For Part I, go here

Extraordinary Girl — American Idiot OBC

SCENE II

[SETTING: Same studio as the previous scene, same scenario.

ENTER PAIGE, the very same from CATT’s monologue. SHE’s just as beautiful as described. Quite the opposite of CATT, PAIGE clearly put an effort into her outfit, wearing an open-necked dress that compliments her skin tone, sparkly heels, and matching accessories. SHE looks classy, not trashy, and has another bag with her that has a change of clothes in case SHE needs to be more active. SHE smiles at the people behind the scenes and even winks at one. Once SHE’s seated and composed, we hear the same MALE VOICE mutter “Rolling” one again. PAIGE smiles, waiting for a cue.]

MALE VOICE: Okay. Please introduce yourself.

PAIGE: [Intro should be clearly rehearsed, as she uses it often] Hello, my name is Paige Nicole Belcher, and today for you I will… Well, I’m not sure. [laugh] I’m sorry, what exactly am I doing today?

MALE VOICE: Alright, think of one person who goes to this school-

PAIGE: Mhm.

MALE VOICE: And talk about them.

PAIGE: Well, who am I supposed to choose?

MALE VOICE: That’s up to you. It could be a best friend or a lov-

PAIGE: Ooh! I got one!

MALE VOICE: Alright, go.

PAIGE: Just… Talk?

MALE VOICE: Yep.

PAIGE: Okay. Um… Okay, so, Catt! Uh, when I first met Catt, I had, like, the hugest crush on her. We were both freshmen in drama who both also liked girls, so naturally there was bound to be some interest sparked; but I never actually acted on it or anything because, well, I was a Freshman and I was bothering myself with boy after boy after boy with stuff stuck in his braces. So I guess I missed out on that opportunity. And then in our Sophomore year she got this- this boyfriend… thing. I never really liked him at the time because they spent a whole lot of time together. And by a whole lot of time, I meant, well, pretty much all the time. [Emotions escalating] So that just really really sucked and I thought I was just gonna lose her. That year or so of time in which she was dating Rexx were really really turbulent for me because I honestly just cannot handle losing friends. Especially not such good friends. So to have her spending all her time with this whiny little bitch [Pause to calm and collect]… and none of it with me… was really really difficult.

But this isn’t about me. This is about her. So um. Anyway. [Brief pause for though] Okay so maybe the easiest way to describe Catt is by Hogwarts house. [Laughter emanates from off-screen. Paige, with a smile] Hey, don’t laugh! It’s true! Okay so you all clearly know the four houses. There’s Gryffindor for the brave of heart, Slytherin for the cunning, Ravenclaw for the witty, and Hufflepuff for the loyal. Well, Catt’s so undoubtedly Hufflepuff that it’s almost scary. You see, Catt would go to the ends of the Earth for her friends. She’ll do anything in her power to help you. And even though she’s rubbish for advice (and openly admits such), she’ll listen to you whine and complain about the flavor of the month without whining or complaining herself. And that’s a great thing! Not many people will just listen to you instead of just waiting for their turn to speak, and she does. But see, Hufflepuffs aren’t really known for being particularly brave. And I’m not saying that Catt’s a coward, she’ll stand up for herself when she finds it necessary. But like… She doesn’t always find it necessary. And that’s sort of a problem.

You see, with Catt, she’s set in her morals or whatever, yeah. But unless she’s being massively wronged, she’s not gonna bother standing up for every little thing. And that leads to saying “yes” to too many jobs and too many people. She loads herself up with project after project – Assistant stage managing, while assistant directing, while working stage crew, while organizing fundraisers, while taking care of websites and I honestly think it’s just all too much for her sometimes. She can’t handle it. I’ve tried to tell her before, and she listened, but I don’t think she realizes it when she does it. So every Sunday when her alarm goes off at six thirty so she can move a fucking chair for this stupid fucking campus church, she’s so exhausted from the previous day’s rehearsal that she doesn’t hear it and I have to throw shit at her until she turns it off and gets out. And yeah, this is, like, massively annoying to me and all that, but at the same time I just hate that she even has to wake up every fucking Sunday for this goddamn church because Catt just really really needs sleep.

There was this statue back in Boca. I never really liked it because I never understood it, but it sort of fits here. You see, this statue was about ten feet tall and was comprised of tea cups and tea pots and saucers all precariously stacked on top of one and other. And, I mean, they weren’t real tea cups, they were this weird iron alloy and they were probably molded together – or at least they were melded together. Whatever, that’s not the point. The point is that the statue looked like it would fall over with the slightest breeze. And it never really sat right with me. Anyway, that’s sort of how Catt is. She stacks all these obligations and emotions up and it’s really really not safe for her to do so, because unlike that statue, Catt’s not made of a weird iron alloy, nor is she welded or molded into one precarious piece. Catt’s playing a massive game of chance with herself. And every once in a while, everything just comes crashing down on her. And when that happens, it’s like she just feels like dying. She breaks down in the dorm and she doesn’t leave for anything other than class. And when she does, she looks a mess. I mean, Catt’s not necessarily the best dresser, but her eyes aren’t so puffy and her hair isn’t so frazzled and her clothes are nowhere near that disheveled. Not to mention, she eats less that she already does. And when she’s inside, all she does is sit there and run her fingers through her hair and she tries to solve whatever issue caused the breakdown so she could get back on track.

But see, she can’t honestly do it on her own. And she never asks for help. I mean, I do what I can. I listen when she needs to talk, I clean up after myself a little more, I’m back at the dorm more often just in case she needs me. But she’s not brave enough to ask for help. And I offer to help her out, but she refuses. She may be a Hufflepuff, but she’s got the pride of a Gryffindor. So I just do whatever little thing I can. I hide a cookie in her bag, I stack her day’s textbooks by the door, I play an extra round of Portal with her. It doesn’t always stop her from looking like a pet left in the rain, but I think it helps a little.

She means the world to me. She really does. She’s been with me through so, so much. And I just want to be there for her. Sometimes its hard, y’know? Having to sit idly by as your friend essentially disintegrates. But it’s what she wants. And I just want her to be happy, so if that’s how she wants to go about making herself happy, then I’m just going to help her along the way.

So um. Yeah. That’s pretty much it. I mean, I could say more if you need more footage, but—

MALE VOICE: No, that’s just fine.

PAIGE: You sure?

MALE VOICE: Yeah. There are refreshments and snacks by the door, help yourself on your way out.

PAIGE: Alright. Well, thanks for having me.

MALE VOICE: Thanks for participating.

[PAIGE stands and walks off screen with less bounce in HER step from when she initially entered.]

[Fade to black. END SCENE.]