Among You (37 page)

GINGER

Yeah. Neat huh?

TIMELY

Neat? Are you kidding? That’s incredible. But you know…

GINGER

What?

TIMELY

You’re gonna have to tell him.

GINGER

I can’t.

TIMELY

Why not? You saw how he didn’t react.

GINGER

I’m not ready. He’s not ready. I can’t.

TIMELY

You can and you will. It’s not fair of you to hide something that big from him. Besides, he probably won’t even flinch.

GINGER

Timely, he thinks we were wearing masks!

TIMELY

We were.

GINGER

No, he thinks we’re wearing masks right now.

TIMELY

Right. Didn’t think about it that way. What are you going to do?

GINGER

I don’t know. I’m open to suggestions.

TIMELY

I suppose you could just try to hide it from him as long as possible.

GINGER

Why does it have to be so hard?

TIMELY

It’s just the way it is Ginger.

GINGER

Sometimes I hate being so different. Sometimes I hate being a monster.

TIMELY

Makes life interesting that’s for sure. Never a boring moment. Besides, you mean Inhuman American.

THEY SHARE A LAUGH

GINGER

Yeah. I guess I wouldn’t want it any other way.

TIMELY

That’s the spirit. Now, let’s go scare Gaultier.

GINGER

My dad? Are you serious? Didn’t you hear? He’s writing. No one bothers him when he’s writing.

TIMELY

And what better time to scare him? Come on, I have a perfect plan.

SCENE 10: THE GROUNDING

SCOTT ARRIVES BACK AT HOME TO FIND HIS PARENTS WAITING ON HIM.

DAD

And just where have you been young man?

SCOTT IS STUNNED

Well?

MOM

We’ve been worried sick about you.

MOM RUNS UP AND HUGS SCOTT

SCOTT

I’m okay.

DAD

Scott, where have you been?

SCOTT

I, umm, I was…well…

DAD

Scott…

SCOTT

I went back to the Gaultier House.

DAD

What? Why did you go there?

MOM

And why didn’t you tell us where you were going?

DAD

You know better than to pull a stunt like that.

SCOTT

But…

DAD

There’ll be no buts. You, sir, are grounded. For a week. Now go up to your room and get to bed.

SCOTT

Dad…

DAD

Would you like to shoot for two weeks? I didn’t think so. Now march!

SCOTT GOES TO HIS ROOM AND FLOPS ON HIS BED.

SCOTT

Great. Now how am I going to see Ginger again? I’ll never learn about the Gaultier House like this.

SCOTT PULLS OUT HIS BOOK AND STARTS READING AGAIN. HE FLIPS THE PAGES UNTIL HE STOPS AT A PICTURE. HE STARES AT THE PICTURE AND CAN’T BELIEVE WHAT HE’S SEEING.

The Gaultier Family. 1902? Ginger? How is that possible. She’d be over 100 years old.

HE THUMBS THROUGH MORE PAGES. HE QUOTES FROM A CAPTION

Ginger Gaultier princess of the Gaultier mansion. 1901. 1901? What?

HE READS FROM A PARAGRAPH

“Upon moving the Gaultier mansion from the Moors of Dorset England to the fledgling United States in the late 1800s, Mr. Gaultier put it upon himself to begin the arduous process of rebuilding the family’s riches.”

Wow. 100 years old.

HE CLOSES THE BOOK AND LAYS DOWN ON HIS BED.

Nah. That can’t be true.

HE LOOKS BACK OVER AT THE BOOK AND LIFTS THE COVER ONE MORE TIME.

Can it?

LIGHTENING FLASHES OUTSIDE. THE LIGHTS FLASH AS IF THEY’RE GOING TO GO OUT. THEY DO. THUNDER ROLLS. LIGHTS COME UP ON MONSTERVILLE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND.

SCENE 11: OIL AND WATER

GINGER AND TIMELY (IN FULL-ON MONSTER MODE) ARE PLAYING ON THE PLAYGROUND MINDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS. THEY HAVE A MOMENT OF PRIVACY WHERE THEY LAUGH AND ENJOY EACH OTHER’S COMPANY. ALL TOO SOON, HOWEVER, THEIR TRANQUILITY IS DISRUPTED BY A GROUP OF MONSTER BULLIES ARRIVES. AT FIRST THE BULLIES REMAIN ON ONE SIDE OF THE PLAYGROUND. BUT EVENTUALLY THEY CAN’T CONTROL THEMSELVES.

BULLY 1

Rumor has it Ginger has a new boyfriend.

BULLY 2

Is it true?

BULLY 3

And is he an other?

BULLY 2

Is it true?

BULLY 1

That would be so, so tragic.

BULLY 2

That is true.

BULLY 3

If Ginger loved an other.

BULLY 1

You know the rules.

BULLY 2

Yes you do.

BULLY 3

No interacting with the others.

BULLY 1

You better keep the other away. If he finds out about us you know what will happen.

BULLY 2

Yes you know.

BULLY 3

The end.

BULLY 2

Of us.

TIMELY

Leave us along punks.

BULLY 1

How Timely of you.

THE BULLIES LAUGH AT HIS JOKE.

But sad enough you know it’s true as well. Your best friend is risking all of our safety for a crush on an other. It’s…

BULLY 2

Not…

BULLY 3

Allowed.

GINGER

Mind your own business.

TIMELY

You heard the girl. Scram!

BULLY 1

We’re watching you. And if you don’t tell the other…

BULLY 2

We…