After school, Scott was near his locker putting on his coat and getting ready to meet with his friends. However, something was bothering him as he felt some sort of melancholy.
"I can't believe I'll be having Chinese food again. I never got to discover my Chinese heritage and I think this might be nice for me to learn more about it." Scott thought to himself.
Closing his locker, he realized that someone was watching him. Turning to his right, he saw that it was Sunny spying on him as his costume gave Scott a creepy smile as his costume was meant to be.
"The hell? What are you looking at?" Scott looked at Sunny.
However, he didn't answer as he kept looking at Scott with his permanent smile.
"If you're part of John's crew trying to suck his dick, then fuck off!" Scott leaves the school aggressively.
Sunny stood there as Scott walked away from him.
Leaving the school, Scott approached his friends as they were waiting for him in Natalie's navy blue car.
"Get in!" Natalie yelled excitedly as they were ready to head out of town.
Scott went into the front seat of the car, while the rest were in the back as they felt like they were being squished to each other.
"You know Dwayne, this is the reason why brains are better than brawn, at least you're not fat if you use your brain." Jim squished by Dwayne.
"Oh shut up. If you were smart, then you would've found a way in which we can all be seated, but in a way where we are all not feeling we're sardines in a can." Dwayne's face being squished to his adjacent car window.
"Oh come on! You guys are still fighting about this?" Scott turned his back to look at Jim and Dwayne.
"Come on guys, keep it together, we're all getting food and that's what matters." Natalie putting her hands on the steering wheel.
"Okay." Scott, Jim, and Dwayne all sitting down in a calm manner.
"I don't mind being squished. I think it's hot." Bryan being squished between Jim and Dwayne.
Everyone then stared at Bryan.
"What?"
"Okay then, let's head out." Natalie then headed out of the school parking lot to the roads leaving Sunshine High. Meanwhile, Laura decided to follow them, taking John's car while he was still in school.
On the road, Scott and his friends were all on the highway looking at the scenery of Iowa with their cornfields being covered with snow, barns being at every corner, and the empty roads as Sunshine Valley is around the rural area.
Following them, Laura tried to drive John's car, but struggled, nearly crashing into other vehicles and hitting many road bumps. "Damn it. How do Troy and John drive cars like these?" Laura struggled to know the difference between the brakes and gas pedal.
Out of the rural area, Scott and his friends were now approaching a Chinese restaurant that looked like a Chinese Palace similar to what tourists would see in Beijing.
"That place looks authentic. Let's eat here." Natalie drives towards the restaurant's parking lot.
"So Scott. Ever since I told you about how I empathize with the Black community, do you tend to be connected with your group of ethnicity?"
"Not really. My Dad left us when I was six. I've learned a lot from my Italian heritage, but never my Chinese one. He was supposed to tell me more about my other heritage, but couldn't take me anymore, so the only thing that I can remember of my Dad's heritage is just eating Chinese food."
"I'm sorry Scott. If you want to know more, maybe I can help as much as possible?" Natalie parking the car.
"Yeah. That would be nice."
Natalie then finished parking her car. "Okay guys let's get some food!"
"Yeah!" Everyone in the car yelled as they left the car and headed to the restaurant.
On the other hand, Laura, who struggled driving the whole way, finally caught up with Scott and the gang. "Okay Scott. Let's see what you and your 'friends' have that I don't."
Laura would then park in a senior citizen parking spot leaving the elderly behind her disappointed.
"W-what the? That's supposed to be my parking spot." The old man beeping his car.
"Shut it old man!" Laura leaving John's car.
In the restaurant, Scott and his friends were all sitting at a table of 5 surrounded by other tables as the insides felt like they were in a Chinese palace.
"Oh man, this place feels so authentic." Bryan looked around.
"Oh man, I can't wait to eat as much food as I want!" Dwayne trying to hold his chopsticks, but fell off his hand.
"You idiot, this is how you hold chopsticks." Jim teasing his chopsticks at Dwayne. "I guess brains win this one."
"Oh shut up. I'll just use a fork instead."
"I don't think forks are very Chinese like." Jim is still teasing Dwayne.
"Guys, when are you going to let go of this competition?" Scott taking a sip of tea.
"Okay guys, I think I know what to order." Natalie putting down her menu. "What are you guys planning to eat?"
"To be honest, you can choose what we can eat. I don't mind. I know you're okay with that Dwayne, but are you okay with it Jim?" Scott looking at Jim.
"Sure. My knowledge on culinary foods isn't that great, but I can learn a thing or two about Chinese food." Jim told Scott.
The waitress approached Natalie. "Hello, welcome to Beijing Palace may I take your order?" The waitress spoke in Mandarin.
"Oh yeah can I have all of this please?" Natalie also spoke Mandarin to her.
As the waitress left for their order, the whole table was in shock.
"You speak Chinese?!" Jim was surprised.
"Yeah. I speak French, German, Hindi, Spanish, Korean, Japanese and Chinese." Natalie smiling at the group.
"Well I'll be damned." Jim starts to have interest towards Natalie.
"Scott, don't tell me you don't know any Chinese." Natalie looked at Scott.
"I don't even know Italian."
Natalie started laughing as she saw this as a funny situation.
Outside, Laura looked through the window as she saw them having fun. "Why the hell is our drama kid laughing? She's supposed to be bad and dramatic, not some sort of laughing stock."
A moment later, a whole cart of Chinese food was heading towards their tables filled with all sorts of food.
"Oh my God." Dwayne drooling.
"Don't tell me." Scott looked at the cart.
"Yep. I decided to go for Dim Sum for all of us. Since Dwayne likes to eat a lot and Jim likes to expand his knowledge on Culinary foods, I think this would benefit both of them." Natalie looked at the cart near her.
"Yay! Food!" Bryan cheered.
"The waitresses put all of their food on the table as they opened every lid showing the delicious food they were about to eat.
"Alrighty guys. Dig In!" Natalie picked up her chopsticks.
The whole gang were all eating with Dwayne taking most of the food, Jim studying the food, and Scott enjoying his heritage and learning more about it. Natalie was happy that they were enjoying themselves.
"How can this be happening!" Laura stomped her foot outside of the restaurant. "I can't believe it. Only John should be the one in Scott's seat, not him. He deserves all the attention. ONLY HIM HIM HIM!"
Laura would then look at them again. "For some reason, maybe Scott might not be the person that John tells me. Maybe I should....NO Scott is stupid, he must've manipulated them to make John jealous. John's the good guy not him. That stupid, no life, retarded bastard should've been dead already."
"Yes officer, she's the one who took my parking spot." The old man pointed at Laura for the police.
"Young lady, do you mind moving your car? This is a senior citizen parking spot." The officer told Laura.
Laura, giving an angry stare at the officer, went back to John's car and drove back towards Sunshine Valley still struggling to drive.
Half an hour later, the gang were all stuffed at Jim kept studying his food, Dwayne couldn't handle another bite, and Natalie and Bryan washed it all down with some tea.
"OH MAN! I can't handle another bite." Dwayne feels like his belt is about to burst.
"Same. But at least I'm not like a gluttonous pig like you." Jim analyzes the dumpling.
"And at least I'm not playing with my food." Dwayne responded back towards Jim.
"Guys, can you just enjoy the moment? We are in a restaurant and it's best not to embarrass yourselves." Natalie finished her tea.
Bryan looked at Scott. "Scott. I can't believe you are still eating. I mean Dwayne eats a lot but you are making him jealous from that appetite you have."
"What can I say? I eat a lot." Scott scarfing down the bowling he's holding.
Going to the plate close to him, he readied his chopsticks to devour the last plate of the dim sum.
[However, something bothered him while looking at the plate full of pot stickers]
Scott's mind would dwell on the past.
"Before your grandmother died in Hunan, she gave me her secret recipe of how to make the best potstickers in our family." Scott's father brought the dish to his four year old son and wife to the kitchen table.
"Daddy, I'm scared to eat this. I want pizza!" Scott yelled in excitement for pizza.
"Oh kiddo, this is part of our culture. It's nice to try something new and who knows, you might like it someday."
Scott in the present day, now in tears, cried as he couldn't stop thinking about his father.
"Dad. I'm so sorry. I just wished I was a better son, so you didn't have to leave us." Scott crying as tears fell on the potstickers.
As Scott started to break down, the whole restaurant watched him as his crying alerted everyone reaching the cooks in the kitchen.
"Scott, is everything okay?" Natalie wants to comfort Scott.
"Y-Yeah. I'm just upset that my Dad left because of me. I just wish I was a better son to him."
"....." Natalie wanted to respond.
"Scott, I don't think it's your fault. I bet if he saw you today, he'll like the new you. You made all these friends, you lead us in the shit school we attend. And you are a really nice person. I bet that angry persona that people think about you is now all in the past and full of bullshit."
"Ever since we've been friends with you in the beginning of the school year, we saw how much you have improved and hope to see your growth throughout the end of the year." Jim follows Natalie.
"Thanks guys, I'm so happy that you guys are there for me when I need it." Scott hugging Natalie near her.
"Can you now stop hugging me? I got to pay for the bill." Natalie brings out her debit card.
After the food, Scott and the gang are all on the road ready to head back to Sunshine Valley.
"I hope you guys like that Dim Sum." Natalie focused on the road.
"I did. It gave me some nostalgic memories." Scott looking at the window.
"Oh boy. I wish I had more of those egg custard buns." Dwayne in the middle of the back seat.
"I can't believe Chinese food is that delicious." Bryan on the right in the back seat.
"So since Valentine's Day is coming up, do you guys have a Valentine?" Natalie questions.
"I'm thinking of being with Isabelle. She seems to be the sweetest girl I've ever met. I wish she can talk though." Dwayne said.
"Jim?"
"Well. I need to confess. I think you are so cool and as smart as me as a gifted student and you as a compassionate student. Do you think you can be my Valentine?"
Natalie giggles. "Sure. I think we do some things in common, besides all the analyzing you do while you focus on your studies."
"Bryan? Scott?"
"Honestly, I have no idea. I don't think I can have a Valentine because I'm interested in guys and if anyone in the school finds out that I'm dating a guy, then I'm afraid that I'll go missing or possibly be killed." Bryan fidgeting his fingers.
"No worries, if John tries to hurt you, then we'll protect you as much as possible. I mean who would go up against a football jock as well as the smartest kid in our school?" Natalie responds.
"Yeah. We'll see." Bryan said.
"Natalie, don't expect me to have a Valentine. I'm not interested in dating because there's not any girl in that school that'll understand my feelings. I mean many people besides you guys only saw me as the 'outcast.'"
"Outcast?" Everyone in the car questions Scott.
"I honestly don't know either. When we had our fight with Drake, he said that I was considered the outcast of the school. I understand why Jim was called a 'nerd' and Natalie as the 'drama student', but why am I an 'outcast?'"
"Don't overthink this, Scott. Maybe Drake wanted to piss you off so he wanted to say mean things to you." Jim joins in.
"True. Valentine's Day is tomorrow so I should just take a break from this case and help you guys with your Valentine."
"That's the spirit Scott. Even though there's a lot of uncertainty in our town doesn't mean we can't be teenagers."
"Alright." Scott smiled as they headed back to Sunshine Valley.