“Slumber Party”

Act One

Charles and Gwendolyn walk into the Pembroke living room, arguing. Charles is upset that Gwendolyn ordered a salad at the ice cream parlor. Charles calls Gwendolyn a woman. Gwendolyn tells Charles they are through. Lila answers the door; it's her friend Stacy, who has come over for a slumber party. Gwendolyn punches Charles and leaves. Charles says that he wants to spend the night alone with no women. Lila answers the door; it's Heather, who has brought a romance novel. Charles answers the door; it's Enid, who has brought her horses (but only the girl ones). Mr. Pembroke enters the living room, and the girls go upstairs. Mr. Pembroke comforts Charles. Douglas and Jason come downstairs with sleeping bags; they are going to Aunt Jackie's during Lila's slumber party.

Charles consults the dictionary to help him understand women, while the girls make brownies in the kitchen. Paula Thackery and Kim arrive with a poster of Simon Le Bon. Buddy arrives. Lila's friends Linda and Valerie arrive with a Duran Duran video. Charles wants to go out bowling with Buddy, no women involved. Mr. Pembroke calls on the phone just as Charles and Buddy are leaving. Mrs. Pembroke has to go visit Aunt Jackie, and she guilts Charles and Buddy into staying and watching the girls.

Act Two

Heather, Valerie, and Paula chat to Charles and Buddy in the living room. Charles and Buddy are very annoyed. They try to escape to the kitchen, but Kim and Linda are there baking a cake. Back in the living room, Lila and Stacy are calling a boy on the phone. Charles and Buddy escape to Charles' room, but they find Enid there playing with her horses. Charles and Buddy return to the living room to find the girls dancing to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". Charles shuts off the music and tells the girls that he won't let them walk all over him. The girls decide that Charles has girl trouble. Charles thinks the girls are immature for saying what they feel; they think he is immature for letting salad get in the way of how he feels about Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn arrives to offer Lila an extra sleeping bag, but Charles—with his new intuitions about how women think—believes it's because she wanted to see him. When Charles isn't able to tell Gwendolyn how he feels, she leaves. Heather wants to play Truth, so Charles, Buddy, and the girls go upstairs to Lila's room.

The girls ask how to get a boy to like them. The girls admit that they are scared; Charles admits it is scary for the boys too. Charles tells the girls to be themselves. Buddy wants to go the student union to try telling a girl the truth. As he leaves, Gwendolyn arrives with some ice cream. Charles tells her there is salad in the refrigerator, and they kiss as the girls look on from upstairs.