FRANKIE LINES

ENSEMBLE: LA LA LA LA…

Merry Christmas from the Healys!

MJ: …Nick has been accepted early to Harvard!

Woo!! Boo ya!!

STEVE: …Is there a time slot that works for you?

Dad, you’re home?

MJ: I tried to write “Nick” on them in agave syrup but it looks more like…

“Dick”

MJ: Okay, Frankie… but those shorts are a bit much

The Puritans are alive and well in Connecticut.

STEVE: MJ, please don’t start. I’m missing work so we can have a nice breakfast.

You’re obsessed with my shorts, but you haven’t asked one question about the sign I made.

STEVE: Does anyone want some more syrup?

SMAAC is protesting today because we think the school should provide free tampons and pads for students.

MJ: …Actually we made blondies.

Of course they were blondies. Even your brownies are Caucasian.

ANDREW: It’s at five a.m. We’ll still be drunk!

Anyone want to stay for the meeting? All are welcome!

JO: Packed house today

We’ll get some members eventually.

JO: You look like the beginning of a Zoloft commercial.

I got in yet another fight with M.J. She’s the literal worst.

JO: No way, your mom is iconic… I live for it.

It’s funny to you, because you don’t have to cohabit with the woman. Every day she finds a new way to remind me that Nick is her greatest accomplishment and I’m the adoption fail. Like, the second I came down to breakfast she started complaining about my shorts. It’s sixty-eight degrees in December. Might as well enjoy the climate emergency!

JO: Look, it could be worse… In the name of Fox News, amen.

She’s still holding out hope, huh?

JO: This morning she was like… “the Talbots catalog threw up on you?”

Why are our parents so obsessed with who they want us to be?

JO: I know, right?

I guess not everyone is going to understand.

LILY: Oh, is this new?

Really?

JO: AND THE OTHER ONE IS GIVING A PEACE SIGN

A peace sign? What year is this?

TEACHER: …Frankie what have you prepared for us today? More poetry?

Kind of. It’s like an essay-poem-story-type-thi…

A hideous mutant! I see. Well, please, unleash the chimera

Wow. Okay…

TEACHER: She’s right, though.

Can I please finish my piece?

PHOENIX: How about you guys let her finish?

No. I’m done.

PHOENIX: Look, they’re projecting their insecurity… their only defense is to hyperliteral.

Do I know you?

That’s enough, Frankie, Phoenix.

Your name is Phoenix?

PHOENIX: I think you forgot something.

Oh. Hey, thanks for that. I want to be a writer someday, so I actually care what people say about my stuff.

PHOENIX: I understood your piece.

Who are you, and why are you being so strangely nice to me?

I’m a casual fan. Hey, are you going to that party tonight?

Lancer’s? Nah, I don’t really do those red cup parties.

PHOENIX: I might go.

Yeah, me too.

ENSEMBLE: SO PURE, SUCH AN EXPRESSION (repeat)

I’m kinda surprised you wanted to come to this.

NICK: I’m kinda surprised you wanted to come to this.

Maybe we’ve both been missing out on an essential part of the high school experience.

NICK: Where’s Jo?

Her mom dragged her to some church thing.

BELLA: Holy shit, you came! ‘Sup, Frnakie?

Hey.

PHOENIX: You came!

I did! … Not sure I’m feeling this party.

PHOENIX: So, when are you going to let me read some more of your writing?

I mean… whenever. I just - I get self-conscious sharing it. The only person I ever really show my stuff to is my brother Nick.

PHOENIX: Are you close with your whole family?

Well. It’s complicated. I’m adopted. And people act like my parents are heroes or something just for wanting me. My mom always says she “doesn’t see color.”

Yikes.

Yeah. But she doesn’t get why that’s so messed up. She grew up a really long time ago. In the ‘80s.

PHOENIX: Is your brother adopted too?

Oh, have you not seen Captain America? No. Nick is the homegrown hero. But after my mom had him she couldn’t get pregnant again so m parents went to Catholic Family Services and I’ve been fucking up their lives ever since!

PHOENIX: Good times. Well, I have this theory that happy families only exist in orange juice commercials and Utah.

What’s your situation?

PHOENIX: I live with my mom… I help my mom take care of her, most of the time.

That’s definitely not an orange juice commercial.

PHOENIX: Nope.

Do you wish you had a different family?

PHOENIX: No. I love them. It’s more like. I wish I was a different person.

Yeah! I know exactly what you mean.

PHOENIX: Like if I was a better kid I’d have it all figured out. I could fix things at home… My dad might still call me…

…My mom might still love me.

JO: So. How was the party?

Typical teenage ratfuck.

JO: … Did you see that guy?

What guy?

JO: That new kid who’s clearly into you… I think he had drool on his shoes.

Oh. Ha. Yeah, he was there. I don’t know… I left early.

JO: … Nice caption, huh? People are such assholes.

This isn’t okay. We should do something about this. Hold people accountable. And we should check on Bella… and, like, tell her we have her back…

JO: Like… right now?

Remember our mission statement for SMAAC? “We will endeavor to protect the voiceless and be proactive about reaching out.”

JO: We’re the only ones in the club, Frankie.

Yeah, because no one else cares.

BELLA: I’ll sign your petition or whatever, it’s just not a good time.

No, it’s not anything like that.

BELLA: …You want my to autograph one?

If you want to talk about it -

JO: That’s fair.

We just want to let you know we’re here for you. It’s not okay that people did that without your consent.

BELLA: Did Nick say something to you about what happened?

Nick?

BELLA: …That must be when the photoshoot happened

Who took those pictures?

JO: Are you okay?

Do you remember anything after that? How did you get home?

BELLA: I don’t even think he used a condom…

That’s rape.

What? I’m just a fucking idiot.

No you’re not. Did you tell your mom?

BELLA: Why do you even care what happened to me?

Because it could happen to any of us.

ENSEMBLE: …WILL YOU WASH YOUR HANDS CLEAN OF THIS?

Did you get my text?

NICK: I can’t deal with this right now. I’m sick.

Hungover. Don’t you have anything to say about what I texted you?

NICK: Shh. Mom’s mutant hearing. Why did you even go over there?

Did you see what happened, Nick?

NICK: Everyone was drunk, Frankie. Including Bella.

But she was passed out. Right?

I’ve known Bella since the third grade. She’s always been dramatic.

Are you saying you don’t believe her? Is this some kind of bro code shit?

You shouldn’t get involved with this.

YOU LIKE SNOW BUT ONLY IF IT”S WARM….TO YOU.

NICK: This has nothing to do with me. Or you.

She wasn’t able to say yes. Why didn’t you look out for her?

NICK: Why am i expected to look out for everyone? You, Mom, Bella - I’m fucking sick of it!
MJ: What s going on in here?
NICK: Don’t say anything.

Mom. You know Bella? She-

NICK: She’s claiming that Andrew… assaulted her.
MJ: Andrew Montgomery? What do you mean, assaulted?

She was raped. Andrew forced himself on her while she was unconscious. Bella says Nick was hanging out with them at the party. He saw how drunk she was. Nick needs to go to the police!

MJ: Frankie, you can’t just go calling the police…We’re all responsible for our own actions.

What!?

MJ: A girl got drunk and someone took advantage of her…I wouldn’t make this your cause of the week.

Cause of the week? Why did I think you would understand?

PHOENIX: …It had five hearts. They were all still beating.

Jo!

STEVE: You had a boy over here? In my house?

I had a friend over.

MJ: Was this your first time?

I don’t have to you that! I have agency over my own body!

MJ: Agency… what do you even mean!?

Yeah, you would be unclear on “agency.”

MJ: You’e too young to be doing this. Especially with a boy you just met.

What if it was girl? I’m bisexual. Did you know that?

MJ: Now you’re just trying to shock us.

You know, it’s crazy how you don’t have any problem with what happened to Bella, but when I choose to have sex with someone I care about it’s a crime. I chose this.

MJ: You didn’t choose this… that could happen to you too!

You don’t get it.

MJ: What are you doing?

None of your business.

STEVE: Actually it is. You’re our child.

I’m not your child! Look at me! You don’t own me just because you have a piece of paper in a file folder somewhere.

STEVE: Frankie!

Is that even my real name? You though you could straighten my hair and erase all the parts of me you didn’t like -

MJ: Honey, we -

You thought it you raised me around all white kids that I’d turn out like you. Well, I’m glad I didn’t. You guys, Nick… you live in a bubble. Or one of your perfect, stupid Christmas ornaments. You only see what you want to see.

STEVE: Where is this coming from? All we have ever done is love you.

Oh, right. I should be grateful. The poor Black child that you saved. I know you love how woke it makes you look. That’s why you adopted me, right?

MJ: Frankie, we wanted a child! We didn’t care about the color.

No kidding.

A VOICE: …YOU REDUCE ME TO COSMIC TEARS

Phoenix, hey. Did you get my text?

PHOENIX: No, sorry…

I’m in New York! In the East Village! I think. Ugh, my parents won’t stop calling.

PHOENIX: What?

I just ran away from home.

PASSERBY 1: You’re in the middle of the sidewalk!

I couldn’t take it anymore. I can’t deal with any of them.

PASSERBY 2: Will you sign our petition to stop the pipeline?
PHOENIX: My sister’s having a problem with her G-tube.

What?

PHOENIX: It’s a thing. She can’t eat normally. Just a second, Mom!

You should come here! You got your car fixed, right?

PHOENIX: Yeah, but I kind of… can’t? It’s like, a Tuesday?

Come on. We could go to the Great Lawn and look at the stars. I think Central Park is somewhere around here?

PHOENIX: Look, I gotta go.

Are you mad at me or something?

PHOENIX: No, of course not. It’s just that things got kind of heavy for a minute there. Jo was pissed at us. Is she like, your girlfriend?

I don’t want to talk about that. I love you. Aren’t you going to say it?

PHOENIX: I can’t. Yet.

What?

PHOENIX: … I want it to be the right time…

Can this be the right time? I kind of need to hear it.

PHOENIX: This is so new.

Right… I guess it was fun to hook up with me, but loving me - that’s impossible, right?

PHOENIX: Frankie, you know I’m not like that! I think you’re so beautiful, I just -

I should have known.

ENSEMBLE: …BOTTOM BOTTOM BOTTOM BOTTOM

Oh God. Thanks for coming. I didn’t have money for the train, and then my debit card didn’t work, and I wasn’t about to break down and call home… Where’s Dottie the Datsun?

I’m parked right around the corner.

Awesome. That was pretty crazy. Back at my house. I’m surprised you even showed up.

JO: I’m your best friend. I’m not going to leave you stranded in a neighborhood you can’t even name.

But you’re mad.

JO: Can you guess why? Or are you so far up your own ass these days that you don’t even know?

I’m really sorry. I was going to tell you -

JO: And yet you didn’t. Because you knew what you were doing was wrong.

I didn’t think I was going to fall in love with him…

JO: Love. Well congratulations, Frankie. … I’m clearly not as legit as your fuckboy Phoenix.

That’s not what I’m saying, Jo. I just didn’t think you and I were in an exclusive relationship.

JO: Right. Why would you take “this” seriously?

You know I didn’t mean it like that.