Categories > TV > Joan of Arcadia > Adversary
Chapter Three
0 reviewsThe first episode for an imaginary season three; six chapters. Joan/Ryan. As Helen struggles with questions about why evil exists, Joan begins to understand that she has the ability to shape her in...
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Joan breezed into the dining-room. "Hey, guys," she said cheerfully. "What's new?"
"I'm about to become unemployed," Kevin joked grimly. "That's new."
"What? Why?" Joan asked, coming to a standstill. "And there goes my temporary good mood," she added wryly.
"C'mon, now," Helen said, "you don't know that's true."
"Mom, the memo made it pretty clear the paper's facing layoffs," Kevin said. "I'm bottom-of-the-totem-pole guy; if they get rid of anyone, it'll be me."
"Why is the paper facing layoffs?" Joan persisted, her voice slightly shrill.
Kevin shrugged. "The new owner is making changes."
"Are you sure there's not some mistake?" Helen asked. "Sometimes when there's a change in ownership these rumours get started."
"Mom," said Kevin patiently, "there's optimism, and then there's denial. Let's not cross over, okay?"
Helen sighed, then shrugged expressively. "I know. I just can't believe Ryan Hunter would do that. He seems like such a nice man."
"You also don't get to be on his side," Kevin said firmly. "I don't care how nice he is."
"Ryan Hunter?" Joan said loudly, and both Kevin and Helen turned to stare at her. "Um, I mean, he's that school board guy, right?" she said weakly, striving for a casual tone. "The one you introduced me to at school?"
Helen nodded.
"Wow, he's a happening guy," Kevin said bitterly. "All sorts of influence."
"Did I tell you I had coffee with Lilly this morning?" Helen asked, deciding it was time to change the subject.
"Did you tell her she's dating a giant, soon-to-be-unemployed loser?" asked Kevin.
"I didn't know that then," Helen said absently, and then looked horrified. "I mean-I didn't mean that. Kevin, you're not a loser. Even if you lose your job you won't be a loser. And that might not even happen."
"Not if I can help it, it won't," Joan agreed, but under her breath.
"I'm about to become unemployed," Kevin joked grimly. "That's new."
"What? Why?" Joan asked, coming to a standstill. "And there goes my temporary good mood," she added wryly.
"C'mon, now," Helen said, "you don't know that's true."
"Mom, the memo made it pretty clear the paper's facing layoffs," Kevin said. "I'm bottom-of-the-totem-pole guy; if they get rid of anyone, it'll be me."
"Why is the paper facing layoffs?" Joan persisted, her voice slightly shrill.
Kevin shrugged. "The new owner is making changes."
"Are you sure there's not some mistake?" Helen asked. "Sometimes when there's a change in ownership these rumours get started."
"Mom," said Kevin patiently, "there's optimism, and then there's denial. Let's not cross over, okay?"
Helen sighed, then shrugged expressively. "I know. I just can't believe Ryan Hunter would do that. He seems like such a nice man."
"You also don't get to be on his side," Kevin said firmly. "I don't care how nice he is."
"Ryan Hunter?" Joan said loudly, and both Kevin and Helen turned to stare at her. "Um, I mean, he's that school board guy, right?" she said weakly, striving for a casual tone. "The one you introduced me to at school?"
Helen nodded.
"Wow, he's a happening guy," Kevin said bitterly. "All sorts of influence."
"Did I tell you I had coffee with Lilly this morning?" Helen asked, deciding it was time to change the subject.
"Did you tell her she's dating a giant, soon-to-be-unemployed loser?" asked Kevin.
"I didn't know that then," Helen said absently, and then looked horrified. "I mean-I didn't mean that. Kevin, you're not a loser. Even if you lose your job you won't be a loser. And that might not even happen."
"Not if I can help it, it won't," Joan agreed, but under her breath.
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