Having Words Ask Lara

.

Me nombre es Gabriel. My name is Gabriel.

Tengo trece anos. I'm 13 years old.

-What are you muttering about?

-Huh?

You were talking to yourself.

Oh! I'm practising for the oral test. Don't you need to?

Me? No! I'm good at speaking Spanish.

Right, of course. Sorry.

She's gone crazy. I'm telling you, I've never seen her so fired up.

Well, Monica's always fired up about something.

-This is all your fault, Akira.

-MY

-fault?!

You and your whole-wheat banana muffins.

Our baking project has been really fun.

There was my Victoria sponge,

Gabriel's gateau,

then you had to go and bake those muffins.

They were good muffins.

-You're not taking this seriously.

-Don't worry, Lara.

Monica will be too busy with the oral test to even think about...

Cupcakes!

The best cakes in the world!

And I have the best ever recipe1

The competition is as good as mine.

You know, Monica, it's not actually a competition.

Oh, yes. I know.

And I promise I won't let it go to my head

when I'm crowned the cupcake queen!

-Are you OK, Tony?

-Yes. Why?

No, I'm not OK.

I'm in a bad mood, OK?

Are you nervous about the test?

I'll tell the teacher a joke.

I've heard that always works. You should try it too.

I don't know any jokes.

Of course you do. You always make everyone laugh.

That's how you see me, is it? As some kind of clown?

Well, er... No, I mean...

And I don't need to tell jokes.

I can speak Spanish!

Hi, Tony.

You OK?

-Yes, I'm fine. Why?

-Oral test today.

Thought you might be nervous.

-Well, I'm not.

-Anyway, I figured out what the secret is.

Yeah? What is it then?

You just have to relax.

The main thing is not to come across like a robot.

Oh, so I'm a robot now?!

First question. One of your friends

is in a really bad mood.

What do you do?

A - ask if they're OK, but let them work it out for themselves.

B - give them a dose of their own medicine.

You can take their mood and double it.

Or C - avoid them completely until they've cheered up.

Hi, Monica. I heard you were doing some baking today.

Shouldn't you wait until you're in the kitchen?

Very funny(!)

-Just wait till you taste the results.

-Mm, I can't wait.

-Last time was those whole-wheat...

-Pancakes!

-Yes, I love them too.

-Not pancakes, no. I'm thinking of those banana...

Milkshakes! My favourite.

Let's go and get one right now.

Huh!

Lara should really work on those chat-up lines.

-Oh, that was close.

-It was?

-Come on. I'll explain.

-Are we going to get a milkshake?

-What?

Of course not!

Hola, Tony. Esta usted preparado?

Yes. I'm ready, Miss.

En Espanol, por favor.

Oh, yes. Sorry. I mean, Si. Si.

-She's obsessed!

-This is bound to end in tears.

You don't know that for sure.

-I mean, she could be a really good cook.

-Hm.

Don't worry, Tony. I'll ask you some easy questions to start with.

Cuantos anos tienes?

'Tell her a joke.'

What do you call a penguin in the desert?

Are you OK, Tony?

Lost!

Hm.

Hi, Monica. How's it going?

Great, except I've lost the recipe.

But I work on instinct. All the great chefs do.

Hm. Can I help at all?

Er, you can stir this,

as long as you don't try and take the credit.

Er...

I think I found the recipe.

Ahem. Let's try something else.

Donde vives?

Si.

'Si, si, si, si!'

Tony's in a really strange mood today.

Maybe his hormones are putting him through the ringer.

Definitely his hormones, whatever they are.

AKIRA LAUGHS

Here comes Monica.

Mm, I smell cupcakes!

Hm, they look OK.

Now, are they or are they not the best cupcakes you've ever tasted?

-Delicious(!)

-Absolutely(!)

-The best(!)

-Er...lovely(!)

Ah, thought so!

I suppose I am the winner.

Although as you said, Lara, it's not really a competition.

It's just a bit of fun.

Wish me luck!

-How did you get on? Did you tell her a joke?

-Yes.

That was the most stupid idea you've ever had!

Monica made some cakes, Tony.

Yes, and do you know what?

Everyone said they were so delicious they wanted to save them for later.

Monica insisted though.

Yes, we had to eat every last crumb.

Well, I'm glad you're all having such a good time(!)

Bet you didn't even save me one, did you?

Actually, I did.

Oh, thanks.

HE COUGHS

Eurrgh!

What are you trying to do, poison me?!

What is that flavour? Anchovy?

I've never, never tasted anything so disgusting

in my whole life! Pah!

SHE CRIES

-What?

-How could you be so mean?

Back off, Tony. Just cos they're not the best cakes in the world,

it doesn't give you the right to act like a monster!

Monster? That's a bit unfair.

She shouldn't have said that.

HE GROANS

Second question.

You said some bad stuff to a friend. Should you...

A - apologise and forget about it.

It was probably just your hormones or something.

B - feel proud of yourself for telling the truth.

Somebody had to!

Or C - vow never to speak to that person again,

unless of course they apologise to you.

She's locked herself in the toilet and won't come out.

You should say something, Tony.

Why? You were lying to Monica about her cakes.

At least I was honest.

Hmph!

AKIRA SIGHS

-Maybe he's got a point.

-Come on, Lara.

Tony's been in a bad mood all day.

Everyone has a bad day now and again.

You know, when everything everyone says annoys you,

but you don't know why.

Well, then it's probably my fault.

-I wound him up on the way to school.

-Me too.

He's got himself into a state and now he can't get out of it.

-He's probably walking around feeling like some kind of...

-Monster?

Oof! Ow! D'oh! Ow!

Rawr!

Tony?

We all feel bad.

We've been saying stuff without thinking.

You're not really a monster.

You were probably just nervous about the oral test.

Nervous?

I really wasn't that nervous.

Oh, I don't know what's wrong with me!

Sorry, everyone.

Don't worry about it. We all have off days.

But do you think you were maybe a bit hard on Monica?

HE GROANS

SHE SNIFFLES

What do you want?

I'm really sorry about what I said, Monica.

I've been having a bad day and your baking was...

Well, the icing on the cake.

But everyone else liked my cakes.

We weren't being totally honest with you, Monica.

We didn't want to upset you.

The truth is the cakes do have an odd taste.

Yes, like old socks.

-Shush!

-Quiet!

-Gabriel!

OK, then. But it wasn't my fault. I just followed the recipe.

LAUGHTER

Third question.

You've messed up your whole day

along with everyone else's. Do you...

A - own up and accept that sometimes you're going to have an off day.

B - get defensive and blame everyone else on the planet.

Or C - wear a gag so you can't ever offend again.

If you answered mostly As,

it sounds like you're on top

of those sometimes frustrating teenage hormones.

If you answered mostly Bs,

it's great to have such pride in yourself.

As long as you don't mind not having any friends, that is.

And if you answered mostly Cs,

you seriously need to relax!

We all have words now and again.

Friends get over these things quickly.

Mm!

Akira's banana muffins are so delici... Uh-oh!

Not as delicious as my rock cakes!

LAUGHTER

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd