" Disaffected, she feels the family needs a life-style-shaking "miracle" because it has "gone to pieces." Sidney tells Rita hat he is "avidly" paying attention, although he is only half-listening and half-interested (he""s more attentive to the other people in the nightclub - the returning musicians and Susan and Steve""s parting).Rose gazes at him, trying o attract a glance while entering the house.Rose quickly persuades Esther to join her and stand on the front porch to look at the boy.Attempting to be non-chalant, both desperately want to be noticed and admired.Unsuccessful in attracting his attention, he is oblivious o them and imperviously wanders inside.Rose thinks: "He""s not very neighborly, I must say."They also go inside their house, where they anticipate he evening""s events.When Esther reminds Rose of her fateful phone call, stuck-up Rose disdainfully mentions her disinterest in boys before drifting upstairs to wash her hair:My dear, when you get to be my age, you""ll find out here are more important things in life than boys.He is returning home o Los Angeles from college in the East.Appearing slightly shy and unprepossessing, his face has a blank, expressionless, enervated, zombie-like look.