(a play in two acts)
By Matt Carberry
The Characters:
Robert Selton, senior at Northport High School
Lauren Felger, another senior
| Patrick Clayborne, Selton's best friend | |
| Charlie Ronnik | other friends of Bob, members of the |
| Nathan Warner | band "Revelation" |
| Jane Lindort | |
| Sarah Jones | Lauren's friends |
| Catherine Dormond |
John Percy, guidance counselor
Sam Kelner, classmate of Selton and Felger
Karen Felger, Lauren's mother
Audience member at Revelation concert
Mrs. Santana, a faculty member
The President of the United States
Other unnamed members of the senior class
Setting: Various locations around Northport, New York and one scene in the White House. The time period is the present.
This play does not make use of a curtain. The stage is to be darkened between scenes to facilitate any necessary change in scenery. Unless otherwise indicated, the brightness of the light should be the same as the light in the previous scene. The stage is to be uniformly lit.
The directions in Scene 1 of the first act call for actors to be dressed in "whatever clothing is considered fashionable at the time of performance of the play." The producer may take a little bit of liberty with this direction, as Northport High School was a diverse place where just about any style of dress could be found and was accepted. However, under no circumstances can such liberty extend to Bob Selton.
Scene 1
(The location is the senior well of the Northport High School Commons. There is a fire place back center, which will also serve as the backdrop for homes. The back wall is brick-faced. A gray carpet covers the floor. The ceiling is low, as the radio booth protrudes over the senior well. A large garbage pail is situated in the center. There is a pentagon-shaped protrusion in the center, around which students gather. This protrusion [call it the "island"] is made of brick, and its top is an ugly beige color. There are yellow benches to the left and right of the island. The tops of the benches are the same color as the top of the island.
When the lights come up, there are a few groups of students chatting. As they are throughout the play, the students in these groups are dressed in whatever clothing is considered fashionable at the time of performance of the play. There are a number of piles of books on the island. In one group are Lauren, Sarah, Jane, and Catherine; in another is Sam. Bob is positioned at the far right of the stage, outside of any group. He is trying to keep himself busy with his work, but having difficulty doing so. Throughout the play, he is to be dressed in a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. The groups continue to chat quietly for a few seconds before the following dialogue.)
Sam: Hey, Bob!
Bob: (looking around, then seeing Sam) What?
Sam: Did you do the math homework last night?
Bob: Sure. (He takes a paper from a pile of books, walks over to Sam's group, and hands it to Sam.) Here it is.
Sam: Thanks. (Turns back to his group.)
(Bob walks back over to where he was sitting and goes back to his own work. A few seconds elapse, and then the conversation of Lauren's group becomes audible.)
Catherine: So what are you all doing this weekend?
Sarah: I don't know yet. I'm sure I'll find some party to go to.
Catherine: Or crash.
Sarah: I just hope I can get to one. It's kind of tough to find your way around after a couple of beers.
Jane: Well, Lauren won't have that problem.
Sarah: But she isn't having as much fun as I am.
Lauren: Just because I'm not drinking doesn't mean I'm not having fun.
Sarah: What are you doing this weekend, Lauren?
Lauren: I think I'm going to this band thing on Friday.
Jane: (laughing) For what? Brains of Steel?
Catherine: No, Jane, I think Lauren is more of a Revelation kind of girl.
Lauren: Hey, don't say that about Revelation. I've heard they're really good.
Catherine: Maybe, but the music they play is so out of style.
Lauren: I know. But people have told me Bob Selton is a lot of fun to watch. He brings a lot of energy to the stage.
Sarah: That's new - someone who actually wants to see Selton.
Lauren: Why does everybody put him down? He seems like a nice kid.
Jane: But nobody really knows him too well - except maybe that Clayborne guy.
Sarah: Ugh! He really freaks me out.
Lauren: We'll see how good they really are on Friday night. I've got to go - I'll see you.
(Turns and leaves, stage right, not noticing Bob as she passes. A few steps behind her is Bob, with a dejected look on his face.)
(Bob's living room. There is a desk on the left side, about halfway back, and a telephone is situated on it. There is a couch against the back of the stage, just to the right of the fireplace. There are soft drinks on a coffee table at the center of the stage. The members of Revelation [Bob, Pat, Charlie, Nathan] are gathered - two of them are sitting on the couch [it does not matter which two].)
Nathan: Charlie, you don't have your guitar.
Bob: It's all right, man. I think we've got everything down good. I was just wondering what we were going to play Friday night.
Charlie: How about "Dancing In the Dark"?
Pat: I don't like that one much.
Nathan: This is going to be our biggest stage yet. We've got to showcase what we're about.
Bob: Nathan's right. We've got space for two - one should be a Collins or a Genesis.
Charlie: But the other one - we should do something different, like a DMB.
Pat: Can we say "selling out"?
Bob: Pat's right, Charlie. Playing what happens to be popular isn't us. We've got to go out there and be ourselves. Actually, Nathan, you're about to get happier. I think we should do "Take Me Home."
Nathan: A good song to showcase the drummer.
Pat: Sounds good. Something up-tempo.
Charlie: Sure. I always liked that one - a nice guitar part too.
Bob: What about the other one?
Nathan: (after looking at his watch) Another time - Charlie and I have to go. We've got choir rehearsal.
Pat: Well, thanks for coming by. I'll see you guys tomorrow.
Charlie: Sure. Bye, Pat.
Pat: Bye, guys. (Charlie and Nathan leave. Pat turns to face Bob.) I really don't think Charlie wants to play "Take Me Home."
Bob: Of course not. He wants us to be popular. But I think it's more important for us to do our thing and let the chips fall where they may.
Pat: I agree. (A slight pause - he sees Bob staring off into space.) Are you all right?
Bob: Sure, I'm fine.
Pat: Are you sure? Now that I think about it, you haven't been yourself for some time. Is there anything you want to tell me?
Bob: (after a pensive pause) Actually, Pat, there is. But it's very personal and private. I need you to promise me that it doesn't leave this room.
Pat: Of course, Bob. You know you can trust me with anything.
Bob: (after a second) You're exactly right. I have been anything but myself. I don't know exactly when it started, but it might have been around homecoming. I was coming face to face with the fact that we're coming to the end of the road. I feel surrounded by people who I can't seem to socialize with - with a few exceptions, of course. The only thing I can see is the grave possibility of leaving this town as a nobody, as someone who didn't stand out.
Pat: How can you say that? Don't you realize how much potential you have? My God, man, do you know how many people envy your brain?
Bob: No, but I could probably count on one hand.
Pat: (unable to believe it) Where does this come from? What can you possibly mean?
Bob: In elementary school, maybe. But as we get older the social and academic structures grow farther apart. Being smart does not necessarily make you popular.
Pat: But with your future -
Bob: (angrily) The future? What about the present? What about enjoying this year? Can't I have that - or must I sacrifice it for the future?
Pat: Of course not. This summer, we can do it all. We'll go to the beach, on the water - everything.
Bob: I know. And I can't wait.
Pat: Great. Well, I have to go - my dad's here.
Bob: Thanks for coming.
Pat: See you tomorrow. (He leaves.)
Bob: (to himself, moving about stage) He still doesn't understand! Why is it that he, and everyone else, can't see that my problems are in the here and now? They don't know that I feel the way I do. And it's not like I'm not showing them - the lack of focus in classes, the angry walks through the Commons. I guess they're so used to it that they don't see a change. Maybe I'm not the most outgoing person in Northport High, or the tenth most, or the hundredth most. But it's like I don't exist outside that building. They could at least give me some sign that they care. But nothing, nothing at all. And very soon, something will have to give. The edge is growing closer with every day. Either I tell them and they accept it, I tell them and they reject me, or I jump right over. But before I leave here, something will happen - that much I know. (Sound of a car pulling up.) Mom and Dad! time to put on the happy face!
(He exits left, after which the lights fade out.)
(It is Friday night, the gathering of NHS student bands. The action picks up in the senior well, several minutes after Revelation finishes its performance. Off to one side, its members are gathering to assess the performance. On the other, Lauren and Jane are talking.)
Bob: Charlie, you must have been feeling it tonight.
Charlie: I guess so. I think we all were.
Pat: Definitely. That was the best performance we've ever done.
Nathan: I know. I don't think that crowd cared about the music we played - they were listening to us, our talents.
Pat: It's about time.
(An audience member passes through the well.)
Audience member: You guys were great tonight!
Bob: (turns his head to him) Thanks very much. (Back to his friends.) I just wasn't sure if I gave too much out there. It might have taken away from the song.
Charlie: It added to the song - there's a powerful message there, and you gave it more strength.
Bob: I just know it felt good at the end.
(The focus shifts to the conversation between Lauren and Jane.)
Lauren: Where was your mind during that song? It blew me away.
Jane: I thought the body motions made it worse.
Lauren: It seemed like he was angry up there - like it was almost being channeled through the words of the song.
Jane: I still thought Brains of Steel was best tonight.
Lauren: (imitating a politician) Well, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on that, now won't we?
Jane: (laughing) I guess so. I'll see you.
Lauren: Bye. (Jane leaves; Lauren goes over to Bob.) Bob!
Bob: (turning around) Lauren! I'm surprised you came tonight - I thought you would be out somewhere getting drunk.
Lauren: (nearly offended) You should know me better than that. Not only did I come, I managed to get Jane to join me.
Bob: That's a major accomplishment.
Lauren: I know. You guys were great tonight. "Take Me Home" is such a powerful song - and "Keeping The Faith" was great too.
Bob: Thank you very much.
Lauren: Listen, I've got to go. I'll see you around.
Bob: See you. (Lauren leaves.)
Pat: Do I sense a blooming flower beneath?
Bob: I only wish. That would be a story - Bob Selton and Lauren Felger hooking up.
Charlie: Not in this lifetime.
Pat: Hey, never count anything out. You never thought I would have a girlfriend, but look at me now.
Nathan: Maybe so, but your taste leaves more than a little to be desired.
Bob: Can't argue with him there, Pat. And as for me and Lauren - only time will tell. (They leave the Commons together. The lights fade out.)
(The office of John Percy, guidance counselor to Bob. He is a middle aged man with no particular accent. He is dressed in a shirt, tie, and jeans. He is seated at his desk doing paperwork when Bob appears in the doorway, carrying his backpack. It is apparent that Percy was not expecting him.)
Bob: Mr. Percy? Are you busy?
Percy: No, Bob, not at all. Come on in.
Bob: Thanks. (Sits down opposite Percy, and drops the backpack on the floor next to the chair.) For a change, this has nothing to do with college applications.
Percy: That is a change. I've been overwhelmed by them.
Bob: I can imagine. The reason I came today is that I need to get some things off my chest.
Percy: Sure, what's on your mind?
Bob: Well, the past few months have been very difficult for me. I've gotten very depressed.
Percy: Why? I mean, you've got so much potential, with your academic ability.
Bob: I know. But that's my future. I've been dwelling on the present - and it seems to have no potential at all. I walk through the Commons and nobody gives me the slightest greeting. In the well I'm never in a group. And outside the school it's worse. I mope around the house all night with nowhere to go.
Percy: I'm sure you're not the only one.
(At this point, Lauren appears outside the office. She listens to the conversation casually until the inclination of suicide, which grabs her attention.)
Bob: But I feel like the only one. Mr. Percy, I'm nearly eighteen and I don't drive. I throw myself at my job to divert my mind. I can't concentrate in class. I'm beginning to think that I make no difference here. I want to stop this pain. And there seems to be only one way.
Percy: You're not thinking of -
Bob: Yes, I am. That's why I had to come. I don't want to take my own life, but it's looking better every day. I think there's still a way out, a way I can be helped. But I cannot do it alone.
Percy: And you won't have to. You can see the school psychologist. There are counselors for this. You can come back from this, Bob.
Bob: Thanks. I just really need something.
Percy: In fact, I'll call right now to make an appointment.
Bob: Great. Well, I have to get to class. (Picks up his backpack.)
Percy: I understand. I'll see you around.
Bob: Bye.
(Selton leaves. Mr. Percy resumes his work. As he does, Lauren steals away so she is not seen, but she remains on stage. After Bob is offstage, Lauren returns, her mouth hanging open - she is stunned at what she has just heard Bob say.)
Lauren: (under her breath as she leaves the stage) My God, what have we done?
(Lights fade out.)
(Bob Selton's living room. He is seated at the desk doing his homework. The phone on the desk rings - he picks it up.)
Bob: Hello?
Lauren: (voice from offstage) Hi, is Bob there?
Bob: This is Bob speaking.
Lauren: Hey, Bob. It's Lauren Felger, from your English class.
Bob: (slightly puzzled) This is certainly a surprise! What's on your mind?
Lauren: I'm really having problems understanding this. I was wondering if we could get together.
Bob: Sure, sounds good to me. When are you free?
Lauren: Right now is good.
Bob: Do you know how to get to my house?
Lauren: Yeah, I remember from when we all did that physics project last year. I'll be right over.
Bob: OK. See you in a few minutes.
Lauren: All right. Bye.
Bob: Bye. (hangs up)
(A stagehand walks across the stage holding a placard reading "15 minutes later...".
The sound of a car pulling up. Bob is still seated at the desk. A knock at the door - Bob goes over and lets Lauren in.)
Bob: Hey!
Lauren: Hey, how's it going?
Bob: Not bad, and yourself?
Lauren: I can't complain.
Bob: I'm set up at the desk over there. Do you want anything to drink?
Lauren: What do you have?
Bob: (goes offstage to refrigerator, yells back) I've got Coke, orange juice, iced tea, and milk.
Lauren: I'll have some orange juice. (She seats herself at the desk.)
(Bob comes back holding a glass of orange juice in one hand, and a Coke for himself in the other. He puts them down on the desk and sits down.)
Bob: All right, let's attack this play.
Lauren: Actually, Bob, the play isn't the real reason I came here.
Bob: (a bit surprised) Then why are you here?
Lauren: I heard somewhere that you were having some problems. One person even told me that you were thinking about suicide, but...
Bob: (after a moment - considers whether or not to deny it) It's true.
Lauren: (not totally shocked) Well, I want to help. I know you don't seem to have many friends. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here.
Bob: Well, it started about five months ago. I just did not feel like myself. My concentration in classes slipped. I would come home and sit in my room, my stomach aching. I wanted so desperately to get away. And when I couldn't, I began to think about killing myself.
Lauren: What drove you to that?
Bob: Most of my life I've been picked on, put down. A person can only take so much of that. I began to develop a fear of rejection. I didn't want to take any more pain, so I withdrew from situations that might cause it. (Lauren is at a loss for words here.) Every place I went I felt like I wasn't good enough, like nobody wanted me around.
Lauren: That can't possibly be true.
Bob: But in my mind, it was. As time passed, the anger grew stronger. I felt like I had been greatly wronged by society at large. But I also was faced with the fact that I had cheated myself somewhat.
Lauren: Well, don't you want to change?
Bob: More than anything. But I can't do it alone. Trying to is what got me here in the first place.
Lauren: (like she really means it) Bob, I'm here for you. (Takes a corner of a piece of paper on the desk - writes her phone number on it. She gives it to Bob.) There's my phone number. If you ever want to talk, you call me.
Bob: Thanks.
Lauren: (after a moment of thought) When are you free this weekend?
Bob: Friday night, and Sunday I get off from work at four.
Lauren: What do you say we go to the movies on Sunday?
Bob: (blown away at the proposal) Sure, okay.
Lauren: Great. I'll pick you up form work at 4:00. Northport Futon - the big warehouse on 25A, right?
Bob: Where 2-for-1 sales are no big deal - buy a bed, get a couch. Or buy a couch, get a bed.
Lauren: (laughs) See? You're a funny guy. You've got to show that to people.
Bob: I try my best. That was one of my better results.
Lauren: (looks at the clock) Damn! I've got to be at practice - this game coming up is the biggest of the season. And we didn't even get any work done.
Bob: That's all right. I'm sure we'll both do fine on the test.
Lauren: I hope so. I'll see you Sunday.
Bob: Until then.
(Lauren leaves. A few seconds later, a car is heard pulling away. Bob stands at the center of the stage.)
It was the best of situations; it was the worst of situations. At last, a light is seen at the end of what was thought to be an endless tunnel; but the person holding it is the one for whom I have deeper feelings. If Lauren were to reject me - could I possibly bear it? But on the other hand, I feel as if I have a deeper trust in her. In the end, what choice is there? When you're in a fifty-foot-deep hole and someone throws you a rope, does it really matter who that someone is?
(The lights fade out after this speech, with Bob staring out into the audience.)
(Back in the NHS Commons. The scene opens with Jane, Lauren, Sarah, and Catherine walking into the well.)
Jane: Catherine, what time do we have practice till tonight?
Catherine: I think six o'clock.
Jane: With this big game coming up, I don't have any time to get my homework done.
Sarah: So what? You're a senior - take a step back. Or two, or as I do, many more.
Jane: Some of us still have to worry about getting into college.
Catherine: Yeah. How was the show on Friday?
Jane: It was pretty good. Although I've heard a rumor that makes me think that Lauren was more affected by Revelation that she admits to.
Lauren: What are you talking about?
Sarah: Oh, come on, Lauren! We all know you were at Bob Selton's house on Tuesday. You know, I thought a lot higher of you.
Lauren: What is the big deal? I went over there to study. I thought he might have a better grasp of "The Glass Menagerie" than I do.
Jane: You could have come to my house.
Lauren: Why is there this thing against Bob?
Sarah: He's a loser, that's why. He doesn't care about anybody.
Lauren: That's not true. He's just a little shy, that's all.
Catherine: A little? I don't think he's ever had a girlfriend in his life.
Lauren: Maybe getting drunk and making out with some girl he barely knows is not his idea of a good time.
Jane: Every guy I know considers that a good time.
Sarah: Listen, Lauren. I've been your friend for as long as I can remember. And as your friend, I've got to let you know - only bad things can happen if you go further.
Lauren: Bad things like what?
Sarah: Like a drop in your reputation. You're not going to the prom with Selton, are you?
Lauren: No, I'm still going with Sam. (turns angry) And as far as my reputation - I could really care less. I'm trying to help someone who needs it a hell of a lot more than my reputation matters. (She storms out.)
Jane: You know, sometimes I just don't get her.
(Bob, Pat, and Nathan enter on the other side. The focus shifts to them.)
Nathan: Bob, is it true?
Bob: Is what true?
Pat: What do you think?
Bob: Okay, okay. Yes, it's true.
Nathan: Bob, I've got one thing to say to you. (A brief pause, then with emphasis) You the man!
Bob: What? I did nothing. She called me.
Pat: But still, she's Lauren Felger, Miss All-Everything. If there was a better catch here, you'd be hard-pressed to find it.
Bob: You haven't heard the half of it. We're going to the movies on Sunday.
Nathan: I didn't think you had it in you, man. (Puts up hand, waiting for high-five.)
Bob: (first high-fiving Nathan) Well, I'm not hoping for too much. And besides, we're just going as friends.
Pat: But with the prom coming up...
Bob: (casually) I'll deal with that if and when it comes up.
Pat: Well, good luck to you.
Bob: Thanks a lot, man. I'll see you around. (They disperse in different directions.)
(In the movie theater. The seats face the audience. Bob and Lauren are seated near the middle. There are few other people in the theater.)
Lauren: I heard a lot of good stuff about this movie.
Bob: Me too - but from the turnout, I'm not so sure.
Lauren: I love Mel Gibson - he's such a great actor.
Bob: You really love him for the acting?
Lauren: I didn't say his acting was why I loved him.
Bob: I didn't think so.
(The theater goes dark - the movie begins. The light of the projector can be seen behind and above the people on stage. Bob is very nervous; he is fidgeting about. He is constantly looking over at Lauren, who is come and relaxed. She has no inclination that Bob likes her. After a few moments, Bob gets up and leaves the theater. Lauren, thinking something is wrong, is quick to follow. She stops him just before he goes offstage.)
Lauren: Bob, what's wrong?
Bob: I'm just going to the bathroom. Are you really sure you want to come in there with me?
Lauren: (laughing) That was awfully dumb of me. It's just that you left so suddenly.
Bob: I'm sorry.
(Bob goes offstage, while Lauren goes back to her seat. A few seconds later, Bob returns to his. The stage goes completely dark for a moment - to signify a break in time. It is now the end of the movie. The people are filing out and Bob and Lauren stop at the doorway.)
Lauren: What did you think?
Bob: Certainly plenty of violence.
Lauren: I know. I didn't like that.
Bob: But overall, it was pretty good.
(They silently walk over to the side.)
Lauren: I can't bring you home - I've got to be somewhere in ten minutes.
Bob: It's all right - I've got a ride on the way.
Lauren: All right. I'll see you.
Bob: Bye.
(Lauren leaves via the opposite side of the stage. As she does, Bob stares at her. After Lauren is offstage, Bob sighs and hangs his head. For a brief moment, he appears as if he wants to release something, but he says nothing. He turns around and leaves via the near side.)
(The Commons. It has been a couple of days since the last action seen. Bob is again standing by himself off to the side. Lauren and her friends are gathered around the island in the middle. There is nobody else in the Commons.)
Jane: How was the movie, Lauren?
Lauren: Not great. Too many explosions.
Sarah: You were paying attention?
Lauren: We went as friends. Nothing happened.
Sarah: Thank God.
Catherine: Hey, Lauren can do what she wants with who she wants.
Lauren: Thank you, Catherine.
(Sam approaches the group.)
Sam: The limo's all set up.
Lauren: Great. I'll see you guys.
(Sam goes offstage. Lauren begins to do so as well, but in the opposite direction. As she does, Bob notices and goes off after her.)
Bob: Lauren!
Lauren: Hey, Bob! What's going on?
Bob: Can you come over here? I've got something kind of personal to ask you.
Lauren: Sure, no problem. (They go to a back corner.)
Bob: Well, we've gotten closer in the past month or so, and I was wondering... if you're not... well... (throws his arms down) Will you go to the prom with me?
Lauren: (her sadness for Bob evident in her voice) I've already got a date. I'm going with Sam Kelner.
Bob: (sounding ambivalent) Oh. Well, he's a very lucky guy.
(At this point in the dialogue, the lights begin to dim. They do so gradually until just after Lauren leaves, at which time they are at about half as bright as they were originally.)
Lauren: Thank you! And about a date - I'm sure you'll find someone.
(Bob lowers his head and nods, as if to convey to Lauren that she doesn't understand.)
Don't do this to yourself! I know a couple of friends who haven't got dates. I'll talk to them. I'll see what I can do for you.
Bob: I guess I'll see what happens.
(Lauren turns and goes back to her group. As she reaches it, the group leaves the Commons, leaving only Bob remaining. He stands for a moment - then he throws his head to the sky and gives a sigh of relief, a smile on his face. The smile remains on his face as he leaves the Commons.)
(The Commons, on the first day after spring break. When the lights come up for this scene, they are at the level where they stopped dimming in the previous scene. They are to remain at this level until otherwise directed. The seniors are finding out where their peers did and did not get into college. Lauren enters, finds Bob and Pat talking in the corner, and goes over to them.)
Lauren: Hey, guys.
Bob: Hey, Lauren, what's up?
Lauren: Nothing much. How was your vacation?
Bob: Well, it kind of plodded along until two days ago. I was just about to go out when I heard the news - Princeton accepted me.
Lauren: That's unbelievable! Congratulations!
Pat: Why are you so surprised? We knew it was in the bag all along.
Lauren: Well, I thought Stanford was in the bag too, but I found out otherwise.
Bob: What was that dean of admissions smoking?
Pat: You know how it is these days, Bob. It's not very hard to get your hands on it if you want it.
Bob: Anyway, why did you want to go so far west?
Lauren: I don't know. It looked really good on paper. But a ton of other places accepted me, so it's really not all bad.
Bob: (smiles) I knew you'd be fine. You know, guys, I'm really nervous about this road test.
Pat: Trust me, Bob. Don't be. It's really nothing.
Lauren: He's right, you know.
Bob: But I'm still not very confident about the parking.
Lauren: Well, you've got to practice. Do it whenever you can. (after a pause) I still don't understand why you didn't go for your license as soon as you could have.
Bob: Well, my parents don't have the kind of money to throw around on a car, so I figured, "what's the point?"
Pat: Just because you don't have a car doesn't mean that it's not important.
Bob: It's not just that. To me, the whole driving thing is part of this whole popularity-driven society surrounding us. It's a status symbol - and you both know how I feel about those.
Lauren: But everything is a status symbol to you, Bob.
Bob: A lot of things are to me, you're right about that.
Pat: (looks at his watch) Charlie and Nathan are probably wondering where we are. Let's go.
Lauren: Bye guys. (Bob and Pat leave.)
(Upon noting that Bob and Pat have left, Catherine, Sarah, and Jane leave the crowd and go over to Lauren.)
Jane: Hi, Lauren. I heard about Stanford - I'm really sorry.
Lauren: It's all right. I got in at plenty of other good schools. But did you hear that Bob got into Princeton?
Sarah: Where would I hear that from?
Jane: Wow! That's unbelievable!
Catherine: If I had known, I would have said something.
Lauren: (after staring at Catherine for a split-second) You know, it seems like everything is turning up for him lately.
Sarah: Why does it matter to us? More importantly, why does it matter to you?
Lauren: Because he's my friend, that's why. I guess the concept is foreign to you.
Sarah: I told you about this once already.
Lauren: Who the hell do you think you are? You think that just because he doesn't fit your concept of a popular guy that he'll have some bad influence on me. Well, let me tell you something, Sarah. People like Bob are just the same as you and me. He is not some plague to be avoided. There's a lot more to be found in a person if you try a little harder and refuse to be clouded by your own preconceptions. I tried, and I know I'm better for what I found. I found a person on the brink of suicide - and I'm trying to help him, however I have to, however is necessary.
(Catherine and Jane are stunned at the mention of suicide. Sarah, however, is indifferent to it.)
Sarah: He was probably just saying that for attention. I've heard he has a crush on you.
Lauren: (gravely offended, speaking with intense anger) Fine. If I have to go this alone, than that is what I will do. It totally escapes me how you can be so cold and heartless. I don't know why, but I really don't care either. (She angrily storms out. Jane follows her, trying to get her to reason, but to no avail - they both go offstage, after which the lights fade out.)
(The Commons, a few months later. It is three weeks before the senior prom. There is a sense of excitement in the air as graduation approaches. The Commons is filled with seniors talking in their groups.
Bob walks in, with no particular expression on his face. He walks over to the island and stands behind it for a second. He nods his head slightly and ducks down behind the island. He is now invisible to the audience. Unseen, he looks through his backpack briefly. Nobody else notices as he does this. He finds the gun inside his backpack, and, still holding it inside the backpack, cocks the hammer. He puts the gun in his mouth.
The sound of a gunshot is heard.
Immediately, Bob's body goes lifeless, still invisible to the audience. Panic breaks out - everyone runs for cover. Upon noticing Bob's lifeless body, a few people go call for assistance.
Lauren walks in very cautiously, curious as to what the noise was and what caused the panic. She sees Bob's body and her mouth drops. She runs as fast as she can over to it, and stares at it for a few seconds. She drops to her knees. She hides her face in her hands, and she begins to cry. The lights fade out.)
Scene 1
(Three weeks later. A large banquet hall. It is the senior prom. The members of the graduating class are all dressed in their rented formal attire. The disc jockey is situated back center, at a large sound system, pumping out popular dance music. Most of the people at the prom are having a pretty good time, including Lauren's friends. Nathan and Charlie are trying, but with limited success. At opposite back corners of the stage, Pat and Lauren want no part of the action. Sam is trying to cheer Lauren up.)
Sam: Come on, Lauren, have some fun! We're graduating, remember?
Lauren: Not all of us are so lucky, Sam.
Sam: Are you still dwelling on Bob's death?
Lauren: He was my friend. Not many people can honestly say that.
Sam: Remember, he took his own life.
Lauren: But did we drive him to it? That's what really haunts me.
Sam: You've got to forget about it. Enjoy the night.
Lauren: (angry) How can I do that when everybody is doing the same? You expect me to be like everybody else, just act as if nothing happened. Well, I can't. Bob Selton affected my life, and so did his death. And there's nothing I can do - no, there's nothing I want to do about it. (Sam opens his mouth to speak, but he is cut off.) You know what - I just want to be left alone. I'm sure Jane or Sarah will dance with you.
(Sam leaves Lauren and starts dancing again. At about the same time, Pat walks up to the disc jockey's location, just as a song is ending. He takes the microphone.)
Pat: (to the DJ) Thanks. (turns back to floor) My name is Pat Clayborne, and I was Bob Selton's best friend. It's only been three weeks, and I know it's still hanging heavy on all of us. Charlie and Nathan and I were going over our music, and we came upon this one song. And we thought, "this is the one." So I'd like to play it now. (Turns to DJ and hands him a CD.) It's the third track. (Looks to the sky and points.) This one's for you, Bob.
("Do You Remember?" starts to play. The assembled people are not sure how to dance to the song. As it continues, they decide not to dance - only to listen. After the first few lines, the volume begins to decrease. It stops on a level where the lyrics are still faintly audible. As it fades, Pat, Charlie, and Nathan talk.)
Pat: I think they'll understand.
Nathan: I hope they do. I hope they wake up and see what they have done.
Pat: Do you remember Bob's yearbook quote?
Nathan: "There was always something more important to do, more important to say..." (pauses briefly to think) It's from this song.
Pat: He could have picked any line from this song. (a pause) You know, I seriously considered not coming tonight.
Charlie: But what about Julie?
Pat: That's why I did come. But I knew that if I was going to come I had to take some kind of action.
Nathan: You're right. This has been handled badly by just about everyone. After those masses at the funeral, I thought more might have been done. But just as soon as they came to grieve, they forgot just as quickly. It's been only three weeks - and it's as though nothing happened.
Pat: It's the saddest part of all. Listen, guys, I'm not going out to Montauk.
Charlie: What?
Pat: There's someone I have to talk to - something important I have to do. I already told Julie - she's OK with it, and she's going out in the limo. Maybe I'll meet up with you guys tomorrow.
Nathan: All right. I guess we should start dancing again.
Charlie: Sure, why not?
(But the song is still playing. It fades out during a chorus. After doing so, Lauren is still sitting in the corner.)
Lauren: I remember - I don't think I'll ever forget.
(Nobody pays any attention to this remark. The fast dance music resumes, and the prom guests resume their dancing, Charlie and Nathan included. Lights fade out.)
(Later that night, after the prom. The Felger house. There is a couch upstage left. Mrs. Felger is seated on a recliner back right, reading a book, dressed in pajamas. Unexpectedly, a limousine pulls up. A car door is heard opening and closing. Lauren enters stage right.)
Lauren: (in the doorway, shouting to Sam offstage) I'm sorry, Sam, but the back of that limo is the last place I want to be right now.
(Lauren angrily stomps over to the couch and sits down. Mrs. Felger is over quickly to comfort her daughter. The limo is heard leaving.)
Mrs. Felger: Lauren, why are you home so early?
Lauren: I just couldn't stand it anymore. It's just business as usual. Nobody cares.
(Mrs. Felger goes to speak but she is interrupted by the sound of another limousine.)
Lauren: Who could that be?
(The ring of a doorbell. Mrs. Felger goes over to see who it is - she does not recognize Pat when she opens the door.)
Pat: Hello, Mrs. Felger. My name is Pat Clayborne. I was a friend of Bob Selton - you remember, the guy who killed himself a few weeks back. Lauren isn't around, is she?
(Lauren notices Pat at the door.)
Lauren: It's all right, Mom. Let him come in.
(Mrs. Felger steps aside. The limo is heard leaving. Pat comes in and stands near the couch where Lauren is sitting. Mrs. Felger exits stage left.)
Pat: I thought I might find you here.
Lauren: I just had to get away from all of them. They all think that because they didn't know Bob well they have the right to blow him off.
Pat: The world can be a cruel place sometimes. (A brief pause.) You know, at our last concert, when he sang "Throwing It All Away," it could have meant something. I didn't realize it then, but it could have been a sign.
(Lauren briefly closes her eyes in thought, then opens them and speaks.)
Lauren: When I think of the words of that song - it had to have been. (a pause, then in frustration) But he and I were coming along so well! Everything was turning up for him! He had gotten into college. And not just any college - Princeton, of all places. He passed his road test. The band was doing great. I thought we were really connecting.
Pat: Sometimes the reasons why aren't so obvious. Did you turn him down for the prom? He said you did.
Lauren: Only because I was already going with Sam. If I wasn't, I would have gone with Bob in a heartbeat.
Pat: Did you tell him that?
Lauren: (after a moment of thought) I don't think I did. Oh, my God, Pat, he didn't think I didn't want him -
Pat: We might not ever know. (A one-second pause.) Then again, we might find out soon.
Lauren: What do you mean?
Pat: Two days after he died, I got a letter from Bob. There was a sealed envelope enclosed. The letter inside carried a specific direction - "Please deliver this note to Lauren Felger following the senior prom." And so, here I am. (pulls the letter from inside pocket.) And here it is.
(Lauren takes the envelope, and tears it open. As she reads silently, the voice of Bob from offstage repeats the contents of the letter.)
Bob's voice: Lauren - if all goes as planned, by the time you read this, I will be dead and buried. Since you tried to do so much for me, I feel it only fair to give you an explanation. I've actually been preparing for this for a few months - ever since you turned me down for the prom. When that happened, I became convinced that I wasn't worth anything to anybody. Not even being accepted to Princeton changed that. It came to be that death looked like such a sweet release that I couldn't resist it. But that's not the only reason why. I saw suicide as a means of punishment for all the people who have screwed me over in my life. That is why I had to do it in the Commons - to shock everybody and to leave a lasting image in their minds. It was also to leave them with the guilt of a student taking his own life, to them, apparently without explanation. In a Darwinistic social structure like the one we live in, everyone either thrives or falls by the wayside and gets trampled on and flattened. Well, I'm flat as a pancake, and the feet keep coming. And now I've made them stop. Whether they will tread more lightly in the future is a question that is still to be decided. To Pat, Nathan, Charlie, and most of all to you, I'm so sorry I had to do this. I hope you understand. I want you to know that no single one of you, nor any other individual, is at fault for this. One final request - please don't ever forget me. You don't need to spread around how great I was or may have been, but remember me in your hearts. Thank you for everything - I cannot express how much it meant to me. Your friend always, Robert James Selton.
(Lauren stares at the letter with a blank expression for a few seconds - and then she releases her anger. She stands up and crumples the letter into a ball. She throws it across the room as hard as she can. She turns back to Pat.)
Lauren: If we had only known...
(She is overtaken by tears. She reaches out to embrace Pat; he wraps his arms around her. He does not comprehend the last thing Lauren said, nor does he try to. They console each other for a few seconds, and then Lauren raises her head.)
Pat, this isn't helping us.
Pat: What?
Lauren: (through the tears) Look around you. Society is responsible, at least in part, for this tragedy before us. (drying her eyes, and now speaking with conviction) And we're standing here crying about it. Inaction is not an option here. Bob was forgotten once; we cannot let it happen again.
Pat: What can I do?
Lauren: You knew him better than anybody. Tell me some stuff about him. What ice cream he liked. What his favorite movie was. That kind of thing.
Pat: What's all this about?
Lauren: Three days, my dear Mr. Clayborne. It will be clear on Sunday.
(Pat immediately realizes what Lauren is talking about.)
Pat: I'll get some paper.
(Pat goes and gets pen and paper. He returns, and he and Lauren sit down on the couch. The lights fade as they brainstorm out loud.)
(Three days later; Northport High's commencement. It is a rainy day, and so the ceremony has been moved inside, into the auditorium. There is a podium back center; there are members of the school's administration seated to its immediate left and right. In front of these chairs is the graduating class, in their caps and gowns. The lights come up with the ceremony already in progress. At the podium is one of the faculty, a Mrs. Santana, introducing Lauren as the salutatorian of the class.)
Mrs. Santana: ...I can truly say that I have never met anybody quite like her. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the salutatorian of the graduating class, Ms. Lauren Felger.
(Mrs. Santana takes a seat; there is applause as Lauren rises from her seat among her classmates and walks up to the podium. When she reaches it, the applause dies down and she begins her speech.)
Lauren: Members of the faculty, of the Board of Education, the band, our honored guests, and the graduating class. I could talk to you about fresh beginnings and new horizons, but there's something far more important. Twenty-four days ago, the unthinkable happened. One of us took his own life, for all of us to see. (There is a murmur from the crowd at this point.) A lot of us felt sad, a lot of us felt angry, some of us felt both - I certainly did. But most of us went back to our lives pretty soon afterwards. This, my friends, was the greatest mistake we ever could have made.
Often, we are quick to push aside things we may not find to our liking. You've heard the expression "out of sight, out of mind" - well, you can find a lot of that around high school. But the greatest lesson I've learned is that what you don't normally see, whether by chance or choice, can be one of the greatest teachers in life. Just as your best friend has thoughts and opinions not exactly like everyone else, so does the person in the corner reading a book. You know, throughout our country's history, we have thrived on debate. This nation was founded on the basis of a different way of government. In the same way, difference is such an important part of our social structure. If we all thought and did alike, we would never grow or progress. We only do so by exposing ourselves to different ideas - wherever they may come from - and making solutions together.
So how do those fresh beginnings and new horizons fit into all this? It's really quite simple. Most of us are going to be going to places where we won't know anyone, or only a few people. You're going to have to deal with differences you may have never known existed. Now, having gone to Northport, we've already got a big head start. But there is still a massive amount of work to be done. If we are not to repeat the mistakes of the past, we must promise to forge a brighter future. And above all else, we must all promise to do it together. Thank you.
(Silence for a moment. Then, Pat begins to clap. He is followed by Charlie and Nathan, and then Sarah. A few at a time, the applause grows until every person on stage is clapping. Lauren leaves the podium; as she does, the lights fade.)
(Later that day, in the Felger living room. Lauren is having a graduation party. When the lights come up, she is alone in the room making preparations. A car is heard pulling up, and then the ring of a doorbell. Lauren goes to the door and lets Pat, Nathan , and Charlie in.)
Lauren: Hey, guys!
Pat: Hey. Can you believe it? We're out!
Charlie: (imitating Mel Gibson's character from "Braveheart") FREEDOM!
(Laughter is heard throughout the room.)
Lauren: No question about that. You know, you guys are early. Is something up?
Pat: Actually, there is. Nathan, go ahead - it was your idea.
Nathan: Well, Lauren, we were thinking of how to go on, or not to, without Bob. And I was thinking, you've got a pretty voice, from what I've heard in choir. Since you had gotten so close to Bob, we have all agreed that we would like you to take his place in Revelation.
Lauren: (stunned) Oh, my God! I'd love to.
Charlie: However, there is one test you must pass before you can join us. As Nathan said, we know you can sing. But can you sing Phil?
Nathan: Do you know the song "Can't Turn Back The Years?"
Lauren: Of course. From "Both Sides" - it was one of Bob's favorites.
Pat: Sing us a few lines.
Lauren: (singing perfectly in tune)
"Could've given you everything that you need
But I cannot turn back the years
The perfect love was all you wanted from me
But I cannot turn back the years."
Charlie: (to Nathan) Definitely.
Nathan: (to Charlie) Oh, yes.
Pat: (to Lauren) All right - it's settled. You're in. Okay, here's how it's going to work. On the songs with high parts, you'll sing lead. On the others, Charlie will sing lead and play bass, and you'll be on guitar.
Lauren: (exasperated) That was supposed to be our secret! Nobody was supposed to know that I could play guitar. (She takes a moment to come down - considering the magnitude of what just happened.) This is unbelievable. I always wanted to keep the memory of Bob alive, but I never imagined this.
(The doorbell rings again; it is Sarah. She is alone. As she and the others talk, other guests arrive.)
Lauren: Hi, Sarah.
Sarah: Hi, Lauren. (a pause) I want to apologize to each of you from the bottom of my heart.
Pat: I think I can see it from here.
Lauren: Hold up on the name-calling, Pat. Let's hear her.
Sarah: For so long, I had really been asleep. I was in my own little dream world - I saw only what was three inches in front of me. Throughout all this, nobody was more critical of you than I was. And when I heard you give that speech today, I saw something new. I don't know what it is, exactly. Maybe it's the fact that I was, like, the embodiment of what Bob hated in this world. If that way of living could cause a person to kill himself, can it possibly be a decent way to live?
Lauren: (after a pause) Who are you, and what have you done with Sarah Jones?
Sarah: (first laughing) I know, it's a complete one-eighty. But it's real. Will you forgive me?
Lauren: Of course. (She and Sarah hug.)
Sarah: Whatever you are doing to help remember Bob, I'll be right there with you. I want to personally make sure he does not go quietly.
Lauren: That's great to hear. (She quickly surveys the room with her eyes.) I think everybody's here.
(She stands up on the couch.)
People, listen up!
(The room goes quiet.)
All right, we've done it. We're graduates!
(A cheer from all.)
I think Charlie said it best before - (she points to him)
Charlie: (again from "Braveheart") FREEDOM!
(Laughter and cheering mixed.)
Lauren: Now before we party, there are two important announcements. First, my parents are upstairs, so if you were expecting beer, you're in the wrong place.
(Cries of "aw....", in disappointment.)
And second, you'll be seeing a lot of me behind a microphone this summer. I'm going to be singing and playing guitar with Revelation.
(Everyone is stunned and happy at the same time.)
So everybody come out! And with that, let the games - um, the party begin!!
(Music starts playing; everybody starts dancing. The lights gradually fade on this.)
(Lauren's house, six weeks later. Lauren, Sarah, Jane, Catherine, Pat, Nathan, and Charlie are gathered together. Lauren is holding a stack of mail in one hand.)
Pat: Is it there?
Lauren:(looking through the mail) Yes! Here it is. (She tears open the envelope - a pause while she reads the paper inside.) Sixteen thousand, two hundred thirty-seven dollars!
(Pat peeks over Lauren's shoulder.)
Pat: And fifty-nine cents.
Nathan: That's like, four thousand each.
Lauren: That would help a lot on the college front. Johns Hopkins in one of the top-cost schools in the nation.
Pat: I see what you're saying, but I think we should do something else. Something, maybe, that Bob would have wanted.
Catherine: What did you have in mind?
Pat: That's where you guys come in.
Jane: We could start a scholarship fund.
Charlie: What about one of those charity walks?
(Lauren has been sitting pensively for the last few seconds - Sarah notices this.)
Sarah: Lauren, if you've got an idea, spit it out.
Lauren: Well, I was thinking, we've all been through a lot because of this whole thing. From the high to the low, and everything in between.
Jane: No question about that.
Lauren: Yeah. So anyway, I don't think that any town should have to go through this, much less Northport again. So my idea is this. Start an organization, based within each community, to look for kids who might be on the brink. But don't refer them to doctors and adults. Have kids work with this group to give people the acceptance they need.
Charlie: But how are you sure that the "in" people in school will respond?
Lauren: The people who we'd need the most are the ones that would want to do it the most. At the same time as helping people, this would also make communities kinder places. (pause) Bob Selton was wrong about a number of things, but one, he had dead right: there is way too much cruelty in this world, much more than it needs. I'm just trying to take a step toward reducing that.
Catherine: But we're all leaving for college in two weeks.
Lauren: We can all start this work from wherever we may be. There are seven of us in this room - that's seven different jumping off points. And when people start to see this work, as I'm confident they will, other places will follow.
(There is silence for a few seconds - then Pat smiles.)
Pat: Lauren, your foresight and compassion never cease to amaze me.
Lauren: Thank you. Now, are we all in?
Jane: Of course.
Charlie: Absolutely.
Catherine: Count me in.
Nathan: Definitely.
Sarah: I'd be happy to do this.
Lauren: Great. Then let's get planning.
(They all start blurting out ideas and talking to each other as the lights fade.)
(One year later. The Green Room in the White House. In the center is a podium with the Presidential seal on it. To its right, Lauren and Pat [slightly older, of course] are seated, dressed nicely for the occasion. As the lights come up, the President [a much older person, and not necessarily male] comes on stage and walks to the podium.)
President: Good morning, and thank you all for coming. I'm happy to be here today, to confer the Presidential Honorable Service Award upon two very special people. (a pause) When I first heard about the efforts of this year's recipients, I had to see it for myself. But when I tried, I could not see what was going on. It wasn't until I went to the advisor in the school I was visiting that I found out - the work isn't supposed to be conspicuous. Now, let me tell you a little about it. Fourteen months ago, a young man committed suicide in the middle of his crowded school. He wasn't a popular young man, and he almost faded into memory. But that was when two of his friends stepped forward. They used the money they had to form a new organization - a partnership between schools and communities. They named it the Robert Selton Coalition, after their friend. They charged it with a mission of providing acceptance to people who felt displaced by society. What is truly amazing is that these two did this even though they themselves were far apart - she at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, he at the State University of New York at Brockport. But they persisted. And the idea caught on. And today, there are over 1,100 chapters of the Selton Coalition, in schools and towns all across America. But if you think this isn't doing anything, just look at the latest statistics from the Department of Health and Human Services. The teenage suicide rate has dropped twelve percent in the last eighteen months.
(There is applause.)
Ladies and gentlemen, the founders of the Selton Coalition, and the recipients of the Presidential Honorable Service Award, Mr. Patrick Clayborne and Ms. Lauren Felger.
(There is again applause. Lauren and Pat rise and walk to the podium. Each shakes the President's hand and receives a framed certificate. The President steps back, leaves the two at the podium to speak.)
Pat: Well?
Lauren: No, you first.
Pat: It was your idea.
Lauren: All right.
(Pat takes a step back.)
Lauren: Thank you very much. When we founded the Selton Coalition twelve months ago, never in our wildest dreams did we think it would bring us here. This is an unbelievable honor, and it is a testament to the work that we have been able to accomplish. It's also, I think, proof positive that this idea works. And we would hope that people will see this and come on board. But in the end, it's not about honors and accolades. It's all about the people we help. Each day, I wake up and think, "if the Coalition can save someone today, then it will all have been worth it." It doesn't matter if it's on Charles Street in Baltimore, or Waveland Avenue in Chicago, or Main Street in Northport. Each individual life is all that matters. I was in a Baltimore high school talking about the Coalition, and I was asked, "What would it take to make you stop?" I knew the reply instantly. I said, "We'll never stop, because depression never stops. We do the best we can to deal with it one case at a time." That, above all else, is why we are here today. Pat, have you got something?
(Lauren steps back from the podium; Pat is quick to fill the spot.)
Pat: I want to talk about two people who are very special and very dear to my heart. One, I've known for most of my life. He's Bob Selton, the Coalition's namesake. He was cast out by Northport - or so he would have you believe. I'm not really totally sure. We had this band - we called ourselves "Revelation", the opposite of Genesis. Bob was a huge Phil Collins fan, and he got us to follow his tastes. He once said after a sparsely attended concert, "You know, I'm enjoying this too much to care about them." He always tried to do it his way, no matter what it was or how tough the road. But it took a toll on him, because in retrospect, I know he certainly wasn't enjoying the whiplash-causing ride that was his life. When he killed himself, he did it so society could see what he thought it had done to him. He was almost ignored. Only the relentless pursuit of Ms. Felger prevented him from fading into history. The Coalition is a living memorial to Bob, and a constant reminder of the price we paid to come to a true realization of how we were treating each other.
The other person who I want to talk about is someone relatively new to me. His name is Tom Crawford, and he graduated from Brockport High School this past June. Like my friend Bob, he was entertaining thoughts of suicide prior to graduation. He had also told a close friend that he intended to bring a gun to school and fire it at his enemies - unless something turned. The local Coalition chapter covertly worked its way into Tom's world. Its members made that turn possible, and got him to abandon his plan. It wasn't until last week that Tom found out that his new friends were working with the Coalition. And he wasn't mad, or bitter either. He was happy that someone truly cared - something that he told me had been missing for so long. Tom Crawford's name and face took a place among hundreds of others at the Coalition's headquarters back home in Northport. Just as we don't forget Bob, nor do we the people we help. And if we have to build a vault to hold those names and faces, that's what we'll do, because this thing isn't stopping. Thank you again for the honor.
(There is rousing applause, including from the President. Lauren and Pat both shake his hand again, and the three leave the stage through the back.)
(The next day - back in Northport, in a cemetery. At the center of the stage is Bob's grave. A few seconds after the lights come up, Lauren walks in slowly from the left. There is a flower in one of her hands. She stops briefly in front of Bob's grave, and then she lays down on her stomach, with her head up. Her head then dips and she dozes off. The flower falls out of her hand - this is the change into Lauren's dream. Bob enters the stage, walks to Lauren, and gives her a tiny kiss on the cheek. This causes Lauren to stir, and she suddenly catches sight of Bob.)
Lauren: I must be dreaming.
Bob: (imitating a game show host) Tell her what she's won, St. Peter! (Lauren laughs.) Well, sort of. It's kind of like a dream, but you're seeing my real spirit, not your own projection.
Lauren: Do you have any idea what a crock that story is?
Bob: Of course. But anyway, I just came to say what a great job you've done.
Lauren: Thank you. Well, you said never to forget you, so I'm just trying not to.
Bob: But I also said not to make a big deal. Boy, was that stupid. If you hadn't made a big deal, then it would have been for nothing.
Lauren: I know. Friends don't let that happen to each other.
Bob: And I thought I was the persistent one.
Lauren: (after pausing to think) Do you regret it?
Bob: Every... well, all the time. There aren't any days up there. If I had stuck around, you would have been pursuing my well-being instead of everyone else's.
Lauren: Then why could you not see that?
Bob: I was too wrapped up in the fallout from the prom rejection to see it. One thing that I have been able to do much better since then is look at the big picture - well, obviously, since it's infinitely wide.
Lauren: Sometimes narrow is good. Putting your focus on one single thing helps in some cases.
Bob: Not for me, it didn't. But there is one thing I haven't changed my mind about. One year ago, I was convinced that we, as a whole, had lost our way. Looking back on it, I still think that. Since then, we've started on the road back to finding that. And I have nobody to thank for that but you and Pat.
(Before Lauren can respond, Bob walks off the stage. He is ambivalent to her as he does. She reaches down and picks up the flower, and she pauses for about ten seconds. She raises her head, and looks to the sky.)
Lauren: We're going to get it back - I promise that.
(She dips her head back down to the grave. She bends down and places the flower on the grave. She rises, her head still down, looking at the grave. The lights fade on this.)