Dialogue Excercise

Dialogue Exercise

Owen Neuburger

Conor Doyle

Cree: Serena, Serena?

Serena: Cree! It’s been so long.

Cree: I know, how’s your family, how’s William?

Serena: They’re good, we have some minor problems but I’ll tell you about it in a bit, I want to know how you’re doing too.

Cree: I’m good, Ted is fine and so is Sonny, he’s the goalie on the soccer team, I’m so proud of him. Faith is having a tough time with high school, but I think she’s getting better.

Serena: Good, good. My girls are doing well, but they are having some trouble making friends. William keeps saying it’s my fault for spoiling them, but he’s at work so much that he barely even knows them.

Cree: Aw, poor things. How is William’s clinic doing?

Serena: Not too well actually. His business was going well at first, but lately it’s gone downhill, now that the new hospital emergency room opened up. God, he has been so depressed by it and when he comes home he’s angry and shuts us out.

Cree: I’m so sorry.

Serena: It’s ok; it’s not your fault. God, he just gets so angry. Lately he doesn’t get home till past 4 in the morning. He used to be home by 11:30. I think he’s going to a bar. He often gets home drunk, shoving us around and yelling and crying at the same time. I can’t go on like this. Two weeks ago he full on hit me across the face. I’m just scared the girls will find out, or he’ll target them.

Cree: Well perhaps you could tell someone who could do something about it, like an authority maybe?

Serena: No I couldn’t do that, I like William but just lately he’s been getting pretty crazy and unpredictable. I don’t trust him as much anymore though.

Cree: I’m sorry to hear that. I guess if you don’t want to do anything about it you’ll just have to deal with it.

Serena: sigh I guess so, what about Ted is he doing well?

Cree: He’s doing great in fact; he just got a promotion at the phone company, so I was actually here shopping for the celebration dinner. I think it might also lift Faith’s spirits too since she’s been sad about school recently.

Serena: Oh that’s too bad, what’s the matter at school?

Cree: It’s just all the new problems that come along with High School.  I guess she’s not used to being the youngest again after being top dog at the middle school. She’s always had trouble with older girls; I think that she fights with them a lot. Or at least that’s what it seems like.

Serena: Well she’ll readjust sooner or later; it seems as if everyone does. And after awhile high school becomes fun!

Cree: Hah – you say that now but I’m sure that’s not what you thought when you were there.

Serena: Well my memory from then is a bit fuzzy it’s been a while.

Cree: Yeah I know, but with his new promotion, and it means he’s going to be gone a lot, and he’ll be home less on the weekends.

Serena: Well longer hours aren’t so bad are they?

Cree: Its more then that, business trips and not seeing the kids enough.  He coaches Sonny’s soccer team, but I’m afraid this promotion will put an end to that and I don’t want him to become disconnected from them.

Serena: Maybe with this promotion he’ll bring in more money, and you can improve other things to make up for his absence?

Cree: That’s always possible but you can’t buy a father, I just want him to be as involved with the kids as I am.

Serena: At least he’s making an effort. William didn’t even seem to care the both Meredith and Kris both failed Geometry for the second time.

Cree: That’s horrible!

Serena: As if that was the only problem I had with them. They’re just so out of control and they don’t respect me.

Cree: You’ve got to take charge and make them buckle down and work!

Serena: It’s so hard for me though! Whenever I ask them to do something they just scoff at me and go up to their rooms and listen to their Ipod’s or go on Facebook. They have no respect or sense of honor for anybody. Will just pushes it under the rug and seems to think that if he ignores it it’ll just go away.

Cree: You really need to check on them and make sure that they are working. Show them that it’s not ok to fail.

Serena: Do you think I should go in and talk with their teachers?

Cree: That’s what I would do.

Serena: I think that maybe their friends have something to do with it, too. The attitude was always there but Kris and Meredith always had decent grades until now. They both have older boyfriends on the football team, and I’ve heard some bad things about the parties they’ve been to.

Cree: I’ve heard about those parties too!

Serena: Does Faith ever go to those? From what you’ve told me it sounds like she wouldn’t.

Cree: No she doesn’t, I wouldn’t exactly call her the party type.

Serena: Well I guess she doesn’t take after her mother then, you went to EVERY party they threw!

Cree: Well maybe not partying all the time will lead to better things for her and perhaps she’ll focus on her education.

Serena: Yeah that’s what I really want for Kristen and Meredith, but they’re kids so what should I expect anyways?

Cree: I don’t think you can expect anything. But I have to go ive been chatting so long with you ive forgot to even shop!

Serena: Oh my, your right! Well I’ll see you later it was nice talking to you!

Cree: Nice seeing you, bye!