Empathy No. 067
RODERICK: The best play is always to start in the center. If you go first and start in the center, then you can always win if you play right.
BROOKE: That's the whole trick?
RODERICK: No, but it's a good start. What you want to do is get more than one win lined up so your opponent actually helps you. So if you have the pieces like this...all right, now how do you win if you're yellow?
BROOKE: Well...I guess I put one here...
RODERICK: So I have to block you.
BROOKE: ...Oh, I see. Then I put one here, and no matter what you do...
RODERICK: I'm helping you win. See? Some very smart people spent a lot of time to figure that out.
BROOKE: I guess I get it, but I was hoping it would something a lot easier, you know? I'm not so great at math.
RODERICK: It just takes practice. Uh...someone's going to come by a little later-
BROOKE: Carlie Anderson?
RODERICK: You knew?
BROOKE: Just guessing. You two gonna do it?
RODERICK: What? Where are you getting this? Allison?
BROOKE: She doesn't tell me anything. I listen. Her and Jason and all their friends, they treat me like a little kid and send out of the room when they talk about that stuff. So I have to sneak around. You should do it too, you wouldn't believe what Allie says about you.
RODERICK: I could probably guess. So what kind of things do you hear?
BROOKE: That Carlie's a slut, you two are doing it, she's gonna get knocked up...Allie gets so mad about it. I don't think Carlie's that bad.
RODERICK: We're not going to do anything, she's just dropping by-
BROOKE: I don't care. Allie's the one who's obsessed with that stuff, not me.
RODERICK: I didn't plan on being alone with Carlie. We were going to find something for the three of us to do together.
BROOKE: Actually, it's gonna be the two of you, 'cause I got stuff to do.
RODERICK: That might not-
BROOKE: Look, I told you, I don't care what you do, that's Allie. And I'm not gonna tell her, or Dad, or anyone else that Carlie came over, okay? Don't worry.
RODERICK: Okay.
BROOKE: You know, everyone in this house is obsessed with you. You're supposed to be this special fragile genius, or whatever. But I'm just not that interested. I mean, you're an okay guy, but I just don't think about what you do all that much.
RODERICK: Thanks, I think. I wish Allison was the same.
BROOKE: I wish Allison was different every day. Maybe you can show me some more of your tricks before Carlie shows up, huh?