One-Act Play, Cont.

Scene 2: Ally – So we could divide it into family income, or popularity, or grades. Cassie – Ugh.  Um, okay.  How about family income? Ally – So rich kids vs. poor kids? Cassie – That might not work, since some rich kids decide to be all ‘original’. Ally – What do you mean by that? Cassie – They alienate themselves from everybody else. Ally – Wait, wait – they alienate themselves?  Why are they alienated?  The kids that are unpopular mostly don’t choose to be.  It gets put on them. Cassie – (slightly shocked; she’s not used to having people talk back to her) What are you trying to say? Ally – That you’re wrong there.  They hardly ever do it to themselves. Cassie – But they just don’t fit in.  They have… (motions with her hands ‘this or that’) Ally – Have what?  Cass, just ‘cuz you were born with a perfect nose – or have the cash to buy one – don’t mean that the people with big noses, small noses, whatever want them.  It’s just how they are. Cassie – What are you, with Save the Whales or something? Ally – Okay, okay, let’s just get back to this, shall we? Cassie – So we could do grades. Ally – But if you look at who has the high grades, it’s a huge mix.  One dork, one person with strict parents, one who needs the scholarships to afford college.  Nah.  That just leaves popularity then. Cassie – (settles down into a bean bag chair) Now that I can handle.  So, what are there then, two classes? Ally – Two? Cassie – Yeah, our class, the higher, and then… well, the lower. Ally – (disbelief written on features) There’s more than that. Cassie – Well, like, what then?  How many? Ally – I don’t know.  What if we say about four or five? Cassie – Wow.  That’s a lot.  Um… okay.  That works. Ally – We can do characteristics of the classes.  Okay, so there’s us – Upper Class.  Hmm…. Jocks.  Cassie – Don’t forget the artsy ones. Ally – Yeah, they’re a group.  Other than that, lower, and ultra-low? Cassie – Sure.  Works for me.  We can put a bunch of points down for each one.  Jocks – like sports, duh, are school heroes because of championships and all, Artsy – spend most of their time reading or doing art stuff.  Drama club, photography, music, or whatever courses they take.  That basically sums them up… End of Scene 2 Scene 3 (It’s history class again, the girls are just sitting down from doing their presentation, Shanna goes up; Ally recognizes her from the hall.) Shanna – For my project, I also split the groups in this school up.  I belong to a lower class.  So, I did a treatment experiment.  In the hall, I dropped something in front of people from different groups.  The result?  A popular girl’s heels crushed my pen and my eraser got transformed into a soccer ball for a quick pick-up game.  What happened when I dropped a textbook in front of someone in a lower class than even I’m in?  They looked nervous and sidestepped it.  Not what many of you thought my conclusion would be: lower classes are nice and pick things up.  (Shanna’s voice crescendos and she begins to get more passionate about her subject)  No, those lower classes are living their lives, just like you. (Ally feels like she is being talked directly to here.  She shuffles unconsciously in her chair.)  They have friends that they talk and drive to the mall with.  They have parents who have really high expectations of them.  They have to cram for midterms.  They all wish their faults would disappear.  They too want to have a date to the prom.  My point is this:  the differences are there, but we’re the ones that are making them, psychologically.  If some jock came up to me and asked me to the prom, there would be a scandal.  That kind of thing isn’t allowed in your frame of mind.  But really, we’re all just teenagers who are thrown together in this school.  That’s all I have to say. (Shanna walks back to her desk and sits.  The rest of the room goes dark/fuzzy and Ally is just sitting under a spotlight, thinking, in her desk.  Lines are dazedly repeated, Shanna’s coming with the passion that she delivered her report with, the others the flippant way that they were said: “They have to cram for midterms… You ready to ace this baby?  They all wish their faults would disappear… you were born with a perfect nose… I’ll just get a salad or a Diet Coke or something.  They too want to have a date to the prom… we could hit the club after.  We’re all just teenagers… what are you, with Save the Whales or something? That basically sums them up…” Teacher mumbles for a while, and then the bell rings.  Ally is still sitting in her seat a few seconds after the bell; she looks deep in thought.  The sound of a pen hitting the floor echoes her out of her revelry.  Ally looks over to where the pen has rolled.  She picks it up and hands it to Shanna.) Ally – Here. Shanna – (Turning red) Thanks.  I’m sorry, I actually didn’t do it on purpose that time.  I’m just a klutz. Ally – Really? (Gets ready to scoff, then pauses) …Actually, so am I. (There is a little silence to reflect on how Shanna’s speech talked about having same problems.  Shanna visibly takes a breath, smiles and sticks out her hand.) Shanna – I’m Shanna. (Ally smiles almost like she knows something that the rest of the world doesn’t.) Ally – Ally. Shanna – Nice to meet you, Ally. Ally – You too, Shanna.  You know what?  I’m supposed to be heading home right now, but I just got a craving.  I love hot fudge sundaes.  What do you think? Shanna – Doesn’t everybody? (They exit, laughing somewhat reluctantly.) End of Scene 3.