Our Centers for Ethics:

CC! activities created by schools and youth groups

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"Taking a Stand": Scene 4

4. LUNCH

The stage turns into masses of kids moving in all directions as the Narrator moves to the down center step.

BOB
Lunch time; the big break of the day. Everyone
gets to take a break from classes and spend a little time
with their friends.
(pointing to Stacy standing alone)
But what if you don’t have any friends?
Lunch can become a very long and lonely time.

STACY
(looking at the Victims as they get in line to eat)
Actually, it’s my fault I haven’t made friends yet.
That group seems to be nice kids. I haven’t seen them do
anything mean to anybody, and they try to
be nice to me. I avoid them because I know that
other people look down on them, but I don’t know why.
(She exchanges glances with Eve as Pop Girls Enter)
There’s Eve with the Popular Girls.
I don’t want them to see me alone.
(looking back at Victims)
I’ll try to make friends with this group.

As she walks towards Victims, Cory steps up to her.

CORY
How’s it going?

STACY
Fine.

CORY
Why’d you turn in that cheat sheet that
I gave you?

STACY
I didn’t want to get caught with it. I
already knew the answers.

CORY
Cool. Next time you can give me a cheat sheet.
You want me to buy you lunch? Hold on a second.
Cory crosses to Alex. As he talks to her, the rest look away.

CORY
Hey. I heard you got a new cell phone.

ALEX
Ahh, yeah. Who told you that?

CORY
Let me see it?

ALEX
Well, OK. Ahh, sure.
(getting the phone out of her back pack)
If you’re just going to look at it,
that’s OK. Nothing wrong with that.
You are going to give it back, aren’t you?

CORY
(taking phone)
What features do you have on it?

ALEX
8,000 minutes with Rollover, games,
all kinds of stuff.

CORY
8,000 minutes? You don’t mind if I make one call do you?
(he’s already dialing)
Hello, Dominos Pizza? Yeah. One large
pepperoni pizza with anchovies, mushrooms,
pickles, onions, and chocolate chips. How
much? $23.95? OK. Thanks.
(Hangs up. To Jessie.)
I’m a little short. Could you give me your lunch money?
I’ll give you a piece of the pizza.

Jessie looks at the others who look at her and look away.

JESSIE
I guess so.

CORY
(Taking the money)
Thanks. See you later.

ALEX
What about my phone?

CORY
Yeah. Right. I’ll get it back to you.
(turns back to them)
By the way Danny. You’re such a freak.
Stupid, smart kid.

Cory crosses back to Stacy, hands her Jessie’s money.

CORY
Here. I told you I’d buy you lunch. Let’s
get in line.

STACY
(not knowing what to do)
Well, OK.

EVE
I can’t believe what I just saw.
Cory ripped off Alex’s phone and Jessie’s
money, and gave the money to Stacy.

BOB
What are you going to do about it?

EVE
I should report it to the Dean. Cory’s
always picking on them. I think that’s
why everyone else looks down on them. It’s
time somebody did something about it.

BOB
What about Stacy?

EVE
Well, I’d have to tell on her too I guess.
She was part of it. I’d better wait till
tomorrow and think about it. I don’t want to
do the wrong thing.

BOB
Nobody wants to do the wrong thing.
That can be a good excuse for not doing
anything at all. Let’s see how they’re
dealing with it in the group of Cory’s victims.
Listen to how they really feel compared to what they say.

WALLY
I feel horrible. We let him get away with
picking on us again, and everybody saw it.

DANNY
i feel really bad for them.

ALEX
He just took my phone.
Isn’t anyone going to do anything?

JESSIE
I’m going to have to go without lunch.
Nobody ever does anything to help.

DANNY
(to audience)
I should have done something to help her.
(to Alex)
What do you expect me to do?

WALLY
If it’s that big of a deal. report it.
(to audience)
If she reports it, I’m not going to back her up.

DANNY
Why didn’t I say something?

WALLY
At least nothing was stolen from me.

DANNY
I feel guilty.

WALLY
I’ll act like nothing happened, and it’ll go away.

DANNY
I should have stood up for my friend.

WALLY
Friends are suppose to help each other.

DANNY
I guess I’m not a very good friend.

ALEX
If I report it, will you back me up?

WALLY
It’s not my phone.

ALEX
Danny? Would you?

DANNY
He’ll probably give it back.
What do you expect us to do?

ALEX
What do I expect? I expect you to be my friends!
I’ve always been nice to you. Jessie,
would you go to the Dean with me?

JESSIE
(to audience)
Alex is right. We should stick together,
but that’s not the way I am.
(to Alex)
It was only my lunch money. I guess
I’m not that hungry.

ALEX
Why am I always so nice to everybody?
And you act like you’re my friends, but you’re not!

WALLY
OK. Chill.

ALEX
Chill? I just had my phone stolen!

The others look away from Alex with their heads down. Alex puts her head down too. They exit, Alex follows them.
 

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