ALLISON EILEEN ETHAN FRANKIE GEORGE JENNY JORDAN MADISON NANCY OWEN SHANE SHANE I can’t believe it’s our last prom ever. You think we’ll be voted King and Queen again this year? SHANE Allison? ALLISON Huh? Oh yeah, obviously, Shane. SHANE What are you texting about? You’ve been on your phone all night. ALLISON You know that Jenny Taft girl? Poison Ivy? SHANE The one with the glasses? What about her? ALLISON She thought you asked her to prom! SHANE Why would she think that? ALLISON Jessica and I emailed her from your account and asked her.dono She’s probably all dressed up in some hideous dress, crying to one of her plants. SHANE You emailed her from my account? ALLISON What? You don’t think it’s funny? SHANE I guess. ALLISON Come on. Let’s cheers to our last prom ever. * JORDAN Is she still out there? EILEEN Yes. I tried to talk to her, but Jordan, who would do something like That? Make her think she was going to prom but it was just a prank. How can kids be so cruel? What kind of parents do they... JORDAN Eileen, I think that’s enough cookies for ever. EILEEN You handle things your way, I’ll handle them mine. JORDAN She’ll be okay. She’s stronger than she knows she is. Takes after her mother. JORDAN Wish me luck. JORDAN Jenny, it’s getting late. Are you coming inside soon? JENNY No. I’m never leaving the greenhouse again. Ever. JORDAN You know, sweetheart, locking yourself away and avoiding everyone is not going to solve anything. JENNY Sure it will. See because plants aren’t mean to each other. They don't invite other plants to prom just so they can stand them up and then go off with pretty flowers and all their cool flower friends and laugh... plants don’t make fun of each other. JORDAN I don’t know. I think that yellow one over there was looking at the purple one kinda funny. JORDAN Jenny, what those kids did was unforgiveable but you’re going to have to find a way to face it because there are always going to be mean people. Unlike your Heart Orchid, people don’t go extinct... Yet. JENNY Dendrophylax spectabilis is not extinct! JENNY At least they don’t think it is. It’s just very rare in the wild because it can hibernate for decades until conditions are, exactly right. There have been unconfirmed sightings in Borneo and South America. JORDAN And they call it the Heart Orchid because it only blooms when someone finds true love... JENNY Daddy, that’s just a myth! JORDAN Okay, okay, but if this flower only blooms when conditions are perfect... what happens if they never are? JORDAN You can’t hide from the world, sweetheart. There’s just too much of it out there. JENNY Then I’ll go find the Heart Orchid. I’ll get out of Pine Hill, California and as far away from Shane Rutherford and Allison Crane and high school as I can get and never come back. JORDAN I thought you were never leaving the greenhouse? JORDAN I know it hurts right now, honey. But someday you’ll come back to Pine Hill and say, “I am Jenny Taft and the worst mistake you ever made in your life was underestimating me!” Because sweetheart... you’re going to conquer the world. Jenny doesn’t seem to believe him but she lets him hug her anyway. And on this, we... JENNY We were in Belize because we heard the locals telling tales of red flowers blooming in the jungle and I immediately thought dendrophylax spectabilis. Of course someone on the bus said maybe it’s rhododendron calendulaceum, and I’m like... OWEN We’re like, that flower is yellow! OWEN I think maybe we should skip ahead to Bolivia. JENNY Owen, that’s the end! What about Guatemala and Malaysia? We can’t skip Malaysia. OWEN Jenny, people are falling asleep. They both look out at the audience and sure enough several are asleep. JENNY Maybe they’re not asleep. Maybe they’re dead. OWEN Jenny, just trust me, okay? JENNY Okay. JENNY So a few weeks ago our team hiked into a remote valley in Bolivia and made a startling discovery. After over four years of expeditions, countless hours of research, and a bout with malaria that you’d know about if I hadn’t skipped Malaysia. JENNY Ladies and gentlemen, I present... OWEN Dendrophylax spectabilis, the Heart Orchid! OWEN I know, it looks like a box of dirt. But it’s more than that. JENNY The box is a climate controlled environment with the exact temperature, humidity, and soil makeup to provide the perfect conditions for the dendrophylax spectabilis seed inside to bloom. Which could happen tomorrow or next year or decades from now. OWEN Or, maybe it will bloom when someone finds true love. JENNY Well, that’s just a silly myth! OWEN Who knows? We fell in love while we were hunting for the Heart Orchid so maybe we’ll inspire it! OWEN Thank you, everyone! JENNY I still don’t understand why you had to bring up the whole “true love” thing. OWEN It’s part of the mythology of the Heart Orchid. You have to at least acknowledge it. JENNY But this is a graduate studies presentation. It’s about science, not wive’s tales. OWEN Just trust me, okay? It makes it more interesting. JENNY Owen, I cleared this table. OWEN I definitely think cutting where we did helped the flow. JENNY But, Malaysia. OWEN I know, you got malaria. But none of the rest of us did, so... OWEN Jenny, you left your computer on again. That’s a waste of energy. JENNY I’m expecting a call from Nancy... OWEN I think we should kiss at the end. JENNY Kiss? OWEN Yes, it’s perfect! The botany grad students who fell in love while looking for the Heart Orchid? That’s gold. JENNY Owen, I don’t think... OWEN I have to go, but how about dinner and a movie tomorrow night? Pizza and that new superhero movie? JENNY What about Thai food and the documentary about migrant workers? OWEN You know what Thai food does to me. How about Italian and superheroes? OWEN All right. It’s okay. We’ll figure it out. I’ll call you tomorrow. JENNY Hi, Nancy. NANCY Hey! How did it go? I bet it was great! Malaria in Malaysia! JENNY Yeah, no. It was great. NANCY I wish I could have been there. You’ve been telling me about that Heart Orchid since we were 12 years old. I think I know more about it than I do about hair. Speaking of which, what’s going on with yours? Did you try the volumizer I sent? JENNY Yes, but Owen said it smelled like chemical waste. NANCY I had to go industrial strength, sweetie. I’ll tell you right now, if you ever meet a guy that likes your hair the way it is, marry him. JENNY I’ll be sure to add that to the list of qualities my future husband should have. NANCY Well, hopefully you won’t have to. Someday I will conquer your hair. It’s my Mount Everest. NANCY What? Oh is she ready? Okay... Jenny, I have a surprise for you. You ready? Ta-da!!! JENNY Mom? EILEEN Hi, sweetheart! JENNY Mom, your hair! EILEEN I know! I thought it was time for something a little different. Do you like it? JENNY Yes, it looks great. It’s just... I didn’t know you had ears! EILEEN Stop! But you really do like it? JENNY I really do. Change is good. EILEEN Oh, I’m so relieved to hear you say that. Because as long as we’re on the subject of change, I was wondering when you could come home for a visit. JENNY Uh, I don’t know. Maybe over the summer? Why? EILEEN Well, it actually needs to be sooner than that. See... I’m selling the house and I need you to come clean out all your stuff. JENNY I have to go, Owen. OWEN But what about our presentation? JENNY We’ve got weeks to prepare. I’ll be back in plenty of time. OWEN Can’t your mom wait? JENNY She’s already put down a deposit on a condo. I think after my dad died the house just got to be too much for her, you know? OWEN What about the Heart Orchid? JENNY You can take care of it. OWEN No! No, no! I can’t. What if something goes wrong? JENNY Owen, I can’t very well take it all the way to California with me. SHANE We don’t want to copy anything from the old yearbooks but you can use them as inspiration. They solved the same kinds of layout problems we’re dealing with for this year’s book. Take them home, study them. Report back tomorrow with your brilliant ideas. Questions? See you tomorrow afternoon. FRANKIE I can’t believe you were, like, the big man on campus. SHANE First of all, I wasn’t, and second of all, why not? FRANKIE Come on, look at you, Mr. Rutherford. I mean, you’re old. SHANE Frankie, I’m in my twenties! FRANKIE Like I said, old. FRANKIE Class president, valedictorian, star of the basketball team? You played basketball? SHANE Yes, I did. FRANKIE But you don’t anymore? SHANE Not in a long time. FRANKIE Why not? SHANE It’s ancient history. FRANKIE Because you’re so old. SHANE Yes, exactly. FRANKIE I’m surprised you even had sports back then. Weren’t you too busy trying to invent fire? SHANE You may go away now. SHANE Don’t forget your photo assignments. Student council and school poll winners. FRANKIE Um... wait. Ethan Redding? SHANE He’s president of your class. FRANKIE Yeah, but I thought by student council you meant the whole council at once. SHANE The editors decided they wanted each person individually. FRANKIE Okay, but Madison Arthur? She’s not even on the student council! SHANE She won Most Likely to Succeed in the poll. Is there a problem? FRANKIE No. No, it’s fine. SHANE Because I can get somebody else if you’re not comfortable with it. FRANKIE No! Photos are mine. SHANE Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks again, Frankie. ALLISON Hi. Are you ready? SHANE Almost. I have to turn in this liability waiver at the office. ALLISON For what? SHANE They asked me to chaperone the prom in a couple of weeks and apparently it’s a very dangerous assignment. ALLISON Chaperone the prom? SHANE Yeah. Do you want to go? Relive old times? ALLISON No. We were king and queen of our prom. How do you top that? SHANE Okay. Just don’t blame me if Mrs. Hargrove tries to steal me away. ALLISON The 90-year-old librarian? SHANE I hear she’s got mad moves on the dance floor. ALLISON I’ll take my chances. We really need to go. Mr. Ellerby is a stickler for punctuality. SHANE He’ll pass you over for the job if we’re five minutes late to his dinner party? ALLISON I heard people who don’t show up to meetings on time have to stand with their faces pressed against the glass of the conference room. SHANE Allison, why do you want to work for a guy like that? ALLISON Because, this is one of the biggest real estate agencies in San Diego. It’s an amazing opportunity. SHANE I know. I just want to make sure you’re sure. This is a big thing we’re considering here. ALLISON Are you having second thoughts? SHANE About giving up my job and moving away from my family and friends to a city where I don’t know anyone? No, of course not. ALLISON You’ll know me. SHANE Right. What’s your name again? ALLISON Shane, I really think this is what we need. A fresh start, you know? Get us back on track. But if you don’t want to move to San Diego we don’t have to. SHANE I’m not saying I don’t want to. ALLISON Then what are you saying? It seems as if he wants to say something but can’t or won’t. SHANE I’m trying to say... that we can talk about this later because Mr. Stickler for Punctuality is waiting. ALLISON You’re sure? SHANE I’m sure. SHANE Two seconds... JENNY Welcome home. JENNY Hello? EILEEN Oh, sweetheart! You’re home! JENNY Hi, Mom. EILEEN It’s so good to see you! Those silly video calls are fine but I can’t hug you through the computer. JENNY The place looks exactly the same. EILEEN Well, you know me. Creature of habit. Can I get you something? A glass of lemonade or iced tea? JENNY Or whatever you baked? EILEEN Oh, honey, I didn’t bake anything. I’m sorry. JENNY You always bake something. You bake things when you come to visit me. You had to check a bag once just for the cookies. EILEEN I’ve just been so busy. What with the condo and trying to get the house ready. The realtor is coming Monday so there’s been so much to do. Plus with my spin class... JENNY Your spin class? You’re taking a spin class? EILEEN No, sweetheart! I’m teaching one. JENNY Since when? EILEEN Oh, awhile now. It’s silly, huh? JENNY No! Not at all. It’s just unexpected, I guess. Why didn’t you tell me? EILEEN It’s those computer chats. It’s not the same as a real conversation. Besides, you’re too busy to listen to all the silly stuff I do. Traveling around the world and making all these big discoveries. I’m so proud of you. Oh! Is that the flower? JENNY Yep, that’s it. The Heart Orchid. EILEEN Well, we need to find someplace to put it. Someplace safe. JENNY I think I know a good place... FRANKIE Oh, sorry! I’m sorry. ETHAN No worries. Are you okay? FRANKIE Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry. ETHAN (a winning smile) Don’t worry about it. He keeps walking and Frankie screws up her courage. FRANKIE Ethan! He stops and turns around. ETHAN Yeah? FRANKIE I need to take you. ETHAN What? FRANKIE Take your picture. For the yearbook. ETHAN Oh, right. Okay... ETHAN How do I look? FRANKIE Perfect. ETHAN What? FRANKIE Fine, you look fine. But I can’t do it here. ETHAN Why not? FRANKIE I don’t have the right lens. And the lighting isn’t right. See, with the right shutter speed I could get the color saturation balanced but I only have the... ETHAN I trust you. So, when and where? FRANKIE Oh, uh... I don’t know... maybe... ETHAN Tell you what, I’m working at the market tonight. Maybe afterwards? We could go to the statue in the town square. Unless you think it would be too dark. FRANKIE No, that would be good. There’s good lighting there. ETHAN Okay. Like nine o’clock? Thanks, Frankie. FRANKIE You know my name? ETHAN Of course I know your name. Why wouldn’t I? FRANKIE Because you’re you and I’m me. ETHAN You’re funny. I’ll see you tonight. MADISON Hey! Watch where you’re going! FRANKIE Sorry, Madison. I’m sorry. MADISON Yes, you are. MADISON Ethan! Wait up. JENNY We spent all night talking about all her friends and her new condo. Oh, did I tell you? She’s teaching a spin class. NANCY I know. I took it. JENNY You did? NANCY Well, I took half of it. She’s really good, but she’s really tough. When she says “feel the burn” she means it. JENNY Moving into a new place, spin class, new friends... my mother has more of a life than I do. NANCY Oh, stop it. You’ve been around the world! That’s a pretty cool life if you ask me. JENNY I guess so. NANCY Listen, I think it took awhile after your dad died, but your mom is ready to start a new chapter in her life. Maybe it’s time for a new chapter for you, too. JENNY What do you mean? NANCY You spent years looking for that flower and now you’ve found it. Now what? Plus, you’re going to be finished with grad school soon and you’ll be starting a new career. Maybe moving someplace. A new home. Maybe get a boyfriend... JENNY I have a boyfriend. NANCY A different boyfriend. JENNY How can you not like Owen? You met him once when you came out for that beautician convention last year. NANCY At dinner he called you an “intellectual.” JENNY That’s a good thing! NANCY Not the way he said. It’s like how people call me curvy but they really just mean fat. You’re smarter than him, he knows it, and he’s threatened by it. JENNY How can you figure all that out after one dinner? NANCY I’m good at reading people. For instance... NANCY I knew Brenda here was a little nutty even before she showed me pictures of her cats dressed up like vampires. NANCY My point is, you can do better. JENNY Owen is very sweet, we share the same interests. NANCY Such as? JENNY Botany, for one. NANCY Okay, and...? JENNY We both like going to the movies. And eating! NANCY Okay. All I’m saying is maybe you should start thinking about some changes in your life like your mom is making in hers. NANCY Starting with that hair. NANCY I will tame you, you beast. You are my white whale. JENNY Tell you what. You stay on your side of the street and I’ll stay on mine and that way nobody gets hurt. Deal? JENNY Deal. JENNY Who are you? Hydrangea petiolaris? FRANKIE Uh, do you need some help? JENNY No, I’m fine. I’m good. I’ve got it completely under con... FRANKIE Are you sure you’re not slipping into a coma? JENNY I’m pretty sure. FRANKIE Because they say that people with head injuries can slip into comas. JENNY It’s just a little bump. FRANKIE I bet lots of people say that right before they slip into comas. JENNY I’m not going to slip into a coma! Ow. FRANKIE Why were you in that tree? JENNY I was looking at a flower. FRANKIE Why? JENNY Because I’m a botanist. FRANKIE Botanists climb trees? JENNY We go where the botany is. FRANKIE I get it. I’m a photographer. JENNY Hence the camera. FRANKIE And I’ll go anywhere for a good picture. Up a tree, in a sewer... JENNY You’ve gone in sewers? FRANKIE Well, no, but I would if that’s where the picture was. I’m Frankie, by the way. JENNY Jenny. Thank you for the ice pack. FRANKIE No problem. I always have one handy. I have a tendency to bump into things. JENNY Been there. FRANKIE Oh, there’s Mr. Rutherford. JENNY Mister... Mister Who? SHANE Frankie? I got your message, what’s going on? FRANKIE She fell out of a tree. SHANE What? Are you okay? JENNY I... I... FRANKIE Uh-oh. She’s lost the ability to speak. I think that means she’s slipping into a coma. JENNY I’m not. No coma. SHANE I brought a first aid kit. SHANE Have a seat. Let me take a look. SHANE That’s quite a bump there. SHANE How many fingers am I holding up? JENNY Fourteen? SHANE Okay, you’re probably going to need to go to the hospital. JENNY Really, I’m fine. Two fingers. See? SHANE So, do you mind me asking what you were doing up in that tree? JENNY I was trying to get a closer look at the flowers. FRANKIE She’s a botanist. SHANE Really? Wow. I’m just an English teacher. FRANKIE And the yearbook advisor. And you direct the school plays. SHANE I’m a triple-threat. But I like it. I enjoy working with kids. Well, some of the kids. FRANKIE He loves me. We have a love that dare not speaketh its name. SHANE And this is a good place, you know? So what if I never left Pine Hill? I’ve heard the world is overrated. How’s your head? JENNY It’s fine. SHANE Well, if you get dizzy or feel nauseous at any point in the next 24 hours, go to the hospital. FRANKIE Because... JENNY Coma. Got it. SHANE Oh, I’m sorry. I never introduced myself. I’m Shane Rutherford. JENNY Yeah, I know. SHANE You do? JENNY We went to high school together. SHANE We did? I’m really sorry, but I am terrible with names... you’re... JENNY Jenny. Jenny Taft. SHANE Oh! Jenny! Of course. Jenny Taft. It’s good to see you. JENNY You don’t remember me, do you? SHANE I’m sorry. Did we know each other? JENNY No. Not really. I better go. JENNY I’m sorry. SHANE Don’t worry about it. JENNY Hi. FRANKIE Hi. JENNY Are you following me? FRANKIE Me? No. JENNY Because it kind of seems like you’re following me. FRANKIE I’m very worried about the whole coma thing. JENNY Okay. Tell you what. My house is about five blocks from here. How about you walk me home and make sure nothing tragic happens? FRANKIE Okay. FRANKIE So you knew Mr. Rutherford, huh? JENNY You could say that. FRANKIE Did you date or something? JENNY No! No, not even close. FRANKIE What was he like? JENNY He was... he was like a god. Like this perfect all-American boy. The most popular kid in school. FRANKIE And let me guess... he didn’t know you were alive. JENNY Pretty much. FRANKIE Yeah, I’ve got one of those. Ethan Redding. Although I found out today that he actually knows my name. JENNY Well, that’s something. FRANKIE Yeah, but he hangs out with all the popular kids, of course. And he dates this total witch Madison. JENNY I had one of those. Her name was Allison Crane. FRANKIE That’s Mr. Rutherford’s girlfriend. JENNY He’s still dating Allison Crane? FRANKIE Yeah. So she was your Madison? JENNY Something like that. So what’s he like now? FRANKIE Mr. Rutherford? He’s really cool. JENNY Really? FRANKIE Oh yeah. He’s my favorite teacher. He’s funny and he’s really nice. He doesn’t treat us like dumb kids, you know? I totally had a crush on him last year but I got over it. JENNY How? FRANKIE Did I mention Ethan Redding? JENNY Right. FRANKIE I don’t know what he was like in high school but if he was like the popular guy jerk then he’s totally changed. FRANKIE How’s that whole coma thing going? JENNY So far so good. FRANKIE You let me know. JENNY Will do. SHANE I’m sorry I’m late. There was an emergency at school. ALLISON Is everything okay? SHANE Some woman fell out of a tree and my student Frankie found her. ALLISON What was she doing in a tree? SHANE I don’t know. But get this: we went to high school with her. Some girl named Jenny Taft? ALLISON What?! Are you kidding? SHANE You remember her? ALLISON Of course! Don’t you? SHANE No. ALLISON Jenny Taft! She was that girl with the braces and the glasses and the hair. You must remember the hair. SHANE That sounds like her, yes. ALLISON Someone posted our class photos recently, I just have to find... Jenny Taft. She was obsessed with plants, remember? Oh, here! ALLISON I mean if nothing else you must remember prom. SHANE Oh, no... That’s the girl thatwe... Now I remember. ALLISON I still can’t believe she actually thought you were going to take her to prom! Can you believe some of the things we did in high school? SHANE Why are you laughing? What we did was horrible! ALLISON Oh, I know. We were terrible! SHANE No, Allison, I mean it. Like, really, actually horrible. ALLISON Oh, Shane, come on. We were just kids. We didn’t know any better. SHANE Well, we do now. We owe her an apology. You for sending her those emails from my account inviting her to the prom and me for not stopping it when I found out. ALLISON Shane! I am not going to apologize for some harmless prank that we pulled eight years ago! I’m sure she’s gotten over it by now. SHANE Allison, I see how kids are bullied every single day. ALLISON We didn’t “bully” her. SHANE We used to call her names. We called her... ALLISON Poison ivy! SHANE Allison, stop laughing. ALLISON I’m sorry, I’m sorry. You’re right. We’re terrible people. Now, can we order? I’m starved. ALLISON Wait, where are you going? Shane? JENNY Mom? EILEEN Oh hi, sweetheart. You hungry? You want me to fix you a bite? JENNY No. What are you doing? EILEEN Karate. One of the women at the fitness club where I teach spin class got mugged in the parking lot and I thought I should know how to defend myself. Want me to flip you over my shoulder? JENNY I’m good for now. Maybe later. SHANE Hi. JENNY Hello. What are you...? SHANE I should’ve called first. JENNY How did you...? SHANE I remembered who you were. JENNY Oh! Oh... SHANE Yeah. Can we talk? Do you mind? JENNY I don’t think that’s a good idea... She starts to shut the door but he stops her. SHANE Please. Just five minutes... JENNY Okay. JENNY You know, on second thought, why don’t we go get coffee or something? SHANE Sure. Okay. SHANE It’s a nice night. JENNY Yes, it is. SHANE So, you’re a botanist? JENNY Yes. SHANE That’s good. I mean, you know. You were really into plants. JENNY Still am, I guess. SHANE Right. So you, like, grow things? JENNY No, I look for things. A thing, specifically. The Heart Orchid. SHANE Heart Orchid? What’s that? JENNY It’s a rare flower. We found one in Bolivia. SHANE You went to Bolivia to find a flower? JENNY It’s an important flower. And after Guatemala and Borneo and Malaysia, especially Malaysia, Brazil really wasn’t that... SHANE No, I meant, it’s amazing. I think the furthest I’ve ever gotten from Pine Hill is Vegas for a buddy’s bachelor party. JENNY So, how did you wind up here? I mean, weren’t you going to go play basketball at some big school? SHANE Yeah, but the summer after graduation I was shooting hoops in my driveway, just messing around, and I went in for a lay-up and when I landed... I snapped my Achilles tendon. Goodbye scholarship. So I stayed here, went to a local college, got my teaching certificate, and here I am. JENNY But you said you like it? Teaching? SHANE Oh yeah, absolutely. It’s... It’s actually great. I guess life has a way of pointing you in the direction you were supposed to go all along. SHANE I’m sorry. JENNY For what? SHANE For what we did to you. The prom. There was this kid in my class... a senior my first year on the job. He was a piece of work. Captain of the football team, president of the class, total jerk. A bully. And one day I saw him teasing this girl with braces and glasses... and I confronted him. “Don’t ever treat people like that. You’re no better than they are!” And as the words were coming out of my mouth I realized that I had been just like him. I was vain and entitled and mean... to you. I was mean to you and I have wanted to apologize for that ever since. SHANE What we did to you was... I’m really sorry. JENNY Thank you. SHANE Do you want to go back or...? JENNY It’s a nice night. We can... SHANE Okay. SHANE FRANKIE Stupid. ETHAN Frankie! Hey, Frankie. FRANKIE Oh, hey. Hi. How’s it going? Yeah, good. Okay. ETHAN Sorry I’m late. You know how old man Shepard is about his market. FRANKIE Yeah. Of course. He’s such a... ETHAN So are you sure this is good for the photo? Kinda dark. FRANKIE No, it’s good. I brought the right equipment. It’ll pick up the light and it’ll be good. So, okay. ETHAN You’re the expert. Where do you want me? FRANKIE Uh, over there. With the statue in the background, I think. ETHAN What do you want me to do? Should I pose or something? FRANKIE No... just, you know, look casual. FRANKIE Not that casual! ETHAN Okay, how about this? FRANKIE Oh that’s perfect. That’s the one. ETHAN This is good? FRANKIE Oh yeah. Work it. Own it. SHANE I wish there was some way I could make it up to you. JENNY You don’t have to. I got over it. I hadn’t thought about it, really, until I saw you today... SHANE Still. It’s one of those moments that calls for a do-over. Hey... we could have one! How long are you in town? JENNY A week or so, probably. SHANE Perfect. A week from Saturday is the Pine Hill High School prom. And I’m chaperoning. You want to go with me? JENNY What? No. SHANE Why not? SHANE Well, yes, of course, but I promise this time will be different. JENNY Aren’t you dating Allison? Like, still dating Allison? SHANE Yes, but she hates these school things. She said she doesn’t want to go. Besides, this wouldn’t be a date. JENNY No, of course not. I didn’t mean... Never mind. I don’t think it’s a good idea. SHANE Well, just think about it, okay? I owe you a dance. SHANE What? JENNY I just can’t believe I’m talking to Shane Rutherford. And that he’s being nice to me. I mean... SHANE No, you’re right. But that was the high school version of Shane Rutherford. And that was a long time ago. JENNY Doesn’t seem like it sometimes. MADISON What? MADISON What is going on? ETHAN Hey! We’re just goofing around. MADISON We? You and... that? ETHAN Madison, it’s just a picture for the yearbook. She has to get yours, too. Right, Frankie? FRANKIE Right. MADISON Interesting. Because you didn’t ask me, you just asked my boyfriend. FRANKIE I’m sorry, I... ETHAN Madison, what is wrong with you? You’re not jealous are you? MADISON Of that?! No. Not at all. MADISON But there are certain rules that must be abided by in order to maintain a civilized society. You don’t talk to my man without getting my permission. Got it? FRANKIE Got it. MADISON Good. Okay, now take my picture. FRANKIE Oh, okay. Uh, do you want to... get ready or... MADISON I’m ready. I always look good in pictures. FRANKIE Wow. MADISON Told you. Are we ready to go? I’m bored. ETHAN Thanks, Frankie. Bye! SHANE Yeah, time flies, right? This is going to sound weird, but I really want to make it up to you. I’m chaperoning prom this year. You want to go with me? It could be a do-over. JENNY Wouldn’t Allison mind? SHANE Well, it wouldn’t be a date. Besides, she hates these school things. She already said she doesn’t want to go. SHANE It was really really nice to meet you, Jenny Todd. Just think about it, okay? I owe you a dance. JENNY Hello? OWEN Has anyone found true love yet? JENNY What? No! What do you mean? OWEN The Heart Orchid. Has it bloomed? JENNY Oh. No, it hasn’t. OWEN Good. I would hate to miss it. Maybe I should’ve kept it here. Or maybe I should’ve gone with you. JENNY Owen, the chances of it happening in the next week and a half are pretty slim. OWEN I know. I guess I just miss it. JENNY You miss the flower? OWEN Of course! JENNY Hey, Owen, you know what I was just thinking of? That time in Guatemala with the guy who tried to steal our truck? With the donkey? Do you remember that? OWEN How could I forget? It was terrifying. We barely got out of there alive! JENNY Oh, come on. It’s kind of funny, now, don’t you think? OWEN Not in the slightest. Jenny, just trust me, okay? I’m happy we found the Heart Orchid but if I never see another jungle it’ll be too soon! ALLISON Hey. SHANE Hey. ALLISON I wanted to stop by and talk about last night... SHANE I’m glad. I didn’t like the way we left it. ALLISON Me either. She goes to him and they hug. ALLISON So I guess an apology is in order. SHANE You don’t have to apologize. ALLISON Me? I meant, an apology from you. SHANE What? What did I do? ALLISON You left me at the restaurant after you made it sound like I was some horrible ogre who ate innocent children on a bridge. SHANE Allison, what we did was cruel. ALLISON Okay, fine. I get it. We did a bad thing and I’m sorry. Okay? SHANE I’m not the one you should be saying I’m sorry to. Jenny Taft deserved the apology and I’m glad I gave her one. ALLISON Wait. What? You actually went and apologized to her? SHANE Yes. And you know what, she’s actually a pretty cool person. ALLISON I’m sure she is, but... SHANE She’s had this fascinating life and she’s smart and funny and... I think we would’ve been friends if we had just taken the time to get to know her. But we were too busy being popular to ever pay attention to someone who wasn’t like us. ALLISON Oh, great. So now in addition to being cruel I’m also an elitist? I’m the one percent and now you’re standing up for the 99? SHANE Look, all I did was apologize for pretending to invite her to prom and standing her up. Why is that such a big deal? ALLISON Because you’re making me out to be the bad guy here. SHANE We were the bad guys! ALLISON I suppose you told her it was all my idea. SHANE I didn’t tell her that, even though it was all your idea. You emailed her with my account! ALLISON But you found out and didn’t stop it! ETHAN Hey - know this is last min but do u have a date 4 prom? FRANKIE No. Y? ETHAN Wanna go with me? FRANKIE Seriously? ETHAN Sorry. Dumb, I guess. Never mind. FRANKIE No no no! Of course I want 2 go 2 prom w/u! But what about Madison? ETHAN We broke up. She found out I liked u... ETHAN But u cant tell anyone, k? If Mad finds out I dunno what she might do. Keep it just between us. FRANKIE Understand. Ok. ETHAN I’ll see you then. Can’t wait. FRANKIE Me too! MADISON Thanks for letting me borrow your phone. ETHAN No problem. NANCY As boxes of dirt go, it’s nice. JENNY It’s more than a box of dirt! NANCY Okay, okay, it’s a plant miracle. Now, tell me more about Shane Rutherford! JENNY I already told you everything. NANCY Tell me again! JENNY He was... nice. NANCY See, that’s where you lose me. Shane Rutherford nice? He really apologized? JENNY Yes. He felt badly about it. NANCY And he really invited you to prom? JENNY Well, he invited me to go chaperone the prom with him. It’s not exactly the same thing. NANCY That’s what I’m worried about - that it’s not the same thing as the last time. JENNY Oh, I don’t think so. I really do think he’s changed. NANCY He’s still dating Allison Crane, you know. JENNY I know, but I guess she doesn’t want to go. NANCY That’s not surprising. JENNY What do you mean? NANCY People get very gossipy when they sit in my chair. Mrs. Hargrove, the school librarian? She says they’re having problems. JENNY Really? That’s terrible. Well, anyway, Allison wouldn’t be there. NANCY You’re not actually thinking of going, are you? JENNY No! Of course not. NANCY Good. Although I am already envisioning how I would do your hair. I’d need the heavy duty brushes. JENNY Well, forget it, because I’m not going. He’s just being nice to apologize. NANCY And that’s the best case scenario. Worst case is you’re sitting on your porch in another ugly green dress. JENNY Hey! My dress wasn’t ugly! NANCY Honey... you know they had cameras back then, right? EILEEN Good morning, girls! NANCY Hi, Eileen. The hair looks great! EILEEN I know! I really love it. So easy to maintain. Are you hungry? NANCY What are you making? JENNY Scrambled eggs and bacon. It’s what she always makes for breakfast when there’s company. EILEEN Actually, I’m making an egg white and goat cheese frittata! JENNY Who are you and what have you done with my mother? EILEEN Okay, we have a lot to do. Boxes to pack, cleaning, get the house in order for the realtor on Monday. Oh, and then the yard sale next weekend. NANCY Wow, would you look at the time. I should really get to the salon. EILEEN Are you sure you don’t want to help out? I did make you a frittata. JENNY Using food to guilt people into doing things they don’t want to do? You are my mother after all! SHANE Frankie. FRANKIE Mr. Rutherford. SHANE What’s going on? FRANKIE I have a problem. SHANE Okay. How can I help? FRANKIE You can’t. SHANE Glad we had this little talk. FRANKIE Me too. She gets up and heads toward the door. SHANE Frankie. She stops. He points at the chair and she sits. SHANE Speak. FRANKIE I can’t. SHANE Why not? FRANKIE Because I promised I wouldn’t say anything and even if I could you’d never get it. SHANE Why not? FRANKIE Because you’ve never been a teenage girl. SHANE Well, that’s true. But I’m sure we can find you someone who used to be a teenage girl. FRANKIE Like who? And don’t say the Mrs. Hargrove the librarian. Teenage girl in this century, please. NANCY I can’t believe I’m spending my day off cleaning out closets that aren’t even mine. I should’ve faked a back injury. JENNY You didn’t have to come. NANCY Yes, I did. It was this or her spin class and my thighs just can’t take it. JENNY Hi, Owen... JENNY I’m going to have to call you back. SHANE I really appreciate this. The two of you seemed to hit it off the other day and... JENNY It’s no problem. SHANE I’m guessing it probably has something to do with a boy. JENNY Most teenage girl drama does. Wish me luck. NANCY Hello, Shane. FRANKIE Cool. It’s like its got its own biodome. JENNY Yes! Exactly. Everyone else is calling it a box of dirt. FRANKIE It’s much more than a box of dirt. JENNY Right? JENNY So... do you want to talk about whatever you couldn’t talk to Mr. Rutherford about? FRANKIE What’s going on with you two? JENNY What? Nothing. He’s just... FRANKIE A couple of days ago he didn’t even remember you and now he’s entrusting you with his favorite student? JENNY I think he thought you and I might have some things in common. FRANKIE Do you like him? JENNY Sure. But I mean, you know, not like him, like him. It’s complicated. Why don’t we talk about your problem. FRANKIE Which, linguistically speaking, would mean that he is your problem. JENNY I can see why he likes you. FRANKIE I will talk to you about the... issue... but I have to be purposefully vague. JENNY Okay. FRANKIE Somebody asked someone to do something and someone wants to know if they should do it. JENNY That’s pretty vague. May I ask clarifying questions? FRANKIE Yes, but I may not be able to answer. JENNY Fair enough. Is the something that somebody asked someone to do dangerous, illicit, or illegal? FRANKIE No. JENNY Is the somebody a person that the someone can trust? FRANKIE The someone doesn’t know for sure. JENNY The someone should know for sure before she... Or he... does the something. FRANKIE Yeah. I guess so. Did you go prom? JENNY No. I didn’t. FRANKIE Why not? JENNY It’s a long story. Is that what this is about? Did somebody ask you... I mean someone to the prom? JENNY Look, I know that it’s probably kind of scary but sometimes you have to put yourself out there. JENNY You know my dad once said to me, right here in this very room... you can’t hide from the world. There’s just too much of it out there. SHANE So, Nancy... SHANE Oh, thank goodness. SHANE Everything okay? FRANKIE I think so. Someone feels much better about somebody and something. SHANE Glad to hear it? FRANKIE I better go. Thanks Mr. Rutherford. Thanks Jenny. JENNY You’re welcome. You have my number. If you need anything... FRANKIE Got it. SHANE See you tomorrow, Frankie. JENNY What a great kid. SHANE Yeah. She’s one of a kind. Thank you for doing this. JENNY My pleasure. NANCY Jenny, don’t we have to get back to work? JENNY Oh, yeah. You’re right. We’re having a big yard sale next weekend. SHANE Do you need any help? JENNY Really? SHANE It’s the least I can do after you helped with Frankie. Besides, all I’m supposed to be doing is grading papers and if I read one more essay comparing Faulkner to the Hunger Games books I will quit my job. JENNY Well, we wouldn’t want that. JENNY It’s the least he can do. GEORGE Excuse me... GEORGE You dropped your keys. EILEEN Oh, no! Oh, dear! I’m so sorry... EILEEN Are you okay? GEORGE Well, my pride is a little injured, but other than that, I’m fine. EILEEN I’m sorry. I thought you were... GEORGE Totally my fault. I should know better than to chase after a woman in a parking lot. Especially a woman that can beat me up. EILEEN I feel terrible. Is there anything I can do? GEORGE You could show me how you did that. Up until a few moments ago I thought I’d be able to take care of myself in a fight but now I’m not so sure. EILEEN Well, it’s easy really. It’s all about positioning your weight and... GEORGE Perhaps you could explain it to me over a cup of coffee? EILEEN Oh, well... yes, I think I could do that. GEORGE Lovely. I’m George. EILEEN Eileen. GEORGE Ow! EILEEN I’m sorry! I didn’t... NANCY I’ll start in the living room. SHANE What about this? JENNY Hmmm... my mom is suddenly fond of making frittatas. She probably needs the whisk. SHANE So, I looked up the Heart Orchid. Fascinating stuff. JENNY You looked it up? SHANE Yeah. I wanted to know what made you trek around the globe. What do you think about the whole “it only blooms when someone finds true love” thing? JENNY That’s just a silly myth. SHANE Oh, come on. It’s kind of romantic, don’t you think? JENNY I’m a scientist. We deal with facts, not fantasy. SHANE There’s nothing scientific about love. JENNY Sure there is. It’s pheromones and the chemicals in your brain. Things like body language and the tone of someone’s voice create these reactions and we interpret that as love. Studies show that it takes less than four minutes for us to decide that we like someone. SHANE Love at first sight? JENNY That’s a romance novel way of describing it, but yes, I suppose. SHANE Is there someone to whom you are chemically attracted back in Pennsylvania? JENNY I have an Owen. SHANE What’s an Owen? JENNY His name. I mean, his name is Owen. He’s... a good guy. SHANE What does he do? JENNY He’s a grad student like me. Botany also. SHANE Shared interest. That’s good. JENNY Yes. It’s hard, though, sometimes - keeping that connection going. SHANE Those brain chemicals don’t last forever, I guess. JENNY So... You and Allison... How’s that going? SHANE You remember Allison, don’t you? JENNY Oh, yeah. SHANE She can be... We’re actually considering moving to San Diego. JENNY Really? SHANE She’s up for a job there. JENNY Wow. That would be a big change. How do you feel about it? SHANE Good, I guess. I don’t know. It’s funny. In high school, I was king of the world. I wish someone had told me that it doesn't last. Maybe I would've appreciated it more. SHANE I know high school wasn’t a great time for you... and that I had a lot to do with that. I apologized, didn’t I? JENNY Yes, you did. SHANE Good. See, for you, I’m guessing it couldn't get any worse than high school, right? JENNY Pretty much. SHANE After I lost the basketball scholarship I spent a lot of time thinking, what if for me, it never gets any better? And then something kind of remarkable happened. JENNY What? SHANE It got better. When I started teaching I met kids like Frankie and all I can think of now is that tearing my Achilles was the best thing that ever happened to me. I’ve never told anyone that. NANCY I got it. SHANE Sorry. Way too much information about me, right? JENNY No, it’s... it’s good. JENNY You know, I’ve been thinking. If the offer still stands... I’d love to go to prom with you! NANCY The realtor is here! JENNY So, Allison... my mom never mentioned that you were our realtor. ALLISON Oh, I’m not. Yours had another appointment so I’m just helping out. Tiny little world, huh? JENNY Microscopic. Well, this is the end of the tour. I guess you’ll be going now? ALLISON This is going to need some Tlc before we can show it to any prospective buyers. I mean you've got dead plants and old maps and... a box of dirt? JENNY Don’t... be careful! ALLISON What’s in it? JENNY A very rare, very valuable flower. Please, just... ALLISON Right. Shane tells me you're a botanist now, which of course explains the box of dirt. JENNY It’s not a... Yeah, I’m close to being a botanist. I'm finishing up my masters' degree. ALLISON Good for you. I’m sure that will be very rewarding or something. JENNY Okay, uh, is there anything else you need to see before you go away? Far away? ALLISON Just be careful when you clean out this place. I mean, you might have mice or mold or, I don’t know, poison ivy? SHANE Allison! NANCY Oh, no... no she did not. ALLISON What? I’m just concerned about her well-being. SHANE Allison, we’re leaving. Now. ALLISON Oh. Okay. If you say so, darling. ALLISON But first I need to have a little “one-on-one” time with the homeowner. Why don’t you two wait outside. NANCY If it’s any consolation, she’s much nicer than she was in high school. ALLISON So, Jenny, I just wanted to take this opportunity to talk. JENNY Okay, can I just... ALLISON That's okay. I've got it. So, what I'd like to talk about is this: why is my boyfriend asking you out on a date? JENNY It’s not a date. ALLISON I believe your exact words were, “I'd love to go to prom with you.” JENNY No, but see, I mean, yes, but we... ALLISON Stop saying random words. JENNY It's not a date. It's just Shane trying to apologize for... ALLISON Ah. That. I suppose you're expecting me to apologize, too? JENNY Expecting? No, not really. ALLISON Good, because I’m not going to. Do you want know why? JENNY Want to? No, not really. ALLISON Because we were kids and it was a million years ago. You need to let it go. It’s as silly as a childhood fantasy of Prince Charming taking Cinderella to the ball. Because in this particular version of the story, the only reason the Prince asked is because he felt sorry for her. ALLISON Move on, Jenny. You really shouldn’t hold on to stuff like that. Who knows what kind of damage it could do. ALLISON I'm really glad we had this chat. JENNY I have accomplished a lot. NANCY Yes, you have. JENNY I’m at the top of my class. I’ll have my pick of jobs. NANCY So smart! JENNY I have traveled the world and gone to dangerous places and survived malaria! NANCY So sick! JENNY I was so sick. NANCY No, not you. I meant me. NANCY No, I’m good. JENNY So why is it that five minutes alone in a room with Allison Crane and I'm suddenly a scared little girl? NANCY They will always be the popular kids and we will always be the nerds. JENNY We’re not nerds! JENNY Okay, but the popular kids don’t always stay popular and the nerds don’t always stay nerds. NANCY You’re just saying that because you have a crush on Shane. JENNY I do not! JENNY I don’t! I mean, he’s nice. And he’s, you know, handsome. And smart. Sensitive. He’s got this sort of soft side that, oh no, I do have a crush on him. What do I do? NANCY Every time you start to think of how nice and handsome and sensitive he is, just picture Allison. It’s like aversion therapy. JENNY If I tell you something stupid will you promise not to laugh? NANCY I promise. JENNY For a minute... I mean just for a second... I thought he sort of, kind of, maybe might like me, too. JENNY You’re not laughing. NANCY I promised not to. JENNY When has that ever stopped you? You thought he sort of kind of maybe might me like me, didn’t you? NANCY I did not! JENNY What if he actually really does sort of kind of maybe like me? NANCY Okay, fine, what if? He’s got a girlfriend who apparently will not hesitate to hurt you and you have a boyfriend, who for reasons that still escape me, you actually like. JENNY Owen. NANCY Yes. Look, Jenny, I know it’s fun to think that the star of the basketball team is going to dump the hot cheerleader and ask out the plant geek, but it never works out that way. JENNY Well, one thing’s for certain... There’s no way I’m going to the prom with him. ALLISON There is no way you are going to the prom with her. SHANE Allison, you are being ridiculous. ALLISON Why? Because I don’t want my boyfriend going out on a date with someone else? SHANE It’s not a date. It’s just chaperoning a dance. It’s not like I’m going to buy her a corsage and rent a limo. ALLISON Tell me you’re doing it because you feel sorry for her. SHANE I’m not going to say that. ALLISON You like her. SHANE Okay, now you’re being insane. Why is this such a big deal? ALLISON I got the job. ALLISON And I want to be happy about it and I want you to be happy about it. But instead I’m scared that you’re going to tell me you don’t want to go to San Diego... and I’m scared that I’m going to go anyway. Should I be scared? SHANE I don’t want to go to San Diego. ALLISON I’m going to go anyway. Is this really happening? Are we really breaking up? Over prom? SHANE It’s not about the prom. Or San Diego. We were perfect together when we were kids... ALLISON But we’re not kids anymore. JENNY Bloom. Bloom! On the count of three, bloom. One... two... three... I guess California is not the place you want to make your big debut, huh? I don’t blame you. I never really wanted to come back here, myself. After Daddy died, there’s just too much... past, you know? A lot of it was good. I had parents who loved me and I had friends like Nancy... I never really knew I was unpopular until that night. That one night colored everything that happened before it. All the good washed away just like that. So I get not wanting to bloom here, but... I really could use some good here again. Just a little. JENNY Owen? OWEN Surprise! JENNY Owen, what are you doing here? OWEN I just couldn’t stay away. I missed you so much! JENNY Oh, Owen, that’s sweet... OWEN Did you miss me? Daddy’s home! JENNY You came all the way to California for the Heart Orchid? OWEN We went all over the world to find it. Going across the country is nothing. You know, I’ve been thinking about our presentation and I want to add multi-media. Video and maybe animation. JENNY Don’t you think that’s a little overboard? OWEN Jenny, just trust me, okay? It’ll be amazing. Maybe we should put in some music. Should I write a song? NANCY Owen is here? EILEEN Yes. I swear, I don’t know what Jenny sees in him. Oh, don’t tell her I said that! NANCY You should say that to her! She might listen to you. She certainly doesn’t want to hear it from me. EILEEN You don’t like him either? NANCY He’s not good enough for her. EILEEN Exactly. I just wish she had more confidence in herself. NANCY It’s amazing, isn’t it? She can go to these crazy dangerous places looking for a flower but she doesn’t know how to take a chance with people. EILEEN It’s hard to open up... try new things. NANCY Speaking of which, is there some particular reason why you are back in my chair so soon? EILEEN Well... NANCY I knew it. There’s a guy, isn’t there? I’m so good at reading people. Spill! EILEEN His name is George. We... ran into each other at the fitness center. NANCY Atta girl! You’re going out on a date with him? EILEEN Well, we’re just meeting for some coffee. NANCY You should have told me that. Now I have to totally rethink my strategy here. We have to do something special. EILEEN I haven’t told Jenny yet. NANCY Why not? EILEEN It’s my first real date since Jordan died and I know she’s not totally comfortable with all the changes. The house... NANCY She’ll be fine. In fact, I think she’ll be thrilled. It’ll give her something to think about other than Shane Rutherford. EILEEN I don’t understand that. He was so mean to her in high school. Why is she spending all this time with him now? I ask her about it and she gets all fidgety and nervous and stammers and oh dear, she has a crush on him. NANCY Bingo. EILEEN Well... he’ll probably break her heart. Again. And yet he’s still better than Owen. EILEEN ...so when the teacher didn’t show up one day, I figured, I’ve been coming to this spin class for a year. I can do that. So I did! GEORGE That’s amazing. You should be very proud of yourself. EILEEN I am. Oh, listen to me. I’ve been going on and on about myself. Tell me more about you. GEORGE Well, it’s nowhere near as interesting. I was a lawyer but I’m retired now, although I help out a few days a week at the legal aid center. EILEEN That’s nice. Were you married? GEORGE I was. She divorced me many years ago and for good reason. I was a very flawed man. EILEEN But you’re not anymore? GEORGE No, now I’m quite perfect. EILEEN Good to know. GEORGE Well, almost perfect. I do get beat up by girls, so... EILEEN Oh, are you sure you’re okay? GEORGE Just a bruise. Mainly my ego. EILEEN Have I apologized enough? GEORGE You have. And there’s no need. I got to meet you, so it’s totally worth it. NANCY I just got ten bucks for that cracked vase! JENNY How? NANCY I told her it was once owned by the British royal family and that it broke during a fight over who would inherit the crown. GEORGE Give me the ten dollars. NANCY Why? GEORGE I have a feeling by the end of the day you’re going to need a lawyer. She nods and hands over the money then spies someone looking at a suitcase. NANCY Ah. I see another potential victim... I mean, customer. GEORGE I better go with her. Make sure you don’t wind up having to put the house up to cover her bail. EILEEN Well? JENNY Well, what? EILEEN Stop torturing me. What do you think? JENNY I think he’s great. EILEEN Really? JENNY Yes! He’s very charming and handsome. That doesn’t hurt. And he’s obviously smitten with you. EILEEN You think so? JENNY He’s following your daughter’s friend around to make sure she doesn’t get arrested. That’s smitten. EILEEN And it’s okay with you? That I’m going out with him? JENNY Of course. I’m just glad you’re enjoying yourself. EILEEN I know all of this has been hard on you. The house and all of the other changes, but I am enjoying myself - for the first time in a long time. JENNY I know. I can tell. EILEEN And it doesn’t mean I don’t miss your father. I do... every day. JENNY Me too. FRANKIE I got two bucks for the candle. EILEEN Nice job, Frankie. It probably wasn't worth fifty cents. JENNY Thank you for your help today. I really appreciate it. FRANKIE Helps keep my mind off of that thing that somebody asked someone to do. JENNY Oh, right. That's tonight. Is someone going to do it? JENNY Good for you. I mean, for someone. EILEEN What was that all about? JENNY Teenage girl stuff. EILEEN Ah. Say no more. OWEN Jenny? Jenny! JENNY Duty calls. OWEN I have a new opening for the presentation. Do you want to hear it? JENNY Owen, can we do this later? I'm a little busy with the... OWEN I know, I know, but our presentation is hanging in the balance here. It’ll only take a minute and you’re going to like it. Trust me. SHANE Hey. ALLISON Hi. SHANE Can we talk? ALLISON I don’t think there’s anything left to talk about, is there? SHANE I don’t know. But I feel like we should at least make sure, don’t you? ALLISON I'm just on my way to go drop off some papers. SHANE You're going to Jenny's house? ALLISON Don’t worry. I’ll be nice. SHANE Why don't I go with you? ALLISON Seriously? SHANE And then we can talk afterward. ETHAN Hey Frankie. They have some cool books here, huh? A lot of stuff about plants, though. FRANKIE Yeah. Cool. ETHAN How did the pictures turn out? FRANKIE Good. Yeah, good. ETHAN Great. Can't wait to see them. FRANKIE Maybe you can see them tonight. ETHAN Tonight? At the prom? Well, we may be too busy dancing, but sure. FRANKIE Dancing? ETHAN Yeah... it’s a dance so you kind of have to dance. I think it’s like a rule or something. FRANKIE Right. Right. I haven't told anyone. ETHAN About what? FRANKIE Exactly. So I'll see you tonight? ETHAN I'll be there. JENNY Oh no. OWEN What? JENNY Nothing. Stay here. ALLISON Read them over and then just sign the copies where it's indicated. I'll pick them up from you next week sometime. EILEEN Great. Thank you so much, Allison. NANCY Do you want me to get my mace? JENNY Not yet. EILEEN Oh, Jenny. Allison, was just dropping off papers to get the house listed. JENNY Great. Thanks for stopping by. OWEN Aren't you going to introduce me? JENNY Owen, this is Allison, our realtor, This is my... this is Owen. OWEN I didn’t catch your name. SHANE Shane. Nice to meet you. OWEN So, how do you know Jenny? EILEEN They went to high school together. OWEN Oh really? You have to tell me what she was like back then. I mean, I know her pretty well now but I’m guessing she was kind of nerdy back then, huh? OWEN I mean hey, we were all a little nerdy in high school, right? Unless you were like class president or head cheerleader or something. JENNY Owen, they were class president and head cheerleader. OWEN Oh... Yeah, that makes sense. FRANKIE Hi, Mr. Rutherford. SHANE Hey Frankie. What’s going on? FRANKIE Just helping out with the sale. EILEEN She is a very good negotiator. SHANE I believe it. FRANKIE Are you still chaperoning the prom tonight? SHANE Yes. Are you going? SHANE With who? JENNY Somebody and the someone with the something? SHANE Ohhh... I understand. ALLISON Great. Now you have like, inside jokes with her? SHANE Allison... EILEEN The prom sounds like so much fun. I didn’t get to go to mine... GEORGE That’s terrible. Everyone should have a prom. Do you need more chaperones? Because we’d be happy to volunteer. SHANE Sure. Why not? OWEN Maybe we should go, too. ALLISON You’re a little late, Owen. Jenny was already invited. OWEN You were? By who? ALLISON By him. My boyfriend. Former boyfriend, that is. OWEN Wait, a minute. You were dating her... But you invited her?! OWEN Why? SHANE You’re an idiot. Because if you really need to ask why then you don’t know Jenny at all. ALLISON Really? You’re, what? Defending her honor? All this for the girl that thinks the most important thing in her life is a box of dirt? SHANE Allison, enough! ALLISON You’re right. You’re absolutely right. Enough. He’s all yours. But someday I hope you’ll understand what it feels like when someone takes away something you really care about. She storms off. Shane turns to Jenny. SHANE I’m sorry. ALLISON Hmmmm.... OWEN What just happened? JENNY Are you okay? SHANE Peachy. I was looking for clarity. Guess it couldn’t get any more clear than that. JENNY You could still fix it. SHANE How? JENNY You could call her boyfriend an idiot. SHANE True. JENNY I’m sorry. I feel like it’s my fault. SHANE It’s not. It’s mine. Ours, Allison and me. We’re not the same people we were in high school. SHANE And you’re not either. You get that, right? You don’t have to settle for... SHANE For anything. JENNY Neither do you. SHANE I’ll see you tonight? JENNY Shane... SHANE I’ll see you tonight. OWEN That guy has anger issues. It looked like he wanted to punch me. JENNY He wasn’t going to punch you, Owen. NANCY Can I punch him? OWEN Are you going to tell me what’s going on? Did he really ask you to go to prom? JENNY No, he just... it was just a big misunderstanding. But if he did... would you be jealous? OWEN Don’t be silly. I mean it’s not like he’s going to ask you out on a real date. NANCY Oh please let me punch him. JENNY What if he did? What if he asked me out on a “real” date. Would that bother you? OWEN Well, of course! OWEN I mean, how would that look for our presentation on the “romantic” Heart Orchid if you were going out with some other guy? FRANKIE I’m going to take off, if that’s okay. JENNY Absolutely. Thank you for all your help and sorry about all the craziness. FRANKIE Are you kidding? You should have yard sales every week. You could sell tickets. JENNY Have a great time tonight. FRANKIE I will. I hope. EILEEN We got rid of most of it. NANCY And turned a nice profit. I may have to give up hair and go into sales full time. JENNY Has anyone seen Owen? NANCY I heard him say something about the airport, I think. It was kind of hard to tell with his fat lip. JENNY It’s not funny. NANCY I wasn’t really going to punch him. I just started taking off my earrings and he turned and ran face first into the door. EILEEN George, Nancy. Can you give us just a minute? GEORGE Of course. NANCY It was a little funny. GEORGE More than a little. EILEEN You know, sweetheart, I didn’t want to be one of those mothers that butts into their children’s lives, but I never got what you saw in him. JENNY I saw someone who was smart. I saw someone who was a scientist like me. EILEEN But did you see someone you could love? EILEEN Your father was always so much better at giving advice than I was. All I could ever think to do was bake cookies. JENNY You bake good cookies. EILEEN True. But can I tell you a secret? JENNY Sure. EILEEN I hate baking. All the measuring and the math. Did you know that baking involves math? It’s hard. JENNY Then why did you do it? EILEEN Because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do. I thought that’s all I could do. It’s like everyone just saw me as Jordan’s wife and Jenny’s mom and I never knew I could do anything else. JENNY I’m sorry. EILEEN Oh, no. No, sweetheart. Don’t get me wrong. I loved being your dad’s wife. And I still love being your mother. And I wouldn’t trade a single second of it for the world. But now I understand that I can be Jenny’s mom and I can be Eileen Taft, too. And what’s great about it is that I think Eileen Taft is a really interesting person. JENNY Me, too. EILEEN And I think she has a really interesting daughter, too. Someone who is more than just smart and more than just a scientist. She just needs to believe that. NANCY Sorry to interrupt, but I’m going to take off. Do you want me to drop these last couple of boxes at the thrift store? EILEEN That would be terrific. Thank you. Jenny, is there anything else you want to get rid of? JENNY I don’t think so. Oh, wait... I may have a couple of things in the greenhouse. JENNY Allison... JENNY Give it back. ALLISON Give what back? JENNY Dendrophylax spectabilis. ALLISON What are you talking about? JENNY The Heart Orchid! Allison is still stumped. JENNY The box of dirt! ALLISON Oh! Next time, lead with that. Why are you asking me? JENNY Because you took it! ALLISON I did not. JENNY It's in that bag! ALLISON Why would I take your box of dirt? JENNY Because you're determined to get back at me! You said you hoped I’d know what it was like to lose something important. ALLISON You’re insane. JENNY You have been out to get me since we were kids! ALLISON Is this about our high school prom? JENNY It's about everything! The time in tenth grade when you tripped me in the hall and I dropped an entire box of seeds. The time in eleventh grade when you told everyone that I had a contagious case of Dutch Elm Disease. It's about the prom, it's about “Poison Ivy,” it's about ALLISON Shane? JENNY Yes, it's about Shane, too. He just wanted to be nice to me by inviting me to the prom. Why did that bother you so much? ALLISON Because I knew he didn’t want to go with me! JENNY Watch out for the Tulipa Gesneriana! ALLISON Watch out for the what? JENNY Tulipa Gesneriana. Tulip. ALLISON Couldn’t you just say tulip? JENNY What makes you think he didn’t want to go with you? He asked, didn’t he? ALLISON Yes. But only because he was supposed to. He wanted to go with you. And then somehow or other that made me into the bad guy. JENNY Well... you did steal my flower. ALLISON I didn't steal your flower! I thought about it, but I didn't. ALLISON It's for my new job. ALLISON Or, it was. JENNY So you’re going to take the job? ALLISON Yes. ALLISON Shane and I have been together since we were fifteen. Can you believe that? JENNY Yes, I was there. ALLISON What do you mean? JENNY I was there the first time Shane asked you out. It happened right after you tripped me that day in the hall. I was picking seeds up off the floor. ALLISON Oh. I really do owe you an apology, don't I? ALLISON I was so desperate to be popular. I wanted to be Queen of the High School Jungle And the easiest way to get there is to go after the weakest members of the herd. I’m sorry. JENNY Thank you. ALLISON Should we... JENNY Hug? Sure... ALLISON I was going to say get out of the dirt. Just because I said I’m sorry doesn’t mean I like you. JENNY Right. Got it. ALLISON For the record... it was my idea. The prom thing. I sent you the email from his account. JENNY Thank you for telling me that. ALLISON Are you going to go tonight? No wait... I don’t want to know. So who else are you going to go falsely accuse of stealing your box of dirt? JENNY It's not... never mind. I don't know. I can't imagine who else would take it. ALLISON I can. That idiot boyfriend of yours. JENNY Owen! OWEN I don’t know how many times I have to tell you, I am not going to “check” a rare flower through baggage. It’s going to go on the plane with me and no, I’m not going to buy it its own seat! OWEN Jenny! I'm glad you're here. I expect you have come to apologize. OWEN Listen, I only took the orchid to keep it safe. That greenhouse just wasn’t secure enough. The glare continues. OWEN You know, Jenny, I think maybe it's time we started seeing other people. OWEN Okay, okay. OWEN I guess I really underestimated you, didn’t I? JENNY Yeah, you did. And it was the worst mistake you’ll ever make in your entire life. JENNY Thanks, Daddy. The door to the greenhouse opens and Frankie comes in, crying. JENNY Frankie? What's wrong? JENNY Deja vu all over again. FRANKIE What do you mean? JENNY Remember when you asked me if I went to prom? I didn't... because the mean girl in my class made me think that the most popular boy asked me to prom just so he could stand me up. FRANKIE Wasn't Mr. Rutherford the most popular boy? JENNY But that was a long time ago and he’s not the same person he was. Don’t hold it against him, okay? FRANKIE Why do people do things like that? JENNY I don't know... Though maybe I kind of do. I just learned something a little while ago about the mean girls. They can be just as scared and insecure as the rest of us. It just manifests itself in different ways. FRANKIE What did you do when it happened? JENNY I ran. I left Pine Hill, I left California, I left the country. FRANKIE But you saw the world. JENNY I saw a jungle in Borneo. And another jungle in The Philippines. And then there was the jungle in Malaysia. And I got malaria! I don’t know why I was proud of that. Anyway, after awhile the jungles all start to look the same. And they were the same, in a way. They were just someplace to hide. FRANKIE Hide from what? JENNY The girl that gets stood up at the prom. I wish I had gone that night anyway. I really do. I should have walked in there and found my friends and just had fun. NANCY Let’s do this! JENNY Are you ready? NANCY Watch the hair, watch the hair! FRANKIE Sorry. NANCY Okay... Now it’s your turn. Jenny starts to back away? JENNY What? No. NANCY You can’t go to the prom looking like that. JENNY I’m not going to the prom. Not after everything. FRANKIE But you have to! I can’t go in there by myself. JENNY But I... FRANKIE No more hiding. Remember? JENNY Okay. NANCY At last we finally meet... Jenny is now officially worried. NANCY Jenny, come on! FRANKIE Are you ready? JENNY Ready. FRANKIE Come on. JENNY No. This is your prom, not mine. Go ahead. ETHAN Frankie? Wow, you look amazing! FRANKIE Thank you. ETHAN Madison, doesn’t she look incredible? MADISON No. FRANKIE I’m sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to say thank you to Madison. MADISON For what? FRANKIE For making me think that Ethan had invited me to go with him tonight. ETHAN What? You did what? FRANKIE It’s okay, Ethan. Because if she hadn’t I’d just be sitting at home alone tonight, feeling sorry for myself. Instead, I’m here. I’m at the prom. And I’m going to have fun tonight if for no other reason, Madison, than it’ll bug the heck out of you. FRANKIE Oh, and Madison. Your boyfriend said I looked incredible. And he was right. NANCY There he is. This is what you’ve been waiting for! JENNY No. I got what I needed. I showed up at the prom and had fun with my friend. I don’t know how it could get any better than that. NANCY Are you sure? JENNY Positive. FRANKIE Oh hey, Mr. Rutherford! SHANE Frankie, that was amazing! FRANKIE I know. I owe it all to Jenny. SHANE Jenny? FRANKIE Yes! It was all her idea. Ask her yourself. She’s right over there. SHANE Where? FRANKIE Huh. I don’t know. She was there a minute ago. ETHAN Frankie! FRANKIE Oh, hey! ETHAN I’m really sorry. I didn’t know that Madison had done that. It was really not cool. FRANKIE No big deal. ETHAN Can I join you guys? FRANKIE Sure. SHANE Jenny! SHANE You came. JENNY I did. SHANE You look beautiful. JENNY Thank you. I got dressed up for the prom but this time I actually went. NANCY I’m just going to go... dance. Yeah. I love this song. Whatever this song is. It’s got a good beat so I’m going to go and... SHANE Were you leaving? JENNY I was. SHANE Why didn’t you find me? I owe you a dance, remember? JENNY That’s why. Shane, you asked because you felt like you owed me something. That would’ve been okay with high school Jenny. But someone reminded me recently that I’m not high school Jenny anymore. So the next time someone asks me to dance it’s going to be because he wants to dance with me, not because he feels like he has to. SHANE You know, high school Shane was a bit of a jerk and if he ever met a smart, funny, brave, a little weird but in a good way, talented woman, he wouldn’t have any idea what to do with her. SHANE Luckily, I’m not high school Shane anymore. And I know exactly what to do. SHANE I’d ask her to dance. Not because I have to. But because I really, really want to. SHANE You really do look beautiful. JENNY Thank you. SHANE Except... JENNY What? What’s wrong? SHANE Nothing, no. It’s just... I kind of liked your hair the way it was before.