SCENE I. AUGUST (QUINN and ANDY sit on the balcony of a New York City apartment building dangling their legs. They pass a cigarette back and forth.) QUINN: I sort of can't believe we're here already. Like Jesus, has it really been three years? I feel like I had freshman orientation literally a month ago. ANDY: No seriously. I don't think it's hit me yet that this is our last year of school. HA after this year I never have to take a math class ever again. Oh my god am I so excited to be done with math forever. QUINN: Do you remember who you got for bio this year? ANDY: Dr. Z QUINN: fuck ANDY: yeah, it will be a shitty shitty year. QUINN: It honestly freaks me out a little... it feels like high school will last forever, then suddenly and in a shocking turn of events it's August and everything we do is a "last" of something and jesus fuck I'm sort of freaking out. Give me the cig back. ANDY: I think maybe you're thinking about this in the wrong way. Senior year is exciting! You should be excited! Aren't you excited for it to just be over? QUINN: Yeah right, Mr. Overachiever, you would have nothing to worry about... I feel like I have a reason to be stressed. ANDY: Just because I'm, like, good at school or whatever doesn't make me free from freaking out about stuff... but fun fact you can sort of just decide to, like, not care as much. QUINN: yeah I bet it's easy not to freak out when you already have perfect grades. not all of us are Andy fucking Benson. SCENE II. OCTOBER (ANDY and QUINN on the balcony.) ANDY: oh my fucking god I hate math so much. Merriweather. QUINN: I think she enjoys the suffering of her students. ANDY: Are you excited for college app seminar tomorrow? QUINN: That's not a serious question right? Nothing is worse than being stuck with Mr. Milton for an hour. ANDY: also I still think it's insane we only have ten activity slots for all of high school. What was the point of doing all the things we did to only fill it into ten slots. QUINN: Complain all you want Andy, but having more activities than slots is a great problem to have... I mean, that's how the whole college thing is, right? One massive fucking contradiction. You need a TON of activities, but you can't be a faker. You have to have good grades, but good grades aren't enough. You have to have figured out exactly what you want from age twelve... and my parents are telling me these are the best years of my life? This is seriously as good as it gets?? ANDY: It really does suck, doesn't it. QUINN: Yeah, it really does. SCENE III. MARCH (Rainy balcony. They share a cigarette under the overhang.) ANDY: Are you nervous for tomorrow? QUINN: Yeah sort of. I'm more resigned to my fate. ANDY: You're going to get in. I'm envisioning it for you. 6pm tomorrow, Yale acceptance! QUINN: It's so pretty and old and classical... it's going to be really really shitty if I get rejected. ANDY: Seriously Quinn, it's going to be fine. QUINN: Easy for you to say, you already know you got into Penn. The worst bit is over for you. ANDY: What's the worst case scenario, that you don't get in? You'll be fine! QUINN (angrily): Everyone keeps telling me that, but you know that doesn't fucking mean anything! Literally every adult goes around reminding us this is the most important thing... Come on Andy, I know you were a lock with your fucking 1580 and 4.0 but the rest of us actually get stressed about this sort of thing! ANDY: Jesus, sorry Quinn. I'm just trying to help you. QUINN: Well you're not. God you're so fucking perfect I hate you. (Tense silence.) QUINN (whispering): I really hope I get in. SCENE IV. MAY (Sitting on the balcony in graduation robes, smoking cigars.) ANDY: I still think it's fucking crazy you got to give the commencement speech. QUINN: Hey, I was voted by the grade. The wonders of democracy. ANDY: Did you actually mean what you said? In your speech? QUINN: What, about the whole grade being lifelong friends? Fuck no. I am never speaking to Aiden Jones ever again. ANDY: No, the whole part about hard work being worth it. QUINN: I don't know. It just felt like the right thing to say. But if I wasn't giving the speech it's what I would have wanted someone to tell me. ANDY: I'm really sorry again. I know how much you wanted to go there. QUINN: Yeah, it is what it is. I've done enough crying about it. ANDY: Are you at least excited for gap year? Studying Latin... in Florence... for a whole year... QUINN: Yeah! I am pretty excited. My life doesn't begin and end with where I go to college. I think I'll be okay. It might suck now, but I think I'll be okay. Or at least, I really really hope so.