SCENE 7

The boys’ house. A knock. COOPER opens the door and there stands JIMMY.

COOPER Hey.

JIMMY If he’s here I’ll kill him.

COOPER He’s not here.

JIMMY I swear, Cooper.

COOPER He’s not here. Relax. Chill out. Hold your horses. We’re just man to man right now.

JIMMY So what did you want? Why did you call?

COOPER I just need to say a few things to you.

JIMMY Go.

COOPER Jimmy—

JIMMY Go.

Beat.

COOPER Jimmy—you’re my friend. We’re both sort of in unfortunate positions here.

No response from JIMMY.

I mean Davis is my friend. He’s like my brother, you know that.

Nothing.

Ok. And generally, I stand behind him in everything he does and everything he says. Earlier he told me that the weather was supposed to be nice today. iPhone said rain, he told me nice. There’s a monsoon outside and I’m wearing shorts. Am I making my point?

No response from JIMMY.

I’m thinking I am. Anyway, at the party on Saturday I had my ear pressed up against the door. Now I was drunk so I don’t remember the whole thing. And the next morning I get curious. I want to know what happened. Whatever Davis says happened, happened. But he doesn’t say anything. There’s nothing for me to believe because he doesn’t say anything. And that scares me. He’s pleading no contest tomorrow, Jimmy. He isn’t pleading guilty, he’s pleading no contest. So all they can go off is what your girl says. And if what she’s saying is not true, then God help her. But if what she’s saying is true, then I want you to accept an apology on my behalf.

JIMMY Ok.

COOPER And I anticipate that this won’t affect the deal you set up between me and your father. The elongated enrollment thing.

JIMMY That’s why you called me.

COOPER No.

JIMMY You selfish, classless fuck.

COOPER No. No no, I wanted to tell you. I wanted to clear the air with—

JIMMY How about, I’m sorry Jimmy. How about Jimmy do you need anything? I’m so sorry man. I’m so sorry for you. Nope. None of that—just good old Cooper. Watching out for himself.

COOPER Honestly—

JIMMY You’re not in the clear, Coop. This is your house. That was your party. You pay rent here. You had your ear pressed against the door?

COOPER No. Yes but—

JIMMY And you did nothing?! (Beat.) You get off on that shit Cooper? Huh? You like that? You like it rough? I can play rough.

COOPER I had nothing to do with any of it. Anything.

JIMMY You were. You were it.

COOPER I’m telling you.

JIMMY We’ll see.

COOPER Jimmy—we play for the same team, you and me. I mean rugby, yeah. But in life. We see life as an ocean of options, we only want to take the ones that lead to happiness. I just want to be happy, man.

JIMMY Be my guest. Be happy. But not on my campus.

COOPER Wait.

JIMMY Leigh’s sister is waiting in the car.

COOPER There was a girl here earlier, Jimmy. She saw Leigh after the party and she— (Beat.) Listen Jimmy—I don’t date. (Beat.) I don’t plan to. (Beat.) I don’t have much about me that I enjoy. But being part of a team … feeling like you belong. This is rare. You and your dad need to know that I am not responsible and that I am not taking sides.

JIMMY You had your ear … pressed … up against the door.

COOPER I’m sorry.

JIMMY And what … did you hear. (Beat.)

COOPER I told you that—

JIMMY Cooper—I don’t want you to lie. But I want to know whose side you’re on. So what’d you hear?

COOPER I …

JIMMY We’re just figuring out which side you’re on.

COOPER Fine. I heard it.

JIMMY What?

COOPER I don’t know. God, Jimmy. I don’t know! What? What did I hear?

JIMMY Did you hear her scream?

COOPER Yes. I heard her scream. I heard her crying.

JIMMY Did she say anything?

COOPER Yes.

JIMMY What? What did she say?

COOPER She said no. She screamed no and I heard it.

COOPER forces back his sudden emotion.

COOPER God dammit. Fuck me.

JIMMY goes to exit.

So what? Am I good? Am I safe?

JIMMY You’re fine. We play for the same team.

JIMMY exits. COOPER is left alone.