BROOKE

Oh! HELLO.

BRIAN

HELLO.

BROOKE

YOU’RE IN MY CHAIR…

BRIAN

NO, THIS IS MY CHAIR.

BROOKE

EXCUSE ME?

BRIAN

Oh! I’M SORRY, I MEANT….

I THOUGHT MS. WALKER SAID, “SIT ANYWHERE.”

BROOKE

Oh! Yeah, she… PROBABLY MEANT ANYWHERE OVER THERE.

I’VE SAT HERE NEXT TO ZEKE ALL YEAR.

BUT THERE’S AN EMPTY SEAT RIGHT HERE,

ON MY OTHER SIDE.

YOU COULD SIT THERE.

NEXT TO ME. I’D LIKE THAT.

I MEAN… IF YOU WOULD LIKE THAT,

I WOULD BE TOTALLY FINE WITH THAT, BUT UP TO YOU,

I mean, ‘CAUSE I DON’T CARE WHERE YOU SIT, OF COURSE…

(BROOKE aside)

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BOY

UNLIKE ANYTHING

I’VE EVER SEEN.

THOSE EYES…SO GREEN…

(Snapping out of it and turning back to BRIAN)

BROOKE! MY NAME IS BROOKE! Brooke!

BRIAN

ARE YOU BROOKE RODGERS?

BROOKE

Yessss….

BRIAN

I HEARD YOU GOT THE STARRING ROLE.

BROOKE

HOW DID YOU HEAR THAT ALREADY?

AND HOW DID YOU KNOW MY NAME?

I MEAN, ARE YOU, LIKE,

STALKING ME?

‘CAUSE THAT’S CREEPY.

SUPER CREEPY.

I MEAN….

BRIAN

No….I just overheard some kids talking on the bus…

BROOKE

Oh my gosh, I’m sorry.

I DON’T KNOW WHY I JUST SAID “STALKING”.

WHEN I GET NERVOUS, I START TALKING.

I CAN’T HELP IT. NOW YOU’RE GAWKING.

Please stop gawking?

AAAAAAAND IT SEEMS THAT I’M STILL TALKING.

Yeah…

MAYBE YOU COULD DO SOME TALKING.

BRIAN

Well— I’m Brian.

BROOKE

Hi Brian. I’m Brooke.

BRIAN

Yeah. You said. Brooke Rodgers.

BROOKE

Yeah… So Brian, you’re a double knot kinda guy?

BRIAN

What?

BROOKE

Your shoelaces. They’re double knotted. That’s cool.

(BROOKE aside)

OH MY GOSH, WHAT’S GOTTEN INTO ME?

Stupid, Brooke! Stupid!

I ALWAYS HAVE THE WORDS TO SAY,

BUT EVERY TIME HE TURNS MY WAY, WE SHARE A LOOK,

AND I TURN INTO A BABBLING BROOKE.

BRIAN

Sorry, what was that?

(turning back to BRIAN, trying to play it cool)

BROOKE

Uh, nothing! Nothing. Nothing at all.

SO, BRIAN, ARE YOU NEW?

BRIAN

AM I NEW?

Oh! YEAH! I’M…NEW.

OLD AND NEW.

BROOKE

Sorry, what?

BRIAN

SORRY, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING.

FIRST DAY JITTERS. HAPPENS EVERY TIME.

I MEAN EVERY TIME I’M… NEW, WHICH IS… PRETTY HAIR.

I MEAN PRETTY RARE!

I— You know what? I’m gonna try that again…

(BRIAN aside)

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THIS GIRL

UNLIKE ANYTHING

I’VE EVER SEEN.

(accidentally out loud)

YOUR EYES…

BROOKE

My eyes?

BRIAN

OH! SORRY, I JUST MEAN…

I CAN SEE THEM REALLY WELL ‘CAUSE YOUR GLASSES ARE SO clean?

Just ignore me.

WHEN I GET NERVOUS, I START RUSHING,

BEFORE I KNOW IT, I AM GUSHING,

THEN I SWEAT AND I START CRUSHING.

No! Not crushing, blushing!

CLEARLY, I’M NO GOOD AT HUSHING.

(Urgently) You should talk now. Please talk?

BROOKE

Sure… um, where are you from?

BRIAN

Indiana.

BROOKE

Gross!

BRIAN

What?

BROOKE

I mean… Hey, I’m sorry about that. I don’t actually know anything about Indiana. I’m sure you’re lovely. I mean… I’m sure IT’S lovely! Oh my gosh…

BOTH

I’M NOT NORMALLY LIKE THIS,

BRIAN

PROMISE.

BROOKE

I GET MIXED UP, AND THEN I PUT

MY BIG MOUTH INSIDE MY FOOT. I… I mean…

BOTH

I DON’T NORMALLY DO THIS, HONEST.

BRIAN

AFTER YEARS OF ALL THIS YAP,

You’d think I’D LEARN TO SHUT MY TRAP.

(BROOKE aside)

WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?

(BRIAN aside)

WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?

(BOTH aside)

THE MORE I TRY TO STAY CHILL,

THE MORE I SPILL,

(BRIAN aside)

AND THE MORE THAT THEY SEE RIGHT THROUGH ME.

(back)

BROOKE

Sorry. You may have noticed that sometimes, when I get nervous, I talk a lot.

BRIAN

That’s probably good if you’re an actor.

BROOKE

Why’s that?

BRIAN

You know. Actors get nervous a lot. And then they have to talk a lot. It’s a good fit.

BROOKE

Is that how acting worked at your old school?

EACH TIME I BLURT THINGS I DON’T MEAN TO,

I THINK, “WHY CAN’T I JUST STAY CUTE?”

… I mean, “mute”!

… I mean… shoot!…

(BROOKE aside)

OH MY GOSH, WHAT’S GOTTEN INTO ME?

(BRIAN aside)

OH MY GOSH, WHAT’S GOTTEN INTO ME?

(BROOKE)

THIS IS SO NOT BY THE BOOK.

(BRIAN)

PLEASE TALK AND GET ME OFF THE HOOK!

(BROOKE)

SOMETHING ABOUT HIM’S SO APPEALING,

(BRIAN)

SOMETHING ABOUT HER HAS ME REELING,

(BROOKE)

BUT I MUST CONTROL THIS FEELING.

(BRIAN)

BUT I’VE ALREADY BEEN FAR TOO REVEALING!

(BOTH)

I MUST CONTROL THIS GABBLING,

THIS JABBERING, THIS RATTLING,

THIS PANICKED PRATTLING-UP-A-CREEK-WITHOUT-A-PADDLE-ING,

BEFORE THIS STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

BECOMES A FULL-ON BABBLING… BROOK!

(BROOKE)

I MUST CONTROL THIS BABBLING BROOKE!