TROY
one of you should move him out of the way so i don't run over him.

(anthony tried but when the worm startled wiggling, pulled back)

TROY
alex. will you get him out of the way?

(alex knelt down to scoop up the giant worm but when it began snapping its body around, alex too stood up and said he didn't want to get it. by now, the worm was moving away from us on his own and out of the way of peril)

TROY (as we were getting into the car)
alex. what happened there?

ALEO
what? what do you mean?

TROY
i mean you are known as the guy who will pick up anything. hopping frogs. clicking cicadas. snapping crabs. you once tried to pick up an opossum by the tail.

ALEO
i didn't try to pick him up. i just touched his tail with my foot.

TROY
right. so why are you having problems picking up a worm? where'd my guy go?

ALEO
i'm going through a phase.

TROY
a phase? what phase?

ANTHONY (interjecting)
it's called the puberty dad.

TROY
oh.

ALEO
yeah. i'm going through the puberty.

TROY
i see. and the puberty is just a phase.

ALEO
yeah.

TROY
when this phase is done will you be able to pick up critters again.

ALEO
i think so but don't know for sure.

TROY
i see.

(with this the car fell into a silence as we all thought about the changes that the puberty held in store for us collectively.)