't know how you could be.
Lujack:
You know, see now that's where we're getting to real deal here man. You can't stand not having her under your thumb anymore.
Phillip:
You don't know very much about her, do you? [laughs] What I can't STAND, is seeing her involved with a juvenile delinquent.
Lujack:
You rich boys are all alike, you know that? You think you can shove the whole world around, but you can't handle it when it shoves you back.
Phillip:
Lujack, PLEASE cut it with rich kid routine. I mean after all, you are one now, aren't you? [Walks up to face Lujack]
Lujack:
Who told you that?
[commercial]
Phillip:
Actually it was my Uncle Ross who gave me the glad tidings. I almost forgot--I'm supposed to welcome you to the family, cousin! [He extends his hand to Lujack.]
Lujack: [pushes Phillip's hand away]
Take a hike.
Phillip: [in a 'poor guy' tone]
Oh, now what's the matter? Don't you like being a Spaulding? Aren't we good enough for you, Lujack? Huh?
[Lujack glares at him.]
Phillip:
What's the matter? You're worried about your image, aren't you? Yeah, you're worried what the Girly-hads are gonna think when they find out that under all this leather and grease, their leader's nothing but a blue blood.
Lujack: [grabs Phillip and they struggle]
Why don't you go to hell!
[Beth yells at them to let go of each other as Alexandra enters from the boarding house.]
Alexandra:
Brandon? Brandon--there you are. I was just in Company looking for you.
Lujack: [to Alex]
Is this what you want me to be? Huh? Is this what it's like to be a Spaulding? [to Phillip] Yeah, I'm a Spaulding all right, but I'm the only real Spaulding, pal. [He storms off.]
Alexandra:
Now Brandon, wait a minute--
Lujack: [walking away]
Leave me alone!
Alex: [turns to Phillip]
What did you say to my son?
[commercial]
Alexandra:
You said you were going to welcome my son to the family with open arms.
Phillip:
That was before I knew it was Lujack.
Alexandra:
That shouldn't make any difference.
Phillip:
It does. He's nothing but trouble.
Alexandra:
I know he's having difficulty adjusting to being a Spaulding.
Phillip:
Yeah, yeah, he is. And he's gonna keep on having it. He's never going to be what you want, okay? You're just wasting your time trying to change him.
Beth:
Phillip, you're not giving Lujack a chance.
Phillip:
What is it with you two anyway? Huh?
Beth:
He's not bad--really.
Phillip:
Oh, come on--give me a break.
Beth:
There's a side to him that you don't see.
Phillip:
Yeah, well, let me tell you something, Beth--there's a side of him that you don't see, either, or else you wouldn't be hanging out with him.
Beth:
Look, I know a lot has happened between you two, but--
Phillip:
Oh! You remember! See, now I thought you had forgotten all those wonderful things that Lujack was responsible for, LIKE--the time that he and his buddies bounced my head off that lamp post down at the country club. Oh, and wait--I can do better than that--how about when he pulled that knife on me in the student union? That was a great time! And now it seems that his gang of mentally-deficient youths have it in their heads that they have a score to settle with me.
Beth:
But don't you see? That's why you have to put the past behind you--and try to be friends.
Phillip:
Don't ask me to do that.
Beth:
He's your cousin.
Phillip:
Yep, yep, I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that that he is, and I'm gonna half to accept it, but I assure you--he will never be my friend. Excuse me. [He walks away.]
Alexandra:
Phillip...
Phillip: [walking away]
Nah, that's all I've got to say.
[commercial]
Alex is sitting on the porch swing looking at Beth's sketches. Beth returns with two glasses of iced tea.
Beth:
Here's your tea, Baroness.
Alexandra:
Thank you. [Takes the glass, and continues to look at Beth's work.] Beth, you drew these?
Beth: [sitting next to Alex]
Well, some of them are kinda rough.
Alexandra:
Oh, no--they're very good. You have a way of capturing the true essence of the subject.
Beth:
Thank you. [She's nervous.] Is there anything else I can get you, Baroness?
Alexandra:
Yes, Beth, there is. You can help me get my son back.
[commercial]
Beth:
Lujack just needs time to adjust to being your son, Baroness.
Alexandra:
I have all the time in the world--as long as he does adjust. Does he talk to you about me?
Beth:
A little.
Alexandra:
What does he say?
Beth:
Well, it's probably nothing that you don't already know.
Alexandra:
I don't know very much.
Beth:
Well, he feels that you abandoned him when he was little.
Alexandra:
I didn't--his father took him away from me.
Beth:
Yes, but, Lujack still feels angry. He can't just get rid of that feeling overnight.
Alexandra:
You seem to know my son very well.
Beth:
I don't--but I'm just getting to know myself. I know that I've had feelings just like his.
Alexandra:
Yes, I'm aware of your background--I was at your step-father's trial.
Beth:
I'm just beginning to feel okay, and it's taken a long time.
Alexandra:
You could really forgive your step-father for what he did to you?
Beth:
I already have. And Lujack will with you. But if he feels he's being pushed in any way, he'll just go the other way.
Alexandra:
How can you be so sure?
Beth:
I've seen him do it with Tony. [Pause] I was going through a rough time and Lujack was there for me. I've seen the sweet, caring, gentle person he really can be. He's just afraid to let anyone see it.
Alexandra:
Why?
Beth:
He feels it makes him look weak. He feels that if anybody sees that part of him, that he'll get hurt like when he was little. That's why he puts up the tough-guy act.
Alexandra:
That's why he runs with that Galahad gang?
Beth:
He feels they're his family--the only family he's ever had.
Alexandra:
I can't believe that.
Beth:
It's all he ever talks about--like a broken record. At first I thought it was a big joke, but I realized he was serious--that he really is loyal to them.
Alexandra:
He doesn't need them anymore. Phillip and I are his family now.
Beth:
You, anyway.
Alexandra:
Why were he and Phillip fighting?
Beth:
They always do when they're together.
Alexandra:
It's because of you.
