Gossip Flashcards
TEENS: Wow!
When a person leaves a place, sometimes they go to be someone else. Or, at least, that’s what she told us. Her name was—
TIM: I got it. Let me see. What do we have here?
It was Tim’s responsibility to take her around. Make sure she got to each of her classes. Make sure that she wasn’t eating alone at lunch. And then make sure she was okay at the end of the day. It was between AP Calculus and Biology II when she first met Dallas.
DALLAS: Oh. Well, so nice to meet you.
The way she looked at Dallas, it was all right there. It was a hunger. Like an animal.
DALLAS: Okay. Hey, walk me to my locker?
TIM: Sure.
The twins saw it, also. It was so quick. So intense. You could see it in her eyes.
DALLAS: I don’t know. Some people find it annoying, I guess. No, I’m glad. So, they’ll be there. And Andy.
GOSSIP: Andy’s nice.
She was lying. Right there. I can see it now. She was blatantly lying. She didn’t like me.
GOSSIP: One’s as cute as the other.
DALLAS: Right?
GOSSIP: Right.
It was wild how Dallas and Gossip hit it off. Like mad. I didn’t really see anything wrong with it. I just thought they were becoming friends. But the motive masked it all.
DALLAS: Huh. I thought I heard something, but oh—hmm—maybe I didn’t.
(Stands.) The thing about a snap is you hear it—the warning—but then you doubt that you heard anything and then forget about it. I wish Dallas hadn’t forgotten. But, after that moment, and through the next couple of weeks, behind everyone’s back, Gossip changed towards Dallas. She wasn’t cool anymore. She actually became annoying. Dependent. Overbearing. Dallas didn’t tell us, though. She was showing Gossip grace because she was new.
DALLAS: Gossip! Stop screaming at me! Seriously. Just leave me alone for one second! I can’t —think! Jeez! Just leave me alone!
Nice people like Dallas, they’re fine until they’re pushed to far. ‘Cause when pushed, they fill up with frustration, like filling up a water balloon. They’re fine as you’re filling them… until boom. They burst. They just can’t help it.
(After Dallas’ outburst)
GOSSIP: Sure. I’ll catch you later, okay?
DALLAS: Okay.
(Stands.) Gossip had exactly what she wanted. She had planned it all from the start. She claimed Dallas as her hero, and then she forced her to slap her hand. Any other person would get their hand slapped and say I’m sorry. But not Gossip. When you slapped her hand, she slapped you in the face. It was like gas in a gas tank. And that’s all she needed to begin. So, she just went. On a road rage.
GOSSIP: Yeah, she did. And I saw the drama teacher already give her a script and cast her as Julie in the fall play. Just F-Y-I.
Again. There she is. Lying. And now holding hands with manipulation.
CANDY: I don’t want to get burnt.
KAINE: Candy. It’s just a saying.
CANDY: Oh.
ANDY: (Stands.) Gossip pulled away from Dallas. They were civil to each other, but they didn’t hang out like they had before. Dallas told me she was sorry that it had gone down that way, but deep down, I think she was happy about it. Gossip had exhausted her.
DALLAS: Hey, Tim.
ANDY: And she started looking like it.
DALLAS: Can I get a rain check for tonight? I’m not feeling so good. I’m just so tired.
TIM: Sure.
DALLAS: I’ll call you later.
ANDY: But she didn’t call him.
GOSSIP: Let’s just say that she has more in common with Tracy than Julie. Tracy’s torn. And Dallas knows about a love triangle.
TIM: A love triangle?
ANDY: (Stands and pulls out a red baseball cap hidden in his back pocket.) It began to spread to me. (Puts on the red baseball cap.) I didn’t know if she wanted me out, or if I was a part of her alliance against Dallas. (Joins the scene.)
GOSSIP: Tim, I’m so sorry. But she told me straight out that she has a crush on— Andy! Hmm. Funny. We were just talking about you. So, I’ll see ya. For practice.
ANDY: Bye, Gossip.
GOSSIP: Bye.
TIM: Get away from me.
ANDY: Wait!
GOSSIP: Well, if you think so. Then, yeah. Let’s do it. I feel so bad for her.
KAINE/CANDY: We don’t.
(Stand.) And she did it. Gossip got the role, just like that. Dallas gave it her best shot, but she was so off, so not herself. Gossip’s audition was unbreakable. Tim read opposite of her in the final callbacks and the strange thing? Everyone was rooting for her. Slowly, Gossip had gotten to everyone. Her drama was in the air.
GOSSIP: Dallas? Don’t worry. Just because she has doubts, it doesn’t mean it’s your fault. It’s not your fault she’s in love with two people. She’s deep down a good person.
She implanted it in Tim’s head. Me and Dallas. There was no talking to him. He was so mad. He didn’t even tell Dallas they were through. (Pause.) Because Dallas never came back. (Pause.) And with her gone, Gossip had won. And she actually became Dallas. In more ways than one.
(After Gossip asks Tim out)
TIM: Sure.
GOSSIP: Sure?
TIM/TEENS: Yeah, sure.
ANDY: (Stands.) The thing is, Tim liked her from the very moment he met her that first day. He’d never told anyone, but I could tell. She was addictive, she said everything right, and she was beautiful, becoming more beautiful every day. She had the same glow as Dallas once had. She turned heads. She lit up a room. We were blinded.
