The house is unusually quiet.
Brooke sits on the couch, scrolling through her phone. Her expression is relaxed, almost as if she has forgotten about the deadline hanging over her head.
Larry walks into the room.
He stops.
His eyes immediately land on Brooke.
LARRY
So… did you find a job yet?
Brooke slowly looks up.
She already knows where this conversation is going.
BROOKE
Not yet.
Larry shakes his head.
He looks frustrated but tries to stay calm.
LARRY
Brooke, I gave you the whole weekend to figure this out.
BROOKE
I know.
LARRY
No. I don’t think you do.
Larry points toward the keys sitting on the table.
LARRY
You keep acting like that car is guaranteed to stay with you.
Brooke looks at the keys.
Her expression changes.
Brooke sits up straight.
BROOKE
But you gave me the car.
Larry nods.
LARRY
I did.
He pauses.
LARRY
And that doesn’t mean you get to forget the responsibility that comes with it.
Brooke looks confused.
BROOKE
I don’t understand.
LARRY
The car was a gift. But I’m still your parent. If you’re not working, not handling your responsibilities, and expecting everybody else to keep taking care of things for you, then something has to change.
Brooke looks away.
She doesn’t like hearing it.
BROOKE
I was going to find something.
LARRY
“When I was going to” doesn’t pay bills.
The room becomes quiet.
Brooke folds her arms.
Bethany enters the living room.
She immediately notices the tension.
BETHANY
What’s going on?
LARRY
We’re talking about the car.
BETHANY
Again?
Brooke rolls her eyes.
BROOKE
I already told him I’m looking for a job.
BETHANY
Looking isn’t the same as getting one.
Brooke stands.
BROOKE
Why is everybody acting like I don’t care?
Bethany remains calm.
BETHANY
Because your actions are saying something different.
Brooke grabs her phone.
BROOKE
This isn’t even your business.
Bethany looks at her.
BETHANY
You’re right.
She pauses.
BETHANY
It’s not my business.
Larry looks at Bethany.
BETHANY
But when people are trying to help you, you can’t keep getting mad because they tell you the truth.
Brooke becomes quiet.
Larry picks up the car keys.
Brooke watches him carefully.
BROOKE
Are you seriously taking my car?
LARRY
I wanted the car back.
Brooke’s face drops.
BROOKE
But you gave it to me!
LARRY
And I can still expect you to earn the privilege of keeping it.
BROOKE
That’s not fair.
Larry takes a breath.
LARRY
Maybe it doesn’t feel fair.
He places the keys in his pocket.
LARRY
But life isn’t always going to be fair.
Brooke looks hurt.
LARRY
I’m trying to teach you something now so somebody else doesn’t have to teach you the hard way later.
Brooke walks toward Larry.
BROOKE
So what? You think I’m just supposed to go without a car?
LARRY
No.
BROOKE
Then what am I supposed to do?
Larry looks at her.
LARRY
Get your own.
Brooke stares at him.
LARRY
Get a job. Save your money. Buy yourself something. Then nobody can take it away from you because you earned it yourself.
Brooke doesn’t respond.
The words hit harder than she expected.
Later that night, Brooke sits alone in her bedroom.
Her phone is in her hand.
She scrolls through job listings.
She stops.
One catches her attention.
She opens it.
Her eyes move across the screen.
For the first time, she isn’t looking at Isaiah.
She isn’t checking social media.
She isn’t thinking about what her friends are doing.
She’s thinking about herself.
BROOKE
Maybe they’re right.
She looks toward the window.
BROOKE
If I want something, I need to get it myself.
She takes a screenshot of the job listing.
Then she starts filling out the application.
The next morning, Brooke walks into the kitchen.
Larry is drinking coffee.
Bethany is sitting at the table.
Brooke approaches them.
BROOKE
I applied for three jobs.
Larry looks up.
He doesn’t smile immediately.
LARRY
Three?
Brooke nods.
BROOKE
Three.
Bethany smiles slightly.
BETHANY
That’s a start.
Brooke sits down.
BROOKE
I still don’t like losing the car.
Larry nods.
LARRY
You’re not supposed to like it.
BROOKE
I understand why you did it now.
Larry looks at her proudly.
LARRY
Good.
Brooke spends the rest of Saturday applying for jobs.
She makes calls.
She sends emails.
She checks her voicemail repeatedly.
Some places don’t respond.
One says they’re already fully staffed.
Another tells her they’ll call her back.
Brooke becomes frustrated.
She throws her phone onto the bed.
BROOKE
This is harder than I thought.
She sits down.
Then she remembers Larry’s words.
“Get your own.”
Brooke picks up the phone again.
She searches for another job.
Brooke walks into the living room.
Larry is sitting on the couch.
She sits beside him.
BROOKE
I still don’t have a job.
LARRY
But?
Brooke smiles faintly.
BROOKE
But I have two interviews next week.
Larry nods.
LARRY
That’s progress.
Brooke looks down.
BROOKE
I was so mad at you.
LARRY
I know.
BROOKE
I thought you were trying to punish me.
Larry shakes his head.
LARRY
I was trying to prepare you.
Brooke takes a deep breath.
BROOKE
I guess I needed that.
Larry puts his hand on her shoulder.
Brooke walks toward the front door.
She looks at the empty space where her car keys used to sit.
For a moment, she looks disappointed.
Then she smiles.
She pulls out her phone and checks her interview schedule.
BROOKE
One day, I’m going to buy my own car.
Larry looks at her from the couch.
LARRY
That’s the goal.
Bethany looks over.
BETHANY
And when you do, nobody can tell you what to do with it.
Brooke laughs.
BROOKE
Exactly.
Larry smiles.
LARRY
Just remember what it took to get there.
Brooke nods.
She opens the door.
The lesson is simple.
The car may have been a gift.