(Richie Foley and Frieda Goren sit in a police station. They look exhausted, and traumatized)

Policeman: Names please. State your full names.

Frieda: You already know our names! Richard Foley and Frieda Goren!

Policewoman: And you two were born in the town of...?

Richie: Dakota! We were born and raised there.

Policeman: When did you first meet Virgil Hawkins?

(Richie is on the verge of crying)

Richie: Virgil and I have been friends since second grade. B-but when we went to high school, we just sort of drifted apart. (He raises his hand to shield his eyes from the bright light) Can you turn that down, please? I can't see.

Policeman: Tell me about May 28- about the occurrences that led up to the alleged event.

Frieda: "Alleged event"?! Why do you keep asking us the same thing, over and over?! Are you trying to catch us in a lie, or something?

Policewoman: We need the truth.

Richie: We've told you everything that we know. How many times do we have to go through this?

Policeman: Until it makes sense.

Policewoman: Until we understand.

Richie: What you need to understand is that we were just kids. Kids who were trying our best... We were kids

(Flashback to a hallway, crowded with miserable teenagers, and Virgil Hawkins, who's trying to blend in the background)

Students:
Stop
Go
Who am I?
Move! Ha!
Come on, come in
Father, Mother, Teacher, Preacher
Failure!
Am I? Am I? Am I? Am I?
No!
Am I stupid?
Am I hopeless?

Violence! Silence!
Broken, Used, Black, Bruised!
What about me?
What about me?
I dream!
I drown!
I wait!

Everyday, I just pray
Every move I make is right

Richie/Frieda:
Where I go

Richie/Francis:
Who I know

Richie/Frieda/Francis/Madelyn:
Will I be alone on Saturday night?!

Students:
And I worry
What if I stand out one bit?
I worry
What can I possibly do to fit in?
Perfect clothes
Nose
The perfect skin, face, all ace!
Both my folks
Total jokes

Francis:
All they do is chew my ass!

Students:
Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah

Derek/Nick/Daisy:
They should just be glad I make it to class!

Richie/Francis/Frieda/Madelyn:
I don't worry
If I blow my SATs
I worry
What can I possibly do?
To squeeze in
Pow!
Why not now?
When will I belong?
Look where I am!
Damn!
My whole life feels wrong!

(The students look at Virgil Hawkins who has his head down as he walks through the halls, often shooting glares at them)

What if I do
Snap?
Holy crap!
I'd crawl out of my skin!
And so would you, 'cause!
Life just doesn't begin!
Until you're in!

(The students disperse, and go to their cliques. Mr. Lee, the Phys Ed teacher walks down the hall in his gym outfit)

Mr. Lee: Don't you all have somewhere to be?

Madelyn: (Flirtatiously) There's somewhere I'd like to be Mr. L...

Mr. Lee: What are you, Miss Spaulding, twelve? (He catches Richie staring at Frieda with a lovestruck look on his face) Mr. Foley, save the puppy eyes for after school.

Richie: (Embarrassed) Yes sir! (He scurries off to class and Francis calls out)

Francis: Get a room, you two!

Mr. Lee: And you, Francis, lose the gum before class.

Francis: (Takes it out and asks condescendingly) Where should I put it, Mr. Lee?

Mr. Lee: You can swallow it for all I care, just get it out of my sight. (Virgil walks by, head still down) Virgil Hawkins, get a move on! Gym class in two minutes!

Students:
Ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah!

(In the gym, the boys are stretching)

Boys:
God it's rough
Stayin' tough
Wonderin' What the world will say!
"Make a plan!" "Be a man!"
All this frickin' bullshit gets in the way!

(A game of volleyball begins)

Students:
I go crazy!
Nobody cares what it does to me!
It's crazy!
I would go out of my mind!
To be in, shit!
It is it!
What comes close to that?
Until you've been in
You ain't where it's at!
'Cause when you're out, well!
Life is hell!
You can never win!
There's no doubt, that!
Life just doesn't begin!
Until you're-

(The volleyball is passed to Virgil, who fumbles and drops it)

Students: Awwwww!

Kevin: Way to go, Virgil!

Ray: Yeah, way to blow it!

Francis: Loser!

Mr. Lee: Hit the showers, boys! Go change up!

(Virgil, now alone, mutters a prayer to himself)

Virgil: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. On earth as it is in Heaven. Amen. (He leaves the gym, and heads to the showers)

Students:
And someday
If I don't stand out one bit
Oh someday, I might be normal enough to fit
In!

(Richie and Virgil have a brief encounter on their way to the locker room. Richie wants to say something, but Virgil shoots him a glare, then trudges off)

Jeez!
Shoot me, please!
But me out of my pain!
Am I a mess?
Yes!
Totally insane!
If I am not missed
I don't exist
That's the greatest sin
I'd rather be shot!
'Cause
Life just doesn't begin!
Doesn't begin
Doesn't begin
Doesn't begin
Doesn't begin
Until you're
In!