What Happens Next
Margot Connolly
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
by Margot Connolly
Agent:
Beth Blickers—APA
3 Columbus Circle, 23rd Floor
New York, NY 10019
bblickers@apa-agency.com
© Margot Connolly
margotconnolly 316@gmail.com
www.writemargotwrite.weebly.com
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Margot Connolly
What Happens Next
Character List JER, female. 17 years old.
WILLA, female. 16 years old.
TALIA, female. 17 years old.
MS. PERETZ, female. 37 years old.
MS. GITANO, female. 63 years old.
Shadow Students, 1-7
silhouettes in the hallway, heard but never seen
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What Happens Next
Margot Connolly
Scene One
It smells here now.
(A classroom. Nice, neat - the back wall has a window starting from waist-height of slightly frosted glass looking out toward the hallway. The window has a hairline crack through it, culminating in the bottom corner with a small hole, patched with a sheet of plastic and tidy strips of packing tape. A whiteboard. A television, hanging in the corner over the teacher’s desk, screen blank. The doors to a supply closet off to one side, firmly shut. Sitting at one of the tables is JER. Using her backpack as a pillow, she’s messing around on her phone. In the hallway behind the window, we can see and hear the shadows of other students, the before school rush.)
It doesn’t -
Like paint or -
Oh that well that yeah but not -
ONE
THREE
ONE
TWO
ONE
Like fumes or whatever it’s giving me a headache -
Hey! Hi, oh my god, hi, it feels like -
THREE
Hey long time no -
FOUR
Hey yeah it’s been -
FIVE
What’d you do? Over the -
THREE
FOUR
What, you want an essay, ‘what I did on my’ -
On your what? Your summer vacation?
FIVE
Whatever I didn’t -
FOUR
THREE
No, no, come on, I just meant - I missed you.
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What Happens Next
Margot Connolly
FOUR
Uh whatever we texted this morning and last night and -
Did you do the DBQ? The -
SIX
FIVE
Mm, I think so? I mean, I did it like, a while ago but I’m pretty sure I -
I can’t get my locker open I think it’s -
THREE
Right left right not -
FOUR
Oh, right -
THREE
Don’t slam that my head is -
ONE
I thought there’d be more -
THREE
FOUR Yeah, right? I mean last week they like came to my house, like all the way up the driveway even
FIVE
My mom said they wouldn’t let them near the school, said it’d be a security risk at least and probably -
FOUR
No way if you drive up McKibben to get here there’s a line of people like a mile long with signs and balloons and shit, so weird, they’re probably all over there or
SIX
I never did it. The DBQ. Do you think Mr. Carver will -
No way. He wouldn’t.
SEVEN
FIVE
They can’t anyway, none of them can, it wouldn’t -
They could, they -
SIX
SEVEN
They’re not going to. Like Mr. Carver couldn’t get away with coming down on you after Ms. Kimura got -
ONE
I forgot how fucking loud everyone is here, Jesus -
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Margot Connolly
Do you want to go to the nurse -
TWO
ONE
Why would I go to the nurse there’s nothing she could -
For your head I mean. Your headache.
TWO
THREE
I lost my sweatshirt do you think if I went to lost and found it’d be -
Good luck, I bet they took it for -
FOUR
FIVE
My mom said they were talking about having a picnic or something, like a welcome back picnic, like can you -
ONE
I don’t even want to be here. I don’t even know if I’ll stay. If I -
FIVE
And I was like ‘how you gonna end the picnic with like a fucking fireworks show’ and she just -
Well I mean it’s kinda -
SIX
FIVE
It’s fucking true though it isn’t like a celebration or whatever, it’s not like hurray three cheers for school it’s like -
But still, she didn’t mean -
FOUR
FIVE
Yeah I mean I felt bad later. But like. A picnic?
(Sudden hush.)
Hey Mr. Carver
TWO
Hey
FOUR
Morning
FIVE
Yeah, hey.
SIX
THREE
Mr. Carver? Um I think I maybe might have lost my sweatshirt do you think if I went to lost and found it’d be there or do you think -
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What Happens Next
Margot Connolly
Hey.
Hey, Jer.
(The noise gets louder, less distinct as the door opens. WILLA, backpack on back, enters. Sees JER sitting at desk. Closes the door behind her.)
(JER doesn’t look up.)
Hey.
Oh, hey. Sorry - hey.
(Finishes something on her phone. Looks up.)
Hey. Good to -
WILLA
We can hug. It’s okay.
JER
(They hug, briefly but not awkwardly. WILLA looks around the room. JER sits back down. Back on the phone.)
It looks the same in here.
WILLA
JER
WILLA
JER Yep. Little bit of tape, fresh coat of paint, that’s all it takes apparently. Good as new. Whatcha think, should they slap a coat on me, see if it does anything? Shut up. You been anywhere else?
WILLA
JER
Nah. Figured - have to go somewhere, so. Might as well start here. Bite the bullet, huh? Joke. Sorry.
No, right.
It’s good to see you.
(Pause.)
Yeah? Me? Really?
JER
Shut up.
WILLA
WILLA
JER Whatever, its not like I went anywhere. Just - been here. At home. Not like you - I mean, where’d you even -
WILLA
Oh, well - we - I mean my parents were pretty freaked, about the reporters and - so we didn’t even stay for like any of the - you know. They didn’t. You know. We went to my nana’s for a
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What Happens Next
Margot Connolly
while. Just to. Um. And they like took my phone so I wouldn’t - yeah. So. Missed you. Have you seen anybody?
JER
I get to see the Dream Team in the paper front page, above the fold every morning - that’s what I want first thing in the morning, Talia Nussbaum and Quinn Harper and Manny Gonzalez staring mindlessly up at me, like I don’t get enough of that shit at school -
WILLA Oh. I - no, I meant, um, since - I mean, did you like really - talk to anybody. In person. Since. After.
JER Mostly stayed home the whole time. Played Call of Duty and Bioshock and Doom and shit, target practice in the backyard, you know me. Joke.
Yeah, I get it -
WILLA
JER
My parents took everything like that and locked it in the attic or something. Anything they thought would upset me or. I basically watched Bambi for two weeks. But I don’t know that anyone was like - hanging out really.
WILLA
I heard they had meetings. Like, the whole time school was closed.
Who? The Dream Team?
JER
WILLA
Maybe you shouldn’t call them that anymore.
Why not?
Who had meetings, then?
JER
(Pause.)
WILLA Um, Quinn and Manny and Talia and - all of them. And like, a bunch of other people. Like almost everyone is what I heard? Or like, you know, not everyone, but. A lot of people. The like - you know. Usual suspects. That’s what it seemed like from TV. You didn’t - see it?
What part of Bambi don’t you get -
JER
WILLA Or I mean - I didn’t get to really see that much either, just like once when my parents went grocery shopping and I - I don’t know. I heard Talia had the meetings at her house because her parents have that basement, you know, with the pool table and couches so -
I’ve never been.
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JER
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Margot Connolly
WILLA Yeah you have, we went there once for a cast party in middle school, you remember? After Bye Bye Birdie. They’re up in like, the development, so I mean, it’s pretty nice. Big, you know. I mean, not that - whatever. Just. I heard they met there. They didn’t - ask you?
JER I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe my parents didn’t - I don’t know. It’s not like those guys have ever asked me to do anything before now so I don’t know why -
WILLA
I mean I didn’t - I think they’re still happening? Like if you want we could go together or - it’s not like they asked me asked me, just I saw some stuff on Snapchat so. Maybe since you’re not on Snapchat they -
JER
I mean I don’t care they didn’t ask me. I wouldn’t have gone anyway.
Really?
WILLA
JER Yeah. I mean, the plan is just - for everything to get back to normal, right? That’s what everyone keeps saying, get back to normal, routine, whatever. So. Normally the Dream Team doesn’t - just, people like Talia Nussbaum don’t ask me to hang out in her basement like plotting the overthrow of the government or whatever, so. It’s fine.
WILLA Yeah, okay. But still - I mean, if you wanted to -
I don’t. So whatever.
JER
Sure. Whatever.
Saw Mr. Carver in the hallway.
WILLA
Yeah?
(JER goes back to the phone.)
JER
Did you hear - I don’t know. I heard -
WILLA
I heard that too. Fucked.
JER
Yeah.
You really watched Bambi?
WILLA
(Pause.)
JER Just once. I was desperate. It actually was like a pretty okay movie. But then the hunter
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What Happens Next
Margot Connolly
showed up and my mom made my dad turn it off. You know shit’s bad when Bambi’s on the censor list.
(The door opens again. TANYA PERETZ, their teacher, enters. Stops short.)
Jer. Willa. What a - hi.
MS. PERETZ
Hey, Ms. Peretz.
WILLA
(JER raises a hand, still looking at her phone.)
MS. PERETZ What are you all - I mean not that I’m not pleased to - sorry, wait, come here first, let me -
(She hugs WILLA, who hugs back. JER raises a hand, awkwardly, like a high five.)
Hey, guys. Welcome back - or - it’s good to see you.
Yeah, Ms. Peretz. Good to see you too.
WILLA
Yeah.
JER
MS. PERETZ You know Ms. Gitano and Mr. Drescher are having an assembly in the cafeteria soon?
I’m good.
Not sure it’s optional, Jer.
JER
MS. PERETZ
WILLA But like - they can’t squeeze everyone into the cafeteria. We won’t fit.
JER Well they’re not going to try and shove us all in the study hall, are they? Or the atrium or the -
MS. PERETZ No one is - no one is getting shoved anywhere. They’re just having everyone go to the cafeteria.
WILLA But like - I don’t know if I can actually - with all those people, I mean we’ll be - that just doesn’t feel like -
MS. PERETZ
It’ll be by grade, I think. Not everyone at once. They just want to - welcome everyone back. Give everyone the ground rules.
JER Why? Are the ground rules different now?
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Margot Connolly
MS. PERETZ Not the rules, just - they want everyone on the same page. About how things are going to go. So we all can - play our part.
I’m good.
JER
Jer.
MS. PERETZ
WILLA
When does eleventh grade meet?
MS. PERETZ Maybe ten minutes. The seniors came early - but then it’ll be you guys. So you can stay a little longer, but then I’ve gotta kick you out, okay, Jer? (JER gives a thumbs up, other hand on the phone.) What about you, Willa? How are you?
WILLA Oh. Okay. Yeah. I mean - you know. Okay. I guess I - okay.
MS. PERETZ Yeah. It’s okay not to be okay, you know.
JER Did they have an assembly for all the grown ups too? Give you like a glossary of terms along with those new ground rules?
MS. PERETZ
Of course. We’ve been back - you know, we’ve been here a couple days. Getting everything settled.
WILLA Oh. Yeah, duh, I guess that - yeah. But yeah, I mean - I just got back? From my nana’s? She’s like an hour from here up in Delta so we just, um - yeah.
Bet it was nice to get away.
MS. PERETZ
WILLA Yeah, I guess. She’s like - not one hundred percent with it, you know, so like she kept calling me Rachel which like - I don’t even know a Rachel? But it was fine.
JER Hey, what a coincidence, my nana calls me Rachel too. Joke.
Really? You call that a joke?
WILLA
(JER flips her the bird.)
MS. PERETZ Hey, teacher sitting here. Watch it. What did you do, Jer? Keep busy?
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What Happens Next
Margot Connolly
I guess.
JER
MS. PERETZ You know when classes start you’re gonna have to put the phone away.
JER You think? I don’t know. I bet they won’t confiscate anyone’s phone for like the rest of the year, at least. Plus my mom wants hourly texts. Just to check in.
MS. PERETZ I think people will be able to tell the difference between check in texts and - Clash of Clans?
Hey, nice, Ms. P. Good eye.
JER
(A locker slams in the hallway. All of them jump. JER’s phone skids away, off the table. Ms. PERETZ jostles something - a stack of papers go flying. WILLA ducks down to the floor.)
MS. PERETZ Oh shit - shoot, I mean - sorry, guys, I didn’t - sorry, I was just -
(She scrambles on the floor, picking things up. WILLA joins her. JER slams on the phone harder than ever.)
Sorry, Willa, you don’t have to - I’m so sorry, I wasn’t -
(She’s having trouble pulling everything back together.) I’m sorry it just - startled me so -
Yeah, I - sorry. I.
(A moment.)
WILLA
JER Hey careful, Ms. P. Principal Drescher hears you cussing like that, you’ll get a demerit.
(Another moment. Then MS. PERETZ lets out a small laugh. WILLA does too. JER looks up from game, a small grin. For a moment, like they’re going to be able to brush it off, or like they’re going to talk about it. But the classroom door opens - not a slam or anything, but it feels shocking. The space feels violated. Anyone could be on the other side of the door. JER loses the phone. WILLA drops down to the ground, MS. PERETZ drops the things she managed to pick up. MS. GITANO, the vice principal, stands in the doorway. Looks at them all.)
MS. GITANO Hey - hi there, guys. Hey.
(She doesn’t know what to do - apologize? Acknowledge?)
Sorry about - didn’t mean to startle you!
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Margot Connolly
You didn’t. We’re fine.
JER
Um. Yeah.
WILLA
(MS. PERETZ nods. Stoops down to scoop up her papers again.)
MS. GITANO Just doing one last sweep - the assembly for the juniors starts soon. Want to make sure everyone gets there on time.
WILLA Yeah. Um. Right. We - in the cafeteria, right?
MS. GITANO You got it! It shouldn’t take long. Just a chance for us all to - see each other. Get on the same page. Right?
Right. Great.
JER
WILLA
Um. Maybe we should head to the cafeteria, Jer.
Yeah. Sure.
We’ll, um - see you later, Ms. P.
JER
WILLA
MS. PERETZ Yes, of course, we’ll - and I’ll be at the assembly, too, so I can - and we’ll all - you know, everyone together, we’ll all -
Yeah, Ms. P. Cool.
WILLA
MS. GITANO I’ll see you guys there. Just going to finish up that sweep!
(They exit. MS. PERETZ and MS. GITANO, alone.)
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