March 18, 2016
Almost two weeks later…

It is a beautiful afternoon an hour after practice ends. The sun is shining over the Monarossabergie House, where its residents are having lunch with a surprise: three visitors from their team.

In the dining room is where the six teammates are lunching on to-go Cali Comfort BBQ plates ranging from racks of ribs to brisket to tri-tip along with coleslaw, french fries, wedding beans, and cheddar cheese-jalapeño cornbread as sides.

It’s a feast!

“These are soooooo good!” Bryan Moore proclaims as he gazes in awe at a rib he has in his barbeque-smeared hands. He then dives into the meat and clears it off the bone.

Next to him, his best friend, Stu Bickel, raises his eyebrows at him. “Because it’s Cali Comfort-- Cali Comfort’s always good!” He takes in a spoonful of brisket mixed with coleslaw.

“Aw, I’m so glad you guys both love Cali Comfort!” the captain of the Gulls, Joe Piskula exclaims, raising his fork in the air. “Now we can all be happy and satisfied!”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, the actual residents of the house are gaping at their visitors. Well, except for Nick Ritchie; he is too busy eating the Cali Comfort Medley sandwich he created with all the options on the table.

“Next time, we should invite ALL of the Gulls over!” Bryan points out excitedly. “Then it’d be a paaar-tae!”

From across the table, Joseph Cramarossa drops his fork on his plate with his sharp eyes on him. “No.”

Next to him, his roommate, Brandon Montour, eyes him while taking a spoonful of the wedding beans.

“Ooo, ooo, or better yet!” Bryan continues on, oblivious to the expression he’s getting from his teammate. “We can invite the Grizzlies as well!”

“No,” Joseph states sternly again.

“Aaaand the Ducks!” Bryan smirks at his mental guest list for his next party. “Now THAT’D be one big grand party!”

“Good luck having that at your place.” Joseph scoops his glass of water into his grasp and takes a swig of it.

Bryan eyes him with an arched eyebrow raised. “Who says it’s gonna be at my place? It’s gonna be HERE of course!”

Joseph plunks the glass against the table’s surface. “You didn’t even ask if we’re okay with that.”

“Who’s NOT okay with a party?” Bryan throws his hands in the air. “EVERYONE loves parties!”

“And what if I don't?” Joseph asks snarkily.

Bryan raises his eyebrows at him. “Well, that explains why you’re a party pooper.”

“And that explains why you’re a nuisance,” he shoots back at him.

“Hah, you wish that you could--”

“Heeey, Bryan…!” Stu nudges his friend’s arm nervously. “Why-why would you invite the Ducks?”

Bryan whirls to face his best friend. “Because they’re the big leaguers--the NHLers! To be the best, you gotta be with the best!” He winks while leaning back and pointing his thumbs against his chest.

“Are you saying that you’re the best?” Joseph asks sardonically.

Bryan spins around to face him, changing his expression. “Why of course I’m saying that I’m the best! That’s why you’re hanging out with me--!”

“I actually wonder how the Ducks are doing,” Stu cuts in more loudly to divert the attention of his feisty friend.

Bryan turns back to him. “Well, I can look up--”

“No, no, no, no, no” --Stu shakes his head-- “like actually doing, like how the players are doing. Like: how’s Gibs doing--”

“He’s doing well,” Nick tells him matter-of-factly with his sandwich suspended in the air in his hands.

Stu turns to him, slightly gawking. “Um, thank you for that. But I wonder how the rest are doing--”

“They’re doing well, too.” Nick cuts in again. He then takes a large bite of his overstuffed sandwich.

“Nooo…” Stu appears slightly worried. “It’d be cool to check up on them.” He slowly turns back to face his roommates.

“Aw, that is such a great thing to do!” Joe exclaims while a massive smile. “I think we should ALL do that!”

“Okay, so we go up to Anaheim and knock on each of their doors and ask how they’re doing?” Joseph asks sarcastically from the other side of the table.

Stu faces him with a slight frown. “No...there’s gotta be a better way…”

Bryan cleans his hands with a napkin. “How about a letter?”

Stu shakes his head at him. “I wouldn't write it--that's too much.”

“How about a postcard?” Brandon suggests from next to his satirical roommate. He is scraping the last of the beans from his plate. “We’ve got a bunch.”

Joe’s eyes light up as he faces his roommates. “By golly gee, that’s splendid!” He then faces the hosts. “Let’s write a postcard to them right now!”

“Alright, I’ll go grab ‘em.” Brandon drops his spoon and pushes himself away from the table to get up.

He steps over to the living room and halts by the coffee table, where a box of postcards are laying on the surface. He grabs the box and walks back over to the dining room.

“Okay, so how many do we write?” Brandon plops them on the table’s corner in between Stu and Joe.

Joseph joins them, standing next to Brandon and looming over them.

“For every single one so that they ALL get a party invitation!” Bryan blurts out, leaning over the table to get a good view of him.

“NO,” Joseph snaps at him with piercing eyes.

Joe pulls out his smartphone from his jeans’ pockets. “Let’s see here…!” He taps a few times on his phone before his eyes fly open in glee. “I got where they all live, so we can send one to each of their places!” He grins up at Brandon.

“Alright!” Brandon pulls the lid off and plucks a thick slip of paper from it. “What should it say?” He flaps it in the air.

They stare at the postcard in fear. “Ummm…” They say in unison as they contemplate the question.

Nick then stands up from his chair with his empty place in his two hands. “‘Hope you’re doing well in Anaheim,’” he suggests lazily as he lumbers over to the kitchen skin.

Brandon nods at the postcard. “Sounds legit.” He then places it on the table, pulls out a pen from the box, and writes the beautiful letter on the back of the postcard: Hope your doing well in Anaheim.

He looks up at his teammates. “Looks good?”

“Just add that there’s gonna be a party--”

“No, no, no, no, no, that’s good enough!” Stu tells him, covering Bryan’s mouth to prevent him from saying anything else.

Joe peers at his phone. “We just need a couple of more postcards to be sent out!”

“Alright!” Brandon then continues rewriting the message on the other postcards.

“I’m gonna take my post-lunch nap,” Nick announces sleepily as he pads by them.

Joe peers up at him with a smile. “Alright! Good night, big fella!”

Nick then trudges down the living room and disappears around the bend of the foyer.

After Brandon writes down the same message on all of the postcards, each of the five guys begins signing their names on the postcard.

“There.” Bryan clicks the pen close and smirks down proudly at the postcards. “Now we send ‘em!”

“Okie dokie!” Joe exclaims, slipping his phone away. “The gang and I’ll be more than happy to drop them off at the post office!” He hops up to his feet. "Let’s go, buddies!”

“Yeah!” Bryan follows the captain’s actions by standing up as well.

“Right on.” Stu stands up and takes the thin stack of postcards. He then follows Joe and Bryan, who are already heading out toward the front door.

“Alright, bye, guys!” Brandon exclaims, holding his hand up to them as a wave.

Bryan peers behind his shoulder to face him. “Bye, peoples!!!" he blurts out, waving excessively.

Joseph nods at them cooly.

“Bye, Joey and Monty,” Stu tells them. He then exits from the house and out of view with Bryan and Joe.

Now it is just the two of them standing in still silence.

Brandon turns to Joseph. “Hopefully the Ducks reply back?”

Joseph shrugs. “Whatever.” With a roll of his eyes, he turns around and strides back to his seat.

Notes

E.12 "The Ducks Are In Town"
Part 1/6
Episode 12/20