Jennifer walks into the house, leaving her bookbag right on the ground next to the front door. She walks toward the kitchen, starving and wanting to eat dinner for the night. Upon entering the kitchen, she’s taken back at who she sees in the kitchen.
Justin, her once-estranged dad, looks up from the stove and smiles at Jennifer.
Justin: Hey, Jennifer.
Jennifer doesn’t say anything, she turns around and walks away from the kitchen. Before she is able to go upstairs, her mom, Lydia, is seen coming downstairs.
Lydia: Hi, Peppy.
Jennifer: What’s he doing here?
Lydia: He’s making us dinner tonight.
Jennifer: *annoyed* Is this is why you called me to come home early from practice today?
Lydia: *defensive* No, I called you to remind you that you needed to come home early from your practice today; I told you few days also.
Jennifer: Well then I’m going to Milo’s–
Lydia stops her daughter from going up the stairs further.
Lydia: We ae having dinner tonight as a family.
Jennifer: *scoffs* Family? What is this, the 1960’s?
Lydia: Pep, I know this isn’t something that you’re looking forward to doing, but he is your father.
Jennifer: He decided to finally be one after disappearing for 11 years?
Lydia: *stern* Pep.
Jennifer rolls her eyes and begins to walk down the stairs; her mom follows her. Once the mother-daughter-duo walks into the living room area, Maryette is seen walking in from school.
Lydia: *to Maryette* Make sure you wash up before you come down for dinner, sweetie.
Maryette: I never have to wash up before dinner though–
Jennifer: Because you-know-who is in the kitchen…
Maryette: *confused* Who?
Jennifer rolls her eyes nd walks away from her mom and sister. She enters the kitchen, taking her seat at the table and flips open her cellphone. Justin turns around to look at her before continuing to prepare dinner.
Justin: I’m, uhm, making sopita tonight. You like soup?
Jennifer: I guess.
Justin nods his head, getting the hint. Jennifer looks up from her phone and at Justin; watching him cook. She rolls her eyes and looks back down on her phone.
…
The Castro family sit at the small kitchen table having dinner together. Lydia and Justin sit at one side of the table while Jennifer and Maryette sit on the other side.
Maryette: *mid conversation* So Niko and I had our poster board displayed at the Science Fair today!
Lydia: That must’ve been exciting for you guys. What did you guys have to do at the fair?
Maryette: All we did was sit by our project and only got up when the judges came by to see it. Other than that, we didn’t have to go back to class or anything!
Lydia smiles t her youngest daughter. Jennifer, playing with the food on her plate, doesn’t ay any attention.
Lydia: *to Jennifer* How about you, Pep? How was your day at school?
Jennifer: It was fine.
An awkward silence fills the room for a moment. Lydia coughs, creating noise to break the tension.
Lydia: Did you find out what day the winter showcase is so that we can go?
Jennifer looks around at the table.
Jennifer: Since when is Mars interested in seeing one of my school shows?
Maryette: *intervenes* I’m not–
Lydia: *points at Justin* I meant us, Pep.
Jennifer looks at Justin. His ears turn red, trying to play off the awkward feeling of the room.
Justin: *to Lydia; whispers* It’s okay, Lyd.
Jennifer: *intervenes* Good.
Justin looks up at Jennifer; he readjusts his seat to face forward at the table.
Justin: Is your show for dance?
Jennifer: No.
Justin: Do you not dance anymore?
Lydia: *adds* She sings at her school…
Justin: *shocked* Sing? I didn’t know you could sing, Pep–
Pep gets up from her seat at the kitchen table, fed up.
Jennifer: Maybe if you were in our lives for the past 11 years, you would know that I, in fact, do sing and dance!
Lydia: *stern* Jennifer Ann!
Jennifer: If you were in our lives for the past 11 years, you would’ve been at every showcase and every recital and you wouldn’t be asking me these stupid fucking questions!
Lydia: Jennifer that is enough!
Jennifer walks away from the table and towards the living room. Lydia gets up and follows.
Lydia: Jennifer? Jennifer?
Jennifer grabs her coat from the rack and picks up her bookbag from the floor.
Lydia: Jennifer-
Jennifer: I’m staying over Milo’s.
Lydia: No, you’re not. It’s a school night and we have company.
Jennifer: *turns around* I don’t care, Mom! I don’t care about this dinner, and I don’t care that you’re dating him again! It’s your life, do whatever the hell you want with it-
Lydia: He’s your father, Pep-
Jennifer: No he is not! If he was really my dad, we wouldn’t have left us! Mars doesn’t even know who the hell he is because she wasn’t old enough to remember him! But I was, and because I was old enough, I am not calling him my dad. He is just another guy you’re dating in my eyes.
Jennifer opens the front door to leave.
Lydia: If you leave, you will be grounded for two weeks.
Jennifer: Ground me then, since all you care about is creating this perfect image of us to a man that left us when we needed him the most! *voice cracks* I needed him the most, mom!
Shortly after, Justin walks into the living room, standing next to Lydia. Before he could say anything to her, she turns around and exits through the front door, slamming it behind her.
Letters From Liz. 