GREG Me too. (Beat.) God! I never thought I’d be able to say those words out loud to anyone … especially you! But yeah. It’s been a … tough … few years …

STEPH Totally.

GREG I started hanging out around Carly and we, you know … we had a couple laughs together and … without Kent there it just … we clicked. (Beat.) What would I even say to her? This is … she’s a really sweet person and … I’m … oh, fuck. Fuck!

STEPH You gotta decide about that, Greg. (Beat.) I honestly am not doing this because of her … you believe that, right?

GREG I guess I do./ Steph …

STEPH No, tell me you believe that./ Say it.

GREG Ok. (Beat.) I believe you. But I’m still in a really bad spot … if we were to …

STEPH What?

GREG You know.

STEPH If we got back together?

GREG Yeah.

STEPH That’s true. We both are.

GREG I gotta think about this …

STEPH You do?

GREG Steph, come on! You just dropped a time bomb in my lap here, so … you know?

STEPH I know. (Beat.) She’s beautiful, right, so you need to think about it …

GREG No! It’s not that.

STEPH Sure?

GREG That’s never … been … please don’t say something like that. That sounds bad.

STEPH No, I’m sorry. Shit. That was mean.

GREG Kinda.

STEPH Anyway, she’s not that pretty! (Laughs.) God! Life is fucking nuts … listen to me!

GREG Honestly … it has nothing to do with that or anything about that … okay? (Beat.) Carly is a good person and I like her … you should know the truth about that. I’ve got real feelings for her, and, and … I like her, I do … I like her …

STEPH I get it. You like her.

GREG Yeah, she’s … very … but yes, I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you smashed my ice cream sandwiches into the pavement. (Shaking his head.) Why is that?

STEPH Maybe ’cause we’re meant to be together.

GREG Could be.

STEPH Some shit outta one of those books you always have in your pocket …/ (Smiling.) What’re you reading these days?

GREG Ha!/ (Taps his jacket.) Jailbird. Vonnegut.

STEPH Why haven’t I ever heard of any of these people?! These novelists?!/ That’s so fucking strange to me!

GREG Because …/ I’m an oddball.

STEPH No shit. You really are.

GREG Yep.

STEPH And yet … somehow … I still like you.

GREG I know.

STEPH Yeah, well, don’t get all cocky about it.

GREG Gotcha.

STEPH … and me? What about me, Greg?

GREG What?

STEPH You still like me? After all this time?

GREG Yeah, Steph. I do. I still like you …

GREG glances around—checking for students—then slowly he and STEPHANIE kiss. Bodies tangling together.

There’s nothing tentative about it. It just keeps growing and growing and growing.

At work.

GREG sitting in the break room. Early morning and he is dressed for teaching.