The door slams in Mollie’s room. She walks up to her bed and flops on it. She’s visibly annoyed. The door opens again and up comes a older woman with red, curly hair. She faces Mollie with both of her arms crossed on her chest.
Jennifer: Just because I’m not mom, doesn’t mean you can just walk away and run to your room when I’m talking to you.
Mollie: Look, I don’t wanna talk about it.
Jennifer: Mol! They are threatening to kick you out of school! What the fuck were you thinking?!
Mollie: *yells* So what? Let them kick me out! It’s not like I’m going anywhere!
Jennifer pulls a chair from Mollie’s desk and sits in front of her.
Jennifer: What happened?
Mollie: Nothing. Laurie and Simon were being dickheads–
Jennifer: Language.
Mollie rolls her eyes and sits up.
Mollie: She always bothers me.
Jennifer: You fought with a boy, Mol. Why would Simon fight you?
Mollie: *annoyed* I don’t know! Maybe he’s just a pussy–
Jennifer: *more stern* Language.
Mollie: Well they both are! They both come to school to make my life a living hell!
Jennifer leans back on the air.
Jennifer: *gently* You’re going to lose your chance at Waverly if you keep acting up like this.
Mollie: Who cares about Waverly? It’s not like I’m actually going to get into that snobby performing arts school.
Jennifer: Listen, it’s not just any performing arts school. Some of the most famous people in my day attended school there. They all went to collages that furthered their careers. Don’t you want that? Don’t you wanna dance?
Mollie: I do, but not for that school.
Jennifer: Well whatever it is you want to do in that school, they aren’t going to take a student that is looking at expulsion.
Mollie: *defeated* Well maybe then I’m not right to go to a school like that.
Jennifer: *annoyed* Look Mol, I was once a teenager myself. I had bullies and mean girls and all of that bother me constantly. I fucked up getting into business that shouldn’t have been my own. I had a boot on my foot because i was on house arrest for nearly breaking a teacher’s nose because she was treating me like I wasn’t equal to the mean girl in my grade. We have our reasons for what we do, but it doesn’t mean that they’re the right thing to do.
Mollie takes in the information. She listens, but she doesn’t respond.
Jennifer: I’m not saying defending yourself was the wrong thing. I’m proud that you did, but you just have to find ways in which you can do that without getting yourself sent home from school. *sighs* You know I’m going to have to talk to mom about this, right?
Mollie: *panics* No, you can’t! Look can’t we just pretend this all didn’t happen? I promise I’ll do better! I really don’t wanna have to hear Mom give me the whole “I’m disappointed in you” speech. Like, I feel shitty as it is. Please.
Before Jennifer gets up to walk out of the bedroom, she stops and looks back at Mollie.
Jennifer: Mol?
Mollie looks at Jennifer.
Jennifer: Did you fight that boy because he was bothering Milo?
Mollie: No, I–
Jennifer: If I go home and see bruises on Milo and you didn’t tell me the truth, I will say something.
Mollie looks worried. She swallows hard.
…
Jennifer walks into the house. She places her bag on the kitchen table and calls out for Milo. Milo Sr. comes out of the basement.
Milo Sr: *attempts to kiss Jennifer* Hey, babe–
Jennifer nudges away and looks at Milo Sr.
Jennifer: Where’s Milo?
Milo Sr: He’s sleeping in his room.
Jennifer: Did you pick him up from school today?
Milo takes a deep breath. He puts the load of laundry on the kitchen table.
Milo Sr: I did. The principal called me.
Jennifer: Were you not going to tell me?
Milo Sr: Babe, they call you first before they call me, I– *puts it together* Did you pick up Mollie?
Jennifer: I did. She was covering up for Milo once again.
Milo Sr. sighs loudly and rubs his eyes.
Milo Sr: This isn’t like him to be getting in trouble like this.
Jennifer: Did he tell you what happened?
Milo Sr: Just that he got into a fight with that Simon kid again.
Jennifer: Mollie didn’t tell me in detail what happened, but those mean kids at school were messing with him again. Milo got upset when the other boy pushed him. She jumped in when Milo was on the ground.
Milo Sr: He’s going to ruin his chances getting into Waverly if he keeps acting up like this.
Jennifer: Same goes for Mollie.
They both take a pause.
Milo Sr: I just don’t know what’s gotten into him these days…
…
The next school week comes and Milo walks into the building with the bruises still black and blue from the fight the previous week. The kids in the hallway stare at him as he walks by. Milo doesn’t care who is looking; he just wants one normal day of school without any drama. He walks to his locker and unlocks it. A piece of paper falls to the ground when he does. He picks it up and reads the note. He smiles. and puts it in his jacket pocket and walks away from his locker.
Letters From Liz. 