SF Chapter 03: Modern Family Pilot III
"Hey," Daniel exclaimed, making it very clear, "I never broke the Bro Code!"
And he turned to Manny. "When you saw first, I always let you take the first shot."
His stepbrother nodded, conceding that.
[Daniel Commentary]
"I like Manny," Daniel says, sitting on the couch in Malibu, "just like a little brother, even if he's my step little brother."
"He's like a second girl radar," he reveals with a smirk, "and he has tastes like mine - very pretty chicks."
"And there's one more good thing. If a girl really wanted something with him..."
"Then I'd better stay away from that chick in the first place... because... he's eleven." He tried not to say anything derogatory about Manny.
since there were other obvious reasons besides Manny's age.
[Commentary ends]
"I wanna go to the mall where she works," Manny asked Jay. "But first I need to get my white shirt, the silk one."
"Okay. If that's what you really want to do," Jay agreed.
"Seriously?"
And then he went back to normal. "Not to be the evil stepdad, but if you put on a puffy white shirt... and declare your love for a sixteen-year-old, you're gonna be swinging from the flagpole in your puffy white underpants."
"Stop the car," Manny asked, and got out as soon as the car stopped.
"Oh, where are you going?" Jay shouted, exasperated.
Gloria slapped her husband's arm. "See? You hurt his feelings."
"Well, if it toughens him up a little bit then-" he was answering, but Daniel commented, amused.
"He's picking flowers." He laughed.
[Jay and Gloria Commentary]
"Manny's very passionate, just like his father," Gloria said with a proud face.
"My first husband, he's very handsome, but too crazy. It seemed like all we did was fight and make love, fight and make love, fight and make love."
She went on, "One time, I'm not kidding you, we fell out the window together."
Gloria and Jay laughed. And he joked, "Which one were you doing?"
Jay continued, not waiting for an answer. "Daniel is also very passionate. I lost count of how many girls I saw coming out of his room when he lived with me." He added dryly.
[Commentary ends]
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"Brenda Feldman," Manny murmured as he spotted the girl working at a booth in the mall, with a sign that read 'Photo Fun!'
He was wearing a puffy white shirt, holding a piece of paper in one hand and the flowers he had picked in the other.
The four of them had quickly gone back to Brentwood and then headed straight to the mall where she worked.
"What is that?" Jay pointed at what Manny was holding.
"A poem I have written for Brenda Feldman."
He scoffed. "Of course it is."
"I put my thoughts into words, and now my words into action," Manny said, determined, already ready to walk toward her.
Jay stopped him for a moment. "Hey, I'll give you fifty bucks not to do this."
"I'll give you a hundred to do it!" Daniel countered.
"Daniel!" his dad warned.
And he justified himself, "What? Manny needs to take the first shot, so I can… possibly get my chance." He decided to change the second part.
"It's the Bro Code!"
"I'm eleven years old. What am I gonna do with money?" Manny asked, not interested in any of the offers, even though he was basically winning in both scenarios.
"What are you gonna do with a sixteen-year-old?" Jay countered, quickly turning to his other son. "And I'm not asking you, Daniel."
He knew exactly what his son would do with a sixteen-year-old girl. Unfortunately, he had walked in on it twice.
Manny walked up the stairs and headed toward the pretty blonde girl.
A short while later, the three of them stood there watching Manny confess his feelings.
"He's like a bullfighter," Gloria declared supportively.
"Mmm. You ever see a bullfight?" Jay said, looking at his wife, dismissing the idea. "I can't watch this." He turned away.
"You're in such a bad mood. And I know why. It's because that man thought you were my father," Gloria commented, placing a hand on Jay's arm.
"No."
"Jess (Yes)."
"Yes."
"No," Jay denied again, even against the two of them.
"When you say 'No' like that, it's always 'Jess.' Come on. We're in the mall. Let's get you, like, some younger clothes."
"Yes, Dad," Daniel agreed with his stepmother. "You have an awesome wife, and me, your aweesome son! No reason to take some jackass in a pair of ripped jeans to heart."
Jay patted his son on the shoulder. "Don't go now," he asked, as Daniel adjusted his shirt and blazer, while Manny was already coming back, dejected - for obvious reasons.
"Fine!" his son agreed. "I'll go back to my sister's house, then we'll meet at Mitch's place, since he invited everyone."
"But first, I'm buying a new suit," Daniel smirked.
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After leaving the field, Daniel drove his Porsche back to his sister's house.
"Mooom," Luke yelled, complaining, "Uncle Dan shot at me!"
"Daniel!" Claire scolded her brother, who had apparently just gotten back and was holding a toy gun in one hand.
"What?" Daniel justified himself. "It's on the calendar - 'Shoot Luke.'" He pointed at the board the family used for reminders.
"I know how much you care about this calendar," he continued, "and I even did it earlier, didn't postpone the fun - I mean, the duty!" He put on a righteous face.
Claire just stared at her brother, then said unfazed to her son, "Luke, you can shoot your uncle back."
But Daniel was saved by the doorbell ringing.
"Don't answer it! I'll get it!" Haley screamed from upstairs, running out of her room.
Claire completely ignored her and also rushed to the door, getting there first.
"Hi," she said as she opened it. "Hey, you must be Dylan." She gave the boy standing there a good look.
"Hey. Dylan. Yeah," he replied, a little embarrassed.
"I'm Haley's mother," she remarked, shaking his hand.
"And I'm Daniel," he greeted him, squeezing his hand firmly, making Dylan wince.
Even though they were basically the same height, Daniel was more solidly built, though not overly bulky.
"Haley's uncle - or first cousin once removed," he said with an unfriendly expression.
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Pics:
Brenda Feldman - Modern Family
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