SUE (a painful memory)
Prom ... It was meant to be a celebration – the biggest night of our lives. It was supposed to be the end of one chapter, and the beginning of another...
(FIGURES emerge from the shadows.)
KIDS, MISS GARDNER & MR. STEPHENS (whispered)
YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET
IT’S GONNA BE A NIGHT WE’LL NEVER FORGET YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET
IT’S GONNA BE A NIGHT WE’LL NEVER FORGET FRIEDA, SUE,
CARRIE, TOMMY, STEPHENS & STOKES YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET IT’S GONNA BE A NIGHT WE’LL
NEVER FORGET
YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET
NORMA, FREDDY, CHRIS, GEORGE &
GARDNER OH OH OH OH. OH OH OH OH. OH OH OH OH. HELEN OH. OH. OH. BILLY OH. YEAH. YEAH. KIDS
IT’S GONNA BE A NIGHT WE’LL NEVER FORGET
(Memory takes over, as SUE is once again back in the past.) KIDS
HOLY SHIT! SENIOR PROM’S JUST A FEW DAYS AWAY HELEN
I’VE HAD NOTHING TO EAT SINCE YESTERDAY NORMA
FRIEDA & HELEN
ALL I CARE’S I’LL BE THERE WITH THE BEST-LOOKIN’ GUY FREDDY
IF SHE ASKS ME TO DANCE, I SWEAR I’LL DIE! NORMA
I WILL NEVER LOOK BACK ONCE I FIN’LLY SAY GOODBYE GIRLS
THIS WILL BE JUST GREAT!
KIDS OH, MY LIFE IS GONNA TAKE FLIGHT
GIRLS CAN’T WAIT TIL SATURDAY NIGHT
KIDS YEAH!
(MISS GARDNER attempts to teach a class – in vain.) STOKES EIGHTY BUCKS FOR A TUX?!
BOYS DAMN, WE BETTER GET LAID!
FRIEDA (to BOYS)
YOU’VE BEEN PRAYIN’ FOR THAT SINCE SEVENTH GRADE GEORGE
Yeah.
BOYS
IT’S THE LEAST WE DESERVE AFTER EVERYTHING WE’VE PAID `GIRLS
(exchanging a head-wag) Sad!
NORMA GOT THE BOOZE
STOKES GOT THE WEED
GEORGE & HELEN GOT THE LIMO FOR TEN
KIDS AND WE WON’T GET A CHANCE LIKE THIS AGAIN
MISS GARDNER Sit down!
BOYS
WE’LL BE LEAVING AS BOYS, BUT WE’RE COMING HOME AS MEN! KIDS
THIS WILL BE JUST GREAT
YEAH, MY LIFE IS GONNA TAKE FLIGHT CAN’T WAIT (I CAN’T WAIT)
TIL SATURDAY NIGHT
(Exasperated, GARDNER exits.) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET
IT’S GONNA BE A NIGHT WE’LL NEVER FORGET TOMMY, SUE, STOKES & GIRLS
YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET IT’S GONNA BE A
NIGHT WE’LL NEVER FORGET
FREDDY & GEORGE WOAH
OO-OH
NIGHT WE’LL NEVER FORGET (SUE passes GIRLS who, seeing her, stop talking – clearly about her. FRIEDA runs after her.)
FRIEDA God, Sue – everybody’s talking.
SUE Let them. I don’t care.
FRIEDA I can’t believe you’re going to miss your own Senior Prom.
SUE C’mon, it’s just one night.
(TOMMY’S PALS surround him.)
STOKES You’re taking Scary White to Prom?!
TOMMY Look, I know it sounds a little crazy.
FREDDY Have you lost your frickin’ mind?
GEORGE Yeah, if you were that desperate, why didn’t you just ask me?
(off the GUYS’ stares) What?!
(smacking TOMMY’s butt) Joking!
TOMMY, SUE & KIDS YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET
IT’S GONNA BE A NIGHT WE’LL NEVER FORGET CARRIE (experimenting with makeup)
I BET OTHER GIRLS ALREADY KNOW THE WAYS TO GET THEIR SKIN TO GLOW AND I CAN LEARN
I’M NOT SURE HOW ALL THESE COLORS MIX THOSE OTHER GIRLS, THEY’VE GOT THEIR TRICKS BUT I CAN LEARN
IT’S MY TURN ON SATURDAY NIGHT!
(MR. STEPHENS enters with MISS GARDNER.) MR. STEPHENS You honestly think Sue put Tommy up to this?
MISS GARDNER I’m sure of it.
MR. STEPHENS Why in God’s name would she do such a thing?
MISS GARDNER That’s what I intend to find out.
MR. STEPHENS What about Chris – is she still giving you grief?
MISS GARDNER Not a peep.
(a beat)
Which honestly worries me even more…
(CHRIS furtively enters the dimly lit gym shining a flashlight.) CHRIS
THAT’S WHAT I BELIEVE
BUT I JUST DON’T FORGIVE AND FORGET
(She signals the coast is clear, and BILLY follows, lugging a steel pail.) I DON’T TURN THE OTHER CHEEK
FOR SOME PATHETIC FREAK
CARRIE WHITE’S GOT A LOT TO REGRET
(BILLY stumbles, and liquid sloshes onto the floor.) Watch it – you’re getting blood everywhere, you stupid shit!
BILLY
Who’re you calling “stupid shit”? This whole thing was your idea!
CHRIS
Damn straight, it was. And it’s gonna be good!
KIDS NEVER FORGET…
NEVER FORGET...
(BILLY dips a finger in the pail, and it comes up red with blood. He paints her cheek with stripes like a tribal warrior.)
BILLY
OLD MAN HENRY HAD A FARM EE YI EE YI OH
KIDS NEVER FORGET... (CHRIS follows suit – streaking his face, too.)
CHRIS AND ON THAT FARM…
KIDS NEVER FORGET.... CHRIS & BILLY
…WE KILLED A PIG!
BILLY EE YI EE YI CHRIS EE YI EE YI BILLY EE YI EE YI
CHRIS & BILLY OH! OH! OH! OH!
(Things turn sexual between them.)
KIDS OH! OH! OH! OH!
OH! OH!
(SUE and CARRIE appear in separate spaces.) CARRIE (making her dress)
I NEVER DREAMED THAT I COULD GO WHEN HE FIRST ASKED AND I SAID NO
CARRIE (CONT’D) HE ASKED ME TWICE HE ASKED ME TWICE
SUE WHEN TOMMY ASKED ME OF COURSE, I TOLD HIM YES SUE
NOW HE’LL NEVER KNOW, I GUESS,
HOW I MIGHT HAVE LOOKED IN MY BLUE DRESS CARRIE
I MIGHT LOOK NICE
SUE
I MIGHT HAVE LOOKED NICE
(CHRIS aims her flashlight to guide BILLY who’s climbing to the ceiling with a coil of rope over one shoulder.)
CARRIE, NORMA, FRIEDA & TOMMY THIS WILL BE JUST GREAT
WE’RE GETTING THERE, BUT NOT QUITE CAN’T WAIT
TIL SATURDAY NIGHT!
CHRIS, HELEN, FREDDY, GEORGE & STOKES THIS WILL BE GREAT NOT QUITE TIL
SATURDAY NIGHT ALL KIDS
YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET
IT’S GONNA BE A NIGHT WE’LL NEVER FORGET YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET
IT’S GONNA BE A NIGHT WE’LL NEVER FORGET CARRIE, HELEN, SUE,
STOKES & TOMMY
YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET IT’S GONNA BE A NIGHT WE’LL NEVER FORGET
YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET IT’S GONNA BE
A NIGHT WE’LL NEVER
NORMA, FRIEDA, FREDDY & GEORGE THIS WILL BE GREAT OH!
THIS WILL BE GREAT A NIGHT WE’LL NEVER
CHRIS & BILLY OH—
OH— TOMMY, SUE, CHRIS, BILLY & KIDS
NO NEVER
(A rope drops from the rafters. CHRIS hooks the bucket to it and signals BILLY, who, from above, hoists it up into the shadows.)
TOMMY, SUE, CHRIS, BILLY & KIDS (CONT’D) A NIGHT WE’LL NEVER FORGET!
Scene 2: Interrogation Space/School Hallway (WHOOSH! The LIGHT hits SUE.)
SUE (anguished)
If only… if only…
MALE VOICE (O.S.) “If only” what…?
SUE
If only that day in the shower hadn't happened; if only I hadn't asked Tommy to take Carrie to the Prom; if only somebody had listened … and paid attention…
MISS GARDNER (from the shadows)
Sue?
SUE If only I could go back and—
MISS GARDNER Sue, are you listening?
(LIGHTS change. SUE turns to find GARDNER questioning TOMMY.) SUE
Sorry...?
MISS GARDNER Well? Why did Tommy ask Carrie to Prom?
SUE
I thought we could help her – get her to join in, and I don’t know – MISS GARDNER Make her “a part of things?” What could you possibly be thinking?
SUE This is really none of your business.
MISS GARDNER Excuse me?
SUE What is the big deal?
MISS GARDNER It is a very “big deal” to Carrie!
(to TOMMY)
And don’t you think you’re going to look just a little ridiculous when you show up to Prom with her? SUE
We don’t care how we look. Right, Tommy?
TOMMY Well… now that you mention it.
SUE Seriously? Oh, great!
MISS GARDNER Clearly, you two have a lot to discuss.
(a parting shot)
Listen to me, and listen good: hurt Carrie in any way, and you’ll have me to answer to. (She exits.)
MUSIC 15A: I’M JUST DISAPPOINTED (UNDERSCORE)
SUE I thought we were on the same page about this.
TOMMY We are!
SUE Then why are you having second thoughts?
(faltering)
Tommy, you don’t have to go through with this if you don’t want to. TOMMY
Look, I said I’d do it, and I will.
SUE I thought we agreed to help Carrie, and now you’re mad at me.
TOMMY
I’m not mad. I’m just ... disappointed. I wanted to take my girl to Prom. SUE
TOMMY
Listen to me. All this high-school drama -- all this stuff -- none of it means anything. Before you know it, it’s all gonna be over.
SUE What about us? Are we going to be over, too?
TOMMY
What? Is that what you’re worried about? Babe, a month from now, we’ll be off backpacking through Europe, and all this will seem like ancient history.
SUE Promise?
TOMMY I promised I’d show you the world, didn’t I?
(taking her hand) Come with me.
SUE What are you doing?
TOMMY Just come on.
(As they exit, LIGHTS up on…) Scene 3: Gymnasium
(MR. STEPHENS supervises the KIDS who enter carrying Prom decorations.) KIDS
(a capella)
HAIL, ALMA MATER
OH MOTHER, WE SALUTE YOU, (etc.)
(NORMA hands MR. STEPHENS a box of ballots.) NORMA Here you go, Mr. Stephens.
MR. STEPHENS Thanks for picking up the ballots, Norma – I really appreciate it.
NORMA Oh, anything you need, Mr. Stephens, just ask.
(flirting shamelessly) Anything at all.
FRIEDA
Hey, you guys – leave the decorations. We’ll finish them after lunch. STOKES
Last one out gets the lights!
GEORGE (flicking the lights off, excitedly)
Chicken patties!
(All exit except NORMA. Once she’s alone, she signals off to CHRIS, who joins her in the shadows.)
CHRIS Did you do what I told you?
NORMA Don’t I always?
(She hands CHRIS a stack of brightly-colored Prom ballots.) All fixed and ready to go.
(CHRIS fans the ballots with pleasure.)
CHRIS You’re such a good friend, Norma.
(They’re startled by SUE and TOMMY’s approaching voices.) SUE (O.S.)
Tommy!
TOMMY (O.S.) Shh – go with me on this…
(CHRIS and NORMA slip out, unseen.) (TOMMY leads SUE into the darkened gym.)
TOMMY (CONT’D) Keep your eyes shut one more sec. Wait here.
(crossing to the light switch) Okay, you can open them – now!
(He flicks on the LIGHTS, and she opens her eyes to see the half-decorated gym.) SUE
Oh, my God!
TOMMY