**Dog’s Life**
**Introduction**
**Characters:**
- **DIEGO:** A 24-year-old dog owner
- **SCOOPS:** Diego’s Labrador retriever
**Scene I: Diego’s Apartment at 4:00 p.m.**
1. [The sun is filtering through an apartment window. A Labrador retriever named Scoops is lounging on top of a couch, staring at the door.]
2. **SCOOPS:** [Left eye raises slightly as the sun begins to stream through the window.] Any second now, and he will be home.
3. [Time ticks by slowly as Scoops lifts his head, pants, and then gets up from the couch. He walks over to the door and begins to wag his tail.]
4. **SCOOPS:** [Sniffing the air.] False alarm. Just the neighbor next door and her noisy poodle, Fifi.
5. [Scoops walks back to the couch and stares up at the cushion, trying to decide his next move.]
6. **SCOOPS:** Actually, I think it is time for some food.
7. [Scoops goes to his food bowl filled with dry food and begins to eat. He stops and hears a sound near the door. Suddenly, a dog barks from the hall outside Scoops’s apartment.]
8. **SCOOPS:** Argh, it is just Fifi again, trying to get my attention.
9. [Scoops barks back at Fifi, then looks over at the door, and then at the window. He can tell by the amount of sunlight coming through that Diego is overdue.]
10. **SCOOPS:** I hope he’s okay. What if he is not okay? Who will play catch with me? Am I going to have to play with Fifi? Who will feed me? Worse yet, who’ll take me for a walk when I need to go out?
11. [The sounds of a ticking clock penetrate the room.]
12. **SCOOPS:** Well, if he doesn’t come home, I guess there is more room for me on the couch.
13. [Scoops jumps up on the couch and lies down. Soon, there is a jingling of keys at the door and a clicking of the lock. Scoops sits up excitedly, suddenly as alert and on guard as a soldier. The door opens, and Diego emerges in the doorway.]
14. **SCOOPS:** You’re back! Yay!
15. [Scoops rushes toward the door and jumps onto Diego, licking him in the face.]
16. **DIEGO:** It’s great to see you too, boy. [Diego pets Scoops.] Looks like you had another leisurely day here with nothing much to worry about. I wish I could trade spots with you.
17. **SCOOPS:** Yeah, right.
**Scene II: The Park**
18. [Outside the apartment in a nearby park, Diego is taking Scoops for a walk. Or, rather, Scoops is dragging Diego, who is on his cell phone.]
19. **SCOOPS:** What is taking him so long on the phone? Doesn’t he know I have places to go and trees to visit?
20. [Scoops looks back at Diego.]
21. **DIEGO:** [Talking into his phone.] Yes, Mom, I am planning to come home for Tara’s wedding. I just need to find someone to take care of Scoops.
22. **SCOOPS:** [Suddenly stops sniffing a shrub.] Huh? Did he say he has to find someone to take care of me?
23. **DIEGO:** Well, it’s not that easy. It would be a two-hour drive, and I’ve never traveled that far with him before.
24. **SCOOPS:** Wait, we have a chance to go on a road trip? I’m in!
25. [Scoops races over to Diego and jumps up to get his attention.]
26. **DIEGO:** Hold on, I’m on the phone. [There is a pause.] No, Mom. I was talking to Scoops. He seems pretty eager to get my attention.
27. **SCOOPS:** I wouldn’t miss my big chance to travel and see the world.
28. **DIEGO:** Well, I guess we could drive down, but I was thinking of having my neighbor take care of him. She has a dog of her own, so it would make sense.
29. **SCOOPS:** Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. Sure, Emily is great, but there is no way I’m going to spend time with Fifi when I have the chance for a trip. I’ll never get a word in edgewise with her.
30. [Scoops barks.]
31. **DIEGO:** Maybe I can take him with me. What’s the worst that could happen?
32. **SCOOPS:** [Indignant.] Thanks a lot. What do you expect me to do, have an accident in the car?
33. **DIEGO:** He’s only traveled once with me for a long distance and that didn’t go so well.
34. **SCOOPS:** [Embarrassed.] Those were my younger days, when I used to get carsick. I am over that now.
35. **DIEGO:** But I think it’s worth it. After all, Scoops is family, and I am sure he’d love to meet the rest of you. Even Tara’s cat, Jinx.
36. **SCOOPS:** Whoa, wait a minute. Did someone say "cat?"
37. **DIEGO:** How about it, Scoops? You up for a road trip?
38. **SCOOPS:** Well, I thought you’d never ask.
39. [Scoops wags his tail and then turns his attention to a nearby shrub. He now feels safe because home is always where Diego is, even if it involves a road trip. As long as he is with Diego, Scoops feels fine.]
40. **DIEGO:** I sure wish I knew what he was thinking, Mom, but something tells me Scoops just can’t wait to come home.
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**Question:** The description in paragraph 1 is important to the scene because it:
A. creates a comfortable setting
B. creates a somber mood
C. reveals what time of day it is
D. describes the main character