Hunter Red and Robin Anderson are in Hunter’s office playing New Super Mario Bros. Wii and having a fun time while doing so.
Robin- Hey slowpoke, catch up and get this mushroom.
Hunter- I can’t get the mushroom if you keep taking them all.
R- Perhaps I should just jump on you and cause you to die again.
The two begin to laugh in enjoyment as the level ends.
R- By the way, where is Liz? I haven’t seen her bright face or tasted her good coffee today.
H- She asked for the week off for Easter.
R- Easter was on Sunday.
H- Liz has been working for me for eight years and in that time has taken fourteen days off. She’s due. Besides, it’s not like there’s anyone beating down my door to come see me.
At that moment a young girl barges into Hunter’s office, and closes the door, facing it. She’s wearing what appears to be a Catholic school girl uniform. Hunter doesn’t recognize who the girl is, Robin does.
Robin- Phoebe?
The young girl runs over to Robin, who embraces her as she cries into her chest.
Robin- Hunter, this is my cousin Phoebe. Phoebe, this is my boyfriend Hunter.
Hunter- Hi.
R- Hunter, go get Phoebe something to drink. There should be some Fantas in the fridge in my office.
H- Okay.
Hunter leaves his office and closes the door behind him.
Robin- Okay, Phoebe, sit down in the chair here.
Robin points Phoebe toward Hunter’s desk chair. Phoebe sits down in the chair and begins to wipe the tears from her eyes. Robin sits on one of the file cabinets and says-
Robin- Now Phoebe, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at school?
Phoebe tries to compose herself as Robin patiently waits.
Phoebe- I- I- I just-
Phoebe begins to cry again. Robin kneels down in front of Phoebe and says-
Robin- Phoebe, it’s all right. You can trust me. Take your time and tell me, what is wrong?
Phoebe begins to compose herself again. She takes a deep breath, and says-
Phoebe- I just can’t stand it anymore. I just can’t. The lies, the name calling,
Phoebe points to a tear on her skirt.
Phoebe- they tear my clothes, all of it. It doesn’t stop. Every day this happens. Every single day. No matter what I do or don’t do, they never fucking stop.
Robin- Do your parents know about this?
P- Yes, but they don’t have any good ideas about stopping this.
R- What about teachers, councilors, the administration, they could be of some help.
P- I already tried that. I went to my class councilor, told him what was going on, he told me everything would be all right and to take a lollipop before I left. It didn’t stop, if anything it got worse. I went back to the councilor, this time in tears. His response was the same, everything will be all right, take a lollipop before you leave. That’s when I told my parents. Like I said, they didn’t have any good ideas, besides going back to that councilor. My mom went into his office and pleaded for him to do something, anything. His response, everything will be fine, take a lollipop on your way out.
R- He didn’t do anything? Even with your mom begging him to?
P- No. Not a thing. So my mom went over his head. She went across the hall to the main office and met with the Vice Principal.
R- Why not the Principal?
P- I don’t know. My mom went into the Vice Principal’s office and demanded that he do something about my bullying.
R- What did he say?
P- The whole thing will sort itself out, everything will be fine.
R- He actually said that?
Phoebe begins to tear up.
Phoebe- Yes.
Robin- Bastards. What kind of unapologetic douchebags would do something like that?
Hunter opens the door to his office. He’s been listening to Phoebe’s plight the whole time.
Hunter- The same kind of morons who ran things when I was in school.
Hunter enters his office and puts two bottles of Fanta on his desk.
Hunter- Phoebe, I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to answer me truthfully. What do you think of yourself?
Phoebe thinks for a second.
Phoebe- I don’t know.
Hunter- Yes, you do. What do you think of yourself?
Phoebe thinks for a second.
Phoebe- Not good.
Hunter- Why?
P- No one likes me. None of the kids at school, none of the administration, no one.
H- No Phoebe. That is what others think of you. You can’t base what you think of you based on what others think of you, especially not those people.
P- Why not?
H- Because they’ve prejudged you. They got this initial impression of you as an unworthy troll and are insistent that you stay in that role. No matter what you do, what lengths you go to, they will always think of you in that way. You aren’t the problem in this situation, they are. Now, Phoebe, what do you think of you?
Phoebe thinks for a second.
Phoebe- I think I’m a good person. No, a great person, and I don’t know why they don’t see that.
Hunter- Good. That’s good. You need to remember that it’s what you think of yourself that truly matters. If you think you’re a good person, you are a good person, and if people disagree, fuck them.
Phoebe’s face begins to become more optimistic. She stands up from Hunter’s chair and says-
Phoebe- Yeah, you’re right. Thanks Robin.
Phoebe gives Robin a quick peck. Then she makes her way to the door.
Phoebe- Thanks Hunter.
Phoebe gives Hunter a quick peck, grabs one of the Fantas off Hunter’s desk, then leaves. Robin sets down in Hunter’s chair and says-
Robin- You know, that’s some wisdom you just dropped right there.
Hunter- Yeah. It took me a long time to figure that out. I wish someone had told me that when I was in school.
Robin- True. You want a Fanta, there should be another in my fridge.
Hunter- No there’s not.
Hunter gets a sly look on his face.
Robin- You drank my Fanta, didn’t you?
H- Yes.
R- Well, for that, I’m going to jump on your characters head.
Hunter holds up his fingers and says-
Hunter- Well I’m crushing your head, flathead!
The two laugh as the scene ends.
END SCENE
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