S1 E1: Welcome to Wildmoore

Kenzie Tartaglione (Master of Ceremonies):

Welcome to Wildmoore: a small town of nebulous origins and a puzzling present. It’s unclear whether this was a farming town, a mining village, an industrial township or perhaps all three throughout its time. But the one thing that everyone can agree on now is that its falling apart without rhyme or reason.

About an hour drive away from the nearest major city, the locals while away their time with work, drink, and the always pervasive small town gossip.

Coasting over rooftops of varying architecture, we narrow in on First Street. Once a bustling business thoroughfare – the remnants of an 18th century law office and the town post house, let behind now, only by the worn outline of lettering on brick – is presently a quaint, residential street.

Aptly named First Street as it was the first road stamped out by horse and carriage through Wildmoore, it is also the direct center of town.

From a bird’s eye view, one structure stands out. The plot of land from which all Wildmoore expanded. Steep gabled roofs, towers, and the turrets of a grand Victorian façade, catches the eye. The beautiful craftsmanship of Blackthorn Manor… more colloquially known as the Duncan residence.

Ivy, usually either the sunrise itself wakes you or your alarm ringing in your ear, and your eyes open to the bright white of your room illuminated by the morning sun. But that’s not quite how you come to consciousness this morning.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Ivy.

Kenzie (MC):

A whisper in your ear.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Wake up, bambolina.

Kenzie (MC):

Your dads have invaded your room. Gabriel sits on the edge of the bed. A short, dark-haired Italian man, model-like in stature. His warm brown eyes seem to smile at you.

Bast, a tall regal man with such dark skin it almost shines purple and sharp, violet eyes stands at the foot of your bed. His head is shaved and looks fit to hold a crown, yet he holds a tray in his hands.

There’s a glass vase with lavender settled nicely inside. A cup of orange juice and a bowl of fruit, as well as a small plate with a sunny-side up egg and a piece of toast.

They are an odd juxtaposition in the pristine perfection that is your room. Or, more likely, your room is the odd one out in the entirety of Blackthorn Manor.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Bambolina, wake up.

April Consalo (Ivy):

Oh, good god, dads. It’s not like I haven’t had a million first days of school already.

April:

Ivy reaches over and turns off her alarms. She has five of them set even though she never needs them.

April (Ivy):

Okay, I will take one egg and one orange, but I’m not eating all of this. This is enough for like five people.

Kenzie (MC):

Bast sets the tray on the edge of your bed and Gabriel pushes it closer to you.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

No, eat up. You need your energy for the day.

April:

I look at my dads, both so eager and wanting me to have a great morning,

April (Ivy):

Okay, yeah, sure, I will eat as much as I humanly can.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Gregor made it especially for you so I think that is a good choice.

Kenzie (MC):

Gregor is the current object of your fathers’ infatuation and has been a more permanent resident of your home, staying longer than the others that have always come and gone. But, that’s not saying much.

He is though, a phenomenal cook.

April (Ivy):

Thanks, Papa. Okay… can- can I get dressed now? Or are you guy’s gonna -

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Si, si, si. Get ready. I will drive you.

April (Ivy):

Thanks, Papa. Thanks, Dad.

April:

Ivy, slowly stretches. Looks at the giant plate in front of her, takes one bite of an orange, spits it back out. Decides to eat all of the eggs and toast instead.

She goes to her bathroom which is attached to her bedroom. It is also minimalist and white. Also, the only bathroom in the house that looks so.

She watches her face thoroughly, double cleanses, tones, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Even though the sunscreen is really unnecessary. She couldn’t get a sunburn if she tried despite how pale she is, who knows, maybe she’ll get wrinkles one day.

After she does her skincare routine, she flosses, mouthwashes, brushes her teeth. Fixes her hair in a high ponytail but pulls out two little curls on the side of her head. Natalie always calls them “slut strands” but… doesn’t really bother her.

Kenzie (MC):

Speaking of Natalie, your phone starts buzzing incessantly, and you have a sudden plethora of texts from the group chat that you have with Natalie and Alina.

The text messages are full of vague excitement about the first day. A couple pictures from Alina of outfits she’s asking you both to weigh in on. Natalie is nothing but supportive about all of them much to Alina’s dismay.

And then there’s a text from Alina and it says: Hey, Ives, did you check the home room roster. And another one from Natalie that says: Are you going to try to change homerooms? ‘Cause like let us know. I’ll switch mine too.

April:

Ivy favorites a few of the outfit videos, texts Alina and says: Wear the blue skirt. It makes your legs looks hot. She knows it’s going to drive Natalie crazy.

And then with trepidation, she opens the home room list and sees that Adam is in her home room. Of fucking course, he is. She wouldn’t be surprised if he did this one purpose just to rub it in her face.

She takes a deep breath, opens the group chat again, puts a few devil emojis and says: I’m not leaving. If he wants to leave, it’s up to him. But honestly? I think this is going to be a great year.

Kenzie (MC):

Alina responds: I’ve got your back like always. And Natalie says, Ignore him. He doesn’t exist.

April:

She sends back: Truly fuck him lol

Kenzie (MC):

They both like that one.

April:

She looks through Alina’s outfit pictures and chooses something completely different. She puts on a silk button down and some loose slacks. Something vaguely academia but buttoned a little low. She thinks that she’ll be able to get away with it.

She puts on two perfect sweeps of eyeliner in one go. Grabs another bite of the orange even though… not her favorite. And, she walks out the door.

Kenzie (MC):

As you walk out of your bedroom, you are greeted by a tall woman, body and hair wrapped in towels, steam billowing out of the bathroom behind her.

Eleanor leans down, kissing you on both cheeks.

Kenzie (Eleanor):

:

Ma cherie, I’m going to Paris so I will not see you when you get home but have a wonderful first day.

April (Ivy):

Oh, thanks El. That means a lot. Also, can you put some of that perfume in my room.

Kenzie (MC):

With a sly smile she says,

Kenzie (Eleanor):

I think that can be arranged.

Kenzie (MC):

She waves to you,

Kenzie (Eleanor):

:

À bientôt!

Kenzie (MC):

as she walks down to the room in the house that is designated for her during her stays.

April (Ivy):

Au revoir!

April:

She looks over at her dads,

April (Ivy):

I see why you guys were in such a good mood this morning.

Kenzie (MC):

Bast kind of chuckles in his deep, throaty laugh. And Gabriel says,

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Okay. Andiamo!

April:

Ivy grabs her messenger bag. Throws in a lip balm.

April (Ivy):

Where is my journal? Don’t tell me you guys… Come on. I could tell you about how I was feeling about Adam if you had just asked.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

We didn’t want to pry.

April (Ivy):

Its okay, but can you give it back to me so I can have it for class?

Kenzie (MC):

He has hidden your journal in the junk drawer, hoping that if you noticed it was gone and you didn’t ask, you would just find it one day amongst a bunch of a things.

April (Ivy):

Okay, um, before you guys do anything else super weird. I am going to leave. Look, I know you wanted to drive me, but is it okay if I ride my bike?

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Bambolina, I have to go into the the galleria today anyway, so I might as well just drive.

April (Ivy):

Can we at least throw my bike in the back seat?

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Of course.

Kenzie (MC):

He climbs into the front seat, shuts the door. You can see Bast waving from the front door. He was oddly quiet this morning but that could just be because Gabriel’s overwhelming presence sometimes does it all.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Are you sure that I need to like, not pick you up today? Because like I could just pick you up, you don’t need your bike.

April (Ivy):

No, Papa, listen, it’s fine. I, um, I’m going to Sawyer’s after school so…

April:

This is very obviously a lie, but her Papa never thinks she’s lying.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Oh, well, um, okay.

April (Ivy):

Yeah, you’ve been telling me to hang out more with him so I thought that like, you know, first day of school would be a good day to do so.”

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Correct.

April (Ivy):

Is something up?

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Well, I just, was going to ask if you were excited for tonight. If you think we should get cake? Do you think people would want a cake? ‘Cause I’m sure Gregor could whip something up.

April (Ivy):

What do you mean?

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Well, it’s the first day I school and I thought that you would probably want a party with you friends.

April (Ivy):

Oh, god. Oh god!

Kenzie (Gabriel):

So, I kind of took it upon myself to invite –

April (Ivy):

How many people did you invite?

Kenzie (Gabriel):

– your class….

April (Ivy):

The whole class?

Kenzie (Gabriel):

We have a large house.

April (Ivy):

You invited my whole class and you didn’t think to tell me ahead of time?

Kenzie (Gabriel):

I thought that since we had done it last year –

April (Ivy):

Yeah but last year was different.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

But I just thought you would want to do it again.

April (Ivy):

Did you invite Adam?

Kenzie (Gabriel):

No.

April (Ivy):

So you invited my entire class except for Adam?

Kenzie (Gabriel):

And a couple of his friends.

April (Ivy):

Alright, I can do that.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Perfecto! Ooooh I’m so excited! Do you want a cake? Should I ask Gregor to make a cake?

April (Ivy):

No. No cake. Please no cake.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Okay, okay. No cake. No cake. No cake!

April (Ivy):

Just, just, um, like teenager alcohol. Last time you got a bunch of like ancient bottles of wine – like literally ancient and I had to talk to a few of my friends about why we had five hundred year old wine so maybe just like, Jack and coke or White Claw, or something like that.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Bambolina, only the best for you.

April (Ivy):

Actually I’m asking you not to get the best –

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Okay

April (Ivy):

- so… okay thank you.

Kenzie (MC):

As he turns the old Alpha Romeo down another street, he says,

Kenzie (Gabriel):

There is a new artist coming to the galleria and I just think that you might possibly enjoy her work and you should stop by and meet her.

April (Ivy):

Papa, are you trying to set me up?

Kenzie (Gabriel):

No, no, this woman is… to old for you. Way too old for you. Not –

April (Ivy):

Not you old.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Si, si. Bambolina I think you would like it because she combines performance and visual art into a spiritual healing experience.

April (Ivy):

Okay, that sounds interesting.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

We are even going to yoga with her one day in the galleria.

April (Ivy):

Okay, um sure. Sure. You tell me when and I will be there.

Kenzie (MC):

And with that, we remove ourselves from Blackthorn Manor. We don’t travel too far but by looks alone it feels like we could have been whisked hundreds of miles away. A streamlines, modernist, suburban mansion stands out amidst the other residences on Chery Lane, though with its size, it takes up most of the block alone.

Out back, the filter of the pool gurgles in the quiet morning, the streamers hanging from the permanently erected tiki bar crinkle in the breeze, but the peaceful calm is interrupted by a shrill, joyful shriek.

It’s loud enough to reverberate up the stairwell and through the door of a bedroom - where there is a faint hum from tanks lining the wall – to wake the sleeping occupant.

Brennan Hershock (Sawyer):

(gasps) Ahh! And I’ll jump out of bed, cocooned in all of these like five different comforters with different types of frogs and like really horrible tropical forest designs on the comforters. And fall face first on the ground, reach up above onto my countertop – on the nightstand and grab these sort of old aviator glasses that have been popped out – they were the sunglasses, the lenses were – and put in these big coke-bottle glasses and affix them to my face.

Kenzie (MC):

You find yourself wincing. A common factor in recent morning whenever you put your glasses on. The skin around your left eye is tender, sore even from just that little touch. Thankfully, it has moved out of the deep violet phase of a bruise before the first days of school. But, there is a still a gruesome, putrid yellow color that isn’t much better.

Brennan (Sawyer):

(gasps)

Brennan:

And I’ll get up onto my nightstand and walk over to the mirror and just kinda observe it a little bit more. And then move my hands down further and just pop a couple of white heads. And rush over to the door and fling it open. I’m probably just in whitey-tighties at this point.

Kenzie (MC):

As soon as you fling the door open you can smell coffee and hear voices from downstairs.

Brennan:

I’ll rush straight to my littles sister’s room first. Open the door just slightly.

Kenzie (MC):

It’s empty.

Brennan:

I’ll open the door super wide.

Kenzie (MC):

The crib looks like it has been made. Her pajamas are tucked up on the edge of the bed.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Ahhhh…

Brennan:

And then I’ll run down to the stairs and before -I don’t want to go all the way down – I just want to peer as much as I can to see if my parents are awake and what the situation is.

Kenzie (MC):

Through the banister of the stairs you can see into the kitchen, where there is a round table full of food. Your dad, you can see him at the stove, a full head of gray hair sticking out at odd angles as if he just rolled out of bed. An apron tied around his neck and his waist.

And your mother is sitting at the table, a glass and a pitcher of orange juice in front of her.

Kenzie (A

Kenzie (Annabelle):

):

Sawyer!

Kenzie (MC):

Annabelle squeals as she sees you, bopping up and down in her booster chair.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Shush.

Kenzie (MC):

She kind of waves to you, her fingers are covered in mushed bananas and strawberries

Brennan (Sawyer):

Ahhh… good morning, everyone.

Kenzie (Ely Hook):

Good morning, sweetheart.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Let me go put on some pants.

Brennan:

And I’ll rush upstairs really quick and I’ll jump in the mirror and just like fix my hair. It’s sort of like a more modest flock of seagulls hairstyle where it kind of pushes all the bangs forward, except there’s like a dyed piece of blonde amongst all the light brown hair. It just kind of looks like highlights honestly.

And he puts on like a big pair of suit pants and ties them with a bright red scarf. Throws on a black and white striped long-sleeve shirt and throws on a matching-colored suit jacket that’s definitely like two sizes too big and takes a breath before he stops at the top of the stairs. And then calmly walks down.

Kenzie (MC):

As you walk down the stairs and come into the kitchen. Your mother looks up to you and she goes,

Kenzie (Ely):

Sweetheart, no, no, no, this won’t do. Come here. Come here.

Brennan (Sawyer):

What do you mean this won’t do? I’m just… okay, okay.

Kenzie (MC):

She reaches up to you and takes your jaw in her head and turning your face side to side. It becomes clear in that moment that she is not drinking only orange juice. You can smell the telltale signs of mimosa on her breath and she looks at you and she says,

Kenzie (Ely):

Go upstairs. In the middle drawer to the right of my sink, bring me my foundation. We’ll get that covered up in time for school.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Uhhhh.. listen, I mean… is your eyeliner up there too.

Kenzie (Ely):

Yes.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, I’ll be right back.

Brennan

:

And I’ll rush up and go get the eyeliner and the foundation and before I go back down, I’ll pocket them, rush into my room and just like grab out of this little jars a bunch of different flakes or crickets and just pop open and dump things into a variety of different cages, especially looking after my sort of seafoam green axolotl. Really being specific about how much I give in there.

Kenzie (MC):

The little axolotl has wiggled its way to the front of the tank and is staring directly at you and the little mouth looks like its smiling.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay. See you after school.

Brennan:

And I’ll run back down.

Kenzie (Ely):

Okay, come here, come here. Sit down. I’ll take care of this.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Alright, you can do the foundation if you also just help me with the eyeliner. I always make it too cakey.

Kenzie (Ely):

Of course, sweetheart.

Kenzie (MC):

Takes your glasses off and she tries to be gentled, just dabbing it on, but it still kind of hurts and you wince as its happening. She puts her hand against your forehead to settle your face.

Kenzie (Ely):

Okay, close your eyes, close your eyes. Don’t, you’re moving. Sawyer, Sawyer, stop moving.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Stop, okay.

Kenzie (MC):

And then she does one and she pulls out a little hand mirror out of her purse, hands it to you to do the other one.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, alright.

Kenzie (Ely):

Don’t press too hard, okay? Okay, okay.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Alright.

Kenzie (Ely):

Well, Sawyer, you did – okay, they’re not even now. You put too much on.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, I’ll just put more on the other eye. It looks fine. Pirates are in right now… for me. Here! Take these!

Kenzie (MC):

Your dad comes over with a pan and scoops some eggs onto a plate.

Kenzie (William Hook):

Alright, bud, I’m gonna need you to watch your little sister tonight, your mom and I have dinner plans in the city.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Can’t you just take her tonight? I mean –

Kenzie (William):

Uh-huh, nope, no, I don’t want to hear it. None of this. Comes with being a big brother, pal. Isn’t that right Bell Bell?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yep. Everything I always dreams of. Sure, yeah, I got it.

Kenzie (Ely):

You love her. You love watching her. You know you’ll have a good time.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I, ye – I know. I do love watching you, Annabelle. We’re gonna have – it’ll be fun. We’ll make the most of it.

Kenzie (Annabelle):

Movie!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yes, absolutely.

Kenzie (Annabelle):

Thank you!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Just not the same one with the farting unicorn. That farting unicorn song. I can’t get it out of my head. I don’t want to watch that same movie again

Kenzie (Annabelle):

(singing) It’s a farting unicorn, ‘cause everybody farts (fart noises).

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’s okay. That’s okay. We’re fine on that one. Yeah we’ll – maybe something new. Broaden the horizons today. Yeah, anyways, um…

Brennan:

And I’ll get on the phone really quick. I’ll just check to see how my post did that’s like sort of just a really close shot of bark. And see how many likes I got on that one. Even though I’ve turned the amount of likes you can see off. I’ll still go into that tab.

Kenzie (MC):

There are thirteen likes on that photo. Which is three more likes than the previous closeup of that glittery rock you found.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Bark is more popular.

Brennan:

And then I’ll scooch over and pull up Caleb.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hey! Hope I see you today! Uh… peace, man. Purple heart. Oh… yeah I’ll send that.

Kenzie (MC):

The text is sent and you wait a couple minutes but there isn’t a response immediately.

Brennan (Sawyer):

What are you guys doing in the city by the way? Are you going to be back tomorrow or…?

Kenzie (Ely):

It’s just dinner plans so we should just be back late tonight.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, alright, like –

Kenzie (Ely):

I can send you the itinerary.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, make sure – just give me the night’s routine and everything. I just want to know when you’ll be back so that I can plan my night so that we can plan A

Kenzie (Annabelle):

’s. I just need the whole plan.

Kenzie (Ely):

You will have the itinerary when you get out of school.

Brennan (Sawyer):

How’s it look? Can you see it?

Kenzie (Ely):

It’s… it’s not bad. It’s getting better.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I appreciate your confidence. Alright, uh, see you guys.

Kenzie (Ely):

Okay, be careful sweetheart!

Brennan:

I’m going to run out to the garage and stop in the middle and look at either this really nice, like Schwinn bicycle with a bunch of little stickers on it of different newts and frogs and whatnot or I’ll looks at the longboard. I’ll flip the deck around and it’s just got a sexy 80s, shirtless singer on the back. And I’ll go with the longboard today.

Kenzie (MC):

You take your longboard down this long, winding driveway that you have, and you hope, that you get a message from Caleb before you get to school.

This time we do travel a bit. Past Main Street, around the park and a little way down the road leading north of town. The land opens up and dotted across the landscape are the empty one stories, the abandoned farmhouses and the old and worn-down abodes that once held the prospering families of the Moore clan. But for years now, they have gathered dust as more and more family members began to move from Wildmoore, leaving only one house left occupied.

It is an abundant amalgamation of styles, barely keeping up with the times, let alone the repairs to keep it functioning. Inside, we find a poster-filled bedroom. There’s a loud, abrupt, and rude knock at the door. It scares the five-year-old gray cat curled up at the end of the bed. Jasper walked into your house one day and never left.

You hear a voice through the door.

Kenzie (Adam Moore):

If you’re not ready in ten, you can walk.

Mads McDonough:

I startle a little bit. I had the cover thrown over my head. This like gray duvet. I was underneath on my phone, looking at a picture of a really shiny rock that was arguably much better than the other, more recent photos. But that doesn’t mean that I liked it. I throw the duvet over my head just enough that I get that wash of cold air coming in.

Mads (Caleb Moore):

(sniffs) Okay!

Mads:

Lock my phone, put it down, start getting dressed. I throw on a pair of beat up, dark wash jeans that have some holes in the knees. A pair of spotted, rainbow striped socks the jeans cover up, but at least I know they’re there. Some ruddy looking, old, beat up Converse tennis shoes. A black t-shirt that has white text and it says “Redacted” in two little bracket things put over it. That’s all that it says on the entire shirt. A gray hoodie over top of that.

I look in the mirror for a second. I just look like… me. And that’s enough for now. I smudge on an ounce of black eyeliner right around the corners and edges of my eyes and the waterline and then smudge, smudge, smudge, smudge, smudge so it looks like I slept in it.

I’m good enough. So I reach down to grab my phone off of the bed and my bag from beside it and I see a text flick over there. I pick it up. Sawyer. I wait, standing in my room for exactly five minutes. Because I can’t check it right away. I can’t make it seen right away. No way. That’s not fucking cool. That’s weak and weird and obsessive. So I just stand there, nothing to do, flip it open, read it.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah

Mads:

Back space, back space.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah cool

Mads:

Back space, back space, back space.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay

Mads:

Back space, back space. Lock my phone.

Kenzie (MC):

This is an obvious attempt, like all of the texts you have received from him, because you have seen the home room roster and you are obviously going to see him today because you’re in the same homeroom.

Mads:

I pull my phone back open. Instead of going to Sawyer, I flip over to one that says Sam, with the emoji of a little videogame looking thing next to it.

Mads (Caleb):

I’m so fucking scared, dude.

Kenzie (MC):

You get a response immediately.

Kenzie (Sam Marshall):

Still wrapping my mind around the fact that we are going to be at the same school now.

Mads (Caleb):

That’s literally the only thing I’m looking forward to.

Mads:

Send a picture of a cat that looks like its crying, curled up in a bed.

Mads (Caleb):

Me though.

Kenzie (MC):

You get a picture back of a cat, a close-up with a blurry background which a bunch of emoji hearts and smiley faces around it.

Mads:

I heart that. I bend down, get my ruddy little gray cat, smush my phone up close to its face, and then I use my phone to draw little blushies over top of his cheeks. Send that.

Kenzie (MC):

It’s liked and Sam says,

Kenzie (Sam):

I just realized that now I might like be able to finally meet the famous Jasper.

Mads:

Keyboard smash.

Mads (Caleb):

I’m screaming. You have too.

Kenzie (Sam):

I’m screaming too. See you soon.

Mads:

I walk over to my door with my bag, my phone in my pocket and I just stare at the door. For a minute.

Mads (Caleb):

(lets out a deep breathe) Come on, come on. Go!

Mads:

Open the door.

Kenzie (MC):

The house feels quiet outside of Adam making noise from downstairs.

Mads:

I beeline into the bathroom just to brush my teeth before heading downstairs.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay, morning.

Kenzie (MC):

Adam is in the kitchen, packing his backpack, and he looks up at you and he looks at the counter.

Kenzie (Adam):

Mom left that for ya.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh, uh… (clears throat) Yeah.

Mads:

I walk over to the counter, and I flip the note open.

Kenzie (Sharon Moore):

Please try on your ceremonial clothing when you get home from school. Let me know if it still fits. Also, do you need a new jacket for the dinner at Blackthorn Manor? I can take you on Saturday.

Mads:

I close the note back up and thump it against my head.

Kenzie (MC):

Adam is eyeing you, displeased.

Mads:

So, like the normal. I’m going to make some toast. Get out some peanut butter, crunchy. Spread it on there. Make like the world’s simplest little sandwich. Wrap it up in a paper towel.

Mads (Caleb):

I’m ready when you are. To go. To school.

Kenzie (Adam):

Okay. Yeah. .

Mads (Caleb):

Kay.

Kenzie (Adam):

Also, I was supposed to tell you. Dad went out to the marsh. Uh and… I actually don’t know where Mom is so… I don’t know why they wanted me to tell you that but they did, so…

Mads (Caleb):

Did he say why? I mean he wouldn’t. But like –

Kenzie (Adam):

No, it was like really early. I don’t know why I was up.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay

Kenzie (Adam):

Alright, let’s go.

Kenzie (MC):

Adam could be your twin in looks alone, if it wasn’t for the nine month age gap. But in personality, you guys are opposite ends of the spectrum.

You climb into the passenger seat of the car, which is technically Adam’s car. He just got his license. But it has been passed down through the family and it’s an old junker and despite that, he seems pretty proud that he has a car to being with. But it is a small space of tension. Adam is silent. No covert glances. Completely ignoring your presence in the passenger seat. There is a wide gap between the brother that was once your protector, once the person who took care of you – sometimes more than your parents did – and the brother who sits next to you now, driving you to school because your parents forced him too.

And it’s made worse by the fact that he doesn’t turn the radio on.

Mads:

I take a bite of my sandwich and try to control how loud the crunch is. I pull my phone back out. Pull up Sam again.

Mads (Caleb):

Was this a mistake? You know. Me coming here. This school. I’m exciting to see you but

Mads:

And then I erase the entire thing.

Kenzie (MC):

It dings. It’s a message from Sam and it says,

Kenzie (Sam):

By the way, I got here extremely early, but, at least we can sit next to each other in homeroom now.

Mads (Caleb):

Save me a seat. Get something close to the window.

Kenzie (Sam):

Already on it.

Kenzie (MC):

Send you a photo of an empty desk, right next to the window.

Mads:

I heart that.

Kenzie (MC):

Adam is fidgeting. He’s tapping the steering wheel incessantly. The leg he is not using to drive is shaking so much you can feel the car move beneath you.

Mads (Caleb):

It’s gonna be a great year.

Mads:

I just think to myself.

Mads (Caleb):

Great year.

Kenzie (MC):

Adam’s car pulls into the entrance of Wildmoore High. An unassuming, tragic building, a block of concrete dropped into town. Pulls over into the student section, into his specific parking space.

Kenzie (Adam):

I got stuff to do. You good?

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, yeah, I’m good.

Mads:

I fumble with the seatbelt. Always gets a little bit sticky for some reason.

Mads (Caleb):

Thanks for the… thanks.

Mads:

I close the door. I try to close it gently. I don’t want to slam it.

Kenzie (MC):

You do that, but you didn’t push it hard enough so it kind of gets in that stuck space between locked and unlocked.

Mads (Caleb):

It’s the, it’s the –

Mads:

I try to flip it.

Kenzie (Adam):

Okay, hey, just let it – just leave it! I’ll get it. Just leave it.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay!

Kenzie (MC):

He reaches over and does something weird with the handle inside and you can see it pull up and out and then he slams it.

Mads (Caleb):

Okay, bye.

Kenzie (MC):

Gabriel drives slowly through the parking lot, avoiding students running to and fro. Bikes weave in and out, inattentive to the traffic. You see Sawyer on his longboard, jumping the curb to the sidewalk. Gabriel pulls up in the line of cars dropping students off outside the front doors.

April:

I look over at Gabriel and I say,

April (Ivy):

Thanks for driving me, I guess.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Of course, oh I love you so much, bambolina.

April (Ivy):

Okay, yeah, yeah, of course, I love you too.

Kenzie (MC):

He tries to reach over and squish your cheeks with his hands.

April (Ivy):

Oh my god! I’m leaving now. Thank you.

Kenzie (Gabriel):

Have a good day. I love you! I have a good day!

April:

I look around, frantically, to make sure no one heard this or saw this. I get my messenger bag on and get my seatbelt off.

April (Ivy):

Okay, yeah, I love you too.

April:

I look around again and give him a really quick kiss on the cheek because I know that if I don’t, he will be sad about it for weeks. I get out of my car.

Kenzie (Ryan Bishop):

Ivy Duncan, sophomore, on track to become cheer squad captain by senior year.

Kenzie (MC):

And you see in your face, a camera.

Kenzie (Ryan):

A beauteous face in the sad, sad crows of Wildmoore High.

Kenzie (MC):

This is Ryan Bishop. Fellow cheer base and hopeful future documentary maker. He is also a member of the Wildmoore High Yearbook staff.

April (Ivy):

Ryan! So good to see you. Do we really have to be doing this at like seven o’clock in the morning.

Kenzie (Ryan):

Yes, we do Ivy! Because I am documenting senior year and I would never be forgiven if the girl who so cruelly broke my heart was left out of my senior year reel.

April (Ivy):

Alright, get in line, Ryan.

April:

Ivy good-naturedly pushes the camera out of her face. Starts to walk away and is like,

April (Ivy):

I’ll see you at practice.

Kenzie (Ryan):

And I will get more footage of you being you.

April (Ivy):

I really hope you don’t!

April:

For a second Ivy makes a weird face thinking about being on camera and then shakes it off. Turn around and I yell at Sawyer,

April (Ivy):

Hey! Hey, loser!

April:

She kind of skips up to Sawyer. He’s still on his longboard and she kicks the board out from under him.

April (Ivy):

Hey.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Ooh!

Brennan:

I fucking faceplant onto the ground.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hey! What’s up?

April (Ivy):

Is John Hughes making like a pirate movie or what’s going on with this outfit of yours?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Uh, yeah, does it look cool. Is that what it looks like? Am I giving off those vibes?

April (Ivy):

Those are two different questions and I’m not really sure which answer you want me to give right now…

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’m going for exactly what you said so…

April (Ivy):

Oh, well, then yeah! You’re succeeding.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, cool, yeah!

Brennan:

And I’ll pick up my longboard.

April (Ivy):

So, I did the honors of checking the homeroom assignment and -

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah.

April (Ivy):

we’re in the same homeroom. That’s pretty cool.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, that’s pretty cool. I forgot my backpack.

April (Ivy):

It’s the first day. You have like one job.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah. Can I just like borrow a pencil?

April (Ivy):

Yeah, I mean, I think I have something.

April:

I did through my tote bag and find a purple, glitter pen.

Kenzie (MC):

Sawyer, your phone starts ringing. There’s a video call from your mom.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hold on.

April (Ivy):

Wow, missed you too, bestie.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hello?

Kenzie (Ely):

Hi, sweetheart, I think you forgot something.

April (Ivy):

Oh, he totally did.

Kenzie (Ely):

Is that Ivy Duncan?

April (Ivy):

Of course, it is, how are you, Mama?

Kenzie (Ely):

Oh, my goodness, sweetheart, you look beautiful as always.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, yeah, yeah, everybody’s so gorgeous, yeah. It’s okay I got –

Kenzie (Ely):

I’m gonna drop it off for you at lunch time. Okay? I’ll be there at lunch. Okay, bye!

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’s fine. That’s fine. No, I got a pen. I got a pen. It’s okay.

April (Ivy):

Oh, she hung up.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Thanks?

April (Ivy):

Oh, you’re so welcome.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, let’s go to homeroom.

Mads:

They’re causing enough of a scene that enough people have stopped what they’re doing to watch this interaction happen and I’d love to use that cover of stupid teenagers to bolt behind them.

Kenzie (MC):

There has always been, in this town, a gravitational pull toward anybody from any of your families. Especially Ivy. Everybody has kind of stopped just to see what’s going on. They see the Duncans, they see the Hooks, and their attention kind of immediately follows. So, you are able to duck around, through the little bit of the crowd and in the front doors of the school into this Commons area.¬¬

The Commons is an area for relaxation of sorts. It has a full window of walls in the front. There are skylights that let light in the fromt the top. And its filled with couches and chairs and even some TVs. There are people milling about, people hanging out. People clustered in groups of clublike factions.

Mads:

I look at everything that’s in here. I look at like the TVs and just lounge area of things. Caleb to himself thinks like, I didn’t think this is what this was going to look like here. I was prepared more for like walking down the hallway and seeing a kid getting beaten up, having their lunch money taken from them, getting a wedgie, someone pulling them off to the bathroom for a swirlie. Every teenage movie that I thought would have prepared me for this has done nothing.

I’m gonna open up my phone and I have saved in an updating Google doc that Sam and I have been working on together, a map of the school so I can speed run my way there without hitting any kind of obstacles like bathrooms or weird common areas. Anything that could be a loot drop situation though like water fountain, I want to know where that is at least but like avoid it for now. I’m going straight to the classroom.

Kenzie (MC):

As you get through the Commons, the school that you were looking to be a part of, hits you right in the face. Lockers full of scribbles. You see old linoleum tiles. It looks like they – this is a newly renovated space that was created simply to try to update a school that was way far in the past.

Mads:

Okay, at least something’s kind of normal.

Kenzie (MC):

You can beeline straight to homeroom.

Brennan:

I take a second once we enter in the school and shake off the whole, oh god it’s the first day of school, and look over at Ivy and realize, oh, hey, I’m with my bestie. It’s all good.

April:

I see his expression of nervousness and I kind of like shoulder check him, which is a bit stronger than he was maybe anticipating and I’m like,

April (Ivy):

Wow, you are actually nervous, aren’t you?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Uh… yeah? Are you not?

April (Ivy):

Honestly? I –

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah.

April (Ivy):

don’t think I’ve ever been nervous so… no?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh yeah. Well, that’s why I like hanging out around you.

April (Ivy):

And that’s why I like hanging out with you, bro. You keep me humble. Just kidding.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Is that - ?

April (Ivy):

No.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay

April (Ivy):

Honestly I don’t think that -

Brennan (Sawyer):

No?

April (Ivy):

I don’t think that works that way.

Brennan (Sawyer):

That was more like making fun of how nervous I am.

April (Ivy):

Yeah! Yeah, I am. I still think its hilarious.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah… well, at least… are we… maybe we’ll see if we sit next to each other in homeroom. But I know, like, you’ve got your squad.

April (Ivy):

Um…

Brennan (Sawyer):

Your homies.

April (Ivy):

Yeah, I mean… we’ll… we’ll see. Uh, like –

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, it’s cool.

April (Ivy):

There might be other, you know, people may already have some of their seats –

Brennan (Sawyer):

I get you. Yeah.

April (Ivy):

picked out.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Don’t worry about it, dude. Are you doing anything after school?

April (Ivy):

Oh, you don’t know? My dads are throwing like a huge party. They sad they invited everyone in the class except, well, you know.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Uh…

April (Ivy):

Are you not coming?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Well, there’s sort of a situation.

April (Ivy):

Okay, what’s the situation?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, I have a little sister is the situation. And um, she needs surveillance.

April (Ivy):

Okay, so bring her.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’m not bringing her.

April (Ivy):

Yes, bring her! My dads will watch her. They love babies. The only reason I even have dads is because I was a baby once.

Brennan (Sawyer):

(laughs) Uh… mmm.

April (Ivy):

Come on, you know they’ll love it. It’s not like they’re going to actually party with us. She’ll be safe. Come on, pleeeeaassse.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Your dads aren’t going to be partying?

April (Ivy):

No?

Brennan (Sawyer):

We’ll make a stop. We’ll see.

April:

I put my hands on either side of his head, against the lockers.

April (Ivy):

Sawyer, you have to be there tonight.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Uh, no. I have to look after my sister. Dude, trust me. I’ll make a stop, even if it’s a little late. I should be expecting a text with my parents whole schedule and everything and then I can figure out my schedule and then I can let everybody know and then I’ll be less stressed.

Kenzie (MC):

Ivy, this close to Sawyer you can see that the sweat from riding the longboard to school has dripped into and is running this foundation a little bit down the side of his face.

April:

I take the palm of my hand and gently roll it to pick up the sweat.

April (Ivy):

Eww. Look, I’m just gonna be real with you. I really want someone by my side. The last two years it was me and Adam at the center of these parties. And like, you know, Alina is great and Natalie is whatever but I would really like it if you could be there for me. And I promise, my dads will keep your sister safe. You can literally like hang out with her and me and no one else. I just don’t want to be alone.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’ll bring her by. If it gets a little too rowdy –

April (Ivy):

I promise.

Brennan (Sawyer):

We’ll see…

April (Ivy):

No rowdiness. None. Don’t worry. It’s going to be great. Thank you! Thank you so much!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Mm-hmm.

April (Ivy):

Come on! It’s going to be fun. We’re going to have a great time.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’m so excited. I’m going to have a great time at a party.

April (Ivy):

Amazing!

Brennan (Sawyer):

With my four year old sister.

April (Ivy):

Yay!

April:

I turn around, my ponytail hits him in the face.

April (Ivy):

Come on, let’s go!

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay.

Kenzie (MC):

We flash forward. A Friday. The end of the second week of class. It’s strikes almost as odd how a week and a half into school, everybody could still be catching up on the adventures, debauchery and traumas of the past summer when most of them didn’t leave the town limits for a vacation. The second to last morning bell has sent students rushing to homeroom and almost everyone has arrived in yours. At least… all of you have.

Ivy, surrounding your seat in the back of the classroom are two of your best friends, Alina Kim – a second generation Korean American. Her parents own and Kim’s MediMart where she sometimes works to help them. In fourth grade, she kissed Callum Banks and as far as anyone knows, hasn’t kissed anyone since. Petite in all ways, she makes the perfect flier for the cheer squad.

In front of you sits a redhead, her white skin covered in freckles. Natalie Samuels. She is not good on her own and is rarely ever seen without some sort of entourage – mostly you or Alina. She has been cheerleading longer than either of you and is a base on the Wildmoore High cheer squad.

April:

Ivy kicks her legs up onto the desk. They’re all wearing their cheer uniforms today because Ivy told them too. And she knows that when she kicks her legs up, she has little shorts underneath but it’s still quite scandalous. Adam is like – he’s turned around in his chair, talking to someone behind him which means he’s facing in her general direction. So, she does this hoping to fuck with me, but he doesn’t notice.

This makes her really pissed off honestly, so she turns over to Natalie.

April (Ivy):

What’s wrong with your face?

Kenzie (Natalie Samuels):

Is something on my face?

April (Ivy):

Yeah like, what is this thing? Do you have herpes? Oh my god.

Kenzie (Natalie):

What? What? What’s on my - ?

April (Ivy):

See, this is what you get for hooking up with boys, honestly.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Do you have a mirror? Can I see what’s on my face?

April (Ivy):

Alina do you have a mirror?

Kenzie (Alina Kim):

I got you.

Kenzie (MC):

She pulls out a small little compact mirror.

Kenzie (Alina):

It does look kinda weird, Natalie. I don’t really know what’s going on there.

April:

I lean really close to Natalie’s face and kinda scratch at it gently. It makes Natalie very nervous for me to be this close to her face.

April (Ivy):

Oh, it’s just jam. Nevermind. So sorry.

April:

And Natalie is completely frazzled by this whole interaction. I look over at Adam and see that he was looking at me. We make eye contact and I hold it until he looks away.

Kenzie (MC):

Caleb, Sam rushes in the door, beelining straight for you. It seems that Sam may not have quite hit puberty yet and by that, I mean that they have a Thomas Brodie-Sangster vibe and unfortunately for a sophomore in high school, looks as if they’re eight years old. They have short, curly, bleached hair and are currently wearing black, wide, long shorts. High top white sneakers, and a long sleeve shirt that looks to have a Renaissance painting printed on it with a large short sleeve red shirt on top of that.

And as they rush in, they go,

Kenzie (Sam):

Caleb, Caleb, did you see?

Mads:

I have my head like leaning against my hand and I’m fucking around on my phone on my desk because there’s this gotcha game that I’ve recently gotten into that I know if I can just get the one rare pool pull of Ezriel then I will be totally fine and I will be able to bypass the next level for sure, one hundred percent. But the pull rate is so stupid and - (sound of a hand hitting a desk)

Mads (Caleb):

What? Wait are you talking about the knew pull that just came out because its so stupid.

Kenzie (Sam):

No dude this is better than that. Okay okay okay.

Kenzie (MC):

They pull out their phone and shove it in your face and its open to a news site. And the headline reads: Creators of Popular Video Game “Crush and Egg” Surprise Fans By Announcing a Release of a Sequel - Crush and Egg Space Warp – To Be Out Mid-October.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh my god!

Mads:

I look around. Did anyone hear me peak?

Kenzie (MC):

No one is actually paying attention to you. But it was loud enough that anyone could have heard it.

Mads (Caleb):

(clears throat) This is like so cool. So cool. It’s like really cool.

Kenzie (Sam):

It’s so cool I thought that like – this is the game we have talked about, or well, you have talked about and got me into. And now they’re making another one and we can play it like together.

Mads (Caleb):

Sam, it’s like the classic of classic. Its so retro honestly. Like this – it’s an incredible game series. Like did you know that the devs actually implanted an Easter egg designed to look exactly like Egg. It’s in the last – it’s not the last level, it’s the second to last level. If you go underneath the valley path, there’s actually like – you can phase through it. You click through. It’s like the third or fourth stone on the right… the third or the fourth stone on the right?

Kenzie (Sam):

Which one is it ‘cause I gotta do it when I get home?

Mads (Caleb):

It’s like the third or the fourth one. I’m going to have to show you. I’m gonna have to like take a screenshot. I have the old save files on my console though. I can just open it up whenever I get home and show – but its just – it’s such a good series. Okay like – and by series, I mean like they only had the one and they had the off-shot that was for like the mobile game but it like super flocked like it –

Kenzie (Sam):

So this one’s going to be good though, right?

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, because I’m sure… especially if they’re talking about this like a time warp? Some kind of space effect? They’re going to actually be keeping with canon this time whereas the mobile game totally went off path. They said it was like an alternate reality. They might as well have just made a new game though.

This is the best news you could have given me, Sam.

Kenzie (Sam):

I’ve got a plan. I got a plan. I think that in October on the day its dropped, we ditch this place and we ride up to Oasis and get it as soon as it comes out.

Mads (Caleb):

We can’t just ditch… we can’t just ditch school.

Kenzie (Sam):

We just leave okay? We just wake up early in the morning. We get – well I can’t drive and you can’t drive so we’ll have to figure that out – and we’ll take a car up into the city and go to Oasis and we can stand in like… there’s probably going to be a line outside for hours! We can stand in line! With everybody else who wants to play “Crush and Egg”!

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah.

Mads:

I glance around. Adam’s like a few seats to the side and then a bit behind me and he’s not watching me. I mean, that’s kind of how its been since we started here. It’s like I’m not here. But this time it can benefit me. I turn back to Sam.

Mads (Caleb):

I think I can get us a car.

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay, I mean, we’ve got time. We’ve got like a month and a half but like we should plan it out and make sure exactly what we’re going to do because like I’ll probably get in trouble for ditching school but like… I’m sure you’ll be fine. Right? Like your dad or your mom will just call and be like (mumbling noises) and we’ll be fine.

Mads (Caleb):

I think if I play sit, I think it can work and then I’ll just… I mean my parents are never in the house so its not like they would know.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, exactly, so it doesn’t matter.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah. You know what, I need to think about this for a little –

Kenzie (Sam):

That’s fine. Take your time. I just –

Mads (Caleb):

This is insane.

Kenzie (Sam):

I know! I know I know I know.

Mads (Caleb):

This is like the biggest thing that’s ever happened ever.

Kenzie (Sam):

Phew.

Kenzie (MC):

Drops into their seat. They’ve been standing up pacing between your two seats this whole time.

Kenzie (Sam):

I don’t think I can do school today. Like I – this isn’t fun! This isn’t fun! Crush and Egg is coming out. This isn’t fun.

Kenzie (MC):

And I think Sawyer, across the room, you hear, “Crush and Egg is coming out.”

Brennan:

I’ll pull out my phone and peer across the classroom between like the twelve people that are in-between me on one side in the back, the back right of the classroom, and Caleb at the top left and see if I can see Caleb’s reaction. Not being able to see really between the heads, I’ll pull out my phone and text Caleb.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Did I hear Crush and Egg?

Brennan:

And then I’ll turn around to Sour Diesel, who’s just completely out and I’ll look forward at White Widow.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hey! Um… dubs (nervous chuckle). How’s everything with uh… with the Master? With Master Kush, you know? I haven’t heard from him since the incident.

Kenzie (MC):

White Widow, aka Sara Park, doesn’t look sober but she’s not as wrecked as the kid behind you. This is a girl that everyone knows has a record but no one knows what it’s for. Sawyer you’ve hung out with her enough to know that she’s harmless though, really, at the end of the day.

Kenzie (White Widow):

Yeah. I uh wanted to talk to you uh cause like you know, if you just apologized, Kush says you could come back.

Brennan (Sawyer):

You want me to apologize to them? Is what they’re saying to me for them? Apologize? Question mark.

Kenzie (White Widow):

I’m just passing on a message. I wasn’t there when it all went down. I don’t really want to get into the middle of it.

Brennan (Sawyer):

What does the rest of the crew think? Are they all just like on his side?

Kenzie (White Widow):

I don’t really think there are sides in this, Sawyer. I think that it was a mistake and then the punching thing was a mistake, and you know he probably shouldn’t have said it. I’m not going to defend him. But like people make mistakes, you know?

Brennan (Sawyer):

(sighs) Whatever. I mean, if it’ll get rid of this weird, awkward tension let’s just, let’s meet up I guess sometime next week or this weekend or whatever and we’ll hash it out.

Kenzie (White Widow):

Oh yeah, I mean, we’re hanging out in The Tunnel after school like usual so you could -

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, you mean like today? Oh, you know, I have a lot of things I have to do after school today. Let me just text my mom real quick. See if I have anything.

Kenzie (White Widow):

Dude, its really not that like –

Brennan (Sawyer):

No, no, no, I can – I’ll… I’ll probably be able to make it. I’ll probably be able to make it. If I show up then I show up, you know what I mean, don’t wait up for me.

Kenzie (MC):

She leans around the side of your and goes,

Kenzie (White Widow):

Diesel! Hey! Diesel!

Kenzie (MC):

This kid is droopy eyed, looks like he probably needs about twenty hours more of sleep than he ever gets.

Kenzie (Sour Diesel):

What’s goin’ on?

Kenzie (White Widow):

You gonna be in The Tunnel after school?

Kenzie (Sour Diesel):

I gotchu.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, cool cool. Cool cool. Hey, what’s your take on the whole sitchiation.

Kenzie (Sour Diesel):

Uh… the sitchiation?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Nevermind I’ll be there. I’ll –

Kenzie (Sour Diesel):

That’s a funny word. Sitchiation.

Kenzie (MC):

And he just kind of fall back asleep.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hey um, I’ll be right back. I’ll talk you guys – I’ll talk to you guys in a sec.

Brennan:

And I will stand up out of my seat and look across the room as like the only kid standing.

Kenzie (MC):

Caleb’s phone goes off.

Mads (Caleb):

So what I’m saying is if they don’t bring the harmonica back, that was a big component in the first game and how you’re able to unlock the next levels. If they - (phone dings). Wait, I’m getting something on my phone. Shit. Sam? Can you send me just like the post that you found? Can you just send me that really quick?

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, yeah, I gotchu. I gotchu.

Kenzie (MC):

Shares the news article.

Mads:

I copy/paste it. Just the news article and send that back. I have no reply otherwise.

Brennan:

I get that as I stand and I’ll just lock my phone and look at Caleb.

Mads:

Caleb is purposefully facing forward still and tries to go back to talking to Sam

April:

Ivy is like looking between the two of them.

Brennan:

Sawyer is looking directly back by the way. At you. He was searching for you afterwards. He’s just like standing there.

April:

Pulls out her phone and texts Sawyer instead of speaking to him.

April (Ivy):

Um, bro, what the fuck are you doing? Lol

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’m gonna go to the bathroom.

Brennan:

He says out loud.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’m right here.

April (Ivy):

Then go.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh, I’m going.

April (Ivy):

Weirdo. Oh my god.

Brennan:

And I like move forward but I do that awkward thing where I didn’t look before I walk so my full body weight goes into Joe Batistia, the desk center left of me and I scooch the whole desk.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh ga, I’m sorry. Sorry. Just gotta pee.

April:

Ivy goes back to her journal where she was in the planner section, you know? The calendar section before the actual journal part. like flipping through the calendar and there are little red dots on certain days and she’s counting back from today. She gets to five days since there’s been a red dot. Slams it shut.

Kenzie (MC):

As you shut your notebook a butt sits down on your desk.

Kenzie (Vic Taloose):

Ivy, Ivy, Ivy, how are you doing on this beautiful Friday morning?

Kenzie (MC):

This is Vic Taloose. And exuberant theater kid who may not know the difference between high school theater and Broadway.

Kenzie (Vic):

Have you given it any more thought?

April (Ivy):

Vic, I’ve given it exactly zero though.

Kenzie (Vic):

I think you should think about it. I’m hot. Your hot. Our chemistry would be off the fucking charts.

Kenzie (MC):

He grabs your hands.

Kenzie (Vic):

You feel that? It’s already there bubbling under the surface.

April (Ivy):

I can feel your sweaty hands and I would really appreciate it if you would remove those from my body, thank you. Vic, aren’t you gay anyway? Why are you on this desperate pursuit? Honestly, it’s sad for both of us.

Kenzie (Vic):

Because Ivy, just think about it. The Helena to my Lysander?

April (Ivy):

Oh god.

Kenzie (Vic):

Like you gotta just try out one time?

April (Ivy):

Not the Shakespeare references, Vic! Midsummer? Midsummer is the best you could do?

Kenzie (Vic):

It’s the best Mrs. Parker could put up I guess?

April (Ivy):

Oh god.

Kenzie (Vic):

It’s happening this fall. A couple months away. Just come out and audition.

April (Ivy):

I will think about it. For real this time.

Kenzie (Vic):

Oh, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh my goodness it’s going to be so great.

April (Ivy):

Okay but on one condition.

Kenzie (Vic):

Anything.

April (Ivy):

I get to do my own eyeliner.

Kenzie (Vic):

I won’t touch your face.

April (Ivy):

Thank you.

Kenzie (Vic):

Unless I have to kiss it and then I’ll touch it.

April (Ivy):

Honestly that’s a promise you should be – No! That’s a promise you should be making in general, Vic. I need that promise in writing.

Kenzie (MC):

He saunters off back to his desk. Adam stand up from his desk, strides to the front of the room.

Kenzie (Adam):

Good morning my favorite homeroom peeps!

April:

Ivy rolls her eyes at Alina and Natalie and glares at him from the back of the class.

Kenzie (MC):

He leans down and drums his hands on the edge of Katrina Griffiths’ desk. She sneers at him and realigns the pencil that he knocked out of place.

Kenzie (Adam):

I have an incredible announcement.

Kenzie (Damian Evans):

You’ve been talking about your party since the first day I don’t think that qualifies as an announcement.

Kenzie (Adam):

Shut up, Evans. Since, the Duncan’s have failed at providing an ample opportunity for us to kick off the year this time around…

Kenzie (MC):

Ivy it is once again the first day of school. You are looking at your phone, a text from Shane Thompson double checking the time he should bring the keg over when a call from Bast comes through.

April (Ivy):

Hey, Dad, what’s up?

Kenzie (Bast):

Ivy, I’m sorry, but the party is off.

April (Ivy):

Wait, wait, I literally just learned about this this morning. How is it already off?

Kenzie (Bast):

Gabriel was supposed to have informed you of it weeks ago and I thought he had. If you could make sure people know not to come tonight, that would be quite helpful.

April (Ivy):

You want me to talk to every person in my class and tell them not to come to a party you invited them to weeks ago? Okay, sure, I’ll do that.

Kenzie (Bast):

I’m so sorry, Ivy. I know you’re disappointed and I know this is a terrible thing to do. Something came up and it just… it can’t happen tonight.

April:

Ivy breaks out of her angsty daughter sneer and realizes that there’s something off in his voice for the first time.

April (Ivy):

Dad, is everything okay?

Kenzie (Bast):

It’ll be fine. I’m sure. But we just have to deal with something and uh, we’ll talk about it with you later. We’ll talk about it with you later. If you could go to Sawyer’s after cheer practice tonight. We’ve already cleared it with the Hooks, they know you’ll be there. I know that you mentioned going there tonight anyway, that would be, that’d be great.

April (Ivy):

Yeah. Yeah sure I can – I can – I’ll ask him.

Kenzie (Bast):

Again, I’m so sorry, but uh, I appreciate you helping us out with this.

April (Ivy):

Sure.

Kenzie (Bast):

Alright, I love you.

April (Ivy):

Yeah. I love you too. Thanks, Dad.

Kenzie (Adam):

Since, the Duncan’s have failed at providing an ample opportunity for us to kick off the year this time around, I decided I needed to up the ante. We are moving the party from Wicker House to the quarry! You’re welcome!

Kenzie (MC):

There was a seeming lack of interest not because no one was interested in the party itself but because everyone was truly sick and tired of Adam bringing this party up every single fucking day. That changes upon the change of venue announcement and you hear some chatters of, “Are you fucking serious? No way!” “How’d you swing that one Moore?” “Obviously because he’s a Moore.” Little bubbles of chatter throughout. Adam speaks above all of it.

Kenzie (Adam):

And we will have the lovely opportunity to get our forutne’s read by Naia.

Kenzie (MC):

And he points into the back row to Naia who is an Afro-Latina girl with long black hair and bangs with a singular pink streak running through the dark locks. Every town has to have at least one goth and she fits the bill. Heavy eye makeup, signature black, sometimes purple lipstick. Black tights. Black skirt. Black platform boots. A dangerous looking choker and massive pink plugs in her earlobes. The dozens of rings on her fingers clack across the wooden desktop as she presses her hands down.

Kenzie (Naia Luna):

Number one, absolutely not doing that. Number two, you named your party “Another Year, Another Cheer” I wouldn’t be caught dead.

Kenzie (Adam):

You will be caught! Hope you won’t be dead though.

Kenzie (MC):

Adam responds moving on. And Ivy, he looks directly at you finally. And begins walking down the aisle. But he stops at the one in front of you. And he leans down, charming smile on his face.

Kenzie (Adam):

I wanted to come back here and offer a personal invitation to you myself.

Kenzie (MC):

And you can’t see Natalie’s face from your vantage point but you see her shoulders start to move up to her ears.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Um… isn’t everyone invited?

Kenzie (Adam):

They are. But you’re the one I want to make sure is there.

Kenzie (Natalie):

I’ll have to think about it.

Kenzie (MC):

And he pulls back from the desk, puts his hands up in surrender.

Kenzie (Adam):

No pressure. But I don’t want you to miss out on the fun.

Kenzie (MC):

And then he looks directly at Ivy once more. And he turn around and drops into his chair. And Natalie turns around to you with wide, pleading eyes that have some fear in them.

April:

Ivy leans way into Natalie’s personal space. Looks at both her eyes, looks at her lips, looks back up.

April (Ivy):

If you go to that fucking party, you are dead to me.

Brennan:

Sawyer walks in through the room and holds up his phone towards Adam.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, Adam! Of course I’ll come to the party tonight!

April:

Ivy whips her head around and stares at Sawyer. The darkest look he has ever seen.

Brennan:

He just slowly makes his way back to his chair and slowly sits back down. And then pulls out his phone, pulls up Ivy.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I thought everyone was going??????!

April (Ivy):

Are you fucking insane??? I thought you were on my side? Literally why would you go?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I mean I thought it was going to be such a big thing that like you and I would kinda just chill or… it’d be like little groups idk

April:

Ivy reads these.

April (Ivy):

Oh, for fucks sake.

April:

Looks at Natalie. Looks at Sawyer. Looks back at Natalie.

April (Ivy):

I will go and that is the only reason you are allowed to go.

April:

Looks over at Sawyer to make sure he heard that as well.

Brennan:

You get a thumbs up in text.

April:

She accidentally makes eye contact with Adam who is so pleased with himself. Ivy feels a constricting in her throat and a bunch of saliva pools in her mouth and her blood pressure rises a bit.

April (Ivy):

Fine. We’re all gonna go. You’re coming to my house beforehand.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Yeah, like before the party? What time do you want me to be there?

April (Ivy):

Uh (lets out a deep breath) We can get ready together.

Kenzei (Natalie):

Is Alina coming?

April:

I look at Alina, give her a look.

April (Ivy):

Do you want to come?”

Kenzie (Alina):

I gotta work at the MediMart for a couple hours so why don’t I just meet you guys at your place and we’ll leave together.

April (Ivy):

Okay, yeah.

Kenzie (Alina):

I’ll work, go home, change, and then I’ll come to yours after.

April (Ivy):

That’s perfect.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Yeah, yeah, that’s fine yeah. I’d love to. Do you want me to bring my stuff or do you wanna, sometimes you wanna…

April (Ivy):

I’ll do it for you, babe, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.

April:

Ivy grips the desk a little bit and tries to get control of her physical reaction. She glances at her journal again, glances at Natalie as she turns around and she feels really disgusted with herself.

Brennan:

Sawyer looks over and sees Ivy is no longer enraged and lets out a big deep sigh but then like a cool guy façade takes over him and he leans his elbow over onto the back of the chair White Widow in front.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Well, it looks like there’s a party tonight, so I don’t know if we’re going to be meeting in The Tunnel. Maybe I’ll see you guys there though.

Kenzie (White Widow):

Dude, we’re going to meet after school. The party isn’t until like nine.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, oh, oh, oh, okay. Well…

Kenzie (White Widow):

You seem like really stressed about it, just come whenever. I was just letting you know that we were going to be there tonight.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Are you guys going to be at the party?

Kenzie (White Widow):

Most likely. I just assumed that you had already gotten a text from Adam about that.

Brennan (Sawyer):

No for some reason I’m just like so late to everything.

Kenzie (White Widow):

Kush’ll deal with it but just like I’m sure Adam will text you.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Cool, cool, yeah. Expect me at The Tunnel. But maybe don’t and then we’ll you know, chill at the party if I see you there.

Kenzie (White Widow):

Yeah, man, you should really think about taking a couple hits before coming to school because you would not be this weird.

Brennan (Sawyer):

You know, I was kinda thinking about stopping. Like completely.

Kenzie (White Widow):

I don’t really think I understand what you’re saying.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Okay, yeah, it was stupid. Do you have any left?

Kenzie (White Widow):

Yeah, yeah, uh-huh.

Kenzie (MC):

And she hands over a little baggie with two rolled joints.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’ll smoke a little bit before tonight and chill out.

Kenzie (White Widow):

That’s probably a good idea.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Cool.

Brennan:

And then he will just go back and put his hands down on the desk and put his face, bury it deep into his desk and into his arms.

Kenzie (MC):

After the party announcement Sam gets really stiff at their desk. Kinda like glances at Caleb a couple times to see if Caleb is noticing.

Mads:

Caleb, as all of this has been happening, has sunken down into his chair. His hoodie, he’s pulled the hood up over his head and tightened the drawstring enough that you can barely see any of his face anymore. He just wants to disappear into the floor. He wants a hole to open up underneath his desk, swallow him and maybe that would be less mortifying than watching his absolute goon of a brother make such an idiotic display. There were so many times that when Caleb was growing up, he idolized his brother and now, seeing him, every day, doing whatever the hell this is, he can’t imagine where that person went. He feels Sam’s eyes on him.

Mads (Caleb):

Please say you don’t want to go. Oh my god you wanna go.

Kenzie (Sam):

I was gonna like ask if we were gonna go to the party because like -

Mads (Caleb):

Saaaaaam.

Kenzie (Sam):

Caleb I’ve never been to a party. And like your brother I know that’s not great but like you would be going, like you could just go. Yeah, okay, I shouldn’t have, I shouldn’t have brought it up. We can go back to talking about Crush and Egg. We can go back to talking about Crush and Egg I’m sorry.

Mads (Caleb):

No, it’s – Not it’s…

Mads:

I take the hoodie back off. Start to come back into my seat

Mads (Caleb):

Let’s go to the party.

Kenzie (Sam):

I mean like everybody’s going to be there.

Mads (Caleb):

Let’s go to the party.

Kenzie (Sam):

So like it’s not like –

Mads (Caleb):

It’s going to be stupid and rocky and dirty and –

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah but you know, you’ve never wanted to like experience that like one time only and never do it again.

Mads (Caleb):

No, Sam.

Kenzie (Sam):

Because I feel like I’m going to hate but I want to see if I hate it.

Mads (Caleb):

You will. You will.

Kenzie (Sam):

But also I didn’t want to go without you.

Mads (Caleb):

It’s fine.

Kenzie (Sam):

We don’t have to go for long. We can just like go and I can stay there for an hour and I can see everybody being stupid and then we can leave.

Mads (Caleb):

Can we have like a code word or something? That if gets really bad we can just ditch. Please.

Kenzie (Sam):

Definitely! How about… um…

Mads (Caleb):

Oh my god you suck at this. We’re going to make the code word, it’s going to be caboose, okay?

Kenzie (Sam):

Caboose. Caboooose!

Mads (Caleb):

Like the end of a train.

Kenzie (Sam):

I’ll say the caboose is loose!

Mads (Caleb):

Oh my god maybe that’s a terrible idea. Oh god, that’s –

Kenzie (Sam):

I’m like re-re-realizing that like now that now that I know it’s for sure happening I’m like really nervous about going.

Mads:

They’re genuinely excited about this. And I know that they know me and they know how conflicted I am about all my brother’s stupid weird parties, all of his stupid weird friends, but Sam, they’re Sam. And I kind of come back to myself and go,

Mads (Caleb):

The caboose is like so loose.

Kenzie (Sam):

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. (deep breaths) Today is a great day.

Mads (Caleb):

You can come over to my place before we go.

Kenzie (Sam):

Caleb I didn’t think this day could get any better.

Mads (Caleb):

What? That’s not like weird is it. That’s not –

Kenzie (Sam):

Caleb, I’m finally going to meet Jasper. Oh my god. Three great things have happened today and one of them is your cute little gray fluffball!

Mads (Caleb):

Okay like Jasper is amazing and I can’t believe that’s the only reason you want to come to my house.

Kenzie (Sam):

I didn’t say that. I just said –

Mads (Caleb):

Am I nothing to you now, Sam? All that we have been through.

Mads:

He counts on his fingers, physically counts on his fingers.

Mads (Caleb):

Four years of our friendship and you’re about to dump me for my cat?

Kenzie (Sam):

I know that you are being sarcastic and I’m going to take that and I’m going to say, yes, I’m dumping you for your cat.

Mads (Caleb):

You know it’s deserved. He is a really good cat. I know I send you the pictures all the time but he will roll over onto his back and show you his tiny little tummy and you can scratch his little tummy. It’s like really soft.

Kenzie (Sam):

My parents won’t let me get a pet so I’m going to have to live through yours (laughs). I think I’m losing my mind Caleb, there are so many things that are happening today that are so great.

Mads:

I’m going to turn back around to see Adam. There’s a second that he’s talking to Danny then, that his gaze, just for a moment, tracks over to mine because of the movement I’m making and we lock eyes. And my eyes immediately go down to the ground and I grip the corners of my desk hard enough that there’s this little pop noise. I quickly take them off. There’s a bolt that’s next to the wood that’s holding the desktop into place and it’s started to wedge itself out.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah, it’s going to be great.

Kenzie (MC):

The grating sound of the bell that’s on the wall just outside your homeroom door is loud and jars everybody from their conversations.

Kenzie (Trevor):

Good morning, Wildmoore High!

Kenzie (MC):

The television that is mounted to the wall in the front corner of the classroom flickers as the newsrooms starts broadcasting. There’s a boy on screen sitting behind a table in front of a badly, digitally rendered fake newsroom.

Kenzie (Trevor):

And welcome back to the end of another week. It’s a balmy Friday, perfect for some after school shenanigans if you know what I mean.

Kenzie (MC):

From just off mic you hear,

Kenzie (Teacher):

Trevor, if I have to warn you one more time…”

Kenzie (Trevor):

Just a few announcements before you can being your day. Auditions for “She Kills Monsters” are next Wednesday and Thursday. Sign-up sheets are outside of the auditorium. Break legs!”

Kenzie (MC):

There is a visceral reaction from Vic. He jumps from his seat, yelling at the television.

Kenzie (Vic):

What!? Mrs. Parker promised we’d be doing A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

April:

Ivy leans forward and goes,

April (Ivy):

Sorry, Vic, I guess we aren’t written in the star or whatever.

Kenzie (MC):

He slumps back down into his seat and goes,

Kenzie (Vic):

“The course of true love never did run smooth.”

Kenzie (MC):

And the screen glitches but comes back into focus as Trevor is saying,

Kenzie (Trevor):

Any seniors, juniors, or sophomore interested in running for homecoming court, please see Mrs. Bradley for the application. She wants you to know that you will be doing your own canvassing to secure votes and that she will not be bribed into granting spots to individuals. Becca Carlisle, I assume this is directed toward you.”

And last but not least, the boys of the football team reach out again in their futile attempt –

Kenzie (Teacher):

Trevor, this is not a tight five, wrap it up.

Kenzie (Trevor):

So, you do think I’m funny. Good to know. The boys of the football team want to remind you that the first game of the season it tonight though I think we all have better plans and they would love to have you out their supporting them as they lose, once again –

Kenzie (MC):

The screen goes dark and there’s a crackling over the PA system as you hear the school secretary,

Kenzie (Secretary):

Any announcements you may have missed will be posted on the bulletin board outside the cafeteria before lunch time. Thank you.

Kenzie (MC):

As if on cue, perfectly timed, Mr. Mashburn walks into the classroom. He’s of average height, about 5’8”. Short brown hair that’s usually unnecessary spiked with gel. Though he doesn’t have a beer belly, he is clearly not an overly fit person, accentuated by the fact that his pants and his shirts are always just a little too tight, like he used to fit in them but hasn’t had a moment to overhaul his wardrobe.

No one at the school could say they had ever seen him wearing aside from Chinos, leather lace-ups, and an overly patterned shirt with a bowtie to match. Today, he is wearing a cute little blue and yellow checkered shirt with the sleeves pushed up past his elbows.

Mr. Mashburn strolls into the classroom, picks up the remote, and clicks off the TV.

Kenzie (Mr Mashburn):

Alright guys, it’s time to figure out who read the syllabus.

Kenzie (MC):

He points to the back of the room, where Sour Diesel sits.

Kenzie (Mr Mashburn):

Clay, I know you must have. No? Okay. How about Marcus? Whaddaya think? Another no?

Kenzie (MC):

And Katrina’s hand shoots straight up into the air.

Kenzie (Mr Mashburn):

Thank you, Katrina. On top of it as always.

Kenzie (Katrina):

Next week we will be starting the unit on ancient civilizations but that seems vague to me.

Kenzie (Mr Mashburn):

Right you are! Perfect segue because today we are talking about the dangers of ethnocentrism.

Kenzie (MC):

And he devolves into a lecture, back turning to the class as he writes on the board. Sawyer almost immediately your phone vibrates in your pocket.

Brennan:

I pick it up.

Kenzie (MC):

The message is from Adam.

Kenzie (Adam):

Can you supply tonight?

Brennan:

I’ll just like it.

Kenzie (MC):

I think out of the corner of your eye you catch a movement. And you see him leaning back in his chair kind of like looking back at you a little bit.

Brennan:

(sigh) I’ll just type.

Breanna (Sawyer):

I gotchu.

Kenzie (MC):

And in response you get:

Kenzie (Adam):

The usual but also wouldn’t mind something more if you know what I mean.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’ll see what I can do.

Brennan:

And then I’ll turn around and wake Sour Diesel up.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hey!

Kenzie (Sour Diesel):

Oh uh, yep, yep. Did – did that guy at the front of the classroom like call my name or something?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Nah, nah, you’re good. Yeah.

Kenzie (Sour Diesel):

Okay

Brennan (Sawyer):

Just stay awake.

Kenzie (Sour Diesel):

Okay.

Brennan:

And then Sawyer will look around and then look down at his desk and see two joints and then swipe them off the top and then slowly and subtly move them down his body underneath the desk and tuck them into his boot.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hey, Widow.

Kenzie (MC):

She dips her head back so that you can only see the top part of her face.

Kenzie (White Widow):

Yeah?

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, okay, I th – I’ll be there. Right after school.

Kenzie (MC):

The rest of the class goes by in a dull haze and at the end Mr. Mashburn dismisses everyone except the new kid who is sitting in the desk closest to the door.

Kenzie (Mr Mashburn):

Farrow hang back for a sec.

Kenzie (MC):

You all go about your usual morning classes and then lunchtime rolls around.

Brennan:

Sawyer is adamantly avoiding both the stoner group and Ivy and Adam and Caleb. (laughs) So, he’s going to be like almost like a game of hide and go seek tag where he’ll be like peering around corners and stalking Ivy’s movements and then just making sure he moves the opposite direction. And every time he sees someone, he’ll go the other way.

April:

Ivy initially goes to the courtyard to have lunch with Natalie and Alina, but she’s like looking around to see if Sawyer is around. She kind of senses his nervous presence and she never catches him. The only thing that she eats is the burger patty off of her burger.

Kenzie (MC):

There’s a few benches out here. It’s not like a huge space but the courtyard is a grassy area with small bits of gardening done but the most of it is just grass and open space. Alina is sitting cross legged on the ground in front of you, right by your feet.

Kenzie (Alina):

So, I just want to make sure that we’re all on the same page that that was really fucking weird this morning.

April (Ivy):

It was so weird. I mean he’s obviously just doing this to get back at me specifically.

Kenzie (Alina):

Yeah, because like Natalie you don’t really… you’ve like never hung out with Adam – like you guys aren’t –

Kenzie (Natalie):

No, no, like I – I – I don’t know why he did that. I don’t – I’m not his friend.

April (Ivy):

You sure?

Kenzie (Natalie):

Yeah, I promise! I wouldn’t lie to you, I promise.

April:

I kinda like stare at her a beat longer then decide that I believe her.

April (Ivy):

(sighs) Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. He’s the one that broke up with me and yet he still seems to have it out for me. Has to rub salt in the wound I guess.

Kenzie (Alina):

Yeah, he seems kinda weird this year if I’m being perfectly honest. I mean I know he’s like a hockey guy, but he was never bro-y and now he’s al bro-y and its honestly –

April (Ivy):

Nauseating?

Kenzie (Alina):

Yeah, like if you hadn’t dated him and were thinking about dating him now. You shouldn’t.

April (Ivy):

I mean, I would never think about dating him now. Right Natalie?

Kenzie (Natalie):

I don’t want to date him.

April (Ivy):

You sure?

Kenzie (Natalie):

Yeah.

April (Ivy):

Sorry, I don’t mean to be a bitch. I just – I don’t feel great today. And then that whole performance this morning really –

Kenzie (Alina):

That’s exactly what it was, it was such a performance. It was obvious.

April (Ivy):

Like the performative masculinity of it was literally – I like threw up in my mouth. And then did you see him calling out Naia?

Kenzie (Alina):

Yeah, I mean that girl can stand up for herself - I’m a little bit afraid of her to be honest – but also rude.

April (Ivy):

She was so obviously not in the joke it just like (sighs) I mean honestly the only reason he’s even roping her into it is because she’s hot.

Kenzie (Alina):

You think she’s hot?

April (Ivy):

I mean that’s like…

Kenzie (Alina):

Oh my goodness. Ivy do we have a new crush in the mix?

April (Ivy):

Shut up.

Kenzie (Alina):

You can’t just drop that and then not explain yourself.

April (Ivy):

I mean like she wears fishnets.

Kenzie (Alina):

She does.

April (Ivy):

And like her… ugh, sorry I don’t usually get flustered over people. Um, I just think that she’s really cool, okay? She’s just like very confident in herself. I don’t know I think maybe we’d get along. Like sue me or whatever.

Kenzie (Alina):

Okay, you don’t have to be so defensive. I think it’s adorable. You haven’t had a crush in so long.

April:

Ivy glances at Natalie.

Kenzie (MC):

She’s not looking at you, she’s kinda looking at her hands. And looks a little sad.

April:

Ivy clocks that. Looks back at Alina.

April (Ivy):

Whatever, um, I mean, you know, we’re both going to be at the party tonight so maybe something good will come out of tonight.

Kenzie (Alina):

You think she’ll actually go? You think she was just joking when she said – I mean, she’s gonna go–

April (Ivy):

Yeah, she’s gonna go. Right?

Kenzie (Alina):

Yeah, okay.

April:

I look at Natalie again.

April (Ivy):

Yeah.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Yeah, I’m sure she’ll be there. Hey, hey, guys, if you don’t mind, I have to go, uh, I – I have to go check a book out of the library for math class so… I’ll see you guys later. I’ll see you after school, Ivy.

April (Ivy):

Okay.

Kenzie (MC):

Grabs her stuff up and walks out of the courtyard. Alina seems none the wiser.

April:

Ivy falls backward onto the grass, covers her face with her hands and just groans.

Kenzie (MC):

Alina pats your leg.

Kenzie (Alina):

Listen, you’ll be fine. You bounce back, you always do.

April (Ivy):

That’s true. Getting a little less elastic these days, though.

Kenzie (Alina):

You’re a little touch today, but you know, we all have our days. I guess I’d be touchy too if my ex attempted to ask out my best friend? I don’t know what that was. I’m still kind of confused about the whole morning situation.

April (Ivy):

Alina?

April:

And Ivy looks down and looks back up. Is really serious.

April (Ivy):

Do you think I got less hot over the summer?

Kenzie (Alina):

I’m sorry, where is this coming from?

April (Ivy):

I don’t know. I’ve been feeling really like pale – I mean, okay, yeah I’m always pale but like not… my usual glowy, hot self, recently and I don’t know… I really thought I was going to come back this year and be like fuck you to Adam but I feel like I don’t have that energy for that. Is any of this making sense?

Kenzie (Alina):

Yeah, but maybe that’s just because he’s not worth the energy.

April (Ivy):

That’s pretty smart of you to say.

Kenzie (Alina):

Yeah, because you look fucking hot.

April (Ivy):

I don’t know maybe I should get a pair of fishnets.

Kenzie (Alina):

I’m not sure Naia would be into you in fishnets. I think she’d probably be into you as you.

April (Ivy):

Thanks, Alina.

Kenzie (Alina):

Yeah, always.

April:

Ivy perks up and actually starts eating the bread part of her burger now but she breaks it off in little pieces and eats it this way.

Brennan:

Caleb, you would get a text.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Going to the party tonight???

Mads:

Caleb is eating lunch in the art room as has become the place that he goes to now for lunch as Sam has introduced him to the fact that this is where Sam always goes for lunch.

Kenzie (MC):

You also notice that with Damian in the room with you is the new kid Farrow who is kinda this scrawny kid who doesn’t really talk a lot. Damian seems to be taking them around, showing them the school and stuff like that.

Mads:

Sam is usually the person who does all the talking, at least for me. I just kind of stand behind Sam so I wouldn’t make a point to introduce myself to this new kid or entertain that part of it at all. I’m sitting in the corner of the art room with my legs pulled up onto this chair that’s like one of those stools. So, I’m very precariously balanced but I have my arms wrapped around my legs and my phone in front of it. My chicken sandwich that I got from the cafeteria, completely demolished within the first minute of me getting here. Left abandoned now. I’m working hard on this gotcha game when Sawyer’s notification pulls up in front of the gotcha game. I’m like

Mads (Caleb):

No, no, no, no, no, no no!

Mads:

And I lose the level that I’m on.

Mads (Caleb):

(groans loudly)

Mads:

Hold my head against my knees, actually look at the notification. My eyes bug out and I slam it down onto the table.

Kenzie (MC):

Sam stops the conversation mid-sentence. Everybody at this table, Damian, Naia, Farrow, all look at you. Sam’s like

Kenzie (Sam):

Uhhhhh, what’s going on? You okay?

Mads (Caleb):

Nothing.

Kenzie (Sam):

Okay.

Mads (Caleb):

(voice peaks) Yeah. (clears throat) Fine. Everything’s great.

Kenzie (Sam):

(mockingly clears throat back) Yeah?

Mads (Caleb):

Doesn’t it look great.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yep, mm-hmm. Looks cool. Hey, we gotta do like that thing, remember?

Mads (Caleb):

The thing?

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, the thing. The thing in the other place.

Mads (Caleb):

The thing. We didn’t have a – ah, yeah!

Kenzie (Sam):

Mm-hmm.

Mads (Caleb):

Cool, let me.

Mads:

I get up out of my chair – I try to shove away from it but the way that I’m sitting is so terrible that I almost bend backwards. Hold onto the table with one of my hands.

Kenzie (MC):

Damian says

Kenzie (Damian):

Real subtle, guys.

Mads (Caleb):

It’s not like… it’s not. Shut up, Damian.

Kenzie (MC):

Sam leads you out of the art room and down the hallway a little bit. There’s not really a good place to go. The hallways in this area are quiet except for the voices coming from classrooms. It’s not like the cafeteria or the commons where you could blend in. You’re just in a quiet hallway and Sam’s like

Kenzie (Sam):

I didn’t think this past this.

Mads (Caleb):

Past what?

Kenzie (Sam):

Like where are we actually going to go? I was just like let’s get out of here.

Mads (Caleb):

Oh my god, Sam!

Mads:

So that we can get further away from the art room to actually talk without anyone overhearing, I’m going to pull Sam off to the side and start going downstairs. So, I probably wind up near the library or something like that. That seems like a safe place.

Kenzie (Sam):

Yeah, do you want to do the library or do you want to sneak into the band room if its empty.

Mads (Caleb):

No, it always smells in there.

Kenzie (Sam):

You make a good point.

Mads (Caleb):

I’m fine, by the way. I’m like so fine.

Kenzie (Sam):

I mean you like slammed your phone really hard.

Mads (Caleb):

I’m like super fine.

Kenzie (Sam):

So I wasn’t sure what the vibe was.

Mads (Caleb):

I lost the level I was working on.

Kenzie (Sam):

Man, that’s the fucking worst.

Mads (Caleb):

Like it felt like insult to injury given the fact that like he messaged me and – let’s go to the library.

Brennan:

As a note, Sawyer is in the computer lab connected to the library currently. And it’s just Crush and Egg on the computer screen. Just doing research on when the release date is.

Mads:

Caleb hits the deck (hitting the floor sound).

Kenzie (Sam):

Caleb! We’re in the middle of the hallway. What are you doing?

Mads (Caleb):

What? I’m not. I dropped my… contact.

Kenzie (Sam):

I didn’t know you wear contacts.

Mads:

I suddenly hold my eye and I start moving my hand absently around.

Mads (Caleb):

I’ve always worn contacts.

Kenzie (Sam):

I’ll help you.

Kenzie (MC):

Hits the deck too but drops with a lot of force and they’re knees crack against the ground. And starts bear crawling across the ground.

April:

Just as another note, Ivy is in the courtyard.

Kenzie (MC):

Also full of windows! And so, everybody can see these two sophomores walk down the stairs, drop to the bottom of the ground at the bottom of the stairs and start crawling across the linoleum floor.

April:

Ivy sits up from the grass and looks over at this spectacle and is just like

April (Ivy):

What the fuck?

April:

And its actually so bizarre that she feels the need to go over to him. So, she’s like,

April (Ivy):

Hey, Alina, I’ll be right back.

April:

Ivy stands up and brushes her skirt off and power walks over to the doors back into the school and slams them open and looks straight down. Sawyer can see Ivy.

Kenzie (MC):

You step out and Sam goes

Kenzie (Sam):

Hi.

Mads (Caleb):

Who are you talking to?

Kenzie (Sam):

Um… Ivy Duncan.

April (Ivy):

Hey, guys.

Kenzie (Sam):

You’re really pretty.

Mads (Caleb):

He- hey.

Mads:

I smack Sam.

April (Ivy):

I – Sorry, I just saw, um, this and I just wanted to make sure you were good.

Kenzie (Sam):

I dropped my contact!

Mads (Caleb):

I dropped my contact.

Kenzie (Sam):

That’s right (nervous laughter). That’s right. Caleb dropped his contact.

Mads (Caleb):

I found it.

Mads:

Suddenly I hold up my hand, there’s nothing there. And I bend down and I try to feign putting my hand with nothing in it next to my hand I’m covering my eye with now.

April (Ivy):

Caleb are you putting a contact in your eye that was just on the ground?

Mads (Caleb):

It’s fine. My hands are clean.

April:

I look up and make eye contact with Sawyer.

Brennan:

Sawyer runs.

Kenzie (MC):

I think we’re going to make our first roll here.

April:

Okay

Brennan:

Oooohhhh, man.

Mads:

Okay, okay.

Kenzie (MC):

Sawyer, I need you to roll to run away.

Brennan:

(laughs) Okay.

Kenzie (MC):

So, I need you to roll 2d6.

Mads:

(clapping) First roll of the game!

Kenzie (MC):

So, on a 7-9, you get away but you cause a big scene, you run directly into something worse or the scariest person there gets a string on you.

Brennan:

I’ll run into something worse.

Kenzie (MC):

A little harried the seat kind of rolls away on its wheels from you as you stand up. You do not close out of your browser. You hightail it out of the opposite door of the computer lab, as far away from them as you can get. And as you do, you run smack dab into a body.

Kenzie (Ely):

Sweetheart, there you are, I was looking for you.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Oh no.

Kenzie (Ely):

You forgot your backpack at home this morning. And I wanted to bring it to you and I was talking to Principal Edwards and he said he thought he knew where you were and he said I could come and find you.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Mom!

Brennan:

I take the backpack and I rip it from her arms.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Hey, no, that’s okay, we’ll – move with me, move with me. Walk and talk, walk and talk.

Kenzie (Ely):

You have some more time for lunch don’t you want to – how’s your day going?

Brennan (Sawyer):

How about – Mom – how about this?

Brennan:

Sawyer is looking around in every direction.

Kenzie (MC):

You guys are coming around towards the front of the school where the main foyer is which has the open door of the cafeteria and the open door of the commons, which is full of people. You come around the corner with your mom into this space where everybody has eyes on you if they wanted to and your mom’s going

Kenzie (Ely):

Sawyer, baby, it’s okay. It’s okay. We all forget things sometimes.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, thanks. Uh, hey, Mom, I had a great idea. Um, I think that you and I should have a mother son day today and you should sign me out of school.

Kenzie (Ely):

Sawyer, it is the middle of the day.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, perfect time to still go do something fun.

Kenzie (Ely):

I don’t think that would be very smart of me to do. There’s no reason for you to miss school. Are you – are you having a bad day? Is something wrong?

Brennan (Sawyer):

No, no, I just thought wow what a good opportunity to have a good, fun time with my mom.

Kenzie (MC):

From the hallway behind you walks Natalie, looking a little sad and she walks into this space and stops suddenly and is like,

Kenzie (Natalie):

Uh, I didn’t – I didn’t mean to interrupt.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, that’s –

Kenzie (Natalie):

I’m sorry.

Brennan (Sawyer):

That’s okay. You can just – just keep walking, I guess.

Kenzie (Ely):

Sawyer, who is this? Introduce me to your friend.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I don’t know, uh –

Brennan:

And Sawyer just kinda motions like “what’s your name?”

Kenzie (Natalie):

I’m Natalie…

Brennan (Sawyer):

Natalie!

Kenzie (Natalie):

I’m Ivy’s friend. We’ve like been –

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yes, I know. You and me, best – actually, Natalie and I had something we were going to go do, right? It was on the second floor or something right? A club… a club was happening in between classes.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, we had a –

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah.

Kenzie (Natalie):

We had a thing we were going to do. Is this your – is this your mom? Hi.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Hi.

Brennan (Sawyer):

She was just leaving.

Brennan:

And Sawyer will just rush over to Natalie and grab her – not like hand – but on the wrist gently.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, come on, let’s go to our meeting. Mom, thank you so much.

Kenzie (Ely):

Bye, honey! It was so nice to meet your friend. I love you! Have a good rest of your day!

Brennan (Sawyer):

I love you too!

Brennan:

And will like push Natalie a little bit.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Come on, come on, come on.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Okay, where are we going?

Brennan (Sawyer):

I don’t know, just help me out please for a second.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Yeah, yeah but like… we can’t… this is the teacher’s…

Brennan (Sawyer):

Just around the corner.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Okay, okay.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Yeah, yeah, yep.

Kenzie (MC):

As you go around the corner, you come to the opposite side of the courtyard from which you ran from. And you can see Ivy across the hall staring down at Caleb.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I’m gonna slink down and just let me know if Ivy walks this way.

Brennan:

And then Sawyer will just slink down against a wall.

April:

So, when Sawyer ran away, after Ivy beckoned him over, she’s just like

April (Ivy):

What the fu – okay, sure. I’ll just deal with this on my own then.

April:

And looks back down.

April (Ivy):

Look, dude, as long as you’re okay, I just – are you okay? Like with all this. We haven’t really checked in with each other in a while.

Mads:

Caleb goes from being nervous, scared, embarrassed to suddenly, there’s this twitch in his eyebrow and his brow froze. He sets his jaw.

Mads (Caleb):

Why do you care?

April (Ivy):

I don’t. I don’t know, dude, we like we kinda grew up together. Figured I’d check in on you. You were doing weird shit. I was just curious. Don’t get all emotional on me.

Mads (Caleb):

I’m-I’m not. I’m -

Mads:

He stands up. It’s weird because the last time – you’ve been in homeroom with him now for over a week, but he’s always crunched in on himself, he has terrible posture, probably comes from being sucked into his phone so much or trying to make himself small. But he straightens up and you realize he is definitely taller than you now and there’s a set in his shoulders that looks a lot like Adam.

April:

Ivy notices hard that he looks a lot like Adam and it throws her.

April (Ivy):

Yeah, whatever, you – yeah, um, are you going to be at the party tonight.

Mads (Caleb):

Yeah.

April (Ivy):

Cool, um, me too, I guess. Natalie bullied me into it and Sawyer, wherever he is… Anyway, I’ll see you there I guess.

Kenzie (MC):

Sam goes

Kenzie (Sam):

I’m gonna be there too! Sorry.

April (Ivy):

Cooool. Yeah, okay this is weird so I’m gonna go.

April:

She turns a little bit and turns back

April (Ivy):

Caleb can you tell Adam something for me?

Mads:

He folds his arms over his chest and a look that, again, is very eerily similar to someone else.

Mads (Caleb):

It depends. What is it?

April (Ivy):

Tell him to stay away from my best friends. I’m not joking.

Mads (Caleb):

Come on, Sam.

Mads:

I start walking away. I’m going to tell Sam enough that its in ear shot of Ivy though

Mads (Caleb):

She thinks everything’s about her. Come on. Let’s get out of here.

April:

Ivy looks over at where she knows Sawyer is across the courtyard because she can hear him from there and just sees Natalie looking down at the ground, the same way Sawyer just saw Ivy looking down at the ground.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Sawyer, she’s looking.

Brennan (Sawyer):

Is she mad at me?

Kenzie (MC):

Natalie makes eye contact with you.

April:

Ivy looks down. Walks away in the opposite direction as Caleb.

Kenzie (Natalie):

I don’t know if she’s mad at you but… she’s definitely upset at something.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I jumped the gun a little bit this morning and I just got excited about something, and I think I pissed her off and I don’t – she’s kinda scary when she’s pissed off.

Kenzie (Natalie):

Yeah, you can say that again.

Brennan (Sawyer):

I usually try to give a little distance for a couple hours at least. Let her cool down.

Kenzie (Natalie):

That would be smart. Maybe that’s advice I should take. Usually I try to immediately fix the problem and that rarely ever works.

Brennan (Sawyer):

She is… a conundrum. I’ll talk with her tonight at the party because she’ll probably be, um, pretty fucked up. Or maybe she’ll just get fucked up or maybe she’ll just be super nervous, I don’t know, she’s gonna – it’s gonna not be super fun. Anyways, uh, thanks for helping me out with my mom.

Kenzie (MC):

Natalie’s kinda of looking at you with this odd studying of all this that is happening.

Kenzie (Natalie):

You’re interesting, Sawyer Hook.

Kenzie (MC):

And she turns and walks away. And as she does that, you all can hear, your phones, phones around you, everybody’s phones start to go off – vibrate, ding, ring- with a notification. A massive message was sent out to everybody in the school.

Kenzie (Adam):

Another Year, Another Cheer Party update! Quarry time my friends. You all know where its at. See ya at nine!