"Hey!" shouts Merv from behind. "I'm next! No fair!"
You close the door in Merv's face.
And then you see them.
There, lying on right on the floor of the living room.
Milton and Sandy.
Playing Connect Four.
"Brad," says Sandy, surprised. "Get back outside and wait your turn."
"But--"
"But nothing," says Sandy. "Go on, go!"
Sheepishly you head back outside.
"What was that all about?" asks Merv.
"I'm sorry," you tell Merv. "I just got carried away."
"I'll say," say Merv.
The two of you hang around for a while longer before Milton finally comes out.
"So?" Merv asks Milton. "What happened? Did you win?"
Milton says nothing, but walks right passed you and heads off.
You hear an evil laugh from inside.
"Ha! Ha! Hah! Nobody beats Sandy at Connect Four," declares Sandy. "Who's next?"
Merv goes inside, and you are left alone on Sandy's front step.
These darn Connect Four games can take forever. And that's not why you came here.
Damn.
An hour passes, and then Buddy returns.
"Hey, Brad."
"Hi, Buddy."
"Merv in there now?"
"Yep."
"Milton get his ass whupped?"
"Naturally."
"So, uh, I'm off work now, so I'm just gonna take back my place in line, OK?"
Dayum.
Forget about getting into Sandy's tonight, dude.
"I'm just gonna head home," you tell Buddy. "So, uh, good luck, and stuff."
"All right," says Buddy. "Check you later."
You walk back
home and find something else to do.