Jen

Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011

2:30 p.m.

Jen

*

(Alex and Jamie enter the bottom floor of 177 North State Street. Jen, a black woman in a security guard uniform, sits behind a desk.)

Alex- I can’t believe we’re right next to the Chicago Theatre!

Jamie- Pretty cool. Bob Newhart’s playin’ next month.

Alex- Yeah, and Fleet Foxes—

Jen- ‘Scuse me, don’t let that glass door slam.

Jamie- Uh, I didn’t really know—never mind— (mumbles) sorry.

Alex- Um… hi there. (Smiles brightly) Is the ACM office located in this building?

Jen- You students?

Alex- Yes.

Jen- Where you from?

Alex- Galesburg. (Pause) It’s in Illinois.

Jen- Mmhmm.

Jamie- (to Alex) We’re in Illinois.

Alex- Yeah, I know, yeah, I was just—I didn’t know if she would know that or not.

(Pause)

Jen- Sooo, what you here for? Program don’t begin until next week, right?

Alex- Uh, right. Yes. But we’re going to be helping out around the offices, ya know—moving furniture, setting up the apartments… office work. Stuff like that.

Jen- Oh yeah, I member Julie sayin’ somethin’ about that the other day. She said you two was going to have to carry down a couch or somethin’.

Alex- A couch?

Jen- Yea. That’s what I said. She said you goin’ to be takin’ it down to the basement.

Jamie- Uh… what floor is the office on?

Jen- Seven. The top floor.

Alex- Oh wow.

Jen- Yea, I said that too.

(Pause)

Jamie- I’m still hungry.

Alex- Right… okay, so we’ll just take the elevator on up.

Jamie- To the seventh floor… and move a couch.

Alex- Down to the basement.

Jen- I gotta buzz you in.

(Jen gets up, takes a plastic card out of her pocket and scans the elevator door.)

Jamie- ‘It’s in Illinois’.

Alex- It’s what I’m used to saying. I didn’t even think when I said it.

Jamie- Yeah, you didn’t think alright.

Alex- Shut up.

(The doors open and the boys step inside. Jen pushes the button.)

Jen- Have fun.

(The elevator doors close. Jen goes back to her desk and reads a magazine.)

*