My So-Called Life - Episode 3
Guns and Gossip
Transcribed by Pete Stevens
MY SO-CALLED LIFE
1..3 ''Guns and Gossip''
Written by Justin Tanner
Directed by Marshall Herskovitz
Transcribed by Pete Stevens(Pstev@aol.com)
Characters:
Angela: Angela Chase, fifteen year old high school
student
Patty: Patty Chase, Angela's mom
Graham: Graham Chase, Angela's dad
Danielle: Danielle Chase, Angela's ten year old sister
Rayanne: Rayanne Graff, Angela's best friend
Amber: Amber Vallone, Rayanne's mom
Brian: Brian Krakow, Angela's fellow student and next
door neighbor
Rickie: Rickie Vasquez, Rayanne and Angela's friend and
classmate
Mr. Foster: School principal
Jordan: Jordan Catalano, Angela's classmate and love
interest
Sharon: Sharon Cherski, Angela's classmate and former
best friend
Gina: Friend and classmate of Sharon
Man1: Irate parent of one of the students
Women1: Irate parent of one of the students
Boy1: Classmate of Angela's in gym class
Boy2: Classmate of Angela's who picks on Rickie
Boy3: Claassmate of Angela's who picks on Rickie
Mr. Demitri: Angela's social studies teacher
Ms Krzyzanowski: Guidance councelor
Crystal: Classmate of Angela's; owner of the 'tragically
shot' soda
Gir11: Friend of Sharon in the girl's room
[Mr. Demitri's social studies class. A video of President
Kennedy's inaugural speech is playing on the television
the class is watching. Rayanne, Angela, and Brian are
there. A note is being passed around.]
Angela(voice over): Grownups like to tell you where they
were when President Kennedy was shot which
they all know to the exact second.__Which makes
me almost jealous. Like I should have something
important enough to know where I was when it
happened. I don't yet.__The fact that it was a
better time then. When people knew what they
were supposed to do. And how to make the world
better. Now, nobody knows anything. We know
who is popular. That social studies is boring. Or
that Brian always has stomach trouble.
[Brain gets up and goes to the bathroom.]
Mr Demitri: Hurry back.
Angela(voice over): But nobody knows anything
important.
[In the hallway, before entering the bathroom, Brian sees
Rickie struggling over a cigar box with someone unseen.
Back in the classroom the note is being passed around.]
Angela(voice over): Instead of changing the world
people sit in class and write notes about other
people.
[Rayanne reads the note, tries to stop from laughing, then
passes it to Angela. A gun shot is heard.
Brian comes out of the bathroom. He sees Rickie and an
unknown person running away. There's a bullet hole in
one locker with soda pouring out of it, and a gun and
cigar box the floor. The students start coming out of the
classrooms. A crowd gathers around Brian.]
Crystal: Is that my soda?
Mr. Demitri[pushing through the crowd]: Get back. Get
back. Get back. Get back. Stay back. Be
quiet__(to Brian) Did you see who it was?__ Did
you?
[Angela leaves the class room as she reads the note:
Angela and Jordan Catalano
COMPLETE SEX!!!
IN HIS CAR
...Can you believe her?]
[In a loud, crowded Girl's room, Angela and Rayanne
enter. Angela pushes her way through.]
Crystal: My God, I can not believe this. That is like the
weirdest thing that ever happened at this school.
Ever. Ok, I mean just think about who if we all
weren't in our class rooms just minding our own
business. And look. By what. I could have-I
could have been right at that spot. I was there like
ten minutes earlier. I mean--
Rayanne: What is the big deal? I mean it's not like
anybody even got a flesh wound. A bottle of soda
was shot tragically. [She shrugs]
Crystal: Well, I don't want our school to have a
reputation.
Rayanne: You mean like yours?
[Rayanne pushes her way to the mirror.]
Rayanne: Everyone knows there are, like, fifty guns in
school at any given moment. And the fact that they
haven't gone off before shows you what a totally
safe place this is__(to the whole room) Give it a
rest. [ Rayanne pushes her way to Angela standing
by the wall] Geez__Excuse me__Excuse me. (To
Angela) Nobodies going to get shot I promise you.
[Realizes Angela is thinking of the note]__Oh.
Angela: Who would write a note like that?
Rayanne: Everybody writes notes like that. We write
notes like that.
Angela: Yeah, but we write notes that are true.
Rayanne(sarcastically): You mean this isn't true?
Angela: Rayanne__We barely made out. You haven't
been telling people--
Rayanne: Oh, Angela, come on. [Spots Rickie] Hey
Rickie (to Angela) I wouldn't blab about your
personal life. I promise you.
[Rickie pushes his way to them. One girl looks at him
askance.]
Rickie(to the girl): What are you looking at?
[Rayanne kisses Rickie]
Rayanne: What happened to your shirt?
Rickie: Oh nothing. I just caught it on the fence outside.
So, do you believe all this?
Rayanne: Did you see anything?
Rickie: Oh, no. I-I was in English.
Rayanne(to Angela smiling): Maybe I should get a gun.
(To the crowd) BAM BAM__(to Rickie)What do
you mean you were in English. You were
supposed to be in social studies.
Rickie: Ah, what's the difference. (To Angela) So, what's
this I hear about you and Jordan?
Angela[pressing her head against the wall]: I can't believe
this.
Rayanne(sarcastically): You know they had sex.
Angela: Rayanne.
Rickie[smiling]: That's what I heard.
Angela: You heard it to? Oh, God, just shot me.
Rayanne(sarcastically): We could probably arrange that.
Rickie[laughing]: You mean you didn't have sex?
Rayanne[She pulls Angela close to her and strokes her
hair]: Angela, come on. Come here. You got to
start thinking of this as a positive thing. I mean,
this could help you get to the next level with
Jordan__ok, did he at least think you were a good
kisser?
Angela: I don't know.
Rickie: Well, did you like the way he kissed?
Angela: They weren't the kind of kisses you could
actually evaluate. They were__ *introductory*
kisses.
Rayanne:You should have just had sex with him.
[In Angela's dinning room, Angela, Danielle, Graham,
and Patty are sitting down to dinner.]
Patty(upset): Where were you when the gun went off?
Angela: Mom, it wasn't anywhere near us. We barely
heard it.
Patty[dishing out food]: We have to worry about our kids
being shot in school. How did it come to this.
This is horrible. This is a disgrace to all of us--
Danielle: That's too much.
Patty[passing a plate to Graham]: I'm sorry honey.__I'm,
you know, I'm going to say it in this meeting
tonight. I am. I mean it. We have to draw the line
somewhere. We just can't keep excepting the total
deterioration--
Angela: The only thing that was shot was a bottle of soda.
Patty: You know, I don't even know if you should go
there alone anymore. Maybe we should drop you
off every morning.
Angela: Dad.
Graham(to Patty): Honey, the gun was in the school. We
can't be with her all day.
Angela: We are not going to change our entire lives over
this. There was one stupid gun shot. You are not
dropping me at school. Gawd. I'm not an eight
years old.
Danielle: At my school this kid slipped on this wet spot.
And fell. Like on his face.
[In the Angela's kitchen after dinner where Graham and
Patty are cleaning up].
Patty: Maybe we should take her out of school.
Graham: Honey.
Patty: Put her in private school.
Graham: Well, I wish we could afford that.
Patty: Well, maybe that's not an excuse. Maybe we
should sacrifice other things.
Graham: Like the house in Palm Beach.
[Graham kisses Patty on the cheek.]
Patty(exasperated): This is our daughter we're talking
about.
Graham: I know__Listen, I don't know why the world's
gone crazy, and I don't know what to do about it.
I wish__we could keep them__in some kind of
bubble but I know we can't.
Patty: I'm not asking for a bubble. How about just a place
where they could live, and walk to school, and
become grownups without having to worry about
guns and AIDS and serial murderers. That didn't
use to be exotic. That wasn't the province of the
rich. We all had that. Why can't they have that?
Graham:__I don't know.
[In the school gymnasium. Angela and Rayanne stand by
the door watching boys basketball drills. One boy looks
at Angela too intently.]
Angela: There, did you see that?
Rayanne: Hu? what.
Angela: That guy. People are looking at me.
Rayanne[smiling]: That's good.
Angela: They're *looking* at me.
Rayanne: Oh, they're *looking* at you.
[Boy1 passes by Angela.]
Boy1: Hi.
Angela: Hi.
[The boy leaves, and Angela and Rayanne begin to
laugh.]
Angela: You see. Now what was that about?
Rayanne: He said hi?
Angela: That was not hi.
Rayanne: That was hi.
Angela: That was a *different* hi.
Rayanne: That was a he wants to get to know you hi.
Angela: From someone who never talks to me has never
talked me and would never talk to me.
Rayanne: Except now he thinks you put out so he talks to
you. [Laughs] See, I told you that note was good.
Angela: Rayanne.
[Rayanne and Angela spot Jordan.]
Rayanne: Maybe Jordan started the rumor.
Angela: Please, don't be ridiculous.
Rayanne: It's a very guy thing to do.
[In the crowded school hallway afterward Rayanne
chases down Jordan.]
Rayanne: Hey Catalano.
Jordan: Hey.
Rayanne: So, ah, what about this gun thing, hu? Hate to
be that soda bottle. Splat.
[Angela walks into the hallway and sees police searching
lockers, and Rickie being bullied by two guys on the
stairs, and Rayanne and Jordan talking. She leaves in the
other direction.]
Rayanne: So, do you know what everyone is saying?
Jordan: What?
Rayanne: Oh, about you and Angela. How you guys had
sex.
Jordan: Who?
Rayanne: You and Angela.
Jordan: No. Who's saying that?
Rayanne: I don't know. People. I mean. She told me the
truth, of course.
Jordan: What truth?
Rayanne: How far you guys went, you know.
Jordan: Well. Yeah. Cause nothing happened.
Rayanne[as Jordan walks away from her]: Right, so how
come it's all over school. I mean, you're not
talking it up like some low-life derelict cretin telling
everyone you did her are you?
[Jordan shakes his head no and walks away.]
Rayanne[smiling]: Just checking.
[Brian is at his locker. Sharon and Gina come up to
him.]
Sharon: Hi Brian.
Brian: Hi.
Sharon: Oh, um, this is Gina.
Gina: Hey.
Brian: Right. Hi.
Sharon: Brian saw the entire thing.
Gina: I heard you, liked, chased the gunmen.
Brian: Chased the gunmen?
Gina: I would have just screamed. I have to leave the
room when my father uses the electric knife.
Brian: Well, I think chase is a little bit strong, but, I mean
I was going to check out the situation, because you
know if there's a gun--
[Principle Foster comes up from behind Brian and puts
his hand on his shoulder.]
Brian: Mr. Foster
Mr. Foster: My man Mr Krakow. Are you still getting all
those A's?
Brain: Yes sir.
Mr. Foster: That's real good Mr. Krakow. I want you to
come to my office for a few minutes. I need to ask
you about a few things.
Brian: Oh, ah, well, actually I have a class, and ah--
Mr. Foster: You're excused from you next class, Mr
Krakow.
Brian: Oh really.
Mr. Foster[walking away]: Uh hu.
Brian: Great. I mean, of course.
[Brian follows Mr. Foster. Angela enters the hallway and
sees Sharon and Gina whispering about her.]
[In Mr. Foster's office, Mr. Foster is there with Brian.]
Mr. Foster[looking at Brian's record]: Man these are some
grades. You always gotten grades like this?
Brian: Yes sir.
Mr. Foster: We need more kids in our school like you,
Brian. All the schools need more kids like you.
Brian: Oh.
Mr. Foster: You're on a valedictorian path, Mr Krakow.
All your teachers give you an unqualified thumb's
up.
[Mr. Foster gives Brian the thumb's up sign, and Brian
does the same in response. Mr. Foster begins pacing
around the office.]
Mr. Foster:____So. What happened yesterday?
Brian: Well, I told Mr. Higgins--
Mr. Foster: Yeah, I know. But I'd like to hear it from
you.
Brian: Right. Well, I was leaving the bathroom and I
heard a shot--
Mr. Foster: And you were in the bathroom because?
Brian: Because? I, ah, had to go to the bathroom--
Mr. Foster: Which one?
Brian: The one by the--
Mr. Foster: No, I meant what kind? ___How long were
you in the bathroom?
Brian: Well, I didn't actually go. I mean. Well, I had a
stomach ache but I didn't actually go.
Mr. Foster: Because? ___Because you heard something in
the hallway.
Brian: I-I heard like a scuffle, but I didn't see anyone
when I came out.
Mr. Foster: You heard a scuffle loud enough to prevent
you from taking nature's call but you didn't see
anything.
Brian: No sir.
Mr. Foster: Brian, I don't think I have to tell you this is a
serious criminal act were talking about here.
Brian: Yes sir.
Mr. Foster: I'd hate to hear you were protecting someone.
With your unblemished record and all.
Brian: I'm not protecting anyone.
[In the hallway outside Mr. Foster's office, Brian comes
out of the door. He spots Rickie waiting. They eye each
other, and Brian walks away]
[In a large school class room, in the evening, Mr. Foster
presides over a crowd of noisy adults. Amber is in the
crowd. Patty enters the room.]
Mr. Foster: Ladies and gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen,
please may I have your undivided attention for
moment. Please may I have your attention. Your
undivided attention. [The crowd settles down]
Thank you. I just wanted to let you know some of
the things we have been working on to ensure a
safe environment here at Liberty. We will not
tolerate violence in our schools. We will not
except it, and we will not live with it. But all the
safety measures in the world won't work unless I
have the cooperation of you. All of you...
Amber(to the person next to her): Yeah. The people who
come to these meetings are the people who let their
kids have guns.
Man1: But are you getting the guns out of school. That's
the only question that's important here.
Mr. Foster: We're going-we're going to open this up for
your comments in just one moment, but please--
Woman1: My daughter has been in tears for thirty-six
hours. We are not going to live with this kind of
terror in our schools.
Mr. Foster: Friends. One moment please. We're going to
get nowhere fast if each and every one of us talks
out of turn. Now, as I was saying to your point
Madam, Ms Krzyzanowski here is going to provide
special counseling for any student who has a
problem coping with the incident...
Amber(to the person next to her): Oh that *is* good. Put
the kids in therapy so they can adjust to being
shot.
Mr. Foster: We can hear what everybody has to say if we
could just say it one at a time.
Amber[waving her hand]: Excuse me, Mr. Principle--
Mr. Foster: What would really help if you would just say
your name and the name of your child.
Amber: My name is Amber Vallone and I have a daughter
Rayanne Graff who I leave in your capable hands
everyday, and what I'd like to know is, while
you're bring in counselors, and being all upset,
should I just send my daughter to school in a bullet
prove vest every day[shouts as the crowd
respones to her comments] or are you actually
going to do something about the guns in our
school. It's not the lack of economic opportunity
or the poor home lives, or the lack of values. But
the guns. You know the things that shoot. Are
you going to get that gun out of our school?
[Outside the school with the meeting letting out, Patty
and Amber walk down some steps.]
Patty: Hey, you know, I really liked what you said in
there.
Amber[laughing]: Oh God.
Patty: I wish I could be that--
Amber: What? Loud? Obnoxious?
Patty[laughing]: Forceful___I'm Patty Chase.
Amber: Hi.
Patty: Angela's mom?
Amber: Ah, wow. *Angela*. Oh, Rayanne talks about
her all the time. She's in love with her. She wants
to be Angela.
Patty: Really. Gosh they-they seem so different
Amber: Oh, you know kids. They find one person and
they just can't get enough of them. Like being in
love only they re not allowed to have sex.
Patty[laughing]: Right.
[Amber sits on a wall and lights a cigarette.]
Amber: No, don't you remember there would be like this
one person who had like perfect hair, or perfect
breasts, or they were just so funny, and-and you
just wanted to eat them up. Just-just live in their
bed. Just be them. Like everybody else was in
black and white and that person was in color.
Well, Rayanne thinks Angela is in color. Major
color.
Patty: Thanks. So, um, how is Rayanne handling this
whole_incident?
Amber: Oh she's great. I'm the basket case.
Patty: Angela's just the same.
Amber: Who's going to shoot me with this bod, Mom,
she says. Ah, they think they're immortal. And
they have other things on their minds.
[Amber screams with delight, jumps off the wall, and
grabs Patty.]
Amber: Speaking of which Jordan is unbelievable. Your
daughter has complete taste.
Patty: Ex-excuse me?
Amber: Rayanne showed me his picture in the yearbook.
If I were Angela running around with him, I
wouldn't give a damn about guns in the school
either.
Patty: So-so you think that_Jordan has gotten in the
way_for _Angela--
Amber: Ooooh, and she was so obsessed with him all that
time and now, wham bam it's actually happening.
But we know what that 's like right? Young love.
Or lust. What's' the difference.
Patty[laughing nervously]: Wham bam.
Amber: Yeah.
Patty: Jordan.
Amber: Mmmmm.
[In Angela's kitchen. Patty and Graham are there.
Graham is working over the stove.]
Patty: I could have died. I did die. I mean, this women
knows and I don t know. She's not even a
women. She's like this forty year old *girl*.
She's gorgeous. And she's telling me about my
daughter's sex life, which, apparently she now has,
and I don't even know about it.
Graham: Patty, kid's talk__Now, the girl talked to her
mother. We don't know that it's true.
Patty: These things are always true. Of course it's true.
Graham[giving her a spoon full of food]: Here. Taste
this.
Patty: I couldn't taste anything_Guns are going off in
school. Angela's sleeping with someone.
Graham: You don't know that. How is it?
Patty: You know, and even if she isn't, which I pray is
true, she obviously has some sort of secret life
completely apart from us-this is wonderful.
Graham: Cellantro.
Patty: So, what do we do? Do we confront her?
Graham[laughing]: Oh God, no. Geez, I-I don t want to
know if it's true.
Patty: What sort of attitude are we supposed to have. Are
we suppose to have an attitude. I already have an
attitude. But it maybe my mother's attitude. I
don't want to get hysterical about this. Why not?
Why shouldn t I be hysterical? She's fif-teen. I
should be hysterical.
Angela[coming into the kitchen]: Danielle, if you have on
my sweats I'm going to kill you ? Do you
understand me?__(to Graham)Can I taste whatever
it is?
Graham[giving her some]: Sure.
Angela: Mmmmm, Cellantro, I love that.
Graham: Very good. You know I thought with the
tomato it would sharpen it a bit--
Angela: Mmm, I think it's great. Is that the feulo stuff?
Graham: Uh hu.
Patty: Honey? Who's Jordan?
Angela: __No one.__You mean Jordan Catalano?
Patty: Is that his last name?
Angela: I don't know. You brought it up.
Patty: I met Rayanne's mom tonight, and she was all
excited about your new boyfriend, Jordan.
Angela: Boyfriend. That's a laugh.
Patty: So, he's not your boyfriend?
Angela[going to the refrigerator]: Mom, I barely know
this person. I don't know that I want to know this
person.
Patty: Well, then_you haven't__
Angela[coming close to Patty]: What did you
hear?__What did she tell you?
Patty: Nothing. She didn't tell me anything.
Angela: Did she say I was sleeping with Jordan Catalano?
Patty: No. I mean, no, of course not. No one said that. It
just__Well ,I mean, well I just wondered--
Angela: She did.__I can't believe this. I can't believe
this. [As she leaves the kitchen] I hate_everyone.
[In a crowded hallway of Angela's high school, Angela
and Rayanne are walking together.]
Rayanne: Well, obviously I told my mother. But all I said
was you were hot for him.
Angela: Well, why did you even tell her that? Now, my
mother thinks we slept together.
Rayanne: Well, ok. Do you want my mother to call your
mother and tell her you didn't sleep together?
[Angela screams in frustration and walks away.]
Rayanne: Well, I could do that.
[In the hallway two boys approach Rickie.]
Boy3: Hi, honey.
Boy2: Hey, fag.
Rickie: Go to hell.
Boy2: Maybe later. I have something for ya.
Boy3: Is that perfume I smell?
Rickie: You know your boring don't you.
[Rayanne pushes between the boys and stands by Rickie's
side.]
Rayanne: Turd head . You need something?
Boy3: Yo, Graff. Why don't you come driving with us
tonight.
Rayanne: That would be exciting. If I were in a coma.
Boy2: You'll be excited._ Later.
[The boys walk away.]
Rickie: You know I could have handled that.
Rayanne[patting his chest]: Yeah. You're doing great.
[In Angela's social studies class. Brian, Angela, Rickie,
Gina and Rayanne are there.]
Mr. Demitri: No, no. I'm asking a particular question. Is
it fair?
Brian: What does fair have to do with it?
[Gina smiles at Brian. One boy gives a knowing smile to
Angela.]
Mr. Demitri: Fair has to do with what?__Anybody?__Fair
has to do with the right to come to school, and be
able to do your work, and not be terrified. Not
have your heart beating fast. Not jump every time
there is a loud noise. The right to come in and be
left alone. No?
Rickie: Yeah, well maybe not everybody's left alone
anyway.
Mr. Demitri: Meaning what?
[The boy writes a note and passes it down.]
Rickie: You don't know what goes on around here ok?
Maybe some people have guns for like to protect
yourself. Maybe some people who have guns are
like victims too. And they're like forced to carry.
You think kids with guns are like gangsters or
dealers.
Mr. Demitri: What. Your saying if someone is threatened
it's ok for them to carry a gun in school ? You
don't think the school authorities can protect
them?
[Gina passes the note to Angela.]
Rickie: Man, you *don't* know what goes on around
here. Yes. If I was__say I was threatened -and
I'm not saying that I am__I'd be packing in no
time. No time at all.
Mr. Demitri: Well. That's very clearly stated. So, what do
the rest of you think about what he just said?
Should people take the law into their own hands
like that? I mean, is that the answer? Does that
solve anything? Anyone?[Angela reads the note,
looks upset, and walks out] Angela__Angela?
[In the guidance counselor's office with Crystal and Ms
Krzyzanowski, the guidance counselor.]
Crystal: And right before the gun went off, I was thinking
about how much I wanted that soda. Is that weird?
Like, why did I leave it there in the first place .
And what if I had gotten up to go get it right at that
moment. Oh, my God. I think I better change my
locker.
[In the guidance counselor's office with Rayanne and Ms
Krzyzanowski, the guidance counselor.]
Rayanne(feigning anguish): Like what happens when
you don't sleep. Like I haven't slept since it
happened and keeps coming back to me, like, just
keeps coming back-what was that?[pretends to be
startled by a faint noise] _I just keep going over
and over in my mind. Like all my friends and they
go by the locker all the time, and it's just, not even
me. It's just if someone just had been going by
there, and_gotten shot.
Ms. Krzyzanowski: It's hard isn't it.
Rayanne[wiping away tears]: You don't think I could
get__ a few days off do you?
[In Mr. Foster's office, Brian is there with Mr. Foster and
two policemen.]
Mr. Foster: Your here again because I wanted to hear
your story and Detective Martinson wanted to hear
it too.
Brian: I really don't have anything else to tell.
Mr. Foster: Mr. Krakow, can I tell you something? This
is a good school. We want to keep it a good
school. Do you know what I mean?
Brian: Yes sir.
Mr. Foster: No, you don't, son. You see I've got these
officers here, and the school board and the
newspapers and the television and a whole lot of
nasty, angry parents. They all want to know
something about what happened. And you're the
person who knows that something. Right now you
are standing between me and my ability to keep this
good school and I don't like that, son.
I don't like it when people do things to my school.
You get my meaning? So, why don't you tell us
what was the noise caused you to come out of the
bathroom.
[In the hallway, Brian leaves Mr. Foster's office and
walks down the hallway. Rayanne catches up to him.]
Rayanne: Hey, Brian. How are you doing?
Brian: You actually know my name.
Rayanne: Of course I know your name. How they
treatin' you Bri? Baseball bats? Electrodes
attached to various parts of your anatomy?
Brian[walking away from her]: Excuse me. I have a
class.
Rayanne: Just remember what happens to snitches.
[Brian meets up with Sharon]
Sharon: Hey, Brian. Are you ok?
Brian: Yeah, sure.
Sharon: I'm really sorry you're the person that has to deal
with this.
Brian: It's no problem.
Sharon: Cause you know, if you saw something, like
somebody really had a gun, then you should tell
them. Because if you don't then you would be like
part of it. And people are really scared, Brian. So,
you should tell them if you anything. You
shouldn't_feel bad about that because , people will
thank you.
[Sharon walks away. Brian meets Gina.]
Gina[smiling]: Hi Brian.
Brian: What?
Gina: You know I was thinking, this whole thing with
the gun and all would really make an important
article for the paper. So, I was thinking that you
and I should do an interview sometime. You
know, just to let people know what really
happened. Maybe sometime after school. What do
you think?
Brian: What?
Gina[walking away]: See you later.
[Brian detects interest in him from Gina, and turns and
they look at each other as she walks away.]
[In the guidance counselor's office with Brian and Ms
Krzyzanowski, the guidance counselor.]
Brian: Has the threat of violence changed the quality of
my life at school? No, not really. What do you
mean?
[In the guidance counselor's office with Angela and Ms
Krzyzanowski, the guidance counselor.]
Angela(agitated): I just don't see the point in talking
about it.
Ms. Krzyzanowski: Sometimes talking itself makes
people feel better.
Angela: And sometimes talking gets people into
trouble___You know people say things about
people, and it doesn't always mean it's true.
Ms Krzyzanowski: You mean about who might be
carrying a gun?
Angela: About anything.
Ms Krzyzanowski: Any weapon?
Angela: No. Just about anything anybody says about
people. It's not always true. I just think people
wanna believe things about people so they decide
certian things are true[almost in tears] and they
don't even ask. And it's not fair. Cause you have
to live with it anyway.
Ms. Krzyzanowski: But if it's not true then the person
could always say that couldn't they. I think if
something is false, people aren't going to keep on
believing it. Usually people latch on to things
when there is a kernel of truth. That's when they
get into trouble.
[In Angela's bed room, Angela is lying on her bed,
listening to music. She is looking depressed. Patty
enters.]
Patty: Knock knock.
Angela: Hi.
Patty[turning the music down]: Mind if I--
Angela: You might as well turn it off.
Patty: No. I like it.
[Patty paces nerviously around the room, flips through
Angela's copy of Anne Frank, and finally sits on the bed
next to Angela.]
Patty: Ah, this is hard. We need to talk.
Angela(voice over): When I was twelve, my mother gave
me my sex talk. I'm not sure either of us has fully
recovered.
Patty: Now that you and Jordan are, ah--
Angela[looking painful]: Oh my God. Mom, please.
Patty: Angela. I can accept that you have a boyfriend.
Angela: I don't have a boyfriend.
Patty: Fine. A pal. A male pal. Whatever word you
want to choice. The point is__I'm your mother,
and I don't think you're ready.
Angela: Mom, pleeease.
Patty: I don't think you're ready. But, I have to know if
this is what's happening because__I don't think that
I-I keep you from--
Angela[covering her ears and curling up in a fetal
postion]: Mom, I beg you to stop.
Patty: I need to know that you are using_I mean, I-I
remember how this feels. I do. But-but_it's the
times that we live in, it I--
Angela: Mom, please--
Patty: Honey. I know you don't want to think about
these things. I know you think that you're
invulnerable, but--
Angela: I don't think that. You have no idea--
Patty: You have to use some kind of protection if you are
going to be--
Angela: Mom, I'm not having sex, alright. Really. I'm
not even close. To an embarrassing degree.
Patty(relieved): Oh, ah. Ok.__I'm sorry honey, I
jus___I just want you to be prepared when the time
comes. Whenever the time comes.
Angela: It will never come. Not with Jordan.
Patty: Is that's what's bothering you?
Angela: No, nothing 's bothering me.
Patty: Something's bothering you.
Angela: Mom, you couldn't possibly understand or help,
so please. I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but
just please.
Patty[hugs Angela]: I'm here if you need me. You know
that.
[Patty leaves. Angela sits on her bed with a
pained expression on her face.]
[In Angela's high school, Angela is walking down the
hallway. She spots Jordan and walks to a poster
describing the Heimlich maneuver to avoid seeing him.]
Jordan[suddenly standing next to Angela]: That's good to
know about.
Angela(startled): Yeah.
Jordan: My uncle choked on a chicken bone.
Angela(voice over): That's when the change happened.
Just like that. Somewhere in those few seconds, I
knew my life would never be the same.
Angela: Did he survive?
Jordan: Yeah.
Angela(voice over): I knew then that the rumor was
right. Not in actuality, but in my heart. Because at
that moment I would have done anything I wanted
him so much.
Jordan: Look, ah, I didn't say anything about__you
know.
Angela: I know.
Jordan: I just wanted you to know that.
Angela: Thank you.
Jordan: Because I'm not like that. I-I don't do that.
Angela: No.
Jordan: So weird, hu?
Angela: Yeah, yeah.
Jordan: I mean the way people talk. I mean,(whispering)
people think we did it.
Angela(whispering back): I know.
Jordan: It's like we might as well done it anyway at this
point.
Angela(unsure): Oh.
Jordan: I mean, at least__ you know, I mean if
everybody is talking about it already, maybe we
ah__I mean, not to make a big deal of it or
anything.
Angela(slowly): Out of what?
Jordan: Out of__(whispers) out of anything__I mean if
everybody's__ already assuming it
anyway.[drawing close to Angela] Maybe, we
should__just
Angela(voice over): It's amazing the things you notice.
Like the corner of his collar that was coming
undone. Like he was from a poor family and
couldn't afford new shirts. That's all I could see.
The whole world was that unravelled piece of
fabric.
Angela: I think___I have to go.
Jordan: Look, I'm sorry if I--
Angela[walking away]: No, it's ok.
Jordan: No pressure or anything.
Angela: I have to go.
Jordan: You could just think about it.
Angela(voice over): It's such a lie that you should do
what's in your heart. If we all did what was in
our heart, the world would grind to a halt.
[In the girl's room, Angela is there alone. She washes
her face then goes to a stall as Sharon enters with a
friend. She overhears the conversation.]
Sharon: And they know that he knows and I can't believe
he didn't tell them. He got a perfect score on his
PSAT's. Do you believe that? Math will be ruined.
Girl1: What does this have to do with Angela?
Sharon: Well, that's when they had sex. Her and Jordan?
Brian's house.
Girl1: Ahh, Oh my God.
Sharon: Do you believe it. Right in the front yard. Brian
watched the entire thing through a kitchen window.
Girl1: I thought you and Angela were really tight?
Sharon: She was like my best friend. The whole things
been really hard for me to accept. But Brian
wouldn't lie. So_it's like_it's like she's this
completely different person.
Girl1: Like a slut?
Sharon: No. No, she's not. I think she's just like,
confused, er, something.
[Sharon and the girl leave the girl's room. ]
[In the school hallway, the next day, Rayanne and Angela
are walking together.]
Rayanne: So, do you want me to kill her?
Angela: No, no. It doesn't matter. Brian's the one who
ought to be killed.
Rayanne: He should definitely die. You know he's going
to rat on Rickie.
Angela: What actually is there to rat on Rickie. Do you
know?
Rayanne: I know what ever he did he did because he had
to. You haven't had to clean him up after some
neanderthal beat the hell out of him.
[Brian is writing on a black board. Mr. Foster enters and
takes his shoulder.]
Mr. Foster: Come here for a minute, son.___Rickie
Vasquez. You familiar with the name?
Brian: Excuse me?
Mr. Foster: What can you tell me, son, about Rickie
Vasquez?
Brian: Um, he goes here._I _don't__I mean, did you
hear something-did he say something about the
gun?
Mr. Foster: Mr. Krakow, I'm going to tell you about a
little legal term. It's called accessory after the fact.
I don't like accessory's after the fact. I don't want
them in my school. You are going to come to my
office today at 3 o'clock and you are going to tell
me everything you know about Rickie Vasquez
and anyone else who might be involved in this
incident. And if you don't , no matter what your
grade scores, you may not be going to this school
much longer. Do you get my clear intent?
Brian: Yes sir.
Mr. Foster: Good.
[ In Brian's computer class. Brian is working at a
computer in the back of the room. Angela enters.]
Brian: What?
Angela: I don't even want to talk to you.
Brian: Good, then don't.
Angela: Did Rickie have the gun?
Brian: Give me a break. God, Angela.
Angela: Look, cause you don't know the whole
situation. I just don't want to see him hurt.
Brian(raises his voice): Him hurt?[someone shsssss's
them from the front of the room] What about me?
[Angela looks disinterested, and stares out the
window] This is the police now. Am I suppose to
get kicked out of school for protecting someone I
don't even know?
Angela: Don't ask me?
Brian: And you know this has nothing to do with the
truth. Nobody is interested in the truth. All they
care about is what they want to believe.
Angela[coming next to Brian]: If you're so incredible
concerned with the truth why did you lie about me?
Brian: Your name didn't even come up.
Angela: Not the gun thing. With Sharon[someone
Shssss's them from the front of the room.] What
you said to her about me and Jordan Catalano.
Brian: What are you talking about?
Angela: I heard her, Brian. You told her terrible things.
False things. You lied to her.
[Brian slumps down next to the computer.]
Brian: I didn't lie to her, I just__What difference does it
makes. I can imagine what she did with it.__But
it's just that you lied too. When you said you didn't
know anything about Jordan coming over that
night. Because I thought about it for like fifty
hours. You knew it didn't you. You used me.
Angela: It's not the same.
Brian: Maybe it is because you just did what you wanted.
And you didn't care about what damage it did to
anybody else.
Angela: What damage did it do you?
[Angela is walking up a set of stairs at school. Jordan
runs up behind her.]
Jordan: Angela?_ Angela. Can I talk with you for a
second?
[Angela stops and faces Jordan]
Jordan: How you doing?
Angela: You know. Life goes on.
Jordan: Look, I was thinking about what I said to you.
yesterday? You know, the thing.
Angela: Right. The thing.
Jordan: Yeah, look, I-I'm sorry about that. Afterwards, I
thought it through and I, mean, I can see how you
got upset about it.
Angela: No, I wasn't upset .
Jordan: I mean, some girls wouldn't be, but, you, you're
not like that, so, I just wanted to say, you know,
I'm sorry.
Angela: No, it's really ok. I mean, it wasn't a problem. I
mean, really, I didn't think about it. [starts up
steps, then turns around and comes down again] I
mean I did think about it, and I thought maybe
what you were saying wasn't so wrong.
Jordan: No, it-it was really wrong.
Angela: Why?
Jordan: And I just want to let you know that if it will
make you feel better I'm just going to make it real
clear that I-I don't like have any real interest in you
or anything. You know. So they'll stop saying all
that .
Angela(sounding disapppointed): Oh.
Jordan: You know, that I barely even know you, which
is, of course, true, and that basically, you and I
mean nothing to each other.__So_that
should_solve the problem.
Angela[halfhearted smile]: Thanks.
Jordan: It's the least I could do, you know.
Angela: Right.
[It's raining as Angela stands at the entrance to the school.
She runs across the parking lot to a car where Rickie sits
in the back seat. She gets in next to him.]
Angela: Haaa. Hey.
Rickie: Hey.
Angela: What's ya doing out here?
Rickie: It's what I always do. I can't make it through a
whole day in there.
Angela: Ah, know what you mean.
Rickie: Yeah. What do you need to hide from. Your life
perfect. [Angela laughs] I'm serious. I would
give anything to have your life.
Angela: My life is so pathetic.
Rickie: You have this great house. Parents that are like
there. No one bothers you at school.
Angela: Rickie, I need to talk to you about the gun.
Rickie: Don't.
Angela: You can't carry a gun, Rickie.
Rickie: I don't.
Angela: Cause it would be really bad. Tragically bad.
Rickie: Angela, I don't carry a gun. I wouldn't even
know how to shot one.
Angela: But didn't Brian see you? Isn't that what he's
going to tell them?__This is really serious. People
are going to think you are a dangerous person.
Rickie: I know. That's what I want.
Angela: So, what did happen?
Rickie: My cousin brought it in to sell it. And I got real
mad at him for bring a gun into school. So, we got
into this big argument, and the next thing I knew
the thing fell out of the box and went off. And he
peed in his pants and ran away.
Angela: He did not.
Rickie: He did. Big stain.
[They both laugh]
Angela: And that's what happen with the gun?
Rickie: That's the whole story of the gun.
Angela: And now Brian is going say that you did it.
Rickie: I'm telling you I hope he does.
Angela: No, don't be stupid.
Rickie: You know it's weird.__ I-I always thing of you
as__ Rayanne's friend. I mean like, you just
think of me as___ as someone who just,__ you
know, around.
Angela(voice over): It's weird how something has to
happen sometimes to see how you actually feel
about something.
[Angela hugs Rickie.]
[Brian is in the hallway approaching the principles office.
Outside students stand around eyeing him, waiting to see
what will happen. Mr. Foster lets Brian into his office.]
Mr. Foster: Sit down, Mr. Krakow, we're just waiting
for our friends from law enforcement.
[In the hallway waiting with the rest of the student's are
Angela and Rayanne.]
Rayanne: Can you imagine Rickie in a high security
prison. Who'd supply his make up?
Angela: You think it might be possible you not make
everything into a joke.
Rayanne: Angela, there is nothing to worry about . I
mean, Harlin, this guy Tino knows, he's been
busted with a gun twice and nothing ever
happened. No big deal.
Angela: You know what I'd really like. To be put out of
my misery.
Rayanne: Are you kidding. This is fun.
Angela: Fun?
Rayanne: Everyone running around all upset and rumors
flying. Can't you feel it in your fingers and your
toes. It's like_being alive. It is such a rush.
Angela: You're out of your mind.
Rayanne: Uh hu. Last year? That rumor about me and
Mark Hammer in the orchestra pit during the talent
show. I mean, in that case it was true, but _man,
all that con-ver-sation. People writing notes. I
mean, they look at you different, like, trying to
figure out who you really are. Like you're famous.
Admit it. It's really great.
Angela: I don't know what you're talking about.
[They see the police enter the Mr. Foster's office.]
[In Mr. Foster's office with Mr. Foster and Brian.]
Mr. Foster[as the police enter the office]: Come in.
gentlemen.___So, Mr. Krakow?
Brian: I thought a lot about what you said. And I
decided that the main thing is really to protect the
school.
Mr. Foster: That's good, Brian.
Brian: I went to the bathroom. I heard a scuffle. Then a
shot. I came out. I saw two pairs of legs running in
opposite directions. Who those people were I can't
say.__And if you or these men or anybody else
threatens me anymore, pressures me anymore--
Mr. Foster: Brian--
Brain: I will insist on having a lawyer and I will sue you
for harassment and anything else I can. And if you
try to expel me in order to solve your public
relations problems, then I will reveal to anyone
who will listen, just who is destroying the spirit of
this school.
[In Angela's kitchen , in the morning, Angela is preparing
to leave. Patty is preparing lunches, while Danielle and
Graham are putting away breakfast things.]
Patty: So, they still haven't found out who had the gun.
Angela: Mom, it's really ok. Let it go. The school hasn't
self destructed yet.
Patty: It's just so hard not being able to protect you.
Angela: Yeah, but you can't.
[ Patty tries to stroke Angela's hair, but Angela moves
away. ]
[The entrance to the school, Angela, Brian, Rayanne
and Rickie approach the open doors.]
Angela: Rayanne.
Rayanne: Just a little knife. You know, a girl's gotta
protect herself. I mean heavy artillery like some
people might --
[As they enter they slow to see a metal detector. Students
are passing though it. Rayanne, Rickie, Brian, and
Angela each go through it like they have been violated.
Rayanne leaves Angela alone to walk slowly down the
hall.]
The End.