Kelly’s triumphant smile is what finally makes Riley react.

Riley: Excuse me, Dale, but you can’t say no, remember what’s at stake. Only if you come with me to that party will you get a 40% discount on your rent payment.

Dale: Well, thanks for the offer, but I already got a better one from the landlord himself. 70% off, and without having to attend any boring events.

Kelly: 70% off? How did you get such a bargain?

Dale: Terry called Riley’s dad. Apparently Mr. Woods owed him a favor, they negotiated and came to an agreement.

Riley: My dad negotiated with your brother the mobster? No way.

Dale: If my brother is a ‘mobster’, why would your father owe him a favor?

Riley: Dad doesn’t owe favors to anyone, much less to 'Terry the Terrible’. Chances are he extorted him to get that rebate.

Dale: Nonsense.

Kelly: Sorry, I never thought I would say this but, Riley has a point, what if Terry pressured Mr. Woods to get us the discount?

Dale: Kelly…

Riley: See? Even your girlfriend knows your brother is a thug.

Dale: Yeah, thanks a lot, Kelly.

Kelly: I just said maybe Terry put pressure on Mr. Woods, I never said he was a ‘thug’. (To herself) But of course he is one.

Riley: I know my dad very well, he would never 'negotiate’ with someone like Terence. I’ll call him after school today, and if I find out this is all a lie, you two better start packing your bags.

Riley finished her pancakes quickly and quietly. Then she got up from the table and went to lock herself in her room.

Dale: Kelly, what the hell? Why did you take her side?

Kelly: I didn’t take her side, she got it all wrong. Now, just between you and me, did Terry extort Mr. Woods or not?

Dale: Of course not! He didn’t have to. Like I said, G.W. owed him a favor and he cashed it in. By the way, did you see the look on Riley’s face when I told her about the 70% thing?

Kelly: Yeah, it was priceless!

The rest of the conversation revolved around Riley’s reaction to learning that her father owed Terry a favor. Kelly laughed heartily, Dale breathed a sigh of relief.  There was the distraction he needed to keep her from asking about what he hadn’t said the night before. Problem solved!