WINNER OF NATIONAL IT’S TOO LATE NOW CHARACTERS SCHOLASTIC (She rises suddenly peers into the hall.) JANE: About six in the evening PLACE OF ACTION Livingroom cf the Harrison home I’m grounded should mother enters from the hall with her coat on, She is a middle-aged woman, slightly overweight.) JANE: Hi, Miom. MRS. around) Oh, piqued) nothing. Jane turns, takes a few (Dave comes up to her, but she turns away.) DAVE: What is it, Jane? JANE: (turning back to him) It’s nothing, DAVE: (after a pause) Are you afraid you won't win? JANE: (takes a deep breath) I hope I don’t. (Dave staggers stage right and sinks into the chair with exaggerated amazement.) DAVE: Gee! What happened? For the last six months you’ve been all worked up about winning that thing. You’re all ‘worked up now.. What’s the matter? . (Jane says nothing and is uncomfortably silent as Dave again checks his watch, Jane walks over sand looks down the hall once more.) DAVE: (seeming glad to have found a ‘way out of the situation, he gets up) Well, I’d better leave cr I’m going to catch it. (Dave walks to the door; Jane reaches it before he does.) DAVE: (opening the door) Well, so long, Jane, JANE: Bye, Dave. (Dave starts out then stops.) DAVE: I was going tc come over later if I can. Do you still want me to? JANE: Oh, sure. (Dave exits. Jane then starts back to the hall, but before she reaches it, her mo- ment, then speaks to Dave) I guess she’s still shopping. Can you stay a little while, Dave? DAVE: (plops down on sofa) Only a few minutes| (turns (Abruptly, (The room is in semi-darkness. A sofa with a coffee table in front of it can be seen at the center of the stage, To the right of the sofa, a hall entrance leading to the rest of the house. Stage right is a chair with a table beside it, and a telephone is on the table. Stage left a floor lamp stands by the sofa. The front door is down stage. Between the door and the lamp are drapes and another chair.) (Jane and Dave enter through the front door, She flips a light switch next to the door while he carries both their books over to the coffee table and deposits them there, Then Jane goes to the hall entrance.) a She steps down stage and halts facing away from Dave. She is upset.) | DAVE: (rising once more) What's wrong, Jane? JANE: Nothing. SCENE (listens herself) and I just had something I wanted to teil Miom. DAVE: (sits down again) You act like someone’s about to come and drag you off to the electric chair. (Jane walks back to the sofa but doesn’t sit down.) JANE: I’m sorry, Dave. I have been jumpy today. DAVE: (suddenly smiles and snaps his fingers) That’s right! They’re going to announce the scholarship ‘winners tomorrow. I’ll bet that’s it. TIME Mom, to gives home by now, DAVE: (rises too, slightly What are you waiting for? JANE HARRISON, seventeen DAVE, eighteen MRS, HARRISON, Jane’s mother SANDY CULVER, also seventeen MR. HARRISON, Jane’s father MRS. ANDERSON (calls) (half and be f2.JANE: JANE: AWARD this week, and my old man said I’m home by six -- or else. (He glances at his wrist watch.) It’s about twenty to six now, so I still have a little time. (While he has been talking, Jane sits on the sofa.) JANE: Sandy said you didn’t get home ‘til after three last Saturday. Is that what they’re mad about? DAVE: (leans back) Yeah. (sits up and looks at her) Do your parents ever get that mad at you, Jane? JANE: (smiles absentmindedly) You ought to be around here sometime. HARRISON: (walking it from her and puts it back on table, speaking as she .dces.) MRS. HARRISON: (soothingly) course I understand, dear. JANE (breaks away and goes to in) Hel- le, dear, Was someone here just now? I thought I heard you talking when I came in. JANE: Just Dave. (Jane goes stage right and sits in the chair beside the telephone; then picks the phone up and lays it in her lap. She absent-mindedly fools with the one Mrs. Harrison goes back into the all.) JANE: to talk MRS. (hesitates) I kind to you, Mom, HARRISON: without coat) Yes, back What usual, I imagine. what did JANE: you down want to (uncertainly, the dial.) Maybe you. both. MRS, (sits it. in dear; it? JANE: you (locking sofa.) me? wait and (briskly) can tell down at the tell Don’t me, Well, (she looks down the phone once more) befiore “Schocl last week on the day of the exam ,.. MRS. HARRISON: (breaking in) The scholarship exam? JANE: Uh-huh. We both took it. (She dials twice before going on,) Anyway, before class had started, I was in the library and she came in, and, (in one burst) and somehow she’d managed to no! You don’t did Yiou (bitterly regretful) How I ever let the phone.) of the sofa.) What difference I win no one will need to know, except Mrs, Anderson. MRS. HARRISON: (gives exasperated sigh and lets her hands fall into her lap) Unless you twin there’s no need to say anything at all. JANE: ‘Oh, no, Mom. I’ve got'to tell Mrs, Anderson before she finds out who won, so I can... (pauses, then adds with resolution) That’s the way it has to be. understand (Jane at dials once, fiercely, the phone lap. Mrs, Harrison gently takes rises and walks over phone, but doesn’t pick it up.)) MRS, HARRISON: You know, 35 34 (Jane turns away and nods.) JANE: I don’t know why I ever Unless MRS. HARRISON: (Sympathetically) Of course, dear, I know how difficult it is to tell on a friend; but you aren’t being fair to the other students if you don’t. JANE: (breaking in, suddenly im- Oh, to- unbelieving) does it make, as long as I admit the truth? MRS. HARISON: (raising her voice) Two weeks ago you could have been quietly disqualified. Now everyone in town will know. JANE: (leans back and defiantly folds her arms.) I don’t see the difference. shoulder. ) all. (She on her (comes at used Oh, the arm take a copy of the exam from Mrs, Anderson’s desk, (Jane looks at her mother as if waiting for a reaction. After a moment her mother goes over and pats her on the patient) who the MRS, HARRISON: (upset, but tries to control herself) Now, first of all, why did you wait so long to say anything? JANE: (shrugs) I don’t know. MRS. HARRISON: (more _ upset) They’re announcing the winners tomorroy. JANE: (turns and leans one elbow on phone, at Sandy don’t slowly Jane, beside Now begins reluctantly.) Well, you know Sandy Culver, don’t you, Mom? (Jane looks up hopefully at her Mother who nods.) You her talk me into it, (suddeniy speaks rapidly and tensely, ready to break into tears) Well, there’s only one fair thing todo now -- tell Mrs. Andersion the truth, (almost indifferently) I don’t suppose I’ be able to gio to college now. We don’t have the money, I know. (She starts for the phone, but as she puts her hand on the receiver, her mother holds it down.) MRS. HARRISON: Wait, Jane, Before you do anything, I think we should have a talk. (Jane takes her hand from the phone, walks tio the sofa and sits silently. Mrs, Harrison slciwly sits down in the chair still fooling with I should HARRISON: be silly, what is on No! didn’t! were about? tell room) Of no! (Her mother is looking attentively jat her now and Jane stops, confused.) JANE: (changing the subject abruptly) When is Dad coming heme? MRS. HARRISON: Around six as But of the all. It wasn’t just those papers. MRS. HARRISON: of wanted (coming dear. middle the to the don’t