SHE REACHED FOR HEAVEN HEATHER - Side 2 60.

JES (CONT’D)
Everyone is. But we don't have to suffer alone.
I don't wanna suffer alone.

Everyone picks up their chairs,

the music modulates to a
choreographed a capella chorus of
triumph and connection.

Cody enters and watches with

disappointment as Jes engages with
the group and ignores him.

GROUP
THERE’S A LIFELINE
WAITING IN THE DARK TO CATCH YOU
THERE’S A LIFELINE
EVEN WHEN YOU’RE IN THE SHADOWS
SEE THE LIGHT SHINE
THERE’S A LIFELINE
IN THE DARK
A LIFELINE IN THE DARK
A LIFELINE IN THE DARK
A LIFELINE IN THE DARK

JES
A LIFELINE IN THE DARK

The song ends. A playoff

underscores a transition.

THE LOCKERS

Heather is alone by her locker.

She checks to see if anyone is
watching, then opens the locker
adjacent to hers. She looks
through the things with nostalgia,
then takes out a DVD box set of
START Charmed.

RUBY
What are you doing?

HEATHER
Oh, I’m--

RUBY
Is that Jes’s locker?

HEATHER
I was just--

RUBY
Honey. You’ve gotta move on. You are so much
better off without her.
(MORE)
SHE REACHED FOR HEAVEN 61.
RUBY (CONT’D)
(Then)
Don’t look now, but here comes your boyfriend.

HEATHER
He’s not my boyfriend...

Gabriel approaches and slaps

Heather’s ass.

GABRIEL
Hey bologna.

HEATHER
I told you not to call me that.

RUBY
Why bologna?

GABRIEL
Last time we got stoned, she ate an entire
package.

HEATHER
I did not eat the whole package.

RUBY
You guys are too cute.
(then)
Hey Gabriel. Who am I?

Ruby stumbles and groans like a

zombie.

RUBY (CONT’D)
Bahghghfhfhfhgh.

Gabriel laughs.

GABRIEL
Ooooh shit. That’s the best Jes impression I’ve
seen. And I’ve seen a lot.

Ruby imitates Jes some more.

Gabriel laughs.

HEATHER
That’s not funny.

RUBY
Jeez, way to bring down the vibe.

HEATHER
Don’t you feel like we may’ve been too hard on
Jes? Maybe we should’ve helped her.
SHE REACHED FOR HEAVEN 62.

RUBY
Girl, you gotta get yourself some boundaries.
(Then)
The bitch stole money out of our lockers.

HEATHER
She lost her mom last year.

RUBY
Boo hoo. We all have problems, babe. That’s
life.

HEATHER
Jes is my friend.

RUBY
Heather. I’m already being nice by forgiving
you for putting that mess back on the team and
ruining our homecoming game. You need to choose
what’s important to you. Being captain next
year? Or being friends with an addict.

HEATHER
(coming to a realization)
Do you actually care about anyone?

RUBY
Excuse me.

HEATHER
You never gave a shit about Jes. She was just
one more person for you to boss around. Just
like me.

RUBY
Keep up that kind of talk and I’m taking you
off the team. You can say goodbye to being
captain. And you can definitely forget about
coming to another senior party.

HEATHER
You know what. You can have you stupid cheer
team. Cheeronymos is a dumb name anyway.

RUBY
How dare you.

HEATHER
That time everyone found unflushed poop in the
locker room toilet and blamed you. That was me.

Ruby gasps.

HEATHER (CONT’D)
It wasn’t on purpose. But I wish it had been.
 SHE REACHED FOR HEAVEN 63.

RUBY
You disgust me.

HEATHER
Good. ‘Cause I don’t want to spend another
minute with such a judgy, stuck up, self
absorbed--

Ruby’s gone. Gabriel’s mouth hangs

open.

GABRIEL
That was hot.

HEATHER
Get out of here.

GABRIEL
Call me.

Heather beckons for Gabriel to

END scram. He does. Heather is alone.
Music in. Heather opens up her
phone and makes a call.

HEATHER
EVEN THOUGH
MY LIFE’S A SHIT SHOW
AND MY JOKES ALL BLOW
YOU’RE IN THE FRONT ROW
CHEERIN’AS I BOMB
‘CAUSE YOU’RE THERE BOMBING NEXT TO ME
WHERE’S MY PARTNER IN CATASTROPHE...

Lights come up on Jes. She looks

at her phone and silences it.

Lights reveal Jes to be in a group

session with Howard, Sarah,
Elaine, and Mark.

MARK
So there I was, butt ass naked in the middle of
the road. And in my mind, I’m ready to get
beamed up. I could see the lights in the sky
and I was waving my arms to try to signal them.
‘Course it wasn’t until later I realized I was
just staring at a streetlamp. But I made it on
the local news,

SARAH
That was you!? Yo. I remember that.

HOWARD
The spaceship boy.