The scene opens in a supermarket aisle. Anna is pushing her cart, checking her shopping list on her phone. Mark is standing by a display of canned tomatoes, inspecting a label. Chloe walks into the aisle, her eyes glued to her phone, and bumps into Mark's cart.
CHLOE: Oh, sorry! I wasn't looking.
MARK: No problem at all, young lady. Just be careful, these supermarket carts can be dangerous. They have a mind of their own!
(Anna walks past them, trying to get to the canned goods. She sees the different types of tomatoes and sighs in frustration.)
ANNA: Canned tomatoes... crushed, diced, whole... there are too many options. This is why I hate grocery shopping.
MARK: It can be a little overwhelming. But look, if you’re making a pasta sauce, the crushed ones are best. They make the sauce thicker. The diced ones are good for chili.
ANNA: Oh, thank you. I am making pasta sauce. I just moved to this neighborhood and I don't know my way around this store yet.
MARK: Ah, a new neighbor! I’m Mark. I've been shopping here for years. I know every aisle. You could say I'm an expert.
ANNA: Anna. Nice to meet you. And thank you for the tip.
(Chloe, who has been listening, puts her phone away and looks at a bag of lentils.)
CHLOE: Can I ask you something, too? I need to get some lentils, but I don’t know the difference between the brown ones and the red ones.
MARK: The red ones cook much faster, and they turn into a sort of mush. They’re good for soups. The brown and green ones keep their shape better, so they're great for salads.
CHLOE: Oh, that makes sense. I was going to use them for a salad. Thank you so much! My mom just gave me her old recipes, and I’m trying to cook more.
MARK: That's wonderful. Cooking from a recipe is like following a map. And if you get lost, just ask!
ANNA: It’s great that you're cooking more. It’s so much healthier and cheaper than eating out. I'm trying to do the same.
CHLOE: Yeah, but it’s a lot of work. Especially when you don't know what to buy.
MARK: We can help you. What else is on your list?
CHLOE: Let's see... a specific type of flour for bread. It's called... self-rising?
ANNA: The self-rising flour is right next to the regular flour, a few aisles down. I can show you. I need to get some eggs over there anyway.
CHLOE: You would do that? Thank you, Anna!
MARK: See? Grocery shopping can be a team effort! Have a good day, you two!
(Anna and Chloe smile and walk down the aisle together, a new friendship blooming amidst the rows of food. They continue their shopping, no longer feeling so lost.)
(End of Scene)