A. Gautam
LILY, a seventh grader
CASH, a seventh grader
ANGELLE, Cash’s best friend
RAUL, Cash’s best friend
Scene I
[School night. Curtains open to Cash and Raul in Raul’s room. Raul is helping Cash with Algebra.]
CASH: [Checking his phone and gasping] Oh no. No. No. No. No.
RAUL: [Puts the books aside] What’s wrong?
CASH: Angelle sent me a text, and I think I sent it to Lily instead of Lyla. Lily’s going to spread it like wildfire. It’s all over. I can see the ashes of our friendship. Angelle will hate me now. Why was I so--
RAUL: [Gets up] What's the text?
CASH: A picture of her arm. She thinks there’s a weird discoloration, and she wanted Lyla to take a look.
RAUL: Lyla as in Doctor Lyla? You never told us she was your sister.
CASH: Why would I? Everyone in school would ask me to ask her about their skin. I can’t do that. Angelle is my best friend. I couldn’t say no to her. What’s going to happen now?
RAUL: Why do you even have Lily’s number?
CASH: Who doesn’t have her number? You need to know who’s spreading gossip. [Paces back and forth as curtains close]
Scene II
[Curtain opens to school gym.]
RAUL: It’s all good. I called Lily and went over to her house and did her Algebra homework for her. She let me delete the text and deleted the folder where the photo was saved.
CASH: I owe you, buddy.
RAUL: Please pay attention next time. It’s not just a toy, you know.
CASH: Not now. I’m already half dead with guilt. You are punching a fallen soldier.
RAUL: Why. [Throws arms in the air] Why do you have to talk like that? [Quickly gathers himself] Oh, here she comes. Hey, Angelle! [Smiles big]
ANGELLE: [Hugs Raul and points to Cash] Can I talk to you in private? [Watches Raul go to the balcony] Why are you shaking like a leaf about to fall off? Are you okay? [Feels his forehead]
CASH: I need to beg for your forgiveness. I accidentally did something terrible. Raul fixed it, though.
ANGELLE: Oh, the picture you sent to Lily? She told me about it. We’re cool.
CASH: [Turns pale as a ghost] What do you mean she told you?
ANGELLE: Lily’s not as bad as you think. I know it was an accident. She has deleted it. She told me about how bad you felt and how quickly you took action. She was so jealous that I have friends like you and Raul.
CASH: So, you aren’t mad at me?
ANGELLE: [Tries hard to seem serious and bursts out laughing] Well, you could help me memorize my lines for the play. I'm sure you know yours already.
CASH: Let me catch my breath first. [Pretends to gather strength, breathes deeply, and smiles] Okay, I'm ready. [Curtain closes.]
Question
What motivates Angelle to talk to Cash alone?
Responses
A She cares about Raul and doesn’t want to embarrass him. She cares about Raul and doesn’t want to embarrass him.
B She cares about Raul more than she cares about Cash. She cares about Raul more than she cares about Cash.
C She doesn’t want Raul to witness a fight between her and Cash. She doesn’t want Raul to witness a fight between her and Cash.
D She overreacts more than Raul to practice her role a play. She overreacts more than Raul to practice her role a play.
1 answer
The best answer to the question about what motivates Angelle to talk to Cash alone is:
C. She doesn’t want Raul to witness a fight between her and Cash.
This is because Angelle specifically asks to speak to Cash in private, which suggests that she wants to avoid involving Raul in potentially uncomfortable or confrontational dynamics regarding the situation with the text and Cash's feelings of guilt.
