A/N:
This is a one act play. There is a scene in the beginning that is much like a previous chapter. Probably chapter two? Whatever chapter it is, it spawned this play, but it is still capable of standing all by itself.
(Peter and Wendy enter, laughing and out of breath)
Characters:
PETER
WENDY
MOIRA
ANGELA
ETHAN
JAMES
Setting: Behind a building.
Peter and Wendy run around the corner, laughing and out of breath.
PETER: Man! (Deep breath) That was awesome. (Smiles at Wendy.)
WENDY: (Laughing as she talks.) Did you see his face? You saw his face, right?
PETER: Priceless! I swear, he almost laid an egg. (Laughs again.)
WENDY: We are epic. No joke. (Holds up hand for high five.)
Peter ignores the hand and hugs Wendy. They hold the embrace for moments longer than friendly before breaking apart.
WENDY: (Looking away from Peter.) We'll have to do it again some time. I can't wait to tell everyone.
PETER: (Smiling at Wendy.) He'll never live it down. We make such a good team.
WENDY: (Smiles back.) We do. We always have. Remember in elementary school? We'd pick each other first for everything. And everyone was always upset because together, we'd dominate them. (Laughs.) And now we're still dominating them!
They smile at each other for a long moment before becoming awkward and looking away. A long, awkward silence ensues.
PETER: (Mumbles, making the first part of the sentence incoherent.) you.
WENDY: (Looks at Peter.) What?
PETER: (Blushes.) Never mind.
WENDY: (Curious.) What?
PETER: Never mind.
WENDY: Tell me?
PETER: (Obviously regretting his choice to speak.) It's not important.
WENDY: Please?
PETER: I didn't say anything…
WENDY: (Being serious, gently.) I want to know.
PETER: I said… (Pauses.)
WENDY: (Eager.) Yes?
PETER: Never mind.
WENDY: (Frustrated.) Blast you and your never ending never minds!
PETER: (Attempting to distract Wendy.) You're getting awfully worked up about this…
WENDY: (Throws her hands in the air and spins in a circle.) I give up!
PETER: (Quietly.) I…I think I love you?
WENDY: (Stunned.) Oh. That's nice.
PETER: (Shocked.) That's nice? I tell you I love you and you say "That's nice?!"
WENDY: Well.
PETER: Well what?!
WENDY: (A little nervous.) I'm pretty sure I love you too…
PETER: (Relieved.) Oh. (Smiles.) Good.
They smile shyly at each other and exit holding hands.
Setting: A room furnished for relaxation with worn, comfortable couches and chairs in a semi-circular arrangement around a table with random bits of stuff on it, facing the audience. There are several teenagers sprawled across the furniture.
Peter, Wendy, Angela, Ethan, Moira and James are talking. Moira is flicking a lighter open and closed continuously. Ethan has a book in his lap. Angela is playing with her hair, looking for split ends. Peter and Wendy are sitting next to each other. Throughout the dialogue, they are scooting closer together, very subtly.
PETER: (Looking at Wendy.) We had the most amazing day ever. No joke.
All look expectantly at Wendy.
WENDY: You know that old guy who always works at the Safeway? (All nod and she continues.) He's really conservative, muttering about "kids these days" right? So me and Peter walk up to the counter and start asking him about contraceptives and "performance enhancers." I swear he shit a brick. His face turned this weird, gross purpley color and he started sputtering something about how we were too young. I'm pretty sure the phrase "Abstinence is key" was in there at least three times.
(All laugh.)
ETHAN: Did you call an ambulance?
PETER: I think a call to the morgue would be more useful…He was seriously upset.
ANGELA: (Admiringly, half joking.) Wendy, you are seriously evil. Where do these ideas come from?
WENDY: (With pretend snobbery.) Darling, don't question what you'll never understand.
MOIRA: Don't you think that it's a little mean to torment the poor old man? I mean he has to be so embarrassed for you! You should be ashamed of yourselves!
ANGELA: You laughed with the rest of us. Hypocrisy is unattractive.
WENDY: (Laughing.) And, Moira dearest, who was it who pulled the fire alarm last week? Who burned her homework and set off the fire alarm yesterday? Who has been using any and all excuses to talk to the firemen?
(All jeer at Moira.)
JAMES: She's got you there. What do you see in them, anyway?
MOIRA: (As if it should be obvious.) Uhm, muscles. (Wendy and Angela nod in agreement.)
PETER: (To James.) I'm afraid she's right, bud. (Poking James's arm.) You're a little – shall we say – lacking in the muscle department…
JAMES: (Indignant.) I'm lean! I'm ropy! We can't all be Vin Diesel, you know…
ANGELA: Oh calm down. You're just angry because Moira is looking at someone else. (James blushes.)
ETHAN: What's this? Does ickle Jamiekins have a crush? I didn't know he had realized that girls don't have cooties yet…
WENDY: Ethan, let the poor boy alone. (Simpering at James.) He's sensitive.
JAMES: (Embarrassed and desperate.) Cause "ickle Ethiekins" definitely doesn't like Wendy.
ETHAN: (Shocked.) I do not!
PETER: (At the same time.) He better not!
All turn to Peter, curious as to the source of his outburst, just now noticing that Wendy and Peter have been drifting closer throughout the discussion and that Peter's arm is now around Wendy.
MOIRA: (Shocked.) NO!
ANGELA: (Shocked.) Yes?
JAMES: (Confused.) What?
ETHAN: (Slowly, as if to someone who doesn't speak English.) Wendy and Peter are sitting very close together. Peter has his arm around Wendy. These behaviors generally indicate a more than friendly relationship.
JAMES: Oh. That. Well, we all knew about that, didn't we? (Looks around at everyone.) No? Is this something new and startling to you all? Cause I'm pretty sure they've been a couple since I can remember…
ANGELA: Yes, we all knew. But now they know. Which is nice.
MOIRA: You simply must tell us the entire story!
WENDY: What do you mean you all "knew?" How have we "been a couple since you can remember?" We were just friends…
ETHAN: (Very pleased with himself.) Were indicates the past tense. Which means that something has happened!
MOIRA: Wait. Wendy. You know he's been in love with you since you met, right?
WENDY: (Stupefied.) No?
ANGELA: Oh. Well he has.
WENDY: Oh dear. I had no idea…
MOIRA: She can be so dense.
ANGELA: (Agreeing.) Yep. A blind man could've seen it.
JAMES: Did you know that their mothers have been planning the wedding since preschool?
ETHAN: Now that's creepy…
WENDY: Wait. What?
JAMES: (To everyone but Wendy, patronizing.) She's a little slow. Gimmie a minute. (Looking directly into Wendy's eyes, speaking slowly.) Peter and you have been a couple since the day you met. Everyone but you knows it. Peter finally made a move today. You, however, are a little slow on the uptake.
ANGELA: Yeah, (pause) when the moms know and you don't, you know you're behind…
MOIRA: (Joking.) I don't know, Angela, the Mom Mafia has connections…They know everything.
ETHAN: (Has been watching Peter and Wendy. Abruptly.) We need to leave.
JAMES: No we don't?
MOIRA: We're late.
ETHAN: I have an appointment.
ANGELA: I have a curfew.
WENDY: What? It's like…noon. You don't need to be home until ten.
ANGELA: (Making it up on the spot, just spewing BS.) You never know what could happen. I could get lost. Or kidnapped.
WENDY: (Sarcastically.) Because your parents will be worried about you making your curfew if you're KIDNAPPED.
ANGELA: (Flustered, she's been out reasoned.) Yes, well, it doesn't matter. James, we need to leave.
JAMES: What? (Ethan, attempting subtlety and failing, pokes James and nods at Wendy and Peter. James suddenly comprehends.) I forgot my…uh…my…FEET!
PETER: (Critically.) Your feet?
JAMES: Yes. Well. We need to leave.
Moira and Angela drag him away and Ethan exits behind them. Wendy and Peter sit in silence for a moment.
WENDY: Is it true?
PETER: You know, truth is all about how you see it. I mean there are some things that I take to be truth that you probably don't believe. For example: Jessica Alba is a gift from God.
WENDY: (Impatiently.) Can you stop joking around for five seconds and be serious? Just five freaking seconds.
PETER: I'm sorry. I just get nervous. Like when people are talking about me and I change the subject. I should get a therapist… (Looks intensely at nothing, stroking a nonexistent beard, hoping Wendy will be distracted.)
WENDY: (Bordering on anger.) Peter.
PETER: Fine. Yes. Yes it is true. I've known I was going to marry you since I met you in preschool. Are you happy?
WENDY: Why didn't you say anything before? You've had the majority of our lives to tell me…
PETER: Well, it's not something that most kids know. And then I didn't want it to be awkward–
WENDY: (Cutting in.) Do you have a different definition of awkward than I do? Cause this is definitely a wee bit awkward…
PETER: (Talking over Wendy.) –and I didn't want you to not like me and it was all very complicated and I didn't know what to think and what to do and what I would do if our friendship ended and it all sounded so good in my head, but even Moira and Angela didn't know how you felt so I was scared.
WENDY: Peter. You are quite possibly the stupidest boy I have ever met. Excluding James. That boy wouldn't catch a hint if it walked into the cage…But that's beside the point. How could I not love you?
PETER: I know I'm great.
WENDY: (Sarcastically.) Humble too?
PETER: (Smugly.) Oh yeah. I have loads of humbleness.
WENDY: I'm going to have to be honest here and tell you that you're one of the most arrogant boys I know.
PETER: You like it.
WENDY: Well, that too…
PETER: (Suddenly serious.) Do you think we can make this work?
WENDY: I do. I really do.
They smile at each other and the screen fades to black/curtain falls or whatever.