Banter

CHRISTIAN
So, Joe, how was your vacation.

JOE
OK.

CHRISTIAN
Just OK? Not good or bad or—

JOE
Nah.

CHRISTIAN
Uh huh. Uh huh. Anything interesting happen over break?

JOE shrugs.

CHRISTIAN
Yeah. Well it’s funny that you mention that, because a funny thing happened to me over vacation, I—

JOE
Oh yeah?

CHRISTIAN
Yeah. Yeah, I—

JOE
What?

CHRISTIAN
Well, my father was putting up our family’s Christmas tree, and I—

JOE
Those Christmas trees can be tough.

CHRISTIAN
Uh huh.

JOE
Tough to set up. And to take down.

CHRISTIAN
Yes. I agree. So anyway, he was stringing the lights on the tree, and somehow—I don’t know if there was a short in the lights or what, but the tree caught on fire.

JOE
Huh. Fire, huh?

CHRISTIAN
Yeah. And we don’t know what caused it.

JOE
Maybe it’s on account of your father being so hot.

CHRISTIAN
Pardon?

JOE
(pause)I don’t know.

CHRISTIAN
All right, we’ll be right back.