Window Scene: “Lunch”

SCENE, Mall Food Court. A group of college-age students sit at a circular table.

STUDENT 3: History should be gayer!
GROUP laughs.
STUDENT 3: Throws up their hands. I’m serious!
STUDENT 4: Putting their hand on STUDENT 3’s shoulder. Hon, history is plenty gay, it’s not like people just suddenly started being gay.
STUDENT 3: Oh, you know what I mean. Rolls their eyes. Like, there should be more ways to learn about it. Things were much more suppressed a couple hundred years ago.
STUDENT 1: Nodding. I understand.
STUDENT 3: Anyway, are you done? I’m ready to go.
STUDENT 1: Hey, gestures to the table’s other occupants. I’m not the only one still eating.
STUDENT 4: Actually…
STUDENT 3: You kind of are.
STUDENT 2: Faux condemnation. I’m just picking at my plate at this point.
STUDENT 1: Frowns. You guys suck.
A woman faints a few feet away.
STUDENT 4: Oh, my God! Covers their mouth with their hand.
STUDENT 1 and STUDENT 2 run to her.
STUDENT 2: Are you okay?
WOMAN seems troubled and confused. Her face is obscured by a head wrap.
WOMAN: Voice quivering. I-I think so.
S and S2 help her up, she clings to them as they help her right herself.
WOMAN: Thank you so much. I don’t know what happened.
STUDENT 1: You’re very welcome.
STUDENT 2: Stay safe, ma’am.
S and S2 go back to their table.
STUDENT 2: That was weird.
STUDENT 1: Yeah, she just got right up…
Their voices fade out.
WOMAN: I can’t believe how often that works!
WOMAN enters an empty women’s bathroom and removes her head wrap. It is LORRINE.
LORRINE: Let’s see what we have.
She removes two wallets from her pockets.
LORRINE: Matthew Thomas, junior. Forty bucks, how modest. And… Jamie Paget, sophomore. Whew! A solid hundred! I like this kid.
Smiling, she pockets the money and folds the wallets. Exiting the bathroom, she discreetly places the wallets on a counter near the men’s room.
LORRINE: Godspeed, gentlemen.

THE END