Laurie Saunders Lines

mr. gabondis French class

laurie

well I can only you that after the war the Germans claimed they know nothing of the concentration camps or the killings

but eric’s right. how could the germans sit back while the Nazis slaughtered people all around them and say they didn’t know about it? how could they do that? how could they even say that?

come on Laurie we have to get down to the cafeteria first. you know how long the line gets

ill catch up later

fine (kids leave except Robert)

i cant even believe that all the nazis were that cruel. I don’t believe anyone could be that cruel

after the war many Nazis tried to excuse their behavior by claiming they were only following orders and that they would have been killed themselves if they hadnt

no that’s no excuse. they could have run away. they could have fought back. they had their own eyes and their own minds. they could think for themselves. nobody would follow an order like that.

but that’s what they said

its sick just totally sick

he had already wolfed down half his lunch by the time (Laurie walks in and sits next to David)

hi

(David points out Robert)

do you think there’s something really wrong with him

I don’t know he’s been pretty strange for as long as I can remember…its just weird that he and his brother could come from the same family

did I ever tell you that my mother knows his mother

his mother ever talk about him

no. except I think she told me once that they had him tested and he really does have a normal I.Q. hes not really dumb or anything

just weird…which is it

that film, it really bothers me. doesn’t it bother you

yeah sure…to me its like a peice of history. you cant change what happened then

but you cant forget it

well about keeping her company while you talk about boring football

theres room for two

what about the movie

do you have to tell everybody

well its true isn’t it

oh just leave me alone

(laurie gets up) where you going

i have to go work on the grapevine

wait i’ll go with you (Carl enters as Laurie and Amy leave)

oh you two

something illegal going on in here?

im going to the office. neither of you has handed in your assignments for this issue

ill drive you to the airport

those two

thats good Brian…know the official name of the party

(Laurie stands) The National Socialist…

you have to say Mr.ross

oh yeah, Mr.ross the national socialist German workers party

that evening Laurie saunders told her parents about her last two days of history class

it was incredible everyone was saluting and repeating the motto. you couldn’t help but get caught up in it. you know really wanting to make it work. feeling all that energy building around you

I don’t think I like it laurie. it sounds to militarilistic to me

oh mom you always take things the wrong way. its nothing like that. honest, you’d just have to be there feeling the positive energy in the class to really get what’s going on.

to tell you the truth i’m for whatever will make these kids pay attention to anything these days

and that’s what its really doing. Mom even the bad kids are into it. you know robert billings, the class creep, even he’s part of the group. no one’s picked on him for two whole days. tell me that isn’t positive

I didn’t say that it was wrong to cooperate. but still people have to do things in their own way. you talk about the greatness of this country and you’re talking about people who weren’t afraid to act s individuals

mom I really think you’re taking this the wrong way. Mr. Ross has just found a way to get everybody involved. and we’re still doing our homework. its not like we’ve forgotten about history

midge, don’t you think you’re taking all this a little too seriously. a little bit of community spirit is a terrific thing for these kids

thats right Mom haven’t you always said that I was a little too independent

honey just remember that the popular thing isn’t always the right thing

oh mom either you’re being stubborn or you just don’t understand this at all

you don’t think its dangerous to allow a teacher to manipulate students like that.

mr.ross isn’t manipulating us. hes one of my best teachers. he knows what he’s doing, and as far as i’m concerned what he’s doing is for the class’s good. I wish some of my other teachers were as interesting

where’s David tonight, isn’t he coming over?

he’s home studying tomorows’s history asssignment

david studying? now there’s something to be concerned about (dad does wave salute its wrong)

No, like this (do wave salute)

im telling you this is just what the football team needs

what the football team needs is a quarterback who can pass, a running back who doesn’t fumble, a couple of linebackers who sent afraid to tackle, and—-

stop it i’m serious. I got the team into it yesterday. the guys really responded to it, I mean its not like we improved in only one practice, but I could feel it. I could really feel the team spirit. even coach Schiller was impressed. he said we were like a new team

my mother says it sounds like brainwashing to her…she says Mr.ross is manipulating us

she’s crazy. how could she know? and besides, what do you care what your mother says? you know she worries about everything

i didn’t say I agreed with her

well you didn’t say you disagreed with her either

i was telling you what she said

its not time for report cards

its a wave membership card

(turn over cards do not get “x”, raise hand) yes Laurie?

uh, what’s the point of this

aren’t you forgetting something

oh, right. mr.ross what’s the point of these cards

Strength through discipline, community, action. scene change

does anyone feel kinda strange about this

we’re all equal. we’re all part of the same community.

do you think everyone likes that

do you know anyone who doesn’t

well, i’m not sure I do

hey don’t forget he was holding up his wave membership card with the red x on the back

forget what

scene change to grapevine office

ok we’ve got the same problem as usual. the paper is due out next week but we don’t have enough stories. Jeanie, you were supposed to do a fashion story on the latest clothes. where is it.

oh nobody’s wearing anything interesting this year its always the same thing: jeans and sneakers and t shirts

well then write about how there are no new styles this year, Alex..Alex!

uh yeah

alex this is supposed to be an editorial meeting

really

okay so wheres your record view for this issue

it fell through I had to go to Hong Kong instead

i suppose you had to go to Hong Kong with him

no I made the trip to Argentina as scheduled

i see. I suppose the rest of you have been to busy hopping around the globe to get anything written aswell

I went to the movies

did you write a review?

no it was too good

too good?

its no fun writing reviews of good movies

does anyone have anything

some kid in the tenth grade…punch a hole in a window and not cut yourself

did he do it

well what about it laurie

the wave?

or are you just saving the good ones for yourself

i don’t know if anyone knows enough about it yet

what do you mean you’re in the wave aren’t you?

well yes I am, but i still…I still don’t know

I mean a lot of kids are wondering what it is

ok you’re right. i’ll try to explain what it is. but in he meantime I want you all to do something. since we still have a few days before the paper has to come out. try to find out everything you can about what kids think of the wave

I met elaie billings at the supermarket today and she told me Robert is a completely new person

was she worried

it almost sounds like he’s joined a cult or something

what do you mean

their almost always people who are unhappy with themselves and their lives. they look at the cult as a way of changing starting over of lliterally being born again. how else do you explain the change in robert

but what’s wrong with that mom

he wont be able to function outside of school where the wave doesn’t exist

well you don’t have to worry about me mom. I don’t think i’m as crazy about it as I was a couple of days ago

no I didn’t think you would be. once you thought about it for a while

so what’s the problem

the problem is everyone else at school still takes it seriously

oh mom you’re the one who’s taking this too seriously. do you want to know what I think. I think its just a fad. in two months no one will even remember what the wave was

mrs Billings told me that they’re organizing a wave rally for Friday afternoon

its just a pep rally for the football game on Saturday. the only difference is they’re calling it a wave rally instead of a pep rally

at which they will formally indoctrinate two hundred new members

mom listen to me. you’re really getting paranoid about this whole thing. nobody’s indoctrinating anyone.